As Christians, we're supposed to "let the word of Christ dwell" in us "richly". What does this mean. Paul explains that in order to mature and grow in our faith we must be willing to teach each other and learn as well. In addition, we must embrace worship of God as a way of expressing our gratitude to God and ensuring that whatever we do will be done in the name of Jesus.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Sermon Video
This blog serves as an outreach for Pastor Randy Powell of the First Baptist Church of Franklin, PA. Feel free to ask questions or send me an e-mail at pastorpowell@hotmail.com
Sunday, November 6, 2011
A new ministry, a new beginning
On December 4th of this year, Nicole and I will be in Franlin PA where I will be preaching at the First Baptist Church of Franklin. After the service the members of the church will be voting on whether or not to call me as their next pastor. As many of you know, Nicole and I have been looking for a full-time ministry position for several years. I love my church at Palo, and have had a wonderful ministry experience there, but in the end, I need to be a full-time minister. For the past nine years I've been teaching alternative education in Porltand, but it is time to move on. Earlier this year it was hoped that I could become a reserve chaplain in the U.S. Army and stay with my current ministry. When that fell through, another path was needed. We've had several churches that I've talked to that seemed to be the proper fit, only to have them choose someone else. Finally, after speaking with members of the search committee in Franklin, and going down there to preach at a nearby church last weekend, it appears that our prayers (and those of many others to whom I owe a debt of gratitude) have been answered.
It is not a move without its challenges. It will pain us to leave the family and friends that we've found at First Baptist of Palo, the Cathedral of St. Andrew, and here in Saranac as well. It will be difficult to be a sizeable distance away from our families, and I will certainly miss the weekly basketball game that has been a part of my life for the past twenty years (that leaves you, Russ, as the only one of us left from those youthful days). I will be accepting a major responsibility and a significant task in the ministry in Franklin, but for the first time in my life, I will be able to concentrate all of my working time and effort in one place. For that reason, and many others as well, it is time for me to move on to a new challenge in my calling as a minister of the Word of God.
This blog will continue, as will Nicole's, and we'll continue to return to Michigan on a regular basis for holidays and vacations. Our hearts will remain here, at least in part.
God bless you all for your support, it has meant so much to me when disappointments have wrecked so many of the plans I had hoped to lay out. In the end, God is good, he had a plan for us, and we will continue to serve him who saved us from darkness and brought us into his wonderful light.
It is not a move without its challenges. It will pain us to leave the family and friends that we've found at First Baptist of Palo, the Cathedral of St. Andrew, and here in Saranac as well. It will be difficult to be a sizeable distance away from our families, and I will certainly miss the weekly basketball game that has been a part of my life for the past twenty years (that leaves you, Russ, as the only one of us left from those youthful days). I will be accepting a major responsibility and a significant task in the ministry in Franklin, but for the first time in my life, I will be able to concentrate all of my working time and effort in one place. For that reason, and many others as well, it is time for me to move on to a new challenge in my calling as a minister of the Word of God.
This blog will continue, as will Nicole's, and we'll continue to return to Michigan on a regular basis for holidays and vacations. Our hearts will remain here, at least in part.
God bless you all for your support, it has meant so much to me when disappointments have wrecked so many of the plans I had hoped to lay out. In the end, God is good, he had a plan for us, and we will continue to serve him who saved us from darkness and brought us into his wonderful light.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The Sounds of Silence
As my students read quietly in class, (for that I have Andrew Peterson's Wingfather Saga to thank, they actually want to read it), it occurs to me that our world today rarely has any peace and quiet. From the moment we wake up, until our day ends, most of us are surrounded by noise. The proliferation of ipods and mp3 players has only made this trend more complete. If we want to, we can avoid silence altogether. This need for noise has advanced enough that some people cannot sleep when it is quiet, nor can they concentrate without background noise. (Some of my students listen to their ipod while reading, "I can't read, it's too quiet" has been said often enough).
