My Father-In-Law Was Not Normal: 2025 review

From my father-in-law funeral

Welcome to the memorial service of a man who welcomed so many people into his life and home.

Good morning, my name is Dave Rodgers, Pat's favorite son-in-law, without a doubt.

I am going to paraphrase a comment someone made on one of Krista's posts.  "Pat & Lori were not normal."

Pat was not normal

According to him, he controlled how well the University of Michigan played.  When he was in the room watching, they played poorly, and when he left the room and was not watching, they made great plays.

According to that post I mentioned earlier, the way they served was not normal.  Many of us were served by Pat Ryan

87 years at one church is not normal.  Through amazing times and hard times, Pat faithfully served the Lord at Emmanuel Baptist Church.  He faithfully prayed for this church and the churches his children and grandchildren were a part of.

Pat was not normal.  He was an amazing prayer warrior, faithful church member, loving husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, great-grandmother, and a great man of God because his hope was in the Lord.  

One of the verses that Pat had marked in his Bible, would quote often, and lived out, is Psalm 42:5

 

 

 

 

 

Four Big Words

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 EVERY  member.

Ministry and Missions

Ministry and Missions

During Week 3 of "Be a Disciple and Make Disciples," we talked about what ministry and missions are.

Each week, we will look at one of the chapters/words in Paul Tripp's book, Lead.
This week's word is ACHIEVEMENT.  (click the word for video link)

Notes from Lead by Paul Tripp.

"Fruit in ministry is the result not of our wise planning and diligent execution but of the loving operation of God's rescuing and transforming grace." (48)

"Prayerlessness in a leadership community is always a result of putting credit where it is not due.  Your leadership community is in trouble if your leaders are more excited about a strategic planning meeting than a prayer meeting. "(48)

As we continue this study of ministry and missions, we must remember that both are dependent upon God and His work.

What is essential for spiritual growth?

Contemporary church culture tells us there are so many different things.  Many "silver bullets" are being promoted through the mail and online.  The reality is that the essentials for spiritual growth are the Gospel (Romans 1:16-17), the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:15-17), the Holy Spirit (John 14:26), the church (Hebrews 10:23-25), prayer (Philippians 1:9), and time.  

Many things can be helpful but are optional for growth.  Books other than the Bible can be beneficial, but they must point you to God and His Word.  Many people believe finding the right program is necessary.  The problem is that some people think the program must be "new and exciting," while others believe the "old and familiar" is needed.  

The Trellis and The Vine summarizes disciple-making with the following statement.  "Disciples are made by the persevering proclamation of the Word of God by the people of God in prayerful dependence on the Spirit of God."  

Another way to think about developing a disciple-making culture is developing a Biblical counseling mindset in which members share their hope in Christ with one another.

Ministry is NOT programs or events to keep people busy and entertained.

Ministry is the faithful proclamation of the Word of God, knowing that He is the one who changes people and helps them grow.

Below, there are specific prayer points in purple related to these specific levels of Biblical Counseling

ATMOSPHERE OF GRACE & SOUL CARE CULTURE

Pray that God's Word will be faithfully preached and God's people will lovingly care for one another.

Biblical counseling in a local church setting allows the church to offer real hope to church members, regular attendees, and the surrounding community.

The Sunday preaching and teaching are foundational in helping people understand and live out this hope. The BIBLICAL DOCTRINE taught and the ATMOSPHERE OF GRACE experienced during the church meeting time is essential because this is a standard meeting time for everyone. Throughout the Pastoral Epistles, Paul reminds Timothy and Titus to teach and live the truth before people. Specifically, in 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul tells Timothy to share what he has learned with faithful men who will share it with others. The preaching and teaching prepare a congregation of "mini-preachers" to proclaim the Gospel to their families, neighborhoods, and workplaces. The church's ministry on Sunday is so much more than just the pulpit ministry. It is also a "pew" ministry. Each member is a minister.

The ATMOSPHERE OF GRACE goes beyond Sunday meeting times. A church body with a growing biblical counseling mindset also has a CULTURE OF DISCIPLESHIP and SOUL CARE that is marked by a love for one another (John 13:14, 34, 35; 15:12, 17; Romans 12:10; 15:14; 16:16; Galatians 5:13; Ephesians 5:21; Hebrews 3:13). This CULTURE OF DISCIPLESHIP is Spirit-led, relationship-driven, not program-directed.

This ATMOSPHERE OF GRACE, CULTURE OF DISCIPLESHIP, and DIRECTIVE COUNSELING is an every-member church ministry.

DIRECTIVE COUNSEL

Pray that EACH MEMBER OF TRINITY BAPTIST CHURCH would be a biblical counselor/disciple-maker by speaking biblical truth into one another's lives.

