During my sabbatical, I found myself asking the question, what does it mean to be passionate about Jesus? So often, I find myself saying that I'm an emotional guy, and I'm eager for Christ. I also hear others say the same thing, but do our lives really show that we are what we claim? 

The word passionate means having, compelled by, or ruled by intense emotion or strong feeling for someone or something. As I thought about this definition, so many thoughts raced through my head. Compelled by, ruled by intense emotion. 

Does Jesus Christ drive us? That would mean our lives look very different than most people. Our actions look increasingly like His; compassion, kindness, truth, love, faithfulness, and patience all start to look more like his because an intense and robust emotion compels us to be like him. It is not just what we say, but it is who we are. Our words come from our lives.

Now, I’m not saying we are perfect or sinless, but we are changing, growing, and different people than we were a day ago, a week ago, a year ago. 

We see this in the great women and men in the Bible; they all had their shortcomings, and they all sinned, but we can see how they also all started to change. As they sought God, their lives `became more and more submitted to the things of Christ.

It was no longer just words they spoke about being passionate; they lived passionately with a mission to see others experience life for Christ, for when that happens, you can not help but be intense in word and action.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

- Blessings
Don

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

In our faith, God reveals himself in both the written book of the Bible AND though his creation. Because of the consistent character of God, these two cannot conflict.

“Truth is nothing to fear, so there is no reason for a Christian to fear good science. Learning more about the way God constructed our universe helps all of mankind appreciate the wonder of creation. Expanding our knowledge helps us to combat disease, ignorance, and misunderstanding.

However, there is danger when scientists hold their faith in human logic above faith in our Creator. These persons are no different from anyone devoted to a religion; they have chosen faith in man and will find facts to defend that faith"-Got Questions

So many times when we ask the question of "Do Science and the Bible Conflict?" we are not really dealing with the questions of the facts science and faith, but we are most often fighting over the interpretation of those facts.

The truth is Christianity and most of Scientists start at very different starting points, for Christians our starting point is our faith in God and his word and for science their starting point is human facts and human logic. And those two starting points will never agree with one another.

If you look at Isaiah 55:8-9 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. God’s wisdom is far higher then the wisdom than the wisdom of man and until the women and men of science recognize that God is above their understanding and interpretation. So when it seems that the Bible and science conflict, we as people have misunderstood or misinterpreted the facts.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Colossians 1:15-20 [15] He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. [16] For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. [17] And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. [18] And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. [19] For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, [20] and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

In other words God and science will always agree, because God created all things and all those created things (outside of man and some angels who rebelled) will always be in agreement with their creator.

- Don Stubbs

Have you ever noticed how often scripture identifies the time and place where someone would pray?

Now I know that God hears our prayers no matter when or where we pray.  In scripture we see people prayed in houses, in closets, on mountaintops, in deserts, late at night, early in the morning, before meals, and after battles.

But I do believe that a regular place can help provide and stimulate a deeper time of prayer. Choosing a particular place can say “this is my place of prayer” and can remind us, I’m here to pray. I need to pray. God, here I am. I’m listening.

In Matthew 6:5-8, Jesus taught  “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

So what is Jesus saying to us about prayer in these verses? I feel he is saying our prayers can not be done to show off or to impress others. Now when praying is public and with others it can be a really good thing , when we do it to praise and honor God, But there is also a time when we need to find a place to just come before the Lord in private.

In my own life that place has been my porch swing, I love just siting there and talk with the Lord. I’m not sure why, but when I’m there my time with God seems all the richer. It’s a place where that I know I have set apart for God, a sacred place that I know in my heart is His. 

During my time there, I want to hear His voice. My porch swing is a  place where I tend to lay my heart bare before him, and as David did, I ask him to create a clean heart with in me. (Psalm 51:10) 

With all the busyness of life, I have also found that my mind slows down and my heart does not feel so anxious. My prayers seem to be more focused and specific. I’m not just saying empty words and phrases, This place that has been set aside for God, has changed how I pray, and I’m not sure how, but it appears that God has consecrated this place for my relationship with Him.

- Don Stubbs 

There is no prohibition against a Christian celebrating birthdays in Scripture, nor is there anything to indicate we are required to celebrate them. Scripturally speaking, a Christian’s celebrating things like a birthdays, graduation, holidays… do not seem to be a biblical issue, but more a matter of personal preference.

