General

Reading the Book of Exodus, it becomes apparent that the pace of the book slows down around chapter 21. After the account of the ten commandments in chapter 20, we read about various laws that were to guide the Israelites. Not only that, but we also learn (with great detail) all about the tabernacle and all the aspects of it – the ark of the covenant, the golden lampstands, the table for bread, etc. The tabernacle was the mobile ‘worship center’ that the Levites were to set up and take down as the Israelites made their travels. It was the place where God would meet with His people. It was the place where the High Priest would offer a sacrifice for sin once a year on the Day of Atonement.

As you read Exodus 21-40, you’ll note that God gave specific instructions as to how the tabernacle was to be built. Several chapters later, we read of the construction of the tabernacle, again noting the specific details of how it was to be constructed. If a modern-day editor was to apply his trade to the Book of Exodus, I think he would lower the word count by simply stating that the tabernacle was constructed just as God instructed.

The question for us is, Why the repetitive detailed instructions? I want to suggest that the answer is connected to God’s holiness. In chapter 40, we read that the tabernacle is erected. After all God’s instructions had been followed, the tabernacle was set up and then something profound happened – “the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Exod 40:34).

Obviously, the tabernacle of the Old Testament has long been irrelevant. However, consider how the New Covenant deals with God’s presence. In those who have been born again by God’s grace, the Holy Spirit takes up residence. Now consider what it means to be born again. To be born again means to be given a new heart, forgiveness of sin, and the perfect righteousness of Christ – all by God’s grace through faith in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. In other words, when we are just as God demands (positionally holy/perfect), He takes up residence in us. His Spirit indwells us, and we shine forth His glory.

Praise God that His presence and salvation in our lives doesn’t depend on our ability to obey God’s instructions perfectly, but on Jesus perfectly following God’s instructions. All our hope is found in Jesus’ finished work – in His perfect fulfillment of God’s Law.

Pastor Nate

Hello Church! I’ve been working my way through Spurgeon’s teachings on the Holy Spirit. This book is a collection of twenty-nine or so sermons that he preached on diverse topics concerning the Holy Spirit. My initial plan was to read the book and then make some observations, however, as the book is some 380 pages, I decided that it would be best to comment along the way. I can tell you that I do not agree with everything that Spurgeon wrote and taught about the Holy Spirit, however, I have been thoroughly blessed having read through about one-third of the book. I will not make comments on every sermon, but on key points from various sermons that stood out to me as most important.

An important teaching that Spurgeon repeats in multiple of these sermons is how desperately we need the Holy Spirit. In a sermon titled The Personality of the Holy Spirit, Spurgeon suggests that because of who the Holy Spirit is, we should “be in earnest prayer to the Holy Spirit and for the Holy Spirit – that we should cry earnestly for Him – because He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all you can ask or think.” Later in his sermon titled The Superlative Excellence of the Holy Spirit, Spurgeon again calls us to cry aloud for the Holy Spirit. He writes, “Cry aloud and spare not! Give Him (God) no rest till He sends forth His Spirit once again to stir the waters and to brood over this dark world till light and life shall come.”

I am challenged by these exhortations. While I would never overtly discredit or belittle the necessity of the Holy Spirit, and would affirm what Spurgeon encourages, I find that I am deficient in crying out for the Spirit as Spurgeon implores. It is too easy to take for granted the Holy Spirit. I’m afraid that I have been guilty of giving lip-service to our need for the Spirit. O, may God give grace to actively seek and depend on the Holy Spirit.

A second, related, theme that I find in Spurgeon’s teachings revolves around our need for the Spirit in all of life. In a sermon titled The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Spurgeon highlights the need for the Spirit when it comes to evangelism and soul winning. He writes, “if the progress of the Christian religion depended upon the voluntary assent of mankind it would never go an inch further – but because the Christian religion has within an omnipotent influence, constraining me to believe it, it is therefore what it is and must be triumphant.”

Spurgeon also understands the necessity of the Holy Spirit when it comes to our growth in Christ. In his sermon on The Power of the Holy Spirit, Spurgeon notes that is the Spirit’s role “to perfect us in holiness.” In his sermon titled “The Holy Spirit Glorifying Christ (Part 2), Spurgeon rightly notes that we need the Spirit to understand and embrace God’s words. In his sermon titled, The Teaching of the Holy Spirit, Spurgeon states that “The Holy Spirit is the great Teacher of the Father’s children,” suggesting that the Spirit trains us and becomes our great educator,” and shows us the nature and character of God. In the same sermon, Spurgeon says that the “Holy Spirit teaches us what is acceptable to the Father and what is profitable for us.”

I appreciate Spurgeon’s focus on this. In 1 Corinthians, Paul makes it clear that the natural man, the person who has not the Spirit of God, cannot understand spiritual things. Not only can we not comprehend things about God, but we also cannot understand the things that are profitable for us. We are ignorant to God’s Truth and how important embracing and applying such Truth to our own lives leads to peace and joy. Praise God that the Spirit teaches us these things.

While there are many other important themes and profound statements to explore in these sermons, this blog is already too long. I’ll close with just one more observation. Spurgeon notes that one of the main functions of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Christ. In his sermon on The Holy Spirit Glorifying Christ (Part 2), Spurgeon states: “The Holy Spirit’s objective is to make Christ appear to be great and glorious to you and to me. The Lord Jesus Christ is infinitely glorious and even the Holy Spirit cannot make Him glorious except to our apprehension – but His desire is that we may see and know more of Christ – that we may honor Him more and glorify Him more.” How does the Holy Spirit accomplish this? I’m sure in many ways, but in this sermon, Spurgeon notes that the Spirit glorifies Christ by showing Him to sinners. Therefore, Spurgeon implores us to do the same. In other words, if we want to glorify Christ, one of the chief ways that we can do this is by talking much of Christ to others. Of course, we glorify God when we sing His praises, when we follow His ways, and when we love one another, but an area that we can all grow in when it comes to glorifying God is by actively proclaiming Christ to lost people – telling sinners of Christ’s excellencies and the hope that is found only in Him.

This week I’ve been reading and meditating in the Book of Exodus, and I wanted to share with you some thoughts from the first several chapters. As you know, the Exodus begins by introducing us to Moses. God providentially worked to save Moses’s life, even though the Pharaoh had put out an edict that all the male children born to the Hebrews were to be killed. It is ironic to me that it is Pharaoh’s daughter who ends up saving Moses, and it is Moses’s own mother who gets to care for him in his infancy.

As we continue reading, we learn of Moses’s righteous anger towards an Egyptian who was mistreating a Hebrew brother. While Moses may or may not have been justified in killing the Egyptian, in God’s providence, his actions caused Moses to flee Egypt. It is there that Moses meets God in the burning (yet unconsumed) bush. This encounter with God leads to a drastic turn of events as God enlists Moses to be His spokesman to call Pharaoh to free the Israelites from slavery. As you know, it is through a series of plagues that God hardens Pharaoh’s heart and then ultimately causes Pharaoh to relent and let the Israelites go.

While I’ve left out most of the details, I want to identify some truths from the first twelve chapters of Exodus.

1. God is at work providentially to accomplish His will. We see this in Moses’s early life and in his escape to the wilderness where he ultimately meets with God. God orchestrates events in our lives whereby we freely make decisions that accord to His purposes and will.

2.  God hears the cries of His people. When God meets with Moses, He declares that He has heard the cries of His people, seen their suffering, and has come to deliver them from slavery in Egypt (Exod 3:7-8).

3. God is faithful to His promises. God had covenanted with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and promised to lead them to the land that was flowing with milk and honey. Four hundred years had passed since the Israelites made their home in the land of Goshen (recall that Jacob moved his family there during the famine in the land). While four hundred years is a long time, God tells Moses that He has come to deliver the people from slavery in Egypt and to bring them to the promised land (Exod 3:8). We should also note that God’s timing is perfect. For hundreds of years, the Israelites lived in the land of Egypt, growing in number and might. And then the time came, God would deliver His firstborn Son (Israel) out of Egypt. See also Exodus 6:6-9.

3. God is sovereign, even over the hearts of man. Repeatedly, God declared that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart as He displayed His power and majesty. While God was at work, Pharaoh was fully responsible for his hardening of his heart.

4. God equips us for the tasks to which He calls us. Recall Moses’s hesitation to serve as God was calling Him. He gave a number of excuses as to why he wasn’t the right man for the job. God, however, kept reminding Moses that He would be with him. Ultimately, God tells Moses to enlist his brother Aaron as a helper in the endeavor. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, God continues to equip those He calls to carry out the priorities He has called them to.

