Throughout our lives we have been so blessed with friendships and ministry opportunities.
This blog is meant to share what God has been doing in, for and through us.
It is also used as a resource page for teaching and preaching Dave has had the opportunity to do.
We do this for the purpose of GLORIFYING GOD and HELPING OTHERS GLORIFY GOD.
Recently, I have been using the first two words to describe my life, especially as it relates to ministry. There are many tasks to get done and people to meet with. While there are many tasks and people, I pray the last word, faithful, would be what my life is about. Faithfully living for God, who has proven Himself faithful.
Many of my most recent posts on this blog have been related to lessons I have taught at Trinity or workshops from the church ministries conference.
Of the last 25 posts, 2 have been personal and 23 have been lesson- or workshop-related. Sadly, my amount of personal journaling has also decreased tremendously. While there have been many teaching and ministry opportunities, that is not the only reason for this lack of personal posts and journal entries.
When I honestly look at the end of 2025 and the first half of 2026, I can say I haven't taken as much time as I should for personal reflection. I want to do better at this. Throughout my life, personal, private journaling - written prayers - has been a refreshing time of soul searching and even more so seeking the Lord.
Recently, Krista reminded me of a related devotional from Everyday Gospel. The June 25 devotional's reading is Psalms 90-95. There are several quotes related to the concept of Full, Flexible, and, hopefully, Faithful.
It is important to understand and live within the limits that God, in his infinite wisdom, has set for us.
When you live with your limits in view, you don't waste your time. You don't load your schedule with things that don't matter. You value your time, and you want to invest it wisely. When you live with your limits in view, you want to understand what is important to God, and you spend your days pursuing those values.
Our days are numbered; may we reach for the grace to invest in them well.
As personal and ministry responsibilities remain constant and personal and ministry opportunities arise, help remember Psalm 90:14, "Satisfy us in the morning with Your graciousness. That we may sign for joy and rejoice all our days."
I am praying that I will make more time each day to reflect upon the graciousness and the glory of God. If that is through personal journaling and more public teaching and writing, good. However, I pray that every day I will take time to privately do this and that it will impact the way I live and interact with others.
A couple of weeks ago, I was interviewed by friends Andrew Gommesen and James Wisneski for the Speaking 4 Him podcast.
It was such a great time to reflect with them on God's faithfulness. It was so good that we talked for a long time, and the interview had to be split into two parts.
I wrote a post before the interview about what I was hoping to communicate. In that post, I wrote
Through the many different relationships God has blessed me with, He has shown Himself faithful in how He helps and sustains me through the gift of His people. On the podcast, I plan to name names. I know the phrase often has a negative connotation, but in this case, I mean I plan to mention many different people who have been a blessing, a help, and an encouragement to me.
DISCLAIMER: The people I mention in the podcast are in no way an exhaustive, complete list.
There was a name I didn't mention, but I wanted to share it here on a more personal level.
My family and many others have known him as Pastor Bob (Robert T. Singleton). Pastor Bob passed away on February 8, 2026. Here is his obituary
There are a lot of things I could share about Pastor Bob. So, to limit my ramblings in the following video, I wanted to share about three specific times and one general life principle.
Camp
Dominican Republic
My dad
So many other personal stories of his loving care.
Later today, I will be on a podcast with my new friend, Andrew Gommesen, that a friend and member of Trinity, James Wisneski, is part of.
Andrew sent me some questions to prepare me for the time. The podcast's title is Ministry Musings. Musings are lengthy, intent considerations.
As I prepared for the interview and considered the definition of musings, I wanted to briefly share some thoughts before and after my time with Andrew and James.
Throughout my time in various areas: Pittsburgh, PA, Rochester, NY, Santiago, Dominican Republic, Toledo, OH, Scranton, PA, Grand Rapids, MI, and places for short visits, God has been faithful over and over again.
He has shown Himself faithful in Himself, His Word, and His People.
Through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and the empty grave, God has shown His faithfulness to me in my salvation.
Through countless Bible-teaching opportunities I have been part of - from one-to-one breakfast meetings to conferences with thousands of people in an arena - God has shown His faithfulness to me through the teaching of His Word.
