Posts with the category “from-the-pastor-s-desk”

Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire “God likes to see his people shut up to this, that there is no hope but in prayer. Herein lies the Church’s power against the world.” -Andrew BonarFresh Wind, Fresh Fire tells t...  Read More

God’s President“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” –Romans 13:1 This article will c...  Read More

3 Prayers for Fall Fest“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” -Jeremiah 29:7The church ...  Read More

Chase Love“Pursue love.” -1 Corinthians 14:1 1 Corinthians 13 is known as the “love chapter” of the Bible. In it, Paul describes what love “is” – but he defines what love “is” by what love does. Love ...  Read More

 Laugh a Little“I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him un...  Read More

Postcards and Prayer“The dechurched will eventually give way to the unchurched – those who never attended church to begin with.” -Jim Davis In “The Great Dechurching” Jim Davis unearthed a shocking fa...  Read More

The Problem With Friendship Evangelism“We have to ask hard questions about why we have so many theologically developed people but so few conversions and baptisms.” -Jim Davis There are essentially two...  Read More

Why Stress Today When You Could Stress Tomorrow?“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” -Matthew 6:34 Are you a worrier? Do you cat...  Read More

Don’t Miss This Step!“You do not have, because you do not ask.” -James 4:2 Our focus at Christ Presbyterian is shifting. For the last four years, we have been largely focused on getting our house in o...  Read More

What’s Holding You Back?“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” –Ephesi...  Read More

Thermostat or Thermometer?“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Thermometers and therm...  Read More

Church Is A Team Sport“The word of God continued to increase, and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem.” –Acts 6:7 As I write this article, it is Wednesday morning, June 5, and the ...  Read More

3 Reasons to Volunteer for VBS“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’” –Matthew 19:14 Vacation Bible School is quickly appr...  Read More

A Flow Chart for Evangelism“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they...  Read More

Seasons“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” -Ecclesiastes 3:1 We are entering summer here on the Gulf Coast. The grass is green, the weather is heating up, and...  Read More

What To Do When You Don’t Know What To Do“The purposes of the Almighty are perfect, and must prevail, though we erring mortals may fail to accurately perceive them in advance. Meanwhile we must work e...  Read More

A Sabbath Reminder“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” -Mark 2:27 I attended the 30th Stated Meeting of the Gulf South Presbytery in Pascagoula, Mississippi on Friday. We had a gre...  Read More

The #1 Reason Guests Return to Church“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers.” -Hebrews 13:2 Thom Rainer is a pastor and Christian author from whom I have benefitted greatly. In his book, “Be...  Read More

3 Reasons to Walk for Life“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” –Psalm 139:13-14 On April 6, Christ Pres...  Read More

3 People to Bring to Church On Easter“How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?” -Romans 10:14 Can I share a few statistics to encourage you? Pew  Research has found that people Go...  Read More

3 Reasons to Volunteer in the CPC Youth Group“One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” –Psalm 145:4 Last Sunday, I asked for volunteers, especially fema...  Read More

3 Reasons to Download the CPC AppLast year we launched our own Christ Presbyterian Church app. The app is the best way to stay up to date with all that is going on at the church! Here are three reason...  Read More

CPC’s New Parking Lot“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to ser...  Read More

3 Reflections on the Daddy-Daughter Dance“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” –Proverbs 22:6 Fatherhood is central to the Biblical story and cent...  Read More

The Importance of Hospitality in Ministry“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a...  Read More

5 Prayers for CPC in 2024“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through...  Read More

Building Project Phase 1 – Office MoveLast Sunday at CPC, the Session announced Phase 1 of our new building project. This first phase will consist of moving the church office into a portable on-site o...  Read More

An Abundant Ministry Part 5 – A Blessing Is Given“And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disci...  Read More

Extend an Invitation“82% of people would come to church if a friend invited them.”-Results of a Lifeway Research Poll Does the statistic cited above shock you? It certainly shocked me the first time I...  Read More

Giving Tuesday – A New Way to Give“On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.” -1 Corint...  Read More

An Abundant Ministry Part 4 – Preparations Are Made“There were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, ‘Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.’ And they did so, and had them ...  Read More

An Abundant Ministry:Part 3 – A Command Is Given“But he said to them, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said, ‘We have no more than five loaves and two fish – unless we are to go and buy food for...  Read More

An Abundant Ministry: Part 2 – A Need Arises“Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, ‘Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodgi...  Read More

An Abundant Ministry:Part 1 - People Gather“And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the...  Read More

What Do Pastors Do All Week?Part 2“This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order.” –Titus 1:5 Last week I began answering the question, “What do pastors do all week?”...  Read More

What Do Pastors Do All Week?Part 1“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching . . . practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all my s...  Read More

Church Questions“If recent trends in religious switching continue, Christians could makeup less than half of the U.S. population within a few decades.” -Pew Research Center Both data and experience te...  Read More

Dry Grass and Dry Bones“The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among ...  Read More

Volunteer Spotlight – AV Team“On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret . . . getting into one of the boats, which was ...  Read More

Why Wednesdays?“When there is no growth, there is no life. Those Christians, therefore ,who are most diligent in attending upon the Word in public and private, will be the most likely to progress in p...  Read More