Plymouth Haven Baptist Church

Core Truth: “The work of the Sprit is to impart life, to implant hope, to give liberty, to testify of Christ to guide us into all truth, to teach us all things, to comfort the believer, and to convict the world of sin.” (D.L. Moody) “Without the Spirit of God, we can do nothing. We are as ships without wind. We are useless.” (Spurgeon)

Core Truth: “Those who think that a woman detained at home by her little family is doing nothing, think the reverse of what is true. Scarcely can the godly mother quit her home for a place of worship; but dream not that she is lost to the work of the church; far from it, she is doing the best possible service for her Lord. Mothers, the godly training of your offspring is your first and most pressing duty…You are as much serving God in looking after your own children, training them up in God’s fear, minding the house and making your household a church for God as you would be if you had been called to lead an army to battle for the Lord of hosts.” (Charles Spurgeon)

Core Truth: Someone has wisely said that “It seems like too many people and ministries go right back to business as usual after Easter is over. They celebrated the empty tomb, but they celebrated the empty tomb from their personal vantage point. Most people give very little thought to what the empty tomb requires of us once we accept Him as Lord and Savior, but in a world increasingly filled with hopelessness and despair our witness as to what Christ’s resurrection really means is needed now more than ever.”

Core Truth: “If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that He said; if He didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what He said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like His teaching but whether or not He rose from the dead.” Dr. Tim Keller.

Core Truth: As with Israel at a most critical moment of their national life, so today both nations … churches … and even individuals are ever in danger of missing God’s blessings and grace by failing to recognize the time of His divine visitations.

Core Truth: Becoming a Christian is not a matter of signing up for a series of do’s and don’ts that are based on our ability to perform. Rather, becoming a Christian is a matter of freely receiving the incredible gift of a brand new life in Christ – a life filled to overflowing with everything needed to please God, bless and encourage others, and live lives that will be eternal in their consequence.

Core Truth: “Present suffering is not enjoyable, but life would be worth little without it. The difference between iron and steel is fire, but steel is worth all it costs. Iron ore may think itself senselessly tortured in the furnace, but when the watch-spring looks back, it knows better. David enjoyed pain and trouble no more than we do, but the time came when he admitted that they had been good for him. Though the aspect of suffering is hard, the prospect is hopeful, and the retrospect will start a song, if we are ‘the called according to His purpose,’ in suffering.” (M.D. Babcock)

Core Truth: While we may never in this life come to full understanding or agreement on such great doctrines as those of Predestination versus Free Will, the more important practical reality is that whether we ever grasp it or not, for His own gracious reasons our loving Heavenly Father was quite intentional in choosing us to be His own, and wisdom would seem to dictate that we focus more on the ‘why’ than on the ‘what’.

Core Truth: “Unconditional election means that our election is decided by God according to His purpose, according to His sovereign will. It is not based upon some foreseen condition that some of us meet and others fail to meet. It is not based on our willing or our running, but upon the sovereign purpose of God.” (R.C. Sproul)

Core Truth: “With our initial salvation, God has equipped us – by the indwelling Spirit – with an introductory packet that includes everything we need. We have access to resources which, when utilized, will result in usefulness and fruitfulness both horizontally – in our relationships with others – and vertically – in our relationship with God. But having the right equipment is no guarantee that we’ll benefit from it. We must use that equipment properly.” (Chuck Swindoll).

Core Truth is: A wise person once said “The Devil doesn’t care how much theology you know… just as long as you don’t use any of it.” There is a great difference between appreciating Truth and appropriating it, and perhaps nowhere is this more true than when it comes to learning how to truly access what we have been given – the actual mind of Christ – the powerful resource with which to live godly and effective lives for Him while here on earth.

Core Truth: While at the very moment of our New Birth we are given the mind of Christ, it is only through the lifelong process of ‘renewing our minds’ that we can begin to understand what that means and how it alone is the key to living a truly God-pleasing and God-honoring life.

