As a Dad [read more]

Outline: 6 biblical observations of unbelief [read more]

A "Go" or “No Go" is a military term for those who have met a set standard and are either fully qualified to perform their duties, or ready to progress to the next phase of the training process. Who determines whether or not one is a "Go" or “No Go" is usually a subject matter expert who evaluates the prospect by a set standard. [read more]

At the conclusion of the sermon yesterday I tried to provide some practical helps for evangelism. Here is the list. Feel free to add to this... 1. Make a list of unbelievers that you interact with. 2. Begin praying for them. 3. Begin being intentional with the gospel with them. Try to insert the gospel into regular conversation. Tell them your testimony of conversion, but then explain to them how the gospel is personal, it has everything to do with them. 4. Try to cultivate relationships, and/or opportunities for more in-depth conversations. 5. Frequent the same local establishments so you can build relationships with folks in effort to talk to them about Christ. 6. Feel the freedom to talk to them about non-spiritual things and provide counsel. 7. LISTEN to them. Every unbeliever is a)hungry & b)hurting. Hear them and help them. 8. Ask others to pray for unbelieving friends. 9. Pray about creative ways to reach military folks, particularly young airmen. 10. Preach the gospel & great commission to yourself & pray that you believe it. Additionally, these articles may prove helpful: >Why I Don't Evangelize >The Main Goal of Evangelism >Note to Self: You are a Missionary Aiming to Serve Christ with You, Erik [read more]

Just a quick not to remind you that this Sunday afternoon is the church picnic. These times are always fun and encouraging. And now with both the 'Mother Church' (OBC) and us the 'Daughter Church' (OBC-South) getting together all at once...should be fun! There are details here on the website. It is easy to remember though: Games & Fellowship: 2:00 -- 4:00 Food Served: 4:00 - 6:00 Baptism & Music: 6:00 Also, the picnic is in Bellevue this year. For directions click here. [read more]

Outline: Timeless traits of being on mission with Jesus [read more]

In Mark 6.1-6, our passage for this week, Jesus goes home to Nazareth. You might be tempted to think the locals would have a parade for him. Or at least celebrate the return of the favorite son to his stomping grounds. The problem is, the locals don't like Jesus. In fact, they are extremely offended by him. They heard his preaching, they knew his claims, but they continued to stub their toe and trip on the cornerstone. The passage really is sobering. It shows us with great clarity the power of unbelief. The context here is of a sermon by Jesus. So that will be our angle that we take in studying the passage. Main Point: Jesus' message is hard to believe because we are sinners. Outline: Wrong Responses to a Christ-Centered sermon 1. Try to Explain Jesus Away 2. Mock how Ordinary Jesus Is 3. Take Yourself Too Seriously Let's pray together for fruit in our lives and in the church. Erik [read more]

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This Sunday we are planning to continue our study in Mark. Pray that God continues to press upon our hearts the beautiful value of our great Savior!! Jesus Helps the Helpless [read more]

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This past Sunday I noticed something encouraging. There were many people serving and doing so with joy. Some folks are recent additions to various ministries and they were getting after it. Furthermore, there were several new folks that I was privileged to meet and talk with. In talking with them they spoke of the folks that they had met and spoken with. Most of these folks already had invites to lunch from multiple people! I can't begin to tell you how this encourages me! As a pastor I pray and long for the day when we as individuals (myself included!) are so gospel-saturated that we selflessly engage others, spend time with others, and endeavor to help others know Christ better. All of this to abound to the glory of Christ! So, if you have recently stepped up your game in terms of reaching out with gospel-centered encouragement to others, then please keep it up! And if you are not feeling this burden, then feel the healthy exhortation to reach out, meet new folks, encourage familiar faces, and pray for gospel growth. May God be pleased to grow our church the right way, that is through the gospel. Erik [read more]

By Grace, [read more]

As a pastor I long for the Bible to take a hold of people. But this is not simply a pastoral burden. All Christians love Christ, his word, and his glory. As a result, I am sure that a quote like the one included below kind of gets your heart beating and mind racing. There is great appeal here: "Imagine if all Christians, as a part of their discipleship, were caught up in a web of regular Bible reading--not only digging into the word privately, but reading it with their children before bed, with their spouse over breakfast, with a non-Christian colleague at work once a week over lunch, with a new Christian for follow-up once a fortnight for mutual encouragement, with a mature Christian friend once a month for mutual encouragement. It would be a chaotic web of personal relationships, prayer and Bible reading--more of a movement than a program--but at another level it would be profoundly simple and within reach of all." --Marshall & Payne, The Trellis and The Vine, p. 57. For many of us this starts in the home with Dads or Husbands leading like they ought to. Just take the Bible, open it up, and start reading. You don't need 3 points, illustrations, or a conclusion. What we really need to do is just read and talk about what we read. You can do this tonight when you go home. This can also happen in the sphere of Christian friendships. Just make it a priority. Same thing applies here within the workplace; you can make it a priority to talk with folks about the Scriptures. If anyone needs help, suggestions, or encouragement to this end, please come and talk to one of the pastors. We would love to help kindle such a movement! Let's join together in praying and doing; that God would bless his word! Your fellow servant of the gospel, Erik [read more]

I was asked in one of my college classes to pick an Old Testament hero and make an attempt to identify with them in their life, ministry, or calling. This was somewhat difficult because when I read the Old Testament, I don’t look for myself, but for God, and how God is the same as He was then as He is today. But, because of the assignment and God’s grace we also see another unchanging attribute. That of mankind itself. So, yes I to a certain point can identify with all men. But one must see through the new spiritual bifocals of salvation. I believe that should be the way one should “see” it. It might surprise one to think that the Bible itself even though written in a language that we can understand and available to all people, is for those who have the mind of God Himself by His indwelling Spirit (1 Cor. 2: 6-15). Who, allows us to see Him in a salvific and sanctifying way. Without His assistance we cannot come to know Him in a way that brings about the mind to conform and believe who He is as revealed in the Scripture. The unbeliever makes his god into his own image. Exchanging God’s rightful glory, into another image that Scripture has not told us (Romans 1: 18 -23). [read more]

This Sunday we will be looking at a familiar passage of Scripture. In it (Mark 4.35-41) Jesus speaks and calms a raging storm. How do we approach this? How can we take this familiar event and make it pop in our souls? We want our souls to 'burn within us' like those saints on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24). Thankfully the disciples help us by asking a good question in verse 41, "Who then is this...?" As we have noted, this is Mark's big question throughout his writing. It is what he always endeavors to answer. So, with that, we will look at 3 Arresting Aspects of Jesus Christ. It is his unexpected uniqueness that arrests us. And through this we are moved to worship him. Here are the three points: 1) The Plainness he Projects (4.35-36) 2) The Power he Possesses (4.37-39) 3) The Problem he Presents (4.40-41) The story does end on an interesting note...doesn't it? Here is the main point: You must worship Jesus because he is holy. I am looking forward to our time together and praying that God would use it to encourage us to love and serve Christ with further zeal, confidence, faithfulness and joy. Erik [read more]