Through the many different relationships God has blessed me with, He has shown Himself faithful in how He helps and sustains me through the gift of His people. On the podcast, I plan to name names. I know the phrase often has a negative connotation, but in this case, I mean I plan to mention many different people who have been a blessing, a help, and an encouragement to me. DISCLAIMER: The people I mention in the podcast are in no way an exhaustive, complete list.
As I was musing about ministry, I was reminded that ministry is about God-glorifying, personal relationships. And I am so thankful for all the relationships God has blessed me with.
The section above this line was written before the interview.
-----------------
The section under this line was written after the interview.
Entering 2026, I want my life and Trinity Baptist Church to be marked by four words (worship, discipleship, evangelism, and missions) and a question connected to each word.
Worship - How has my life made much of God this week?
Discipleship - Who am I building into?
Evangelism - What opportunities have I taken to share the Gospel?
Missions - How have I invested my resources and life for the spread of the Gospel around the world?
WORSHIP is not merely about singing. Worship is about all of life, of which singing privately and corporately is a part.
Under Authentic Worship, Trinity's website says we are "a church that places high priorities on sound doctrine, community, and relationships."
Worship doesn't begin with singing. It starts with Biblical truth and right relationships with God and others. The songs we sing together are the overflow.
The sermons that are preached, the studies that are selected, the songs that are sung, and the decisions that are made come from a desire to help our church family make much of our great God.
DISCIPLESHIP needs to be centered on Christ and grounded in scripture.
Here is a very basic definition of discipleship I have used.
SEEKING someone TO HELP YOU FOLLOW Jesus.
HELPING someone FOLLOW Jesus and
I am praying that Trinity will be filled with members who are growing in their fellowship with Jesus Christ and are seeking to help others grow into the image of Christ.
It is my prayer that discipleship connected with Trinity Baptist Church means more than that which is done at 2050 Aberdeen Street, NE. Discipleship at Trinity Baptist Church is carried out through its members and those we have discipled.
I read somewhere that EVANGELISM and MISSIONS are not compartmentalized programs of the church for an elite few.They are for EVERY believer.
Evangelism and Missions must proclaim the Gospel and build up the church.
May the church be known for its proclamation of the Gospel in our neighborhoods and around the world.
At the heart of decisions made regarding the ministries of any church should be four words: worship, discipleship, evangelism, and missions.-
These four BIG words are so much more than strategic thinking for church leaders.
They should be the life and ministry of EVERYmember.
Krista, Jadyn, and I have been reading Everyday Gospelby Paul Tripp this year.
The daily devotionals have been a help in thinking about each daily reading through the Gospel.
Part of today's reading is Exodus 33:14 - 16.
And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, ‘If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”
Moses states that he would not go to the Promised Land if the Lord was not with him. Tripp writes, "Moses understands that there is no hope for Israel and no reason for Israel to travel further if God doesn't go with them."
"[God] will go with us wherever we go and will do for us what we have no power to do for ourselves—not because we deserve it, but because he is generous in love and mercy. It really is true that he is everything we need."
Today's Bible reading and devotional, the Psalm passage I preached on January 12, and what keeps coming up in Trinity's Daniel series is that our hope needs to be in the Lord.
Moses needed God more than the Promised Land. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego needed God more than the king's approval. Daniel needed God more than the safety given by this world. Psalm 118:8 and 9 say, "It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes."
This hope in the LORD should affect how I pray, spend my time, interact with others, and do everything else in my life.
This Friday (1/31), I will be posting a summary of two 9Marks Church Questions books "
Today, I am privileged to be at Cornerstone University's Church Ministry Fair.
In praying and thinking about this opportunity, I pray that students at Cornerstone or any other college will pursue opportunities to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ, personally and with other believers.
This morning, at Cornerstone, I want to let students know about Trinity Baptist Church and, even more than that, encourage them to get plugged into a Bible-preaching local church. Not just showing up on Sunday mornings but looking for opportunities to be encouraged and to encourage others.
The gathering together of believers reminds us that we are weak and were created for fellowship.
Forsaking the gathering together of believers demonstrates an independent, self-centered mindset.
Also, each of us needs to seek ways to grow closer to Christ personally.
This begins with being in the prayer and the Word. A help is Bible-centered books and devotionals that point us to Christ.