Core Truth: The things that are on our personal lists of priorities are probably not in the same order as God’s list for us. And while upon receiving Christ we are indeed given a new mind, even the very mind of Christ, it is only by the constant process of ‘renewing our minds’ that our priorities begin to come into line with what God really has planned for us, and the more we do that the more we will be amazed at the power of a prioritized life!

Core Truth: A Biblically engaged church is a church that seeks to understand and live out the God-intended role in the culture in which it has been providentially placed, ever vigilant lest it be co-opted by that culture and thus rendered largely ineffective by the very environment it seeks to serve and redeem for the glory of God.

Core Truth: If we could ever actually grasp what God is really seeking to do in us as His children and what the amazing consequences of that are actually going to be, everything would be different – from how we see our problems and adversities, to how we spend our time and money, to how in general we live our daily lives.

Core Truth: Every new year is filled with 365 days of the unknown, unexpected, and at times – if we only knew – the unwanted. However, we do well to remind ourselves that if we are truly followers of Christ we really do have nothing to fear since God has already promised to walk with us, work in and through us, and help us make each of those days useful and productive, both to our best interests and to His eternal glory, and to that end He has already given us rich gifts for facing a new year.

Core Truth: In a world that is rapidly becoming darker and more ominous – even to the point that as our Lord predicted “men’s hearts are failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth” (Lk. 21:26), God’s message of hope for a hopeless world is that in the midst of it all, He offers a glorious new and eternal future for all who put their trust in Him, and He has secured that promise through the life, death and resurrection of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Core Truth: In a world increasingly wracked by wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes and natural disasters; plagues and pandemics now costing millions of lives, and the raw face of evil becoming rapidly more open and unrestrained, I would argue that the need to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas is greater than it has ever been!

Core Truth: As wonderful as the sights and sounds of Christmas are that bring us such joy and elation at this time of the year, we forget or perhaps have never even really thought about the fact that the wonder and joy of Christmas was born in a matrix of danger and death, suffering and adversity, anguish and loss at depths of levels that can hardly be imagined.

Core Truth: Throughout human history names have always carried their own meanings and significance… sometimes easily understood, and at other times rather puzzling and even humorous. However, as we once again celebrate the wonderful season of Christmas, we need to remind ourselves that “it’s ALL about HIM! And that long after every other name has faded into history – there is one Name that will stand forever and before which every knee shall bow… in heaven… and on earth… and under the earth… and every tongue will confess that He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Core Truth: If we could ever begin to really understand God’s eternal purposes for every one of us who has been born again by the Holy Spirit and been made part of His Bride, the Church, it would radically affect every aspect of how we are living our lives right now… from how we spend our time, our money, and our energy, to how we use our gifts and talents in our day-to-day living here on earth as we come to understand ever more fully the apostle Paul’s declaration in Romans 8:18, ‘whatever the sufferings of this present life may be, they are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred on us!’

Are you willing to be a witness for Jesus?

We should defend the persecuted because:
1. Because we want to be where Jesus is working
2. Because the Bible commands us
3. Because defending religious freedom is essential to our mission strategy
4. Because the persecuted deserve our help
5. Because we can make a difference.

Core Truth: God simply wants us to trust Him and believe that whether it comes to our salvation, our sanctification, or our service for Him, He is quite ready and willing to do for us, in us, and through us what we cannot possibly do for ourselves.

Core Truth: The scriptural truth about the Rapture or “catching away” of all believers in Christ is not meant to create fear or apprehension. Rather, it is intended to motivate us to do the work He has for us to do while there is still time, and to live our personal lives in a constant state of readiness and expectation as we seek to persuade others to also be ready for the Lord’s return.

Core Truth: There are a number of rapidly increasing signs that our Lord’s return to earth is very close at hand and that we, as His church and bride, are not to be taken by surprise, but rather are to be found wide awake and fully engaged in preparing for that incredible event. And among those signs are what is now unfolding in world events in general, and with the nation of Israel in particular.