"The body of Christ is built up because the men and women in a church family openly acknowledge their pain, hurts, and struggles. There is mutual edification. This is biblical counseling." Biblical counseling is not a silo ministry. It is not a ministry that is isolated from other ministries. The counseling ministry and discipleship ministry are two separate areas of ministry. The biblical counseling ministry of a church is interwoven throughout its disciple-making mandate.

A church will never have enough highly trained, certified counselors to meet all its counseling needs. If we genuinely believe in biblical community and the priesthood of believers, then EVERY MEMBER of the church needs to be equipped to "speak the truth in love to one another at every level in the body of believers." Every disciple is a disciple maker.

Every growing Trinity Baptist Church member needs to be involved in DIRECTIVE COUNSELING. This is counseling that is life-on-life. It happens through friendship, Sunday School classes, small groups, conversations before church, after church, and throughout the week. DIRECTIVE COUNSELING aims to encourage and obey by speaking the truth in love. Each member is a counselor. The question is, "What kind of counselor are you?"

The quotes and the basic idea of this post have been taken from Biblical Counseling and the Church.

CORRECTIVE COUNSEL

Pray that people would seek help when needed, and pray that members of Trinity Baptist Church would seek training to become even more equipped biblical counselors.

There are times when more intentional, focused help is needed. Someone may need specific help with parenting, communication, finances, or other ongoing issues. If a church member has been doing DIRECTIVE COUNSEL, he or she may notice the same problems in a person's life. CORRECTIVE COUNSEL is meant to help those "stuck in sin." At this level, the counselor has more specific education and training to help those struggling. Individuals giving DIRECTIVE COUNSEL can come alongside the individual as a helper/advocate at the CORRECTIVE COUNSEL level.

INTENSIVE COUNSEL

Pray that counselors speak God's truth and have Godly wisdom as they help those struggling with complex, intense situations. Also, pray that those working with intense problems will seek the help they need.

INTENSIVE COUNSEL is focused on issues that have become life-dominating or tragic. Some examples include addictions, significant fear, and potential divorce. 

Because of the nature of the problems, INTENSIVE COUNSEL takes more time and requires a counselor with more in-depth training. Most people think of The level of counseling when they hear the word "counseling." The challenge in the local church setting is helping the congregation understand that if people sought and gave more counsel at the DIRECTIVE COUNSEL and CORRECTIVE COUNSEL levels, it would help with how much INTENSIVE COUNSEL needs to be given.

Plans and programs do not grow disciples, but one path of discipleship is our Adult Christian Education (ACE) classes.  These classes are designed to establish believers in the faith, edify them in their walk, and equip them to do the ministry's work.

This disciple-making mindset and movement should be part of the ministry that occurs in every church.

  

Missions is the church crossing barriers, whether they be linguistic, economic, cultural, geographical, or religious, to share the Gospel (adapted from Missions by Johnson and Understanding the Christian Mission by Sundquist)

Resources

• The Trellis and The Vine
• The Vine Movement 
• Missions
• Achievement video - youtu.be/m-zeszPUxMk?si=jBNIeogO5JYO0Rfr
• Lead by Paul David Tripp—drodgersjr.blogspot.com/search/label/lead
• All class-related posts - https://tinyurl.com/tbc-pray-prepare

 

Advent 2025

 4 minutes, 5 minutes, 6 minutes, and 8 minutes. 

The Advent episodes got longer each week. 
But I promise you the Christmas Day episode will be the shortest of them all.

Key Word:  LOVE
Carols:  Oh Come All Ye Faithful and Oh Come All You Unfaithful.
Verses:  Luke 2:15 - 18 and other verses.
Big Idea:  God is LOVE. We love others because he first loved us.

I want to read part of an OUR DAILY BREAD article on the song "O Come, All Ye Faithful" and then share some additional thoughts related to the article, the song, and the word LOVE.

We are challenged to recognize the lengths to which Christ went to save us.  He travelled the longest distance possible (from holy heaven to sinful earth), bending low to lift us up from the mud of sin.  He stooped down to make us great (Psalm 18:35 - You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great.).  C.S. Lewis wrote so aptly, "The Son of God became a Son of Man that sons of men might become sons of God."  This is at the heart of our Christmas celebration.

The quote references the great distance Christ went to save us. 

I think of another great distance he went from

a baby wrapped in cloths lying in a manger

to an accused criminal wrapped in torn flesh because of the brutal beating he received, hanging from a cross, to a confirmed dead body wrapped in burial cloths and laid in a borrowed tomb.

Thank God Jesus did not stay in the manger.