So the questions is why do we celebrate, and my simple answer is that Celebrations allow us to show love and appreciation, for family and friends. It also can show love and and encourage others and can help people feel like they belong. Celebration can also recognize others excellence, and also provide a time of reflection and thankfulness.

There are a few things to consider when celebrating! Not just what we celebrate and how we celebrate.

Romans 14:5&6 states "One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks."

If we as followers of Jesus Christ are going to celebrate we should make sure that our celebration is pleasing to the Lord. We need to evaluate what we celebrate and make sure that the manner of our celebration is God honoring. In all things we are disciples of Christ so it is important to do all things in a manner worth of the Lord, and our fun and celebration is no exception.

1 Corinthians 10:31 says  "whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." This is a good guideline to follow when considering if you are going to or not going to celebrate something or someone.

Most of us when we think  of missions we think of many things, such as supporting a missionary,   going to the lost tribes of the world, sharing with our neighbors, helping at the local soup kitchen, or feeding the homeless. I'm sure that there are many that I’m missing, but whatever you think, I'm sure it includes sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Because without the sharing of the gospel, without sharing the reason we are doing the thing we are doing, it's just acts of kindness. 

Now don’t get me wrong, acts of kindness and important and necessary, and as followers of Jesus Christ they should be an active part of our lives. But we can not mistake acts of kindness for the sharing of the Gospel.

Now before you become irritated hear me out! I know that the acts of kindness many of us do are because we love Jesus and want to be his hand and feet. And I know those things when done to honor God are pleasing to him and beneficial to both those who do them and those who are on the receiving end.

But I have found for myself, often preforming the acts of kindness is easier and safer. To ask someone if they know Jesus, or have a relationship with him, is intimidating and difficult. To tell a person that without Christ their eternity is dreadful and hopeless is honestly not an encounter many people enjoy. So we often do the kind acts, and hope somehow that will bring someone to salvation.

But I really believe that we have to rethink mission, the Bible tells us to proclaim the gospel and to make disciples.

Mark 16:15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.In Matthew 28:18-20 the Bible tells us

[18] And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

So the questions is do we desire to do those two things? Yes, we have to be willing to tell people about Jesus even if it may offend them. And yes, we have to be willing to put our time, talents, and resources to the process of making disciples.

Are we willing to go and tell people about Jesus, and the truth about who we are without Him. And then are we willing to teach them everything Jesus taught. Not our opinions, but His words. Are willing to do the work it takes to make disciples.

If we continue to to neglect the call of God in these days, what does that really say about us? And what does that say about our obedience and love for God? It is time we say 'God we are in agreement with you that the world needs to hear the good news of the Gospel. And Lord we will do the work you have called us to do, because you are worthy of all our efforts.'

- Don Stubbs

Evangelism gives Christians an opportunity to participate in the sharing of the Gospel and the opportunity to introduction others to  Jesus Christ.

The Gospel, is God’s proclamation to the world, that because of Jesus we now have a way to have a relationship with the God of all of creation. The Gospel tell us how to enter into that relationship

In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Paul reminds us of what the gospel is, and what the gospel does, He states “[1] Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, [2] and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. [3] For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, [4] that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,”

Because of all that Christ has done for us, we have been charged to share this Gospel with others.

Evangelism is our opportunity to share the gospel, it is our opportunity to join in this mission of God. We share with others, what has been shared with us. We are enlisted by God to take the message of Jesus Christ, to a lost and dying world.

So many people I have talk to have told me, that they are just not good at sharing the Gospel,  that they don’t know enough, or the don’t want to offend people. I do understand all of those fears, but the truth is Christ has still commanded us to go and share.

I thing I have found that in regards to the sharing of my faith is this, more often than not the  encounter is not as hard as I feared it would be, and often time it has life changing affects for both myself, and the person I talk with.

But evangelism doesn’t have to involve a formal presentation, it can be simple and grace filled. I could be just handing out a tracks (if you are going to hand out a tracks do it with kindness!)

Evangelism must include a few things,

•  Honest sincerity. Paul has explained that unlike so many false teachers, we are not “peddlers of God’s Word” for profit but people “of sincerity” (2 Cor. 2:17). In chapter 4, having explained that evangelism is the ministry through which God’s Holy Spirit gives new life, he elaborates four principles (The Gospel Coalition)

• Respect and kindness.  We must remember that we represent God when we share our faith. 2nd Cor 5:20 states “ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” 

We must remember that our job is to implore, others to see their need for Jesus, to love them with a sincere love, with the hope that they would come to know Jesus as both Lord and Savior.