Core Truth: How long have we "lived in the Father's house and failed to understand His heart?" The more we recognize how much we ourselves have been given by sheer grace the more patient, generous and forgiving we will find ourselves able to be toward others.

Core Truth: If we as Christ’s followers could ever begin to grasp the incredible future that has already been prepared and waiting for us upon Christ’s return to this earth, it would change everything in our lives … from how we spend our time, to how we raise our families, as to what we do with our money, to how we control our behavior and our speech, and even what we tolerate in our daily thought life. Literally everything about us would undergo radical transformation and reorientation, and truth be told, that is what true sanctification of the believer is really all about.

Core Truth: Far from being the impotent, irrelevant, and inconsequential presence that much of the world assumes it to be, when Christ returns His Church will be the ONE thing He considers worth saving and the primary means by which He will one day rule the world, and all who accept His call to join Him in His great work must understand several important things.

Core Truth: Far from being the impotent, irrelevant, and inconsequential presence that much of the world assumes it to be, when Christ returns His Church will be the ONE thing He considers worth saving and the primary means by which He will one day rule the world, and all who accept His call to join Him in His great work must understand several important things.

Core Truth: None of us likes to feel inadequate – whether it’s on our job, in our role as parents, or most any other situation we may have to deal with from day to day. However, the Bible shows us quite clearly that not only did some of God’s greatest servants experience great feelings of inadequacy, but they discovered that those very limitations were what qualified them to be used of God to do great and mighty things for Him and His kingdom here on earth.

The Core Truth: "God promises us in His Word that He hears every word that we pray to Him. Like a good parent, He is waiting, ready, and willing to listen to our worries, concerns, and needs. Whether we are seeking forgiveness, strength, or healing, prayer provides the channel to communicate with God and receive supernatural strength and power!” crosswalk.com

Core Truth: If ever there was a time when the spiritual acuity of every Christian should be operating at an increasingly sharp level it is now … as events on every front – globally, nationally, regionally and locally – are shouting at us that things cannot go on as they are … that something decisive and dramatic is about to occur and that God expects His people to be “dressed for service and our lamps burning brightly.” (Luke 12:35)

Core Truth: Because as God’s “Scattered Elect” we have been providentially sown into the cultural soil of an alien and hostile world, it is an absolute certainty that we will be “temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials and temptations.” In light of that we are called to do certain things which will help to make us strong in our faith, conform us more fully to the likeness of Christ, and prepare us to stand unashamed before the Lord whenever He may choose to call us home.

Core Truth: Over the course of biblical history, God has often used “scattering” as His method of choice for kingdom growth, and what may seem like a setback (going to Egypt, being exiled, persecution, or even a pandemic!) may be His catalysts for paradigm shifts and future kingdom growth that will have a lasting impact on the Church’s effectiveness, as well as the individual believer’s personal growth and ultimate triumph.

Core Truths:
1. Christ's call to discipleship is a call to leave the world behind and follow Him and Him alone. And though it will manifest itself in different ways, it will cut across the grain of everything in our lives so as the rich young ruler, we too are called to forsake all to follow Him, for it is then and only then will we be able to realize the freedom, power, and fruitfulness of a fully surrendered life.
2. Every person who would ever decide to fully follow Christ must at some point determine whether he or she is really ready to surrender that “one thing” which has the ultimate hold on their will and their willingness to surrender all to Him.

Core Truth: The certainty of Christ’s resurrection from the dead is THE pivotal point in human history and implication of its not occurring are profound beyond all we can imagine.

Three reasons why this “darkest day in human history” deserves to be called Good Friday.

Core Truth: While as the apostle Paul declared, by one man’s actions sin and all its destructive consequences were released into what had been a perfect world, God the Father chose to offer a way of escape and complete restoration of all who will believe in and receive His perfect Gift, the Perfect Christ.

