Today we worshiped
at The Bible Chapel in Robinson, 175 McMichael Road, Carnegie, PA 15106, 724.941.8990,
www.biblechapel.org, Tom Rojahn,
Campus Pastor.
Scripture
– NIV
Ephesians
4:11-12 –
So
Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors
and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of
Christ may be built up
Ephesians
4:1-6 –
As
a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling
you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with
one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through
the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to
one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and
Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Hebrews
8:12 –
For
I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.
Romans
14:19 –
Let
us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual
edification.
Ephesians
2:17-21 –
He
came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were
near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Consequently,
you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s
people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the
apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In
him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in
the Lord.
Bob’s
thoughts:
Something
I’ve noticed in my life lately is that every trip to the Emergency Room results
in a night or two stay in the hospital; I am going to avoid the ER from now on.
The plus side is every time I am there, God leads me to amazing folks to pray
for. It seems to be the best medicine for whatever ails me also. The latest
stay was no exception and today we were able to visit their church to reunite
and catch up on God’s healing.
A
personal highlight for me was a note on the entry doors as to which one to use.
This is the first time I’ve seen this anywhere.
We
were warmly welcomed, had a reunion with my hospital roommate, and thanked for
my service.
The building
is well planned with an excellent layout and signage. We were offered coffee
and a place to sit before the service.
Worship
was held in a gym/multipurpose room and acoustics were good. I noticed a
healthy mix of children and “sages” and was pleased to get a prayer list for
this church.
There
are two great wooden crosses in the Sanctuary, the praise team sounded terrific
and the volume was satisfactory.
The
print on the large center screen was easy to read with good contrast. I had a
chance to thank the sign language interpreter after the service.
The
message was via video by an associate pastor on how the church can guard their
unity.
The
message, based on Ephesians 4:1-6 and 11-12, though making perfect sense in the
early Christian church, seems almost a contradiction among the myriad of “Christian”
churches now. We strive for unity within “our” church and extend an olive
branch to those who would align with our thinking: “If you can be like us, we
can be friends.” Till Christ returns may we come together to worship in peace.
The
pastor stressed church membership so strongly that I can only hope we would be
welcome at the home church, but we were warmly welcomed here.
I was
thankful for our time with the pastor and in prayer.
Jan’s
thoughts:
Bob
spent an overnight in the hospital a few weeks ago and God used the opportunity
to introduce a new friend. We hit it off with this new friend and his wife and
they invited us to visit their church. I’m glad we did as it was wonderful to
see our friends again. They welcomed us warmly and introduced us to many other
new friends who also greeted us warmly!
Our
last visit to this church was in 2013 and at the time they were worshiping at
Pittsburgh Technical Institute (now Pittsburgh Technical College). The church
now has their own beautiful and well-thought-out building. The signage is
superb, with a plaque outside each room and directional signage that is
well-placed. There are a couple of tables in the main hallway where
refreshments are set out, along with a simple room arranged for fellowship.
From
what I could see, the large worship area was nearly full of people of all ages.
The contemporary music was well done at a good volume. I appreciated seeing the
song titles displayed in the lower corner of the final screen as I was
unfamiliar with one of them.
The
Bible Chapel has six locations, and today they took a break from the message
series for a “big-picture” question related to the series: How Can a Local
Church Guard Their Unity? The message was presented by an associate
pastor, but I’m not sure where he was.
He
began by recounting the Miracle on Ice story of the 1980 Olympics to make his
point about unity within the church. He stated that God and we have roles in
church unity:
God’s
role:
1
– He is the Source of our unity…we cannot bring about unity by our own power;
2
– He is the sustainer of our eternal unity.
Our
role:
1
– Daily humble ourselves before God and one another;
2
– Be patient and forgiving to one another;
3
– In conflict, be honest and selfless peacemakers.
He
emphasized that the local church is the Body of Christ and believers are called
to be members and contribute their gifts to the Body. He reminded us of the
importance of humility as taught by Christ.
We
were blessed by conversations with the pastor and others after worship.
Our
prayer for this church:
Lord,
we pray You will continue to bless Your church as they continue to seek their
unity in You as one Body. Amen.
Today we worshiped
at Allison Park Church, 2326 Duncan Avenue, Allison Park, PA 15101,
412.312.628, www.allisonparkchurch.com,
Jeff Leake, Lead Pastor.
Scripture
– NIV
Galatians
2:15-21 –
“We
who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not
justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too,
have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ
and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be
justified.
“But
if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the
sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! If I
rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.
