West Blog

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

This is a sober passage of Scripture. It means that if you assume you understand the will of God, without studying Scripture, you are wrong. Our way of thinking, our way of planning, and figuring things out is not like the Lord’s way. We are wrong to assume that our way of living life is right or wise because we are all sinners and corrupt in our ways. God’s ways are not only different but higher – meaning better in every degree. The ways of the Lord are pure, just, gracious, merciful, and establish rather than tear down. My encouragement to you is to read and study the Bible – God’s revelation to us. Studying the Scriptures, chapter-by-chapter, and day-by-day will transform your pattern of thinking (Romans 12:2) to be like the higher ways of the Lord. When your thinking changes, your actions will follow. 

I want to challenge you this Christmas to be more intentional about reading and studying the Bible in the new year. Consider some of these patterns in making your plan over the next few weeks:

• Always quiet your heart and pray before reading God’s word. Whether you’re in a coffee shop, the office on lunch break, at home with loud kids, or in a quiet place – always pray and ask the Holy Spirit to illumine (bring understanding to) the words of Scripture (John 14:15-31). Without the Spirit of God giving us understanding, we will not understand, believe, or be impacted to obey the Word of God.
• Strive after a pattern that may seem overwhelming – seek the Lord by reading Scripture morning and evening. You must make time somewhere in your day to meaningfully read the Scriptures, but I also encourage you to read a few verses at the opposing time of day. If you study the Scriptures in the morning, read a Psalm or Proverb before bed. If you study the Scriptures at night, read a Psalm or Proverb over breakfast. In this way, the Word of the Lord is always before you. 
• Do not only study specific passages but take time to read full chapters and books of the Bible. It is vital to understand how God has been working in history over time, to rightly understand how He continues to work in our day. As a follower of Christ, it is sinful to have access to the Bible, but remain ignorant of its contents because you just don’t really care what is there. Set a new course! Pray for discipline, wisdom, and illumination. Read long passages of Scripture. Read continually. Soon you will make up for lost time and understanding, and find the joy of understanding the high and glorious knowledge of God.
• The journey of learning never ends, because the Lord is infinite and we can never master Him. Seeking the Lord is a relationship that will never grow old – but only sweeter and more rewarding (Colossians 2:3). There is always another facet to the beauty of the Lord – wisdom to which there is always another degree – truth to which there is always another precept. 
• When possible, do not read the Bible on a digital device. I’m not anti-technology. I’m pro-concentration. Digital devices are full of non-stop distractions. When we take even ten minutes to read the Scriptures, it should be prayerfully and with minimized distraction.

In closing, I offer you a powerful word from German pastor and martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 

“The Lord stands above the new day, for God has made it. All the darkness and confusion of the night with its dreams gives way to the clear light of Jesus Christ and his awakening Word. All restlessness, all impurity, all worry and anxiety flee before him. Therefore, in the early morning hours of the day may our many thoughts and our many idle words be silent, and may the first thought and the first word belong to the one to whom our whole life belongs. “Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (Ephesians 5:4)…There is such a thing as rising early for the love of God. That was the practice of the men of Holy Scripture.” 

May Christ be praised this Christmas,

Pastor Vic 

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

I want to express my joy and thankfulness over being a part of such a tremendously generous congregation! God loves a cheerful giver because it demonstrates that your heart loves God and people instead of the things of this world. It shows that you value people over things – as Jesus did.

Over this past month, you have given close to $9,000 to help Ben and Trisha Pennington toward their goal of adopting siblings from India! You have given all that was necessary to purchase a reliable car for Jen and Sophia! You have purchased gifts for all the needy students presented to our church by principal Bartoszek! You donated a huge amount of clothing to the Salem Elementary School clothing drive! This is an amazing amount of generosity, for which I praise the Lord. It tangibly demonstrates our love for orphans, our love for our own church brethren, and our love for the needy in our community. It demonstrates the work of the Holy Spirit in our midst to bear in our hearts the fruit of sacrificial love.

One of the beautiful things about sacrificial congregational giving is how the Lord works it all out proportionally and intentionally. Each need was presented, I asked you to pray about giving, you prayed and obeyed to give what was laid on your heart. Through the joint obedience of us all, the needs were met! God puts the pieces together in His perfection and grace. You only need to be concerned with obeying what God has laid on your heart. When we all obey, the Lord Jesus brings about wonderful things, for His glory. May the Lord bless you for your generosity this Christmas!