Jesus is the Son of God, fully God and fully man. He was born and lived a sinless life. He died, was buried, and He rose again from the dead. He will come again, in glory, one day to judge the living and the dead. Who do you say that Jesus is?

Core Truth: There are at least 114 times (depending on the Bible translation being used) when the well-known phrase or idiom “in that day” is used in Scripture to mark or pinpoint major changes in the forward flow of human history, some of which will be profoundly cataclysmic and destructive, and some of which will be glorious beyond believing. The danger is not only that the unbelieving world will opt to treat such information as a joke and live their lives accordingly, but that careless believers will be caught in the same trap.

Core Truth: Prayer is the primary means by which we communicate with God, and it is not meant to simply be a way of getting what we may want or need. Rather, the reality is that God wants to be our friend and wants us to get to know Him better. And as we do this through effective prayer – prayer that actually works – we will get to know Him better, and every need will be met and every prayer will be answered, but in the way that glorifies Him and brings about our ultimate good.

Core Truth: It’s been said that a person with a theory is always at the mercy of a person with an experience, and it is fair to say that there are some things in life that we as Christians should know what we’re talking about! It is the Christian who can answer such important questions as: “Why are we here? Where are we going when we die? And, is there really any hope or meaning in this present world?” It is the Christian who can “speak what we do know;” all else is mere theory and conjecture.

Core Truth: Throughout the ages God’s people have often had to live out their faith in times of great adversity and affliction. However, their examples of doing so with such amazing peace and tranquility remains a challenge to anyone today who would also live for Christ the way they did.

Core Truth: The troubles and adversities we may experience in this life – regardless of their source or nature – are always intended by a wise and loving God to not only be beneficial to us in this present life, but also profoundly consequential in the life to come – making them in the end – far more to be treasured than the greatest of earthly pleasures.

Core Truth: Our Lord said “I came so that they may have life and have it to the fullest, until it overflows.” If we really understood how much God wants us to be truly happy – both in this life and in the life to come – everything could be different, including the ways in which we experience and process some of the difficult and painful things that may happen in our lives.

Core Truth: “Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.” Max Lucado

Why Shepherds? Because of their lowly status, their strategic place in the redemptive story, and their instant obedience and sheer delight in being privileged like this.

Core Truth: No celebration of Christmas would be complete without at least some reference to the Magi, usually as the “three kings.” However, there is no scriptural evidence that they were kings nor that there was just three of them. The larger question is – why they were included in Matthew’s account of Christ’s birth to begin with, and does their being part of the Christmas story have any significance for us today?

Core Truth: The life and ministry of John the Baptist is nothing short of a watershed moment in human history and speaks at once of the faithfulness of God as well as of His absolute sovereignty in all matters pertaining to mankind in general and to God’s people in particular.

Core Truth: Trusting God and continuing to serve Him patiently in the face of prolonged delays is certainly a virtue to be desired all its own. However, continuing that same level of faith and obedience when all the evidence says that all hope is now gone is an even greater measure of our trust in the One who “does all things well” and whose “ways are always perfect.” (Mark 7:37; Psalm 18:30)

God has made Himself known to us, as Trinity, and that has been done in the person of Christ, and none can take that away from us!

Core Truth: “Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an antiseptic. This is a most searching and true diagnosis. Gratitude can be a vaccine that can prevent the invasion of a disgruntled attitude. As antitoxins prevent the disastrous effects of certain poisons and diseases, thanksgiving destroys the poison of faultfinding and grumbling. When trouble has smitten us, a spirit of thanksgiving is a soothing antiseptic.” (John Henry Jowett; Clinton C. Cox. The Upper Room Pulpit)

Core Truth: A life well-lived is a life being lived in harmony with the will of God, which means waiting when He says “wait” and moving when He say “move.” A Spirit-led Christian and a Spirit-led church know the difference and act accordingly.

