To God’s Beloved At Cloverdale Baptist Church:
We are looking for a Pastor who can help us with effectively conforming to Christ in a world that is hurting. This is a passion that we have as a church, to be a family where we are constantly growing in our relationship with Jesus, displayed in our holiness and love. If you know anyone who could fit this, please send their names to the church, info@cloverdalebaptist.ca, so we can pursue God’s will for this role…together
THE END IS NEAR:
There are many different ways that we can respond to this reality. We can PANIC, and be filled with anxiety and fear and withdraw. We can PUNCH and fight and go on marches and rail against the culture, and show our zeal. We can PLACATE and join in with the culture and relax and join them on the fast flowing river to hell.
So if Panicking, Punching, and Placating are not good options, how does God’s Word tell us to respond? If you don’t read the whole blog, read what is highlighted because this is REALLY IMPORTANT!
1 Peter 4 is clear…arm yourself with a BIBLICAL way of thinking…this means spend more time in the WORD than the WORLD…Read that again. One of the reasons we respond to pain that comes our way in a worldly manner as churches is that we are trained by the world in how to think. So…discipline yourself to listen to God, and to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Pursue HOLINESS: Choose personally and corporate to reject sin in your life, and choose what God desires for you. Know and obey His Word and reject the flesh and worlds way of thinking. This is not easy, but keeps our focus where it should be, and frees us from the anger and anxiety that the worlds ways of thinking can create. If holiness is your passion, humility will dominate your person as you walk, “for the will of God”.
Pray DEPENDENTLY: We can do nothing apart from God. If you truly believe we are in the end times you will PRAY…with the church and alone. You will join us in prayer as a church family, because without prayer we will be like the world (Philippians 4:4-8). Activley choosing dependence is not easy, as the world would teach us that our entertainment, or activism is more important than our prayers. The WORLD IS WRONG!
This is why we saturate our summers in prayer. Join us on TUESDAY nights (7-8) over the summer so that you can show your belief in the END being near in an applicable way. If you have any concern with what is going on in the world today, or any longing for Jesus return, corporate prayer is the best way to show this, or I suppose, it is the way that actually shows this.
Practice LOVE: This is the ABOVE ALL statement of this text. Choose to die to self, and pursue God’s best for others. So experience God’s grace and love that you love others. This is only possible if you have believed in the Gospel and know His love. We love because He first loved us. The focus of this is always God, and the overflow of a love for God is a love for people. Be an encourager, especially of those in the local church you belong to, and get so busy loving that you forget about yourself and your rights, and live for God and His will! Yes, this is different from the world…and yes, this is God’s pathway. In this, as you walk in faith this summer…practice hospitality. Open your life to others in our family, and to strangers.
Participate In The CHURCH: Build the church with the gifts God has given you as a spiritual stone. You matter, and God has made you specifically with the spiritual gifts you need to help us mature and be who God has called us to be. If you are not using the gifts that God has given you to build the bride of Jesus (local church), you are not being a good steward of His grace. This is a serious matter that we often ignore in the consumeristic society we live in. You have a gift, given to you by God in His grace, that the church you belong to needs to be healthy (Ephesians 4:11-16).
We live in the END TIMES, and so many respond in a flesh dominated worldly way of thinking and acting. Be honest with yourself, as you hold up the mirror of God’s Word to your life, and choose to be a biblical Christian, not a nominal Christian. Choose God’s Way for God’s glory.
Pursue GOD’S GLORY: If we belong to Him, 1 Peter 4 calls us to not only long to live for God’s will, the end is God’s glory. It is a radically God centred life! We want everything we go through to be an opportunity to show others how Great our God is, and how His lavish love can be experienced (Ephesians 5:1-2).
THE END IS NEAR…so let us live like we believe this in the frailty of our own lives, and in the passion we have for Jesus return. These things should engage our hearts and lives enough that most of the noise around us can be ignored as we ENGAGE in what really matters.
Let our understanding of Revelation drive us to be 1 Peter 4 people!
We want our study of God’s Word to be more than an opportunity to gain knowledge, but actually an opportunity to know God better and obey Him more fully.
Please seek in your heart and mind to respond to these end times biblically! Fight the flesh, be aware of the worlds way of thinking, and know our battle is not against flesh and blood!
ARM YOURSELVES WITH THIS WAY OF THINKING…
This week our bulletin will include a help to our 5*5*5 commitment. Would love if all of us make this commitment and work together to being the church that God wants us to be!
Sunday Is Coming:
We are moving to our SUMMER SERIES on parables.
- What is a parable?
- Why did Jesus tell parables?
- Share with someone what your favourite parable is and why.
As we study the parables this summer, make a commitment to talk with your family and/or friends about what is taught Sunday morning…
Maranatha, even so Lord Jesus come,
Pastor Rob
Bulletin
Summer Prayer Nights
Starting July 4th / 7:00 pm / Fellow. Hall At Cloverdale Baptist, we always emphasize the importance of personal and corporate prayer. Over the summer, we’ll be moving our monthly prayer services to weekly prayer meetings starting on Tuesday, July 4th at 7pm. Our elders will be leading us through a time of prayer and sharing a brief message with us. We hope you will make this a priority!
We’re Hiring! Worship Ministry Intern
Are you considering a future in worship ministry? We are now taking applications for a paid ministry internship running from Sept. 2023–May 2024. This role offers an extensive experience in leading worship services and teams, as well as mentoring and teaching to develop a strong theological understanding of worship. Learn more and apply today.
Awana Registration
September 2023 – May 2024 Registration will be opening on Thursday July 6th at noon for two groups: families who attend Cloverdale Baptist Church and any families who do not attend church. Registration is only available through a registration link. Please contact the office or Pastor Thomas to receive that link. Learn more.
Soul & Circuit: Navigating Faith in the Age of A.I. (w/ Johnny Markin)
▶ The Cloverdale Baptist Podcast As A.I. becomes more integrated into our lives, we ponder how it may reshape spiritual practices and religious experiences. Can A.I. assist in worship, prayer, or spiritual guidance? What are the limits and potential pitfalls of relying on A.I. in matters of faith? (Title and description for this episode was created by ChatGPT).
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts, as well as on our website.
Kids Soccer Camp
Soccer Camp / July 10–14 / Grade 1–6: Become a total athlete! Our coaches and club soccer players will help your child develop fundamental dribbling, shooting, passing, and ball control skills. Register today!
Watch Conference Sessions
Church is Essential Conference 2023 Thanks to everyone who joined us at the Church Is Essential conference a few weeks ago! If you weren’t able to join us, our sessions are now available to watch online. Watch now on our website or our YouTube channel.