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ESV Bible App

I would like to recommend to you the ESV Bible App (available for Apple or Android). This Bible app is simple, free of ads, has a readable layout, has a very functional cross-reference system, and an excellent search function. We all read the Bible on our devices at some time during the day. It is important to get an app that is free of ads and distractions so you can focus on understanding God’s word and hear His voice of guidance and conviction. It’s important to have an easy search system, so you can find verses that you can’t remember the reference for. It’s also very important to have a good cross-reference system that works in a digital format. Give it a try!

Merry Christmas,

Pastor Vic

Advent

“I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11

Merry Christmas to you! The Christmas season is one of my favorite times of year, but it is a busy season and one in which we have to be especially intentional about keeping Christ our Savior central in our thinking. One way I suggest that you do this is through daily advent readings. I commend to you Paul David Tripp’s, Come Let Us Adore Him: A Daily Advent Devotional. The readings begin December 1 and continue throughout the month. I understand that December is underway, but please don’t hesitate to jump in as you are able. This book, and other advent readings, will daily work to focus your attention on the saving work of our Lord Jesus, instead of the overwhelming push of marketing materialism that sweeps over us this time of year.

I encourage you to use this book in private, or as a form of family devotions. Family devotions are tough when everyone is going in different directions, but strive and plan to get everyone together around the dinner table, or before bed. This book facilitates reading a few pages about the work and ministry of Jesus, reading a related passage of scripture, and praying along these lines. When your children are old enough, have them read the scripture portions aloud, and have them lead in prayer after you have given them direction. 

Intentionally focusing on the incarnation of Jesus throughout December will change the atmosphere of your home and spiritually instruct your children, or grandchildren. It is never too early to begin training your children to understand who God is and how He is at work in the world. I enjoy Rudolph and A Christmas Carol as much as anyone, but it is vital that you raise your children with a right understanding that, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation of shadow due to change” James 1:17. 

A few (controversial!) points on this: First, it adds to the season for your children to know that Jesus loves them and has supplied all good things to them. It ultimately robs God of glory and thanksgiving due His name when our children believe that an elf, or Santa, or some other myth, is the source of blessing in our lives. The fun of maintaining a myth is fully eclipsed by the precious prayers of thanksgiving to God that children offer in joy over what they may receive. Second, these various Christmas myths often revolve around trying to bribe children into good behavior. This will not produce true heart change in your children, and will not ultimately work. Only when our children believe in Jesus as their Savior will true heart change be produced. No matter how young your children are, they are never too young to hear the good news of Jesus’s grace and love. Third, training your children to believe something is true, only for them to find out later it’s a myth, trains them toward doubt. The glorious truth of Jesus as our provider often takes root in the hearts of children, and unlike myths, Jesus is real! When we read the nativity story alongside Rudolph, as just another holiday story, it sows doubt and confusion in the hearts of our children. We will never have to back off the story of Jesus or say things that are not true as we rejoice over His coming!

Oh come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord,

Pastor Vic

Count Your Blessings

Psalm 69:30 “I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18-19 “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.”

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and an important time for Christian reflection. A heart overflowing with thankfulness is a central part of the Christian life. It’s a significant part of our worship and a foundational aspect of our spiritual health. God would have us worship Him partly through giving thanks. In this, we recognize the good provision of God in our lives and show contentment with the station in life God has provided for us. When we do not give thanks from a truly grateful heart, we will very quickly spiral into a hardness of heart characterized by covetousness, jealousy, discontent, and general interpersonal distance from God and those around us. As it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:19, this attitude will quench, or choke out, the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Therefore, we must be intentional about giving thanks.

I encourage you over the next few days to make time to sit down with a sheet of paper in a quiet place. Pray and thank God for how He has met your needs, and ask Him to give you a heart of thankfulness. Then sit for a while and do the best you can to fill that paper with everything you can possibly think of that you are thankful for. When you’re finished, pray again and offer your thanksgiving as worship to Jesus for what he has done, and is doing in your life. 

Your thanksgiving list should be full of names, as the relationships that God gives us are the most valuable part of life. I next encourage you to text, call, or write many of those names to let them know personally that you are thankful for their friendship. In this way, thanksgiving turns into encouragement! 

Know that you, as a church, will be near the top of my list this year. It is a tremendous blessing to be with you all each week. I’m encouraged, instructed, and drawn closer to the Lord Jesus every week by being around you all. It is a small glimpse of what heaven will be like – many joyful followers of Christ together with Jesus, enjoying each other’s presence unhindered by sin or the pressure of time. What a joy that will be!

May you cultivate a thankful heart this week, and all year long.

