My Ever-ready Declaration

As a pastor, mine is frequently the privilege to share with people the Hallmark moments of their lives: weddings and marriages and efforts to avert divorce, births and deaths and all the celebrations and crises in the living middle, joys and breakthroughs and triumphs, and, yes, sorrows and breakups and tragedies. People simply need a God-presence when life happens. People want to know God is near and He cares.

The truth is every significant life event exposes us. From our baby girl’s first breath to our Daddy’s last, both the planned affairs and the unexpected happenings remind us of our own mortality. Only the willfully blind miss this. We are, each of us, either ready or not. Whatever the moment, we are either among the prepared few or the unprepared masses.

Some life passages cast the illusion we can prepare fully for any contingency they may present. We should, of course, avail ourselves to resources that help us get ready for the life events on our horizons. Bear in mind, though, that no class or seminar has yet been designed that can completely prepare an expectant mother – or father – for childbirth. Moreover, every life at some point will experience at least one train wreck. How can we be ready for those unforeseen catastrophes that shake us to the core of our being?

Good, truthful information is an invaluable asset to maximize any of the moments of our lives, but information alone does not make us ready. We cannot prepare specifically for every eventuality a life lived may produce. I maintain, however, that we can yet make ourselves so ready that we are indeed ready for anything. This kind of readiness exceeds the bounds of information. This kind of readiness requires an intimacy with the Infinite.

Because I have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, I am ready for anything. I know He loves me – His plans are always good. I know He is all-knowing – He ways are right. I know He is all-powerful – His purposes will prevail. And, friend, my ever-ready declaration can be yours as well: “Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am” (Philippians 4:12-13, The Message). Are you ready or not?

Ready or Not

“Ready or not, here I come!” So begins another expedition of Hide-and-Seek. We adults may not play that game much anymore – unless we need some time to ourselves and we volunteer to count if the kids go hide real well and not come out until we find them. Then we count, they hide, and we sit down in a comfortable chair and declare: “Ready or not, here I come!” Maybe the kiddos will stay hidden for a few minutes, and we can catch a nap. (I won’t tell if you won’t).

From childhood, I believe we are conditioned to expect something wonderful by the phrase: “Ready or not, here I come!” perhaps a parent called out “Ready or not, here I come!” just before the swooped us up and tickled us. Or we heard it from our best hiding place and hunkered down with anticipation. “Ready or not, here I come!” The game is afoot. We hushed and tried to breathe as noiselessly as possible. Our little hearts raced and our minds began to churn: “Will they find me?” Then, like nervous birds in the field, we usually took flight and abandoned our secure secret place to race for home base.

I thought about that call this week as we finished the final unit of our study in Experiencing God. I wondered and prayed:

Dear God, if these seven realities are true – and I believe they are – then what we are learning here is revolutionary. You are on the move right now. Do we notice? Do we care to notice? Whether or not we pay attention to You and Your activity, You continue to fulfill Your prevailing purposes and to pursue Your excellent intentions. Whether we are ready or not, You come and You go! O God, make us ready to respond to You!

Lord, You call out: “Ready or not, here I come!” But why are we playing Hide-and-Seek with You? This is one time when we must quickly come out of hiding and run into the light where You are (1 John 1:7). We hear the Holy Spirit cry: “Ready or not, here I come!” We need to understand this is Your invitation for us to seek You, to come to You, to join You, to obey You, and to find in You all that truly satisfies our thirsts for joy and adventure and home and rest and wholeness and healing and hope.

Beloved, my question for you today is this: “Are you ready or not?” My burden for this church is the same: “Are we ready or not?” Truly, “the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His” (2 Chronicles 16:9). Does His gaze on us find us “ready or not?”

Are we “ready or not” to … Well, for those of you who stayed the course and stayed with the Experiencing God study and process, are you “ready or not” to give yourself wholeheartedly to whatever God has shown you. Are you “ready or not” to do what you have seen Him doing and heard Him saying? Are you “ready or not” to press through opposition and “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7) convinced that “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6)?

