Word on Wednesdays

Encouraged and United

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 05:30:00 +0000

My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love...

Colossians 2:2

Here are two goals the Apostle Paul had for the church at Colossae, and they are excellent goals for us to strive for in our own churches as well.

The first goal is that they may be “encouraged in heart.” It’s so easy for believers to become discouraged since the very current of the world pulls against us. In the original language this word for ‘encourage’ means “to call to one’s side.” All of us need people who will come alongside us to strengthen and encourage us when times are tough. All of us need that strength and encouragement that come from knowing we aren’t alone. Be that for someone in your church. Find someone to come alongside and encourage. Find someone to help as you walk the road of faith together.

Paul’s second goal is that they would be “united in love.” Several Bible translations say “knit together in love.” I like that, because that’s how relationships happen in the church. Now I’m no expert when it comes to knitting, but I do know that you don’t just pile yarn up in a basket and expect it to turn into a sweater. It takes intentionality. You have to knit that yarn together with a certain stitch that makes a pattern and binds it all together.

Most of the time, relationships are the same. Close Christian friendships don’t just happen automatically. You can’t just sit people down in the same pew and expect them to become best friends. It takes intentionality. Somebody, has to be intentional. Somebody has to start a conversation, or invite the other person over to lunch, or plan a game night, or something in order for your lives to intertwine.

Far too many people visit and even regularly attend churches for months and then leave simply because this never happened. The preaching was good. The music was good. They liked the people. But they never plugged in. They never got knit into any kind of community there. They had no relationships at the church. So, the next time life pulled on them, there was nothing holding them in place and they left. That shouldn't happen in our churches.

So, knit yourself to other believers. Link up. Connect. If you’re new to a church, don’t just hang around the edges and wait for someone else to make the first move. Plug in, build relationships, take that risk. And if you’ve been at your church for a long time and don’t need new friends… reach out anyway. You may not need them, but they may need you.

Rooted and Built Up in Him

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 05:30:00 +0000

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him...

Colossians 2:6-7a

There was a danger that the believers in Colossae would be moved off Jesus and move on to some other teaching. So, God commands them to continue to live in Jesus just as they had received Him. You see, there is no teaching, no doctrine, no wisdom that goes beyond Christ. He is all in all! We receive Him in salvation and then… we continue living in Him for the rest of our lives!

And verse seven explains what this looks like using two metaphors. The first comes from plants. It’s the word “rooted.” When you got saved you were rooted in Christ like a plant in soil. You grow in Him and your growth comes from Him. And your connection to Him is what keeps you standing.

Have you ever tried to pull a bush or a tree up by its roots? It’s very difficult. In fact, if the roots are alive and if they have any depth in the soil at all, then it's nearly impossible. That’s what your connection to Jesus should be like. You should be rooted in Him! Like roots that delve always deeper into life-giving soil, you should dig down deeper into Jesus continuously seeking a deeper understanding of who He is and a stronger personal relationship with Him. He is the source of all your firmness and all your spiritual life. If the enemy uproots you from Him… you will not stand. You'll die spiritually just like a plant that’s been pulled up out of the soil and left sitting on top of the ground

The second metaphor comes from the world of construction. Verse 7 says we are in the process of being “built up” in Jesus. Looking at the original language, the image here is of a building that is being built from the ground up layer upon layer.* And how is this building being built in Jesus? The only conclusion I can come to is that Jesus is the very foundation that this building is being built upon.

Now, I don’t know much about construction, but as the father of three children, I have quite a bit of experience building block towers. And even I know that as long as you build on a solid foundation and as long as each layer stays in line, directly above the last layer, the tower or the building will be stable. But if the foundation you are building on isn’t stable OR if the layers begin to move off center from that foundation to one side or the other, then the tower will begin to lean and eventually it will topple.

That’s exactly what you and I are like. We are being built up in Jesus, layer upon layer. And as long as we stay centered on that solid foundation we will stand, but if we begin to get off center… if we begin to be moved off Jesus… it will spell disaster for us. We will not stand. We will topple.