“For
through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been
crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I
now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could
be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
Romans
8:11 –
And
if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who
raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because
of his Spirit who lives in you.
Romans
8:14-17 –
For
those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you
received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the
Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry,
“ Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s
children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs
with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also
share in his glory.
Bob’s
thoughts:
It
was nice to find an early service that was only a half hour drive.
We
were greeted by one of the pastors and one young man who came by as well as the
usher at the door with a handout.
While
in the coffee area there was an incredibly loud presentation/rally with a great
deal of echo. I think most people would not understand what is said at that volume
and echo.
When
we got to our seats in the large worship area, we were under a blue spotlight
and not able to see much. We found seats under a regular light which was great
till the service started. I’m not sure if I have aged badly or the format has
changed that much but we had to seek a quieter venue without spotlights. Both
of us have ear problems but I’m not sure the lights were not the bigger
concern.
We
relocated to the Lounge just inside the front doors where we’d noticed a sign
that we could sit there and watch the service on the monitor at a reduced
volume. We found someone to turn down the volume for us and the others in the
room. I enjoyed the female singer once the volume was down.
Once I
was on the verge of being judgmental about a loud service with smoke and
spotlights when Christ put me in my place, reminding me that we are all
hopeless sinners without Christ and if worship I’m not comfortable with brings
people to God, who am I to complain. I’m not judging, but the Lounge was a
blessing.
While
there God led me to a great witness with a member, so it was time well spent. The
highlight is always Jeff’s message and today’s did not disappoint. The message
dealt with how the Jews believed they must fit the box (i.e., the law) to be
worthy to come to God. The pastor mentioned getting measured and marked on the
kitchen door frame, and I don’t know anyone who didn’t do this. But the concept
of measuring up, it recently came to my attention that I have lost four inches
in height from what I was most of my life. A little more and maybe I’ll miss the
things I’ve always hit my head on.
An enjoyable
side note: I witnessed a father with a young child run toward the automatic
door to the delight of the child. It reminded me of when I commented to one of
my grands that he must be the magic that made the doors open and he replied, “No,
God did that.”
We
were blessed to talk to a pastor after the service and be led to pray over her.
Jan’s
thoughts:
We
arrived extra early so we could wander around some, having forgotten the size
of this campus. After some meandering, coffee sounded like a good idea.
At
a church this size with three services, we did not expect to be noticed as visitors
nor especially to be greeted, but while we enjoyed our coffee one of the
pastors approached and welcomed us. We saw her again after worship and
appreciated the time she took for extended conversation.
I
was glad to be able to join this church in praying for the physical and
spiritual healing of China and its citizens along with all those affected by
the current health crisis.
The
sermon series is called Break The Box. It was a reminder of the truth
that every last one of us falls short of God’s perfection and He loves us
anyway. Still, we find ourselves striving for God’s love, which we already have,
but somehow thinking it’s up to us. We must choose to stop the spiritual calisthenics
and give up trying to earn what is already ours. We cannot perform well enough to
earn God’s love, we cannot impress God with our piety, and we may as well let
go of the self-imposed pressure to perform because we cannot produce it no
matter how hard we try.
We
can’t perform our way into or out of heaven. Thank God.
Our
prayer for this church:
Lord,
we pray You continue to bless Your church as they reach people of all ages with
Your Good News. Amen.
Today I worshiped
at Crossroads Church, 8533 Peters Road, Cranberry Twp., PA 16066, 412.494.9999,
www.xr.church, Mike Arnold, Campus Pastor.
Scripture
– NIV
Luke
9:28 –
About
eight days after this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto
a mountain to pray.
Luke
9:34-35 –
While
he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as
they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son,
whom I have chosen; listen to him.”
John
1:12 –
Yet
to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the
right to become children of God—
Jan’s
thoughts:
Bob
was home sick today, so it was just me, our son, and our grandtwins. As always,
it was a joy to see the rest of the family as well.
Today’s
message was presented by Crossroads’ Lead Pastor Steve Cordle via the wonders
of technology. It was titled Pray and was the first part of a new
series, Apprenticed to Jesus. Steve’s brief message was followed by an
invitation by the campus pastor for the congregation to form groups of 3-5
people who then prayed together. I was blessed to pray with our son and our
oldest grandson, who is 14.
I
appreciated the reminder that all prayer begins with relationship. When Jesus
prayed to His Heavenly Father, He called Him Abba, or Daddy. The fact is, we are
invited to figuratively climb onto our Abba’s lap for comfort, guidance, or
anything else we need. There is no dress code or performance requirement to
present our gratitude and petitions to the King of the Universe. How privileged
can one be?
