Luke 13
The Rest of God!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, May 22 and the start of Stage 3 in Indiana and at FBC.
The weekend is almost here and it’s Memorial Day Weekend—a long weekend for many! I hope you take some time to rest in God for whatever you are planning.
Jesus returned the religious leaders of His day back to God’s original design of honoring the Sabbath day in Luke 13:16: “Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”
Jesus’ ongoing conflict with the religious leaders was because He would not observe their rules for the Sabbath day, what Jesus called “heavy burdens”—a yoke of slavery put on the people. Rather, Jesus declared “Freedom!” in His easy yoke of grace where the burden is light.
One of the ways you know you are in the easy yoke of Jesus is your ability to rest—mentally, emotionally, and relationally, not just physically. Are you struggling to rest? Whose yoke are you in?
Your ability to rest mentally and physically from your unfinished work demonstrates your faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Your ability to rest emotionally from your worries and anxieties demonstrates your hope in the sovereign grace of God.
Your ability to rest relationally from your need to have other people meet your needs demonstrates your trust in the Holy Spirit’s constant companionship.
We were designed to find our rest in the Trinitarian fellowship of God!
Seize the moment and rest! Can you prioritize time this Memorial Day weekend to find the rest of God by not multitasking God with the many other things spinning in your mind, churning in your heart or on your to-do or honey-do list? I pray that you strive to enter into the rest of God!
If you need a more personal touch from your church than this daily phone call, please dial the phone number below and someone will call you today. We are praying for you!
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Luke 12
Worry about Tomorrow Robs us of Today!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday,
A quick leader update before the devotion: The Governor of Indiana announced yesterday that we are entering Stage 3 tomorrow. Praise God! FBC, as good partners with local and state health departments, is following suit. The Governor highlighted that the next three weeks is critical for us to be able to move towards the big date of Sunday, June 14, the tentative start of Stage 4, when everyone will be welcomed back to Sunday services. Until then, in Stage 3, while the doors are open at 10 am for our Sunday services there are increased safety protocols in place for anyone who chooses to attend, we are still encouraging people to stay home and join us online. Thank you for praying about what is best for you, your family, and our congregation!
Speaking of tomorrow… Just last night, a dear sister in Christ was sharing with me about her family and updating prayer requests with me when she said, “Now we look forward at the uncertainty of the next school year, making preparations, but trying not to dwell on the “what if’s”. Living in the present moment is so challenging, even when that is basically the only option available to us right now!”
My advice to them and any person or family in the same situation is simple, but simple is not always easy: Don’t let your worry about tomorrow rob you of your joy today!
Jesus taught us in Luke 12:25-26, “And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span? If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?”
It takes humility to live this way: to trust God with all of your tomorrows and not try to control everything around you.
Seize the moment and give God all your worries. He will give you the grace to live for today!
If you need a more personal touch from your church than this daily phone call, please dial the phone number at the bottom of this page and someone will call you today. We are praying for you!
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Luke 11
Humility in the Information Age!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, May 20.
Did you know that the evidence you are looking for to support your point of view will always be there for you to find? That’s because your mind and heart will be looking first for that information and will filter out all the rest. And it’s easier now in the information age where you can explore and get support for any possible point of view on the Internet. The problem is not because there is a lack of information out there, but in how we allow the information to shape our hearts and how we do relationships. Who or what is shaping you and your relationships?
In Luke 11:53-54, the religious leaders had set their hearts against Jesus, they had already made up their minds, “When Jesus left there, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, waiting to catch him in something he might say.”
Here is the real issue and it’s an ancient one: pride! The answer is found in the character of Jesus who is gentle and humble in heart (Matthew 11:29). Humility is a learned quality in a person that allows for healthy relationships and brings about thriving communities. Pride destroys both relationships and communities! The religious leaders of Jesus’s day stopped listening to Jesus and were only trying to “catch him” to prove they were right and he is wrong. I am saddened by how many people today are doing the same as these ancient pharisees. If we can ever have a conversation again, a real dialogue or a healthy debate on a topic, then we must be humble.
As Peter says in 1 Peter 5:5, “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Seize the moment and pray for God to humble you. This will do a world of good for you, your relationships, and our communities.
If you need a more personal touch from your church than this daily phone call, please dial the phone number below and someone will call you today. We are praying for you!
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Luke 10
Soul Care!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, May 19.
You have heard it said, put on your own oxygen mask first. This illustration comes from air travel for people traveling with a child. The point is that if you are impaired or unconscious from a lack of oxygen, you can’t help someone else.
How do you keep first things first in your life? More pointedly, how is it with your soul?
As a culture of Martha’s, we are an anxious people who want to get busy again. It’s understandable, but I wonder how many people actually stopped long enough inside their own heads and hearts to learn what Jesus was trying to communicate. In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus responded to Martha’s complaint about Mary who had actually stopped all her busyness to sit at the feet of Jesus and reflect upon His presence and teachings.
Listen to Jesus’ answer in verses 41-42, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Our culture’s anxiety is most visible in the way people communicate to one another and about one another, and how miserably-happy people seem to be to be “worried and upset about many things.” It’s almost like if we aren’t worried and upset about something, then we think something is really wrong. At the heart of it all, our souls are sick because they are weary and heavy-burdened by many things.
Well my fellow Martha’s, what is paying the steepest price of our soul sickness is our relationships—with God and one another! I’m putting on my own oxygen mask because who of us really wants to live their lives “worried and upset about many things”?
Seize the moment and stop to sit at Jesus’ feet today. Jesus gives you a choice.
If you need a more personal touch from your church than this daily phone call, please dial the phone number below and someone will call you today. We are praying for you!
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Luke 9
Refuse to Let Rejection Take you Off Course in Life!
How do you handle rejection?
Listen to how Jesus handled rejection in Luke 9:51, “He set his face to go to Jerusalem.”
In Luke 9:53-56, we see that the disciples of Jesus responded to rejection by getting upset and wanting to call fire from heaven to destroy those who rejected them. But that is not the way of Jesus! Jesus taught His followers a better way than the normal “knee-jerk response.”
Here are three simple (but not always easy) steps you can use to deal with rejection:
1) Pray. Acknowledge your feelings, for they are real, but instead of letting them take you over, immediately pray and cast the situation on God alone. You won’t hurt Him.
2) Guard your tongue. Rejection can lead to a wildfire of emotions inside you. Once that wildfire comes out of you there is no way of taking it back. Don’t light the match with words or actions…
3) Stay focused on God’s path for your life. The way to Jerusalem was the path of Jesus’ obedience. Make a decision to refuse to take offense at people and their opinions. Don’t get sucked into a toxic response because God has a better plan for your emotions, thoughts, and energy.
Seize the moment and stay focused on God’s path for you and live a life of obedience to Jesus. Remember Jesus’ words from Luke 9:23, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
If you need a more personal touch from your church than this daily phone call, please dial the phone number below and someone will call you today. We are praying for you!