Thank God, Jesus did not stay on the cross.

Thank God, Jesus did not stay in the grave.

Thank God, Jesus rose from the dead, victorious over sin and death.

Here is the thing, often, at Christmas time, the sentiment is whether you are good enough this year for the gifts you are about to receive.

Romans 5:8 tells us

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

John 3:16 tells us

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

1 John 3:16 tells us

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

The reality of Christmas is that we are not good enough for the gift of eternal life. 

Carol:  Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful -youtu.be/b0YgwO_HMn4?si=8zCSfAbkOeIaBoao and Oh, Come All You Unfaithful youtu.be/C-QHbpYjuIg?si=SLhB70ZEq5jJo_IT

The other.three Advent episodes of Trinity LIfe.

  

Be and Make Intro

Summary of Weeks 1 and 2:

Class Reminder:

Making the Gospel Known & Encouraging the People of God by Word & Example

December 7 Reminder:  

"Ministry success is a testament to who God is and what He is willing to do through us by grace."  Paul Tripp

“Disciples are made by the PERSEVERING PROCLAMATION of the Word of God by the PEOPLE of God in PRAYERFUL dependence on the Spirit of God.”’  The Trellis and the Vine

This class is NOT

only for those who want to be a pastor or missionary

an automatic seal of ministry approval from TBC

an in-depth training for a specific ministry

This class is not merely about educating disciples at Trinity Baptist Church.

It is more about equipping church members to disciple others.

Who should take this class?

Those who want to pray more for ministry and missions

Those who want to learn more about ministry and missions

Those who want to learn more about ministries, especially at TBC, and to pray for these ministries.

Servants of Christ from The Cross and Christian Ministry

1 Corinthians 4:1 - 7.  Christian Leadership means being entrusted with the "mysteries" of God.

"Christian leaders must prove faithful to the One who has assigned them their fundamental task" (4:1-4). 

"Those who follow Christian leaders must recognize that leaders are called to please the Lord Christ - and therefore they must refrain from standing in judgment over them" (4:5-7). 

1 Corinthians 4:8 - 13.  Christian Leadership means living life in light of the cross.

"We follow a crucified Messiah." 

"In measure, ALL Christians are called to this vision of life and discipleship."  

1 Corinthians 4:14 - 21.  Christian Leadership means encouraging - and if necessary, enforcing - the Way of the Cross among the people of God.

Encouraging believers by teaching the gospel and how it works out in life.  (4:14 - 17) 

Warning the believers (4:18-21).  

During Week 2, the class emphasis was on Every Member Ministry.

The class looked at Ephesians 4:1-16 and "Why are Friendships So Important?" by Timothy Lane.

l

Study the Bible for Growth Week 11

Our How to Study the Bible for Yourself and Others looked at Using Biblical Resources such as Commentaries, Bible Studies, Conferences, and more this past Sunday.

There are many challenges in selecting Biblical resources.  We discussed several in the November 16 class.  The number of resources has been a problem.  So many different writers and ideas are out there in books.  This leads to the second challenge.  These ideas don't even need to be published in book form.  With modern publishing and the internet, it is easy to publish an ebook and even easier to start a blog (even I did 😀).  There are so many different and accessible resources out there.  Another challenge mentioned was varying opinions.  Not just views found in the resources, but also opinions found about the resources and writers.

Another challenge in selecting Biblical resources is a wrong view of their purpose.  So what is the purpose of Biblical resources?

Simply put, the purpose is to help people understand the Bible and think Biblically, and live Biblically, not to replace it.  

In Lit!  A Christian Guide to Reading Books, Tony Reinke writes, “Scripture is the ultimate grid by which we read every book. Scripture is perfect, sufficient, and eternal. All other books, to some degree, are imperfect, deficient, and temporary. That means that when we pick books from the bookstore shelves, we read those imperfect books in light of the perfect Book, the deficient books in light of the sufficient Book, and the temporary books in light of the eternal Book.”

Here are some basic resources selection helps:

• Always read your Bible; never let other books distract you from reading the Bible.
• As it relates to what we have been studying in class, be sure to spend a lot of time in the Seeing/Observing phase of study.  
• Biblical resources should help you understand the Bible, NOT replace the Bible

Biblical resource selection comes down to discernment.  It is not about finding the right website or person to make decisions for you.  A website and people can help grow your discernment, but discernment must always depend on God and his word.

Tim Challies offers the following definition of discernment.  "Discernment is the skill of understanding and applying God's Word with the purpose of separating truth from error and right from wrong." (For a detailed explanation of this definition, go to www.challies.com/articles/defining-discernment/)

In this upcoming week's class, we will look at practical tips for personal and corporate discernment.