In the Experiencing God group that meets in our home, one of our members recently shared a personal dilemma. I secured this person’s permission to tell you what they said. (Before you read further, you need to know two things. First, this person is a long-time, faithful member of this church, and they love this church very much. Second, what they said is applicable not only to our church but to the vast majority of churches in America today). Their devotion to God and His church here prompted them to share along these lines:

A number of us started this study of Experiencing God once before, but we did not finish the course. This time, I am honestly experiencing God do a fresh, new work in my heart. I love it! But I read in the Bible and in our workbook about how God is at work, how He uses churches smaller than ours to touch the world, and I am embarrassed to tell you that I don’t think God can do that here.

In our church, we just have a history of seeking and following God up to a point. We trust God until it gets to the crisis of belief. Then we sort of lose heart. I am sorry, but I just don’t feel our church can join God in what He is doing like this study teaches.

As I listened, I observed many in our group nodding in agreement. Most of our group are also faithful, long-time followers of Christ here and love this church. I also sensed the Spirit’s confirmation of what they shared. When they finished, God directed me to respond this way:

You are exactly right. “our church” cannot do these things. But what we must remember is that Jesus specifically promises to build and bless His church. We cannot do God’s work, but we must let Him do His work through us.

We must be vigilant and diligent to remain God-centered and not fall into man-centered thinking. Speaking to His disciples indirectly but clearly about His mission and our activity with Him, Jesus says, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). Are we “ready or not” to believe this, to live as is this is true?

Abraham was old, and so was his wife. But he believed God when He told him: “Is anything impossible for the Lord? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son” (Genesis :1814). A year later, guess who had a baby on their knee. Job declared: “I know that You can do anything and no plan of Yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2). And the prophet asserts: “Ah, Lord God ! You Yourself made the heavens and earth [out of nothing, I would remind you] by Your great power and with Your outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!” (Jeremiah 32: 17).

Beloved, His people, His church, are ready – ready for anything. Are we “ready or not?” Ready or not, here He comes!

Pastor Rob

God in Our Fathers

“When a man becomes a father, he is given the greatest opportunity to express what God is like.” So reads the inscription my wife wrote in a Bible she gave me on the occasion of my ordination as a minister of the Gospel, June 21, 1987. The real message my wife was sending, however, must be seen in the context of our lives.

Sure, a Bible makes a great gift for a young pastor. Her note on the inside cover, however, was a reminder to her husband, and a new father (our first of five children was eight months old at the time) that God would not want me to miss the most pliable clay I would ever have the honor to handle, to shape, and to mold for His glory – my own children. I could easily give eight nights a week to church-related activity, and perhaps over a long career influence a handful of people to follow Jesus. I would never find anyone, however, who would be as receptive and responsive as my own children.

The truth is, perhaps no other relationship defines or shapes our views about God more than our relationship with our dads. How we saw Dad when we were children is very much the way we tend to see God as adults. If Dad laughed and hugged us a lot, we half-expect God to bound into the room and sweep us up in His majestic arms. If Dad spent time with us and seemed genuinely interested in our lives, we are not surprised that Almighty God is keen on us and wants us to be with Him.

On the other hand, if Dad seemed distant, aloof, or too busy for us as kids, then we have a hard time grasping the Creator King’s passion for a personal, intimate relationship with us. If we perceived Dad as stern or hard to please, then we unconsciously tend to think God is angry, judgmental, or difficult – an Idea we may someday gradually come to appreciate but never really embrace. We approach God according to ideas about Him and about ourselves that were introduced and refined by how we related to Dad, for better or for worse.

I once wrote in my journal: “When I think that my children’s perspectives of God are colored by their relationship with me, I tremble.” Now in my twenty-first year of fatherhood I add: “O God, help me continue to be and become the kind of daddy whose children are drawn to You and joyfully anticipate their daily dance with God our Father for eternity.”

His Church, His Mission, His Glory

God’s strategy to bring Good News to the ends of the earth is through His people, His disciples, the family and fellowship of His redeemed, His church. The church, the body of Jesus Christ, is His Plan A. He has no Plan B. At this point, we discover the essence of what it means to be a Christ follower joined with other believers in the entity called church.

When many people, including church people, think of church, they think of the buildings where religious people meet. They envision steeples and sanctuaries. But this is not the hope of the world. God’s Plan A is not some sort of real estate venture to raise buildings around the world.