One devotional book that has been so helpful to me has been New Morning Mercies by Paul Tripp.
Here is the August 30th devotional that focuses on pride.
Grace smashes your pride, but it gives you more reasonfor confidence than you have ever had before.
It is a statement of complete assurance and confidence, spoken by a man whose pride had just been smashed.
Nebuchadnezzar was the arrogant king of the conquering nation of Babylon. He not only had devastated Judah and taken its people as his captive servants, but he had taken implements from the temple to be used as tools of idol worship, which he commanded everyone in his kingdom to render or face death. The extent of his pride is captured by these words: “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” (Dan. 4:30). But while the words were still in his mouth, he was dramatically humiliated by the One who alone has true glory and majesty. By the power of God, Nebuchadnezzar was “driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws” (v. 33).
The pride of the king had been destroyed by the finger of God. We don’t know for sure how long Nebuchadnezzar was in that humiliated, animalistic state, but we do know that when he rose out of it and his senses returned, his choking arrogance had been replaced with confidence. Are you confused at the distinction? Well, read these words and compare them to what Nebuchadnezzar had said before:
At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the king of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble. (Dan. 4:36–37)
Nebuchadnezzar was confident in the position and power he had been given, but the old pride had been broken. You can see this in the fact that what he once took credit for building, he now praised God for establishing. Nebuchadnezzar did not minimize or deny the power and splendor of his reign, but he did not say as he once would have said, “This is from me, about me, and for me.” You see, pride takes credit for what it could not achieve on its own, while confidence stands strong because it recognizes the power and presence of One greater. Only divine grace can lead you from one to the other.
For further study and encouragement: Ephesians 3:7–8
"Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power.To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,"
Yes, on Josiah's move-in day at the University of Michigan, we read a devotional on Jeremiah 29:11.
This is the verse Josiah shared as his favorite verse in football and basketball. If you know about Josiah's football and basketball seasons this year, you will understand how we pray he will remember and live out the devotional below.
Before reading this devotional, I encourage you to take out your Bible. Don't open up an app or website. Get a physical Bible and use it while reading this devotional from100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know By Heart
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Here’s a verse you often see on wall plaques. It’s sometimes inscribed in beautiful calligraphy or printed over soaring pictures of eagles. It’s found on coffee mugs and decorative plates. But few people have studied its context.
Jeremiah 29 is a letter Jeremiah sent to displaced Jewish captives who’d been dragged from their homes and resettled in refugee camps in Babylon. Other prophets were claiming God would perform a miracle and deliver the nation of Judah as He’d done in the past. Jeremiah’s message was the opposite, saying in effect: “The Lord will not save us this time. Our sins have so alienated us from Him that only judgment is left. And yet even the judgment of God is merciful. It may take seventy years, but God will reestablish our nation, and His ultimate plans are undeterred. His purposes are stubborn things and will win in the end.” It’s in this context we find verse 11.
Here’s a simple study guide for the passage, which will aid in understanding and memorizing the key verse. After giving the background in verses 1–3, Jeremiah advises the exiles:
Make the best of things (vv. 4–6). Settle down, decide you’re in for the long haul, go on with life, and make the best of it. Build houses. Plant gardens. Get married. Have children. Be hopeful. Don’t give up. You may not be where you want to be, but make the most of where you are. Don’t spend your years wishing that something had or hadn’t happened. Don’t be consumed by things you cannot change. Just settle down and do the best you possibly can where you are.
Pray where you are (v. 7). Pray for the nation in which you’re "exiled." Pray for the shalom of the country where you’re located. Lift up your surrounding circumstances by prayer.
Beware the wrong voices (vv. 8–9). Don’t listen to false hope or ungodly messages.
Take the long view (v. 10). At this point, Jeremiah gives his famous prophecy that after seventy years, God would bring the captives of Judah back and restore the nation of Israel. Our long-term prospects are always better than our immediate conditions.
Get hopeful about God’s plans (v. 11). This is our key text, our memory verse.
Seek the Lord above all (vv. 13–14). The next couple of verses remind us that since God has plans to prosper us and to give us hope and a future, we must seek Him with all our hearts.
