To God’s Beloved At Cloverdale Baptist Church:
It is good to belong to the family of God! It is always fun for me to preach in other churches, and always good to come home! God has blessed us with this family, and for you, I praise God!
Preaching at a Mennonite Church about the, “rage”, of Jesus as He cleared the temple of robbers and animals, and cursed the fig tree was truly a challenging joy! What a great reminder of the need to make sure we are authentic in our relationship with Jesus and not committed to a dead religion! Loved the reality that Jesus, who in His perfection could have been political in attacking Rome, or Pilate, or armies that were invasive in Israel, instead focuses on the lives of the ones who should have been devoted to Him. Kent Hughes sums it up saying, “Our Lord’s anger is unleashed on anything that would distract us from who He is and what He has done, and I don’t think there is anything more relevant for the church today”. Well, except Colossians I say back….
This coming week is our last on the book of Colossians. It has stretched a little longer than I anticipated, and yet feels like (at least for me) the journey was not long enough. The book has pointed my heart to the supremacy of Jesus, and living it out in a broken shaking world like very few others in my ministry life. If we see Jesus as Colossians presents Him (and this is who He is), we will seek with all our might to live a life of full devotion to Him, where everything we do and say is done in His name. There is a delight in this, and a partnership in this, and this pursuit will supersede and inform every other pursuit of our lives! CHRIST IS ALL AND IN ALL!
Summer for me is a time of reflection and refocusing in the midst of a small rest. This week I have especially enjoyed a journey through a biography on one of my heroes, Elisabeth Elliot. Her story is so rich in her pursuit of an all defining relationship with Jesus, the cost on her life of her husband and her dreams, and the incredible impact she has had by staying loyal in the midst of the confusion. It has brought laughter and tears, and many interactions with Lori as she graciously puts up with quotes and impact statements. It has hit me again how important it is to love God with all we are and have, as well as to make sure we fight culture and tradition, even the good ones, and submit to Scripture alone as our authority.
One of the things that strikes me about Elisabeth Elliot is her desire to be biblical, and willingness to question what she believed and was doing with the Scripture and Spirit’s guidance in it as her sole authority. Her life was very difficult, inner battle’s with religion, passion for purity in the midst of her battle with her flesh, division where unity should be most prevalent, and the death of her dreams as she followed Jesus with all her heart. Yet, to those of us who love Jesus her life is a fragrance of an delightful offering to God. It is good to read biographies as we journey through this life, and to remember that even our heroes were human, as we seek to fixate on Jesus and follow Him in an all defining relationship together for His glory!
Reminder of prayer meeting tonight, and to seek to set Jesus in your sight at all times!
A fellow servant,
Pastor Rob
Sunday Is Coming:
Title: Friends For Jesus
Text: Colossians 4:7-18
Take the time to read the text.
- Why do you think that God placed this text in the Bible, when it seems to be so personal, and sp specific to Paul and the Colossians?
- Why is having partners in the Gospel so important?
- As you go through this list of people, remember they were real people, with real journey’s, and reflect on what you know about them and how that can impact your life.
- Who do you see as partners in the Gospel in your life?
- How can you get some more?
Bulletin
Summer Prayer Meetings
Wednesdays at 7pm / Fellow. Hall At Cloverdale Baptist we always emphasize the importance of personal and corporate prayer. Throughout the summer, we’ll be meeting every Wednesday at 7pm as our elders lead us through a time of prayer and share a brief message. We hope you’ll make this a priority starting July 3rd.
Women's Retreat
November 1st–3rd / Cedar springs, WA Our Women's Ministry is planning a retreat in Sumas, Washington from November 1-3, 2024! Over the weekend, they'll be focusing on building gospel friendships with guest speaker Bronwyn Short. There will also be a selection of fun and relaxing activities available and childcare will be offered to mothers with infants.
Habits of Grace 2024
A joyful and victorious Christian life is built on three core habits of grace: reading the Bible to hear God's voice, engaging in prayer to respond relationally, and actively participating in a local church for fellowship and impact. These seemingly simple habits are God-designed channels for experiencing intimacy, growth and the joy of knowing Jesus. These are the most essential habits of grace if we are to live for God and His glory in effective ways at such a time as this.
We are excited to announce that we are partnering with Desiring God to host a conference at Cloverdale Baptist on October 25 & 26, 2024! David Mathis, executive editor for desiringGod.org and pastor at Cities Church, will be joining Pastor Rob Godard to speak on how we can enjoy Jesus through the spiritual disciplines. Our breakout sessions will focus on our spiritual growth as men, women, youth, and couples. Saturday lunch will also be provided for all in attendance.
