Pastor’s Blog
What Do I Do After Baptism?
3-1-2024
R. Jones
I still remember my baptism clearly. I had an abundant supply of nerves and excitement. I stepped into the water not knowing how I would feel coming out. I looked around at the people watching. Some were close friends and family, others I didn’t even know. My pastor reminded me why God sent Jesus and why He loves me. Then he asked me why I wanted to be baptized. I said that I had already asked Jesus to come into my life and change me, but now I was ready to let everyone know that Jesus is in my life now. I was dipped down into the water and came up with an overwhelming feeling of love.
Do you feel the same way? After all, Jesus tells us that baptism is the best “next step” after deciding to follow him (Matthew 28:19). After baptism, it becomes less clear. Of course, we’re supposed to love God and our neighbors, but how exactly do I do that? It can be overwhelming, but there is good news! God doesn’t want us to be confused, and he’s given us a few ways to discover how to keep taking next steps after baptism.
Three Things to Do After Baptism
1. Start a habit of connecting with God.
The most important commandment God gives us is to love Him above anything else. When you love someone, you seek a relationship with them. Right? Whether that means a scheduled, daily quiet time before work, reading your Bible, or even constant prayers throughout the day just acknowledging Him. Seek God and a relationship with Him.
2. Find trusted friends who know Jesus.
Nothing is harder than trying to do life alone. Finding people to walk alongside of you in life is key to staying on the right path. God created us as social people, no matter how introverted you are (trust me!). Your friends are there to help you, strengthen you, and support you.
3. Start serving other people.
Whether it’s working with kids, being creative, or just being ridiculously good at making someone smile, God’s given you specific talents. And He wants to work through you. Serving changed my life so much that it put me on a different career path! So take your gift and get plugged in at your local community. It could look like serving with your local church, non-profit, or school. God wants to use you! Serving has taught me so much about how uniquely God has created me.
What Do I Do After Baptism?
I still remember my baptism clearly. I had an abundant supply of nerves and excitement. I stepped into the water not knowing how I would feel coming out. I looked around at the people watching. Some were close friends and family, others I didn’t even know. My pastor reminded me why God sent Jesus and why He loves me. Then he asked me why I wanted to be baptized. I said that I had already asked Jesus to come into my life and change me, but now I was ready to let everyone know that Jesus is in my life now. I was dipped down into the water and came up with an overwhelming feeling of love.
Do you feel the same way? After all, Jesus tells us that baptism is the best “next step” after deciding to follow him (Matthew 28:19). After baptism, it becomes less clear. Of course, we’re supposed to love God and our neighbors, but how exactly do I do that? It can be overwhelming, but there is good news! God doesn’t want us to be confused, and he’s given us a few ways to discover how to keep taking next steps after baptism.
Three Things to Do After Baptism
1. Start a habit of connecting with God.
The most important commandment God gives us is to love Him above anything else. When you love someone, you seek a relationship with them. Right? Whether that means a scheduled, daily quiet time before work, reading your Bible, or even constant prayers throughout the day just acknowledging Him. Seek God and a relationship with Him.
2. Find trusted friends who know Jesus.
Nothing is harder than trying to do life alone. Finding people to walk alongside of you in life is key to staying on the right path. God created us as social people, no matter how introverted you are (trust me!). Your friends are there to help you, strengthen you, and support you.
3. Start serving other people.
Whether it’s working with kids, being creative, or just being ridiculously good at making someone smile, God’s given you specific talents. And He wants to work through you. Serving changed my life so much that it put me on a different career path! So take your gift and get plugged in at your local community. It could look like serving with your local church, non-profit, or school. God wants to use you! Serving has taught me so much about how uniquely God has created me.
By Pastor Rob Jones
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Dearest CCC Family and Friends,
2-15-2024
E. Whitacre
Dearest CCC Family and Friends,
I hope this finds you staying warm in this cold season. It’s hard to believe that another
Christmas has come and gone and we are already a month into the new year. They say that
time flies when you are having fun, but sometimes I just think that time flies , regardless of what
we’re doing.
Isn’t that just like God? To keep showing His awesomeness, His goodness, His plan, no matter
what we as His created beings do, think, say, or feel?