Verse 11 is a powerful promise to claim when you are “in exile.” God thinks about you personally and is planning for you. . . . You need not fear the future.61—Warren Wiersbe
What great truth is found in Jeremian 29 not just verse 11.
At the end of this post, I included two great songs, "Promises" and "His Glory and My Good," that tie this all together.
I want to begin this devotional with a harsh truth.
Seniors, this day is not about you. Parents, this day is not about your child or you. This day is about God and his love and faithfulness.
Hello! My name is Dave
Rodgers.
I attended Penn State for my first two years as an undergrad.
This is my wife, Krista, a lifelong Ohio State fan who was
born and raised in Ohio.
Attended Cedarville University in Ohio.
When we moved to Toledo, I learned I needed to pick a team to root for in THE GAME; for family peace, I chose Ohio State over Michigan.
This is our then eighth-grade son, Josiah, a hardcore Ohio
State fan who is now...
I am planning to attend the University of Michigan this
fall.
Some things don’t go as you expected. BUT WE ARE EXCITED FOR JOSIAH!
I want to share another one of those “Some things
don’t go as you expected” stories.
In 2017, we moved here so I could take a pastoral position. Things didn’t go as planned. In the summer of 2018, I was no longer in
that ministry role and was trying to figure out what God had next for me and my
family.
Northpointe Christian families and teachers were a blessing and help at that
time.
I want to share one example; some graduating senior guys
might remember this.
Mr. Molda was coaching the middle school boys' soccer team,
and he knew the Rodgers family was going through a challenging time, so at
practice, he wanted to pray for the Rodgers family. I am very thankful for the people who pray
for me and my family.
Mr. Molda called Nick Rogers up to pray for his dad, who
recently lost his job.
THE PROBLEM: Nick is
not my son, and Nick’s dad didn’t lose his job.
This is a picture of Dave Rogers, R-O-G-E-R-S, and me, Dave
Rodgers, R-O-D-G-E-R-S.
The kids and Mr. Molda recognized the mistake. Mr. Molda called
Josiah up and prayed for our family, and I know many teachers and Northpointe families, including some in this room, and others who prayed for our family during
that time.
Some things don’t go as you expected.
Whether that is a planned prayer time with a middle
school boys' soccer team OR
Moving your family to a new state only makes things work out differently
than you thought.
But remember this: God needs to be trusted and lived for
no matter what!!
I don’t want to spend the rest of my time telling family
stories.
I want each of you, SENIORS, PARENTS, TEACHERS, and ANYONE ELSE in this room to
remember ETERNAL, ESSENTIAL life-changing truth.
Follow your heart is NOT THAT TRUTH.
But you will hear it and similar messages in movies, songs, graduation cards, and many other places.
This world will tell you over and over again...
Do what you want to do.
You be you.
Follow Your heart.
There is nothing better than celebrating
all you’ve accomplished.
What lies behind and before
us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
Your future is bright & your
possibilities are endless. Best wishes as you follow your own path.
This morning, I want to tell you not to listen to Disney,
romance novels, social media influencers, or self-help speakers and preachers.
Don’t listen to the world.
Listen to God and His Word.
Remember Biblical truths like Psalm 115:1
Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory
for the sake of your steadfast love & your faithfulness.
Don’t follow your heart.
Let’s pray and submit our plans to the God of the Universe.
The one who created you.
The one who sent his son to die for you while you were his enemy.
The one who sent the Holy Spirit to help you live for God’s Glory, God’s way.
But you may be wondering, “What do I pray?” “How do I pray?”
Pray the truth of Scripture.
Pray verses like Psalm 115:1
Not to us, O LORD, not to us,
but to your name, give glory for the sake of your steadfast love and your
faithfulness.
This morning and every day of your life, pray.
Not to us, O LORD, not to us,
but to your name, give glory for the sake of your steadfast love and your
faithfulness.
Remember, life may seem reasonable and okay when you live for
yourself. It may seem fun fulfilling,
However, it can only be truly and eternally good when lived for God’s glory in
Christ Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.
So, on your graduation day, what is your next step? College,
work, a gap year, or something else?
The best next step is to trust in God more. It is to hope in Christ more. It is to lean upon the power of the Holy Spirit
more. It is to remember a great Bible
verse.
Psalm 115:1
Not to us, O LORD, not to us,
but to your name, give glory for the sake of your steadfast love and your
faithfulness.
