Pastor Matt

Each year our theme deals with an area that we need spiritual strenghting in.
Our preaching is done with mostly expository with some topical thrown in. 
On our pulpit we have the saying on it... "Just preach Jesus". I've heard preaching that was about opinions on both expository and topical preaching. If a pastor has an agenda, it will come out regardless of the type of preaching/teaching. 

There are a good number of challenges facing the Church and it will only become more challenging.
On one side, we have the "Shiny Happy People" and "Let us Prey" documentaries which expose some genuine issues within "Fundamentalist" Churches that are supposedly the ones that stand for truth.
On the other is the progressive "Woke-ism" (BLM, SJW, LGBTQIA+, Etc.) that is pervading mainstream evangelicalism.
Both are direct attacks upon the authority and sufficiency of the scriptures. The latter has pretty much cast it aside altogether while the former has "weaponized" the word of God for the purpose of manipulation and control never really going beyond "spring board" texts whereby men are up in the pulpits doing little more than hollering and shouting their own opinion of how they think things ought to be.
I would therefore be careful regarding anything that seem to project any personal "agenda."
My response to all of this is to focus upon teaching and preaching that is strictly expository in nature. Our Senior Pastor will be going through 1 Corinthians during the Wednesday night services and I will be leading a study through the book of Romans.
I like the theme "I shall not be moved." I believe the best way to get your congregation "Steadfast and unmovable" would be to focus upon expository teaching and preaching.

What's up, OB'ers! Can't let this moment slip by without sending out a massive Happy New Year to each and every one of you! Thinking about the ride we've had together here - the chats and the laughs. It's been real, and I'm thankful to be here with you all.
Before we dive headfirst into the New Year, I've gotta give a massive shoutout to our incredible mods! You all are the unsung heroes, keeping this place running smoothly, creating a space where we can all connect, share, and grow together. 
Happy New Year Everyone

What's up, OB'ers! Can't let this moment slip by without sending out a massive Happy New Year to each and every one of you! Thinking about the ride we've had together here - the chats and the laughs. It's been real, and I'm thankful to be here with you all.
Before we dive headfirst into the New Year, I've gotta give a massive shoutout to our incredible mods! You all are the unsung heroes, keeping this place running smoothly, creating a space where we can all connect, share, and grow together. 
Happy New Year Everyone

What's up, OB'ers! Can't let this moment slip by without sending out a massive Happy New Year to each and every one of you! Thinking about the ride we've had together here - the chats and the laughs. It's been real, and I'm thankful to be here with you all.
Before we dive headfirst into the New Year, I've gotta give a massive shoutout to our incredible mods! You all are the unsung heroes, keeping this place running smoothly, creating a space where we can all connect, share, and grow together. 
Happy New Year Everyone

Merry Christmas you pagans. 😂😂😂 j/k

I was hoping for your definition, not a copy and paste. Oh well, Merry Christmas my friend. 

Merry Christmas you pagans. 😂😂😂 j/k

Merry Christmas you pagans. 😂😂😂 j/k

Merry Christmas to all, wherever you are. Praying you all have a blessed day.
Spanish – ¡Feliz Navidad!
French – Joyeux Noël!
German – Frohe Weihnachten!
Italian – Buon Natale!
Portuguese – Feliz Natal!
Romanian – Crăciun Fericit!
Russian – Счастливого Рождества! (Schastlivogo Rozhdestva!)
Swedish – God Jul!
Norwegian – God Jul!
Danish – Glædelig Jul!
Finnish – Hyvää Joulua!
Icelandic – Gleðileg Jól!
Polish – Wesołych Świąt!
Dutch – Vrolijk Kerstfeest!
Croatian – Sretan Božić!
Czech – Veselé Vánoce!
Japanese – メリークリスマス！ (Merīkurisumasu!)
Chinese – 圣诞节快乐! (Shèngdàn jié kuàilè!)
Korean – 메리 크리스마스! (Meli Keuliseumaseu!)
Latin – Felicem Natalem Christi!
Irish – Nollaig Shona!

Merry Christmas to you, Brother.

聖誕節快樂！(Shèngdàn jié kuàilè!) - traditional Chinese
Merry Christmas from Taiwan!

It's not just Colorado. Even in NY, where the democrats have a lock in federal elections, they are now at war on the state level.
N.Y. Court of Appeals sides with Democrats, orders redrawing of congressional maps - CBS New York (cbsnews.com)
 

This poem was written for my pastor and his wife for Christmas.
Jesus In You
Day by day, and throughout all the years,
You both taught us by faith what was right and true;
You modelled our Saviour in word and in deed -
We learned so much about Jesus through you.
Faithfully trusting and serving our Saviour;
We are amazed by all that our God can do
Through those who follow in the footsteps of faith -
We know we can see Jesus living in you.
Through the years, I’m sure you’ve entertained angels;
By your example, we know our hearts grew too;
You showed compassion in your care for us all -
We see Jesus loving others through you.
You showed us this life’s not the end of the story,
You both modelled for us the eternal view,
In this world with all of its fading glory,
In the way you live, we see Jesus in you.
December 10, 2023
Jerry Bouey
(Christmas Project 2023)
Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
1 Corinthians 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

We do miss your presence here. I hope you and yours have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful new year. 

I don't frequent the site very often anymore. So, I want to wish everyone the very best Christmas and a great New Year in the Lord.

Although it is very rare that I need to use my phone for Bible reading I have downloaded a few for those occasions where I need my Bible but am not in a place where I have it on hand. Of those I have downloaded I favor the Blue Letter Bible as it is very easy to use and has a concordance, which is about the only add-on I need when on the fly.

TBH, I don't have any Bible app on my phone. With the abundance of Bible sites on the net I just surf to one of those.

Thank you to everyone who prayed for the service. It went well, we had 65 people show up, including 15 children! I had been told to expect only 5-7 children, so we ran out of chairs, thankfully a few of the older children didn't mind standing.  😄 I didn't teach the lesson this time. A Taiwanese family is going into ministry, so the wife taught the children and her oldest kids helped with the songs and games. She did an excellent job explaining the gospel story to the children, I'm thankful for her willingness to serve!  Please continue to pray for the Indonesians who heard the gospel for the first time tonight.
    

The functions I'm speaking of are things like helping set up for certain services, ie, putting hymnals out on chairs... helping gather them up... helping in the breakdown after certain functions, etc, not things like you're speaking of. There are functions within the church that can be done under supervision without a person being a member. 

For the first time in a very long time, I find myself respecting First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana. Pastor Wilkerson inherited this mess, and I believe he's handling it the best way he can.
In my personal interactions with Pastor Wilkerson, he has consistently been nothing but gracious and humble, a far cry from the previous pastors.

I don't know all that First Baptist is doing to handle this past situation, nor do I need to know. I just hope they are doing everything they can to support the women who were hurt in the past by the previous staff members.
 
 
 

Pastor Wilkerson addressing a planned protest this Sunday at First Baptist
 

Pastor Wilkerson addressing a planned protest this Sunday at First Baptist
 

I don't know all that First Baptist is doing to handle this past situation, nor do I need to know. I just hope they are doing everything they can to support the women who were hurt in the past by the previous staff members.