Grace to you, friends!

We’re having a blast showing Julian, our Romanian son, the sites of our nation’s capital. As usual, the city is buzzing with people from all walks of life and from every corner of the world. The summertime temps are sizzling, just like in Paducah. Since this is a whirlwind tour, I won’t write much this morning.

Just being here always makes me grateful to be an American. We enjoy freedoms and opportunities known nowhere else on the planet. You’ll be encouraged to know that I’ve observed multiple examples of Christian believers living out the gospel here in this ultra urban context. Many social ills are also obvious, so it’s reassuring to know that God’s people are choosing not to retreat. “Lead On, O King Eternal …”

If you haven’t yet prayed for our government leaders today, I encourage you to do that (First Timothy 2:1-4). We are blessed with the privilege of speaking into the halls of power, so let’s speak to our Lord first. May He keep each one of us “lightly salted” for His glory!

After Washington, we’re off to New York and Boston. Josh will enjoy a few days with his cousins, so plenty of sleep deprivation awaits us all.

Sending love in Christ to all of you,

Pastor Charles

If you’re unfamiliar with the Spanish language, a “puente” is a bridge. Earlier this summer my family and I drove over the new Ohio River bridges between Louisville (both downtown and in the Prospect area) and Southern Indiana. Very impressive. Gorgeous in fact. Massive accomplishments of design, engineering, and construction. In fact the experts were planning those bridges when we moved to the Louisville area in 1998.

Are you old enough to remember Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge over Troubled Water”? I thought about that song this morning as I read the news from Cairo, Egypt. Six tourists were violently assaulted at the Hurghada resort – three from Serbia, two from Ukraine, and one from Poland. These people were simply enjoying a vacation when a man stabbed them in the face, neck, and feet. How did the attacker gain access to the vacationers? He simply swam from a nearby beach, under the radar screen of security officials.

Will there be international outrage over this incident? Likely not. It’s far too commonplace. Most people will “ho hum” through the news report and go on with their daily grind.

But you and I know that we need a bridge over the turbulence of this fallen world for such a time as this. By His death on the Cross, and by His glorious resurrection from the dead, Jesus has made a way – in fact He has become the Way – for us to triumph over our own sin (John 14:6)! Our Lord comforts in the storms of life, and He shelters us from the paralysis which would overtake us all if – for even a moment – we took seriously the troubling circumstances raging all around us.

Jesus is our safety when no other refuge exists. It is by communion with His Spirit – who lives within us and who never ceases to pray for us – that we find peace in seasons of uncertainty and fear.

Our Messiah is also our very best friend. He is always there for us. He leads and guides for the glory of His own name. When we have lost our way, as we’re quite prone to do, He finds us like the very best of shepherds. He sticks with us, especially when the going gets tough. He never leaves us, and He never forsakes us. He loves us like no other.

In the words of the ancient prophet (Isaiah 9:6): “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Whether we’re in Cairo or Kentucky, we’re desperately in need of Christ. He is our Bridge over every troubled water.

Pastor Charles

I love pastoring this church, because I love the people of this church. But, sometimes, your burdens become mine. By that I mean that I find myself tossing and turning at 3:00 in the morning because of obstacles that my sheep are facing. Trials that my sheep are experiencing. Burdens that my sheep are bearing. Tears that my sheep are shedding. I am a feeling person – I don’t apologize for that – but sometimes it hurts to be a feeling person.

Sunday morning I will continue in our series “The Mission.” I want to further unpack the idea of God’s call. And the testing which inevitably follows God’s call. Some of you – if not many of you – are being tested right now. Severely tested in some cases. Though I have no magic wand to make those trials go away, we do have God’s certain Word to guide us for such a time as this. When God tests us, He proves that our faith is real.

If you want to be really prepared for Sunday morning, please accept this challenge: read and meditate on James 1:2-4. Ask the Holy Spirit to apply it to you. Ask the Lord to bless those three verses to your understanding. Ask God to open the eyes of your heart. And I will do the same.

Sunday morning we will go all the way back to Abraham, but not just for historical purposes. We will consider Abraham as an example of God’s providential dealings with us. Don’t miss it! Because one of our enemy’s biggest lies is that we are all alone. We are not.

If you’re at a place right now where you’re thinking, “How can this be happening to me?” – come!

If you’re at a place where nothing makes sense – come!

If you’re at a place where one misfortune after another has you feeling like blaming God – come!

Christ is our Refuge, friends. He is enough. He is more than enough. He has given Himself for us, and He has given us to each other. While we’re here, we’re learning to “count it all joy!”

