“A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.”  Isaiah 42:3

Just now I was sitting on the back porch drinking coffee, and I noticed that one of our pine trees had a new growth shoot out of the top of it.  It was taller by a foot than any of the new growth on the other trees around it.  Stretching further.  Reaching taller.

As I was looking at this new growth, a bird came and landed on it.  And it bent over, under the weight of the bird.  The bird remained on it for several minutes.  The new growth bent and wobbled as the bird adjusted and readjusted.  Finally the bird found a balancing point, and just rested on the bent over tree top.  The tree had been bent completely out of shape, but it did not break.

As birds do, just about the time it seemed to settle down, it flew away and was gone.  But the new growth on the tree did not immediately return to shape.  It just sort of remained bent over.  A few minutes later, I looked back and could see that it was beginning to move back toward its original position, but slowly - too slow to really observe.  It was happening over time.  It had initially been bent out of shape in a single moment, but it would take another 15 minutes or more for the tree top to return to its original, fully vertical position, once again reaching out for the sun.

This can sometimes be a picture of the Christian life.  At times, our new spiritual growth is weak, and can bend under the pressure of outside forces.  Such pressure can come in and cause damage and then leave as quickly as it arrived.  But in Isaiah 42:3, God promises that although He may allow us to become bruised at times, He will never permit us to become fully broken off.  Jesus said that He may even prune us from time to time.  But He will never allow His faithful people to become broken and separated from the life source of His vine.  If you are bent or bruised, take heart; it may take more time than you realize, but God will not allow you to be broken under the weight of outside forces.  He will repair you as you continue to reach for His Son.

Blessings, 

Pastor Bruce

bruce.cullom@gmail.com

I believe that Vacation Bible School is among the most important ministries and most valuable outreach opportunities that any church can have.  There is simply no substitute for teaching the truths of God’s word to a young person.  It is something which a child will carry with him or her for the rest of his or her life.

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he 

is old he will not depart from it.”  Proverbs 22:6

This is not just a parenting verse.  This is a verse for families, churches, and communities.  Yes, the ultimate responsibility for training a child falls upon the parents, but I believe God has called Lakewood to partner with families in teaching children about God and His word.

There is little doubt that you agree with everything I have said thus far.  In fact, you’ve probably given a hearty “Amen!” in your soul.  That’s good!  I am glad you agree… because we need your help.  There are a few Lakewood members who have already volunteered to lead in certain areas of VBS.  Miriam Cavnar has graciously volunteered to co-lead VBS along with Tim Lewis.  Several others are eager to help as well.  But for this to be a successful event, we need everyone.  And I mean everyone!  We need some to teach, 

some to lead games, some to help with snacks, some to simply help us with accountability.  Here’s something I’ve learned – children don’t care about your age or energy level.  They’re simply thrilled that an adult is investing in them.

Lakewood VBS 2021 will be a single day event, held on Saturday, July 17th.  At the end of the scheduled VBS time, we plan to host a “block party” type of event, offering hot dogs and hamburgers for the children and their parents, and having additional games and activities to round out the day.  There will be an important VBS planning and training meeting on Wednesday evening, June 16th, at 6pm in the fellowship hall.  Please consider this a personal request from your pastor to attend and find out how God can use you in this vital ministry.

Blessings, 

Pastor Bruce

bruce.cullom@gmail.com

What is home?  Home is more than just a house.  A house is, of course, a structure which provides some level of comfort and protection.  But home goes beyond that.  As the old saying goes, “Home is where the heart is.”  There is an emotional attachment to our homes, even the homes in which we no longer live, whether it is on the other side of town, or on the other side of the country or world.  In short, home is love.  

The place that you call home is almost certainly the place where you have experienced the most love.

In a spiritual sense, those who have placed their faith in Christ alone for salvation understand that the earth is not our eternal home.  We have a home in glory with our heavenly Father, through the work of Christ our Savior.  When we recognize the troubles in this world, the Truth of God’s word and His love for His people give us a faith and a joy which keeps us moving every day.  And we love to sing about it, and teach this to one another.

In a physical sense, the greatest earthly expression of our heavenly home is the church – God’s people gathered in like-mindedness in glory of and praise to Him.  And just like the home you grew up in, like-mindedness does not mean that we all agree on every-single-thing.  We never will.  But what like-mindedness means for God’s church is that we will always agree that serving Him and bringing glory to the risen Savior through obedience to all that 

He has commanded is our priority.  We will always agree on that.

