Mandarin Baptist Church

Lasting spiritual transformation happens when we plant the seed of God's Word in the rich soil of biblical community. Four key nutrients that make up Biblical community are Joy, Hesed, Group Identity, Healthy Correction. Not only should we look inward to see how rich our soil is, but we should be asking if we are helping make other peoples soil as rich.

In a world where the Word of the Lord is so rare, we should be making it more common. We cannot remember what we have never known. My practice is to know and to walk in the ways of your truth for all of my days.

God's faithful love engenders faithfulness. Faithfulness is what we repeatedly do. What will you repeatedly do in response to God's love?

When we gather in Jesus’ name, we bear witness before the powers that be that you cannot be bought. Your heart is steadfast, your resistance potent and your vision glorious.  Repentance and worship become a rhythm, and idols are resisted and laid down.

Our identity is not our own to form. The character of Christ is ever becoming our character as we are transformed into His image and conformed to His likeness. As we practice the rhythms of knowing Jesus; becoming as Jesus; and living as He lived, we are transforming into image bearers.

As stewards, we celebrate the Gospel here; we celebrate redemption, restoration, healing, and the things of God. Even in the middle of difficult times, we choose to celebrate the mercies of God. "Celebration is godly defiance in the culture of doubt" - Jon Tyson.

Not only do we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus at Easter, the central point of our faith, but because of what He's done, we celebrate our own resurrection. He rose from the grave to life, and raises us to new life with Him. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life!

Christ’s own joy, comfort, happiness and glory are enlarged as he shows grace and mercy; as he pardons and relieves; as he brings comfort to his own. - Gentle and Lowly

We are a people who are coming to know Jesus; becoming like Jesus; and living as Jesus lived as we make our way on this journey. 

According to scripture, we should be explorers and stewards of the mysteries of God. When we lose sight of the Gospel of Christ, we are truly missing the central aspect of the church He began. We should constantly be preaching and responding to the mystery of God, which is the Gospel, in our lives. We should then steward it well and make it our focus.

We must constantly ask of ourselves, "Are we a place where those in the community know that they will experience belonging?" Nothing and no one supersedes the Gospel. It will change us, transform us, and challenge us as God is the one who gives the growth. As we mature in faith we will search our hearts to evaluate how we have been complicit in under-playing the Gospel. 

In First Corinthians, we see how Paul is calling for the believers to mature in their faith. They made a big deal of small insignificant issues the church faced. When we look at some of what they were struggling with, we actually can see struggles the church today struggles with. To sum up some of what Paul was saying, we need to get over ourselves and realize that our own wisdom is nothing compar...

According to the book of Acts, we see what ruled the lives of the church at its inception: the apostles' teaching, the fellowship of believers, communion, and prayer. These are things that the global church should still be devoted to just as much as it was so long ago. As we are devoted to those, our fellowship will always be space to be with Jesus; become like Jesus; and do what he did to li...

In encountering the Word of God made flesh, and now engaging with the scriptures, we should be asking 'So what should we do?'. How are we supposed wrestle with the texts found in scripture? What should be our aim, or our response to Christ coming? We should live a life filled with consistent repentance.

Ann Voskamp says, "Any time and place that you make space for Jesus, you become a womb for the goodness of God." Mary became a sacred space, and we too can become a sacred space for our Savior. Let us display His goodness, and grace all around us. We should use this season to remind us of the effects of making space for Jesus. It is much bigger than just a Christmas season.