You are loved,

Pastor Charles

No mortgage and no marriage? Though statistics and demographics seem clearly to indicate that American young adults are putting off “growing up” in favor of some kind of extended adolescence, nobody likes to hear that they’re stuck in some state of immaturity. Truth is, we all get stuck from time to time.

Second Peter 3:18 instructs believers to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” If we’re stuck, we need to get unstuck. But how do we do that?

To grow in grace does not mean the same thing as searching for more grace – quantitatively – because somehow our supply has run low. The problem is not that our grace-tank is empty, as God’s grace is infinite by nature. Has He who saved us by grace left us with minimal supply? Hardly! He has given us infinite grace. That’s the nature of God’s grace.

It seems to me, then, that to “grow in grace” is to grow in our awareness and application of what Christ has done for us – as well as to grow in our appreciation for the amazing grace which we have so lavishly received. It’s one of the many reasons why we need each other as the body of Christ. We build each other up in truth. We encourage each other. We love each other through the storms and trials of life.

How are you doing in all three?

Awareness. Do you notice, regularly, the goodness of God? Do you thank Him for your eyesight, your daily bread, and your best friend? What I mean is: do you thank Him for the blessings which are easy to overlook?

Application. Do you overlook offenses against you, preferring to pray for your offender instead of setting them straight? Do you choose to forgive instead of choosing to hold a grudge? Do you choose to trust the Lord – stepping out in faith instead of demanding that He show you the detailed plan in advance (a demand which most often translates into a paralysis of zero progress while we “wait” on something that isn’t coming)? On a regular basis, do you preach the gospel to yourself?

Appreciation. Do you remember Christ’s Cross with affection? Do you praise God even when you’re afraid? Do you worship Him even when you’d rather be checking off the items on your daily “to do” list?

I would submit to you that these three areas of growth will lead to a fourth: agreement. When we’re full of the knowledge of God’s grace (which we internalize most effectively by poring over God’s Word), then we’re in the very best position to agree with God about who He is – and about who we are (in light of who He is). That’s where real spiritual maturity begins to bear good fruit in our lives.

The famed English preacher Frederick W. Robertson summarized it like this: “It is not the number of books you read, nor the variety of sermons you hear, nor the amount of religious conversation in which you mix, but it is the frequency and earnestness with which you meditate on these things till the truth in them becomes your own and part of your being, that ensures your growth.”

But perhaps Jeremiah captured God’s heart best when he said this (9:24): “Let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord.”

Here’s to your growth in grace, and mine,

Pastor Charles

The Lakes of Paducah is a wonderful assisted living facility here in our community. Wednesday night, as our 2017 SUMMER OF SERVICE continued, our goal was to “love on” the Lakes residents – some of our faithful church members are among those residents – and to provide for everyone gathered an evening of beautiful and inspirational music. Church family: job well done!

Just before folks began to gather on the lawn, puffy clouds far ahead of Tropical Storm Cindy coalesced overhead, blocking the most direct sunlight and dropping the temps by at least 5 degrees – accompanied by a gentle breeze off the water. A perfect and unexpected surprise on the first day of summer! The outdoor venue was absolutely breathtaking.

The evening began with a welcome by Dr. Bob Meriwether, and a time of prayer. And throughout the evening, the hospitality and fellowship were exquisite.

The music was spectacular – glorious anthems and riveting solos alike – with each selection chosen and timed by Pastor Howie to tell the story of God’s grace. Pastor Tommy interspersed a few thoughts about the power of Christ’s teaching “by the lake” (Mark 4:1). The residents and their guests, some of them watching from the upper balcony, expressed their delight with applause and an occasional “Encore!”

The Lakes staff blessed us with chilled lemonade and cookies, and a few of the residents gave our church members a tour of their elegant apartments and grounds. As the event drew to a close, First Baptist Paducah gave every Lakes resident a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers.

In the words of Mrs. Gloria Meriwether in a text to me just this morning: “Thank you so much for bringing the choir to the Lakes. It was a beautiful evening.”

May Jesus Christ be praised! I’ll see you Sunday morning.

Pastor Charles

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Phoenix. I’ll share just one pic – which is downtown Phoenix (and the convention center where #SBC17 was held) just after take-off for the return trip. Shirley Barlow and Pat Rogers were on that flight to Chicago with me, and getting home ended up being more than an adventure – sometime I’ll tell you the whole (mostly funny now) story.

With a couple of minor exceptions, the desire for denominational unity was obvious. People want to serve Christ. They want to get along. They want not to divide over trivial differences. They recognize that this is not the moment in American history for the body of Christ to carelessly splinter over peripheral and non-gospel matters. They recognize the need for prayer and real spiritual power for such a time as this.