So, keep yourself rooted to and centered on Jesus! Refuse to be moved off Him! Keep your doctrine, your beliefs, and your life always in line with what you know to be true about Him. Dig down deeper and deeper into your relationship with Him. And don’t allow anyone to pull you away from Jesus, or your faith will become as dead as an uprooted plant and as unstable as a leaning tower.

*Vincent, Marvin Richardson. Word Studies in the New Testament. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887.

Every Believer's Past

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.

Colossians 1:21

This verse reveals the past of every single believer. If you are a Christian then there was a time when you were alienated from God... cut off from relationship with Him... banned from His presence... estranged from the One who created you. The Word Biblical Commentary explains it this way. It says you were “continuously and persistently out of harmony with God.”*

Why? What caused this alienation? Did God turn on you? No. You turned on Him! Colossians 1:21 says that you were "an enemy in your mind because of your evil behavior." There was a time when you were consciously, openly and actively hostile towards God and His rule over your life. And it in your mind. Corrupt thinking led to evil, wicked, immoral behavior.** You thought you knew better than the Creator of the universe. You didn’t want to obey His commands or submit to His rules, so… you didn’t. You lived how you wanted to live and you did what you wanted to do.

Romans 8:7 says “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” That perfectly describes what you were like before Christ.

If you are a Christian, then this is your past. This is who you were. Many Christians think that since they weren’t a criminal or a drug addict before they got saved, that they really weren’t all that bad. Don’t fall into that error. No matter how young you were when you got saved, and no matter how “good” you were by the world’s standards… your thinking was corrupt, your heart was wicked, and your behavior was evil. You rebelled and made yourself an enemy of God. And because of your rebellion, you were alienated from your Creator.

If you are a Christian and you still live like this, then that’s a problem! If you are a Christian and you are still hostile towards the Lord, you are still rebelling against Him, you are still openly disobeying His commands… then SOMETHING IS WRONG!!! That’s your past. We don’t live like that anymore now that we have been reconciled through Christ.

* O’Brien, Peter T. Colossians, Philemon. Word Biblical Commentary 44. David A. Hubbard and Glenn W. Barker eds. (Thomas Nelson: Nashville) 1982, p66

** Köstenberger, Andreas J. “Colossians.” In CSB Study Bible: Notes, edited by Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax, 1891–99. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017.

The Image of the Invisible God

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 05:30:00 +0000

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Colossians 1:15

God the Father is invisible. He is a spirit who can’t be seen by mortal flesh. As John 1:18 explains… “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.”

Jesus took on flesh and made God known in ways that we can see and understand. That’s what Colossians 1:15 means when it says that He is the visible image of the invisible God. As Hebrews 1:3 says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being...”

Jesus embodies (pun intended) all that God is and always has been. And Jesus took on flesh and brought that down to earth so that we could know God more fully. Jesus Himself explained it this way in John 14:9. He said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”

In other words, it’s in Christ that we see God most clearly. Jesus is the greatest revelation of who God is. If you want to know God… look at Jesus! If you want to know the Father, study the Son!

This is why the enemy spends so much time trying to confuse people about who Jesus is and what He stood for and what He did and didn’t teach. If the devil can confuse us about who Jesus is, then he can confuse us about who God is.

So, study Jesus! Not through movies or music or TV shows or social media clips. Study the Bible, God’s perfect record of Jesus’ life and teaching. The enemy is going to try to confuse you about who Jesus is. Don’t let him! Take the time to get to know Jesus and you will get to know the Father.

Pray for the Church

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 05:30:00 +0000

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you...

Colossians 1:9

Paul hadn't planted the church at Colossae. He had never even been to this church as far as we know. And Paul had plenty of other churches that he was responsible for. He had more than enough on his prayer list. Yet… when Paul heard about this church's faith in Jesus and their love in the Spirit he made time to pray for the church in little Colossae. And he didn't pray for them just once or twice. He says, “we have not stopped praying for you.” In other words, Paul prayed without ceasing for the church at Colossae.