Some people think of church as “organized religion,” and wish not to be bothered by what they perceive to be an archaic expression of religion. So, they miss a non-negotiable key to God’s coming to man: His intention to build His church (Matthew 16: 18). They think church is boring or not relevant to their lives. Instead of submitting to some contrived or coerced system to serve a sovereign deity, they opt for finding god in their own way independent of “organized religion.”

That’s the critical error almost everybody makes about church. They think church is optional, some sort of elective. They reason: “I can find God and connect to Him (or Her) when and where and how I choose, if even I choose to do so. Church is not essential to my happiness or fulfillment.” But church is essential to the fulfillment of God’s purposes.

Churched people select a church and determine the degree of their involvement in that church based upon their personal preferences. We rationalize: “I decided to be a part of this church because it meets my needs. When it stops meeting my needs or stops doing things the way I think they should be done, then I may simply pick another church.”

One critical flaw is common to all of these misconceptions about church. We tend to define church apart from a fundamental reality – the church is God’s idea. Whatever we find attractive or repulsive about various brands of church matters very little when compared to this. Man did not create Christ’s church, God did. The issue is not what we get out of church. The bottom line with which we should concern ourselves is what does God expect to get out of church.

Here are just three principal outcomes God surely expects to get out of church, including First Baptist Church. First, God expects to receive glory from His church. He expects His church to manifest the truth about Him to the world. Second, God desires love from His church. He wants His people to enjoy relationship and maintain fellowship with Him. Third, God intends His church to be on His mission with Him. Everything God’s Word says about His church stresses this truth. This week in Experiencing God clarified for me that God expects His church to be on mission with Him for His glory.

Day 1: “God can impact the world through one church if it adjusts itself to God’s activity” (page 226).

Day 2: “Everything a church has belongs to the Kingdom” (page 231).

Day 3: “Biblical principles of God’s working with His people do not change” (page 234).

Day 4: “Koinonia [the experience of God’s presence and the basic element of salvation and eternal life] is possible only if a church is made up of individuals who are willing to submit to the lordship of Christ in the body of Christ” (page 242).

Day 5: “Each individual [church member] needs to experience the Lord’s presence at work in his or her life” (page 244).

One of our own, Larry Long, reflected these truths in a testimony letter he submitted to Dr. Bobby Gilstrap relating his experience on our recent missions trip to Indiana, Crossover Indy. I asked Larry for permission to share this with you.

On this mission trip, God showed me that He is in control. No matter how many months of prep time, how organized, and how prepared we thought we were, (and we actually were), God once again showed us that He is in charge of timetables, circumstances, and especially the WEATHER. I saw how God through His willing servants, (Brother Bobby Gilstrap, Brother Jim – the pastor of Hope Community Church, the church people from Hope, our FBC mission group, and other mission groups that came in last minute), was able to turn what could have been another cancelled block party into by all accounts a very successful one. Now Hope Community Church has at least 90 new un-churched prospects and – praise God! – another 5 people are now saved.

I am very thankful and happy I was able to be part of this year’s mission trip. I had a great time of fellowship and just had fun being around our mission group from Michigan. Thanks to Brother Bobby for being the best Director of Missions I know and for caring so much about the Father’s work.

One last thing, I was privileged to see how God can and does work in a local church. Hope Community Church was an older struggling church, but through the faithfulness of their pastor, Brother Jim, and, of course, the congregation, in just a few short years God has turned that church around. They have baptized over 80 people this year alone. The Sunday we were with them, they baptized another 2 and commissioned the first group of people from their church to do foreign mission work.

I just hope and pray that our church here in South Lyon and our other Michigan Baptist churches would soon see this kind of “God-sized” kingdom expansion occur here in our home churches.

Amen, brother! Help us see, Lord. May the Lord indeed accomplish His purposes through us to the praise of His glorious grace! And may we each be ever ready, constant, and glad to move our membership from our church to His church!

Pastor Rob

A Son Remembers

I did something last week I had never done before. I visited the grave of my father. I had not been to the site since we buried his body five years ago. I had not avoided going to my father’s grave. I simply had not been back in my old hometown in five years. But it was the week before Father’s Day, I was only an hour away, and I had several hours available, so I found myself standing over the military marker that identified the resting place of my dad’s earthly body.