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Responding to the Plan of God – Week 5
Image Bearers Steward the Body of Christ!
Key Verses: Romans 8:14-16 & Ephesians 4:11-16)
Written and delivered by Pastor Jerry Ingalls to the First Baptist Church of New Castle, Indiana.
I am praying for our congregation. We are God’s family because He has adopted us as His children. The heart of God is for His children to be fully alive in Christ and reflecting His love, care, and stewardship of the world so that the world can see His glory in and through His family. Because God uses all things for His glory and the good of those who love Him and are called according to His glory, God is using this time to bring about a great awakening in His Family. He wants us to see ourselves the way God sees us: as His dearly beloved children!
Last week we learned that Image Bearers of God steward their families to the glory of God! It always starts at home—your family is your first ministry because the family is God’s building block of not only the church, but of the New Heaven and New Earth that we are invited to proclaim with our love, care, and stewardship of creation, beginning around our kitchen tables. God reminded us of His plan and where and with whom it starts.
I share that with you again because while God has ordained the family as the place where biblical discipline and instruction primarily happens (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 & Ephesians 6:1-4), the church as God’s adoptive family has an essential part to play in keeping family members on plan for their lives. We are each easily distracted. As we have talked about numerous times recently, the reason for our gathering is found in Hebrews 10:23-25,
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 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.
Many churches have had to relearn this during the COVID-19 pandemic because we have made the Sunday gathering the main event of the church instead of the supporting event of the people of God being the Church of Jesus Christ. We forgot that we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit and made our buildings into holy places, though they are made of brick and mortar and we are made in the Image of God. We forgot that Jesus tore the veil and filled us with His Holy Spirit, making us the holy of holies of God’s presence in the world. Listen to this amazing quote that summarizes our sacred status as taught in the New Testament,
We don’t need a tabernacle or temple to mark sacred space. Our bodies are sacred space. Paul calls our earthly bodies a “tent” (2 Cor. 5:4) because we are indwelt by the same divine presence that filled the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle and the temple (Rom. 8:9–11). Eventually our body, the earthly home of our spirit, will die, only to be replaced by a “house not made with hands” (2 Cor. 5:1–3), a heavenly dwelling—the new Eden, heaven returned to earth (Rev. 22:1–3). Since God indwells believers today through his Spirit, each church—each gathering of believers—is holy ground. This is why Paul, when sadly telling the Corinthians to expel an unrepentant Christian who was living in sin, instructed them to “deliver this man to Satan” (1 Cor. 5:5). The church was holy ground. Outside the fellowship of believers was the domain of Satan. That was where sin and its self-destruction belonged. It’s time we looked at ourselves through supernatural eyes. You are a child of God, fit for sacred space, not because of what you do or don’t do, but because you are in Christ, adopted by God (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:5). You’ve been extracted from the realm of darkness and “transferred … to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col. 1:13). We must never, not for a moment, forget who we are in Christ—and what that means to the world.”[1] [emphasis added]
The Church, before we are anything, we are the adopted family of God—we are sons and daughters of God. We are the body of Christ. And if you ask families with adopted children, they will wholeheartedly tell you that “these are my children.” Listen to Paul describe us in Romans 8:14-16,
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.
You see—we are children of God called to mature in Christ to reflect the glory of God in how we love, care, and steward what God has entrusted to us (our talents). For us to live this way, we must see ourselves this way.
Listen to a historical example of what happens when the family of God forgets who they are or gets distracted from doing the work of God’s agents.
Decades before the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana of Wales occurred, the country had experienced a tremendous spiritual revival in 1904. Wales soon became a launching pad for missionaries who preached to every land of the globe. One missionary ended up in Argentina where he converted a young boy named Luis Palau, who became known as the “Billy Graham” of Latin America. Mr. Palau was so inspired by the spiritual outreach from Wales that he decided to visit the country in the early 1970s. He was saddened by what he found. Less than [“one half of one percent”] of the Wales population faithfully attended church services. The divorce rate had jumped dramatically to an all-time high. The police force now had to take their weapons with them as crime had increased. The sport rugby was now the national religion with families driving miles to faithfully attend tournaments while skipping out on the worship of God. Disappointed by what he saw, Mr. Palau created a documentary called “God Has No Grandchildren”.[2]
Howard Dayton concluded about Luis Palau’s documentary, “In Wales, despite tremendous spiritual vitality, the impact of Christianity had all but disappeared in 70 years. Parents had failed to pass their faith to their children. Each generation is responsible for passing on to its children the gospel and the truths of Scripture.”
What a sobering story from recent church history. The truth is that God has no grandchildren, but every generation must rise up and take on the mantle of spiritual leadership for the sake of the next generation. Great awakening need to happen in every generation because society can shift that quickly, within 70 years! We have seen the same in the United States of America—from the WWII generation massively building the church in America upon their return from the war and into the 1950s as the Baby Boomers were born and raised, and then passed it on to the third and fourth generations (Generation X and the Millennials), and here we are with churches closing all around communities in our country and organizations like Barna Research Group doing massive research to understand the state of the church in 2020, literally 70 years later.[3]
What can American churches learn from the historical lesson of the 70-year spiritual decline of Wales?
Here is a learning point: The FAMILY OF GOD exists to empower and equip OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS to transform the world by being THE FAMILY OF GOD on mission for OUR FATHER as HIS ADOPTED CHILDREN. We are not an institution or civic organization—we are God’s Plan A because we are His family. We are agents of God’s Kingdom—on a rescue mission to seek and to save that which is lost (Luke 19:10). Not to bring them into conformity with us, but with Christ! As someone who was not raised in the subculture of the church, but was chosen by God to receive faith while serving in the US Army, here is what I know many a church goer needs to learn and is often blind to because of their own church experience: The church does not exist to meet the needs of its members, but to empower and equip the members to transform the world by being God’s restored Image Bearers, the stewards of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Have we simply lost focus and are distracted, or have we forgotten who we are and what we are supposed to be doing? It’s one or the other, because the historical witness of Wales is right here staring at us in America.
Maybe the problem is that we are having a hard time accepting one another as real brothers and real sisters. We have forgotten Jesus’s words from Matthew 12:50, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (cf. Luke 8:21).
The church is a multigenerational family built on individual members and their families. The purpose of the church is to respond to the plan of God in such a way that we reflect God as one united family with God as our adopting Father. Paul visualizes this united family using body imagery as all of us being one mature body (“man”), as opposed to many independent children. Listen to Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 4:11-16,
And he gave the [leaders of the church] to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ [italics added], so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Every multigenerational family has infants, toddlers, pre-teens, teenagers, twenty somethings, middle agers, seniors. Everyone has room to grow, and we all don’t need to be in the same place growth-wise … but we DO need to be growing regardless of our age because in the Kingdom of God your church experience and your age don’t determine maturity in Christ. We are to never stop equipping our fellow family members on who they are as adopted sons and daughters, and how they are to be as a member of God’s adopted family.