Do you pray for the church? Do you pray for your church… for its staff, its deacons, its teachers and volunteers? Do you pray for its business meetings and committee meetings? Do you pray that God would protect it from the attacks of the enemy... that the devil wouldn’t get a foothold in your church? Do you prau that gossip and slander and division wouldn’t take hold there? Do you pray for those in your church who are struggling with doubts, or those who are battling sin, or those who are trying to keep their marriage and family together? Do you pray for your church?

You might think. “Well, Paul was an apostle. He had a special duty to pray for the church.” But you’re a Christian! And, you have a special duty to pray for other believers and especially those in your church. Your church needs your prayers. Other churches need your prayers. So... pray for the church!

Good Seed

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 05:30:00 +0000

In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.

Colossians 1:6

Paul points out that the gospel had the same affect in Colossae that it has had all over the world. The gospel bears fruit and grows everywhere it goes! It has softened the hardest souls and brought the most wretched of sinners to salvation for more than 2 millennia. The gospel is good seed!

This is an important truth that we need to pay attention to. Satan will try to convince you that the gospel doesn’t work anymore… that it won’t work on your friends or your family. But that’s just a lie designed to get you to stop sowing gospel seeds. Don’t believe it!

Plant! Sow! Scatter! The gospel is good seed! It grows all on it’s own and it still has the power to save souls.

This reminds me of a little tradition my family and I have fallen into. Every fall we place pumpkins on our front porch and when the season is over, we smash those pumpkins in our back yard. The first year, we did it for fun because we thought the kids would enjoy smashing the pumpkins. But then some of the seeds took root and grew on their own. Now, we do it every year. I have a pumpkin plant growing out of my brush pile in the back yard right now. It’s a pain to mow around. It’s only there because the seed was good. I didn’t cultivate it. I didn’t fertilize it or weed it or water it. The seed fell and it just grew on its own.

That’s what the gospel is like. It’s powerful! It produces fruit in people’s lives all on its own. All you have to do is scatter the seed.. So, share the gospel! Talk to people about Jesus. It may take weeks or months or years for you to see the fruit, but the gospel is good seed... it will produce fruit if you will only plant the seed.

Grace & Peace

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

Colossians 1:2b

We believe that Paul wrote at least thirteen letters in the New Testament. The greetings in those letters vary, but every one of the thirteen extends grace and peace to the church. Why? I’m convinced that Paul does this because grace and peace are two of our most fundamental spiritual needs.

You need God’s grace! You've disobeyed God and broken His commands. That makes you a sinner bound for Hell. Apart from God’s grace (His undeserved favor) you have no hope. But “God so Loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) God extended His grace to you through His Son Jesus Christ who died on the cross so that you might have access to the forgiveness you didn’t deserve. This grace is yours as a Christian.

And those who believe on Jesus are saved and are ushered into a new and profound peace with God and with our fellow man. Colossians 1:20 & 21 tell us that “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior” but Jesus “made peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

You see, Jesus died as a propitiation for your sins. That means that He took God’s wrath for your sins on Himself. His death allows you to go from being an enemy of God who was under God's wrath to a son of God who is at peace with the Father. And that same salvation also puts you at peace with your fellow believers, your brothers and sisters in Christ.

So, what we have in these two words, grace and peace, is really a summary of the gospel itself and a representation of our greatest spiritual needs that are met in Christ. And where do we find this grace and peace? Who or what is their ultimate source? Paul tells us that this comes “from God our Father.”

Sinful man has searched the whole world over and has created countless counterfeits trying to provide the grace and peace that we so desperately need… and every single one of them disappoints. If you try to base your peace on anything else, your life will be full of conflict and striving. If you try to find grace for your failures in any other source, sooner or later, you will be ostracized and condemned. There is no other source of true grace for your sin and true peace for your life than in the salvation that is offered to you by your Heavenly Father. Look to Him alone for grace and peace.

Before You Begin... (W.o.W. Rewind)

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”

John 1:32-34

Certain things in life are prerequisite to the journey ahead. You don't begin a road trip without first checking to make sure you have enough gas in the tank, air in the tires, and oil in the engine. Neither do you start a hiking trip wearing only your PJs and house shoes. It's the same with our Christian walk. Before you begin any undertaking for the Lord you should make sure you have what is necessary.