5. God will at times allow evil when it accords with His purposes. At first when God brought the plagues, the Egyptian magicians were able to replicate the plagues by their secret arts. In God’s wisdom, He allowed (maybe even enabled) such replication to further harden Pharaoh’s heart.

6. Satanic/demonic power is real, but God has no rivals. While we don’t fully understand what is meant by the Egyptian magician’s secret arts, we know enough to understand that these were pagans who worship a multitude of false gods. That the One True and Living God has no rivals is illustrated for us in the fact that when Moses commanded Aaron to cast down his staff and it became a ser-pent and ultimately, Aaron’s staff swallowed up the Egyptian magician’s staffs (Exod 7:8-12).

7. God desires that His power and authority be known in all the land. God declares that He will harden Pharaoh’s heart and that, “the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel form among them” (Exod 7:5).

8. God is able to protect His own, even in the midst of trials. As the plagues continue and become more severe, God protects the land of Goshen and spares His people from the chaos that surrounds them. His protection may be from physical harm, or it may be from mental anguish by offering peace that paces all understanding.

9. Rebellion against God will be punished. In part, this is what the plagues are about. Ultimately, the final plague points to judgment on sin and this leads us to the final thought.

10. Sin must be atoned for. Why the blood of a lamb on the door posts? Why did the Israelites have to comply with this if the plagues were judgments vs. Egypt? I think the answer is found in the fact that the Israelites, just like the Egyptians, were sinners in need of redemption. The blood of the unblemished lamb applied to their homes allowed for the death angel to pass over their homes, sparing the firstborn. The blood of the lamb points us to Jesus – the lamb of God who is the propitiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).

Pastor Nate

I think one of my favorite people in the OT is Jacob’s son Joseph. His story is detailed in Genesis 37-50. While his story is familiar, I’d like to highlight a few things from Joseph’s life that we would do well to heed.

First, from Joseph’s life we learn the danger of arrogance and the necessity of humility. In chapter 37, we learn that Joseph was his father’s favorite son. And while a coat of many colors seems benign to us, at that time, such a coat was a luxury that would have cost a significant amount of money. Jacob gave Joseph this coat because he loved him and favored him above his other sons. Clearly there is a lesson here for parents, but I want to focus on Joseph. I believe that Joseph’s privileged place encouraged him to boastfully share the dreams that God had given him. It’s clear from his brothers’ response (and his father’s response) that they understood Joseph to be prideful. And while the dreams would find fulfillment after the famine throughout the land, did Joseph have to communicate his dreams to his family? I believe that Joseph intended to exalt himself in telling the dreams.

As we continue reading in Genesis 37, we see that the brothers were not big fans of their father’s favorite son. They put him in a pit, manufactured evidence that caused Jacob to believe that Joseph was torn apart by a wild animal, and then sold Joseph into slavery. While the brothers were 100% wrong in their actions, I wonder how Joseph’s arrogance influenced their decisions to harm Joseph. Humility goes a long way when it comes to relational harmony. Pride almost always leads to relational strife.

Second, from Joseph’s life, we see the value of integrity. As you know, Joseph ends up a slave in Egypt and becomes the servant Potipher, captain of the guard, an officer of Pharaoh (ch. 39). But God was with Joseph. Potipher recognized that there was something different about him and put Joseph in charge of his house. Everything was going great for Joseph until Potipher’s wife approached him with lustful intentions. While she continued to approach him, Joseph’s integrity and resolve was great. He told her that Potipher had entrusted him with everything and that if he were to give in to her demands, Joseph would be sinning against God (and Potipher).

Well, you know the story. Potipher’s wife fabricated a story, and Joseph was thrown into prison. However, even in jail, God’s favor was with Joseph as the jailer elevated Joseph to a place of authority. In my opinion, God’s favor was on Joseph because he was a man of integrity.

Third, from Joseph’s life we see the importance of giving God the glory. While in prison, two of Pharaoh’s servants are thrown into prison and put under Joseph’s care. Both the cupbearer and the baker were given dreams. When Joseph learned that they were troubled by the dreams because they did not understand them, Joseph humbly asserted that interpretations belong to God and asked the two servants to share their dreams (40:8). It seems that Joseph was learning humility as he could have tried to take credit for the interpretations. Instead, Joseph gives glory to God. Eventually, Pharaoh himself would have a dream which he didn’t understand. When Pharaoh learned that Joseph interpreted his servants’ dreams previously, he called for Joseph. Again, Joseph didn’t seek attention or glory. He admited that the ability to interpret the dream is not in him, but in God (41:16). Joseph would become powerful in the land of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. God’s hand was clearly on Joseph’s life, in part because Joseph learned to give God the glory rather than be driven by pride.

While there are other lessons from Joseph’s life that stand out (such as the importance of forgiveness and the value of faithfulness), for now I will comment on just one more. Finally, from Joseph’s life, we see the importance of trusting God, even while things don’t seem to make sense. I’m sure there were many moments when Joseph just threw his hands up in the air and shook his head. From his brothers’ betrayal, to the false accusation of Potipher’s wife, to the cupbearer’s forgetfulness of Joseph, Joseph’s life wasn’t easy. That said, by all indications, Joseph kept his integrity, learned humility, glorified God, and trusted Him through it all. Most of you know how the story ends. Eventually, Jospeh’s family would arrive in Egypt to buy food because of the famine. While Joseph recognized his brothers, his brothers did not recognize him. After a series of tests, Joseph finally revealed himself and poured out love on his family, moving them to the land of Goshen where they are cared for and blessed for years.

If you recall, after Jacob died, the brothers become afraid of what Jospeh would do to them. It’s in this context that Joseph told them not to fear because what they meant for evil, God meant for good (50:20). God providentially worked to save His people through Joseph. If Joseph had not been in Egypt and endured what he did, Jacob’s family would have died in the famine. And while Joesph didn’t know or understand the why of everything that was happening, his life proves that he was trusting God and resting in Him.

This is a good word for us. May we learn to trust God in both good times and tough times, believing that He is not only working for our good (Rom 8:28), but also providentially orchestrating events and occurrences in our lives for the good of others and for His own glory.

Pastor Nate

July 19, 2025

Several years ago, my friend Joe Crider recommended a book on discipleship by Eugene Peterson called A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. Interestingly, the title is taken from a statement that Friederic Nietzsche had made. Knowing that Nietzsche was not only not a Christian, but a philosopher who was antireligious, the title is intriguing. Anyway, I finally got around to reading Peterson’s book and found it to be both helpful and interesting.

Peterson begins the book by noting two terms that describe Christ followers – Disciples and Pilgrims. We are those who are learning and growing to be like Jesus. We are also people who are headed somewhere, as Peterson states: “we are going to God” (11). Peterson develops the idea of pilgrims based on the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134). These are the psalms that were sung by pilgrims as they made their way to Jerusalem to worship God.

From these psalms, Peterson identifies characteristics and realities that describe (or should describe) followers of Jesus. His list includes repentance, trust in God’s providence, worship, service, help, security, joy, work, happiness, perseverance, hope, humility, obedience, community, and blessing. Each chapter holds several gold nuggets to be found. And while there is not time to identify the nuggets from each chapter, I will comment on a few chapters.

In Psalm 120, Peterson focuses on repentance. While daily repentance ought to be a reality for Christians, Peterson’s focus is more on the initial aspect of repentance when a sinner recognizes the emptiness of pursuing life apart from God and thus begins to follow Jesus Christ. He suggests that repentance is about deciding that we have been wrong about managing our own life and being our own god. Repentance is concluding that we can’t make it on our own and deciding that God in Jesus Christ is telling the truth (24). Repentance (and I would argue, the faith that accompanies it) is the first step of discipleship – the path to true peace with God.

Peterson identifies worship as the characteristic in Psalm 124, calling it one of the most important acts in the life of the disciple (43). He goes on to say, “worship is an act that develops feelings for God, not a feeling for God that is expressed in an act of worship” (48). I find this to be a profound statement. Worship includes feelings but ought not be driven by feelings. He goes on to say, “when we obey the command to praise God in worship, our deep, essential need to be in relationship with God is nurtured” (48). As I’ve contemplated this chapter, I might suggest that worship is the MOST important priority in the life of the disciple.

In Psalm 126, Peterson focuses on joy, saying that it is a characteristic of Christian pilgrimage (90). The topic of joy can be hard for Christians as some want to identify it with happiness or with personality types. But what Peterson wants us to see is that "joy is not a requirement of Christian discipleship, but a consequence of it. It is not what we have to acquire in order to experience life in Christ; it is what comes to us when we are walking the way of faith and obedience” (90). When we focus not on our circumstances or on ourselves, but on God, then we find that He is dependable, and His promises are sure. This leads to joy!