I have long regarded my dad’s death as that moment when he “graduated to glory.” In a real, genuine sense, his graduation has been for me a source of inspiration and hope. My confidence in Jesus Christ and His word convince me that Dad is in a real place of profound joy and wonder and peace. I long to be there myself. So, while I miss conversation with Dad, I would have told you I was “over” my dad’s death. The emotions that swept over me as I stood over his marker surprised me.

As I stood there, a solitary figure surrounded by thousands of gravestones, gazing down upon the ground under which Dad’s body lay, I began to weep and pray.

I thanked God that because of what Jesus Christ has done on the cross, I can call God my “Father in heaven.”

I thanked Him that my dad had also trusted Jesus and was even now enjoying the magnificent fruit of God’s choice to save him and his choice to receive Christ. I thanked God that all that was beneath my feet was en empty shell, that my dad was bigger and stronger and more full of life right now than he had ever been here.

I thanked God that He had worked in my dad, had given him the very desire to be more like Jesus in word and deed (Philippians 2:13). I thanked God that though Dad stumbled often, he stumbled forward enough to instill in me a desire to know God as well.

And then, I thanked God that Dad was part of that “large cloud of witnesses surrounding us” (Hebrews 12:1), so Dad could hear me say, “Daddy, I love you. I miss you. I am eager to see you, to hug your neck, to kiss your forehead, and to worship Jesus with you.”

A Body like His

I have a friend named Russell whom I greatly admire. When you are around Russell, and I sincerely hope you enjoy that privilege someday, several facets of this man’s character will quickly be evident. For instance, you will not talk with him long before you discern that Russell is a lover. First, and foremost, he loves His Savior and God, Jesus Christ. He loves his wife and best friend, Kelly. He loves his three beautiful daughters, Erin, Cora, and Leah. Russell loves to rock for the Rock of our salvation and to lead other people to worship the King with him (he plays the bass guitar very well). Just a few minutes of conversation with Russell will confirm my claim that he is indeed a lover.

These are all noteworthy distinctives about my friend, and many more fine and fascinating features have knit my heart to his. For example, he is also honest, generous, and faithful. All of these attributes, however, would require a fair amount of observation, conversation, and perhaps even intuition on your part. I daresay, however, that your first glimpse of my friend will more than likely produce a single common first thought.

When you meet Russell, before a single word is exchanged, those of us who can see cannot help but notice the obvious. Russell is one powerfully-built, muscular specimen of a man. Give him blue tights and a cape and you half expect him “to leap tall buildings in a single bound!” His nature is not to pose or flex for a camera. That’s just not who he is. But he has clearly put the time in at the gym (By the way, he built his own home gym!).

Russell was not born with the powerful physique he has today. He did not wake up one morning as a teenager to discover he had grown muscular overnight. No, what you see when you meet Russell today is the product of over twenty years of sweat and strain. He would point out that some years, or parts of some years, he was more dedicated than at other times. Still, his appearance is ample evidence that he has been more often than not consistent and disciplined in his exercise.

The same can honestly be said of any of us, whether we be fit or fat. When I look in the mirror, or simply take a gander towards my feet and find the view interrupted by my beltline, I am reminded that I did not get in this shape overnight. The condition of my body is primarily the direct result of my diet and exercise for the past number of weeks, months, and years. If I want to be slim, I am at least six to eight weeks of restraint and self-control away from that goal. Sadly, it does not take that long to be … less slim.

I have discovered that the road to wellness is a path taken one day at a time, one step at a time, one meal at a time. If I will achieve ultimate victory in my fitness war, then I must engage in countless daily battles and skirmishes. I must learn to celebrate daily victories and to learn from the frequent defeats, as well. I must battle through occasional lethargy and disenchantment with the process. Some weeks I will see sudden positive results. Some weeks I will experience a plateau or even a backward step or two. But the name of the game is faithful application of truth over time.

When I look in the mirror, I wonder if other people see more clearly than I do the evidence of my choices. A renowned pianist once said something like this: “If I do not practice today, I will notice. If I do not practice this week, my teacher will notice. If I do not practice this month, my audience will notice.” So, we really cannot hide our choices or their fruit.

The same principle applies to our spiritual fitness as well. I do not intend to discount the sudden transformation available to anyone the moment they trust Jesus – whether for salvation or strength or steadfastness. Still, as a rule, to know Jesus more intimately requires the faithful exercise day in and day out of certain disciplines.

