True North Church

Yesterday we worshiped at True North Church, 206 Siebert Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237, 412.256.8059, www.truenorthpgh.org, Justin Dosch, Lead Pastor.

 

Scripture – NIV

Matthew 12:34-36 –

You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.

Proverbs 18:21 –

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Ephesians 4:29 –

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

James 1:19 –

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,

 

Bob’s thoughts:

Sometimes we know where we would like to worship, but my favorite day is when we leave it up to God where we end up. Then, like today, we get to try to figure out why we end up where we do. I think we were to lay hands and pray for the pastor, but the thought didn’t come till after we left. We will, of course, pray for the pastor and that someone from the congregation will pray over the pastor. Sometimes God sends us back.

The only negative about the current location is there is no simple way to be handicapped accessible. The handrails worked for me, but I wish I had an answer for the issue.

I loved seeing the crosses behind the platform. Too many churches seem to be afraid of offending someone with a cross. We enjoyed a cup of coffee, even my decaf. I liked that there was a countdown clock till the service started, like the old drive-ins.

The pastor took time to explain the giving plan for the church. I would like to hear more of the mission plan.

I don’t have an answer for the projection screens. We were all the way back and doubt that we could see even if we could have stood as the low headroom doesn’t allow much. Maybe turning worship 90 degrees and use a wider seat set-up? Even when everyone was seated, I couldn’t read the Scriptures.

The pastor told his story of when the devil got his goat, reminding how easily we lose our temper. I suspect that was probably the main reason God had us here, something we both needed reminding of.

We were also reminded of God taking extreme ownership of our sins, and how we need to own up to our sins.

I had a few words with two women coming in on the stairs and a couple of young moms after the service.

I pray that God leads us back. I think there is tremendous potential here and I would love to see how God grows His church.

 

Jan’s thoughts:

I guess God is still in the business of placing us where we need to be on any given Sunday.

This church is quite young, having been founded in February 2019, and they meet on the second floor of a business off McKnight Road. We appreciated the friendly hospitality as well as the coffee in the back of the worship area.

The pastor offered announcements and spoke about the church’s philosophy of giving. He assured that this church is focused on Jesus Christ and His Word. He said giving should be proportionate, sacrificial, and voluntary, and he wishes to “build it into the church’s DNA.”

The music was contemporary and well done, but the songs were unfamiliar to me.

The message, Why We Need to Shut Our Yapper! was part of the series called Aftertaste. The pastor opened with a vulnerable story about his mishandling of an encounter with a goat which perfectly displayed the truth of his statement that our mouths get us into more trouble than anything else.

He taught that Jesus-followers are called to look, act, and speak differently, and since we humans are incapable of taming our tongues without help, we absolutely must ask the Holy Spirit to help us. Since the words that escape our mouths originate in our heart, we must recognize the bitterness, ingratitude, and pride that lives there and ask God to help us not to share it.

We must also recognize that our words have power, for good or for ill. Our words can build up or they can tear down, and we choose the fruit in the choice of our words.

This message hit me between the eyes, as I had been waiting to speak with someone I love and to whom I owed an apology for speaking without thinking or asking for God’s help to speak the truth in love. I’m so grateful God led us here today to hear this message, to reorient my heart, and to be reminded there is grace for even me.

We were grateful for the conversation with the pastor and with his brother, a Marine, following the service.

 

Our prayer for this church:

Father, as this congregation works to discern and obey Your lead, we pray You continue to provide spiritual and numerical growth. We ask that You open their eyes to missional needs You wish them to embrace and that You continue to bless this pastor as he leads Your flock. Amen.

Grace Community Church

Yesterday we worshiped at Grace Community Church, 9160 Marshall Road, Cranberry Twp., PA 16066, 724.779.7997, www.mygcc.org, Matt Kaltenberger, Lead Pastor.

 

Scripture – NIV

1 Peter 4:10 –

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

Romans 15:7 –

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

 James 2:13 –

…because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 –

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Galatians 6:3 –

If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.

 

Bob’s thoughts:

We were blessed to worship at Grace, our first trip back since their recent remodel. I was amazed at how open and inviting the area is now.

It is always a special joy to talk to Pastor Bob. He told us how the remodel of the sanctuary allowed for 400 more seats, giving them room for 1,200 in worship. We discussed how a church can stay warm and focused on the individual with that many in worship and I reflected on this during the service. Something as simple as the lights being left on took care of the isolation of worshiping in the dark not knowing who is nearby. Sometimes a glance or nod to another worshiper conveys volumes. We were in the top tier and could witness a lot of interaction. I found particular joy watching a woman minister to her young child…we would do well to emulate with our neighbors.

The pastor’s message on interacting with coworkers was of pointed interest for me. Long retired, I don’t have those coworkers to relate to, but God blesses me every day with merchants, medical professionals, and others to witness to and to pray for and with. It has been a joyous ministry.

My best example of the personal ministry of the church was a conversation with the man who ushered us to our seats. I commented that the last time we visited Grace was in the midst of construction and how impressed we were with the results. He commented about where we usually sat when we visited. Want to be a caring church?

 

Jan’s thoughts:

This church seems to have completed a huge expansion project, which involved adding 400 seats to the existing 800, a new children’s area, and an amazing coffee/fellowship space. What remains the same is the warmth and genuine hospitality we have consistently encountered here.