The last chapter I will comment on is chapter 15. Peterson identifies community as the characteristic that stands out in psalm 133. This is perhaps my favorite chapter in the book. Peterson makes pertinent observations and comments that challenge modern day thinking when it comes to church community. As it relates to faith, Peterson states that “God never makes private, secret salvation deals with people. His relationships with us are personal, true; intimate, yes; but private, no” (169). Peterson challenges the thinking that the Christian life can be lived apart from others. He writes, “the Bible knows nothing of a religion defined by what a person does inwardly in the privacy of thought or feeling (171). I appreciate that Peterson notes that relationships are not always easy. Christians do not always get along, just as siblings do not always get along. He notes that selfishness is often the culprit for disunity (173) and emphasizes that living together in unity requires the utmost attention and energy (173). How important is it for us to humble ourselves, seek the good of others, and pray for grace to maintain Christian community that pleases God.

Eugene Peterson (author of The Message, a paraphrased rendition of Scripture) has a unique way of wording things. He is a good storyteller and illustrator of spiritual truth. I would encourage you to consider reading this book, as I know of no other books on Christian Discipleship like it.

Pastor Nate

Church Family,

Over the past several days I’ve been reading in Genesis. One of the things that has stood out for me is the prevalence of grace in the lives of the people who are featured. For instance, consider Adam and Eve. God could have struck them down for their rebellion against Him. Instead, He graciously atoned for their sin and clothed them with animal skin (3:21). Consider Noah. God purged the earth of corruption (6:5-7) through the flood but graciously chose to covenant with Noah. Yes, the Bible says that he was a righteous man (6:8-9), but make no mistake, he was a sinner just as the rest of humanity. Consider Abram. God called him to Himself and made a covenant with him. God didn’t promise to make a great nation out of him because Abram was such a good guy. It was God’s gracious choice. In fact, all one has to do is read the rest of Abram’s (Abraham) story to see that he made numerous mistakes. Consider Isaac. He made the same selfish mistakes his father made. And consider Jacob. Where to start with Jacob? But God has his hand on Jacob and carried him along by grace.

Sometimes we want to make too great a divide between the OT and the NT. And yes, there is a dramatic difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. However, it’s not like God’s grace just showed up when Jesus took on flesh. God has always been gracious and will always be gracious. It’s His character and He doesn’t change.

Let us not forget that it is God’s grace that saves us, trains us, and transforms us (Titus 2:11-14). Considering this, let’s remind ourselves often of God’s character and His love. Let’s be motivated by gratitude for His love, tender mercies, and grace because we know that perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). And when we mess up (and we will), let’s be quick to confess our sin and depend again on God’s grace!

Pastor Nate

Church Family,

I just finished reading Alec Motyer’s book on preaching. I found it to be instructive and insightful. While the book touches on multiple topics related to preaching, the heart of the content is what he refers to as the rails upon which expository preaching is built. The rails include examination, analysis, orientation, harvesting, presentation, and application. While this sounds complicated, it ultimately concerns understanding the text, organizing the text, preaching the text, and applying the text. While I won’t take time to develop each rail, I think Motyer helps preachers by asking: “Have the hearers understood? Has the Bible been properly and fully made plain? Has the material been set out in an orderly fashion? (33).

One of my favorite chapters in the book is chapter 13 – The last lap. In this chapter, Motyer sets forth the importance and priority of prayer when it comes to preaching. He emphasizes the need for constant and earnest prayer – that we will be faithful in dealing with souls, faithful to teach and to warn, and that God will make us sensitive to the eternal issues at stake while guarding our hearers from the “dreadful pit of refusal of His word” (139). I believe that one of the reasons that churches don’t see the Spirit of God move more powerfully is because of prayerlessness. This isn’t to say that pastors don’t pray, but perhaps not as earnestly and consistently as we should. By the way, I’m not just talking about the preacher (whoever it may be). What if the entire congregation committed to praying for each worship service and each sermon? Perhaps churches would see greater fruitfulness.

Each week we publish a prayer guide that seeks to follow themes of the text that is to be preached that week. We encourage you to pray through that guide (you can find it in the Midweek Update or on our website under the resources tab and blog link. And on Sunday mornings, ask God’s Spirit to move in powerful ways. Ask God’s Spirit to empower the preacher to speak clearly and decisively. Ask God’s Spirit to soften hearts so that people will to respond to the message in a way that glorifies God.

Now, we need to recognize that when we speak of fruit, we are not just talking about people being saved or coming forward for baptism. Each week, the Spirit of God works to bring about sanctification in the life of God’s people. Such growth in Christ is essential. So yes, pray that people would come to Christ, but also pray that God’s people would be more surrendered to Christ in their daily living.

Finally, I want to say that I am grateful for Trinity Baptist’s long history of taking the word of God seriously. For many of you, former pastor David Evans remains your favorite preacher. While I’ve never sat under his preaching, by all accounts, he is a Spirit-empowered, engaging, and top-notch preacher. I’m thankful for his nearly 20-year ministry at Trinity Baptist. Perhaps your favorite preacher never served in the capacity of senior pastor at TBC – Todd Blackhurst, Carey Skinner, Ryan Miller, Joshua York, Derek Hall, Daniel Coward, Tim Sperduto, Zach Scoggin – all gifted and faithful preachers in their own right! Praise God for men like these. And praise God for other staff ministers who may or may not have filled the pulpit but faithfully minister(ed) in their areas of ministry for God’s glory – Tara Cruse, Beth Edfeldt, Melissa Raleigh, Gary Hendrickson, Hunter Wilkerson, Troy McConnell, Casey Flynt. (Although Troy did preach once and definitely hit it out of the park!)

As for me, I’m still shocked that I get the privilege of being the senior pastor of such a great church. When I first came to TBC (some of you will recall) I stated publicly, I have no idea why you are calling me to be your pastor. I was young (not quite 30), inexperienced (2.5 years as a senior pastor), intimidated (my experience was in a small church with no staff), and a sub-par preacher (which a group of about 30 people loved to remind me of). I’m no longer young (not quite 49), I have plenty of experience (some of it I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy), and I’m no longer intimidated (I do believe that God has grown me as a leader). Now, as for preaching, I relate to what Motyer writes: “Not everyone can be what people call a ‘good preacher,’ but no one need to be a ‘bad preacher’” (9). I’m grateful that people don’t remind me that I am a ‘bad preacher’ any longer!

Pastor Nate

Church Family,

One of the things that God has impressed on me as an area in which I need to grow revolves around the blessing of weakness.  In 2 Cor 12:9, Jesus says, “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness.” In response to this, Paul says that he will gladly boast in his weakness so that God’s power will rest on him. He goes on to say that when he is weak, then he is strong. 

Now, if this isn’t counterintuitive, I don’t know what is. Boasting in weakness? Who does that? I suspect most of us read these words and agree with them on a surface level (I mean, it is God’s Word). But do we really believe and embrace them? 

As someone whose life is consumed with weakness, I wish I could say that I’ve got these truths down perfectly. I don’t. Not even close. I don’t want the weakness God has brought (allowed) into my life. I’d rather be strong. I’d rather be able to walk for 10 minutes without getting winded or stand for five minutes without having to put my hands on my knees. I’d like to be able to find comfort in other positions besides reclining or lying down. I wish I didn’t have neuropathy in my feet. I wish I didn’t have the digestive struggles that I have. I wish I didn’t have the constant threat of death hanging over me. I wish I could enjoy relationships in the same ways I used to enjoy them. I can’t. 

A more mature person would boast in these things that I wish were not true of me. Trust me, I have a long way to go. I was reading Spurgeon earlier today and he retold a conversation that he was having with a man whose life seemed to be fully in order. The man, noting Spurgeon’s life struggles, suggested that he could do without a God who allows such difficulty in His follower’s life. To this Spurgeon noted that God chastens those He loves (Heb 12:6). He went on to say that “even if I had a thousand agonies in every limb, I would not trade places with you. I am content to take all that comes from God’s love.” 

That’s faith. That’s trusting God and embracing weakness to the glory of God. Let’s be clear, weakness itself doesn’t bring blessing. It’s a weakness that drives us to God, to depend on Him, to call out to Him, that is beneficial. What if God allows such weakness in our lives so that we sense our great need, realize our utter powerlessness, and thus cry out to Him more consistently and depend on Him more fully? I’m convinced that this is the posture that pleases God. May it be true of me. 