Now, parents, on this proud day, whether it is your first child
graduating or your last child, after 35 years at Northpointe. If you desire to live out the Christian faith,
and I pray that it is, but I know that might not be the case for everyone, I
want to remind you what your God-given goal has always been and will continue
to be. I remember a quote from years ago that I keep returning to as a parent and pastor of children and family
ministry.
“Our goal in parenting is not
ultimately for our kids to get a great education, be great athletes, or find a great husband, a great spouse.
OUR GOAL IS FOR THEM TO LOVE A GREAT GOD.”
Parents, may that be our goal, and may Psalm 115:1 be our prayer
for our children and us.
Not to us, O LORD, not to us,
but to your name, give glory for the sake of your steadfast love and your
faithfulness.
As we move to a time of prayer, NO, as we move forward in a
life of prayer,
let’s also remember Philippians 1:9-11
and how it ends.
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and
more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is
excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of
righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and
praise of God.
We have been reminding Josiah and ourselves that this senior year injury reminds us of some critical, fundamental truths.
It is not everything. It is not a defining event.
It is not nothing. It is a significant event in his life.
It is something. God is using this for His glory in Josiah’s life.
This is part of a devotional I read to Josiah before his shoulder surgery. While we are disappointed that he will miss sports for a big chunk of his senior year. We pray that his and our hope in God will continue to grow.
“Hope: Living Confidently in God” by John Crotts The verse is Psalm 62:5
“The fact that we have to wait on God is not accidental. It is not a delay. He designs waiting times, using them to build our patience and strengthen our hope. When God’s children patiently expect him to bring the help they need, it shows that they recognize their dependence on him and trust him to come through.”
“God’s timing also has purposes beyond you. Have you considered God may be delaying the answer to your prayer so that your testimony of waiting (prolonging your active hope) on him can help someone else who is watching?”
“Although you cannot access God’s calendar, you can know his heart as revealed in his Word. Your hope for God’s good work in future events is as sure as all God has accomplished in the past. Until God finishes his plan, you must wait for him—but you can know for certain that God’s sovereign plan is good and wise. Waiting upon him is never in vain. He will always come through. He will deliver on every one of his promises. Your godly desires will be satisfied, according to God’s perfect will and in God’s perfect timing.”
I need to hope in God in every circumstance, easy or hard, good or bad. On July 16, I was privileged to preach a sermon on Psalm 42 entitled "An Old Hope." The preparation for the sermon was so helpful in my own life. In preaching the sermon, I used "hope" over 70 times. However, it is my prayer that, even more than repeating the word "hope," many times, those who hear the message are reminded and live in the hope that only Jesus Christ brings.
At the end of this sermon, I shared four prayers for the people at Trinity Baptist Church:
Kids and youth, I
pray that your parents and others would live so that you see their
hope in God and that God grows in you a more profound hope in Him.
Young adults, I pray
that the older believers in this church live and act on Sundays and every day
in such a way that they know they are loved by God and others and that you desire
to ask them how to live life for God’s glory and the good of others.
Newer believers, I
pray you will always remember the joy of your salvation and prayerfully seek opportunities to grow formally and even more so informally.
Older believers and
long-time church members, I pray that you will remember and rejoice because the church has helped you grow in your love for God and continues to help
you succeed. While it may look a little or a
lot different, pray that it will continue to focus on God and the hope he
brings.
I am thankful I don't have to devise creative and innovative ways to inspire hope.
I need to be filled up with God's Word and share God's Word with others.
Romans 15:4 HOPE
When teaching and reading scripture, I need to remember that it was written to provide hope. At our Children's Ministry Leaders/Helpers Kickoff Meeting at Trinity Baptist Church, this is part of the devotional I shared in the beginning, Hope: Living Confidently In God by John Crotts.
God has provided many beautiful records of his strength and character in the Bible. He has also provided many amazing promises that Christians can count on. Paul wrote today's verse as he looked back at the Old Testament. According to what Paul says in Romans, Bible stories are not just for Sunday school classes or Bible trivia games - they were written "for our instruction," so you might be encouraged. Their goal is to refocus your hope by reminding you of the greatness of God.