Our
prayer for this church:
Abba,
we thank You for this church and their focus on You. We are grateful for all
you have done and will yet do through their many heartfelt prayers. Amen.
Today we worshiped
at Memorial Park Church, 8800 Peebles Road, Allison Park, PA 15101, 412.364.9492,
www.memorialparkchurch.org, Rev.
Dr. D. Dean Weaver, Lead Pastor.
Scripture
–
James
3:1-12 NIV –
Not
many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that
we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone
who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole
body in check.
When
we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the
whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are
driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the
pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it
makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small
spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.
It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is
itself set on fire by hell.
All
kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have
been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless
evil, full of deadly poison.
With
the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings,
who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and
cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and
salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree
bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh
water.
Proverbs
23:7a NASB –
For
as he thinks within himself, so he is.
Bob’s
thoughts:
We
left extra early for church in case the roads were bad and got there right
before the service started. Even so, a lot of people greeted us. We were
directed to the restrooms and greeted at the sanctuary.
The
church has some of the most vibrant, modern stained glass, not the least of
which is the main panel with a large cross. There are two screens off to the
side toward the front and two more farther back; simple projection and good
contrast made them easy to read.
I
particularly enjoyed the harmony of the praise team.
In
his message, the pastor remembered when he was young, finding pastors coming to
his dad for comfort. I was remembering how many pastors over the years have
come to me for solace and what a joy it is still to offer a shoulder and lift
them in prayer as an elder. Even days like today, when I stumble through
prayer, I know God still hears and blesses that time.
The
pastor touched on being in a different store that was not laid out as he was
used to and bringing that frustration to a shopper wearing the same color shirt
as the employees. For me it was forgetting I was in a different Walmart complaining
about why did they rearrange the store. When I’m getting building material, I
frequently need to advise or assist customers, which are great opportunities to
witness.
We do
have to be careful with our untamed tongue that we don’t presume to know what
others need. People have always been happy to tell me their need even when they
weren’t sure what it was that they lacked. Focus on Christ and their
well-being.
Jan’s
thoughts:
Having
driven past this church several times in the last six months, we decided it
must be time to visit again. Due to the snow, we left extra early and after an
interesting drive, arrived with just enough time to hang up our coats, find the
restrooms, and find seats. Several people greeted us as we accomplished this,
which was surprising as this church offers one worship opportunity Saturday
night and two Sunday morning. As we’ve noted in the past, when a church has
more than one service, people often hesitate to greet someone they do not
recognize.
The
sanctuary is gorgeous, with an exceptional stained-glass window and additional
stained glass down both sides. The high ceiling and woodwork all around was
truly beautiful.
We
were too far back to see the musicians, but I enjoyed their sound. And the two
sets of screens on each side allowed us to follow easily.
The
generosity of the congregation was clear by the quantity of the food bank
donations collected at the front of the sanctuary. During the announcements,
the pastor spoke of the church’s financial situation and his appreciation for
the members’ readiness to make up a recent shortfall.
The
current sermon series is called Simple Wisdom: Ancient Life Hacks That Work
and today’s entry was Why Do You Say What You Say? The pastor identified
the difficulty of taming the tongue as based on the motive of presumption that
a person is right, that they have the right to speak, that they know more or
know better, and so they presume to speak. He declared that the secret to
taming the tongue is: do not presume.
He
stated that the antidote to our urge to presume is examining our motives behind
what we say. He gave a personal example of a time when he spoke presumptuously after
which he immediately apologized.
He
presented a self-explanatory acronym for this solution: STOP, which stands for
Simple Time Of Prayer. He referred to Pastor Chuck Swindoll’s statement about “the
victory of not saying it.” He advised to focus on the Risen Christ and the
well-being of the other person. He suggested allowing the Holy Spirit to
examine our motives in order to allow God to speak through us.
Indeed,
speaking based on the presumption that we have the right or we know better is an
easy trap to fall into. We have all done it, and a Simple Time Of Prayer in
which we seek God’s guidance has the potential to save a relationship.
No
matter how well we know someone, we never know everything. As important as it
is to speak, it’s equally valuable to know when not so speak, or at least to
honestly examine our motives through prayer before we do.
Our
prayer for this church:
Lord,
may Your church be blessed to not presume and simply welcome those You send
with tamed tongue. Amen.