The new year is often a time for pause and reflection, but quite frankly, when you’re training to
become a Mental Health Counselor, really all you do is reflect all the time! At the counseling
practice where I am interning, we are encouraged to pray and reflect on one word to be our
word of the year. For 2023, my word was “listen.” As this pruning season begins to draw to a
close for me and our family (graduation in less than four months – finally!) I’ve been
overwhelmed with the examples of God’s love poured out for me, and for others, time after time
after time. What stands out to me after a year of really listening?
Thank goodness He seeks out the one who has strayed from the 99.
Thank goodness He never stops, or gives up, or says “this is the last time.”
Thank goodness that everytime we get it wrong, He is there, waiting, not to say “I told
you so”, but to say “Welcome home, child, I’ve missed you.”
The clear message that I heard throughout 2023? Be grateful for God’s promises that are never-
ending and His mercy that never fails! As a human, I fell short so often in 2023, yet God never
turned away from me. His plans never failed, even though they may have looked different than
my plans.
So as I prepare for 2024 and graduating and entering the workforce again, and our family
prepares to adjust to this next stage of life with both kids in school full time (Gertie goes to
Kindergarten this fall – EEK!)I hope that we can continue to listen to God, and also be grateful
and joyous for all the ways that He continues to provide, even when we stray from the path.
It’s fitting then, that my word for 2024 is ‘ be ’. It’s such a simple word, yet has so much
implication as well.
I’ve reflected a LOT over the last few weeks about what I hope the word “be” will mean for me
this year, and I hope you’ll do the same, or reflect upon your own word! I’ve had so many
thoughts, but perhaps the greatest one that keeps hitting me over and over is this: be grateful
and joyous.
As we go through 2024, expecting it to pass as quickly as the years prior, I hope that we can
find time to be grateful and joyous for all of God’s provision. I pray that we can remember to
thank Him for all of His promises, and find joy in the waiting period. That we can praise Him for
His plans, and rejoice knowing that He will seek us if we stray from those plans.
I pray that when we reflect on the word ‘be’, that it doesn’t cause a flurried frenzy of anxious
thoughts about the future, but instead that it grounds us in that moment to be reconnected to our
source of strength: God. I pray that we can learn to be in a deeper relationship with Jesus, to be
led by the Holy Spirit, to be the hands and feet.
I pray that 2024 brings an abundance of blessing to you, and that you can BE a blessing to
others this year!
Peace and Love,
Emily Whitacre
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Live As If You Know God Loves You Intensely!
2-1-2024
C. Hayden
In Romans 8:31-39, we read one of the most amazing anthems illustrating what so many of us struggle
to believe. That of how great God’s love is for us! We know that we need to love God, and we do. But
do we know that God loves us with an everlasting love. We are His children and the sheep of His
pasture, as we read in Psalm 100:3. But in Romans 8:31-32 we read, “What then shall we say to these
things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up
for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” God did not hold back His most prized treasure to save us, His only begotten.
In verses 38-39 of that same passage, the Word declares, “For
I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor
principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to
come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of
God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Did you get that? NOTHING will ever separate you from God’s
love for you. He will not, will not, will not stop loving you, no matter what. He did not come to this
earth and die on a cross to pay for sins just to give up on you now. Don’t let anyone or anything keep
you from remaining in His love.
When tragedy strikes you or your family, seasons of hardship darken your door, or hope seems distant,
know God has not left you nor will He ever leave you. Deuteronomy 31:8 reminds us, “The Lord goes
before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be
discouraged.” David Crowder wrote a song about the fact that God really loves us called, “God Really
Loves Us.”(Haha) If you are struggling this week, it may be a good idea to play this tune a few times and
allow it to sink in your spirit.
Be blessed even more you wonderful children of God!!
Pastor Chris
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Live As If God Is Number One!
1-15-2024
C. Hayden
King David, yes, the same David who slew the giant Goliath, had many talents and gifts that he was able
to use in service to the Lord our God. David was an extremely gifted warrior, military general, keeper of
Jewish law, and well-loved (and hated by enemies) king of the nation of Israel. He was also well versed
in musicianship and song writing. The lion’s share of the book of Psalms was written by this military
commander. Psalm 27:4, a Psalm of David says this, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I
seek after; That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life. To behold the beauty of the
LORD, and to enquire in His temple.” What this mega-successful man of God desired above everything else was to find himself in the continual presence of our Lord Jesus.