In today's passage we find Jesus about to embark on His public ministry, but before He begins, one thing is necessary. Jesus gets baptized and at His baptism the Spirit descends on Him like a dove and remains on Him. That last point always escaped my notice, but it is important. You see the Spirit's lighting on Jesus is not merely a sign to identify Him as the Messiah. It is much more than that. The Spirit resting on Him is both a symbol of His kingship (kings in the O.T. were often anointed with oil as a symbol of God's Spirit) and an important empowering preparation for His ministry. This is Jesus' Day of Pentecost. He is being filled with the Spirit and empowered to go out and perform His ministry.

If it was necessary and fitting for Jesus' ministry to begin with a Holy Spirit anointing, then how much more is it necessary for us? Notice that none of the gospels record Jesus having a single convert or performing a single miracle before His anointing with the Spirit. Therefore, we must be careful to remember that we are not called to do anything for God, as though we were capable of accomplishing anything of substance without Him. Rather we are called to do great things with God...good works He has prepared in advance for us to do (Eph. 2:10).

How does one get the Spirit? The passage says that it is Jesus who baptizes us in the Holy Spirit. Every Christian at their salvation is filled with the Spirit. It is given to all believers to empower and guide them along their journey, but we must learn to walk and minister in it. So before you begin making your own plans today, be sure to ask for God's guidance and blessing through His powerful Spirit.

For further reading...

Matthew 4:1-11- Several of the gospels follow Jesus' baptism with the Spirit immediately leading him into the desert to face temptation.
Romans 8 - Life through the Spirit.
I John 4- How to recognize the Spirit of God.

Plead With the King

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews.

Esther 8:3

Esther’s safety is beyond question at this point. King Xerxes has already put his second in command to death in order to protect her, so she isn’t in danger. And now that Xerxes has made Mordecai his new second in command, I think Mordecai’s safety is certain too. Which raises an interesting question. Will that be enough for Esther? Will she be satisfied with having secured safety for herself and her adoptive father? Is Esther going to forget that her people still have a death sentence hanging over their heads? Or is she going to see this thing through and save the Jews in Persia from the evil plan Haman put in place to kill them all?

Thankfully, Esther saw it through. Notice how strong the language of Esther 8:3 is. Esther “pleaded.” She “fell at the king’s feet.” She “wept!” And she “begged him” to put an end to Haman’s plan.

In other words, Esther interceded on behalf of her people. Before, Haman had died there was at least some chance that Esther would share in their fate. But now, Esther is certainly free from that danger. Yet, she still selflessly intercedes on their behalf before the king.

How often do you do the same? When was the last time you shed tears over someone else’s plight, their pain, their danger? When was the last time you wept for your brother or sister in Christ? When was the last time you interceded (prayed) on their behalf? When was the last time you fell at the feet of the king and pleaded with Him and begged Him to meet the needs of your brothers and sisters in Christ?

I want to encourage you to think of someone right now who is carrying a burden and commit to pray for them this week.

A Gentle Answer

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 05:30:00 +0000

On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. 2 When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand...

Esther 5:1-2

Esther's people are facing genocide. She herself is having to risk her life to try to save them. And her husband, King Xerxes, has been so negligent in his duties that he has unwittingly approved the plot.

I think Esther has every reason to be angry. She has every reason to be scared. And, since she hasn’t eaten in three days, she has every reason to be in a bad mood. But in the midst of all these valid emotions, Esther has to successfully navigate a dangerous situation full of political intrigue to try to save the lives of her people. Literally, tens of thousands of lives (if not more) will be affected by how Esther handles this situation.

So, how does Esther handle this volatile situation? Did she waltz right up to the king and gave him a piece of her mind? No. She didn’t do that. In fact, Esther didn’t approach the king at all at first. She didn’t even enter into the King’s Hall. Verse 1 says that she stood in the inner court where the king could see her from his throne. And apparently she waited (patiently and humbly) for the king to notice her and hold out his scepter to invite her to come forward and have an audience with him.