That being said, there was one particular statistic that robbed my joy: we are steadily declining in weekly worship attendance. Sadly, I must report, the Southern Baptist Convention has joined the mainline denominations in spiraling downward in terms of actual people present for corporate worship on a typical Sunday morning. I find that heartbreaking. I know you do as well.

Right now in our churches, 5,200,716 of us are regularly present for worship. Last year that same number was 5,577,088. That’s a loss of 6.75%. “Oh,” you might be tempted to think, “those are just numbers.” As you know, I almost never focus on numbers. But this number I can’t overlook: 376,372 people. 376,372 bodies. 376,372 lives.

What if you woke up tomorrow morning to learn that Bakersfield, California, had vanished? That’s about the same number of people who are nowhere to be found.

What if you were hit with the news that New Orleans had fallen into the Gulf of Mexico? Again, roughly the same number.

What if the people of Tampa just disappeared?

I’m sure you get my point. We are in desperate need of revival. We need a revival of grace. We need a revival of truth. We need a revival of love for the body of Christ.

The writer to the Hebrews (10:25) warns against such spiritual passivity and neglect: not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

All the more … not all the less …

Pastor Charles

So some of the boys in the church enjoyed my last blog posting. How about pirates, then, one more time?

Robert Louis Stevenson, way back in 1881, penned his famous Treasure Island. Las Vegas has a pirate-themed hotel by the same name. (Of course Josh wanted to see it when he was a wee lad and we were there, and we obliged.) It’s no doubt Treasure Island which gave us the impression that “walking the plank” was a regular occurrence on pirate ships. Walking the plank is mentioned at least three times in Stevenson’s novel.

Apparently the phrase “walking the plank” dates back to 1769, and the first documented reference was a seaman named George Wood, who confessed to a chaplain that he had made several men “walk the plank.” For thousands of years, pirates of various sorts have preyed on ships at sea. Their exploits have been documented by Cicero and Homer, and Vikings were once the scourge of the sea. But the pirates most commonly portrayed in movies today are from the 16^th and 17^th centuries. Spain, for example, hired privateers to do some of their dirty work when it came to spices, silver, and gold. Before Captain Hook, Captain Flint, and Captain Jack Sparrow were Blackbeard, Calico Jack, and Captain Kidd. I did a little homework on the subject, guys, and there really wasn’t much plank-walking. But it does make for some fun and fantastic tales.

But here’s what I wanted to add to my last posting: Jesus walked the plank for us. All the way to the cross!

Christ took away God’s wrath, and satisfied God’s law (First John 4:10). Christ became our substitute (Galatians 3:13). Christ justified us, and set us free (Galatians 2:16). Christ restored our relationship to God, and marvelously displayed God’s love for us (Romans 5:6-11). Only a divine sacrifice would do.

Pirates got their “arrr” (that famous pirate rolling-“r” sound) from folklore, and not from actual history. (Most likely it came from Robert Newton’s character in a 1950 film.) It is likely that some pirates had a few parrots on board, as you could get rich selling such exotic creatures in London. Having them attached to their shoulders? Not. The pirate flags with skulls and crossbones? Likely indeed. It was a feature of fear and intimidation. So – as you can see – with pirates comes a little truth and a lot of fiction.

But Jesus did walk the plank for us. The Via Dolorosa. All the way for you and me. The righteous for the guilty. Unbelievable grace.

You are loved. Me too. “No condemnation now I dread …”

Pastor Charles

I remember well my first trip to Walt Disney World as a kid. It was 1971, and the year that the Magic Kingdom opened in Florida. What was my favorite attraction? The Pirates of the Caribbean! The original version at Disneyland, in California, had debuted in 1967. In fact Pirates was the last attraction for which the construction was overseen by Walt Disney himself.

It’s still a hit. Even the fifth installment of the movie (“Dead Men Tell No Tales”) earned $62.2 million in its first three days. The film cost $230 million to produce, but ticket sales and related revenues will far exceed that mind-blowing number. The international appeal is nearly beyond description, and most of Disney’s profits will come from overseas. Hopefully you didn’t invest everything you own in Baywatch. We’ll see what Wonder Woman can do, but I doubt that Johnny Depp is staying up late worrying about it.

We’re fascinated by pirates. (Especially we boys.)

O.K., so maybe you didn’t let your kids play pirate. Burning villages, robbing, stealing women – not exactly Christian virtues. But aren’t we all just a bunch of mischief-makers and scoundrels desperately in need of mercy? We’ve gone rogue. Check out Ephesians 2:1-3 before you write me off. Paul the Apostle describes us like a bunch of half-crazed men still trying to find our treasures in all the wrong places – and in all the wrong ways. We were the sons of disobedience.