Pastor Nate

Church Family,

Over the past few days, I’ve been reading Lessons From The Apostle Paul’s Prayers by Charles Spurgeon. If you’ve ever read Spurgeon, you know why it has taken me a few days to work through his book. He is very thorough, chasing every relevant rabbit trail he can find. To read Spurgeon, or any Puritan author (Spurgeon is widely considered the last of the Puritans) takes time, focus, and thoughtfulness. While there is no way to summarize the book, I do want to spend some time on the importance of intercessory prayer.

Have you noticed that on several occasions in Scripture the Apostle Paul told the church that he was praying for them? Many books have been written on the content of Paul’s prayers. And while my purpose is not to expound on any one passage, it’s clear that Paul regularly prayed for spiritual realities to be true of the believers. This, of course, doesn’t mean that it’s wrong to pray for physical realities, but when we consider the importance of one’s relationship with God and growth in Christ, it makes sense why Paul’s prayer focus was where it was.

Not only did Paul tell the church that he was praying for them, he also asked the church to pray for him (Rom 15:30-33, 2 Thes 3:1-2). Take a moment to read these passages. Notice the intensity with which Paul asked for prayer. Here’s a question: Does it surprise you that a man of the Apostle Paul’s spiritual stature was asking for prayer from regular church members? It shouldn’t. Paul understood that in his own strength, he was weak and needy. He needed people to be praying for him because he needed God’s Spirit, power, and wisdom to fulfill the ministry that God entrusted to him. His asking the church to pray for him also communicates that all Christians have equal access to God the Father and that God hears the prayers of His people. Why else would Paul ask for prayer?

In fact, Spurgeon asserts that intercessory prayer is an important part of the work of Christians for one another (52). Not all people can preach. Not all people can teach. Not all people can exert energy in the service of others. That said, every Christian can pray! And when we pray for others, we love them in one of the best ways possible; and based on Romans 15:30, how important is it to strive together with one another in such an endeavor?

Prayer is a mysterious thing. I confess that I don’t understand why God doesn’t answer certain prayers that would seem to be according to His will. Sometimes it’s hard to read certain promises of God when we don’t see them fulfilled in the moment. In such times, it’s important to remember that He is God and we are not. He is perfect in wisdom. We do well to remind ourselves of this and learn to trust Him, even when the tide is rising and the future seems uncertain. Because we desperately need His grace, and because Jesus teaches us to keep on asking, to keep on seeking, and to keep on knocking, that’s what we do.

Pastor Nate

June 30, 2025

As my Sabbatical continues, I have been seeking the Lord as for a direction/theme for Trinity Baptist to Focus on in 2026. This process often takes several months as I seek the Lord, discuss with staff, read several books (including books of the Bible), and then finally put forth a Focus for the year. As I do have some initial thoughts about next year’s focus, yesterday, I decided to read Juan Sanchez’s book, Seven Dangers Facing Your Church. Sanchez is a respected pastor in Austin, TX, and a member of the Gospel Coalition Council.

While the book is essential an exposition of the Seven Churches in Revelation, which I preached during the summer of ’24 (I wish I had this resource then!), as I’m considering some danger zones for the church, I thought that Sanchez’s book could be helpful.

Sanchez identifies self-sufficiency as the main problem in Laodicea, and he makes more than a few points that are quite pertinent. He writes, “for Christians, the most dangerous places to live are not where our safety may be compromised or where our lives may be at risk; the most dangerous place for Christians are where our souls are most at risk. And if there is one thing that strangles our faith more than anything else it’s this: prosperity. Wealth is what makes Western culture spiritually fatal” (127-128).

I think he’s on to something. It’s not that it is sinful to have means. Scripture doesn’t denounce anyone for simply having wealth. Take Job and Abraham for instance. Scripture reveals that they were men who had wealth. Joseph of Arimathea also stands out as someone who had means. The problem isn’t with having wealth, it’s the temptation to put our trust in our wealth and to become self-sufficient. Paul writes that the love of money is the root of all evils (1 Tim 6:10).

The danger for all of us (whether we consider ourselves rich or not) is that we put our hope in our resources, in what we have. Too many professing Christians live prayerless lives because, practically speaking, they don’t see a need to pray. They have what they need and much of what they want. Food in the cupboard or pantry, money in the bank, a closet full of clothes, and toys to keep us entertained. Again, none of this stuff is inherently bad. However, when our wealth and prosperity lead us to self-sufficiency, then we have a big problem. Self-sufficiency dishonors God because it essentially tells Him that we don't need Him. Pride keeps us from experiencing God's power and God's grace. In fact, Jesus tells us that apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15). Self-sufficiency is an abomination and a rejection of God. 

God blesses some with abundance, not so they can depend on themselves, but so they can bless others and make Kingdom investments as they depend on God. And the truth is, because we can trust God to take care of our needs (Matt 6:33), we are all called to use the resources that He has entrusted to us to bless others and make Kingdom investments as we depend on Him, rejecting self-sufficiency. Church, let’s pray that we will not be deceived into self-sufficiency by wealth or power or whatever else. Instead, let’s humble ourselves and daily call on our God to give us aid as we seek to live and love like Jesus and lead others to do the same.

Pastor Nate

Church Family,

This morning, as I was preparing my heart to worship with you via livestream (as I have begun a ministry sabbatical), I determined to read in the Book of Daniel. I camped out in the first four chapters and came away thinking to myself, how could Nebuchadnezzar be so foolish? Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon, the nation that God used to judge His people for their spiritual apostasy. Nebuchadnezzar was a pagan king who did not fear God – however, on several occasions, he experienced God’s power.

In the first four chapters, Nebuchadnezzar both observes and experiences God’s power in amazing ways. He even makes some amazing declarations about God’s character and power. However, eventually the king forgets who God is and what He can do/has done, and is driven by idolatry and pride.

Church, let’s not make the same mistake that Nebuchadnezzar did. Let’s not forget who God is. Let’s not forget what God has done and what God can do. When we forget our God, we open ourselves up to all sorts of sinfulness. We begin pursuing idols and we begin to be driven by pride. Instead, let’s humbly ask God to give us grace to remember that God is worthy of all our worship. Let’s humble ourselves before Him and live in light of His glory. 

Pastor Nate

June 28, 2025

Pain comes in all sorts of forms. When one considers the concept of pain, perhaps most jump to physical pain. Whether the pain is acute or chronic, we’ve all experienced physical pain to some degree. Physical pain can lead to other types of pain that we experience - be it emotional, mental, or spiritual. While we may not readily think of mental anguish or spiritual uncertainty as a type of pain – the fact that both can lead to unwanted struggles in our lives makes me think that we shouldn’t discount either as pain. Certainly, emotional pain is common. Grief over loss (whatever the loss may be), relational chaos, and unmet expectations can all lead to emotional pain.

The question for us is, what do we do in the face of pain? Not all responses to pain are healthy. Some turn inward and become deeply depressed. Some turn to substance abuse as a coping mechanism. Some choose to end their lives because the pain is so strong.

As I was reading and meditating on Psalm 92 today, the Lord put it on my heart that giving thanks and praising Him is a healthy way to acknowledge and deal with the pain in our lives. Psalm 92 begins with the following words, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night…”

I want to suggest several reasons why what the Psalmist says is good, is actually helpful when we are dealing with pain. However, I want to be clear, while giving thanks and praising God is good and right, it doesn’t necessarily make the pain go away. Even still, in the midst of pain it is good to give thanks and to praise His name.

1. Giving thanks and praising the Most High reminds us of His perfect character. That God is the Most High means that there is nothing/no one greater than He. Throughout the Psalm, the psalmist focuses on God’s steadfast love, His faithfulness, His justice, and His perfection. All of these characteristics are both praiseworthy and reasons to give thanks. As we give thanks, we recognize that these characteristics of God are expressed to us. They are not just theoretical truths. We experience His love, His faithfulness, His justice, and we are saved by His perfection.

2. Giving thanks should also remind us that though we are facing difficulty and pain, God has granted us so many other blessings. He is truly the giver of all good gifts (James 1). The tendency in times of hardship and pain is to focus solely on the hardship and pain. Giving thanks, if done intentionally, calls us to recall God’s many blessings and to forget not His benefits (Ps 103).

3. Giving thanks to God and praising His name also helps us to get out of our own heads. We compound our pain when we meditate on it rather than meditate on God’s character and blessing. I’m not talking about the power of positive thinking. I’m talking about reminding ourselves of gospel truth. When we focus our minds on God’s character and blessings, we are taking our focus off of the temporal hardships that we are facing. Now some of you are thinking, my pain is persistent. I too know something about persistent pain. It’s no fun. But I’ll tell you what else is no fun – constantly dwelling on how bad life is. Let’s not make our situations worse by living as functional atheists (as Paul Tripp would say). Let’s remind ourselves that there is a God who is both sovereign and good. Let’s get out of our own heads.