Ways to live as leaders who stand with the persecuted: 1. Pray 2. Be informed 3. Advocate for Myanmar Today 4. Give and Partner

Core Truth: Worship is our response to God, both personal and corporate, for Who He is, whereas praise and thanksgiving are expressions of gratitude for what He has done – all coming from hearts filled with genuine love, childlike submission, and unquestioning obedience to His will.

Core Truth: The wisest man in the world, once said “There is a time to keep silent and a time to speak.” (Ecc. 3:7b). It is a much-needed lesson our beloved Peter had to learn and one that we do well to learn as well.

Core Truth: If the church is to ever have the kind of impact intended by its Founder it must of necessity structure its leadership in accordance with the clear teachings of Scripture. Otherwise, it is simply a humanly produced organization that may make a name for itself in terms of religious activities but will never be able to overcome the gates of hell and fulfill its God-intended mission in the world.

Core Truth: A church’s ability to influence its culture for Christ will always be in direct proportion to its understanding and acceptance of the authority and leadership of its Founder and Great Shepherd Who has also vested that leadership in His under-shepherds, variously described as pastors, elders, overseers and bishops. Today and over the next few weeks we will be examining this important Scriptural doctrine more fully.

Core Truth: Being a Christian is not just a title, it’s a position – a position of responsibility through stewardship, and our stewardship is to be directed not by what we prefer, but by the desires of the Owner Whose instructions are clearly spelled out in the Bible.

Jesus taught that we should Treasure Heavenly Treasures. They are indestructible and eternally secure. And, most importantly, He knows the location of our heart and treasure are linked. He longs that our hearts be centered on the place and things of Heaven.

Core Truth: God does not give us a thing called wisdom, a thing called righteousness, or a thing called sanctification. He gives us a PERSON called Jesus, Who is all of these in Himself. Our faith is not in a creed but in Christ. Therefore, anyone who is truly IN Christ actually lacks nothing, whether they have ever come to understand and enter into that reality or not.

Core Truth: God does not give us a thing called wisdom, a thing called righteousness, or a thing called sanctification. He gives us a PERSON called Jesus, Who is all of these in Himself. Our faith is not in a creed but in Christ. Therefore, anyone who is truly IN Christ actually lacks nothing, whether they have ever come to understand and enter into that reality or not.

Core Truth: God does not give us a thing called wisdom, a thing called righteousness, or a thing called sanctification. He gives us a PERSON called Jesus, Who is all of these in Himself. Our faith is not in a creed but in Christ. Therefore, anyone who is truly IN Christ actually lacks nothing, whether they have ever come to understand and enter into that reality or not.

Core Truth: God does not give us a thing called wisdom, a thing called righteousness, or a thing called sanctification. He gives us a PERSON called Jesus, Who is all of these in Himself. Our faith is not in a creed but in Christ. Therefore, anyone who is truly IN Christ actually lacks nothing, whether they have ever come to understand and enter into that reality or not.

Core Truth: God wants us to know His will – not for His benefit, but for ours, in order that we may maximize the joys and fruitfulness of our lives both here and for all eternity!

Core Truth: While great and often unexpected storms are a part of life even and perhaps especially for Christians, there are certain verities – certain eternal truths – that if we will remember them, can carry us through any storm and see us safely through to the other side.

Core Truth: “For the believer in Jesus, every trial of suffering is an opportunity to grow in the faith, to grow in our relationship with the Lord, and to see Him work in our lives in a uniquely personal way that demonstrates His compassion, His comfort, His tender mercies, His loving kindnesses, His grace, and His endless love. Only God knows what each of us needs to experience and learn in order to be conformed to the image of His son.” (T.A. McMahon)

Core Truth: In a world filled with seemingly endless pain and sorrow, grief and loss, shattered hopes and expectations, whether we come to see life as meaningful and worth living will be determined by the extent to which we understand that God’s plan for us is that our journey here is at best, very brief, and that the trials and afflictions we face are – far from being purposeless and wasted – actually preparing for us eternal joys, satisfactions, and delights beyond our wildest dreams!