It can be done sitting over coffee, or while playing a sport you enjoy, it does not need to involve pressure, but it does require preparation.  
1st Peter 3:15 tells us “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."

So don’t be afraid, rest assure that God is for you in this endeavor of Evangelism, remember it is his plan, and as you trust in Him, prepare and pray, know that he will bring the increase.

- Don Stubbs

As Humans, two of the greatest challenges we face are sin and death. They are everywhere and have been around since Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2&3). Everybody sins. Everybody dies. And many people are quite scared to die. Even many Christians, though they love Jesus and believe that they have eternal life, they still fear physical death.

Now the Bible describes death in two ways, spiritual and physical. Thanatos, the Greek word for spiritual death, is the separation and removal from God’s presence. Necros, physical death, is biological. It’s what happens to our bodies when we stop breathing and our heart stops beating
Other than a few people in the Bible, everybody, until Jesus Christ returns, will die a physical death.

The Bible tells use in Matthew 10:28 (NASB) “Do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell”
So even though physical death scared us, it is spiritual death that is our greatest foe. Being separated from God, for all of eternity is not what people were created for, and the good news is that not everybody will suffer spiritual death, nor will everyone remain physically dead.
Christ has obtained victory over death.

Jesus’ resurrection shows us God’s power to conquer both physical and spiritual death.
(John 10:9-19) NASB states “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly”

1st Corinthians 15:20-26) NASB states “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death."
Nothing, not even sin and death, is too big for God to handle. He is so much more than any and every thing we face. And He loves us with all His strength. With God in our lives, we have nothing to fear, now and forever.

Scripture is so clear about Jesus' victory or death, and two verses that reaffirms this truth are found below.

1 Corinthians 15:54-55- states “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' 'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
Isaiah 25:8 "He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken."

I love those verses, I love that I know without a doubt, that the two great enemies of humanity sin and death, has been defeated. And all who put the trust in Jesus Christ, will over come the curse of sin, and will not face spiritual death. And even though this physical body will decay and parish, A new sinless body will be our for all eternity.

Such an incredible victory has Jesus Christ won for us! My prayer is that we take time today to be mindful of the price Jesus paid to defeat sin and death, and give us Victory.

-Don Stubbs

Raise your hand if you’ve also skipped over or skimmed the sections of Scripture with endless names. (Ok, so now that we’ve all been honest…) Over the past few months, I’ve read through some of the Old and New Testament with unending chapters of people’s names, their specific roles, or the census numbers of those associated with them. And while it might seem insignificant, I’ve been struck by how many people in Scripture aren’t mentioned by name… There are so many people throughout Scripture that we don’t know much (or anything!) about. We might read about tribes or families, or maybe even just what people did (think re-building the walls in Jerusalem, the Levites serving in the temple, or those part of the early church in Acts), but that’s all we know. We really don’t get specifics or learn anything aside from people faithfully working and serving to further the Kingdom, regardless of whether they would be recognized for their efforts and dedication. 

I think we’re tempted to measure our work (and our worth) by our recognition; if we don’t immediately see the fruit of our labor or if we’re not recognized for it, we start to question if it’s all really worth it. But that’s not how the Kingdom works. Our history as the Church is full of people we’ve never heard of. These people were faithful in their everyday, ordinary lives because they believed that the One who called them to those “boring” things was worth it. 

As believers, we’re called to love the Lord and to love those around us, to use our gifts and abilities to further the Kingdom, and to be faithful in the work He has called us to, regardless of the praise of man. Maybe you do big, public, recognizable work for the Gospel – great! Maybe you’re in an office answering phones or at home chasing kids or running to practice, that’s awesome! The Lord has placed each of us in situations where we can love others and use our influence to honor Him; we can choose to be faithful in the big things and in the small, mundane things of our everyday lives.

The reality is, most of us will never be well-known or famous for what we’ve done. And like many in Scripture, we might not see the outcome of our faithfulness, but we trust in the One who is faithful. We trust, that when we are faithful in the everyday moments, He multiplies those moments, and we join the chorus of the many faithful who have gone before us – whether we’ve ever read their names or not.