4. Giving thanks and praising God should remind us of our future. The Psalmist writes, “The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of God (vv.12-13). While there is blessing for the righteous in this life, our ultimate blessing comes in the next. Certainly, one of the most significant things that we are grateful for is our eternal salvation. How often do we give thanks for Christ’s atoning work? Life may be difficult now, but there is coming a day when all things are made new. No more suffering. No more pain.

I’ll close with a word from Spurgeon that I read today: “If you are so depressed by your circumstances that you cannot rejoice, even though your name is written in heaven, then I think that you do not love Jesus as you should.” This brought conviction to me. How about you?

Church Family,

Several weeks ago, someone gave me a copy of Elizabeth Elliot’s book Suffering Is Never for Nothing. I have a variety of goals over the next several weeks, and one of them is to read often. So yesterday, I picked up Elliot’s book and was thoroughly encouraged by it. One of the things that I appreciated about how she addresses the reality of suffering is her honesty. If you know Elizabeth Elliot’s life, you know it has been one of suffering. While God has used her mightily over the years, the years haven’t always been easy. Elliot doesn’t try to explain suffering with platitudes or trite statements. She admits that we may never know the reasons for some of our suffering. She writes, “suffering is a mystery that none of us is really capable of plumbing. And it’s a mystery about which I’m sure everyone as some time or another has asked why?”

Later in the book, she admits, that in her own troubles and sufferings, God hasn’t generally offered explanations. Instead, and this is one of her main comforts, she admits that God has met her in a person – the person of Jesus Christ. This she declares, is exactly what we need. Her argument is that if our faith depends on God giving us specific answers to our requests and prayers, then that faith won’t last. Rather, our faith must rest in the character of God, which we see fully in the person of Jesus Christ – who suffered for us.

Over the past 8-9 weeks, I have sought God repeatedly concerning the pain and discomfort I am experiencing. There have been few days that have passed by where I haven’t asked, “Why God?” Needless to say, Elliot’s book has brought conviction. I may never know why – and I need to be okay with this fact. Why? Because I can trust God’s character. He’s proven His love in the cross of Christ. Sufferers need to refocus on God’s character and as Elliot writes, recognize that “there are a good many things in this life that we really can’t do anything about, but that God wants us to do something with.”

Perhaps the most convicting chapter in the book for me was the chapter on gratitude. Gratitude ought to be a distinguishing mark for all Christians. God calls us to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thes 5:18). When things are going well, this isn’t so difficult. But when things are tough, experience tells us that giving thanks is not our first response. While we may not necessarily give thanks for the specific circumstance (remember the call is to give thanks in all circumstance), we can always give thanks because we know God’s love. In other words, we have so much to be grateful for, even when we are suffering, because God is sovereign and is working for our good.

Suffering is a reality of living in a fallen world. The reality of suffering doesn’t mean that God has abandoned us or no longer loves us. Consider this: If suffering is a sign of God’s displeasure in our lives, then what do we make of Jesus’ suffering. No one suffered more than Jesus, but the Father was fully pleased with Jesus. On a few occasions in Scripture, God declares that Jesus is His beloved Son. While Jesus felt abandoned at the cross, the Father clearly did not abandon Him for He was raised on the third day and given the name that is above every name (Phil 2).

We may feel abandoned at times as well. Remember, the flesh is weak (Matt 26:41). For this very reason, it’s essential that we draw near to God, remind ourselves regularly of His character and promises, and ask for grace to believe and to trust. It’s also important that you don’t fight the battle of faith alone. Confess your weakness to close friends. Let’s pray for each other in this battle.

Pastor Nate

Church Family,

This morning, I spent time meditatin on Psalm 3. Psalm 3 is a psalm of King David. According to the editorial comment, it was written as he fled Jerusalem during his son’s (Absalom) attempted coup. You’ll recall from our 2023 study of 1 & 2 Samuel that Absalom was angry with his father and schemed to win over the hearts of the people of Judah. Eventually, Absalom positioned himself, won over some of his father’s closest advisors, and amassed a military of thousands.

When David got word that Absalom was marching on Jerusalem, David ordered that all those close to him flee. As they went, David experienced great grief and heartache (2 Sam 15:30). This was a trying time in David’s life, as the first 2 verses of Psalm 3 attest. David understands that a growing number of adversaries are against him. From a human standpoint, his situation seems bleak.

Have you been there? Have you been in such difficult situations that you lost all hope? Maybe it was a broken relationship or a serious health situation. Maybe the situation involved your finances, your job, or even your family. As Christians, we are not immune to life’s difficulties. The question is, what will we do when we find ourselves in such situations? Where will we turn?

David turned to the Lord. A sharp transition takes place between verses two and three. After stating his situation, David quickly expresses his confidence in the Lord. He proclaims that God is a shield about him and the lifter of his head. In fact, so confident is David in God’s character and provision, that verse four tells us that David slept that very night. As the enemies were gathering, David slept. Now, I don’t know about you, but when things are really tough, sleep can be elusive. How many sleepless nights have you experienced when facing difficult and uncertain circumstances? Most people would admit that in such times, sleep is fleeting.

So why was David able to rest? Did he have some sort of ancient sleeping pill? Was he dishonest and actually didn’t sleep well? No. David knew God’s character. He knew God’s promises. He knew, as verse eight declares, that salvation belongs to the Lord. However, it’s one thing to know God’s promises and another thing to trust in them. Many people are aware of what Scripture teaches us about God’s character and promises. But being aware is not enough. True peace and hope come when we believe and trust God’s character and promises. When we are confident that God’s will is best and that He will sustain us (verse five), then we will be able to rest in God’s plan and experience the joy of the Lord.

Now, I’m not saying that this is easy. It’s not. It’s a battle to fight of the lies of Satan and the uncertainty of our situations. But, as Paul writes in 2 Cor, we are called to walk by faith and not by sight. And while God saved David and his people, and Absalom and his coup were destroyed, God’s greatest provision is not found in earthly victories, but in the finished work of Christ. We can be confident that God will sustain our lives until He is ready to call us to a greater and fuller life in His presence. He is the God who has secured our eternal future through the finished work of Christ. Don’t forget that! In challenging times, even when things don’t make sense, remind yourself that God is for you (all those who are in Christ) and not against you. And don’t forget that God is big enough to manage your struggles, fears, failures, and questions. So, draw near to Him and plead with Him for faith to believe what you know to be true of His character and His promises.

Pastor Nate

June 25, 2025

For those who have ever battled anxiety and depression, you know how debilitating it can be. For those who haven’t battled such darkness, it can be difficult to understand, and perhaps difficult to even have sympathy for those who do. Scripture attests to many individuals – servants of God – who battled periods of depression in their lives. Church history reveals that some of God’s most influential saints had the same struggle. If you find yourself battling anxiety and depression, you are not alone. While there is no easy answer when it comes to depression, if we search for it, we will find hope in God’s Word.

Today, I read John Piper’s book, When the Darkness Will Not Lift. In the book, he discusses depression from various angles. His hope is to help believers fight for joy – the joy that comes from knowing Jesus. One of the foundational statements Piper makes is that joy comes from understanding that justification is by faith alone. In other words, we have been declared righteous and made right with God solely on the merit of Jesus’ perfect life, substitutionary death, and subsequent resurrection from the dead. Our standing with God is not based on our performance, but on Jesus who was perfect in every way.

No matter the darkness that pervades our lives, we can find joy because of God’s gracious work of salvation. It follows, then, that in the face of depression and anxiety, we focus our attention on what God has done for us. Such intentionality will aid us as we battle for joy.

Pastor Nate

As a family grows in size, so also the quantity of laundry grows. On some Saturdays, we spend the entire day starting loads of laundry and folding clean clothes. With two littles in our home, we often deal with onesies that have suffered through a blowout. Excrement stained clothing is a reality for any family with a baby.

This week I read and reflected on Zechariah 3. In this text Zechariah writes of a vision in which he sees a high priest, Joshua, who makes a court appearance before God wearing excrement covered robes. The picture is intended to be jarring to the reader. Can you imagine the disgusting appearance of these clothes and the smell that would emit from excrement covered robes?

The man wearing these garments is the high priest! He is the representative of God’s people before a holy God! Here he stands in the height of uncleanness. 