How does this impact our ability to "listen" to what God has to say in our lives? If we don't take the time to stop and think, to ponder our lives, won't we miss out on that "still small voice" with which the Holy Spirit prods us? One of the reasons that I prefer to run in the wood is because the solitude and quiet are invigorating. In those moments, my mind is open, much more so than it can be when the TV is on, or simply the sounds of an industrialized world surround me.
Do yourself a favor, make the time in your busy schedule to get outside and enjoy God's Creation, or curl up with a good book and shut out life's distraction. You'll be amazed at what it does for your mood. Remeber, even God needed a rest on the 7th day.
How does this impact our ability to "listen" to what God has to say in our lives? If we don't take the time to stop and think, to ponder our lives, won't we miss out on that "still small voice" with which the Holy Spirit prods us? One of the reasons that I prefer to run in the wood is because the solitude and quiet are invigorating. In those moments, my mind is open, much more so than it can be when the TV is on, or simply the sounds of an industrialized world surround me.
Do yourself a favor, make the time in your busy schedule to get outside and enjoy God's Creation, or curl up with a good book and shut out life's distraction. You'll be amazed at what it does for your mood. Remeber, even God needed a rest on the 7th day.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Faith or Science: Choose Both
I saw that statement on a billboard this week. (It was an advertisement for Calvin College, a Christian Reformed college in Grand Rapids) The question is, are faith and science at war with each other, indifferent, cooperative, or something else? There are some who believe that science and faith occupty different spheres so that neither of them has much to say about the other. Another thought is that faith and science are in a perpetual war with each other, when one gains, the other loses. The idea that the billboard was striving to promote is that faith and science, when both are functioning properly, are actually partners. Which is it?
To the Christian, the only real answer is the last one. If faith and science have nothing to do with each other, both would be diminished. Faith wouldn't offer any help in many areas of life, and science would be left hollow and purposeless. If they are at war with each other, we are doomed to either a faith that is not based in reality or a science that has no knowledge of God. Neither of these choices is acceptable.
Because God created the world, including us, the study of science is ultimately the study of the handiwork of the Creator. As such, it is not a threat to faith. Likewise, faith enables science to answer the "why?" questions that would otherwise elude it. In the end, both faith and science are enriched when viewed together. Why then do we have such constant tension between the two? The answer is simple, there are plenty of people on both sides working to keep it that way. There are people of faith who shun knowledge, and people of science who belittle belief in anything beyond our senses. Will it be easy to create harmony between faith and science? No, but it is necessary. Christians have nothing to fear from science, our world is God's creation, the laws that govern it are his own.
To the Christian, the only real answer is the last one. If faith and science have nothing to do with each other, both would be diminished. Faith wouldn't offer any help in many areas of life, and science would be left hollow and purposeless. If they are at war with each other, we are doomed to either a faith that is not based in reality or a science that has no knowledge of God. Neither of these choices is acceptable.
Because God created the world, including us, the study of science is ultimately the study of the handiwork of the Creator. As such, it is not a threat to faith. Likewise, faith enables science to answer the "why?" questions that would otherwise elude it. In the end, both faith and science are enriched when viewed together. Why then do we have such constant tension between the two? The answer is simple, there are plenty of people on both sides working to keep it that way. There are people of faith who shun knowledge, and people of science who belittle belief in anything beyond our senses. Will it be easy to create harmony between faith and science? No, but it is necessary. Christians have nothing to fear from science, our world is God's creation, the laws that govern it are his own.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Sermon Video: "walk in the light" I John 1:5-7
How do we know the Truth? What is our guide in the darkness to find our way to the light? John writes that God IS light. He has no darkness at all in his essence. If we're going to fellowship with God, we're going to need a remedy for the sinfulness (darkness) of humanity. That remedy is the blood of Jesus which enables us to begin walking in the light.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Sermon Video
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Sermon Video
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