- Stacie Steel

There are two things to know about me: first, is that I’m an anti-conflict person, second, I was raised to believe that there is only one correct way to read and interpret the Bible. So naturally growing up when things about the world, the Bible, and God didn’t make sense to me I put them in a box and stacked it in a pile and as I grew up those piles of questions grew into doubt.
In my high school years I didn't have a lot of people to ask hard questions to, or I did have them but I was too embarrassed to ask or too worried that they would think I was a bad christian for thinking like that.
After high school I began to learn the importance of wrestling through my questions during my time at Off The Wall. I found safe spaces in people who welcomed my questions and didn’t shame me for them, people who had asked many of the same questions and showed me how to look at the bible in different ways. 
The Bible is so rich in knowledge and God is abounding in wisdom he wants to share, we just have to ask. The more I began to study the bible and ask deep and sometimes scary questions, my love and awe for God grew drastically! I no longer feared that my questions would pull me away from God but rather they became the catalyst that pushed me head over heels in love with Him. 
All of this is why I think it is so important that we need to welcome our youth's questions and not shame them for them. We need to teach them that questions are a natural and healthy process of a growing and blossoming relationship with God. It is imperative that we teach them find answers in scripture that push them towards God or the world will be happy to answer their questions and draw them away from Him.

- Kajsa Coblentz

As a young pastor, I’m regularly fighting to find confidence to disciple those in our church who are older than me, which is most of the people. Conversations and relationships come fairly naturally for me. However, when I feel a nudge to challenge them or dig deeper I also feel a nudge to make an excuse. They usually sounds something like this…

“Someone else can challenge them better.”
“You aren’t as successful as they are, they won’t listen anyway.”
“Aren’t they like 20 years older than you?”

One of these nudges is from God, one from Satan. Why do I allow the enemy to have a greater influence on my actions than I do the God of all creation? Fear and self doubt, mostly.
Proverbs 1:7 says “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Wisdom has little to do with age. Wisdom has everything to do with your fear of the Lord. God isn’t worried about our age. Take a look through scripture and you’ll see countless stories of young people being used by God to make a big difference. Isn’t it usually the youngest son that God chooses? Didn’t Jesus call those who were willing to drop everything (which was usually very little) and follow Him to be His disciples? When we focus on who is older, when we focus on who is more successful, we aren’t focused on God. If we aren’t focused on God, we allow the enemy to wreak havoc. What I’ve learned is that God honors those who speak truth. Not only with words but also with actions. Young Titus in Titus chapter 2 is encouraged to “set an example by doing what is good.” This is what counts when it comes to the fear of the Lord.

If you’re a younger person who feels called to speak life into those who are older than you, speak it. But also make sure you live it. The only excuse someone should have to not listen, is that your words don’t match. Fear the Lord, and escort evil out the door. That’s the recipe for wisdom-filled speech, no matter the age or status of either party.
 
Had I been in the shoes of young David when he was called to fight, I may have been more scared to approach the King than the giant. I’m always up for clash with those who are undermining my Lord. I’m not so sure when it comes to challenging someone on “my side” with more life experience than me, to step up to the plate.

I can’t imagine myself saying, “I don’t need your silly armor, sir king. I trust God more than you do.”  

That was the reality though. There was a nation of men and women who needed a young boy named David, who feared the Lord, to deliver them from something that seemed insurmountable. Maybe God has me where I am today to speak life into those who are also struggling with seemingly hopeless life circumstances. Perhaps that’s His purpose for you too. No matter your age, no matter your status, God can and will use you. Fear the Lord, not the enemy. Escort the evil to the door and speak truth freely.

- Eric Schrock 

Deuteronomy 32:2 states (Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.)

What I love most about Spring is that it is season of growth. It is a time of  the weather warming and birds singing. A time when nature seems to coming back to life. We are reminded of the innocence and beauty that exists in this world and that there is new life all around us.
The Bible tell us, we are given new life and new mercies every morning. Spring can be a powerful reminder that as God’s people, we should be living a life that is full, a life that is growing in the things of the Lord, and leaving those things behind that are useless and dying.
As a follower of Jesus Christ, I should see new areas of growth in my life. There should be notable changes in my thoughts, actions, attitude and character, My love towards others should be growing. It is my job to put the work in, and be actively seeking ways to grow up in my faith.
Hebrews 5:12-14 says  " For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."