This reality surfaced again this week at the Southern Baptist Convention as I observed and listened to men whom I have come to regard as spiritual giants. Current leaders in our denomination like Mohler, Land, Hunt, and Page – powerful voices from generations past like Rogers, Allison, Draper, and Vines – dynamic leaders and pastors today like Andy Stanley, James MacDonald, Brad Powell – men in our state like Jimmy Jones, Larry Allen, Bob Carpenter, and Nick Ruffer – all these leaders strike me as men of spiritual muscle. The development of their spiritual muscles so that, to the Father’s glory, they display a Christ-like physique, is the culmination of years of spiritual discipline and diet.

We may wonder what our life suggests about our daily walk with Jesus. Is there enough evidence to convict us of spending time with our Lord in prayer and in His Word? What does our conduct say about the faith choices we have made over the last few weeks, months, or years? Have we trained enough by obedience to be ready today to lift greater faith weights?

Our physical body and appearance testify to the choices we have made over time concerning diet and exercise and the degree of consistency we have applied to those choices. Similarly, the constancy and character of our walk with Jesus over the years will be manifest and apparent to all by the measure of Christlikeness in our conduct today. We can take the analogy one step further. The consistent nurture of our relationship with God and His people, including the strenuous exercise of faith in Him, makes our spiritual physique as evident as my friend Russell’s physical build.

This week in Experiencing God, we learned more about how Jesus’ church should function as His body. How much like Christ our Head are we as a church, as a local expression of His body? What does our calendar of activities say about our priorities? What do our priorities say about our devotion to God’s Word, our attention to the leadership of the Spirit, our familiarity with His purposes and His ways, and our confidence in His Person and power? When people see our church in action, do they see a powerful, muscular, body of Christ or a malnourished, underdeveloped society of religionists? Selah.

Pastor Rob

Simple Truths about Heaven

I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t want to go to Heaven, if such a place exists. The question is not, however, whether or not Heaven exists. The question is: Are you prepared? In John 14:1-4 Jesus suggests three truths about Heaven.

Heaven is a place – a real place. Jesus says He is going to a place, not a state of mind. Heaven is not some existence where our disembodied spirits ride clouds and play harps.

This earthy life, this brief journey through the shadowlands, is like the sweet smell of supper. The fragrance promises something good to come, but it is not the promise itself fulfilled. The aroma is only the first suggestion. The promise is not realized until the food meets the palate. The meal is the real.

Heaven is real and immensely substantive. The most exhilarating, satisfying experience in this life is but a foretaste of the life God invites us to enjoy eternally in Heaven. Heaven is where God lives, and where God lives we truly come to life.

Heaven is a prepared place. Jesus says He is preparing a place for us. The places He is preparing are perfectly suited for people to become all that God originally purposed for us to be. Imagine becoming again like Adam before the Fall – real flesh and blood, without sin or encumbrance, free to know God and walk with God and talk with God. Heaven is a place prepared and suited perfectly for that purpose.

Heaven is a prepared place for prepared people. Though God does not want anyone to perish, He requires without exception that any who would enter Heaven be prepared (1 Peter 3:9; John 3:16). How does a person prepare? The only way to prepare for Heaven is to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of your life (John 14:6). Receiving Jesus is as easy as ABC:

A – Admit to God you are a sinner (Romans 3:23).
B – Believe that Jesus is Who He says He is (Romans 10:9-10).
C – Commit your life to know Jesus and to make Him known (James 2:26).

Friend, Heaven is indeed a place, a prepared place for prepared people. I have heard it said that we are prepared to live until we are prepared to die. Are you prepared?

Hurry up and Wait: How God Called Me to FBC

Just over two years ago this month, God confirmed to Donna and me His call for me to pastor this church – a full three months before the Pastor Search Team presented me and you then voted to extend to me that call. Actually, as early as January 2002, God began to draw me to this fellowship, this family of faith. I did not recognize it then. I thought I came to Michigan to become a denominational servant. Today, I know God brought me to Michigan to prepare me to become your pastor. Indulge me. If you will, and follow this timeline with me:

In 2001, The Church Growth Ministries Committee of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan (BSCM) interviewed Donna and me for the position of Associate Team Leader. During a break time, we talked with Pastor Bob Beddingfield. The spiritual markers in our journeys hinted at an intriguing crossroads in our respective ministries.

