I Got One!!!

I am happy to report that I purchased an ESV Study Bible today from Westminster Books for 40% off. Go get yourself one!!!

Preview Services Begin!!!

We are going to be conducting four preview services begin next Sunday leading up to our Launch Service on September 14. Our team is a little overwhelmed, but excited and looking forward to seeing that hand of Almighty God working in our midst.

We are in the process of acquiring a facility for our church to meet in. Our meeting place is at 7756 Highland Scenic Road. Our services will begin at 9:57. 

Jesus Christ is building his church in Brainerd/Baxter, MN and the gates of hell will not prevail against us. We have the armor of God strapped on and we are fighting the good fight with the power and energy that the Father has pour out onto us and flows out from within us.

Soli Deo Gloria

Good Friends

I had lunch today with my friend and fellow church planter Mark Bjorlo of the Journey North. While we were hanging out and eating some hot wings we ran into another friend, Sam Anderson who is the Director of the new Teen Challenge here in Brainerd.

It was very encouraging because the three of us are a part of three different organizations, the Baptist General Conference, Teen Challenge and the Christian and Missionary Alliance; but we are all seeking to partner together to flood our community with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I am energized and fired up whenever I am around like mined gospel-driven people who live for the Kingdom of God. As I have mentioned before Mark and the Journey North are partnering together to help us plant Pointway Church. We were discussing ways to continue to do just that over lunch today. I have met with Sam and we have some crazy, God-inspired dreams to see the gospel radically transform people and our community.

These relationships are important because the bear witness to the fact that the Kingdom of God is bigger than and denomination or organization. I pray that the LORD would continue to use us to display his glory and that we would connect with other churches would are willing to set aside denominationalism in and effort to transform our community with the gospel of the Kingdom.

Soli Deo Gloria

A Theme is Developing

I continue to be amazed at the way Jesus Christ is building Pointway Church. We had a young man join one of our community groups last night. As he shared his life with us I was struck with the similarities he has with others in our church. 

God is bringing together a group of broken and hurting people who are longing for the love and grace of God to be poured out in their lives. The reality is that we are all damaged in some way shape or form. 

There have been things in our lives that have wounded us deeply. In seeing the people that the LORD is bringing together I once again reflected on a very important truth.

The Gospel is for everyday living. Many misunderstand the gospel to be something that merely allows us to enter into the Christian life, but the truth is that the gospel is much bigger than that. The gospel not only brings us into the Christian life, but also allows us to live the Christian life.

We must continually strive to understand the grace of the gospel so that we can live a truly Gospel-Driven Life.

"Never be content with your current grasp of the gospel. The gospel is life-permeating, world-altering, universe-changing truth. It has more facets than any diamond. We will never exhaust it's depths."

~C.J. Mahaney

The Kingdom of God is at Hand

For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
~1 Corinthians 9:16

What are we to do in a day and age that is so troubling? Many are concerned with things that simply matter very little. Political issues seem to get Christian's undies in a bundle and they get all worked up about things such as abortion, same-sex marriages, prayer in schools, etc... the list goes on and on.

My heart longs for the day when Christians would live for the Kingdom of God and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ with the same passion and energy as they do complaining about the government. O that they would spend half the energy the expel on political issues on the preaching of salvation by grace, through faith in Jesus, the Christ, the King, the LORD of all creation.

I myself find myself getting caught up in things that mean very little in light of eternity. I have family, friends and neighbors who do not know Jesus Christ. O that my attention would be focused on the Kingdom of God!

There is no shortage of whiners and complainers out there pointing out the obvious. I pray to the LORD of the harvest to raise up workers. How easy it is to smell a rotten egg and how difficult to lay a good one.

May we stop whining and complaining as start laying down our lives for the gospel! Make it true Jesus, make it true of me.

I am compelled! I must proclaim what I know to be true and woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.

The Wonder of a Divine Appointment

Today I rose at 4:45 a.m. as is my custom and during the course of my time in the Word and in Prayer I prayed that the LORD would give me an opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I was not out of the house more than an hour today when the LORD answered my prayer in a way that stirred my heart to praise his holy name.

I was meeting with my former landlord this morning to walk through my old apartment. After we finished my former neighbor came over and wanted our new address so she could send us a card. We began to talk and she shared that she and her husband felt that they had a real connection to us and that they were interested in continuing a friendship. (this was a surprise to me!)

We began to talk about my work as a church planter and I was able to share the gospel with her. She started asking all kinds of questions. I suggested that maybe we could get together and read the Bible together and seek out the answers to her questions.

She was very interested in this and suggested that some of her friends might be interested in joining us.

My prayer is that we would launch an Evangelistic Bible Study in the next week or two. Join me in praying for the salvation to come to this woman, her family and her friends.

I marvel at the grace of God who was pleased to open the door for the gospel to go forth. Praise the LORD for his grace.

D.A. Carson on 2 Thessalonians

Meet Mark Bjorlo

This is my friend Mark. He is the Lead Pastor of The Journey North here in Brainerd, MN. There are a number of reasons why I really like Mark. One reason is that he can grow a super bad goatee. Another reason is that we share a passion to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ through Church Planting.

Something amazing is taking place with The Journey North and Pointway Church. This Sunday I will be 'co-preaching' with Mark and will share the vision to plant Pointway Church. I will also be inviting people to seek the LORD and ask if He would be calling them to join us in our mission.

A phrase Mark regularly uses is that sometimes God redeploys his troops. This is not just a nice catch phrase for Mark. He believes it and he lives it! This partnership is amazing because Mark is releasing people and money from TJN to go towards our mission.

On one hand this seems like not big deal in light of the teaching of the New Testament concerning the Kingdom of God. On the other hand it is a big deal for at least two reasons.

1. The sad truth is that many pastors feel like other pastors in their community are competitors rather than team mates. Mark and I do not see each other as competitors. We are fellow soliders in the Kingdom of God.
   
2. The Journey North is a part of the Baptist General Conference and Pointway Church is a part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. It is rare to see this kind of partnership between denominations, though it should be a more common occurrence. My hope is that our partnership extends beyond the planting of Pointway Church to joining together to saturate our community with the gospel and planting many churches together (both BGC & CMA).

It is my prayer that God would be glorified through our partnership and that hundreds of people would come to know the grace of God in Jesus Christ through our efforts. Pray for Mark that God would continue to give him wisdom and discernment as he leads The Journey North. Join me in thanking God for his friendship and his commitment to building the Kingdom of God through Church Planting.

Soli Deo Gloria - to God alone be the Glory