And if you read the rest of the story, you'll find that Esther defers making her request until the King has come to two separate banquets that she prepares for him. Why? Why doesn’t she just come right out and ask King Xerxes to save her people?

As I was thinking about this question a certain proverb came to mind. Proverbs 15:1 says, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Esther could have marched up to the King and given him a piece of her mind. She could have approached King Xerxes with harsh words and she probably wouldn’t have gotten very far. But instead, she was wise. Esther and her people were under Haman’s wrath. Now, it wasn’t going to do her much good to appeal to Haman, but if she played her cards right, a gentle answer to the king, just might turn away Haman’s wrath. So, that is what Esther set out to do.

Esther fought genocide with patience, gentleness, shrewdness, and meekness. There is a lesson here for us. So often we make the difficulties and conflicts in our lives worse by how we respond to them. Very rarely do we respond to wrath with a gentle answer. Very rarely are we patient or gentle when we feel that we (or the people we love) have been attacked. But responding with harsh words and impatience and anger… only makes the situation worse. It only pours gasoline on the fire.

Strive to be more like Esther. Strive to have enough faith that God is at work that you don’t have to go off half-cocked. You don’t have to be harsh in your response. Instead, if you will be gentle, wise, shrewd, and patient… more often than not, it will lead to a better outcome.

Unaware

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.

Esther 4:5

If you are familiar with the story of Esther, then you know that wicked Haman went to King Xerxes and put a plan in motion to produce an edict that declared that all the Jews in Persia—young and old, women and children were to be destroyed, killed and annihilated and their goods were to be plundered. (Esther 3:13) A literal genocide had been planned against the Jews in Persia.

But apparently, as queen, Esther was insulated from a lot that went on in the kingdom because it does not appear that she knew about this edict. Mordecai had to tell her. Think about that! Esther’s people are in grave danger. They are about to be wiped out… and Esther is completely unaware. She is so insulated that she isn’t aware of the suffering of her own people.

Is that true of you? I would argue that American Christians are pretty insulated from the persecution and danger that Christians face in other parts of the world. It would be pretty easy for us to be unaware of that or even to ignore it. Do you?

When was the last time you prayed for your brothers and sisters in Christ who are persecuted for their faith… who are in danger of being martyred for their faith? How often do you think about the plight of Christians in Iran, in North Korea, in China, or in Nigeria?

Honestly, I don’t think about them nearly enough. I doubt you do either. So, I want to encourage you to make a point to pray for persecuted believers this week. Pray for the Christians who live in these hostile places to be bold in their witness and wise in how they conduct themselves. Pray for the orphans and widows of Christian martyrs. And consider giving to an organization like Voice of the Martyrs that ministers to persecuted believers and their families. Let’s not be unaware.

Submit When You Don't Have To

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 05:30:00 +0000

But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.

Esther 2:20

Esther is now the queen of Persia! She has wealth and power at her disposal. As Esther's adoptive father, Mordecai has no authority over her anymore! But Esther didn’t allow the power and the money and the position to harden her heart or turn her rebellious. Instead, she remembered the man who took her in as his own daughter when she was orphaned. And Esther chose to continue to honor her adoptive father and submit to his advice… even when she didn’t have to anymore.

In this way, Esther sets an example for us to follow. Many of us chafe under authority. I mean who likes having someone tell you what to do? No one! And oftentimes we are far too eager to break free from and get out from under the godly, loving authorities that God has placed in our lives... like our parents.

Let Esther be a reminder to you that even as adults we can honor our parents and submit to their instruction. If you are blessed enough to have godly people like that in your life, then avoid the temptation to be proud and rebellious. Choose to submit yourself to the advice of the godly even when you don't have to. Often, that's the wisest course. Because often… they actually know what they are talking about.

