Blog: January 2019 — December 2019

God’s people had a history of disobeying God. Sin separated them from God. But man was created to know and love God, and God was working out a plan to bring His children back to Himself. Like any good father, God knows that disobedience needs to be punished. “For the LORD disciplines the one he loves, just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights” (Prov. 3:12). After the tribes of Israel split into the Northern Kingdom and Southern Kingdom, God sent prophets to both kingdoms to warn the people to turn from their sins and obey ...

As we gather to discuss the proposal of changing our church name (join us for the Elders’ town hall meeting this Sunday at 5:30 p.m.), it strikes me that 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 is very relevant.  Paul talks about adjusting his approach and becoming “all things to all people.” He goes on to say that his others-oriented, self-giving lifestyle of love is an example for Christians to follow (11:1).  So we can’t just brush off becoming “all things to all people” as a charge unique to Paul or unrealistic for us.  It’s our calling. But what does ...

Hosea was a prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel for at least forty years. God sent Hosea to tell Israel of God’s hatred toward sin and of His coming judgment. (See Hos. 4:1,6.) God also sent Hosea to bring a message of love—a love that never gives up. (See Hos. 11:7-9.) To get the message across to the Israelites, God used Hosea’s own life to show Israel what a never-gives-up kind of love looks like. Hosea obeyed God’s instructions to marry a prostitute. Hosea loved Gomer as his wife, even though he knew she would not be faithful to ...

The Letter to the Galatians addresses one of the most crucial issues in life—and it’s some­thing we all struggle with:  our conduct and pleasing God. What is the proper motivation for good deeds, and when does our effort to act rightly become nothing more than an exercise in self-righteousness?  Or differently yet:  How can we walk with Jesus daily and lead grace-driven rather than performance-based lives? Much is at stake here.  In Galatians 2:14 Paul points out that works of the law that elevate self above others are “not in step with the ...

Jonah lived during the time Jeroboam II was king over Israel, mere decades before the Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed. Jonah was a prophet—and while he is best known as the man who was swallowed by a big fish when he tried to run away from God, his story continues beyond chapter 2 to reveal what Jonah knew all along: God is “a gracious and compassionate God” (John 4:2b). Jonah’s account centers around the compassion of God, not only for the people of Israel but for people throughout the earth—even Israel’s worst enemies. Nineveh ...

At our September 15 congregation business meeting, the Elders intro­duced a pro­posal to remove the word “Baptist” from our church name.  And last Sunday during our worship gatherings, Elder Chair­man Russ Nixon shared this recommenda­tion with the church family.  (See the insert in this bulletin for a summary of the issues & process.) So what’s in a name?  And what do we communicate through our long-standing church name, “Goshen Baptist Church”? The answer is, “It depends on who’s being asked.”  For some, the name is neutral, almost ...

Goshen Baptist Church invites you to join us for our annual Trunk or Treat event on Sunday, October 20, 3:00-5:00 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 2019!   Trunk or Treat 2016 Trunk or Treat 2017 Trunk or Treat 2018

After Elijah was taken to heaven in a whirlwind, his successor Elisha continued Elijah’s work as a prophet to Israel. God used him, like Elijah, to perform miracles —multiplying the oil of a poor widow, raising a Shunammite woman’s son from the dead, purifying a poisoned pot of stew, and more. At this time, Israel was ruled by King Joram. The land of Aram to the northeast (located in present-day Syria) was ruled by King Ben-hadad. In 2 Kings 5, Naaman—the commander of the army for the king of Aram—sought out Elisha for healing of a skin ...

Every now and then you run into people who like Jesus but don’t like the church.  They tend to say something like, “Jesus was loving and forgiving, he cared for the poor and disadvantaged, and he was an advocate of social justice.  But the church has lost touch with him and has become shrill, judgmental, and mean-spirited.” Before I note the serious problem with this viewpoint, let me quickly agree that Jesus definitely was and is loving and forgiving, etc.—yes.  And let me concede that, sadly, professing Christians some­times have been ...

Never Forget, a phrase we all use to remember a time our nation lost so many dear ones. We won't forget what happened and what was done. How can we forget the emergency teams that came from multiple states to help serve and protect - to literally save lives that day! For many of our teens and pre-teens who weren't alive, weren't there, they can't possibly forget such a significant event because they heard the stories, have been taught the history, maybe even their family or youth director was directly affected. September 11, 2001 was a day ...