This is one of the reasons why we see the church dying in America, following the same death cycle as the church in Wales: we forgot that the family is only as healthy as the individual members. We sold our family birthright for larger and more efficient organizations and we hired professionals to the do the work for us, all in the name of Jesus, but we forgot who we are in Jesus along the way and we started managing what we had built instead of stewarding the gospel He gave us to share with the world God created.
What a severe mercy for God to use this time to remind us that He is not about our buildings, our programs, and our notability. It is a sad thing to watch pastors and churches vying for visibility in today’s marketplace-driven culture and lose favor with God. May Jesus once again be preeminent in the church! May we cast down our idols and return to God. God is bringing revival to His people—to awaken us for His glory! The church in America has been consumed by the economic-driven cultural progress of the second half of the 20th century. Now, we look and act more like a corporation with stake holders than a movement of disciples united on mission for Jesus. Why do we still wonder why the surrounding culture is not attracted nor interested in joining us?[4]
As Jesus said in Matthew 5:13,
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”
We must remember, once again, that revival of the members of the family is what makes the family healthy and effective. This happens at a personal and household level and those individual members who make up families living in neighborhoods are the ones who change their neighborhoods and then together, those neighborhoods transform communities… cities… states… nations… to the ends of the earth! This is the plan of God and you are Plan A because you are a son or daughter of God!
The COVID-19 pandemic has become an opportunity for the revival of the members of the church; or it is the death knell for many a church that has lost its way over the last 70 years in America.
Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
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FOOTNOTES:
[1] Michael Heiser, Supernatural: What the Bible Teaches about the Unseen World—And Why It Matters (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2015), 83-85.
[2] I first learned of this story from Howard Dayton, but I grabbed a synopsis of it from a newspaper article: https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/portage/does-god-have-grandchildren-in-your-family/article_8cf164a9-0399-5e1f-87d5-a10cc2205a89.html. Accessed May 11, 2020. Dayton’s quote, immediately following, is from the Stewardship Study Bible.
[3] A friend of mine reminded me of this famous Ronald Reagan quote, which speaks to the geopolitical realm of life, but the principle is strikingly the same. “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”
[4] A friend wrote to me, “Yes. We may no longer be selling indulgences for absolution of sin on the front steps of the church, but there are too many ways the church in America as a whole tends to run like a Ponzi scheme. “Put in this much effort/money/time, and then we’ll start to take care of you.” No one wants to be part of that.”
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Luke 8
Reach out to Jesus!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Saturday, May 16.
A short church update before the devotion: Stages 2-4 are like the longest part of an already long plane ride–the process of landing and then getting off the airplane. The good news is that the plane is starting to land, but please remain patient as we go through the stages of landing (2 & 3) and exiting (4).
In stages 2 & 3, we are unlocking the front doors of the church building at 10 AM for our 10:30 service. With that said the elders and leaders strongly encourage you to watch online during these stages if you can. Your safety is our shepherding responsibility. We know this is a confusing time for many, especially our beloved senior adults, so please trust us, we do love you and want you. Only join us in person if you cannot join with us in any other way. If you are coming tomorrow, please help us keep everyone safe by planning to wear your mask, using hand sanitizer upon entering, and staying safely distanced the entire time. Please go to our webpage for detailed information or call the elder on call if you have questions for how this applies to you personally.
Luke 8:46 demonstrates that Jesus wants you to personally reach out to Him: “But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.’”
Many people were a part of a crowd that was pressing against Jesus, but Jesus said power went out from Him to one specific person because she touched Jesus in a different way. There is a difference between being a part of a crowd and being a person who reaches out to Jesus in faith. Are you experiencing the power of Jesus in your life?
Seize the moment and reach out in faith to touch Jesus today. I pray that Jesus’ power may enter into your life as your reach out to Him in faith today.
FBC wants to help you in practical ways, so please dial the phone number below if you would like someone to call you today. We are praying for you!
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Luke 7
Humility!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, May 15.
Do you believe what people say about you? It’s a dangerous business finding yourself on the front page of the newspaper. Why? Because you might believe what the world says about you. Once we start believing opinions, whose opinion matters the most?
In Luke 7:1-10, we read a powerful story of how Jesus heals the servant of a Roman centurion. Verses 3-5 narrate the story as the “elders of the Jews…pleaded with [Jesus] earnestly, saying, ‘[the Centurion] is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.'”
I am a bit scandalized by the use of the word “worthy” and of a Jewish endorsement for an occupying force’s military leader in their hometown. It strikes me as flattery, but the centurion did not believe his own press release, nor give himself over to flattery (read verses 6-7). Unlike his emperor, who demanded that people worship him as a god, here was a humble man. Jesus concludes about the centurion, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith” (v. 9).
This was high praise from Jesus and not flattery! Jesus saw the fruit of repentance in this man. Jesus saw humility instead of pride, love of his neighbor rather than love of self, and a sincere desire to serve his community rather than to be served.
Seize the moment and pray with me: Lord, I desire to be a faithful person from the inside out. I know that I cannot produce the fruit of repentance on my own power so please teach me to abide in You so that You can bear fruit through my life for Your glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
FBC wants to help you in practical ways, so please dial the phone number below if you would like someone to call you today. We are praying for you!
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Luke 6
Stay in your own Lane!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, May 14.
When you drive down the street, do you stay inside your lane? If you leave your lane, what could happen?
Jesus commands us in Luke 6:37-38, “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
You will be judged by the same measure you judge others. The hope in Jesus’ words is that you will not judge others, but rather that you will give others the same abundant forgiveness that you yourself received from Him. This command comes with the promises of God for those who are generous as good stewards of all that they have!
You are not called to be a judge of souls (that God’s job alone), a prosecutor of people’s intentions (only God knows the heart!), or a defense attorney for God because you are called to be an eyewitness of the forgiveness and grace freely given to you.
Stay in your lane and let the Holy Spirit do the work of convicting people of their sin. Let the Word of God do the judging—it is living and active, sharper than a double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). We don’t need to add our sharp tongues to the Word’s effectiveness!
Seize the moment and receive the forgiveness and grace of Jesus Christ in your life, today. If you stay in your lane there are always great opportunities to tell other people about what God has done for you. Will you be usable to God by staying in the lane He has assigned you? Who does God want you to give to and forgive by His grace today?
FBC wants to help you in practical ways, so please dial the phone number below if you would like someone to call you today. We are praying for you!
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Luke 5
I am Willing!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, May 13.
I spent close to a dozen years on active duty military service in the US Army. It was an all-volunteer army which means that every single person who was following orders allowed their own lives to be significantly inconvenienced for the sake of the mission—these veterans, my brothers and sisters, were willing to sacrifice their own freedoms to defend the freedoms of those who either could not or would not do the same for them. I honor our veterans and I pray for them.