Thankful for each of you,

Pastor Vic

Losing Your Life for the Sake of Christ and the Love of Others

By Justin Woodruff

Does the word “busy” characterize your life right now? I would imagine that most of us are under constant pressure to get things done, regardless of our stage in life. Even as you read this, I wonder if you are multitasking to be as productive as possible. If I’m honest, as I type, I have a list of 10 other things in my head that I need to get done today.

I want to be a good steward of what God has given me – but how do I effectively manage all of the competing priorities in my life? How do you?

Jesus Christ and his 12 disciples were busy. They were constantly swarmed by crowds of needy people as they proclaimed the Kingdom of God, healed the sick, cast out demons, rebuked hypocritical leaders, raised the dead, and fed thousands with five loaves and a couple fish. Makes my life look pretty tame.

Beginning in Luke 9:18, the disciples enjoyed a moment alone with Jesus. During their conversation, Jesus confirmed he was the Christ, the One they had been waiting for. Can you imagine their excitement? As his closest friends, surely their lives would be marked by success, wealth, fame and good fortune.

But in his next breath, Jesus said that He would suffer, be rejected and killed in order to accomplish His ultimate purpose. And to make things worse, if these men wanted to be his disciples, Jesus said they would have to deny themselves, take up their own crosses and lose their lives for His sake. Based on Peter’s response in Matthew 16:22, it’s reasonable to conclude this wasn’t what they were expecting to hear. In fact, this paradigm shift was something the disciples struggled to understand until after Jesus was crucified and resurrected. Yet, after they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, 11 of the disciples did exactly what Jesus said was necessary. They found their lives by losing them for His sake.

As Christians, we are saved by God’s grace through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. At the moment of salvation, we are given new hearts to understand our true purpose in life, which is to love God and others in everything we do. Our Christian response to busyness begins with persistently asking the Lord to reorder our affections and priorities according to what He says matters most. Our stewardship requires personal sacrifice.

But what does it look like to deny ourselves and take up our crosses as we follow Christ in the 21st century?

This weekend, we are going to spend some time talking about a new ministry at Spotswood West that centers around caring for orphans. For many, I suspect the thought of adding anything more to your busy lives seems overwhelming. Before we gather this Sunday, let me encourage you to take at least a few minutes to pray over Luke 9:23-25, and what it might look like practically to lose your life for the sake of Christ and the love of others. Not because you are saved by what you do, but out of an overflow of love in your heart for Jesus and desire to live with His purposes.

Wisdom

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:5

During last week’s sermon, one of the most difficult sections for me to teach related to wisdom. Wisdom is the application of knowledge. It’s not simple to know how and when to speak or act. Well-meaning words spoken at the wrong time, or with the wrong tone can have the opposite of the intended effect. Actions undertaken with pure motives can be greatly misunderstood.  Wisdom helps us resolve conflicts and see things for what they really are. Wisdom helps us counsel others and speak the right words during a difficult time. Wisdom allows us to see the heart of the matter, instead of working problems that are secondary to the real issue. Wisdom is from the Lord.

As James states, if you lack wisdom you should not just hit the books, but you should ask God for it. Seeking wisdom is a matter of prayer and learning. The Lord Jesus is glad to help His children rightly understand the world around them and how to live in it. 

A few words on wisdom from the Bible:

• If you lack wisdom, ask God for it. He will make you wise as you study His word. 
• We understand how God thinks about the world through Scripture. Therefore, to be wise, we must first study scripture.
• Wisdom comes from understanding how God has made us and the true nature of the world. If we have a false understanding of the world and the nature of people, we can never be wise.
• There is an entire book of the Bible devoted to understanding how to apply knowledge: Proverbs. This is a hard book to read straight through. I suggest that you keep a marker in that book, and read a few verses from Proverbs each day in addition to your normal daily Bible reading.
• Wisdom comes from experience. We can learn the hard way by experiencing failure ourselves, or we can shorten the process and grow in wisdom by learning from the experiences of others. The Bible is full of true life stories. Some of these stories teach us how we should live, and others stand as negative examples of how notto live. Both are helpful. Learn from the successes and failures of others. 

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wiseman who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24

Do not look to foreign and mystical places for wisdom. Keep to the simple path of prayerfully reading Scripture, hearing God’s words, believing them, and obeying them. See you Sunday!