Following God’s great display of power at Mount Carmel, Elijah fled for his life and traveled to Mount Horeb where he encountered God in a soft whisper. God instructed Elijah to anoint a man named Elisha as his successor. Elijah found Elisha plowing a field. Elijah put his cloak over Elisha to show that Elisha would be a prophet like Elijah. Elisha followed Elijah and served him for many years. In time, King Ahab of Israel appointed his son Ahaziah as king. When Ahaziah died, his brother Joram became king. Elijah’s ministry came to an end, ...

Rebecca McLaughlin is the author of Confronting Christianity:  Twelve Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion (Crossway, 2019).  She has a Ph.D. in Renaissance Literature from Cambridge University, and a theology degree from Oak Hill College in London. I just finished reading this book, and it’s terrific—get it, read it.  Read it with your group or family or friends, and discuss it together.  Read it with those grappling with doubts and asking big questions about the Bible and faith and morality and suffering and violence and gender ...

It’s no secret that the historic, Bible-based, Christian teaching on sex has fallen into disfavor in our 21st century Western world.  Sharp criticism is leveled against the belief which has been held consistently by believers in Jesus the world over for 2,000 years—the belief that sexual intimacy is intended by God to be experienced only within the rela­tion­ship of a man and a woman in marriage. And such criticism has come not only from outside the church.  Some who profess to believe in Christ advocate for a “progressive” and “affirming” ...

King Solomon loved God. He received wisdom from the Lord and was dedicated to building His temple. But early on, we see hints that Solomon’s heart was not completely devoted to God. He married foreign wives who turned Solomon’s heart away from God. (1 Kings 11:4) Solomon gradually abandoned what he had believed. Israel had a history of turning away from God, and Solomon was no exception. God was angry with Solomon. He had warned him twice not to turn to false gods. God planned to discipline Solomon by taking the kingdom away from his ...

As we get ready to turn the corner into September, let me jump the gun by a few days and introduce our fall Bible Memory Challenge. On Sunday, September 8, I’ll begin a sermon series on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians.  It’s an urgent letter about wonder of the Gospel and about how catastrophic it would be to distort or dismiss the Gospel. I’m praying that the Lord will use our immersion in Galatians in the coming months to grow our gospel roots deeper and our gospel vision stronger—that we’ll see with new eyes the beauty of God’s saving ...

When David was king, he wanted to build a temple for God, but God did not allow him to. “When your time comes and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up after you your descendant … and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Sam. 7:12-13). God said King David’s son would build the temple. King Solomon began to gather materials to build the temple. He ordered cedar and cypress timbers from Lebanon. He gathered 30,000 men from all of Israel as laborers to excavate stone and prepare the timbers for the temple’s ...

As we wrap up our series in the Letter of James, let’s ask, “What have we heard, where is Jesus leading us, what is our charge?” James points out all kinds of messes in the church.  This implies:  1) Christian life gets messy—expect it; 2) Messy believers are not rejected, they’re lovingly confronted.  3) We can grow into greater spiritual maturity, both individually and corporately—yet we need to be content this side of heaven to be souls under construction. James would warn:  Don’t go with your gut; don’t follow your heart.  Our natural ...

Fall 2019 - Sermon Series Paul’s great passion in his Letter to the Galatians is to honor Jesus Christ by safeguarding the gospel and protecting the church.  His message is an emergency intervention to prevent believers from turning away to a false gospel.  God longs to see believers stand firm and secure in Christ, anchored to the life-saving truths of his gospel.  A study of Galatians can help us all recognize many of today’s counterfeits of God’s timeless gospel truth.  Let’s dive in! Sept. 8 “Grace and Peace” (Acts 13-14; Galatians ...

Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs are three books spanning more than 50 chapters of the Bible. This week’s study follows the story of Solomon, the primary writer of these books. While three books of the Bible are certainly a lot to cover in one session, this brief overview will reveal the wisdom of God for His people as He works out His wise plan for our salvation. True wisdom comes from God. (See Prov. 2:6.) God made Solomon the wisest man who had ever lived, and people came from all over to listen to his wisdom. (See 1 Kings ...

Jesus says the greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).  Let’s think about loving God with all your mind. There’s a mental reflex that’s especially prevalent in todays’ anxious, polarized society, and it causes all kinds of personal and public harm.  It’s the impulse to pigeon-hole and demonize people who say any­thing that leans the least little bit in the direction of one’s political, philosophical or theological adversaries.  “Heard it from a ...