In Luke 5:12-13, a man “covered with leprosy” begged Jesus, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” “Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man, ‘I am willing,’ He said, ‘Be clean!’ And immediately the leprosy left him.”
What a wonderful miracle! What was Jesus’ next move? In our experience with religion, a revival tent would have gone up in verse 15 to accommodate the “crowds of people” who wanted to hear Jesus and be healed. But that wasn’t Jesus’ next move! Verse 16 says, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
Jesus was on a mission and while most people hear that kind of language about Jesus’ life, they may not realize that this is military language. Jesus was under orders from His Father so while the people wanted to take control of his plans and schedules, Jesus broke off to listen to His Father. Rather than following the crowds, Jesus stayed on mission!
You see, being on mission means you have to know your marching orders from God for each and every day.
Seize the moment: Before you let other people take over your life in the name of Christian charity or church volunteerism, spend some time with God to listen to your day’s marching orders. Who is directing your steps—your emotions, other people, or God?
FBC wants to help you in practical ways, so please dial the phone number below if you would like someone to call you today. We are praying for you!
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Luke 4
As Was His Custom!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, May 12.
The officers meeting went great last night and your leaders are working to ensure our 5-stage reopening plan goes smoothly. Thank you for trusting us to take the right steps for your safety and the well-being of our communities. Please prioritize 5 minutes to read through Stage 2 guidelines on our webpage. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the elder on call. (Phone number at bottom of this page)
Over my first decade serving at FBC, I have heard many people say that they are lost without gathering for church on Sunday morning. Why? Because it is such an engrained habit that it has become their custom.
Customs are good, Jesus had customs. Listen to Luke 4:16, “On the sabbath day [Jesus] went into the synagogue, as was His custom…” We see this in verse 44, “And [Jesus] kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.” But we must assess and know what motivates and shapes our customs.
Jesus’ customs were motivated and shaped by His mission to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God—the gospel. Going to the Jewish meeting place was His custom because that is what God’s plan for His life required of Him. For Jesus, his life mission shaped His custom—to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10) and Jewish synagogues was where His target audience met (Matthew 15:24).
As a pastor-teacher, I have continued to enter the Christian meeting place multiple times every week because my mission shapes my customs—to get the word out about Jesus by whatever means necessary to empower and equip you, the church, to trust and obey Jesus with your entire life (Ephesians 4:11-16). God’s call upon my life shapes and directs my customs. Which is to not draw a crowd, but to mobilize the church into the community!
What shapes and directs your customs?
Seize the moment: “Trust and obey, for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus.”
FBC wants to help you in practical ways, so please dial the phone number below if you would like someone to call you today. We are praying for you!
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Luke 3
U-Turns to God!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, May 11.
FBC enters Stage 2 today in our reopening plan. Check out our webpage www.newcastlefbc.com to learn more about what that means. If all goes well in our communities, we will move to Stage 3 on May 24. Join me in praying for our communities, state, and national health departments, medical personnel, and first responders who are on the front lines. Let’s be great partners with our communities to the glory of God by being the church every day to people in need!
Why is this so important? So we don’t have to do a U-turn later…
Speaking of U-turns, did you know that is what the word repentance means? Repentance is a word of freedom and love. John the Baptizer said in Luke 3:8, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”
What a beautiful image! John is saying to his audience, don’t assume you are already connected to God, but enter into a relationship with God. Do a U-turn and come home! It’ll become visible in your words and deeds.
Jesus builds upon this image in John 15:16, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide…”
Both John and Jesus invite us to repent from assumptions and presumptions that keep us disconnected from God’s power and by repenting to produce the good fruit that shows it.
Seize the moment and do a U-turn into the arms of God this morning. No matter what your yesterday looked like, God is waiting for you to U-turn back to Him today. His mercies are new every morning. Welcome God into your new week and watch what He will do in and through you to His glory.
FBC wants to help you in practical ways, so please dial the phone number below if you would like someone to call you today. We are praying for you!
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Responding to the Plan of God – Week 4
2020: A Year of Celebration!
Image Bearers Steward Family to Reflect God’s Glory!
Key Verses: Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Genesis 12:1-3; and Ephesians 5:25—6:4)
Written and delivered by Pastor Jerry Ingalls from the building of the First Baptist Church of New Castle, Indiana through an on-line service to the Church of Jesus Christ.
The family is the primary small group of the church. The Plan of God begins in the home and then goes with us wherever we go. The mission of God has always started in the household. No matter your current life season or what your household looks like, please know that this message is for each of us as restored Image Bearers of God. The ultimate purpose of our lives is not determined by how any of us feel about our own lives—we are here to reflect God’s glory by loving, caring, and stewarding for His creation as agents of God’s Kingdom!
Listen to one of the oldest books in the Bible. The fifth book of Moses, Deuteronomy 6:4-9,
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
The Word of God is the primer by which we teach children to read and write and that which we hide in our hearts so that we do not sin against God. How can households with children start integrating Bible memory work, reading from the scriptures, cursive writing with the Psalms? How can we work a biblical worldview into how we search on Google and read news stories and engage social media? You don’t need kids to do this… This is an opportunity for each of us.
As a congregation, we invite people to be in groups together for Bible study and fellowship, but those were never meant to substitute God’s original design for spiritual growth as a priority of the home. God’s plan for your holiness, maturity in Christ, and social needs was intentionally designed and instructed for your family. The family is God’s first small group, but when we don’t have that, what a blessing it is that there are small groups for singles, widows and widowers, and people who do not experience spiritual unity in their family units.
That is God’s grace by being a part of a congregation, because whether at home or in an congregational small group, God’s purpose for your home or small group is the same.
How is your small group helping you mature in Christ? How is your home prioritizing spiritual growth?
We were designed to live in community, in relationship, because God has always and will always exist in perfect community within Himself—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.[1] There never was a time that God was or will be lonely. He is perfect within Himself. God didn’t create humanity because He was lonely or somehow incomplete without us. God created His creation out of His great love and capacity to love, to delight in us and for us to delight in Him, to know and to be known.
Humans are designed and commanded to steward the world that God created. We are to reflect His Image and to respond to His plan by loving, caring for, and stewarding God’s creation. That important job began with Adam and Eve, of course, but we can’t forget that the family has been, from the very beginning, God’s primary plan! The church came much later and when it did come, it did not replace the family; rather, it brought families together with a common vision of the resurrection from the dead and the coming of Jesus Christ to make all things new—to cultivate the soil of this dying world and to plant seeds in human hearts for that which is to come.
It was through the family that God designed us to bless all the families of the earth! Listen to Genesis 12:3c in God’s great commission to Abraham and Sarah,
“And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
Families gather together and make communities and then communities coalesce together to make societies. The larger the group, the more diverse and difficult it gets, but at the heart of every society is the family unit and at the heart of the family is the need for spiritual leadership.
