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Every Christian is “called into the ministry”:  to love neighbors, build up the church, and give an account of our eternal hope.  Every follower of Jesus receives his charge:  “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8).  We’re all on mission. But even if all Christians on the planet were to share the gospel with every human with whom they can communicate, over 3 billion people would remain completely in the dark—unreached, unengaged, lost.  (See joshuaproject.net.) That’s because over 3 billion souls are within people groups ...

As we begin our Fall Focus on Missions, listen to the heart of these mission leaders.  Can you feel their pulse of love for Christ? “Expect great things from God.  Attempt great things for God” (William Carey). “The Great Commission is not an option to be considered but a command to be obeyed” (J. Hudson Taylor). “I never made a sacrifice” (David Livingstone). “I have a firm conviction that I am immortal until my work is done” (Lottie Moon). “If God has called you to be a missionary, don’t stoop to be a king” (Jordon Groom). “Some ...

Christ’s arrest and betrayal remain some of the darkest accounts we read in the Scriptures. The sinless Savior experienced rejection at the hands of His closest friends, knowing the darkness of death He would soon encounter in the hours that followed. The recurring theme that resurfaced throughout each unfolding event was that Christ foreknew all that would come next, yet He took to the cross for our salvation anyway. The all-knowing Jesus recounted to His disciples the deceitfulness of not only the chief priests and elders, but also of His ...

I’m feeling an odd dissonance from flipping channels between baseball and warfare.  From “it’s just a game” to life and death.  Same TV—just different channels.  It’s all very jarring. Maybe I’m the problem, and I should just watch one or the other.  Or neither, or nothing:  so much spin and sensationalism in cable news, and such triviality getting all fired up over a game. But, stepping back, there may be reasons to expose yourself to at least a measure of both the heavy and the light, the serious and the playful.  After all, there’s a ...

In our Prayer Gathering this week, we read Scripture passages on God’s heart for the world—for all peoples, every tribe and tongue.  And as we did, the Lord was grabbing my attention: Psalm 67:1-7:  “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!” (vv 3, 5).  Not some—but all of them. Luke 10:25-37:  In Jesus’ Good Samaritan story, the crossing of ethnic and religious barriers of hate with compassion for the hurting depicts God’s love for the lost (John 3:16).  No clan or class or category of sinners is too far gone ...

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John all recounted Christ’s anointing in the last days before Passover. As Christ, His disciples, and friends all gathered to remember what God had done for His people so long ago, Mary anointed Jesus. We continue to celebrate the legacy of her worshipful act, just as Jesus proclaimed we would. What was the significance of Mary’s extravagant offering? Why did Christ declare that she would always be remembered for the affection she displayed for her Lord? While Judas’ eyes were blinded by his own greed, ...

In a recent round of Wordle, I got zero letters right in row one when I tried “ABOUT,” but with the word “SHINE” in row two I got three letters right—and in the right places:  “S _ I _ E.” What would you guess next?  It has to be a five-letter word with “S” first, “E” last, and “I” in the middle spot.  I tried “SPIKE.”  But both “P” and “K” were wrong.  Next I tried “SLIME,” and I almost hit the jackpot—both “L” and “M” were correct letters but in the wrong places.  Which meant the right word had to be “SMILE.” This prompts me to ask:  ...

"In Awe of Him" Special Worship Night at Goshen Baptist Church Sunday, Oct. 1st, 7:00-8:30 p.m. What does it mean to be in "Awe" of God? When we focus on His character how should our hearts respond? How should our reverence for God affect the way we worship Him? This night will allow us to look deeper into these questions, gaining wisdom through a short message, poem, and songs, followed by a time of refreshments and fellowship. We hope to create a space where each person can engage with God in a personal way, coming just as they ...

You’ve been there—every honest Christian knows it.  You’re in a worship gathering, the leaders invite everyone to join in, and the church launches into song.  But something’s wrong. Maybe you’re just “not there” yet—your head is full of parking lot squabbles or last night’s movie.  Or the lyrics are strange (what do we mean by “Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee” or “Ye chosen seed of Israel’s chosen race, ye ransomed from the fall”?).  Or maybe the song expresses things that just aren’t true for you, at least not at the moment, ...

The parables in Matthew 25 called for God’s people to lead lives ready for the Great Master’s return. These passages dwelled specifically on the importance of being moved to action rather than halted by complacency or fear. This infamous parable demonstrated the call to be doers of the Word rather than mere hearers through the different types of workers called to the same purpose of Christ’s kingdom. Who did the master and his servants represent in this passage? What were the talents that Jesus discussed? The master of the estate ...