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Blog post by Vic Carpenter (Sep 19, 2019)

Baptism

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4   It is recorded for us in the Gospels (Matt 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22) that Jesus was baptized by immersion in the Jordan River at the very beginning of His public ministry. At the very end of His public ministry, just before His ascension into heaven, Jesus gave His last command to the gathered disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). At that time, He brought to bear His authority and sent them out to preach the gospel of the forgiveness of sins. They were to (1) make disciples – or teach people to believe in Jesus and follow Him with their lives, (2) baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (the Trinity), (3) teach the new disciples to obey the teachings of Jesus. Jesus did not remind the disciples that “all authority had been given to him” so that He could suggest to them a direction for living. Instead, Jesus sent them out as His disciples to do His will – part of which was to baptize.  There is a constant pattern in the book of Acts demonstrating the faithfulness of the early church to obey the command of Jesus to baptize new Christians. At the first coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38-41), when 3,000 souls were saved, they were baptized. When Philip helped the Ethiopian understand Jesus, he also explained to him what I am explaining to you now – the imperative of baptism. As the two men went along in his chariot, they came to water (Acts 8:36-38), and the Ethiopian said, “See here is water! Whatprevents me from being baptized?” The answer was nothing! In accordance with the command of Jesus, he was baptized by Philip. When Saul (later called Paul) came to salvation after being struck blind by the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was baptized (Acts 9:18). When Jesus by angels and visions brought the first gentiles (non-Jews) into the church, they were immediately baptized (household of Cornelius – Acts 10:47). Even in the middle of the night after an earthquake, when the Philippian jailer came to faith – he was baptized (Acts 16:33). And so, Christians have continued to follow the command of Jesus, down through the ages and around the world, to be baptized after believing Jesus is Lord! What is baptism? Baptism is both a symbolic and a public proclamation. As stated above in Romans 6:4, Paul clearly teaches about the symbolic nature of baptism after believing in Jesus as your Savior. When we are submersed below the water it is a symbolic action of joining Christ in His death. But when we are raised up out of the water, we are joining with Jesus in His resurrection! We are symbolically raised with Jesus to walk in “newness of life!”  This points to the second important aspect of baptism. It’s a public affair. Jesus requiresthat His followers not be ashamed of Him. Being publically baptized does not changed the state of your soul – faith does – but it does change how people view you. Being publically baptized makes a statement that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ! Through the ages groups of Christians have changed the biblical teaching of baptism by immersion to serve various ends. The reason that Jesus calls for us to be baptized after making a decision of faith, rather than as an unbelieving infant, is so the decision made privately in the heart is made public to the watching world. This act of obedience takes boldness and courage, but part of what the Holy Spirit will give you as a new disciple of Jesus is boldness to do things you would never have done before.  If you believe in Jesus as Savior, but have never been baptized, I encourage you to obeyJesus in this important step. It will be an unforgettable day of joy to associate yourself with Jesus publically, but it will also greatly encourage other Christians to see how the Lord is working in our midst. If you are interested, let an elder know Sunday and be baptized Sunday, Sep 29.

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Blog post by Vic Carpenter, Teaching Pastor (Sep 12, 2019)

Forgiveness

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” – Matthew 18:21-22 It was difficult to decide what all to cover in last week’s sermon on forgiveness. As followers of Jesus we are called on every day to grant and receive forgiveness. This can come in many different forms and have many different outcomes. We must pray for wisdom and grace. I was asked by a number of you after service about an aspect of forgiveness that I did not have time to address. “What should I do if I ask someone to forgive me, but they refuse?” This is a common situation and a tough position. I would suggest three basic steps: First, make sure your heart is right before the Lord. Be certain that with true humility and contrition of heart you have confessed the matter to the Lord and sought forgiveness for wherever you were wrong. “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” Psalm 51:1-2. Because of Jesus and His death upon the cross, you will be forgiven of your sins. Know that when you confess your sins, the Lord is faithful and just to forgive your sins (1 John 1:9). We cannot change the past. Give it to the Lord and pray for the ability to live more like Christ going forward. Second, ask the person you wronged to forgive you. You may have done this before, but I suggest that you try once more with a degree of finality. Pray much before you do this and pray for the right opportunity. If there is no opportunity, perhaps write a letter. If you write a letter, let a trusted friend read it before you send it to make sure the tone is right. Once you have asked forgiveness with clarity and humility, I suggest that you let the matter rest. You have put the ball in the other person’s court. They know where you stand. As you interact with them in the future let your attitude confirm your previous words. Which leads me to the third point. Third, pray against despair and bitterness toward the unforgiving person. So often this person is a family member of some sort. A person that will not cycle out of your life, but one that keeps the pain of unforgiveness right in front of you day by day. Pray for a work of the Lord Jesus in your heart that you might love that person who does not love you, and may even be your enemy (Matthew 5:43-47, 1 Peter 3:1-2). Pray for the ability to love that person if they have a change of heart after years of separation. Here we look to the father in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). His younger son hates him, wishes him dead, takes his inheritance early and leaves on the worst possible terms. Yet, the father longs for his return and harbors no hatred because he loves his son. However, he does not seek after him in his rebellion. Only the Lord can change another person’s heart. But when the son comes home, he is welcomed and celebrated. Let us always pray and not lose heart (Luke 18:1). May the Lord bring reconciliation where there is now separation – healing where there is brokenness.