In God’s courtroom, the angel of the LORD is the judge, and Satan stands as the accuser. I believe the Old Testament usage of “the angel of the LORD” refers to either a Theophany or a Christophany. Whichever of these two positions you hold, this is God judging Joshua the High Priest. (I personally lean toward a Christophany)

In God’s courtroom, Satan is not allowed to even speak a word. It doesn’t matter how much time or effort Satan has put in to his case against Joshua. He is a bystander in the courtroom as God displays his absolute sovereignty. Amazingly, God rebukes Satan for standing as Joshua’s accuser on the grounds of his elective purposes. The LORD has chosen Jerusalem. The LORD has chosen his people. Therefore, Satan has no case to present.

God commands those standing with Joshua to remove his filthy garments. As the filth is removed, God says “I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” What joy we find in this text! God did not remove his filthy garments and leave him to figure out the rest. God himself clothed him in pure clothes. As Zechariah watches the scene unfold he says “Let them put a clean turban on his head” and they do. A turban is symbolic of royalty. Joshua is receiving clean clothes and a crown from God.

In v. 8 of this chapter, God declares, “I will bring my servant the Branch.” This is a clear Messianic prophecy. There is one coming who will “remove the iniquity of this land in a single day.” This Branch will bring peace and “every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.”

Jesus is the Branch. Jesus, our great high priest, sacrificed himself on our behalf so that our sin could be removed and we could be clothed in his righteousness. I am continually blown away by this facet of the gospel. Not only does Jesus rescue us from the plight of sin, but he also clothes us in his perfect righteousness. We are not left to find our own clean robe! And God doesn’t stop there either! We share in the very inheritance of the Lord Jesus and we are crowned, just like how Joshua was given a turban.

The gospel is beautiful news for the sinner. God removes the filth. God clothes in righteousness. God crowns his people. In Revelation 4, we see a picture of God’s throne room and the 24 elders sitting around the throne have received crowns of glory. Before the throne of God we see no saint reveling in his crown and glorification, but rather we see every saint casting their crown at the feet of King Jesus and saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” Glory be to God alone. That is the response of everyone who has believed in the gospel unto salvation!

Zach Scoggin

Missions and College Pastor

Dear Church Family,                                                                                                               April 14, 2022

In the Midweek Update that we sent out yesterday (Wed., April 13), I invited you to join with us in a churchwide fast on Monday, April 18. Throughout history, God’s people have declared their devotion and dependence on God through the practice of fasting. Fasting is the abstaining from food for spiritual purposes and should always be done in conjunction with prayer. God’s people have fasted for a variety of reasons including in times of crises, in times of mourning, in times of uncertainty, and in times of repentance.

As a church, we are in a time of staff transition. God has been gracious to our church in the past as we’ve brought in new staff members, and we should expect that He will be gracious again. However, considering our current and soon to be staff openings, I sense a need to collectively seek the Lord in prayer together as a church. So please join with your church family on Monday, April 18 in a churchwide fast. I recognize that not everyone will be able to fast the entire day, but my hope is that you will consider giving up one, two, or three meals that day to pursue the Lord in prayer concerning the following requests:

• That God will quickly provide for our staff needs with people who will embrace our mission to proclaim Christ and make disciples.
• That God will protect the unity of our church family as we humbly seek Him and stay engaged.
• That God will give our church leadership wisdom as we consider expectations and responsibilities associated with various staff positions going forward.

Officially, we’ve been seeking a Music/Worship Pastor for over a year. We have experienced disappointments on a few occasions as candidates that we thought highly of ultimately declined to continue in our process. We need wisdom for our next steps as a committee. We seem to have exhausted our resources for securing candidates and resumes. Unless God moves quickly and provides further candidates, our Personnel Team and Church Council have approved the move to contract with a Church Staffing Agency.

Concerning our Discipleship Pastor search, my hope is to have someone here by the end of summer. We have begun to have informal communication with potential candidates and with people who may be in a position to recommend candidates. Additionally, we will be posting this position soon.

As far as our Student Pastor search, we are looking forward to Hunter and Heather Wilkerson being with us April 22-24. As a reminder, here is the schedule for the weekend:

• Friday 6-9pm - Hunter and Heather with the 5^th Grade Activity (The Messy Event)
• Saturday 10-11:30am - Churchwide Meet-n-Greet in the ROC Coffee Shop 
• Saturday 7pm - Youth leaders/volunteers dessert fellowship and Q&A with Hunter and Heather
• Sunday 8:30 & 11am - Hunter and Heather Testimony in Worship Service
• Sunday 9:45am - Hunter teaches combined Student Ministry BFG
• Sunday 7:10pm - Business Meeting for the purpose of voting to call Hunter to TBC.

While change is not easy, it is clearly part of life. For whatever reason, God has chosen to lead various members of our ministry staff to other churches and ministry locations. For almost 15 years now, God has been gracious to allow me to serve at Trinity Baptist. We’ve seen lots of change as a church, and we will continue to see change in the future. Even still, God is in control.

So let’s seek Him and trust Him. And let’s humble ourselves before Him on Monday, April 18 as we fast and pray together as a church.

Be Strong and Courageous

Pastor Nate

Stewardship During a Global Pandemic

As I sit down to write this letter, a few thoughts flood my mind. First, I am so grateful to God for His faithfulness to stir the hearts of our church members to be generous and faithful to give. In what has been a difficult year, our church has entered the final month of the year in a healthy financial position. While God has been gracious to our church, we continue to pray for a strong financial finish to the year to make budget and to meet our March for Missions Offering goal.  

I have also been considering the concept of stewardship. Scripture is clear that all that we have belongs to God and that we are simply managers of what He entrusts to us. God calls us to steward the resources that He has entrusted to us for His glory. This is a humbling thought, especially during a global pandemic. Faithful stewardship may seem more challenging when facing society uncertainty, but it is what we are called to nonetheless.

On Sunday, December 13, we will hold our annual March for Missions Offering. While our collection of the offering will look different this year (we will not be marching collectively to place our offerings in baskets at the front of the Worship Center), the importance of this offering remains the same – all monies collected for March for Missions Offering will be used to support Southern Baptist Missionaries in Texas, North America, and around the world.

The goal for our March for Missions Offering is $175,000. If you are not able to join us for worship on Sunday, you can still contribute through January 31, 2021, through online giving accessed on our church’s website – www.trinitybaptistamarillo.org (be sure to select the ‘missions’ option). You can also send your contribution to our church office through the United States Postal Service (1601 I 40 West, Amarillo, TX, 79109) or drop your contribution off at the church office. Please be sure to mark your contribution “March for Missions.”

I wonder, does $175,000 seem like too lofty of a goal to you during a global pandemic? If I am honest, I have wondered about this myself. However, I am confident that if each member of Trinity Baptist Church faithfully stewards the resources that God has entrusted to us, He will be pleased with whatever amount is given to the March for Missions Offering.

So, as you consider both a year end contribution to the ministries and expenses of Trinity Baptist Church and what you will give towards the March for Missions Offering, I pray that God will enlarge your heart of generosity. Our hope is to finish this year in a stronger financial position than last year so that we can continue to effectively proclaim Christ and make disciples of those who claim Christ, all for the glory of Christ.  With all the uncertainty that 2021 holds, our hope is to be financially equipped with the resources necessary to expand our own ministries and to continue to fund local ministries and world-wide mission efforts and missionaries.

Humbly,

Pastor Nate

Greetings Church Family,                                                                                           10/16/20

Greetings from my recliner as I am recovering from knee surgery. As you know, Amarillo has experienced a spike in COVID-19 cases recently, prompting city officials to move Amarillo back to a level red status. Based on the news reports, city officials will re-evaluate this level in two weeks. We encourage you to pray for our city officials and for those you know who may be struggling with COVID-19.

As a result, many have wondered if any ministry plans will be altered at the church. At this point, we plan to continue with Sunday activities as planned for October 18, 2020. We will continue with two worship services and Sunday School for all ages in the morning, and with Small Groups / Children’s Music in the evening. However, please understand how important it is to wear masks and to keep distanced as possible. As we follow safety guidelines, we are in the best position to fight the spread of COVID-19.

Beyond that, if you are not feeling well, please do not attend Worship, Bible Study or Small Groups. If your children are not well, please do not bring them to Children’s Ministry activities. Furthermore, if you are uncomfortable attending Worship, Bible Study, or Small Group, please know that we understand and trust you to make the appropriate decision for yourself and your family.

Our ministry staff will be meeting next Monday to discuss our current ministry schedule, including our expanded Sunday evening and Wed., evening ministries. While we do not anticipate major changes to our Sunday morning ministry schedule at this point, we will prayerfully review and consider the best options going forward.

