• Mark Knetsch (Pastor of ResLife Church) • Posted in Evangelism, Events, Mission, Service
Missions:Together. It' something you've heard about. It's that thing Benjamin has talked about, and travels to D.C. and New York for. But you're probably still wondering: what exactly is M:T, and why should I care about this event on November 2nd? To help answer that question Mark Knetsch, the pastor of Resurrection Life Church (ResLife) at Apex Middle School and the visionary director for M:T has offered some helpful insight.
"Honestly, I sometimes hesitate to answer what M:T is, because I don’t want to come across like a salesman. As a church planter, I have given a pitch or two,…
• Benjamin Tangeman • Posted in News, Service, Suffering
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, and the daily updates informing us of the ever-expanding scope of devastation and suffering it has caused to our state, many of us have a pressing urge to do something. This is a good instinct; it's much like the feeling Jesus had when he looked and saw the crowds and "had compassion for them". It's right for us to suffer with our brothers and sisters who are suffering, and the thousands who don't have the hope of the gospel. Even if you don’t carry the burden of action, the burden to pray is appropriate.
Some of…
• Daniel Baker • Posted in Sermons
Paul’s New Testament letter to the Romans is the most important letter ever written. Tim Keller said of it, “The letter to the Romans is a book that repeatedly changes the world, by changing people.”[1] You can see this in the conversions of some of church history’s most important figures.
Augustine was converted by hearing a voice that said, “Take up and read.” What he took up and read was Romans 13 and his life was never the same: “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Rom…
• Joy Sasser • Posted in Mission
Over 20 years ago, my dad, mom, and Perimeter Church in Atlanta came alongside a Tanzanian pastor with a big heart and vision to start a primary school and help the widows in the impoverished village of Karansi, Tanzania. Since then, through the devoted work of many individuals from Tanzania and America, the Siha Leadership School has indeed flourished with nearly 1000 students receiving a life-changing education, developing from the bottom 6% on Tanzanian student national exams to the top 6%. It has been an amazing ride as God has accomplished far more than they set out to achieve,…
• Daniel Baker • Posted in Suffering
As the reality of death lives with us this week and in the season to come, may these words, written by J.C. Ryle and given to me by Cassie Sasser, encourage you:
"In Our Dying Hour" [1]
The day may come when after a long fight with disease, we shall feel that medicine can do no more, and that nothing remains but to die. Friends will be standing by, unable to help us. Hearing, eyesight, even the power of praying, will be fast failing us. The world and its shadows will be melting beneath our feet. Eternity, with its…
• Cassie Sasser • Posted in Prayer, Presence of God
A testimony from Cassie Sasser:
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
whom he has redeemed from trouble. (Ps 107:1-2)
Each time Phil and I venture out it is an adventure. We have learned to try to be prepared for a myriad of things that might happen. Our most essential preparation is prayer.
On April 18th, we were on our way to our grandson August’s baseball game. We were already late because we had first gone to the wrong field.…
• Daniel Baker • Posted in Gospel, Sermons, Suffering
Death. Injustice. Mistreatment. Undeserved job loss. Squandered wealth. Unfulfilling pleasures. Funerals. Meaninglessness. Absurdity. Accomplishments that get forgotten by others. Betrayal. Vanity.
Not the stuff of greeting cards and bedtime stories—but it is the stuff of the book of Ecclesiastes. Sunday we begin a six-week series in this Wisdom book of the Old Testament.
In twelve tight chapters Israel’s King Solomon takes into some of the dark places of life and helps us find understanding. At times we wish his honesty wasn’t quite so...honest. He not only peers into the dark places but he captures the reactions and feelings we have in those…
• Ken Auer • Posted in Mission
The Short Version
I (Ken) am in Zambia with Jeff Canna until May 10th to help further the progress towards the vision of Abundant Futures of Northern Zambia. We’d love to have you join us in prayer and consider providing financial help towards that goal. It will be an ongoing effort as the Lord has already done great things there, but there is so much left to do as the work goes forward with a budget deficit as they continue to change the trajectories of many children in one of the financially poorest sections of one of the financially poorest countries in Africa.
• Katrina Walker, Isaac Walker, Janelle Walker • Posted in Mission
"Returning With Purpose "
As Isaac and I prepared to travel to visit our missionary friends, the Howes, and participate in their work of sharing the gospel in Peru, we asked ourselves these forward-looking questions:
- How will I steward with gratitude and faithful prayers the experience and investment of time and money to learn about God’s work in Peru?
- What can I do to nurture the change so that it sticks with me?
Many people prayed. Many people gave. God united our hearts with purposefulness, joining our dear missionary friends in their daily lives, and then wove our…
• Daniel Baker • Posted in Theology
A couple weeks ago I presented a paper at the Southeast Regional meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society. It was on the topic of the “covenant of grace” and how Genesis 3:15 relates to it. I’ll give you a summary of my argument below, but you can also read the full paper here. Presenting papers in a setting like the ETS meeting with questions asked and feedback given always sharpens the work and reveals ways to improve it.
Genesis 3:15 is sometimes called the protoevangelium because it's "the first gospel," the first promise from God about Christ redeeming us from sin and…