The stories in Scripture demonstrate that hope in God is solid, true, accurate, and effective. Those who hope in God can be used by him to do impossible things. If God was faithful to David and Moses, he would be loyal to you, too. You have the exact same God, the God of the Bible.
If you are saved, remember, you have been saved BY GRACE THROUGH CHRIST and you have A LIVING HOPE.
As we live our lives, talk with people, and deal with good times and challenges, hope in God.
As I teach, I provide oversight to Trinity's ministries to children, families, and adults, I want to proclaim our hope is in Christ and help others live in this hope.
As we go through life, proclaim that ultimate hope is in Christ and help others do the same.
God-focused Hope is what we need. Not the hope of this world.
As we wrap up this God's Glory in Our Story class, I pray it was an encouragement to those who attended and I pray those who attended would be an encouragement to others as they remember what we studies and talked about.
The outline for our last class was
Personal - Coffee Cups Biblical - Psalm 78:1 - 7 Historical - Two of J.C. Ryle's books Holiness and Practical Theology
Personal - Coffee Cups
Throughout the Bible, the people of God are given or create reminders of God's faithfulness and holiness. A stack of stones, a meal, or a ritual. When can do the same type of things. I shared with the class a coffee cup reminder I have created in my office to show God's faithfulness to me since 1992.
The eight mugs in the background represent some, not all, of the key places God has taken me in my life since I graduated from college.
Dominican Republic
Heritage Baptist Church
Baptist Bible College and Seminary
Emmanuel Baptist Church
Camp Patmos
OARBC
Jamaica
InOnTime
Whatever coffee cups, life circumstances, you might have in the background, remember the quotes on the three mugs in the foreground.
Psalm 78:1–3. Listen to God and listen to what your fathers have told you about God.
Psalm 78:4a. Do not hide these things from your children.
Psalm 78:4b. "But we will tell the generation to come the praises of the Lord, And His power and His wondrous works that He has done.
Psalm 78:5. What does this verse mean when it says he has established a testimony? I am reminded of how God begins the 10 Commandments. They don't start with the commandments. They start with a testimony of what God did.
Psalm 78:6. One of the reasons God did this is so that the next generations would know God and tell their children.
Psalm 78:7 "so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep his commandments;
Historical - Two J.C. Ryle's books Holiness and Practical Theology
We closed out this class session and series with the importance of prayer.
One of the chapters in Ryle's Practical Theology is on Prayer
Prayer is the most important subject in practical theology.
Here are seven plain reasons Ryle uses such strong language about prayer
Prayer is absolutely needful to a man’s salvation.
The habit of prayer is one of the surest marks of a true Christian.
There is no duty in religion so neglected as private prayer.
Prayer is that act in religion to which there is the greatest encouragement.
Diligence in prayer is the secret of eminent holiness.
Neglect of prayer is one great cause of backsliding.
Prayer is one of the best receipts for happiness and contentment.
As the year winds down, I am thankful for the way the calendar is set up.
- Be thankful. - Remember Jesus. - Wrap up the old year and start a new year.
These year-end reminders should be an ongoing lifestyle.
Be thankful for who God is and what He has done. Trust in Jesus. As you reflect on the past, live in the now, and anticipate the future, be thankful and trust in Jesus.
This year has had its blessings and its challenges and God is good no matter what.
Recently in Bible club and Children's church, God has used the book of Joshua to remind me of some BIG truths at the end of 2022 and I am very thankful for this.
The book begins with a repeated reminder to "Be strong and courageous."
Chapter 1, verse 9 says
Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO. (emphasis mine)
The people of God are strong and courageous because of who God is.
Then the story of Achan shows the seriousness of sin. In Joshua 7:20-21, Achan says he has sinned against the LORD.
he saw the cloak, gold, and silver (not a sin)
he coveted them (clearly a sin)
he took/stole them (clearly sin)
he hid them in order to deceive God and others (clearly sin)
His personal sin had a wide-reaching impact. Thirty-six soldiers died at Ai and his family was stoned with him because of his rebellion against God.
Sin is a serious problem for people because it is against God.
At the end of the book, it is a faithful man of God wanting to remind others of God's faithfulness and how they should live because God is faithful.
He told them that the Lord your God has fought for you (23:3, 10).