Core Truth: Whether it be a church, charitable organization, business, college or university, a nation, or even an individual life, the temptation will always be to give up – to abort the mission as it were. But an even greater hazard may be the deadly danger of “mission drift.”

Core Truth: No person or nation can ever be truly free apart from the freedom, which was secured by the sufferings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago – all other freedoms ultimately flow from that divine fountainhead. And it can further be argued that apart from that freedom, no other freedoms can exist nor long endure.

Core Truth: While it is true that a father’s words can either heal or hurt, encourage or discourage, it is the daily life he lives before ever-watching eyes and ever-listening ears that is the most potent force of all.

Core Truth: We find ourselves living in an increasingly disturbing and unpredictable world. As a result, these are times to remind ourselves of some verities that are “sure and certain” – some things that will never ever change and by which, therefore, we can live our lives with true faith, great hope, and genuine love – and do it before a watching world.

Core Truth: Christ set the example for all who would follow Him. It was an example of resolute obedience to the Father’s will, and a refusal to compromise or seek an easier way out, no matter what that cup contained.

1. God infuses His sojourners with a living hope. 1 Peter 1:3-5 2. God infuses His sojourners with a preserving faith. 1 Peter 1:6-9 3. God reveals the Author of our hope and faith. 1 Peter 1:10-12

Core Truth: “Not all of us are called to die a martyr’s death, but all of us are called to have the same spirit of self-sacrifice and love to the very end as these martyrs had.” (Richard Wurmbrand - The Midnight Bride)

remember that those who know and serve the Lord are being cared for moment by moment by an “immutable” God – a God who does not change!

Core Truth: The mother of our Lord is rightly honored as perhaps the consummate example of what it means to be a good and godly mother as even now, over 2000 years later, we celebrate her life and example as a model for all those whom God has called to serve in one of life’s most holy endeavors.

Core Truth: “As we noted in last Sunday’s message, Christ’s call to discipleship is an all-consuming call, leaving absolutely no relationship in our lives unchallenged by Him. However, His call is also a call to learn from Him personally how to live a life of peace, rest, and tranquility, even in the midst of an increasingly troubled world.” (Eugene H. Peterson)

Core Truth: “Christian discipleship is a decision to walk in His ways, steadily and firmly, and then finding that the way integrates all our interests, passions, and gifts, our human needs and eternal aspirations. It is the way of life we were created for.” (Eugene H. Peterson)

Core Truth: “The Bible is God’s chart for you to steer by, to keep you from the bottom of the sea, and to show you where the harbor is, and how to reach it without running on rocks or bars…sink the Bible to the bottom of the ocean, and still man’s obligations to God would be unchanged. He would have the same path to tread, only his lamp and guide would be gone; the same voyage to make, but his chart and compass would be overboard!” (Henry Ward Beecher)

Core Truth: The resurrection of Jesus Christ has profound implications here and now, also for the eternity that lies ahead – a future perhaps much nearer than we can imagine. Therefore, as true followers of Christ we are called to live our lives accordingly.

Core Truth: Though the witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. But if she could have looked a little further back… she would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward. (C.S. Lewis – The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe)

Core Truth: While from a human perspective the world is rapidly becoming a much darker place, the reality is that the long night of darkness is about to end and give way to the blinding radiance of our Lord’s return in power and great glory! Therefore, we as Christians are wise to remember that everything we think, do, and say will be tested against that ultimate and soon-coming reality!

Core Truth: While from a human perspective the world is rapidly becoming a much darker place, the reality is that the long night of darkness is about to end and give way to the blinding radiance of our Lord’s return in power and great glory! Therefore, we as Christians are wise to remember that everything we think, do, and say will tested against that ultimate and soon-coming reality!

