Blog: October 2022

Who has first place in your heart?  What is priority one in your life?  Jesus commands us to “Seek first God’s kingdom and his righteous­ness” (Matthew 6:33).  By contrast, Revelation 2:4 paints the sad picture of a church that had lost its first love.  Secondary matters can be important, of course—such as working to put food on the table and clothes on our backs.  But they come second.  And when we treat secondary issues like primary concerns, it’s a catastrophe. Jesus teaches that making material security our driving ambition reveals ...

The Book of Zephaniah serves as a stern rebuke of God’s people and a warning regarding a failure to return to Him faithfully. It also serves as a reminder of God’s expectation of holiness and a description of what that looks like when faithfully lived out among God’s people. Zephaniah 2:3 offers a call to repentance and a promise of hope for this restoration of the faithful. “Seek the LORD, all you humble of the earth, who carry out what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be concealed on the day of the LORD’s ...

Sometime next month the world population will surpass 8 billion. To put this in perspective, consider that the global population first exceeded 1 billion in the early 1800s, 2 billion in the late 1920s, 3 billion around 1960, 4 billion in 1974, 5 billion in 1987, 6 billion in 1999, and 7 billion just 11 years ago in 2011 (per census.gov and worldometers.info).  Picture a bar graph with that kind of growth! Just think:  a billion is a thousand million.  Eight billion people is enough to fill Lincoln Financial Field 118,354 times.  If it ...

The judgment of God can be found all through the Bible among people who turned from God to their own ways and sought to make a name for themselves or, at the very least, to satisfy themselves at the cost of their disobedience. In Isaiah 22, we find a warning from God regarding the selfish ambitions and pursuits of God’s people. Though many strong, knee-shaking statements are made by God in this rebuke, one statement captures the heart of the rebellion of God’s people: “You made a reservoir between the walls for the water of the ancient ...

Our Fall Focus on Missions is just around the corner!  Of course, global outreach is a priority for us all year long.  But it’s good, now and then, to concentrate our attention on the Great Commission, hear from mission leaders, and renew our commitment to God’s global, gospel purpose for our church and each of our lives. On Oct. 30, Pastor Josh Crans from Providence Church Coatesville will be here to preach on “Christ's compassion for the lost and his call for more laborers” (Matthew 9:35-38).  And on Nov. 6, Dr. Michael Oh, Global ...

Judah’s King Joash became king at age 7. He redirected all silver that was given at the temple to the workers rebuilding the temple rather than to the priests, and his servants conspired against him, ultimately killing him while traveling on a road trip. Over his 40-year reign, it seems that both Joash’s experiences and influence were significant. People who do significant things are often remembered for their accomplishments, their victories over powerful enemies, and other prominent moments recorded when people likely stood in awe of ...

Pastor Eugene Park wrote an article that’s posted at The Gospel Coalition:  “The Folly of ‘Looking for Community.’” Seems like a strange title.  Folly?  What could be the problem? When Park asks newcomers what brings them to church, “the most common reply is, ‘I’m looking for community.’”  But this makes him wince.  Why?  Because community “isn’t something to be discovered.  Community is never found, only built.” Community is never found, only built. Surveys abound indicating that, in this social media age when we’re all connected, ...

TRUNK-OR-TREAT 2022 Goshen Baptist Church invites you to join us for our annual Trunk-or-Treat event on Saturday, October 29, 1:00-3:00 p.m.  This is a family friendly, FREE event with food and fun for all ages.  Participants visit decorated car trunks and collect candy and prizes!  So put on your favorite costume, grab your friends and family, and meet us in the Family Life Center parking lot.  We look forward to seeing you at Trunk-or-Treat 2022! Trunk-or-Treat 2016 Trunk-or-Treat 2017 Trunk-or-Treat 2018 Trunk-or-Treat 2021

Many agree that sin is often, if not always, contrived from selfish ambitions. We can see how our actions, thoughts, and words that disregard God’s instructions for our lives develop from our desire for more, better, or different than what we currently have. Our sin is a statement that we believe that our ways are better than God’s and that we ultimately know better than Him. The implications of our selfishness in sin don't stop there. They don’t only disregard God’s instruction, God’s authority, and God’s design for us. They don’t only ...