Messages

Pastor’s Message

Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”  (Matthew 5:13-16, NKJV).

Jesus uses two powerful word pictures to challenge us to make a difference in our world.  He calls us to be salt and light.  Salt was used as a preservative for fish and other meat.  The salt slowed the process of decay.  We live in a culture that is getting more and more rotten by the day and it’s our job to preserve a sense of morality.  Salt stings, and for many people in our culture, we Christians are considered to be an irritating influence.  But we must speak the truth in love and maintain our sense of moral saltiness or we will become like tasteless, useless salt.

Jesus also called us the light of the world.  Salt speaks of our character, and light speaks of our testimony. Salt works from the outside in and it disappears in the process.  But light works from the inside out and it must be visible to be effective.  We live in a culture that is not only getting more and more rotten; it’s getting darker and darker.  We can’t hide our testimony under a bowl; we must let our light shine.  As the song says, “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine!”  Imagine it’s a dark, starless night and you are alone out on the sea in a small boat.  You are scared and confused.  Then suddenly you see the light of a small lighthouse in the distance, so you start making your way toward the light.  You realize that someone cares enough to offer to help you find your way to safety. Before long, you find yourself safely within the harbor, because the lighthouse was there for you. 

Think about an example we see in nature – the sun and moon.  The moon has no light of its own.   The source of its light is the sun, which it reflects, causing it to appear to have light.  In the same way, we have no light apart from Christ.  We can, however, reflect Him and shine in the darkness of the world.

Let’s make a difference, one small act of love at a time, and let our lives reflect the goodness of God in a way that brings glory to Him.  Your life, your actions, and your love have the power to point people to Jesus.  And that’s a purpose worth living for.

I hope you are planning to join us in church this coming Sunday.  Have a great week and let your light shine for Jesus this week!

Pastor Rick

Message From Andy (Student Minister)

“Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.”
-Proverbs 4:25-26

The end of another school year arrives this month, and with it the promise of summer!  So many youth groups take a break during the summer, but for us, it is a busy and fun time for ministry.  I’m looking forward to our summer activities:  VBS, FUGE, an outreach event we’re planning for July called “Bless The Garden,” and more! 

May is also the month we recognize graduates.  It’s always a bittersweet moment when one of our youth graduates high school, but I’m encouraged this year to know that our graduates can continue to be plugged in at Lynn Garden Baptist!  Our BRANCHEZ Young Adult Bible Study on Wednesday nights during J.A.M. is growing, and we love having our young adults participate on Sunday nights with our Guys and Girls Bible Study groups. 

If you know any young adults looking to get plugged into church, send them our way!

Excited to GLORIFY, GROW, GIVE, and GO as we head into summer!

Andy