He reminds them to be very strong (23:6).
And then he says,
You know in your hearts and souls, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God has promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. (23:14)
Chapter 24:1-13 is a rehearsal of what God has done. Followed by a challenge to fear the LORD and serve him in 24:14-28.
Fear the Lord and serve Him.
Remember, God is good. Sin is a serious problem. Fear God and Serve Him.
Once again, I am so thankful for God's Word and how it challenges me to grow.
A Facebook post I wrote tonight and wanted to share here for those who may not have Facebook.
Often times Facebook seems like the place for picture-perfect posts. THIS IS NOT THAT POST.
It has been a couple of emotionally draining days. On Thursday, it was the 18th anniversary of my dad's death. It was a hard day and part of that was because Friday was Josiah's last football game of his first season playing. I was thinking about how much my dad would have loved to see Josiah play.
Sunday was a good, but tiring day of teaching - Adult Class lesson on Jonah, a Children's Church lesson on Joshua and Ai, and leading a small group Sunday night. Ministry in the midst of challenging times is hard AND God is good.
This week's Fighter Verses, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, is a good reminder at times like this.
[For] this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ¹⁸as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. —2 Corinthians 4:17-18
This past Sunday (12.19.21), I had the opportunity/privilege to preach the Christmas message. The title was A VERY NECESSARY GIFT The passage was Romans 5:12 - 19. While it is not the typical Christmas passage, it does show why Jesus had to come to this sinful world as an infant who would eventually die on a cross and rise from the dead.
Here are some of the key points:
The FREE GIFT is so very necessary because of what it
saves us from – SIN.
Because of sin, we all exist in a from-birth state
of separation from God, for whose glory we were created and in whose
fellowship we were meant to live.
Because of sin, we are rendered unable.It is impossible for us to think as we were
made to think, to desire what we were created to desire, to speak as we were
designed to speak, and to behave as God intended us to behave.
Because of sin, we are in a constant state of delusion.We think we know ourselves well, but we
don’t.We assess that we are more
righteous than we are, and because we do, we don’t seek the help that we desperately
need.
Because of sin, we are placed under God’s judgment.
Because of sin, we are left hopeless.
The FREE GIFT
is so very necessary because of what it gives us – THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD!
The FREE GIFT
is so very necessary because of its result – ABUNDANT, ETERNAL LIFE.
If this
truth of Christmas doesn’t change the way you parent, you work, you relate to others
YEAR ROUND, I don’t think you truly understand what Christmas is about.
Merry Christmas!! At Christmastime, you see and hear the word
“peace” a lot – in Christmas carols and on Christmas cards. Throughout 2021 we have been reminding
ourselves of the peace referred to in Isaiah 26:3-4.
You keep him in
perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the LordGod is an everlasting rock.
This perfect peace is found not in the circumstances of life
but rather in God through Jesus Christ.
2021 has been a year of blessings and some of them were very
unexpected. Here are just a few of the blessings…
January -Four out of five of us had
COVID.Thankfully none of us had bad
symptoms and we were blessed by friends who helped with meals, groceries, and
prayers.
May - Joel graduated from Northpointe
Christian School. He is attending Grand Rapids Community College now.
August - Krista started her 5th year as a
paraprofessional/intervention teacher at Northpointe Christian School
September - I started my new position as pastor of children’s ministry and
adult education of Trinity Baptist Church
October - Josiah got his permit and had a great fall season of
cross-country
November - Jadyn was baptized at Trinity Baptist Church as she wanted to
make public her desire to follow Jesus Christ.
In December we started an
Advent/Christmas devotional book as a family.
Come Let Us Adore Him is filled with reminders of the real
meaning of Christmas. Day 8 of the
devotional says “Sin has broken the most important relationship in all of life,
the relationship between people and their Creator. This separation alters everything in each of
our lives. That’s why it is so wonderful
and encouraging to know that Jesus came to earth to be the Prince of Peace. Through his life, death, and resurrection, he
would make peace between God and us.”
Through sickness, major
transition times, another year at work, a new job, a new teenage driver on the
road, the joy of seeing our daughter baptized, and the highs and lows of life,
we want to trust Him more and more and we are praying that you, our friends and
family, will do the same.
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