It is a new day at Lakewood Baptist Church, and not simply because there is a new pastor.  The newness of Spirit is evident in the love that the Lakewood family has for one another.  Maybe you have called Lakewood your church home for years and years, or perhaps you previously attended Lakewood but now are a faithful member of another church body, or maybe you’re currently at a place in life where you don’t have a church home.  Regardless of these things, we are honored to have you as our guest today, and we are grateful that you are worshipping the Lord with us.  If you do already have a church home, we encourage your continued faithful service there.  If you do not have a church home, I humbly recommend that you join us at Lakewood each week for worship and discipleship as you seek the Lord’s direction in these things.  You are loved here.

Blessings, 

Pastor Bruce

bruce.cullom@gmail.com

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15

Something happened to me recently that caused a mix of difficult motions.  One part shock, one part hurt, and one part working very hard to keep a lid on my anger.  I am certain that you can relate to this.  It caused a break in what I would normally describe as a peace in my soul.  I like to think, and I hope that you agree, that I am a generally peaceful person. 

I can testify to you that this has not always been the case - any peace you see in me is a direct result of spending time with God in prayer and Bible study.

But so often when we find ourselves experiencing an unexpected avalanche of emotion, our first instinct is to gossip find someone to talk with.  Here is a test for you.  If you begin a conversation with someone by saying, “You won’t believe what just happened…” you’re probably off on the wrong foot already.  We think that by sharing our frustrations and even angers with other people, it will be therapeutic for us, and help to restore peace in our soul.  We even use phrases like, “It feels good to talk about it with someone.”  This even spills over into social media now.  We must be very careful in these types of conversations.  I’m not suggesting that you hold in your emotions, but too often we vent in an unhealthy, even unbiblical way, with the result being that we miss our desired outcome entirely – restored peace.

Paul tells the Colossian church that it is peace brought to us through Christ that should rule in our hearts.  If a situation in life seems to be challenging that peace, the only one who can properly defend it is Christ Himself.  Speaking with another person about life is not a bad thing of course – that’s called friendship!  But we must be sure to center our peace in Christ alone.  How is this done?  By going daily to the “Jacob’s well” that is the Bible.  Spend time reading His words.  Spend time meditating on them – they are the words of life.  And pray to Him, casting all of your cares upon Him.  This is what brings and sustains true peace in the life of God’s people.  

And I love the last few words of Paul’s encouragement – And be thankful!

Blessings to you always, 

Pastor Bruce

bruce.cullom@gmail.com

As I thank the Lord for the blessing which the Lakewood family is for me and Leanne, I cannot help but look back on the past few years in awe of God’s hand at work in our lives.  As followers of Christ, we may often feel as if we need a detailed outline of His plan or road map from God in advance, in order to remain faithful to Him.  However, if such a document had been provided to me in the fall of 2007, I would very likely have strongly resisted and may even have “pulled a Jonah.”  

At the time, I am sorry to say, I would not have chosen to follow the path on which He has taken us.  I was 34 years old, married, serving as a deacon in our church and working for a record label in Nashville on Music Row.  I was not unhappy at all.  I felt that I was obeying the Lord and doing His will.  And the truth is, I was doing just that.  But His plan was about to change, for He was preparing me for full-time ministry.  In the process of losing that job in the music industry I felt like the rug was being pulled from under me.  Initially Leanne and I struggled to trust what the Lord was doing.  Nevertheless, within a short time my pastor and several other wise leaders from our church affirmed a calling on my life to full-time ministry.  As a result, I cautiously accepted a position as the student pastor.  Then something happened which I could have never envisioned - the Lord blessed us with over a decade of successful student ministry.

There have been times since then when I found myself once again, desiring a road map from the Lord – an itinerary so to speak.  Moving to Louisville in 2018 was certainly one of those times.  Finishing seminary just in time for the entire world to shut down due to COVID was another season of doubt for me.  However, through these challenges, Leanne and I knew our that faith in the Lord would strengthen and sustain us, rather than having immediate answers about the future.

