To God's Beloved At Cloverdale Baptist Church:
Sunday was my first in a long time (as long as I can remember) when I was in town, but went to a different church. We didn't really decide we were going to do that until the very last minute, and our motive was twofold, to get a proper rest on a day off, as well as to see how other churches in the area are doing things. A field trip as it were, and this field trip made me very thankful for our family here. I praise God for you, and your love for God and ministry and consider it a true privilege to serve you here as your pastor. God is so good to me and us, and it is good to know and experience His love in this way.
Sunday afternoon, I listened to Pastor Thomas, and other than that bit about pens, was an excellent message on the dangers of materialism, and how we can so easily fall into that trap as Christians in this culture. If you haven't listened to it, take the time to go to our website and give it a listen. Missed our music and communion very much and have decided that although field trips can be beneficial, would prefer not to go on them any more. Very glad to belong with you to Jesus church here.
Many of our families are at camp this week, so remember if you would to pray for them and so many from our church who are finishing up at camp, and heavily involved in ministry of counselling, leadership and worship leading. Will be exciting to hear their stories as they return. If you know some of them, please send them an encouragement note, and let them know you are praying for them! They are in the finishing stretch and a love note from someone in their home church could be just what they need to finish strong!
September is coming, and with it the restarting of many of our ministries at CBC. Please look for places you can get involved in ministry, and use your gifts to build this body to be all that God wants us to be. One place that could use your help is our Agape English program, this is an outreach program that seeks to teach english as a second language in a way that exalts the Gospel. I am excited about this ministry, and pray we can impact many for Jesus through it! If you would like to be involved in Agape English, please leave a note on our welcome card and we will touch base with you and joyfully have you join us in reaching people for Jesus and helping people from other language groups experience God's love through CBC.
Sunday Is Coming:
Text: Numbers 22-24
Title: Surviving A Cultural Crisis: Sexual Sin
We live in a cultural that is constantly inundated with a worldly view of sex and gender. It is hard when many in the church not only don't know what the Bible teaches but have jumped onto the slide of tolerance and relativism on this issue rather than Biblical love.
This is one of the hardest things to teach on, and perhaps discuss, as we want to make sure we are Biblical, avoid all titillation, and speak the truth in love. As Christians in a culture that has shifted in major ways over the last 20 years on these issues this is not easy.
Thankfully for those of us who want to learn how to respond in a way that honours Jesus, the Bible is not silent on these issues.
Please pray for me, and our church as we seek to deal with this difficult topic in a way that causes others to love Him, and helps us to pursue purity together in accordance with God's Word.
A few questions to help prepare your hearts:
How can we make sure we approach issues like this in a, "poor in spirit" manner?
Why is it easier to look at the sins of the culture around us, than our own?
Should we hold the world to the standard of God's Word? If not, why not? If so, how?
What are some ways we can pursue purity in the midst of a broken world that sees sex in an unbiblical manner?
Seeking with you to be in the world, but not of the world,
Pastor Rob