We are local congregations made up of family units, whether it is one individual or a five-generation group of people. And local congregations together make up the larger Church, who is called by God to look like Jesus—the body of Christ! As Paul says in Romans 12:5, “so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”
Local churches are only as healthy as the individuals and families who covenant together to be a congregation. The Church is only as healthy as the congregations of each community, county, state, nation, and world. We are the only Jesus the world sees…
If your family is a church, how healthy are your members? And what do they think about you as a person who is responsible for the spiritual growth of the other family members? How do you and your family affect the health of our congregation? What does the world see through us?
Image Bearers are called to steward their own families first because that is where we are transformed into Christ’s image the most. Guess who God is using to cause you to be more gentle and humble, kind and generous, loving and patient? Yes, your parents or your children, your aunts and uncles, your cousins, nieces and nephews, your grandparents…your spouse!
As Paul said in Romans 8:29,
“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.”
The family is where that begins and continues. The family only grows up as each family member matures. So if a parent never matures, but remains focused on themselves (the epitome of immaturity), they are hindering their child’s ability to mature into adulthood. An easy example is when you watch a parent deal with their child’s temper tantrum at a restaurant. We expect that, but it is an altogether different matter to watch a parent throw a temper tantrum at a basketball game and everyone, but them, knows it and is looking around for the grandparents (the parent’s parents) to bring the adult child back into conformity with the family expectations of attitudes and behaviors. Ultimately, this is why we have police and the department of corrections. When this can’t be done in families, local churches and community organizations such as schools, society has created mechanisms to deal with it—the police and department of corrections.
When I always get my way, I’m not forced to grow or change or sacrifice or be obedient or anything. In fact, it is dangerous for any of us to always get our way! When I have to put someone before me by holding my tongue or suspending my opinions, I have to grow in my Christlikeness. Whether it is my immediate family, my extended family, or my church family, those people are sanding off my rough spots, removing the selfishness of my heart, breaking my pride and arrogance, if I choose to let them. I can, if I want to, pull myself out of God’s plan for my life, but it is usually to my detriment personally and to the detriment of the family and church. Christians are formed in the crucible of relationships—at home and at church! Don’t bail before the blessing!
Are you maturing because you are willing to remain as a member of a family or church?
The church is a multigenerational family built on individual members and their families. The purpose of the Church is to respond to the plan of God in such as way that we reflect God as one mature body and not act like children. This is what Paul is teaching us in Ephesians 4:11-16,
And he gave the [leaders of the church] to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love [italics added].
We are to speak the truth in love! Two sides of the same coin—never to be separated. But our culture has lost this skill and unfortunately with it so have many in our families and churches.
Church membership has fallen into the same dysfunctionality as the modern family—we have become deceived that church and family are about our personal happiness and fulfillment, to meet our needs. What a dangerous situation it is when your personal well-being is dependent on another person always doing what you want them to do—making you happy and feeling self-fulfilled. That is not real family, nor biblical church, that is self-centered consumerism.
When you read about developmental lifecycles of the human, infants and toddlers are cute as a button, which keeps us from eating our own, because they are also some of the most narcissistic and manipulative human beings you will ever meet. They use their smiles, giggles, and those big beautiful eyes to get exactly what they want out of us, their parents and grandparents. And we love to give it all to them, until we don’t! Then, when cute doesn’t work, hang on to your sanity because here comes their sin nature and we call it the “terrible twos”.
We cannot be a church full of disgruntled toddlers and expect to function well. The terrible twos is supposed to be a phase, not a lifestyle choice! Maybe that’s a prophetic word for America…
Family is designed by God for His glory! Before your family is about your satisfaction, it is about your sanctification. Before it is about your happiness it is about your holiness. God is forming you into His image and He will use members of your family and church to do so.
Learning how to serve in love starts at home. Listen to this passage from 1 Timothy 5:1-8,
Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. Honor widows who are truly widows. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Powerful! To not steward your family is to deny your faith and to be worse than an unbeliever.
In conclusion, listen to the famous household scripture from Ephesians 5:25-6:4,
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), ‘that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.’ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.[2]
Are you serving your family in love? Is your home the primary place of your spiritual growth or have you abdicated your responsibilities to someone else in order to have time to pursue other plans for your life?
Trust me when I tell you, a couple hours a week of church activities will never get you the results you are looking for, for yourself, your kids or grandkids. We are not enough to get anyone where they need to be, so here is the way Jesus has invited you to become what God commands: you are invited to make Him the center of your life: your ambition, your personal identity, and all your planning—family & finances, career and retirement. Because He owns everything that you are called to steward!
I’m calling you to respond to God’s plan! How will you respond?
Image Bearers of God steward their families to the glory of God! It always starts at home—your family is your first ministry because the family is God’s building block of not only the church, but of the New Heaven and New Earth that we are invited to proclaim with our love, care, and stewardship of creation, beginning around our kitchen tables. That can be in the season or circumstance of it being just you and Jesus over a cup of coffee and a bran muffin, or it can be the season of chaos where the cereal is flying and the dog is barking, but that is where God designed it to begin.
There is always grace for today and hope for tomorrow. So no matter what has happened in your life and in your family, today is the day of salvation. Start with what you do have and don’t focus on the past. Be a good household manager of what you do have for the glory of God!
Listen to the Message here:
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FOOTNOTES:
[1] In Genesis 2:20-25, there is something in the Garden of Eden that was incomplete. We were made in the Image of God (Gen 1:27), but not yet able to experience community as God does within the Trinity.
[2] This is so important to God that He makes our success at this as a requirement to be a leader in His Church (1 Timothy 3:1-5).
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Luke 2
I Am One of You!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Saturday, May 9.
The classic Christmas story begins with a worldly power play, “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered” (Luke 2:1).
From the very beginning of the Christmas story is the juxtaposition between God’s way of showing His greatness and how people of the world attempt to show their power.
The world leader, Caesar Augustus, wants everyone to see his greatness so he orders a census of all the people under his control. Caesar, acting as a sovereign over the Roman Empire, disrupts the lives of so many so that he can show himself greater than all under his authority. Essentially, the world’s way is to say, “I am better than you… and I’ll prove it to you…just watch me!”
God, the true Sovereign, demonstrates His greatness in Luke 2 not by setting Himself apart from His people, but by saying, “I am willing to become one of you!” The incarnation is the visible expression of God’s greatness! Jesus meekly left Heaven and came to earth to show us the way back to Father (Philippians 2:5-11). Jesus came not to tear us down, but to elevate us (Ephesians 2:6-7) by saying “I am with you!” and even more radically, “I am one of you!”
While Caesar was busy showing the world how great he was by counting all of his people, God was showing His greatness by becoming one of His people. Emmanuel—God is with us!
Seize the moment and follow the way of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to save people and build them up with His words and actions. Jesus came from Heaven to earth to serve you, how far are you willing to go to help someone else in their needs?
FBC wants to help you in practical ways, so please dial the phone number below if you would like someone to call you today. We are praying for you!
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Luke 1
May it Be to Me as God Says!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, May 8.