Right now, I probably share something with you regarding the desire to know the future.  I want to peek forward several years and see what the Lord has done at Lakewood.  My heart wants to see “this” and “that” as indicators of successful ministry (fill in the blank with your own desires).  But as Scripture says, the heart is deceitful above all things.  It is not my heart that I am to rely on, but on every word of the Lord.  He has not promised to show us the future, other than the truth that Christ will continue to reign supreme.  What He has done is call us to be faithful for today, and He will never fail us.  Include in your prayer time an attitude of submitting to the Lord in all ways, and ask Him what you can do today for His successful future of Lakewood Baptist Church.

Blessings,

Pastor Bruce

Now that I have your attention with my sensational headline, I’ll give you a very clear and direct answer to that question – no, we should not change our name, period.  Why do I raise this question?  It’s not news to anyone that many churches these days are changing their name in an attempt to appeal to a wider range of people.  Marketing studies have even suggested that the word “church” may have a negative implication with some individuals.  For these and other reasons, we see many congregations changing their decades old name to new titles such as, “The Gathering” or “The Fellowship.”  Additionally, words like vertical, elevate, life, and point (or pointe) all seem to be in fashion.

As you may have guessed, I have a problem with much of this.  The name of a church should first and foremost be strongly biblically rooted.  But even going further, the title of the church should be unambiguous to the community and passersby as to how the congregation identifies itself.  I have heard the argument made that denominational names are considered divisive, and the word “church” will keep some people from even considering walking into the building.  The argument continues that softer and more socially pleasing words should be used, so that the surrounding community understands that the church is a place of God’s love.

My strong opinion is that, rather than bow to ever-changing whims of a culture in chaos (which is America right now), churches need to “own” their name by teaching and explaining exactly who they are and what they believe.  With that in mind, here is my understanding of our name.

Lakewood – Originally a combination of the local street names Lakeland and Woodberry, this says that we are a church made up by, and existing for this community.

Baptist – Baptism is one of the two ordinances which Christ commanded of His church after the resurrection (the other being The Lord’s Supper).  This communicates that we adhere to Christ’s mandate that all who believe in His name should be baptized (emersed) as an outward profession of faith in Him.  This is the method for joining Baptist denominations (Matthew 28:18-20, Colossians 2:12, Acts 2:41).

Church – The precise name which Jesus gave to the organized group of believers which He alone builds (Matthew 16:18).  The original Greek word used is “ekklesia” (pronounced ek-la-see-ah) and means “called out ones,” or even “the assembly” (from its Hebrew origin).  This is important, because Christ has called us out of the world and assembled us for His purpose.

As you would agree, the last word in our name is the most crucial and it is the very word that we cannot drop, lose, or change.  Jesus said that the world would hate us (John 15:18).  Their hate is not because of a name, but because of our faith in Him and our stand against sin.  If we stand strong on those principles, the world’s opinion of us will not change.  The solution is not to conduct better marketing campaigns, nor to use lingo which has been tested and approved by a focus group – the solution is to draw nearer to Him, His word, and His words.  Let us own the name of this church as it honors the One who founded it.

-Pastor Bruce

What’s the worst time that you’ve sinned?  All sin is disobedience against God’s law but think about a time that you felt that you most disappointed God.  Or maybe that time when you were most disappointed in yourself because of your sin.  Some of you have heard my testimony about the time I missed a witnessing opportunity to a young lady outside of a sandwich shop by Vanderbilt because I was too busy for God.  I felt pretty low that day.  As you’re thinking about low points in your life, take a moment and become reacquainted with that emotion.  How did you feel?  What did you do about it?

The apostle Peter was well acquainted with this same feeling.  He had spent several years under the discipleship of Jesus, and then celebrated the Lord’s final Passover meal, when Jesus reveal Judas as His betrayer.  Peter was a fisherman by trade.  He is often portrayed as a bigger man, and the Gospels reveal Peter as strong, quick to speak, and the first of the twelve to act.  With that in mind, take a moment to read Matthew 26.

This is directly after the Last Supper!  I’m usually on a mountain-top after the Lord’s Supper.  I have examined myself and I feel close to the Lord.  I’m sure that Peter probably felt similar.  Then Jesus lowers the boom on him and tells Peter that he will deny Him not once, but three times.  The understanding of Peter’s last denial is that Peter actual said something to the effect of “may God strike me down if I’m lying.”  Then the scripture says that Peter wept bitterly.  In this context, this is an act of repentance toward God.  This was the godly sorry that is spoken of in 2 Corinthians chapter 7.