Some people say God will never give his children more than they can handle.  But is it true?  Here and now, no.  But ultimately, yes. Not only does experience teach us that some Christians do face over­whelming anguish—afflictions far beyond any reasonable definition of “handling” an experience (history is strewn with stories of believers who suffered harrowing trials).  But Scripture also tells us about saints of whom the world was not worthy who were “sawn in two” (Heb 11:37) and “slain for the word of God” (Rev 6:9).  Stephen was crushed ...

  Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12)   October 29: Guest Preacher, Dr. Jim Tebbe, speaking at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. on “Redraw Your Map” (Acts 10:9-23). Combined Adult Class, 10:00 a.m., Fellowship Hall, with Jim speaking on “Christian Approaches to Islam” (including Q&A) Jim was born in Pakistan and has served the global church in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Jordan and Cyprus.  He has been a leader with Interserve and InterVarsity Christian ...

Goshen Baptist Church invites you to join us for our annual Trunk-or-Treat event on Saturday, October 28, 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 2023! Trunk-or-Treat 2016 Trunk-or-Treat 2017 Trunk-or-Treat 2018 Trunk-or-Treat 2021 Trunk-or-Treat 2022

Jesus spent the bulk of Matthew 23 rebuking the Pharisees and Sadducees’ unloving nature. He criticized the self-importance in their hearts and how it served as a stumbling block to those around them. Christ warned these religious leaders against making so much of themselves that they were blind to their own need for a Savior. How did the religious leaders’ behavior go against God's command to love Him and others? Why was Jesus so grieved by these men’s lifestyle? As it turns out, Christ was grieved by the state of their legalistic hearts ...

A few weeks ago a Rafael Nadal fan page on Facebook shared a quote from the tennis superstar:  “I appreciate a lot in this life—the things you cannot buy.  Life is only once.  - Rafael Nadal.” This statement appears above a photo of Nadal and his wife, Maria Perello.  So the implication, it seems, is that that marriage and family and love have a value that’s beyond the reach of money—that they’re priceless.  He makes a good point. And coming from a celebrity whose net worth is around $220M, his claim has a certain credibility.  After all, ...

Join us for lunch on Sunday, Sept. 10, at 11:45 a.m. in the Family Life Center.  We'll supply hamburgers and hot dogs.  If you're able to help out by grilling, bringing a side dish or a dessert, or helping with set-up/clean-up please notify the office (thanks!). Scheduling reminders: On Sept. 10 there will be NO Sunday School--just our worship service at 10:30 a.m., followed by lunch together. Then on Sept. 17 we'll return to our regular two-service schedule:  Worship at 8:30 &11:00 a.m., with Sunday School for all ages at 10:00 a.m.

Our sermon text this Sunday brings us face to face with one of Jesus’ most pointed and poignant statements of his purpose in living and dying:  “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). To be sure, Matthew has already recorded Jesus’ passion predic­tions several times:  “The Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be ...

Sometimes life feels like a blur.  You go through your days juggling dozens of issues, questions, pressures—all while trying to keep up on that to-do list.  Your attention darts between health struggles, relationship needs, home maintenance problems, financial market volatility, political turmoil, job demands … and it feels exhausting. I don’t know about you, but for me in such times I can lose track of “first things.”  That’s why it was such a gift this past Wednesday to join our Prayer Gathering, sit still, listen to the reading of God’s ...

Last Sunday’s sermon took us to the topic of forgiveness:  be ready to forgive your brother or sister in Christ not just seven times, but “seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:22).  In other words, don’t keep count; let mercy flow from your heart freely. But a matter that’s not spelled out in Matthew 18 is this:  what if the person who sins against you does not repent of his or her wrongdoing?  Is the Christian still obliged to forgive in that case? Consider Luke 17:3-4:  Jesus says, “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive ...

It’s been a while since I mentioned our Matthew Bible Memory challenge.  So here’s a reminder:  alongside the Matthew sermon series, we’re focusing on one verse per chapter—currently 18:3, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (All 28 memory verses are given on the 11-22-2022 blog post at goshenbaptist.org.) So, Jesus says it’s necessary for us to become like children if we are to enter God’s kingdom—that is, if we are to become subjects of King Jesus and live under his ...