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Blog post by Vic Carpenter, Teaching Pastor (Sep 5, 2019)

Consider

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” Heb 12:1-3

In my sermon last Sunday, I encouraged you from Colossians 3:2 to “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” As followers of Christ, we are called to not be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewal of our minds (Romans 12:2). We are to think differently about the events of our day, to have different and better priorities, and to see the struggles and triumphs of each day through the lens of the coming kingdom of God. I emphasized to you Sunday the importance of recognizing that heaven is real, and that the spiritual reality of eternal life to come will change how we live today. Another important part of transforming our thinking is to meditate on the life of Jesus.

The author of Hebrews urges us to “consider” Jesus and how he lived with such perfect love and patience under the constant persecution and scheming of wicked people.

To “consider” something means to think it over – examine a person or event from different angles; look at all details; think about how you would react in the same situation. What led up to the event? What are the consequences or results of the action?

We should constantly be “looking to Jesus” and “considering” how he lived. We must consider how he spoke to people, how he prayed, spent his time, dealt with temptation, how he focused always on accomplishing the Father’s will. We must be regularly returning to the gospels in our Bible reading to be reminded of his beautiful and perfect life. As we read of Jesus interacting with lost people in the gospels, it will transform the way you think about people in your day. As you are reminded of Jesus’ priority to do the Father’s will at all times and at any price, your thinking will turn toward heaven and be transformed!

When our thinking is not of an eternal perspective, not fixed on Jesus, we can quickly and radically get off track. In Matt 16:21-23, Jesus taught his disciples how he must suffer and die to accomplish the salvation of his people. Peter saw this as foolish talk, and tried to dissuade Jesus from doing the Father’s will. Jesus swiftly and powerfully rebuked Peter, telling him, “you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Peter was off in his thinking because he was not listening to Jesus.

I urge you, make time daily to prayerfully read the Scriptures. Read often of the life of Jesus. Set your mind on things that are above. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. I’m praying for you this week!

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Blog post by Vic Carpenter, Teaching Pastor (8/16/2019)

Abide

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

It’s hard to believe, but my wife and I met 10 years ago – almost to the day! We’ve had some incredible moments on our journey together! Dating. The proposal and our wedding day. The honeymoon. Our pre-baby trip to Italy. Serving on mission trips and in ministry together. Having a baby. Then another. 
 
These moments were great – totally worth celebrating. But great moments don’t make a great marriage. We’ve found that it’s more about what happens in between. Praying together. Dreaming together. Extending grace when we hurt one another. Intimacy is found in the in-between.
 
Isn’t the same true of our relationship with God? Great moments – the mountaintops – are good and God-given and worth celebrating! But real intimacy is found when it’s just you, the Word of God, and the Spirit of God. When He asks you to follow Him to something new; to do something (big or small) and you put your yes on the table. When you decide to live in such a way that if God doesn’t show up, it’ll mean failure. It’s in the in-between…that’s where a great relationship with God is cultivated.
 
Last week, our elders memorized John 15:5. As that verse has rolled around in my head, here’s what I’ve come to love about it: in one verse, we have an invitation and a promise.

An invitation to get close with Him – the word ABIDE carries the idea of moving in with someone!

Think back to when you and your spouse moved in together, or to that great roommate you had in college. How much time you spent together. How much fun you had together. How their qualities started showing up in you. That’s the kind of closeness God is after with us.
 
Then he makes us a promise…to be near to us. That’s been His desire from the beginning – walking with Adam and Eve in the garden. Living among His people in the tabernacle as they navigated the wilderness, and eventually the temple. Sending Jesus to dwell among us, as one of us, and ultimately, by giving us His Spirit so He is never more than a breath away! God has moved heaven and earth to make intimacy with us possible.
 
One other thing Jesus makes very clear: without Him – without abiding – we can do nothing of eternal consequence. And make no mistake: we are starting Spotswood West with eternity in mind. We want its impact to outlast us. We want whole families to meet Jesus and begin abiding in Him, and as families in Spotsy are changed, so is Spotsy itself. 
 
As we look forward to our launch, let’s all take a little extra time to enjoy the abiding presence of Jesus, and be thankful for all He has done just to be near to us!

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Blog post by Tyler Cooper, Student Pastor (8/9/2019)