To God's Beloved At Cloverdale Baptist Church:
It is good to be back in town, after a wonderful week in Louisville where Lori and I were at Together 4 The Gospel 2018 conference. This was a gathering of pastors and church leaders (12000) around the Gospel and Christ centred teaching. It was amazing to sing praises to God with so many other committed followers of Jesus and to be reminded that we are not alone in our pursuit of His glory in this world! It is good to serve Jesus, and to be a part of His greater family!
I also had the privilege of representing BC at a Canadian gathering of 500 church leaders from Canada, and shared the ways that God is working in our province among those who love the Gospel in BC! This was fun to see so many from Canada, and some (we need more) from BC. I believe that God is at work, and it is exciting to seek His glory by knowing Him, rejoicing in His Gospel and resting in His love, as we pursue His mission! I am glad to serve Cloverdale Baptist Church, and see God moving with power here!
On Thursday afternoon, on behalf of the TGC Canadian council, I recorded a podcast seeking to help people love the Psalms. I was to pick my favourite Psalm, and although that is near impossible for me, settled in on Psalm 16. What an amazing privilege we have as a congregation to be a part of something that is bigger than us, and serve Jesus networked with so many other Gospel infused ministries. Was tiring to travel (think I am getting to old for this stuff), but well worth the investment of our time to be a part of this on your behalf! Will preach on Psalm 16 later this summer, God willing, and share some of the ways this Psalm has changed my life...and could change our church. I love God's Word, it is so powerful in conforming our lives and bringing us joy!
Sunday it was a privilege to hear Pastor Thomas preach, and to welcome our refugee family into town. Please continue to pray for them, even as we praise God for the great things that He is doing in our church and through our church family. It seems there is much going on, so please keep praying, serving and staying informed!
We have a baptism coming and already the joy of hearing testimonies is exciting! If you are a believer and have not been baptized in obedience to Jesus as a believer please contact one of your pastors and we will seek to help you understand this step, and take it! God is at work and through you, your prayers, and your pursuit with us as a place of Gospel centred love and ministry we are seeing eternity changed. PRAISE GOD, and keep praying, serving, and pursuing holiness with us! I love baptisms and communion, that in relationship with Jesus focus us on the Gospel and change our lives as His followers.
Sunday Is Coming:
This Sunday we are beginning our series in Judges, and it is exciting to work through a book with you that is so relevant. Huge thank you to Elias for the work he did on the book (and Les for the dream to make this happen), and our prayer is that this series will help all of us pursue Conformity to Christ, as we reject conformity to the world around us!
Text: Judges 1
Title: Worldly Wonderers:
Throughout history God's people have been called to purity and have struggled with worldliness. This is a struggle that continues today, and one of the best places to study how the church becomes like the world, and so avoid this is the book of Judges. May God use this series to awaken in us a new passion to not be friends with the world, but friends of God!
Read Judges 1-2
Why do you think what started so good went so bad for God's people here?
How can we fight against worldliness in our church, and in our lives?
How does 1 John 2:15-17 help us understand God's view of people who love the world?
What does it mean that God is a jealous God, and how does this help shape our pursuit of purity in the world, but not of the world?
What are ways we as a church (and you personally) can fight against worldliness, and pursue godliness (James 4:4)?
IN ISRAEL THERE WAS NO KING, EVERYONE DID WHAT WAS FIT IN THEIR OWN EYES. King here, refers to God, and this series we will spend the time on how KING JESUS is our King so that we will do what He says!
Why is history so full of people who claim to follow God, yet are lured by a love for the world?
Praying God would use this amazing book in His Word to change our worldview to make us more and more Biblical in our life on mission for Him here!
Privileged to serve you,
Pastor Rob