Yesterday our family welcomed little Camden Matthew Mordh into the world, and I became a grandpa. How thrilled we are to have this precious little life added to our family!

As I waited in the waiting room for Camden to be born, I thought back to the evening that Peter and Danielle announced that they were expecting a baby.  We were thrilled, and we could hardly wait for today. This little boy has no idea how much anticipation and preparation has preceded his arrival!

As I held my grandson a few hours later, I thought of the wonder and joy of a new birth. All the preparation, all the waiting, all the suppressed excitement is nothing compared to the joy of welcoming a newborn.

New birth—physical and spiritual—is an incredible gift from God. And God has given us the privilege of telling the world how they can be “born again” through faith in Jesus Christ. I’m reminded today that whatever energy we must expend, whatever patience we must exercise, whatever resoureces we must give in order to see people saved is nothing compared to the privilege of aiding in spiritual delivery.

The past three days of our Missions Conference at Lancaster Baptist have been incredible! We’ve been reminded that involvement in missions is not only an opportunity—it is a necessity. Missions is as much a part of the Bible as John 3:16! We must be faithful to do our part and give generously—of our resources and of ourselves—to preach the Gospel to the entire world.

In Philippians 4, the Apostle Paul thanked his supporting church at Philippi for their investment in his missionary labor. He pointed out that giving is a form of communicating (verse 14). Notice these three biblical principles God commends in giving. (more…)

This coming Sunday launches our Missions Conference at Lancaster Baptist Church. We’re looking forward to welcoming many missionaries, and we anticipate God’s blessing as we give through His grace this coming year. What a privilege God gives us to allow us to have a part in His harvest!

The group of men who will be speaking for our conference represents a goldmine of experience and knowledge in missions:

• Dr. Don Sisk
  WCBC Missions Department Director
• Dr. Daniel Kim
  Pastor of Bible Baptist Church, Seoul, Korea
• Dr. Rick Martin
  Veteran Missionary to the Philippines
• Dr. Tom Lancaster
  Missionary to the Military in Germany

These are men who have served the Lord for many years. They have seen God prove Himself faithful through blessings and hardships, triumphs and trials. I’m looking forward to learning from them, and I’m eagerly anticipating how the Holy Spirit will work through them in our church.

Both the morning and evening Sunday services as well as Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evening services will be broadcasted via livestream at http://lancasterbaptist.org/live.asp. (Sunday morning @ 11:00 PT, Sunday evening @ 5:00 PT, Mon-Wed evening @ 7:00 PT.)

On Saturday, we said goodbye to a very dear friend and a wonderful example of a godly Christian husband and father. Brother Bob Lane lived a life of dedicated service to his country and to His Lord. He was married to the love of his life, Joyce, for sixty years. He served our country in World War II, and he raised his family to live for Jesus Christ. For the past twenty years, he has been a faithful member of Lancaster Baptist Church and a friend and encourager to me.

Brother Lane was in church for every service, and after each service he would come by for a moment, shake my hand, and give me a word of encouragement. He always had something good to say, and his life abundantly exhibited the joy of Jesus Christ.

What an honor it was to preside at his homegoing service and to see his memory and his family honored for his military service. (See photo gallery for a few more photos.) Brother Bob Lane will be missed by all who knew him, and I look forward to seeing him again someday in Heaven.

Paul’s ministry in every city was validated partly by his sterling testimony and carefully nurtured relationships. Particularly in the city of Ephesus, when Paul gave his final goodbyes to the church leaders, he was able to part with a clear conscience and strong relationships (Acts 20:19–34).

Our ministry likewise is strengthened when we are: (more…)