While several months ago, few of us knew people who had contracted the virus personally, it seems that the last months have been different. Many of us know people who have been personally affected by the virus. And while I believe that we need to learn to live with the threat of the virus, we also want to be careful to protect others. Therefore, it is imperative that we continue to follow safety guidelines, consider the needs of others, and make sure that we ourselves are not doing anything to put the health of others in jeopardy.

May God Be Gracious,

Pastor Nate

Dear Church Family,                                                                                                      7/23/20

I am sure that we can all agree that this summer has been unique, to say the least. While we have been able to re-incorporate the Sunday Morning Worship Services, we have had to cancel or postpone so many of the things that are near and dear to us at TBC. As you can imagine, planning has been extremely challenging in light of the ever changing COVID-19 conditions, projections, executive orders, CDC guidelines, and of course both popular and not-so-popular opinions.

This week, our ministry staff has gathered to pray about and brainstorm how and when to begin expanding ministry offerings for our church family. In addition to that, I met with the Church Council this week to get their input as well. In light of these conversations, I want to share with you our immediate priorities and our next steps. Please understand, as with everything these days, what I am about to lay out is subject to change.

Our priority is to focus on expanding our Sunday morning ministry offerings, including worship care (birth – Pre-K), children’s ministry, youth ministry, and adult Bible study. We are currently discussing the best way to safely accommodate all these ministries. Some of the challenges that we are working through include having enough volunteers / workers in the children’s areas, upgrading some of our facilities to meet CDC guidelines, and working out a  Sunday morning rotation whereby we can safely accommodate adult classes.

We hope to begin the expansion of Sunday morning ministry offerings after Labor Day. While local school boards have released their projected start dates, many people I have spoken with expect a delay for in-classroom learning to begin. We believe it is prudent to begin any age-graded activities following the start the school year and specifically, in-classroom instruction.

We continue to hear that many of you are still not getting out much and are not planning to return to church activities until a later date (maybe even until a COVID-19 vaccine is produced). If our Sunday morning attendance is any indication, we expect about 50% of our church family to participate in these expanded Sunday morning ministry opportunities. Expect to hear more information about this in the coming days weeks. 

While Equip U is a valuable aspect of our ministry here at TBC, as it stands now, our Wed. evening ministries, except for The Gathering (Student Ministry), are on hold. We are hopeful that later this fall, we will be able to resume adult Equip U, as well as Team Kid for children, but there will be no fellowship meal or adult choir. 

Finally, Sunday Night Small Groups and Children’s Music Ministries are also on hold for now. There are multiple factors at play that currently make caring for kids and conducting children’s music problematic.

Let me say thank you for your prayers. Many of you have contacted me and other staff members to let us know that you are praying for us. We recognize that opinions concerning COVID-19 vary and that some of you would choose to do things differently. Thank you for extending grace where we have differences, and for being patient during this difficult season. In God’s wisdom, He has allowed this pandemic to hit our world and our community, and it is our responsibility to be live faithfully before Him.

Finally, I want to encourage you to link up with your church family while we are not able to meet as much as we would prefer. If you do not feel comfortable attending worship yet, link up with people from your Bible Study Class or Small Group and worship together via the livestream. Make it a priority to stay connected with other church members, and as you are able link up for fellowship and encouragement. 

I am convinced that the more we link up and stay connected during this time, the healthier our church will be on the other side of the pandemic. And the same is true for our individual spiritual health as well. Do not go at this alone. Reach out to others. Stay connected. Link up!  

Keep Pressing On!

Pastor Nate

Dear Church Family,                                                                                                 4/22/20

With Easter Sunday in the rearview mirror, we are preparing to enter the month of May. While May is usually a busy month full of activities associated with the end of school and the end of spring programming at church, we all understand that this May will be different. While we are making plans to reschedule Family Dedication Sunday, unfortunately our children’s music programs will not be taking place, and Graduate Recognition Sunday will look much different than it has in the past. 

Concerning the summer months, unfortunately, several things have been cancelled and nearly everything else is tentative. Earlier this month, the Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention set for June 8-10 was cancelled. We got word this week that Panfork Baptist Camp has cancelled our children’s camp. We are awaiting word on the Student Ministry camp at Glorieta; however, we do know that all Student Life camps nation-wide were cancelled for the month of June. Even if the July camp dates are not cancelled, I am certain that Gary will proceed with caution and gather input from parents before making any further commitments. VBS is also on hold. We are currently discussing if and how we could conduct a VBS, even if in a much different format. Each week, we learn of more churches who have made the difficult decision to cut all summer programming with the hopes of re-starting in the fall. As the end of April approaches, we will need to make decisions regarding summer mission trips as well. As we stated previously, the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention advised churches not to make definitive plans before April 30. We have been and will continue to be in communication with our contacts in Taiwan, Thailand, and Peru. While our desire is to go with the gospel, we recognize that there are many factors that may prevent us from traveling overseas this year. 

Finally, our governor released a revised document titled “Guidance for Houses of Worship During the COVID-19 Crisis” today (https://txvalues.org/2020/04/21/texas-opens-door-for-in-person-church-services/). Please know that our ministry staff and church council are prayerfully considering several options concerning when and how we can begin meeting again. Here are a few of the details that we are considering:

• Can we begin on-campus Corporate Worship and Sunday School Classes the same week?
• Will phase one of our re-opening include a worship only strategy?
  • If so, will we spread people out throughout the building using livestream technology?
  • Will we offer multiple worship services?
  • Will we encourage people over 65 to continue to worship from home, online?
• Can our Sunday School classrooms accommodate social distancing recommendations?
  • What will we do with larger classes that include the most vulnerable age groups?
• When will we be able to offer Children’s Sunday School, Nursery, and Worship Care options that take into consideration all the safety guidelines with which we have grown accustomed (and give parents confidence)?

There are many other questions that we are considering. Once the city’s emergency declaration expires, we may consider a few other options for Sunday morning worship. In the meantime, we anticipate continuing our online worship approach at least through the month of May, as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Amarillo and the surrounding areas. Our hope is to begin utilizing more musicians on Sunday mornings again soon as well. While other churches in the area may decide to re-open their doors more quickly, our desire is to best serve the safety and needs of our church members. Please know that we eagerly await the day that we can return to physically gathering for worship each Sunday.

Pressing On,

Pastor Nate

Blankets (and Gowns & Masks) of Love

As many of you know, Blankets of Love  is a sewing ministry of Trinity Baptist Church. While the ministry began in 2015, for the past several years, Thelma Martinez and her crew of nearly 20 ladies have been meeting at Trinity Baptist Church to sew double fleece blankets. These blankets are then distributed either personally and individually, or through the nearly 30 different organizations in Amarillo with whom the ministry partners.  

In light of the global pandemic and the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the medical community, Blankets of Love  has been asked by the medical community to sew masks and gowns for the Neighborhood ERs.  While the ministry has already sewn nearly 300 masks, materials will need to be purchased to meet the request for at least 100 gowns.

Trinity Baptist Church will be purchasing the material so that Blankets of Love  can continue to serve the medical community. However, if you are able and willing to volunteer to help make these gowns, Blankets of Love  would like to know. Please contact Thelma Martinez at thelma.martinez1947@yahoo.com if you are willing to cut fabric and / or sew material.

Thank you!

Pastor Nate / Thelma Martinez

Dear Church Family,                                                                                                 3/31/20

As I’m sure most of you know by now, our Mayor declared a state of disaster and public health emergency for Amarillo, effective from 11:59pm on March 30, 2020, until 11:59pm on April 14, 2020. I wanted to take a moment to update you on how this declaration affects Trinity Baptist Church. Please help us get the word out by sharing this information with people you know that may not check their email or Facebook page regularly.

• We understand that this decision was made in conjunction with much prayer and wise counsel. We are grateful for the people who the Lord has placed in authority over us here in Amarillo and are committed to praying for them. While the idea of shelter in place seems radical, it falls in line with the strong recommendations that we’ve already heard from multiple places.

   

• In my communication with the Office of the City Manager, it was clear that the city’s desire is not to put undue or unnecessary restriction on churches. They do not want to infringe upon our right to worship God, nor do they desire to make life more difficult for anyone, churches included. They did ask that we abide by the social distancing guidelines that have been emphasized by our federal, state, and local government.

   

• The city is encouraging people to work from home if possible. Again, while the city is not trying to put restrictions on churches, we have determined to close our church offices for the time being. While there will be people at the church building on a limited basis in order to carry out essential functions, including preparation for worship services, the doors will be locked. Should you have a need, we encourage you to email or call the person you are trying to reach directly, or to leave a message on the church’s answering system. We will do our best to get back with you as soon as possible. We will notify you when we are able to go back to normal office hours.