His desire was not for more power, more money, more success, more temples, more concubines, more
of anything else the world had to offer. David’s desire was to have more of God’s presence; a cup filled to the full of Jesus Himself. Some people come to the Lord because of their fear of death. Some come to the Lord for the hope of help in their time of trouble. Some because they have found no place else to turn. It really doesn’t
matter why you come. Just that you come. But hopefully, after seeing the wonder of Jesus, if you have
seen is unimaginable goodness, we come to the place where nothing is as important as our relationship
with Christ.
The Apostle Paul, in Philippians 3, states that everything he had gained in life as a high leader,
educated ruler, keeper of the law, and Pharisee in the Jewish culture, was absolutely worthless in
comparison to knowing his Lord and Savior. In fact, Paul viewed his possessions, education, positions,
wealth, and royal lineage as dung (animal waste), next to knowing Him, the power of His resurrection,
the fellowship of His sufferings, and being conformed to the very likeness of His Master’s death. Wow,
what a statement. All that Paul gave up for his relationship with Christ had no value in comparison to
what he gained by following Christ. Both David and Paul, through their writings to God’s people the
extreme importance of putting God first in our lives. He should always be our Number One!
Be blessed even more you wonderful children of God!!
Pastor Chris
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Communication Problems?
1-1-2024
C. Hayden
Ever since Al Gore’s invention of the internet (tongue in cheek, ha-ha), we have jettisoned ourselves, not only into
the information age, but also into the communication age. Cellphones have put the ability to communicate with
each other in more ways, with faster speeds, and with almost any person living in any country around world at the
speed of light and with the touch of just a few buttons. But while we have the technology to communicate with
others in ever increasingly efficient and eclectic methods, it is our own sinful human deficiency that keeps us from
being able to communicate, understand, and play nicely with others.
One of the reasons Rob Jones, long time member and elder of Central Christian Church is coming on
board as a full-time Associate Pastor is to maximize our ability to communicate with one another. I personally
think we do a good job in communicating with our members and leaders. Right now, we send messages and
information through:
1) Flocknote messages sent out regularly (a program-based email and cellphone text-message program),
2) Bi-monthly newsletters (sent to are members & attendees receiving through email & snail mail),
3) Homebound newsletters sent out monthly,
4) Flyers and information postcards found throughout the Church,
5) A pray line email sent out to the Church when members & attendees are in need,
6) Scrolling messages before and sometimes during services (on the big screen), and
7) Announcements delivered at the beginning of services.
It is curious when, at times, someone will come up to me letting me know that they were unaware about an event
or opportunity. We’re not perfect though and sometimes we miss some things. Well, maybe Pastor Rob will be
able to help make sure information no longer falls through the cracks. We will
keep trying to better our communication efforts.
The Bible makes it very clear that communication is vitally
important. Important for us to consistently communicate with our Lord
and vitally important if we are to receive direction and guidance through our
listening to God Himself. The apostle John writes in 1 John 5:13, “These
things I have written to you who believe…that you may know that you have
eternal life and that you may continue to believe…” The whole Bible is God communicating to the people of the
world who He is, where and why we are here, God’s great love for us and what the future holds for all who believe
on His Name (and what is waiting for those who do not).
The Lord wants to speak to you, and He wants you to speak to Him. He invented the method by which
this is done. God sent His Son, the Logos (the Word) and His Holy Spirit by which communication between you and
God Himself can happen. Won’t you speak to Him today? He loves you and wants to talk to you. He is waiting.
Be blessed even more you wonderful children of God!!
Pastor Chris
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God Is Love
12-15-2023
C. Hayden
by Bill Bright from “God: 13 Steps to Discovering His Attributes”
“May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love really is” (Ephesians 3:17-18)
God is the source of all love. It flows out of the great reservoir of His goodness. Love permeates all of His attributes. While people sometimes violate standards of honesty, righteousness, and morality to please others, God never compromises His integrity, His love is unconditional. It is not based on how good you are or what you do to please Him. He loves you because He is God and you are His creation. God’s love never fails. The psalmist proclaims, “The Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever” (Psalm 100:5). God’s love will not be terminated because of disappointment or a change of heart. He defines love,He generates love, and He demonstrates what true love looks like.