With Bob’s issues with walking and my newly-replaced knee, we truly appreciated the elevator to the second floor and friendly escort to convenient seating right inside the door.

This message was part 2 of the series God At Work and one of his points was to pray for a coworker with whom you experience conflict. God answers our prayers, often in unexpected ways, and in asking God to bless the person, we are at the very least being obedient to God’s direction and at most we are helping bring about change in them, in ourselves, and in the situation.

Although I have been retired for a few years, this advice brought back a memory of a time when I experienced conflict with a coworker. I would have preferred avoidance but it was not an option, and since I had no other ideas to resolve the situation, obedience to God’s guidance (i.e., prayer for this person) seemed the best path. In God’s good time, He healed all parties involved and the conflict simply dissolved.

Through His Holy Spirit and prayer, God can work on our hearts even when we seem to have little sway over the direction they wish to take. God’s way was truly best for everyone.

We are grateful for our conversation with Pastor Bob Zonts following the service.

 

Our prayer for this church:

Heavenly Father, we pray You will continue to bless this church in every way. Give them people to disciple, teach, and to pray with and pray for. May they constantly surrender their will to You. Amen.

Keystone Church

Today we worshiped at Keystone Church, RLA Learning and Conference Center, 850 Cranberry Woods Drive, Cranberry Twp., PA 16066, 724.201.1035, www.keystonechurchpa.com, Lorin Foster, Pastor.

 

Scripture – Genesis 22:1-14 NIV

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

 

Bob’s thoughts:

It was nice to see a few familiar faces from our last visit and meet a few new brothers and sisters in Christ.

We could have used a few more signs to help us old folks find the church.

If we’re arriving late I must remember to bring a flashlight so we can get settled in our seats in the dark. When someone came or went, it was a ray of sunshine, literally. I wouldn’t have known that my coffee cup had gotten tipped otherwise. We sat at the back and couldn’t see the low screen and couldn’t stand.

A point from the message that I never considered was that Abraham had to not only bring the wood for the sacrifice but also bring the fire for a couple days’ travel. I’m sure with the pressure of believing he would be using his child for the sacrifice it would be hard to think of bringing along fire.

From sermon points: help me obey, surrender my will, and God will always provide.

With my hand cramping, I was happy to come away with these notes.

 

Jan’s thoughts:

We arrived a little late due to some confusion on my part navigating the maze in this area. We quickly got coffee and found seats in the back after exchanging greetings with a few people.

I was surprised at how much louder the music was than last time, but we did stay put.

The pastor announced that the offerings for this week and next week would be donated in their entirety to support three different areas of mission this church supports financially.

The current message series is about the names of God, and today’s title was Hope Has a Name. The name he focused on today was Jehovah Jirah which means The Lord Will Provide.

He pointed out that our part requires faith-filled obedience before provision is made. We can forfeit God’s provision if we give up, decide not to believe God, or accept a counterfeit, and that partial obedience is total disobedience. Faith surrenders to God expecting His provision, and when we surrender, God will make a way. God ALWAYS provides for His children.

He suggested we each do a year-end review and ask God in what area we are forgetting that He is our provider.

 

Our prayer for this church:

Father, we pray Your continued blessings as Your church surrenders their will to You. Amen.

The Berean Bible Chapel

Yesterday we worshiped at The Berean Bible Chapel, 177 North Road, Butler, PA 16001, 724.332.9255, www.bereanofbutler.com, Andrew Pepe, Pastor.

 

Scripture – NIV

John 15:13 –

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Mark 10:45 –

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

 

Bob’s thoughts:

We were warmly welcomed when we walked in and assured we were okay being a few minutes after start time.

We met the pastor at one of our many trips to the Butler VA and had been looking forward to visiting his church.

The service was oriented around a salute to veterans. Vets from each branch were asked to stand and be honored as their song was played.

We stayed for a church luncheon after the service and were blessed to share a table with the pastor and his wife and their granddaughter. They shared some of their plans for the church going forward.

As much as I enjoyed the service, I admit there was a part of me that wanted to sit on the floor with the little ones in the back.

 

Jan’s thoughts:

It’s a joy to return to in-person worship.

We met Pastor Andy at the Butler VA one day several months ago, and in the course of our conversation he kindly invited us to visit the church he pastors.

The location was rural, the atmosphere casual, and the people were warm and welcoming.

We arrived with just enough time to use the restrooms and find a seat, and the pastor’s wife caught us on our way into the sanctuary and invited us to stay for the luncheon following worship.

Worship began with some songs and a few words from the pastor who admonished people to listen and act when we sense the Holy Spirit urging us to help someone.

A number of children came forward to hear the story of Daniel and the lions’ den during the children’s message.

In recognition of Veteran’s Day several days ago, a medley was played comprised of each service’s song: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Anyone present who had served in that branch stood to be recognized during their song. Clearly this pastor’s heart is with veterans, as he is a vet himself in addition to working at the VA.

In the message, the pastor pointed out the similarity between Christ’s willingness to give His life for others and the willingness of those in service to our country to do the same thing.

We stayed for some lunch following the service and greatly appreciated the conversation with the pastor and his wife.

 

Our prayer for this church:

Heavenly Father, we pray You bless Your church with continued growth as You guide them to do Your will. Amen.