But that’s not the end of Peter’s story.  We know that previously, in Matthew 16:18, Jesus told Peter that he would play an important role in the beginnings of His church.  Peter repented of his sin, and began to proudly proclaim the Gospel, preaching the very first Gospel message in the second chapter of Acts.  And guess what?  About 3,000 people were saved that day.

What does this mean for us today?  We all have sinned at some point in life and felt useless to God.  But for those who are saved by Christ’s blood, His work through you is not over.  Not near over.  Have you denied Jesus?  Have you resisted doing His will?  Well guess what?  The Gospel really is Good News to you!  When we confess our sin and repent, the Word says that He is faithful to forgive us, just like He forgave Peter.  And just like Peter, our Lord will use you to do a mighty work!  

So, I encourage each of us to be in prayer about this, a continual spirit of prayer like we have prior to taking the Lord’s Supper.  I regularly pray that God save the young lady who I didn’t witness to that day outside of the sandwich shop.  I wouldn’t recognize her if I saw her, so there’s even a chance that he has used me since then to witness to her.  Or maybe he’s used one of you.  I won’t know about it this side of heaven, but I do know this – I’ll never miss another opportunity like that again.  Christians are called to live in victory, not shame.

-Pastor Bruce

You are no doubt familiar with the term “Passion Week” meaning the week which leads up to the Sunday when we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, or Easter.  Every day between Palm Sunday and “Easter Sunday” has a traditional name, given by the church throughout history, which are more or less based on a loose chronology of the last week of Jesus’ life.  These names are:

Palm Sunday

Holy Monday

Holy Tuesday

Spy Wednesday

Maundy Thursday

Good Friday

Holy Saturday

Resurrection Sunday

I say a “loose chronology” because not all of the events in the Gospels were recorded in strict chronological order.  If that sounds odd to you, think about it the next time you’re telling a story to friends.  You will have a difficult time going in strict chronological order, because rarely does one thing happen in a vacuum – usually, multiple elements of the narrative are occurring at the same time.

I encourage you to look up these titles and read about them, just to strengthen your Bible knowledge and to enhance your appreciation of all that Jesus experienced and endured during the final week before His crucifixion and resurrection.  Remember, the titles of these days are not found in Scripture, but are based on Scripture.  A good resource for this is www.GotQuestions.org.

The purpose for the term “passion” is the intense love of Christ for His people, put on full display and proclamation during His final week.  No longer did He quietly confide with those closest to Him, “My time has not yet come.”  Rather, He submitted to the Father’s will with passion which the world had never known and will never see again.  Resolve this week to spend time every day reading the events of Jesus’ final week before the crucifixion.  

Matthew 21 – 28

Mark 11 – 16

Luke 19 – 24

John 12 – 20

Pastor Bruce

We are barely two weeks into Lakewood men’s and women’s ministries, and I am already hearing testimonies from church members who have been convicted to read their Bible more faithfully and with more purpose.  Bible reading can be difficult at times – we all know this.  You can get stuck in Leviticus trying to figure out how it applies to you.  You can get stuck in Numbers wondering what the purpose might be.  You can get stuck in the prophets wondering what the author is even talking about.  And there’s always the risk of taking the New Testament out of context.

Since the winter weather we experienced a few weeks ago, you have no doubt noticed how awful some of our roads are in the area; there are potholes everywhere.  But I doubt that the road damage has kept you from driving.  You have probably even learned where some of the potholes are during your daily routine, and you know how to steer around them and keep going, hope that by the following day the road crews have repaired it.  There are no potholes in God’s word, of course, but you should carry the same mentality with you as you read it.  When you find a difficult word, or a difficult teaching, or even an entire book of the Bible which is hard to understand – you must keep going.  You cannot stop.  You can ask for help, and a “road crew” can come and assist you in getting over the barrier and even prepare you for possible difficulties ahead.  Keep going!  Keep reading your Bible, every day!

The other thing is this – if you are currently part of the Lakewood family, you are in leadership either by design or default.  You probably know this better than I do.  As the Lord grows and matures Lakewood and brings new people and new families into our congregation, we will be responsible for teaching them, for discipling them, for maturing them.  We must prepare ourselves now for the work which is to come.  This preparation takes discipline – spiritual discipline – and it starts with daily Bible reading and prayer.  Continue to train yourselves for godliness!  It is worth it.  The Lord will bless you.

I love you dearly.