Salvation Day

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 05:30:00 +0000

In the midst of an entire chapter dedicated to the Final Judgment, the prophet Joel makes an important distinction between the wicked and the righteous. Just a few short verses after he has prophesied that the wicked will be trampled in the winepress of God's wrath, Joel says this:

But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. (Joel 3:16)

This is an important clarification that should affect how Christians feel about the coming judgment. Make no mistake about it, the Day of the Lord will be great and terrible, but the people of God will have a refuge. God’s judgment is for the wicked. It's for the unbeliever… not for Christians. I like the way the CSB Study Bible puts it. It says, “it is judgment day for Israel’s enemies but salvation day for the people of Yahweh.”*

In other words, the Day of the Lord means something different for the people of God than it does for unbelievers. On that day, the wicked will be crushed but the righteous will prosper. Judgment Day means salvation for us… but it means condemnation for them.

If you are a believer, then that should affect how you think about the Judgment. The wicked ought to fear Judgment Day. But as Christians, we look forward to it! Because we know that even as God pours out His wrath on the sins of man… He will be a refuge for His people. That is what enables us to agree with the prayer that is presented in the next to last verse in all of Scripture. "Come, Lord Jesus." (Revelation 22:20) Amen! Come, Lord Jesus, come and rescue us from this wicked world!

*Madden, Shawn C. “Joel.” In CSB Study Bible: Notes, edited by Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax, 1367–75. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017.

God's Response to Repentance

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 20:50:26 +0000

“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—

the great locust and the young locust,

the other locusts and the locust swarm—

my great army that I sent among you."

Joel 2:25

In Joel 1, God sent an army of locusts against Judah as judgment for their sin. Along with the locusts, God also sent a prophet named Joel to call His people to repent of their sin and return to Him. And apparently... Judah did just that, because the second half of Joel 2 presents God’s response to the heartfelt return of His people.

Look at how God responds to repentant Judah. In Joel 2:25 God promises, “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.” The locusts had done several years worth of damage to the land. It should have taken years to catch up from that. But God promises to speed up their recovery by blessing their upcoming harvests.

What does this tell us about how God responds when we repent and return to Him? It tells us that if we will repent and return to the Lord, He will not turn us away. God blesses those who return to Him. And His blessing can go a long way to making us whole again, to restoring and rebuilding what sin cost us.

God can repay the years the locusts have eaten in your life. No matter how big a mess you’ve made of your life, no matter how high the cost of your sin has been, God can fix it. Now, I’m not saying that it will all go away overnight or that there will be no lasting effects of your sin. I’m saying that God has a unique way of healing the pain that sin has caused and of redeeming the scars and consequences that are left behind. So, repent and return to the Lord today.

Going Through the Motions

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 05:30:00 +0000

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments.

Joel 2:12-13a

In biblical times tearing your robes was an expression of sorrow or grief. The closest analogy for us might be a person pulling at their hair in anguish. So, in biblical times, when people returned to the Lord, they often grieved over their sins by tearing their robes, and fasting and weeping and praying for forgiveness.

But Joel makes plain that just tearing their clothes wouldn’t be enough. That was only the outward form. What God wanted was the inward reality. They needed to do more than simply go through the motions.

Have you ever had someone apologize to you and you could just tell they were only going through the motions. Their mouth said the words, “I’m sorry” but they weren’t really apologizing. Maybe, they said something like, “Well, I’m sorry that you got offended.” or “I’m sorry that you can’t take a joke.” Those aren’t real apologies. They don’t admit wrongdoing. They don’t express grief for how they hurt you. They use the words “I’m sorry” like a trump card or a magical incantation that somehow steals your right to be angry that they sinned against you.

Sometimes, we do something very similar with repentance. We think we can do whatever we want to do and then just say “sorry” to God and get off scot free.

Joel says, you can’t just tear your clothes and be forgiven. Forgiveness is possible, but it’s gonna cost you a lot more than a new shirt. God doesn't want to see repentant clothes. He wants to see repentant hearts. We need to be heartbroken over our sin.

Have you ever really stopped to think about how offensive your sin is to God? Have you ever stopped to consider how disrespectful, rebellious, and even hurtful your disobedience is to Him? Have you ever wept over your sin? Have you ever fasted and grieved over it? Have you ever been heartbroken over your sin? Let me put it a different way… have you really repented of your sin? Or were you just going through the motions?

Abusing Your Blessings

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 12:27:16 +0000

Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine; wail because of the new wine, for it has been snatched from your lips.

