The elders met for the monthly meeting on Wednesday morning, May 27. Pastor Pat opened the meeting with prayer, and we thanked God for the opportunity to minister to the body of believers at OBC. Dallas Focht read Article 12 of the London Baptist Confession of 1689, titled "Of Adoption." This chapter of the LBC is an amazing reminder of God's grace extended to us as we are...

Recently, I was at a funeral for my aunt in a small country church in Minnesota.As the pastor was sharing the gospel to the room of family and friends, there was a statement that gave me pause.He said, "For someone to have a relationship with God, they must first have a relationship with Jesus." The passage shared at the funeral was John 14:1-6.He was correct that the onl...

The elders met for the monthly meeting on the evening of Tuesday, September 16. Pastor Pat opened the meeting with prayer, thanking God for this ministry and also prayed for those hurting within the church. Dave Guthrie read Article 5 of the London Baptist Confession of 1689 titled, Of Providence.It is a blessing to read through the Confession and be comforted by it, knowi...

The sovereignty of God can be tough to grasp and even more, can be hard to trust in. What does it mean for God to be sovereign? Sovereign simply means that someone or something has supreme power or authority.When we think about sovereign nations, such as the United States, it is sovereign.The nation has supreme power over the land, people, etc. The United States has had so...

The elders met for the monthly meeting on the evening of Tuesday, October 15.Pastor Pat opened the meeting with prayer and we thank God for how he works through us as a church knowing that he is sovereign over this world and we remember that he is building his church. Dan Perina read Article 27 of the London Baptist Confession of 1689 titled, Of The Communion of Saints.It ...

In August, Mike Grimes talked about remembering God's promises in his Post article titled, "Remember to Remember." Hope and Holiness, written by Jon Fonville, reinforces this same idea that we need to remember the gospel of Jesus Christ and remember who we are as new creations in Jesus Christ. This is not a long book; in just 165 total pages and nine chapters, Fonville ex...

When I was asked to lead the Middle School Ministry two and a half years ago, I prayerfully considered how I could bring the gospel to the group.The previous leaders, which I was a part of, spent a large part of Wednesday evenings teaching hermeneutics so that the students could learn how to understand passages as they read the Bible.I enjoyed the time that was spent teach...

The elders met for their monthly meeting on the evening of Tuesday, May 21. Pastor Pat opened the meeting with prayer and we thanked God for how he has shown us to love one another. In suffering or grief, it is encouraging to know that the members of the church are lifting each other up in prayer. Todd Swift read Article 23 of the London Baptist Confession of 1689 titled,...

There is therefore now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 When I began to understand Reformed Theology around 2016, I was attracted to preachers that made me feel guilty every sermon. I was convinced that the works in my life were a must if I was to be truly justified as a Christian. Strangely, I found security in the feeling of questioning my ...

The Bookends of the Christian Life, written by Jerry Bridges and Bob Bevington, is a well-written book for Christians who are at any stage in their life. Whether you are a mature Christian needing encouragement or a new Christian looking to understand the pillars of the faith for learning how to live as a new creation, this book will provide a blessing. The purpose of a...