John explains, “This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:10). Jesus gave His life on your behalf. He could not have sacrificed any more. God’s love for you is supreme. We, in turn, are to love God wholeheartedly. Jesus declared: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38). God in His sovereignty, has created us to find our greatest joy and fulfillment in loving Him.
“Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39)
God also enables us to be channels of His supernatural love. On our own, we are incapable of loving as we should, but God has for us an unending supply off His divine love. It is for us to claim, to enjoy, and to share with others. When believers begin to love God, love their neighbors as themselves, and love their enemies, society will change for the better. Then the world today, as in the first century, will marvel when they see and experience the transforming power of God’s love.
Be blessed even more you wonderful children of God!!
Pastor Chris
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A Big Pile of Thanks
12-1-2023
C. Hayden
In a few days we will be entering into the advent season, celebrating one of Christianity’s most holy times of the
year. But before we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, marked by much gift giving and families gathering
around tables filled with yummy culinary delights, it behooves us to remember the many blessings we have already
received. I have been looking through the store circulars that the local paper (The Tab), brings us each month. I
look through these advertisements to find items that might be a good gift to buy for one of my family members
(mostly my grandchildren) for our Christmas gift-giving time. As I perused the ads, one thing I noticed. There
wasn’t much I found that I really wanted for myself, and there was absolutely nothing that I needed. God has so
sufficiently provided for my needs that every year I seem to have more and more difficulty what to tell others to
get me for Christmas. Not everyone is as fortunate as me. There are some real needs out there.
In this country, we have truly been blessed. This is just one reason that we should be thankful. Scripture
tells us again and again to give thanks unto the Lord. In fact, the concept of giving thanks is spoken of almost 150
times throughout the Old and New Testaments. Below is just a few:
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks
to God the Father through him.
Psalm 100:1-5 A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the L ORD , all
the earth! Serve the L ORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know
that the L ORD , he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people,
and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with
praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the L ORD is good; his steadfast
love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Psalm 107:1 Oh give thanks to the L ORD , for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!
I know that all of us go through difficulty at times and some situations can make it difficult to be thankful.
But God isn’t asking us to be thankful FOR all things, He instructs us to be thankful IN all things. He knows that in
this world we will experience tribulation. But He also tells us to be of good cheer and many times be thankful, for
He has overcome this world, He has set the captives free, and He is coming back to set all things right (John 16:33,
Isaiah 61:1, Revelations 21:5).
Be blessed even more you wonderful children of God!!
Pastor Chris
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Spooky…?
11-1-2023
C. Hayden
In a week or so, millions of American children and adults will participate in one of the falls most prominent holiday,
Halloween. So, during October, we want to look at the reality of nefarious entities that actually exist in our world,
often going completely undetected by most human beings. Hollywood and pop culture has served to desensitize
us to the reality of the spiritual world. This often happens by making light of nefarious spirits (devils and demons)
through such TV shows like “Bewitched” and “Lucifer” or movies like “Little Nicky” and “Hellboy.” Well, that is
entertainment isn’t it.
At the other end of the spectrum, if pop culture is not showing you a silly representation of the real
spiritual world, they show an overblown exaggeration of these characters through many horror-filled, bombastic
films like “The Conjuring” or “Insidious.” This is not to say that demonic activity does not ever manifest itself in the
physical world of the real, it does. However, the film industry most often likes to display dark forces in our world
as a real competition to God’s power. If not thwarting the Lord at the film’s end, at least almost so.
The reality is that Satan and his minions (demons), do exist in the world, but
he is no match for God. He does not even have power to manifest physically except in
very limited instances and rare moments as God has allowed him to do. In those rare
moments when a possession actually happens (usually through a person who has
suffered, or through personal choice, severe ongoing trauma or occult exposure), God,
through His proxy servant angels and believing Disciples, always have power over His efforts. Many examples of
God’s crushing power over our enemy are given in the Scriptures.