I got excited this morning because we are starting the Gospel of Luke, the third of the Synoptic Gospels. Big word alert! Synoptic simply means “same view” and when used of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke it means that these three authors generally see the ministry of Jesus from the same view, which is quite different from John’s Gospel. Some people have made a big deal about what has been called the “Synoptic Problem” which is an area of New Testament Studies, but I assure you there is no substantial problem here, just a catchy title to help with book sales.
As we start with Luke 1 today, it is my hope that you have been reading each chapter along with my morning devotion. If so, keep it up because you are doing it, maybe for the first time—reading and learning about the Jesus of the Bible, for yourself. I invite you to start today if you have not yet been reading along. Fall in love with the Jesus of the Bible.
Consider memorizing Mary’s simple words from Luke 1:38, “I am the Lord’s servant…May it be to me as you have said.” God had just delivered an important message to Mary and that was her response. God is still in the business of delivering important messages to people and He primarily uses His Word. So as you go to read your Bible, pray these words, “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as God says.”
The real problem in contemporary Christianity is not with scholarly issues like the “synoptic problem,” but when people say they are a Christian, but never spend time with Jesus and therefore don’t look or sound anything like Him. “That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable!” [Quote attributed to Brennan Manning and popularized by DC Talk]
Seize the moment and spend time with Jesus, the Lover of your soul today, and He will transform you from the inside out. I am praying for you as you do this.
FBC wants to be there for you personally, so please press 9 if you need someone to call you today. We are praying for you!
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Mark 16
Belief!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, May 7.
What does it mean to believe?
If I say, I believe that chair is a good and safe place to sit down and enjoy my morning cup of coffee while I read my Bible, then I act upon it: I put all my weight and I trust the chair to support me. I don’t do a half squat in the chair and start feeling the burn within seconds just to keep the illusion that I believe…
Belief is not just an act of the mind to understand a truth or the will of our hearts to trust. Biblical belief requires the work of God in us to act upon what our minds and hearts say is true. It is the coming together of our whole person into a lifestyle that proclaims what we believe.
As Mark concludes the Gospel of Mark, he describes the events of the resurrection, but he doesn’t end with an optimistic view of the disciples. Jesus is raised from the dead, but over and over again the disciples struggled to believe. Listen to Mark 16:8, “And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”
Mark continues to say of the disciples, “they would not believe” (v. 11) and again, “they did not believe” (v. 13). Jesus gave three eyewitnesses a personal encounter, but the disciples would not believe.
Seize the moment and pray that Holy Spirit will work in you to align your lifestyle (from the inside out) to the teachings of Jesus Christ. The evidence of belief is not displayed in what building you find yourself sitting on a Sunday morning, that’s more true than ever, but in how you live for Jesus all week long. Don’t get distracted from being the Church—Shine His Light!
FBC wants to be there for you personally, so please dial the phone number below if you need someone to call you today. We are praying for you!
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Mark 15
Truly, Jesus is the Son of God!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, May 6.
Here is a brief church update before the devotion. We have finalized the FBC 5-Stage COVID-19 Response Plan. If we have your email, this comprehensive plan will be emailed to you today.
Specifically, people have been asking about this Sunday. Please know that we understand that the Indiana Governor stated that churches can open on May 8, but we are not yet ready to open up for this Sunday, May 10. We want to ensure all planning, communications, and preparations are of God and are done properly. FBC’s Stage 2 will begin next week and with Sunday, May 17. Thank you for trusting us to do this right and not rushing anything. As the Governor stated yesterday, that how we respond today will determine how we can move forward in the coming days.
If you drive by the church building this week you will see that our front entrance and portico area are being used as a state COVID-19 testing site through Saturday night. Truly, the Church never closed because we are being good partners to bring thriving to our communities. This is why we exist!
Please join us in doing the right thing–BE the Church that Jesus gave His life for!
Listen to Mark 15:39, “And when the centurion, who stood facing [Jesus], saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!’”
Here is a pagan centurion who watched how Jesus died declare, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” My question for you and us is this: What do our unbelieving neighbors say about us when they see us using our building, which has been closed to us,, but has remained open for blood drives, financial and practical assistance, food distributions, and COVID-19 testing.
Seize the moment and shine the light of Jesus Christ! May your neighbors be able to say the same about Jesus because of the way you live your life. Truly, Jesus is the Son of God!
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Mark 14
Seize the Moment – Day 49
Press into Jesus and Trust Him!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, May 5.
Before I share the devotion for this morning, here is a very short church update: The elder meeting went great last night. After praying all weekend about it, we met to discuss our church’s reopening plan based on the 5 Stages as presented by the Governor on Friday. We are finishing it up today in partnership with staff, so please pray for that process. It is a faithful and wise plan that we are working to communicate simply and clearly in the coming days so that you can know what to expect, not just for this week, but in any given week in the coming months based on what Stage (1-5) we are in as a county or state, as determined by current health department information. In these stressful days, your elders are pressing into Jesus and trusting Him for wisdom and guidance, safety and protection.
How are you handling the stress?
One of the most powerful images of Jesus is found in Mark 14:36, in what could have been one of Jesus’ most stressful (and tempting) moments in his earthly ministry. Listen to Jesus pray, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
Under stress, Jesus did 2 things: 1) He pressed into the intimacy of His relationship with His Father. ‘Abba’ (daddy) was a new way to relate to God and Jesus invites us to see God this way. 2) Jesus pressed into the trust that comes from such an intimate relationship. Trust doesn’t come easy for people, but what else does Jesus need to do for you than what He did on the Cross for you to be able to trust Him?
Seize the moment and press into the intimacy of your relationship with God and trust Him. God loves you, cares about you, and is inviting you right now to trust Him.
FBC wants to be there for you personally, so please dial the phone number below if you need any practical assistance today. We are praying for you!
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Mark 13
Stay on God’s Plan!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, May 4.
A story from my college athlete days. It was the 1996 NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships. I was in peak condition and I was ready to compete at my highest level. But I made a mistake and I paid for it in spades. I let the overwhelming odds of competing against the Hungarian who would become not only the NCAA Champion that day, but also the gold medalist in the 1996 Olympics a few months later inside my head. I choked because I went off plan. I allowed my circumstances to take control…
Christians are to remain hopeful in the face of what feels like overwhelming odds. When everything looks out of control, we are to walk by faith and not by sight. We are to stay on God’s Plan as His Image Bearers! Reflect on Jesus’ reassuring words from Mark 13:23, “So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time” and then in v. 31, “Heaven [the skies] and earth will pass away, but my words never pass away.”
Be assured that against all evidence presented by media outlets and from our own daily circumstances that the world is not out of control, but rather on a foreseen path towards the completion of all things. God has already told us so that we can remain focused! So that we can stay on plan!
Seize the moment and remain faithful to God’s Plan: How are your responses to today’s circumstances helping people see God’s love and mercy? How are you stirring one another up to love and good works? God is with us!