Pastor Bruce

I thank my God every time I remember you.” – Paul to the church at Philippi

Philippians 1:3 (NIV)

I was recently part of a Zoom meeting with several other pastors, speaking about prayer needs within the lives of our churches.  I listened closely to the other pastors speak about sinful situations within their congregations.  Some of the concerns voiced included rudeness, unforgiving spirits, laziness, pride, hypocrisy, and racism.  When it came my turn to voice prayer concerns for the Lakewood family, I was overcome with joy at the fact that I had nothing to share in the way of sinfulness, at least nothing of which I am aware.

I want to be clear – we are all sinners, and we acknowledge this.  We are in no way “better” than any other biblically faithful congregation.  We regularly search our hearts and our membership and ask the Lord to rid us of “sin in the camp” (Joshua 7).  We are not patting one another on the back and proclaiming, “job well done!”

However, I do thank God daily for you.  If you are reading this, I thank God for you and the Spirit which lives in you, which guides and directs our lives.  It is a Spirit of peace, not of sin.  And the Spirit is alive and at work at Lakewood Baptist Church.  In my brief few months of service to Lakewood, I have been blessed beyond measure by all of you, and I can already call this as one of the great highlights of my life.  

Let us work diligently to seek out sin in our own lives, confess than sin to God, and to remain at peace with one another daily.  Let the light of the gospel be set on “high beams” so that it shines bright and far.  Let us continue to labor side by side for the gospel, and rejoice in the Lord always.

And once again, you do not need an appointment to see your pastor.  If my black truck is parked outside the church, you are welcome to come knock on the door of my study and sit and chat about anything.  If you need me at a time when I am not at the church, please call my cell phone and I will answer.  (615) 545-5824

Blessings, 

Pastor Bruce

I hope that you will join us on Sunday evening, March 7th for the kick-off Lakewood men’s and women’s ministries.  We will take the rest of 2021 to examine personal spiritual disciplines and how to develop them in our own lives.  What are personal spiritual disciplines?  Faithful and meaningful Bible study.  A consistent and rich prayer life.  Fasting.  Solitude.  Worship.  Evangelism.  Serving.  There are many other examples in God’s word.

If the Christian life may be compared to a physical body, many Christians are in poor health, with poor diets, and become discouraged at the process of “getting into shape.”  Getting into shape is hard work.  It takes time.  It takes dedication.  You will be sore on occasion.  To become convinced to continue moving in the right direction, we often turn to personal trainers and even nutritionists.  I want you to think about our concentration on personal spiritual discipline in the same manner.  We must train ourselves for God’s purposes.  Read this verse slowly, and purposefully, and several times over:

“Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:7-8

In context, the idea of “silly myths” might even be accurately interpreted as fake news and social media ramblings.  These are things which people spend a lot of time on but have very little if any benefit.  Wouldn’t you rather invest your time in things that will have eternal value, rather than what someone you’ve never met posted on Facebook?  (Hint: if you begin to memorize these verses, you will have a head start on our men’s and women’s ministries “workouts.”)

Plan to come join us as we celebrate God’s word together, challenge one another, hold each other accountable, encourage and love one another, and grow closer as a body of believers.  I look forward to seeing you there.

Blessings, 

Pastor Bruce

Have you ever encountered anyone who was not receptive to the Gospel?  Sure, we all have.  And I’m fairly certain that most of us have come across those folks who are even hostile toward the things of God, possibly even within our own families and circles of friends.  What should our response be in those circumstances?  What does the Word of God say?

In Matthew chapter ten, Jesus gives some very clear instructions to His disciples as he sends them out with the message.  And in Matthew 10:14 Jesus reveals that not all who hear the Good News will be receive it and directs the twelve to “shake the dust from your feet when you leave that house.”  In other words, do not waste time arguing against them.  Just a few chapters back Jesus preached to the multitudes and said this, 

“Do not give dogs what is Holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” – Matthew 7:6

I believe this follows the same logic.  God’s gift of free grace does not make sense to those who are arrogant in God’s face and reject the Gospel altogether.  Therefore, we are to avoid arguments with them at all costs.  Remember, Jesus Himself was silent before Pilate.  That is astonishing to me.  Jesus could have easily defeated Pilate in a debate.