In Luke 8:26-37, we read of the account of Jesus walking up to a demon possessed man. As soon as the
man saw Jesus, the demon’s cried out requesting (asking mind you), that Jesus not torment them. In Acts 16:16-18
we read, “ As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and
brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, ‘These men are servants
of the Most-High God, who proclaims to you the way of salvation.’ 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul,
having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come
out of her.’ And it came out that very hour.” So Paul had no problem casting out demons. Actually, the devil has no
power over the Believer in Christ but what is given to him by us. We need to always be cognizant of the fact that
“Greater is He who is in us than he (the devil) who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Be blessed even more you wonderful children of God!!
Pastor Chris
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Trouble
10-15-2023
C. Hayden
Copied From Devotionals for Men
2 Chronicles 20:1–19
Recommended Reading: Numbers 20:14–21; 2 Chronicles 20:20–30; Psalm 83:1–18
Trouble comes in threes, they say. But who’s counting? You’ve probably noticed that acknowledging and
investigating troubles seem to make them multiply. Consider your house, for example. The roof starts leaking. So
you climb into the attic to check it out and discover several bad spots, a rotten rafter, mold, mildew—and often the
repair bills mount from there.
Obviously, ignoring problems also makes them multiply. Ignoring the leak today leads to the living room ceiling
sitting in your lap tomorrow. So you face a dilemma: If your troubles multiply whether
you examine or ignore them, what should you do?
King Jehoshaphat found himself face-to-face with trouble. A huge army marched
toward Jerusalem, and the scouting reports didn’t hold out much hope. The
problem on the horizon promised to be enormous by the time it reached the king.
“Alarmed,” we read, “Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD” ( 2 Chronicles 20:3 ).
He looked through the trouble. Faced with an overwhelming situation, the king
immediately turned to Someone who is never overwhelmed.
As we face trouble in our own lives, our prayer can be like Jehoshaphat’s: “Lord, I know you’re in charge. So I
choose to recognize this trouble as your problem, not just mine. I admit that I can’t handle this situation, yet it
needs to be resolved. What do you say, Lord?”
Notice how God responded to this prayer of faith. He answered, but he didn’t promise to help Judah win the
battle. Instead, he said he’d fight for his people. Could the king have anticipated this answer? There are times in
our lives as well when God’s good answers surprise us. But notice also that the king still had his marching orders:
God told him not to be afraid (twice), not to be discouraged (twice), to march out, to take positions and to go out
and face the enemy. By the time the people had completed God’s instructions, the battle was over.
Again we face a dilemma. We often find ourselves a little too close to our troubles—so close that we end up
wallowing in them. Or we find ourselves trying to avoid troubles—giving them the opportunity to pull a surprise
attack. But God calls us to trust him, to look through our troubles and toward him.
Be blessed even more you wonderful children of God!!
Pastor Chris
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God’s Grace Is Still Amazing
10-1-2023
C. Hayden
The song “Amazing Grace” is one of the most iconic Christian anthems that any songwriter has ever put
to paper. Written by John Newton in 1779, this grand hymn tells the story of Newton’s own personal
conversion from being a rough, sinful captain of a slave ship, to becoming a believer in Christ and one who
fought to abolish the evil practice of slavery. Having been a work hand on slave ships to becoming the
captain of his own over the course of some 30 years, he recognized his own wretchedness and need for
God’s forgiveness and mercy. Along with other Christian abolitionists such as William
Wilberforce, Newton became a key figure in influencing the abolition of slavery in
1807 by the British Parliament.
God’s grace is a major theme in the Word of God and is at the heart
of the Gospel message that we preach. Ephesians 2:8-10 says this ,
“ 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For
we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand that we should walk in them.” Our salvation does not come from us being good, or being
nice, or by the accumulation of more good deeds than bad ones. We receive God’s gift of salvation by
simply putting our faith in Christ, and this gift comes because of the grace our Lord extends to us
through His Son Jesus. You cannot earn it, and you cannot work to deserve it. It is a gift that must be
received.
And how is it received? Scripture is clear in Romans 10:9-11. ”…that if you confess with your
mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be
saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, ’Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’” It is
simply that easy. If you desire to make peace with God, you recognize your need for something greater
than yourself, and want to receive the forgiveness that is in Christ, call us at 260-388-4508. Pastor Chris
or another member of Central Christian would love to talk to you about the freedom provided in God’s
amazing grace.
Be blessed even more!!
Pastor Chris
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