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As followers of Jesus, here and now this side of heaven, we need regular reminders that his reign as Messiah, Lord, King (etc.) is radically different from patterns of power that permeate this world.  So too, we don’t take our cues for status and influence from a secular society that lives for human applause.  Consider: When asked if he was King of the Jews, Jesus explained to Pontius Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.  If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the ...

While wrapping up the sermon series on Matthew’s Gospel last Sunday, I closed by focusing on a key verse—10:8.  Jesus sends his disciples on mission with this charge:  “Freely you have received, freely give.”  Jesus gives his vision for gospel-centered ministry. We have received SO MUCH from the Lord—“life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25); “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7).  Salvation is truly priceless, and it’s God’s gift to all who have faith in Jesus (Romans 1:16). AND:  receiving such a ...

Last Sunday I mentioned Randy Newman’s excellent new book, Questioning Faith:  Indirect Journeys of Belief through Terrains of Doubt. Now that’s a densely packed title.  Let’s take it apart. First, “Questioning” is ambiguous (deliberately, I suspect).  It can mean addressing questions TO faith—challenging the stance of belief in God.  Or it can mean generating questions FROM faith—a zeal to understand more about God, life, and the world from the vantage point of trust in God.  There’s some of both in the book. “Indirect” makes me think of ...

On April 21, we’ll re-launch Sunday School for all ages here at Goshen Baptist Church!  There will be classes for children, youth, and adults from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m.  The coffee pot will be on by 9:15 a.m. (in the FLC).  Please plan to join us! And by the way, if Sunday School has not been part of your weekly church rhythm, here’s a great opportunity to step into encouragement, learning, growth, and community! Here are some of the details: Nursery (ages 2 and under), Room 013 Preschool (ages 3-5), Room 010-012 Grades K-2, Room ...

Being a Christian is not about what we deserve.  If it were, it would be terrifying.  The Bible and experience teach us that we’ve all shaken our fists at the Lord in stubborn rebellion (e.g., 1 Kings 8:46; Psalm 143:2; Romans 3:10-20, 23; 1 John 1:8, 10).  Defiance of the Holy God is an infinitely heinous crime deserving of an infinitely intense punishment.  And that is terrifying! In our culture we’re used to operating on the basis of deserving:  the grades we get, trying out for the team, getting a pro­motion, qualifying for a loan, ...

In 1863, Charitie Bancroft wrote the hymn, “Before the Throne of God Above.”  I love the way this song conveys assurance to the downcast believer—especially the call to “look up”: When Satan tempts me to despair and tells me of the guilt within, Upward I look and see Him there Who made an end of all my sin. Because the sinless Savior died my sinful soul is counted free. For God the just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me. “Upward I look”!  When?  When the Enemy whispers in my ear that I’m a no-good, guilty enemy of God whose ...

The Christian life is a journey, and we’re still “on the way.”  We’re still in the process of being conformed to the likeness of Christ (Romans 8:29)—and that will be true all the way home to heaven.  The Lord is shaping us—like a potter working the clay, squeezing and pushing and pulling and forming it into a beautiful work of art.  And all of that takes time—a lifetime. So, then, in the meantime, it’s good to rest in our Savior’s strong arms while we’re “under construction.”  In 1630, Richard Sibbes wrote A Bruised Reed, focusing on the ...

In our Prayer Gathering this week, we prayed through Psalm 103.  It’s such a hope-giving song!  I thank the Lord for inspiring his servant King David to pen this exquisite praise poem.  Psalm 103 puts a major emphasis on the mercy and goodness of God: “Forget not all his [i.e., God’s] benefits”—how he forgives, heals, redeems, crowns, and satisfies his people (vv 2-5).  He’s “merciful and gracious, slow to anger & abounding in steadfast love” (v 8). To be sure, God has a righteous anger against our sin, and yet “He will not always chide, ...

"Christ the Lord is risen today.  Alleluia!" Join us as we worship Christ the King, risen from the dead, on Easter Sunday, March 31, at 10:00 a.m., in our Family Life Center (gym). Come early for fellowship and refreshments--9:15 to 9:45 a.m. Parents, there will be an Egg Hunt for the children--also from 9:15 to 9:45 a.m.!

Join us for worship at the foot of the cross on Good Friday, March 29, at 7:00 p.m., including sharing together in the Lord's Supper (childcare available for ages 3 and younger).