But our responsibilities can’t simply end at that point, can they?  I don’t believe so.  Jesus clearly taught in Matthew chapter five that we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.  Surely our lost friends and family members who are antagonistic toward the Gospel are not our enemies, but in the truest sense of the Word, as lost sinners following the desires of their own flesh, they are the spiritual enemies of God.  So we must pray for them, specifically asking God to soften their hearts and to create additional opportunities for us to speak His truth to them and to send other believers to encounter them with truth as well.

Prayer is not our last option, it is our greatest resource.  

Blessings, 

Pastor Bruce

I saw a video recently that had an incredible effect on me.  Strangely enough, the video was recorded by “devout” atheist, Penn Jillette, of the comedy/magic duo Penn & Teller.  In the video, Penn talks about a man that he met after a show one night.  The man handed Penn a Bible as a gift, and from his description it seems to me that this unknown man was probably a Gideon.  Penn, the atheist, thanked his guest for the Bible and the two men went on to have a respectful conversation.  Penn was amazed that this man was not a “nut” but actually a sane, intelligent person, capable of sharing his faith in Christ without turning people off.  Then I believe the Holy Spirit started to work on Penn.

Penn, the atheist, came away from this meeting with this comment: If you claim to be a Christian, how much do you have to hate someone to not witness to them?  The Christian’s world view sees the unbeliever as a pedestrian standing in the street, about to be hit by an oncoming bus.  Yet, rather than help that pedestrian, many Christians are strangely able to stand by and watch as the person in the street is hit by the bus.  Penn said, and I agree, the Bible claims that those who have not received Christ as Savior will spend eternity in hell.  Then why are we not running at full speed to tackle that pedestrian in the middle of the street, and push them to safety?  Most of the time, we’re not even verbally warning the person about the oncoming bus.  We just stand there and watch them get hit, over and over.

Wake up O sleeper!  Be about your father’s business!

Spend this week in prayer for your lost friends and family.  Then get to work, sharing the Gospel with them directly.  I challenge you to not let another day go by without talking to your lost friends about the saving Grace of Christ.

And pray for Penn Jillette too.  Pray that the Holy Spirit continue to work in his heart. 

Blessings, 

Pastor Bruce

Do you know what a veneer is?  A veneer is a thin covering of nice-looking material atop a base of less expensive, bland looking material.  A wood worker might build a cabinet using a low-grade pressboard and then finish it off with a very thin layer of high-grade maple or cherry.  The rationale is obvious – a pretty veneer glued to the top of a less expensive piece of wood is a cost savings effort.  To the untrained eye, the difference between a thin veneer and a solid piece of wood is probably not perceivable.  But the experienced woodworker will identify the differences immediately.  A good example is the difference between manufactured flooring and solid hardwood flooring.  The veneer does not have the depth of detail that its solid wood counterpart does.  It does not accept finish in the same way, nor does it stand up as well to normal wear and tear. 

Simply said, veneer is a cheap substitute for the real thing, and has very few of the same qualities.  The few qualities that it might seem to share with solid wood will fool the untrained eye but will quickly be identified by the master.

And so it is with the veneer of cultural Christianity, or as a friend of mine says, "churchianity."  Cultural Christians look like Christians on the surface, but they often lack a true saving-salvation.  They may fool those around them into thinking that they are solid Christians and may even fool themselves.  But when the Master takes hold of them for close inspection, He immediately knows that their outward appearance is simply a façade and declines to use them for His intended purpose.  Brothers and sisters let us examine ourselves!  The Good News is that reading God’s word and faithfully praying to Him will produce beauty and depth in Christ and will prepare us for the wear and tear (and even abuse and damage) which the world inflicts on all of claim the name of Christ.  Christ did not come for you to fake your way through life.  He came to bring you into a solid relationship with the Father.

Blessings,

Pastor Bruce 

The Word Became Flesh

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4In him was life,a and the life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11He came to his own,b and his own peoplec did not receive him. 12But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Sond from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15(John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.e 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God; the only God,f who is at the Father’s side,g he has made him known.

The Testimony of John the Baptist

19And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straighth the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

24(Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Behold, the Lamb of God

29The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Soni of God.”

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

35The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.j 40One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesusk was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peterl).

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

43The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you,m you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

As you’ve heard me mention over the past several weeks, we will begin a journey together on Sunday, January 3rd.  We will begin traveling through the Gospel of John on Sunday mornings, chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse.  If you have not read John’s Gospel recently, I strongly encourage you to read it before January 3rd.  Go ahead and begin jotting down thoughts and questions as the Holy Spirit brings them to your attention, and I even encourage you to underline the word “believe” in your Bible and see how many times it occurs in John.