FBC wants to be there for you personally, so please dial the phone number below if you need any practical assistance or would like to talk to someone today. We are praying for you!
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Responding to the Plan of God – Week 3
2020: A Year of Celebration!
Stewarding the Image of God!
Key Verses: Matthew 25:14-30
At the heart of so much anxiety and unhappiness is comparison. Comparing oneself with what others have—their abilities, their resources or possessions, their jobs or service to the community… Comparison can just as easily lead to a false sense of accomplishment and the sin of pride (that I am better than someone else by whatever measurement you choose to make), just like comparison can lead to a loss of you living up to your God-given potential because of disappointment and anxiety.
Let me be direct with you: to compare yourself to another person is to miss the whole point! It is a distraction from the real purpose of your life, which is to be an Image Bearer of God.
Image Bearers of God were not meant to be a regular mirror, like someone would use when they are combing their hair, reflecting their own image back to them. We are not designed to reflect ourselves. That would lead to distraction and destruction, which we see all around us because that’s the human bent, called sin. A similar danger is how sometimes people reflect the people they associate, the people that influence their character. Trying to be like someone else is not being God’s Image Bearers… Remember, we reflect the god we serve.
Last week, we learned that as Image Bearers we are like angled or rounded mirrors. God has put humans into His Creation as an angled mirror so that He can reflect His love and care and stewardship of the world through us humans and get this, so that the rest of the creation can see God’s glory through us humans and praise God. We reflect God and His glory through our love, care, and stewardship of the world! Our lives point to the God who created us and then rescued us (freed us!) through Jesus Christ!
It was God’s plan to put humans in the world as His Image Bearers. We distorted His Image through sin! Jesus Christ came to restore us as His image bearers through forgiveness of sin, and to call us into mission with Him as agents of God’s Kingdom. Our response is to reflect God’s love, care, and stewardship of the world! The church is God’s Plan A for putting His glory on display through our love and good works, as restored Image Bearers. That leads us to the big point in today’s teaching: We are not owners of our lives, we are stewards! We are stewards of the Image of God! We reflect God to people when we steward His image in us…
Our scripture lesson for this week is found in Matthew 25:14-30 and it is famously called, “The Parable of the Talents.” Please listen to Jesus teach about the kingdom of Heaven in Matthew 25:14-30,
For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
A primary lesson of Jesus’ Parable of the Talents is that we are not owners of our lives, but stewards—household managers of what God has given us! You may have a five-talent life, two-talent life or a one-talent life, but that is not the point, so don’t it make it the point!
The point is to use the life God has given you for His glory! That’s what He designed you to do from the beginning! So, don’t try to own your own life for yourself because that goes against God’s design for your life. We are stewards of the life that God has given us, not owners! As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6;19-20, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
God has given us “talents” and primarily, that points to the entirety of our lives as Image Bearers of God. Yes, there are specific ways He has called each of us uniquely to reflect Him, like the moon reflects the sun, but the point isn’t whether you are a new moon or a full moon or somewhere in between. What matters is that you were designed to reflect the Son and not reflect yourself.
The moon can work it’s entire life on figuring out how to make itself the best moon it can be, but it’s all vanity if it inhibits its created design to reflect the sun![1] As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:41, “There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.” The point of every talent you have is how you develop and use it to glorify God. That’s the plan!
God created humans to uniquely be His Image Bearers to reflect His glory to this created realm (Genesis 1:1) through our love, care, and stewardship of it as His people. God gave us a sacred status as humans from the very beginning. Listen to Genesis 1:27-30,
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.
This is who we are; being an Image Bearer is about your status with God and having your identity in Him. It’s not about what we can or cannot specifically do, but what we have been created to do from the beginning.
The Image of God is not about any capabilities we have, at all, because it is from the moment of our conception that each of us is an Image Bearer of God! God formed us from the dirt and then He breathed His breath into us and declared us His image. If you remember from last’s week sermon, that is why God forbade humanity from making any other image of God (called idols), because He has already given the world His image—in humans!
We are the Image Bearers—we are the ones who are called to reflect God’s love, care, and stewardship to His creation so that His creation would then see God’s glory!
“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life.”
How are you stewarding what God has entrusted to you? How are you reflecting the light of the Son?
We are to shine like the moon shines at night. The moon does not compare itself with others, it simply reflects the light and glory of the sun as it was designed to—it doesn’t compare itself to Saturn’s 82 moons, feel socially distanced because earth only has 1 moon, or desire to be a star instead of a moon. It doesn’t get distracted by seasons—new moon to full moon. Nor does it focus on what has been or what will be—it simply reflects the light of the sun! And the light from the sun is so perfectly assimilated with the “face” of the moon that the two are inseparable in the mind’s eye. This is our potential as God’s Image Bearers—to reflect God’s glory so that the light of the Son is so perfectly assimilated with our lives that the two are inseparable to people.
Like with Jesus. Listen to Jesus’s prayer to His Father for us, His disciples, in John 17:22-26,
The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
It’s our being that matters, but our doings are what demonstrate our being! You are redeemed and restored to be an Image Bearer and as an Image Bearer to make HIM known.
We are not defined by the temporary things of this life, but we are to steward them well to shine God’s light. As evangelical theologian Wayne Grudem states, “When we are responsible stewards, whether taking care of our toys at the age of four or managing the entire factory at the age of forty, if we do this work ‘as unto the Lord,’ God looks at our imitations of his sovereignty and his other attributes, and he is pleased. In this way we are his image-bearers, people who are like God and who represent God on the earth.”
We are to steward all that we have been given to reflect His glory:
- The gift of relationships, with God and people
- The gift of time and life
- The gift of health & wellness
- The provision of money & possessions
- The calling of vocation
- The privilege of church membership & gospel ministry
- As one friend said to me, “We think of these as abilities, or things, but we can also look at other things as gifts: life, breath, citizenship, the neighborhood you live in, the family you were born into, the positions we hold in society, etc.”
Stewardship is the call of our lives, now and always, to become like God and represent God on the earth in order to fulfill His original mandate to us from Genesis. That is the foundation of Jesus’ Great Commission to His restored Image Bearers in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” What is the gospel? It is the Good News that the Son has come to make all things right in God’s creation and to bring God’s children Home to the Father. He has made the way and He is the way! And we are now invited to respond to the plan of God by becoming a part of the rescue effort.
Seize the moment and steward the gift of your life well by growing in your relationship with Jesus! Learn from Him how to be generous with what God has given you. Don’t compare yourself to others, but rather invest what you have into others. Christians steward their talents to rescue people and bring them Home to the Father through our love, care, and stewardship of the gospel!
The world teaches us to use people to get things, but we are called by God to steward all that we have to win people. We are invited to invest all that we have been given and watch the multiplication happen… along with our own peace and happiness, which are byproducts of right stewardship.
What are you doing with the gifts God has given you?