The writer is telling us that we should be growing, we should be becoming teachers, and that requires that we are growing up in our faith. As you know infants aren’t good teachers, and if we don’t see infants physically growing, we become concerned. Similarly, we should be as concerned if we don’t see spiritual growth in ourselves or others.

Here is one thing I have found to be true: even though God meets us where we are and accepts all our mess, He is not good with us staying there, God calls us to grow up.
Hebrews 6:1 states-Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God

Seeing growth happen everywhere, even in the sidewalk cracks, can help to inspire us and generate more optimism to grow. Seeing new growth during the spring can help all of us to think about the areas in our own spiritual life that could use some new growth.
But this year do just think are what areas that we need, or want to see real growth in, make a plan, put some actions steps in place that will help you accomplish the growth you believe that God is call you too.

Colossians 2:6-7-Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, [7] rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

- Don Stubbs

I have been traveling through the Old Testament these past few years.  I have always wanted to read the Bible cover to cover.  I have started several of the “read the bible in a year” plans, enjoying good progress through Genesis and Exodus........but then it happens.   If you have embarked on one of these journeys, you know what comes next…. the first extended hill of this biblical marathon.  Leviticus.  And like many of us that set off on this journey, I usually lose steam by March, only then to abandon my pursuit altogether.

But about 3 years ago I began to meet with a good friend and mentor who shared with me a difference perspective and approach on how to read the Bible cover to cover.  “Just try read a little each day as you can” he said.  “There is no schedule, being in the Word is far more important that finishing at a certain time”.   He has read the Bible cover to cover at least 30 times in his life.  Sometimes it takes him a year, sometimes two, sometimes three.

So in early 2020, I begin the journey of reading the Bible, cover to cover with this mindset.  No timetable.  No deadline.  No reading plan other than to keep on going.  This morning, I started the book Hosea.  If you do the math, I am traveling at a snails pace.  But I am going somewhere.   I have been in the Old Testament for 3 years now, and I have enjoyed seeing the Word fill my life with the riches of its truth about who God is and what He is doing on the earth.  Here are 2 themes that keep coming up as I have read through at least 17 different authors spanning over 3,000 years of biblical history in the Old Testament.

  1. God’s people just cant stay on the right path for very long
Human nature hasn’t changed in 3,000 years.  From Eden, to the people of Moses’s day, to the idol worshipers of the Kings… we love to worship dead idols that don’t produce life.  Whether it’s a carved image or the modern image of self exaltation, human nature reverts back to worship everything but the living God.  Both Baal and the 21st century entertainment driven, me focused culture are both poor Gods that leave us empty and unsatisfied.

  2.  God is and has always been incredibly merciful and gracious to people that aren’t even close to being worthy of it
These days sometimes you hear a teacher or scholar making God out to be this unjust angry being that is always looking for a reason to punish His creation for messing up.  When one actually reads the Old Testament, the opposite becomes very clear.  God gives chance after change to His people to turn back to Him.  He endures countless generations of people turning their back on Him, repenting of their sin and pleading for His grace, only to run to idols yet again.  And the cycle keeps repeating itself, yet God remains faithful to His people and never gives up on them, just as He promised Abraham many, many years ago.

These truths have been come so clear to me these past few years.  I see the same heart issues in myself that I see in the people of Israel.  And the Lord meets me with the same great grace that He has always met His people with.
 
Praise be to Him that He is faithful to His promises and these words will always be true.
“Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.  We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.   Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”  Daniel 9

Josh Nims

At the beginning of February, our Newsology Podcast did a series of podcasts on the very trendy term “deconstruction”. And while the term deconstruction is relatively new, the process is not. As Solomon told us in Ecclesiastes 1:9 - “What has been will be again,   what has been done will be done again;  there is nothing new under the sun.”

I do not mean that since it isn’t new, it is something we should be dismissive of. We shouldn’t be. But we should be encouraged, Christianity has withstood the questions of the faith for a long time. And it will withstand questions into the future. How can the church help those who are going down the path of deconstruction? The first thing we need to do is understand what causes people to start seriously questioning their faith, and when we understand the why, we can help them walk through it.