The other thing that I’d like for you to read is much shorter – it is “The Baptist Faith & Message 2000.”  The “BF&M” outlines what it means to be a Southern Baptist.  Just like anything else that is authored by man, it is not perfect, and it is certainly not authoritative Scripture.  However, the BF&M is a valuable tool for us to use; it outlines what we as Southern Baptists believe about the Bible.  If the Southern Baptist denomination* is a lane at a bowling alley, with room for some variety of thought, then the Baptist Faith & Message functions as the bumper-guards on the right and left which are used when children bowl.  Those bumper guards keep the bowl rolling forward, without falling into the gutter.  I was pleased beyond measure the first time I visited the Lakewood website (when I submitted my resume to the pastor search committee) to see the BF&M 2000 was already there, under the Doctrinal Statement tab.

The Gospel of John is filled very strong teachings on which we as Southern Baptists base many of our doctrinal beliefs.  This is why I draw your attention to the BF&M 2000 at this time.  I would like for us to re-familiarize ourselves with “What We Believe” as we move forward into 2021 and pray that the Lord spark a new spiritual growth in all of us, even as He sparks new members to join our congregation.

*The Southern Baptist Convention is not technically a denomination – we are a convention of cooperating, but autonomous congregations.  But that is a discussion for another time.  ☺

Blessings, 

Pastor Bruce

I looked across the lobby of our modest hotel and recognized that several in our group had already congregated in preparation for the long journey home.  We had spent two weeks traveling across the most northern regions of India, providing medical clinics for local people who had never seen a doctor in their lives.  As one of the few non-medical members of our team, 

I had been given the task to share the gospel with every participant who came to our clinic for medical attention. 

 I had spoken so much that I had lost my voice almost every day, yet it was an exhilarating experience to say the least.

On the final morning of our mission trip, many had gathered for an early breakfast and time of prayer.  Afterward, we all returned to our rooms to pack and then meet back in the lobby for load up and departure to the airport.  It would be a 15-hour flight back to the United States, then an additional 3-hour flight for me back to Nashville.  With the layover between flights, it was a 24-hour trip home.  As I approached the group, I noticed smiles and quiet laughter.  I asked about the topic of discussion.  Someone replied, “We’re talking about what we miss most about home.”  I listened for a moment.  The responses were sweet – “my wife,” “my husband,” “my daughter,” “my bed.”  Me being me, I tried to toss in a bit of light-heartedness with my response, which was, “bacon.”

Just about that time our group leader, Luke, joined us in the lobby and asked what we were talking about, then he offered his thoughts, “I wonder what Jesus missed most during His mission trip to earth?”

It was a sobering thought, one which left everyone standing in silent contemplation.  A few moments later, Luke returned from the hotel desk and spoke again, “I think I know the answer.”  He then went on to quote John 17:5:

And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

Luke continued, “Jesus missed fellowship with the Father most of all.”

If Luke’s first comment sobered me, his follow up comment brought me to my knees.

But that’s how much God loved the world.  He loves sinners so much that he gave us His one and only Son.  He sent His perfect, holy, righteous Son to die for sinners.  And in doing so, Jesus had to give up the glory which He had experienced with the Father since eternity past.  What more could He have given?  God gave the greatest gift ever given – Jesus.

Blessings, 

Pastor Bruce 

When you give to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering, what are you actually giving to?

Charlotte Digges “Lottie” Moon was a real person.  She was born in 1840 in Virginia, one of seven children.  Despite being born into a time and culture when women were not encouraged to become educated, Lottie achieved a masters degree by the time she was 21.  She committed her life to Christ while attending college and in 1873 was accepted by the Foreign Mission Board (now the International Mission Board, or IMB) to be a missionary to China, even as an unmarried lady.

Within a few years, Lottie had sounded the trumpet back to the United States for the need of more missionaries, and especially more women missionaries.  At her strong urging and sponsorship, in 1888 the Southern Baptist Convention began the first Christmas offering dedicated specifically for international mission efforts.  That year, enough money was raised to send three new missionaries into the mission field.

