10.20.2017

Corporate Worship is an Identity Reminder!

Tomorrow's (October 21) New Morning Mercies Devotional is straight from the Your Walk With God Is A Community Project study I am leading on Wednesday nights.  Over the last two weeks we have been talking about how to walk into church.  I posted about this last week "How are you planning to walk into church."

Below is the full devotional for October 21





Corporate worship is designed to remind you of your identity in Christ 
so that you won’t waste your time looking for identity elsewhere. 

It’s so easy to be an identity amnesiac. It’s so easy to forget who you are in Christ and what you have been given as his child. It’s so easy to shop horizontally for what you have already been given vertically. It’s so easy to give in to fear, to give way to shame, or to allow yourself to be weakened by guilt because you forget the present benefits of Jesus’s finished work. It’s so easy, in the hardships of life, to forget that nothing is powerful enough to separate you from God’s love. When you are struggling, it’s so easy to forget that if God gave you his Son, he will also give you everything else you need. It’s so easy to fail to live in light of the fact that Jesus didn’t die just for your past forgiveness (praise God that he did) or your future resurrection (what hope!), but also for everything you are facing in the here and now.

It’s so easy to forget that every trial sent your way is sent by a Savior of grace as a tool of grace to advance the work of grace in your heart and life. It’s so easy to forget that because your life has been invaded by the grace of the One who is the “I Am,” it is impossible for you to ever be in any situation, relationship, or location by yourself. It’s so easy to forget that God really does live inside you in the powerful convicting, protecting, and enabling presence of the Holy Spirit. It’s so easy to forget that God loves and accepts you no less on your worst day than he does on your best day. It’s so easy to fail to remember that because of the grace of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, you are never left to the limited resources of your own wisdom, righteousness, and strength. It’s so easy to fall into fearing what grace has already defeated on your behalf.

It’s so easy to feel weak in the face of temptation and give way to what grace has given you the power to resist. It’s so easy to wonder if God is near and if he hears. It’s so easy to question the goodness of God in times of trouble. It’s so easy to ask yourself if God has forgotten you when you compare the trouble of your life to the seeming ease in the life of the person next to you. It’s so easy to think that life can be found somewhere outside of the Messiah. When life seems out of control, it’s so easy to forget that Jesus Christ rules over all things for his glory and for your good. It’s so easy to forget who you are and look for identity elsewhere,

So God has ordained that we should gather again and again to remember again and again who we are and what we have been given. His church is a tool of grace, a vehicle for remembering, so that we may celebrate and grow.

Tripp, Paul David. New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional (p. 295). Crossway.

10.17.2017

Genesis Class - Leviticus


Don't Forget our class is now meeting during the 2nd service (11:00 am) in the Attic, 
which is upstairs in the "new" building.

Resources from previous lessons can be found HERE







Leviticus Study Guide from The Bible Project


Generations of Grace Lessons on Leviticus

1—7:  God ordains the sacrificial system
8—10:7:  God establishes priesthood
16:1—34:  God ordains the Day of Atonement
19:1—37 God requires Holy Living


To find out more about what the Genesis Class at West Cannon Baptist Church
is studying, www.drodgersjr.com/p/genesis-class.html

10.16.2017

An Observation of West Cannon Baptist Church

Sunday night West Cannon Baptist Church had a Question and Answer time with Tim, the candidate for Director of Student Ministries.  It was just about two months ago that I was in that same position.  I couldn't help but think about Tim's answers and impressions in light of what I, and my family, have experienced over our short time here.

One of Doug's questions to Tim was "What have you observed in your time here at West Cannon?"

Tim responded that the church's willingness to serve his family this weekend has been such a blessing. 

My thoughts about that statement are that is so true.
The church has been a blessing to us. 
  • The Wilterink's willingness to open up their home to us has been such an amazing blessing to us.  They have been so much more than people who offered a place for us to stay.  They have been an encouragement Krista and me.  They attended our kids' grandparents' day.  They have come to Josiah's soccer game.  They have patiently and lovingly put up with our families' loudness and messiness.  I continually think and say, I cannot think of a better couple for our family at this time.  

  • Taylor Caughron has been an amazing help as our realtor.  Our lack of a home is in no way, shape or form because we haven't had someone looking out for us.  His willingness to take us to home that he wasn't sure about but we still wanted to see has been an encouragement to us.  Plus, how many people can say their kids had the opportunity to swim at their realtor's house.  Thank you, Krista Caughron, for being a great host to our family. 
  • The leadership team at WCBC, Doug, Dave, Tim, Tom,  Bruce, Rob and the deacons have been praying and looking out for us and have been such an encouragement to me in the ministry.
  • The church members have asked about and are praying for the kids, written cards to Jadyn after she broke her arm, have been sending us houses they have seen for sale and so much more.
God has proven to be faithful to our family and since moving to Western Michigan, He has been showing us that through the people of West Cannon!