Three Years
This month marks my three year anniversary of becoming a pastor. It is hard to believe that I have already been in full-time ministry for three years! This journey has been amazingly rewarding. I have learned so much… especially how much I don’t know! I’m incredibly thankful to serve such an amazing church that has so graciously put up with this rookie!
While the pressures have been some of the most intense I have felt in my entire life, the joys have far outweighed the difficulties. Every life that has been changed by the power of Christ makes it worth everything. There’s nothing else I would rather do. Here’s to many more years to come!
2 Nuggets of Wisdom
1. Get a mac (I’ll still be your friend if you have a pc 
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2. Get Accordance Bible Software for Mac. I’ve used this program ever single week of my life for the past 5 years or so. It is incredibly helpful for Bible study and sermon preparation. They have several different packages to suit your particular needs. There is a basic package which is very helpful for Bible study. They also have a scholar’s package for more in depth study.
Graduation Time
Last night I had the privilege of giving the invocation and benediction at Ambridge Area High School’s 108th annual Commencement. It was such an honor to bless these students and join the celebration of their achievement. Cannot believe it’s already been eight years since I graduated high school! As I was preparing my prayers for these graduates I was reminded of how graduation is in many ways the threshold of a whole new phase of life.
If you’re graduating this year whether from high school, college, or grad school, know that God has a special purpose for your life. Sometimes stepping into the unknown can be a little scary whether it be college, military, or the workforce. After high school and college comes increased freedom, increased responsibility, and, as my friend has eloquently put it, the 3 M’s: Marriage, Mortgage, and Minivan.
Yet Prov. 3:5-6 encourages us to “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him,and he will make straight your paths.” Regardless of where life takes you next, if you trust in God and follow him with all of our heart, you can know that he will direct all of your paths.
Stronger
I love this song! Really enjoyed singing it on Sunday. Such a powerful declaration of truth.
Encountering God In His Word
This week we began a new 6-week class on Wednesday night called Foundations. It is basically an introduction to foundational Christian doctrine as well as a course in practical Christian living. In the first session we looked at the foundation of Scripture. One of the particularly important points we discussed was one of the main purposes of Scripture. While Scripture serves a number of purposes, it is critically important that we not turn the study of God’s word into an end in and of itself. This is because God’s word is meant to lead us into a relationship with the Author, Jesus Christ.
Jesus himself spoke of this when he said to the religious Pharisees of his day, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life” (John 5:39-40). He was in effect saying that the Scriptures bear witness about him and are meant to lead people into a relationship with God. In saying this, he is not knocking Bible study, but he is rather encouraging proper Bible study which will lead into a growing relationship with himself. In fact, Bible study is critically important because the Scriptures show us who God is. However, mere Bible knowledge is not enough if it does not lead us into an experiential relationship with Jesus Christ.
It is possible to have the Bible memorized forward and backward and yet end up in hell. The point is not that we neglect to study God’s word, but that we diligently pursue Bible knowledge for the purpose of growing in our understanding of Jesus and our relationship to him. Allow your time in God’s word to become a means of knowing, loving, and pursuing its Author.