Lottie Moon died the day before Christmas in 1912.  In 1918 the SBC titled the Christmas offering in honor of the lady who inspired it, and in the process awakened the church to the great need for Christian missionaries around the world.  When you give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, 100% of your gift goes to fund Southern Baptist missionary efforts.  None of it is used for salaries or administrative purposes, all of which are covered by other designated donations to the IMB.

Not every person can “go,” and not every person is even called to “go.”  But we can all give something.  And we must all pray.  As you pray about an amount which the Lord will have you give to the Lottie Moon Offering this year, and as you place your gift in the offering, I ask that you also pause and pray for the workers on the receiving side of that dollar.  Pray that the Lord will strengthen and encourage them, and that the gospel will continue to go forth to all nations.

Blessings, 

Pastor Bruce

As you probably know, Lakewood is prayerfully planning to re-launch our children’s ministry in January 2021. Of course, one of the primary things necessary for a successful children’s ministry is – children! We have a wonderful facility in which a children’s ministry can meet, but we have been faithfully praying for the Lord to send young families and children to Lakewood. The Lord is faithful, and He will provide opportunities for us to minister to families with children in ways that probably never crossed our minds.

The other primary thing which is absolutely necessary for a successful children’s ministry is adult leaders. In fact, we need to have adult leaders in place in our children’s ministry before we can properly invite and welcome new families with children. A few weeks ago, we had a young couple with two young daughters visit our worship service for the first time. I was not prepared with ministry opportunities for the children that day. Since then, I have developed a “bridge” plan with a faithful Lakewood member to help us receive children for Sunday School or Children’s Church. This is good for now, but it is not enough.

So, I would like to challenge you. The challenge is simple. The challenge is to say a prayer, a specific prayer. I challenge everyone who reads this to say a simple prayer to the Lord that sounds something like this,

“Lord, I want to be used by You, for Your glory, to achieve Your will. I also want to see the children’s ministry at Lakewood Baptist Church to be revived and to thrive. Lord, please show me what I can do to help see the children’s ministry become successful for your glory. In Jesus name, amen.”

I challenge you to pray that. In fact, I dare you! A dare from your pastor! Haha.

In order to do children’s ministries well, we need to have a very minimum of six people at the ready on Sunday mornings, placing workers in pairs for accountability purposes. Of course, initially there will likely be several Sundays in a row when a worker will be ready and prepared yet arrive at church to discover that no children are present that day. I would encourage that person to spend a bit of time in prayer over their area of ministry, then slip into their regular adult Sunday School class. Eventually though, we’re praying that the Lord fill our children’s hallway to the max and we begin to experience the very opposite of our current challenge – so many children and workers hearing and teaching about Christ the Risen Savior, that we have to have multiple Sunday School times, and build new buildings. Maybe it will start with you?

Blessings,

Pastor Bruce

Since we are approaching the Thanksgiving season, I want to take a moment and say how thankful that Leanne and I are to be serving at Lakewood Baptist Church.  In the weeks leading up the two Sundays in September that I would preaching in view of a call, we began to meet more and more Lakewood members.  We accompanied a deacon and his wife to make visits to our homebound members on a Sunday afternoon, and were warmly greeted and welcomed by everyone into the Lakewood family before anyone had even heard me preach.  After you called me as your pastor, the encouraging greetings, messages, texts, and cards began – and they have not yet stopped.  Not a day has passed that I have failed to receive an encouraging message from someone at Lakewood, and many people have even blessed me with candy, coffee, and Chick-fil-a gift cards (the trifecta)!

I want you all to know that I do not take any of this for granted, and I do not take you for granted.  I stop and pray for each of you and your family as the Lord brings you to my attention, or as I hear of specific needs and prayer requests. 

Also, I am confident that this blessing of kindness and hospitality which we have experienced is not unique.  What I mean is, although you are pleased to have a new pastor, I know that with any new faces, whether it be a first time visitor, or a friend of a friend, or even a new member of Lakewood, this same warmth which Leanne and I have experienced is also extended to everyone.  As Paul tells the church of Corinth in 2 Corinthians 4:15, the purpose of our thanksgiving is to bring glory to the Lord, so that more people may come to submit to the gospel of Christ.

During this Thanksgiving season, take a moment to share with others something about them for which you are thankful.  Even a little encouragement goes a long way.  And our Lord will use this to bring glory to Himself in a way that will increase His gospel presence in the world.  It may open an opportunity for you to share the good news of Christ.  And that’s really what it’s all about.

Blessings,

Pastor Bruce