We are not owners of our lives, we are stewards! We are stewards of the Image of God for the glory of God!
Listen to the Message here:
To watch the video click HERE
FOOTNOTES:
[1] As one early reader reflected to me, “Such an interesting thought. I think many Christ followers, probably myself included, will often indulge in self-improvement and self-preservation measures and believe that becoming a “better” person is the next step in following closer to Jesus. But, in reality, unless that self-improvement is focused on and prompted by Holy Spirit transformation, the efforts may be more motivated by comparison and pride, as you mentioned at the beginning of the message.
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Mark 12
Be Faithful Today!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Saturday, May 2.
The COVID-19 pandemic is on everyone’s mind. We are all trying to figure out the right next step. What we need right now is a living faith that gives us resiliency! My simple definition of resiliency is that when you are knocked down, you have the ability to not only get back up, but to bounce forward. The key to this is having a living and persevering faith.
In Mark 12:11-12, at the end of a parable where Jesus clearly indicates that He knows that He will be betrayed and killed, Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22-23, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”
The next verse of this Psalm sings, “This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Jesus told this parable and while the religious leaders looked for ways to arrest him, Jesus kept on going, not preoccupied with their plans to harm Him, but fully alive in the moment. Jesus had resiliency because He fully trusted His Father with all of His tomorrows.
When you can trust God for tomorrow, you can live faithfully today!
Seize the moment and don’t miss today! Be faithful today! This weekend has so much potential for good, so don’t miss it because you are preoccupied about next week or next month. Call someone and sing: This is the Day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! Maybe that is all you need to know or do for today! Enjoy the weekend!
FBC wants to be there for you personally, so please dial the phone number below if you need any practical assistance or would like to talk to someone today. We are praying for you!
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Mark 11
A House of Prayer!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, May 1.
After seven weeks of stay at home orders I am getting a lot of reports of weight gain from people. How are your clothes fitting you or have you even gotten out of your yoga paints or sweatpants in seven weeks to know? Separately, but maybe connected, media is reporting a rise in domestic violence. Also, alcohol sales are way up. People are dealing with the stress, anxiety, and grief of this season in different ways… We are learning a lot about ourselves in this time…
Your mom probably taught you to treat your body like a temple. Surprise, she didn’t make that up…the Bible talks about your body being the temple of the Holy Spirit, the dwelling place of God on earth (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19-20). This is a great truth that we often reference when it comes to what we eat and drink, how we treat our own and other people’s bodies.
I want to make a connection for you this morning: Jesus proclaims in Mark 11:17, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”
Your body can either be a “den of robbers” or a “house of prayer.” It all comes down to how you use what God has entrusted to you. How are you dealing with your stress, anxiety, and grief during this COVID-19 pandemic? What are you learning about yourself?
Seize the moment and be “a house of prayer for all the nations.” This is not only God’s best way for you to take care of yourself, but it is also the very design of how He makes Himself known to the nations in and through you. I love how God weaves those two together—what is best for you is also the best way to bring Him glory!
FBC wants to be there for you personally, so please dial the phone number below if you need any practical assistance or would like to talk to someone today. We are praying for you!
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Mark 10
Making the Impossible Possible!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, April 30, the last day of April.
Have you ever tried to do something really big? So big, that people thought you were crazy… maybe it was starting your own business or it was taking on an assignment at school or work that no one else was willing to try? Maybe it was loving a certain person that drives everyone else crazy. Whatever it may be, sometimes we are called to attempt the impossible.
And when we do it for the glory of God, I think that brings a metaphorical smile to God’s face.
In Mark 10, after calling a rich young man to do what was necessary to follow Him—to get rid of his false securities and fully trust God—the man walked away dejected because the assignment was too big for him. In response, the disciples of Jesus asked, “Who then can be saved?” [because it was culturally assumed in those ancient times that the rich had God’s blessing already] But Jesus has never had that assumption and he answered in Mark 10:27, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Do you want to put a smile on God’s face? Then trust God to do the impossible in and through you. If our own salvation was both impossible, because we can’t save ourselves, and improbable, if we are honest with ourselves, but only by the mercy of God, then why would our ability to do anything for God’s glory be any different?
Seize the moment and step out in faith today. Maybe there is a neighbor you are supposed to help out today… If only the rich young man had taken steps to obey God, I believe God would have stood in the gap with him. I believe God will stand in the gap for you, too. Because your decision to act in faith brings Him glory!
FBC wants to be there for you personally, so please dial the phone number below if you need any practical assistance or would like to talk to someone today. We are praying for you!
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Mark 9
Give a Cup of Water!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, April 29
Friendships and healthy relationships are so important; in my opinion they are what matter the most! To live at peace with God and with your neighbor is the recipe for good mental and emotional health. How does this happen?
Listen to Jesus’ words from Mark chapter 9, verses 38-41,
John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.”
Living at peace with people happens by not drawing your boundary lines on who you can live at peace with too frigidly. Jesus seems to draw the line at the giving of a cup of water to drink. Where do you draw the line?
Too many Christians are drawing their lines on friendships and relationships based on politics and preferences that honestly, say more about their citizenship on earth rather than their citizenship in Heaven. Ultimately, that then says more about your relationship with God than it does anything else. You always reflect the god you serve! Let’s reflect to the world our peace with Jesus by demonstrating His love, care and stewardship of His creation, one person at a time.
Seize the moment and learn to love your neighbor as yourself. How can you invest in healthy relationships today? Who are you going to give a cup of water to today?
FBC wants to be there for you personally, so please dial the phone number below if you need any practical assistance or would like to talk to someone today. We are praying for you!
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Mark 8
A Second Touch!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church. Today is Tuesday, April 28
Today is Day 42 of these daily phone calls. Wow! That means we have been under stay-at-home orders for over 6 weeks. Through this time, it has been my goal to be a messenger of faith, hope, and love to you personally while daily inviting you to seize the moment to make a positive difference in other people’s lives. I know many people are getting tired and anxious for the next steps to begin…
Some things just take longer than expected. A classic story that illustrates this is when Jesus had to dramatically touch a man twice to restore his sight. Shocking because in other situations Jesus could just say the word and it was done. Listen to Mark 8:25, “Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.”
Just like with our current situation, there is more to this story than we know. We may never know, but that doesn’t change our invitation to remain patient, persevere, and pray.
Here is an image I have been sharing with people about where we are in this COVID-19 pandemic: If you have ever been on a long airplane flight, then you know that what often feels like the longest part of an airplane ride is after you land and before you actually get to depart. Why? Impatience to get off and get going… Yes, it’s been a long flight, but we are still in the air and unfortunately, on this flight we don’t know when the plane will even land or if the gate is ready for us yet…
Seize the moment: remain patient, persevere, and pray. Share this with people you know who are struggling with fatigue, anxiety, and grief.
FBC wants to be there for you personally, so please dial the phone number below if you need any practical assistance or would like to talk to someone today. We are praying for you!
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