There are a wide variety of reasons, but there are some that seem to be the most consistent. Hypocrisy is a big one. That is not what this article is about, but I feel I need to address it briefly. It was Gandhi who said “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Friends, we have to do better. The best way to eliminate hypocrisy is two fold. 1. Spend time with Jesus. It sounds overly simplistic, but it is absolutely true. To be like Jesus, we need to follow Him. Not what we think He should be like, or how we think He would fit into our world, but Him. Get a community of believers, be discipled, and follow Him. 2. We need to be able to admit when we are wrong. We are human, and we won’t be perfect in every aspect of our lives, we need to be able to just admit it, and ask for forgiveness when necessary instead of just pretending that we are perfect.

But another BIG reason for deconstruction is questioning the faith. It generally doesn’t start with questioning the faith as a whole, but some aspect of it. Which leads to bigger and bigger questions. And when we can’t find answers that reconcile what we have been taught about or through Christianity, and with what we know and encounter “outside” of Christianity, we often find ourselves in a spot where we have to toss one side or the other.

I personally believe that questioning aspects of our faith is healthy and good. There are so many things that we have added culturally to the Gospel or what it means to be a Christian. There are many interpretations that have been held to the same level of authority as actual Scripture. Those things need to be detangled from the faith. There are some really important questions that we individually need to wrestle with, so we can make our faith our own, not just a culture that was handed down by our parents or community, but a faith that is deeply personal. For many, that can only come after working through these difficult things.

For the rest of the year, on the 4th week of the month, we are going to take the time on this blog to address some of the big questions that many of us have to wrestle with. How does Science and Scripture work together? How can a loving God, allow suffering and evil? What do I do when I (or someone I love deeply) struggles with sin? What does God say about who we are?

I can’t say we will have all of the answers to any question you ask (actually, I can tell you we don’t have all the answers) but our goal is to have thoughtful, biblical responses to some of the big questions of this moment. 

- Stacy Hamsher

This year our theme for The Branch Church is engagement, we the pastors feel that one of the most important aspects of the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ, is their involvement in His Church.

Hebrews 10:23-25 tells us to make sure we are doing some really important things, and one of them is meeting together.  
"23, Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see The Day drawing near."

If we read the verses closely we can see that the author wanted their audience to fight to keep getting together. To stir up each other up, and encourage one another. The beauty of church engagement is that as people get involved, they become more invested in the life and mission of Jesus Christ, the mission to build His church. I love Jesus’ words when he tells Peter "I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it."
Yes, it is Jesus who builds the church, but we are invited to be part of His church, and if Jesus invites us to be part of what He is doing, we should be excited to do so.

Our hearts should desire to be active in the local body, (the Church) so many of us, have made being engaged in the church, of minor importance, I believe that it should be one the most important things we do as a disciple. Being engaged means that we want to be active, we see value in working for the things of God. For as we meet together in fellowship, Sunday morning worship services, in disciples triangles, grabbing a meal or coffee together, we spur each other on towards Christ. As we hang out (playing games and sports), or as we just sit around and talk and pray with one another we can not only grow individually we can help each other to fight the good fight of faith.

Through engagement, we also become more and more committed to each other, a deeper love for each person starts to grow in us, the church becomes much more than a building, or something we do. It becomes something we are. Together we become a greater expression of Jesus than we can be independently.

So we ask ourselves what would God do with a church that is engaged? One thing we do know is that God would be glorified as we work together towards the Mission Of God.

Community in the Christian circles has become a bit of a buzzword. It gets spoken of often, to the point where we can let it go in one ear and out the other, but, it is something that I believe we all want. A community is essentially like a village, a family. A place or group of people you can rely on and who can rely on you.

Many of us have this, and yet many of us are searching for fellowship of close believers. In order to gain and maintain community, it takes hard work, toilsome work sometimes with blood, sweat and tears. We have become lazy within our communities, myself included. We want others to do the work for us, we want all relationships and any work we have to do to be minimal and easy.

The thing is though, when we genuinely want something bad enough, we will be motivated enough to do the work no matter what.

Case in point: I started college for the first time sixteen years after graduating high school. I hated school as a teenager and was quite nervous to start over. I wondered if I would still hate it even though I was pursuing a degree all these years later that I know I want. What I have found is that because I have a goal and passion for what the outcome of enduring general education classes, learning new studies and things about the human brain and how we think will be, I am willing to do the hard work needed. I’ve had to sacrifice my weekends, some evenings, free time to watch my shows so that I can make the deadlines, to put in the time and to do good work.
When we genuinely want something bad enough, we will be motivated enough to do the work no matter what. When we genuinely want community, we will do the hard, toilsome (oftentimes awkward) work to make friends, to be vulnerable, to speak truth, to ask forgiveness so that we can have those deeper relationships, so that we can have the people who will go through the trenches with us, so that we can have our village.