   

• While our desire is to continue with a livestream worship service as we have in previous weeks, we will continue to evaluate our best options on a weekly basis. However, based on the Amarillo Area Coronavirus (COVID-19) Status Level being elevated to RED, we have decided to reduce the number of volunteers who will be participating in the livestream for the time being.

   

• As much as we had hoped to physically gather on Easter Sunday (April 12), this is not going to be possible. We will continue with our online worship services for the foreseeable future. Along with all of you, our ministry staff looks forward to the day when we can physically gather for worship again.

   

• During this time of sheltering in place, it’s very likely that we have neighbors and friends who are anxious about life and perhaps even afraid to get out of their homes. What an opportunity we have been given to love our neighbors! If you are able, we encourage you to check on your neighbors to see if they need anything. Of course, we need to use wisdom in our interactions, but let’s show God’s love by caring for the people who live near us. Some may be in desperate need for groceries or other household items. Perhaps you can bless your neighbor by doing some yard work for them. Others just need to know that they are not alone. Ask people how you can be praying for them. Let’s initiate conversations and trust God with the results. Perhaps God will allow you to share the gospel with someone this week!

   

• Please let us know how we can be praying for you. We care for our church family, and in this tumultuous season, we need your help to know how we can best serve you. Please let us know your needs. If you’ve lost your job or have been furloughed during this time, please let us know. If you have physical or emotional needs, please let us know. We are committed to praying for you and doing what we can do to serve you and your family.

   

• As a church we are committed to supporting our staff and employees for as long as we possibly can. Initially, we determined that we would continue to support ministries and missions – both local and abroad – and to pay our staff and employees regular pay at least through Easter Sunday. Because you have continued to steward the resources that God has entrusted to you faithfully, we are able to continue with this support through the of the semester (May). Thank you! We appreciate your continued generosity and desire that the gospel not be hindered. That said, we want you to know that we have intentionally put a hold on non-essential spending, including previously approved updates to our building. While we will complete the work that has already begun, we will not begin other projects for which the church had previously voted to set aside money.

Finally, I want to reiterate my gratefulness to God to be part of this church family. We thank God often for the privilege to serve Trinity Baptist Church. And what a blessing and encouragement it is to serve with the team that God has assembled here. Every member of our ministry team has a passion for God’s glory and a deep love and concern for God’s people. I am blessed. Our church family is blessed!

Be Strong and Courageous!

Pastor Nate

Dear Church Family,                                                                                                       

As many of you have seen on our website (www.trinitybaptistamarillo.org), for at least the next three weeks our church will worship online via a livestream of our worship service, rather than gather physically to worship. You can access this livestream on our church’s website or through our church’s Facebook page (Sunday mornings at 10am). While this was a difficult decision, we believe that it is important to submit to the requests of our local government, as well as our president and other governmental agencies, in order to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19.

Through much prayer and in consultation with our Ministry Staff and Church Council, we have cancelled all church programs, on campus meetings and gatherings, and other church sponsored activities at least through Saturday, April 11. While the situation concerning the coronavirus is ever changing, our prayer is that we will be able to physically gather for worship on Resurrection Sunday, April 12. We encourage you to visit the website regularly for additional information.

In the meantime, recall that in Peter’s first epistle, he reminds believers that the church is a living organism made up of living stones. He tells us that we are chosen and precious in God’s sight - living stones who are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (2:4-5). In other words, Peter is telling us who we are and what we are to do as followers of Christ. As God’s chosen and loved ones, we are to offer the spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to our Great God.

As God’s people, Peter tells us that we have received mercy, that we no longer walk in the darkness of sin, but in the marvelous light of His presence (2:9-10).  What a promise! What hope! This is hope that the world needs right now – and God calls us to proclaim His excellencies (2:10), to Proclaim Christ.  I want to encourage you to engage in spiritual conversations with people. People are asking questions and expressing concern. You have opportunity to give comfort and hope.

Peter goes on remind us that we are sojourners and exiles (2:11). Since this world is not our home – since we are just passing through - our values and hopes must be different from the rest of the world. As followers of Jesus, we need to filter the news and the headlines through what we know to be true of our God. The things that drive this world crazy and cause widespread anxiety should create a different response in us. Because our God is in control, instead of worry, we should pray; Instead of judging, we should be merciful; Instead of hoarding, we should be generous; Instead of being fearful, we should walk by faith, keeping our conduct honorable before God and people, living in good deeds for the glory of God (2:12).

People are watching. People are looking for hope. Let’s do everything we can to point people to Jesus, the only sure foundation and only hope for this world. And by the way, as important as it is to physically gather for worship and encouragement, while we are unable to gather, notice that we don’t have to be gathered to offer spiritual sacrifice, to proclaim Christ to the world, to keep our hope in God, and to live in good deeds for His glory! We are the Church. Live as the Church!  

Pressing On..

Pastor Nate

Coronavirus 2020

Just about everywhere you turn, someone is talking about the coronavirus outbreak.  Depending on which websites one visits and which news organizations one follows, people are all over the spectrum as to their level of concern. Along with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) who are putting out plenty of information, we encourage each person to consult a trusted medical practitioner for advice on how to respond appropriately to the situation revolving around the coronavirus.

That said, there are some things we need to be clear on as followers of Jesus. First off, don’t forget that our God is in control, so we have no need to worry. Coronavirus didn’t catch God off guard. And not only is He in control, He is near to those who are in Christ. We can trust Him. He is good. In light of who God is, remember the words of the Apostle Paul, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil 4:6).

Second, whatever your personal thoughts are concerning the varying reactions and responses to the coronavirus outbreak, let’s remember that real people are struggling in light of this new reality – however temporary or serious it may be. Real people have lost their lives. Real people have lost loved ones. Real people have been infected and are battling real symptoms. Real people have been inconvenienced by quarantines and interrupted schedules. Real people are concerned, fearful, and anxious. Real people are asking questions and looking for answers.

Church lets pray for people who have been affected by this virus in some way. You may not know anyone who has been personally infected with this virus, but chances are you know people who are concerned about the situation. And while you are praying for people, be sure to look for opportunities to share an encouraging word about our God. Some of us may even have an opportunity to share the gospel with people who are uncertain about the future.

Finally, please know that your church leaders care for you. We have spent time asking God for wisdom as to how to best respond to the concerns that have been raised by the coronavirus. Here are some things that we are doing (and encouraging you to do) considering the coronavirus situation.

Concerning its spread:

·         As always, we encourage people to use good hygiene practices including the regular washing of hands with soap and water and covering your coughs and sneezes.

·         We are placing added hand-sanitizer dispenses throughout the church and encourage you to invest in some as well.

·         If you or your children are running fever, we encourage you not to attend worship services or bring your children to the nursery or Sunday School.

·         To minimize the spread of germs, we encourage you to respect people’s desire to minimize touching associated with handshakes and hugs. Let’s replace greeting each other with a holy kiss (Rom 16:16) with fist or elbow bumps!

Concerning Missions

·         Missions is such an important part of who we are at Trinity Baptist Church. We want you to know that we are seeking God’s wisdom concerning each trip that has been planned (or is being planned) this year.

·         Factors that we are considering as we make decisions concerning each mission trip include the spread of the disease, air travel to / through certain countries, chances of mandatory quarantine, governmental warnings, and cost.

·         While any and every mission trip has inherent dangers, we do not intend to knowingly place our people in harm’s way.

·         While we do not yet have firm deadlines for making calls on any specific trip, as we learn more information, we will do our best to keep you informed. 

·         Thailand and Taiwan - At this point, we have not purchased tickets for these trips. While we have had some people express interest in going, we are currently in a holding pattern until we know more information about what the summer is going to look like.

·         Peru – We are monitoring the situation in Peru closely. According to the World Health Organization, Peru is one of the latest countries to be hit by the coronavirus (though the numbers are still small). While some airfare had previously been purchased, we are holding off on purchasing any more tickets until we know more information.

·         Cuba – While information is not easy to come by in Cuba, we do have some contacts in country who have not sounded any alarms concerning coronavirus thus far. Tickets will not be purchased for this trip until early summer (the trip is scheduled for late October – early November), so we have plenty of time to make an informed decision.

Our prayer is that God will be gracious and put a stop to this virus. We hope that none of our people will experience any unnecessary inconveniences or any symptom associated with the coronavirus. That said, our hope remains in our gracious and sovereign God.

With Love,

Pastor Nate