I moved into the parsonage next door in January 2002. On my first Sunday in Michigan, I attended the morning worship service here. I enjoyed a very friendly conversation with Mark Daves. Though I was missing my family terribly, I recall the strangest feeling that I was right where I was supposed to be, as if I were home.

I think I knew within my first year at the BSCM that God’s purposes in my life probably did not include a career in denominational work. I was where God wanted me for the moment, but He was most assuredly clarifying my call to pastoral ministry in the local church. When Pastor Beddingfield announced his retirement in July 2002, however, I was surprised by a tug on my heart and a whisper in my spirit. I wondered if God might be calling me to this church. I sought God’s will in prayer and sought godly counsel from some of my friends and colleagues. Was it time for me to return to pastoral ministry? God said, “Not yet. I am at work. Wait. Watch. Keep doing what you know until I say otherwise.”

BSCM leaders came alongside First Baptist Church to serve short interim ministries after Pastor Oliver had resigned. I preached here three Sundays in July 2005. Several people asked if I would pray about becoming your pastor. At the time, however, I was already praying about the Team Leader position recently vacated by Mark Donnell. I learned a long time ago to avoid praying about more than one opportunity at a time. That inevitably leads to comparisons, to weighing the pros and cons, to man-centered reasoning that confuses and makes God’s path less clear. Though my heart welcomed the prospect, I could not with integrity pray about the pastorate here while I was seeking God’s will on another matter.

By Christmas 2005, God had made it clear to me that I should not pursue the Team Leader position at the BSCM. I was certain He was preparing to lead us back into pastoral work. God was no longer whispering when He spoke to me in an unexpected “chance” encounter with David Rudd at some meetings in Indianapolis in January 2006. I went from dinner to my hotel room to ask God if He were not only calling me back to pastoral ministry, but also if He were actually calling us to this church. After I prayed, I called Donna and asked her what she thought. We prayed some more. The next morning, I was certain God wanted me to submit my name to the Pastor Search Team.

You need to understand, I only submit my résumé to a committee when I already have a strong sense that God is indeed bringing me to that ministry. So, when I gave my résumé to the Pastor Search Team here, I was already pretty sure God’s will was for me to come here to serve. In mid-March, however, the Lord seemed to test my trust in Him. He made it painfully obvious that I had to withdraw my name from consideration. (The explanation would take too much space here. I love to tell this part of the story, though, so feel free to ask me sometime). Though it pained me to do so, and certainly confused the Pastor Search Team, I had to obey the Lord and withdraw my candidacy.

The next six weeks were agonizing for me. I checked what I knew of God’s will for my life and how I understood Him to have directed me. I was still convinced He was leading me away from the BSCM back into pastoral ministry, but I had all but abandoned what I thought He had said to me about this church. Then, one Monday night in early May, I received a phone call from the Pastor Search Team. Things had changed dramatically. They wondered if I would be interested in reconsidering. They had me at hello! I knew before I hung up the phone that God was calling me to be your pastor!

While you and the Pastor Search Team continued to seek the Lord’s will for a pastor, my prayers in July 2006 were already focused on what God had in mind for us together here. God was telling me He was preparing us, His church, for a transition that would take at least seven years. It would take at least that long to get ready for what He was about to do.

My first Sunday as your pastor was August 20, 2006. I came with a deep conviction that God has brought us together for His purposes – chiefly, to know Him more intimately and to make Him known more intentionally. Now, in June 2008, we are 22 months into what I believe will be at least seven years of transition – a transition that will so align us with God that He will make Himself known to His church and the world with power as He accomplishes His work through us.

Why the walk down Memory Lane? In this week’s Experiencing God study, I recognized a number of key lessons I should have learned from God’s call to bring me here. First, and foremost, God has one great plan for our lives, a plan that will last for eternity. His greatest desire is for a continuing love relationship with you and me that is real and personal. If we will not get in a hurry, if we avoid getting hung up on what we think we are supposed to be or do for Him, if we will focus on the relationship, He will lead us day by day by day. Each day we obey His daily assignments (to know Him, believe Him, love Him, trust Him) prepares us for His Great Assignment for the rest of our lives, including our lives in eternity!

Pastor Rob