In last week's class, we talked about Reading In Community -drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2025/11/study-bible-for-growth-week-10.html

Psalm 67

This week's Prayer Psalm is Psalm 67.

6  - 7 (six - seven) or 67 (sixty seven)

Read through the pop culture reference to get to the BIG Biblical truth.

This year's dictionary.com word of the year is six-seven.

If you are not aware of what six-seven means, here is what dictionary.com says about the meaning.  "Perhaps the most defining feature of 67 is that it's impossible to define.  It's meaningless, ubiquitous, and nonsensical.  In other words, it has all the hallmarks of brain rot.  

And here is video evidence of the 67 of the senselessness, from ESPN  -  https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/46884115

6, 7, in this contemporary slang, is meaningless.

However, Psalm 67, this week's prayer psalm, is filled with God-given purpose, praise, gladness, singing, blessing, and fear of the LORD.

The exact opposite of brain rot.

Psalm 67:1, 2 says

May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.

The psalmist asks for God's grace for God's people 
so that His way and His saving power may be known among all the nations.

While words such as "people," "nation," "earth," and others like them fill the Psalm, the focus is on God and His glory.  Remember, God bless his people for his glory.

Let us live for God's glory in all we do so that God will be made know in all the earth.

Below are two songs, a Bible study video, and prayer items to help you, your family, and our church reflect on God and His glory as revealed in this psalm.

RESOURCES:

VIDEOS

Psalm 67 song
youtu.be/6QtP48vDl9g

Look at the Book
www.desiringgod.org/labs/god-blesses-you-to-bless-the-world

All creatures of our God and King
youtu.be/yk-185XGjPg

Trinity's Supported Workers page -

 PRAYER ITEMS:

General Prayer ideas from Psalm 67.

• Rejoice in the blessing promised to Abraham.
• Pray for missions.
• Pray for the salvation of the Jewish people through whom this blessing came.

Pray for our supported workers as they share the Gospel around the world - trinitybaptistgr.churchcenter.com/pages/supported-workers

Study the Bible for Growth Week 10

In today's (November 9) class, we wrapped up the book of Jonah by looking at shared truths and applications, then discussed Bible Reading in Community.

Here are some shared truths Ray Lubeck shared in the class notes.

1. God is ultimately in control of all natural and human events.
2. We cannot run away from God.
3. God's nature is gracious and loving.
4. God's people should be gracious and loving.
5. God cares about saving the lost, and so should we.
6. God will not tolerate wickedness forever.
7. God's word is powerful to save.
8. It is possible for people to repent (by God's grace).
9. God's prophetic word is principally designed to change people, not predict the future.

Here are some application points we talked about in class.

Bible Reading in Community

Reading is a must for spiritual growth.  
Reading the Bible is basic and necessary. 
Reading books that help you think biblically is very helpful.
Reading in general expands your world.  

In today's (November 9) class, we discussed how reading in community supports personal and corporate spiritual growth.

"An important fact obscured in English Bible translations is that almost all the second-person pronouns and commands in the epistles are plural.  Paul was writing to you all or y'all, not to you individualistically, which is how we tend to interpret them when we read individually."  Brian J. Wright,  Don't Just Read It Alone

The article Want to Read the Bible Well? Don't Read It Alone has this Thabiti Anyabwile quote: "If you don't need your Bible at church, then the Bible says you don't need that church."

Reading in community happens at Trinity Baptist Church in many different ways.  Some are more familiar than others.  Bible-based sermons are what most people think of when referring to Bible teaching in the church.  Other opportunities to read in community at Trinity are prayer sheets, Adult Christian Education classes, Bible studies, and book readings.  The weekly prayer sheet includes a Bible passage and, often, a related devotional, with an emphasis on praying scripture.  This prayer help can be used in small groups or in conversation with the TBC family.  During the fall, winter, and spring quarters, we offer three or more Adult Christian Education classes.  One is a straightforward Bible study.  The other courses look at a variety of topics and are rooted in the Bible.  For about ACE classes, go to trinitybaptistgr.churchcenter.com/pages/ace.  Bible studies and book-reading groups provide opportunities to meet in smaller groups to discuss scripture or a Bible-based book.

Reading in community happens at your home with family.  Each week, Trinity's children's ministry shares the lessons taught at tbcgrkidz.org.  There are family-focused books to borrow in the check-in area.

Finally, reading in community in so many other places. In One-to-One Bible Reading by David Helm, the following list of people who would benefit from reading through the Bible together is given: non-Christians who need to be saved, new Christians who need to be sanctified, and established Christians who are ready to be trained.