Ch-ch-ch-changes

The time has come to share a few things with you all. These past couple months have seen some pretty significant changes come our way. The first has to do with our church. On October 3rd, I handed in my resignation to the elders at Oikos and a few weeks later, on the 21st, the members voted to close the church’s doors for good, thus bringing to end a 15-year labor of love. Two months have since passed and it’s still hard to believe that it’s over. As we look back over the years, there’s no question whatsoever that God blessed this work and used us in many ways here in Bellingham, the Pacific Northwest, and amazingly even around the world. So we are sad, but very grateful, and believe that this whole turn of events was from the Lord.

So what’s next? This past week, on December 3rd, we were approved as missionaries Great Commandments Ministries (www.gcmacts.com or www.acts.training), which is located in Tieton, WA to the west of Yakima. GCM is primarily focused on discipling post high school and college-age kids through two four-month-long schools (ACTS Essentials in the fall; ACTS Ascent in the winter-spring) with a heavy emphasis on mission, and a college ministry called Pneuma. Over the past four years, I’ve taught at both schools, Pneuma, and in Romania (where they have a church in the city of Iasi called Eclesia International). Through this time, I’ve become very close to the staff and the work that they’re doing. We love GCM’s vision and have been very impressed by the fruit we’ve seen from their ministry and are super excited to have the privilege of being a part of the team.

As a result, we will be putting our house up for sale this coming January and hopefully moving to Yakima soon after. We would very much appreciate your prayers for us through this time of transition – that we would be able to find a buyer here as well as a house to buy there. We would also appreciate your prayer for us as we now will need to raise our own support. If you would like to be a part of our support team, please message me or email me at (willys.gig@gmail.com).

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Poets Corner – Afraid? Of What?

Afraid? Of what?
To feel the spirit’s glad release?
To pass from pain to perfect peace,
The strife and strain of life to cease?
Afraid? Of that?

Afraid? Of what?
Afraid to see the Saviour’s face,
To hear His welcome, and to trace,
The glory gleam from wounds of grace,
Afraid? Of that?

Afraid? Of what?
A flash – a crash – a pierced heart;
Brief darkness – Light – O Heaven’s art!
A wound of His a counterpart!
Afraid? Of that?

Afraid? Of what?
To enter into Heaven’s rest,
And yet to serve the Master blessed?
From service good to service best?
Afraid? Of that?

Afraid? Of what?
To do by death what life could not –
Baptize with blood a stony plot,
Till souls shall blossom from the spot?
Afraid? Of that?

– E. H. Hamilton

Sermon Text for October 21st – Philippians 4:8-9

Had the privilege to preach at Seed Church this past Sunday. Here’s my text:

⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ⁹ What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. 

Click here for the sermon audio.

Sermon Text for September 30th – Genesis 1:26-31

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” 

²⁷ So God created man in his own image; 
he created him in the image of God; 
he created them male and female. 

²⁸ God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” ²⁹ God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you, ³⁰ for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. ³¹ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day. 

Click here for the sermon audio.

Sermon Text for September 23rd – Genesis 1:1-31

¹ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

² Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. ³ Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” There was an evening, and there was a morning: one day. 

⁶ Then God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters, separating water from water.” ⁷ So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above the expanse. And it was so. ⁸ God called the expanse “sky.” Evening came and then morning: the second day. 

⁹ Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry land “earth,” and the gathering of the water he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. ¹¹ Then God said, “Let the earth produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.” And it was so. ¹² The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. ¹³ Evening came and then morning: the third day. 

¹⁴ Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs for seasons and for days and years. ¹⁵ They will be lights in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth.” And it was so. ¹⁶ God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule over the day and the lesser light to rule over the night—as well as the stars. ¹⁷ God placed them in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth, ¹⁸ to rule the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹ Evening came and then morning: the fourth day. 

²⁰ Then God said, “Let the water swarm with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” ²¹ So God created the large sea-creatures and every living creature that moves and swarms in the water, according to their kinds. He also created every winged creature according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²² God blessed them: “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” ²³ Evening came and then morning: the fifth day. 

²⁴ Then God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that crawl, and the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. ²⁵ So God made the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that crawl on the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” 

²⁷ So God created man in his own image; 
he created him in the image of God; 
he created them male and female. 

²⁸ God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” ²⁹ God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you, ³⁰ for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. ³¹ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day. 

Click here for the sermon audio.

Sermon Text for September 16th – Isaiah 9:1-7

This Sunday, we have the privilege of having Andrew Pack (from Restoration Road Church) come to preach the Word. Here is his text:

¹ Nevertheless, the gloom of the distressed land will not be like that of the former times when he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in the future he will bring honor to the way of the sea, to the land east of the Jordan, and to Galilee of the nations.

² The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
a light has dawned
on those living in the land of darkness.
³ You have enlarged the nation
and increased its joy.
The people have rejoiced before you
as they rejoice at harvest time
and as they rejoice when dividing spoils.
⁴ For you have shattered their oppressive yoke
and the rod on their shoulders,
the staff of their oppressor,
just as you did on the day of Midian.
⁵ For every trampling boot of battle
and the bloodied garments of war
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
⁶ For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ The dominion will be vast,
and its prosperity will never end.
He will reign on the throne of David
and over his kingdom,
to establish and sustain it
with justice and righteousness from now on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.

Click here for the sermon audio.

Sermon Text for September 9th – Genesis 1:1-2

This Sunday we’re beginning a new series, working our way through the book of Genesis. Here’s our text:

¹ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

² Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

Click here for the sermon audio.