An Exciting Ministry Update
For over the past eight years, I have led and facilitated Bible studies. I have been fortunate enough to have many of you reading this in my group to study alongside. We have learned a ton together as we dug into God’s word and I hope that the time has been as fruitful for you as it has been for me. I am extremely grateful for the time we have spent together.
Verse by verse Bible study is extremely important and necessary for us to understand and fulfill God’s will for the body of Christ (2Ti 2:15). But, studying the Bible together is not quite the same as planting a flag in the truth of God’s word, holding fast to it, and organizing as a local assembly of believers to propagate that to ourselves and to the world.
If you’ve trusted the gospel of Christ, you are a member of the Body of Christ, and therefore of the “Church.” But active engagement in a local fellowship or “church” is still an extremely important part of our Christian walk. A church forms when a group of saints are willing to take the responsibility to stand for truth and perform the functions that only a church can perform.
No, it doesn’t save you or make you any more complete in Christ (Col 2:10). But if we want to serve God faithfully, we need each other as brothers and sisters in Christ to grow. We need other saints to edify and receive edification from. We need to stand for truth, equip each other in the Word, and do the work of the ministry we’ve all been given as ambassadors for Christ and ministers of reconciliation.
I am excited to announce that starting this Sunday, January 21, 2024, we will be meeting for the first time as Sufficient Grace Bible Fellowship at the Polo Run Community Center located in Bradenton, Florida. For more details on the location, see our website here.
I had some time off at the end of the year which I spent a large portion of in reflection. I realized there were many things I wanted to do last year that never got accomplished. The two main things were: start a church and build a church website to host all of my studies and articles. Neither of those things happened and what it boiled down to was that my priorities weren’t in the right place. It was pathetic.
So, rather than continue to make excuses, it was time to grow up.
Over the break, I was able to create a website! Many of you have seen the new website with all of the previous studies and articles we have done together. If you haven’t, please check it out!
Next, it was time to address the church-sized elephant in the room. I have wavered on starting a church for a multitude of reasons in the last year or so. The excuses I had were like armpits, they stank, but I hope you can learn from my mistakes and ultimately, God’s word, and be encouraged if you too have been wavering to start a group yourself.
First off, I felt I was too young and not experienced enough. In 1 Timothy 3, we get a list of attributes that church leaders should strive for. Ultimately, no person meets every single one of those marks all the time. There is no perfect man who assumes the role of a pastor, but I was always worried when I came across 1 Timothy 3:6-7:
“[6] Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. [7] Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.” – 1 Timothy 3:6-7
For a long time, fears and doubts plagued my mind: Was I novice? When do you stop being one?
While these were valid questions, they have nothing to do with age, but doctrinal understanding and “walking the walk” so to say. Those who have a desire (1Ti 3:1), hold the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience (1Ti 3:9), and have proved themselves faithful to the right doctrine (1Ti 3:10) are those “qualified.”
No one “arrives” or is “good enough.” God doesn’t crown you from heaven as “pastor material” as if you reached some level in a game. After years of studying, applying, and teaching the Bible I do not have a valid excuse anymore.
Does this mean that I know everything? Of course not. Does this mean I’m sinless? Of course not. No one is righteous except God (Rom 3:10).
Additionally, I am encouraged by Timothy himself, who we know was a young man. He also experienced trepidation and timidity due to his age, which, Paul addresses:
“[12] Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” – 1 Timothy 4:12
The second smelly excuse I had was the fear of rejection from family and friends. For a long time, I did not think this was a factor. But I found myself caring about the opinions (or assumed opinions) of others more than I should. However, I realized the word of God and the mission to see souls saved and saints edified is infinitely more important than being uncomfortable or even rejected. It is infinitely more important than “being liked” or “accepted.” The only acceptance we should care about is if Christ has accepted us, which happens by our faith in the gospel (Eph 1:6)!
The third excuse I had was the sacrifice and work it takes to execute starting a church well. I had gotten comfortable in preparing and teaching a weekly Bible study. There is an objectively large amount of time it takes to study and prepare lessons as well as other administrative tasks. It takes sacrifice and commitment. While in my mind I was ready for the additional work, deep down there was probably some fear of that. Especially since this is not my job, but rather, something I do on top of my day job to not hinder the gospel (1Co 9:12).
Ultimately, my excuses were all invalid. Fear was the main driver in many of my thoughts: fear of failure, fear of rejection, and fear of sacrifice. Thank God for His glorious grace, that despite our fears and insufficiencies, He can still use us to bring Him glory.
“[7] For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” – 2 Timothy 1:7
You might be asking yourself: Why not just go to another church around you? Do you think you know better than every other church in your area?
Starting this church is more out of necessity than anything. There is a massive vacuum of Rightly-Dividing, King James Bible-Believing, Mid-Acts Dispensational churches in our area. I can’t, in good conscience, vote with my feet in supporting other ministries that do not recognize the revelation and fellowship of the mystery of Christ (Eph 3:1-10, Rom 16:17, 25-26, 1Ti 1:3-4, 11-16). So, with no other options, I believe the time is right! Check out more about what we believe here.
We are not perfect people, nor do we claim to have a monopoly on truth, but we do have a passion for knowing God, better understanding His purpose, and serving Him in sincerity and truth. We’re going to learn a lot together. If this sounds like a group you’d love to grow alongside, we would love to see you at our meetings!