Last Sunday we commissioned David Nichols to serve as an Elder of Goshen Baptist Church.  Here are the questions we asked him, and to which he responded in the affirmative: Do you reaffirm your faith in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?  •  Do you accept all Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired and inerrant Word of God, and do you affirm the Goshen Baptist Church Statement of Faith as a fitting summary of Bible doctrine?  •  Do you promise to serve in mutual submission alongside your fellow Elders?  •  Do ...

In the Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Romans, chapter 3 turns the corner from devastating problem to glorious solution.  Chapter 1 indicates that all people are guilty of sin.  Chapter 2 clarifies:  this includes the Jewish people.  Chapter 3 begins with the grave and pressing truth:  “None is righteous, no, not one” (3:10). And we cannot appeal the verdict:  “every mouth is stopped” (3:19). But in 3:21-26, Paul unpacks the most spectacular solution to our dreadful predicament:  people can be “justified by his grace as a gift, through the ...

I just finished Thaddeus Williams’ new book, Don’t Follow Your Heart:  Boldly Breaking the Ten Commandments of Self-Worship. He offers a creative and penetrating critique of the popular quest to find your­self and fashion your own identity by looking within. Bible readers know the genuine Ten Commandments, as recorded in Exodus 20:1-17.  And followers of Jesus recognize that he takes up and affirms (and even intensifies) God’s moral law:  hate is a kind of killing, and lust is a kind of adultery (Matthew 5:21-30). Williams takes a ...

Last Sunday’s sermon touched on the interwoven biblical themes of divine sovereignty and human responsibility.  Consider: Human choice and will; necessity of a personal response to God: Deut 30:19 (choose life, so you and your children may live) Josh 24:15 (choose this day whom you will serve) Matt 11:28 (come to me … and I will give you rest) Mark 1:15 (repent and believe the good news) Acts 2:38 (repent and be baptized, every one of you) Acts 16:31 (believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved) Rom 10:9 (if you confess and ...

We sent the following message out this morning (Feb. 8) to our church's general email distribution list:   Goshen Family, I’ve been hearing this morning that several Goshen people have received emails claiming to be from me—but they are NOT from me.  It is a SCAM. The emails say things like: Can you spare a moment? I have a discreet request that I'd like you to attend to. I'm currently headed to a meeting and would prefer communication via email rather than phone calls. Kindly respond promptly to my email I would be glad if I ...

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28, ESV). This single verse is the subject of Thomas Watson’s book, All Things for Good (1663).  Watson was a pastor in London and a prolific writer.  You can access his story and many of his writings at ccel.org. I first read this book about ten years ago in a season of soul searching and ministry transition:  “What is God up to?”  I was distressed.  The Lord used Watson to put my nose in the Bible and ...

In recent months, certain denominations have expressed their “progressive” doctrine by veering away from the Bible’s teaching on marriage, gender, and sexuality.  For example: Although formally affirming traditional marriage, in the United Methodist Church bishops and churches have been ordaining non-celibate gay clergy and celebrating same-sex marriages since 2019.  A result of this defiance of Methodist teaching is that nearly a quarter of the 30,000 UMC churches in the US have left the denomination, most of them joining up with the new ...

2024 has gotten off to a tumultuous start here at Goshen, with a fire in our Youth Room and now a complex process of assessing damage, dealing with insurance, and arranging for cleaning/ restoration. Plus, it’s thrown us a curve regarding meeting space (thanks to Delaware County Christian School for helping us out!). At our Prayer Gathering last Wednesday, I asked the group to join me in reading various Psalms of thanks—it just seemed that, instead of dwelling on all this nuisance, we needed to look up and thank the Lord for so very many ...

It’s a highlight of my week to pray through Scripture together with the Wednesday evening Prayer Gathering group!  And, by the way, you’re most welcome to join our prayer time (currently we meet on Zoom, contact the church office for the link). This week we read through Hebrews 11, section by section—the “Hall of Faith” chapter. Over and over we’re told:  “By faith” God’s people obeyed, built, sojourned, looked forward, were tested; they “conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises…”  In countless ways down through the ages, ...

APRIL 7, 2024 Update: We continue to make headway with the restoration process on the upper level of our buildings.  Lord willing, we'll be able to acess some of our upstairs rooms next month, and we're targeting a June return of our worship service to the Sanctuary. In the meantime, we're preparing to re-launch Sunday School on April 21 (all classes will be downstairs--details here). That will bring a schedule change:  As of April 21 we will have... Sunday School for all ages, 9:30-10:15 a.m. (coffee available ...