Core Truth: Living in an increasingly disturbed world naturally mitigates against having any real peace of mind and heart as we are actually witnessing our Lord’s own prediction that in the last days people’s hearts will actually fail them for fear of the things that are happening on the earth as the very powers of the heavens themselves will be shaken and “caused to totter.” (Luke 2136) But it is in just such a time that we as God’s people are called to live our lives with great courage and confidence, as with Abraham of old, we continue to “look for a city that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” (Hebrews 11:10)

Jesus’ cure for our troubled hearts is faith in his promises. 1. You have an eternal home with me. John 14:1-4 2. You come to, know, and see the Father through me. John 14:5-11 3. You have great works to do through me. John 14:12 4. You have confidence I will answer your prayers. John 14:13-15 5. You have the Father, Son and Holy Spirit with you. John 14:16-26 6. You have My peace. John 14:27

Core Truth: In its truest sense, Biblical faith – the quality of faith that pleases God and brings His power to bear upon all matters in our lives – is the absolute assurance that what He has spoken to us from His Word, quickened and made alive by the Holy Spirit, will indeed come to pass, even if not exactly when or in the way we would prefer.

Core Truth: One of the most difficult things even the most devout Christian often faces is what to do when, no matter how hard we pray and try to have faith, God seems either unconcerned, disinterested, or deafeningly silent about what we are going through that is, perplexing us, weighing us down, and greatly testing our faith.

Core Truth: Because God has so much more planned for us than we could ever imagine, He wants to protect us from the danger of becoming too comfortable with the things of this present life and thereby losing sight of the glorious future which He already has prepared for us, and that requires that we “prepare our minds for action and to set our hope fully” on Christ’s return.

Core Truth: As we live in an increasingly unsettled world, we do well to remember that our heavenly Father never intended for us to be comfortable here. Rather, He desires that we hold the things of this life loosely, while preparing our hearts to receive “a kingdom that cannot be shaken.” (Heb.12:28)

Core Truth: There is a quality of newness coming that is literally out of this world, and because Christ came to suffer, die and be resurrected from the dead on our behalf, it is already underway here and now! As Dr. John Piper has said, “The invincible purpose of God for creation and for his people will not be complete until all things are made new and the glory of the Lord fills them all.”

Be on your guard; stand firm, be men and women of good courage, be strong. Do everything in love.

Core Truth:How often must our Lord still be surprised and saddened by the ingratitude of those for whom He has done so much, while those who understand how desperate their need was and how graciously He has met that need can never thank Him enough.

Core Truth: God has put a desire for success and significance in the heart of every person. However, because sin has entered the world, we – much like the disciples of old - are driven by pride to achieve it and fail to understand that the only way to attain the glory He would bestow upon us is to drink of His cup.

Core Truth: It is possible that the future that is about to unfold before us may turn out to be one of the most exhilarating but also costly times we have yet experienced as followers of Christ. However, if that be true, it is also true that the Gospel’s power to change lives, reshape cultures and even alter the course of nations will be, as it always has been, in direct proportion to willingness of God’s people to actually begin to obey Christ’s radical demands.

Core Truth: The late Dietrick Bonhoeffer once wrote that when Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die; but much like the disciples of old, our naivety and pre-occupation with the things of this life often cause us to misunderstand and miss completly what it really means to answer that call.

Core Truth: While the world seeks to find someone to “fix our problems” once and for all and may soon be will willing to accept anyone who promises to do that, Christ, the Living Stone will appear a second time, not to deal again with sin, but to bring salvation to those who are eagerly waiting for Him and to establish His kingdom forever.

Core Truth: Human history is moving along a timeline that is irreversible in its direction, terrifyingly awesome in its elements, and glorious beyond imagining in its final outcome. In light of those realities, the truly wise will seek to maximize their effectiveness while here on earth so as to receive Christ's strongest possible "well done" and most abundant rewards when He returns.

Core Truth: In the swirling confusion of events occurring in the world right now, people’s daily lives have been greatly disturbed and many are experiencing whole new levels of uncertainty, fear and confusion. However, we as God’s people have been given “sure words of such unsure times” so that none of these things need to move us away from our faith in God nor from the tasks to which He has called us for such a time as this.