That’s the wonder of the gospel! It reaches the likes of you and me. And it’s even better than mercy – it’s grace! Read further and soak in Ephesians 2:8-10. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Can you believe that? The riches we’ve been looking for – and far more – are all in Him.

Without Christ, we were like those skeletons scattered along Disney’s pseudo-beach in that Pirates attraction. But now we’ve been forgiven and freed (Ephesians 1:7). Now we have received Christ’s resurrection power! We can move with His life and breath in us. We can even obey God – and accomplish great things by His grace and for His glory. Imagine that.

There, I said it. God loves scallywags. I am so glad He does.

Pastor Charles

Unlike Jill Cummins, this is a scenario you’ll likely never face.

Jill’s 50-year-old husband, Tad Cummins, was arrested on April 20 after he kidnapped 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas and fled the state of Tennessee. They were found unharmed in Northern California. After his arrest, Tad called Jill from jail. In Jill’s words: “He told me he was sorry. He told me he loved me and to please forgive him.”

What are we to make of a saga as strange as this?

First of all, “there but for the grace of God go I.” All of us should be humbled by the reality of sin. Its tentacles are tenacious, and it never sleeps. I don’t know Jill Cummins personally, but I do know that her husband’s grotesque sin impacted her, forever. He also harmed their children and grandchildren. Jill has filed for divorce. She says that she absolutely can’t respond in kind to Tad’s declaration of love.

Is Jill wrong? What would Jesus do?

What if she can forgive, but never forget? Is that really forgiveness?

What if Jill forgives Tad, but divorces him anyway?

The reason I’m asking so many questions is to demonstrate how real – and sometimes downright awful – are the practical issues surrounding the subject of forgiveness. Describing Tad’s attempt at expressing remorse, Jill explained: “He pretty much just over and over said, ‘I’m sorry.’”

What if Tad just said that, but didn’t mean a word of it?

Must Jill forgive?

What if Tad had never said he was sorry? Would that have made a difference regarding Jill’s responsibilities? What if Tad never tells the truth, anyway? What if we’re just as bad as Tad?

Maybe Jill is right: “I won’t let him hurt me like that again. I will not let him betray me like that again. I won’t give him the opportunity, ever again.”

Maybe Jill can forgive, but still protect herself – and her family – from further pain. Is that a Biblical way forward? You and I may never find ourselves in a situation where our spouse is facing state and federal charges of aggravated kidnapping, sexual contact with a minor, and transporting a child across state lines for illicit purposes …

But we will be faced with the challenge of forgiveness.

Maybe it’s more than a challenge.

I’ll look forward to seeing you Sunday morning as I preach the next segment of our FORWARD series: “Forward in Forgiveness.” This is real and relevant. This moment may count for eternity.

Pastor Charles

You may not think of yourself as a creative person, but you are! Each one of us was created – literally – as a creative being. In fact the very first chapter of the Bible informs us (Genesis 1:26): “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” The Lord even repeats that important bit of information two more times in the very next verse alone. Our creativity reflects God’s creativity. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light (Genesis 1:1-3). Our book of beginnings captures God as the Sovereign Creator, and as the ultimate example of creativity.

We know from the days of the wilderness tabernacle (Exodus 31:1-11) that the Spirit of God fills men and women so that we can create. The first recorded “filling” was in the life of a construction superintendent – a Spirit-anointed contractor and craftsman. The Lord has more than preaching on His list of things that need to be done. When it’s all said and done, He wants more done than said. Christ calls and empowers each of us to move from instruction to construction.

It’s been thrilling for me to lead our church through the “FORWARD” series. I see creativity erupting in our midst! Creativity for the glory of God.

I see men and women, and young people, seeking to minister Christ’s timeless gospel in new and creative ways. This is good, because you and I have been invited to participate in what God is doing in the world. He’s still creating! For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised … Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:14-21).

This passage highlights several dimensions of God’s creativity in the Person and work of Christ. Because of His perfect sacrifice on our behalf, we are made new creations in Him! God’s work of creativity includes our spiritual rebirth, and goes on to include grace upon grace in our sanctification: we are conformed to His likeness (Romans 8:29). Did you ever think of yourself as a creative masterpiece? You are! Not only that, but God calls us to join in His work of redemption by sharing with others His message of reconciliation.

And we have more newness to look forward to – the good news of Christ’s cosmic plan for the ages just gets better and better! Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:1-5a).

Our God has promised to make all things new. Sin and death will be banished from Christ’s eternal kingdom. This is our certain hope as His people. God’s creativity will forever reflect His matchless power and glory, and call forth our loudest praise. Oswald Chambers said it like this: “The one true mark of a saint of God is the inner creativity that flows from being totally surrendered to Jesus Christ.”

So, friends, by all means keep on creating!

Pastor Charles