1 Corinthians 12:12-27
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Are we overlooking the people we sit next to each week? Are we noticing the friends we already have and asking them questions that reveal their heart? Each of us has a role to play within community. Some roles may be small, some big, loud, quiet, in front, behind the scenes, long, short…you get the idea. Don’t try to do what the person next to you is doing. Comparison and competition has robbed us for too long in having good community.
 
I have a lot to say on this topic. To keep from repeating myself, I will end with these thoughts.
Community is a choice and we all have a responsibility for our own choices and the work we put into it.

One of the most important parts of community that I have learned, is that your focus on your own relationship with God must come first. If that is not your top priority, really, in any relationship and scenario in life, you will be left feeling wanting. When we prioritize and give time to our relationship with God, we are filled up by the Spirit, which does not leave us wanting, but instead leaves us satisfied and with the strength to give ourselves to others and to find fulfillment in community and in the gifts and purposes God has given us as His church, His bride.

We were never promised easy. We were promised God’s presence and He by His power, love, grace and mercy is how we build and remain in community.

- Jill Troyer

For as long as I can remember, (and honestly even before I can remember) going to church has been a huge part of my life. We were (and still are) a family that was at church every time the doors were opened. Sunday School, Sunday Morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night. We memorized scripture and knew the Bible Stories. (Even the obscure ones) But it wasn’t until the last few years that I understood all of these parts of scripture as part of one big story not just a bunch of individual ones. And the more I understood that, the more I fell in love with the old testament.


Let’s face it, the vast majority of us are going to be drawn to spending time in the Gospels. And there is something really important about studying the life of Jesus on earth! Or we tend to spend our time in the epistles, because they are practical and transforming. But the Old Testament is sometimes hard for us to understand its purpose or its application to our lives, so sometimes we just skip over it.

But as we have been going through the book of Acts, we see the Apostles find tremendous value in the Old Testament. Let’s look at just a few examples from the first couple of chapters of Acts. In Acts 1:6 the disciples questions Jesus as to if he is going to “restore the Kingdom to Israel at this time”. The whole reason they are asking this question is because they had a deep understanding of the Old Testament and knew that that was the promise of Scripture.
Acts 2 is simply FULL of the old testament that we will miss if we skip over that part of our Bibles. The first is simply the day of Pentecost as we know it is the day the Holy Spirit came. But it was celebrated for thousands of years by the Jews as a God ordained feast. When they celebrated the giving of the law of Moses at Mt Sinai on the original Pentecost. Why is that all significant? Because the original Pentecost was God writing his law on stone tablets, and on the Pentecost in Acts, its God writing His law on our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
This was the promise of Jeremiah 31:33 " I will put my law within them, and I will write it ton their hearts. uAnd I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

And a beautiful depiction of Ezekial 36:26 "And I will give you ia new heart, and ia new spirit I will put within you. iAnd I will remove the heart of stone (like stone tablets)  from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh" (like when the law is written on our hearts by the Spirit).
The sermon of Peter’s where 3000 people were saved? The vast majority of it was direct quotations from the Old Testament: Joel 2:28-32, Psalm 16:8-11, Psalm 16:10, Psalm 110:1. The Old Testament contains the Gospel as well.

We will see in Acts Chapter 3, Peter preaching the Gospel by using Deuteronomy and Genesis and referring back to the prophets all the way back to Samuel, because they directly point to who Jesus is. The most famous sermon in the book of Acts is probably the sermon of Stephen and he walks through the whole story found in the Old Testament to preach the Gospel. 
This year our Kid’s Ministry (K-5th) is walking through a survey of the Old Testement, and as I am writing each lesson, I am more and more in awe of the central story found there. How the story of Ruth, isn’t just the story of Ruth and Boaz, but also the story of God bringing the gentiles into His family. Its a story that points to the ultimate redeemer. And there are examples like that in every Bible event found in the Old Testament.

So, if the first half of your Bible hasn’t been touched in awhile, go back and read it. Read it with an eye towards answering the questions: What does this tell me about God? How does this point to Jesus? And you will find a whole new world opened up in your faith journey.

- Stacy Hamsher