I’m blessed to have been part of the mission team that went to Anchorage, Alaska. It was an awesome week of sharing the gospel with over 100 kids at VBS, sharing the love of the Lord through serving with the other volunteers from FBC Anchorage, and encouraging others whenever possible. As a pastor, I am immensely proud of our awesome team!
I was also reminded just how blessed we are here at FBC Seabrook. Thank you, Lord, for a growing, healthy church, filled with incredible people. Thank you, Lord, for a church that understands the importance of obedience to the Great Commission!
In my time with the pastor, members, and missionaries in Alaska one subject came up frequently. The need for personal evangelism. As God usually does, He arranged it that John Mayes would be preaching on this very subject in my absence. The tools for the Roman Road that John brought for the church are now in a bin on the wall in the main hallway for you! Please take some of the bookmarks and pamphlets and then use them! Sharing your faith is a requirement for every Christian!
In the God and Guns 60 Day Bible Reading Challenge, we had two days of reading from the Book of Judges. It had been some time since I had read through Judges, and I am extremely glad I did this past week. It was a great opportunity to be reminded of who we are and who God is. The Israelites repeated the same mistakes. It went like this: The Israelites would do well for a time, then they would abandon God and sin, God would punish them, they would cry out to God, God would send a judge to save them and then they would do good for a time until the cycle repeated itself.
The same can be said of churches and of individuals.
Can the cycle be broken? I don’t think so, but the good times can be prolonged if we remain focused on Jesus! Then bad times can be shortened if we are quick to repent! There is no need for us as a church, or as individuals, to experience the downside of this cycle if we remain faithful to the Lord and His church and each other!
Our Wednesday Night Bible Study applies here. This week (July 21st) I am teaching out of 1 Cor 13; the chapter on Love. Paul calls this a “more excellent way.” And it is. “…but have not love, I am nothing.”
Matthew 22:36-40: “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
God Bless,
Pastor Rob