Category: Church Chat

New Assignment from the Lord

Posted in Church Chat, Ministry1 Comment

On Sunday, September 16, 2012, I submitted my resignation as senior pastor of the historic 193-year-old First Baptist Church of Shelbyville, Kentucky with a heavy heart and with tear-filled eyes. Words can NEVER express my gratitude for the support and encouragement given to me during my time there. I assume the position of Team Leader of Church Consulting & Revitalization for the Kentucky Baptist Convention on October 1, 2012.

We will continue to live in Shelbyville and we plan to continue to be active members of Shelbyville First Baptist Church. Because of my Kentucky Baptist Convention job responsibilities, I will be out many Sundays, but my family will continue to attend regularly. Allow me to share a few final thoughts concerning the days ahead.

Let’s trust God together. Let’s thank God for our journey together and fully trust Him as we move forward. Although I did not see this transition coming, God was not surprised. In looking back now, I can see His hand in preparing me for this new role and I can see His hand in preparing our church for this next season of ministry.

Show your loyalty to God and to Shelbyville First Baptist. This has been a great church for over 193 years. God will provide you with a leader. Now is the time for you to support the church with your attendance, your service, and your finances.

Make this a time to grow closer to God and to each other. Great churches always unite during a time of transition. Give visible love and support to one another and make this an opportunity for a fresh start. Walk close to our Father and close to His children.

Release us and help us follow God. I have always taught you that we should follow God regardless of the cost. Please know that our hearts are heavy. We humbly seek your blessing and your understanding. Help us have courage and release us to follow God. Pray that our faith will be strengthened and that God will anoint our ministry to the churches across the state of Kentucky.

Love your new pastor. When God brings a new pastor to you, give him the same love and support you gave me. Be his friend and be his partner in ministry. But remember, I will be his biggest cheerleader!

Don’t be a stranger. We have treasured your friendship and partnership in the gospel. We still desire and need your friendship as fellow Christians in the Lord’s work. Please include us in your prayers, your friendships, and your gatherings.

Love Jesus. There is no greater joy than serving and loving Jesus because of His grace and His love. He is faithful and I encourage you to faithfully love Him above all else!

 

I Love Summer in Shelbyville

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I LOVED THIS SUMMER at Shelbyville First Baptist Church!  Summer meant Vacation Bible School, mission trips, Acts 1:8 teams, church outings, and a different pace.

Like most families, we traveled some this summer.  We headed to California to see our oldest son and our new daughter-in-law, Nathalie.  I performed their wedding halfway up a mountain in Yosemite National Park while we were there.  Maybe Laura and I can FINALLY get some grandchildren!

This summer at church we focused on revival-style messages.  I called the Summer Sermon Series “THIRST” based Psalm 63:1.

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 (ESV)

I tried to preach these messages from God’s Word with the aim of creating a Godly thirst for the Lord.  I would simply call them “old-fashion, revival-style” messages.

If you would like to listen to any of the messages in the THIRST series, you can access them on our church website.

Project 1189

Posted in Church Chat, Discipleship, Ministry, Preaching, WorshipLeave a comment

Several months ago, while I was on a morning run through Clear Creek Park, the Lord distinctly laid something on my heart. He emphasized that I was to lead our church to read straight through the entire Bible from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22—all 1,189 chapters. He also stressed that we should read from behind our pulpit in our sanctuary.

In obedience to His instructions, we are going to read through the entire Word of God beginning Sunday, March 11 and ending Sunday, March 25. Every person who wishes to participate in reading a portion of the Scripture, will be asked to sign-up for a time slot on the sheet posted in the Sanctuary. The weekday schedule will look like this:

 Week of March 12-16 & March 19-23 / 10am-6pm

Pray about how the Lord wants you and your family to participate. Maybe He will lead you to read or just drop in and listen while others read—just obey Him as He leads.

Here are three important things I believe the Lord wants us to accomplish through PROJECT 1189:

  • Renew our dedication as a church to hearing and obeying the Word of God
  • Renew our commitment in our families to the Word of God
  • Renew our passion as individuals to the Word of God

Lessons from the Ark

Posted in Church Chat, Discipleship, Funny, Life Happens, Preaching1 Comment

Someone recently sent me an email about Noah’s Ark.  As a preacher, it caused me to think of several sermon ideas I missed over the years.  Read over the following “Lessons from the Ark” for yourself and see if you find them as helpful as I do.

Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah’s Ark . . .

  1. Don’t miss the boat.
  2. Remember that we are all in the same boat.
  3. Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the Ark.
  4. Stay fit. When you’re 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
  5. Don’t listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
  6. Build your future on high ground.
  7. For safety’s sake, travel in pairs.
  8. Speed isn’t always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
  9. When you’re stressed, float a while.
  10. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
  11. No matter the storm, when you are with God, there’s always a rainbow waiting.

I want to thank my email friend for the sermon ideas and the “kernels” of wisdom.  I hope they help you as they have me.

Can A Christian Be Divorced?

Posted in Church Chat, Life Happens, Preaching, Worship1 Comment

I am currently preaching a Summer Sermon Series called Hot Topics. This week’s sermon is entitled, Can A Christian Be Divorced? Several of my pastor friends believe that this week’s “divorce sermon” will be the most difficult message to deliver in the entire series. I suppose they’re correct, but all that I know to do is to explore what the Bible says on the subject.

During this series, I have been reminded over and over that most people want to hear the truth. They want a preacher to stand with a heart full of love and share straight from God’s Word. Even if the topic is difficult, they want to know what God has to say! Well, this summer, I’m desperately trying to share what God has to say on each of these hot topics.

If you would like to hear any or all of the sermons from this series, you can listen to them on our website at http://www.shelbyvillebaptist.com.