Joel 1:5

Why should the drunkards weep? Because they won’t have any wine to drink.

In chapter 1 of his book, Joel has been describing a great invasion of locusts that has devastated Judah, consuming everything in the land. The destruction of Judah's harvest was so complete that the locusts had not only eaten the fruit, but had also stripped the bark off the vines and fig trees. Now, all that was left were naked, white branches and vines.

This affected everyone in Judah... from the richest and highest in the land to the poorest and lowest. But Joel pauses in verse 5 to specifically address the drunkard. Why?

Well, it's certainly possible that in their drunken stupor the drunkards had not noticed what was going on around them and were now in for a rude awakening. But I also find it interesting, that drunkenness is the only sin directly mentioned in the book of Joel.* Perhaps, the drunkards serve as a warning to us of what can happen when we take God’s blessings (that He provided for our good and His glory) and we abuse them and use them for sin. If we do that, then we can't be surprised when He takes those blessings away from us.

Are you abusing any of the good things God has given to you? Are you turning any of God’s gifts into sin? Is wine, or money, or food, or sex, or your own comfort and prosperity becoming a source of sin in your life? If so, then don’t be surprised if He takes them away.

*Dillard, Raymond B. “Joel.” In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, 3:618–24. Baker Reference Library. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1995.

Asking God Why

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 05:30:00 +0000

About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

Matthew 27:46

When we suffer, I think it’s human nature to want to ask why? Why me? Why now? Why didn’t God prevent this from happening? But sometimes I hear people say, “I know I’m not supposed to ask ‘why,’ but...” Who told you that? Who told you that you aren’t supposed to ask ‘why?’ In the book of Psalms alone the various psalmists ask God ‘why’ nearly twenty times! And more to the point, Jesus Himself put this question to God the Father in the midst of His own suffering.

I think that means that it's okay for you to ask God ‘why.’ But understand that you may not get an answer right away. There's no record of the Father answering Jesus in that moment on the cross.

In the same way, when you face suffering and cry out to God to ask ‘why?’ ... understand that it may be weeks, months, or even years before God’s purposes are made plain to you. In fact, God may not tell you why on this side of Heaven at all. You may have to wait for eternity to fully understand God’s purposes for your pain.

But look at Jesus’ cry here in Matthew 27:46. He cries out to God wanting to know why… and yet, even as He asks the question, Jesus reaffirms His relationship and His trust in the Father. He cries out, “My God, my God.” Jesus isn’t crying out to some far off God that He doesn’t recognize or believe in. He is crying out to His own God. The God He knows and trusts. Even in His suffering… even when He asked why… even when He felt forsaken… He trusted His heavenly Father. And that’s what you should do as well.

Are you willing to trust God in your suffering? It’s okay if you feel the need to ask why, but you need to understand that the answer may be slow in coming… and it may not come this side of Heaven at all. And if you’re going to follow Jesus’ example, then you’ll keep on trusting God anyway… even though it costs your very life.

Remove the Plank

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 27 May 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

Matthew 7:3

This is such an interesting, humorous picture that Jesus gives us. You have a plank (a log, a beam, or joist) sticking out of your eye. It’s clearly a major problem. Right? And yet, you pay no attention to it. You completely ignore it. You pretend it’s not there. And then... you want to point out someone else’s (much, much smaller) problem?! (Right? I mean a speck of sawdust is much smaller than a plank of wood.) And even though your vision is clearly obstructed by this plank of wood, you want to perform a delicate procedure on someone’s else’s eye to try to get the sawdust out for them?

Jesus is using hyperbole. He’s exaggerating for effect. One study Bible I read this week called it a “ridiculous exaggeration.”* And I thought, but is it ridiculous??? I mean it is, but we do that don’t we? It seems ridiculous to think that a person could walk around with a plank sticking out of their eye that everyone can see, but they refuse to acknowledge it or deal with it… buuuuuuut… many of us have done that with the sin in our lives.

It's easy for us to make excuses for our sin... isn't it? We tell ourselves that it isn’t that big a deal. It doesn’t really matter. Let me tell you, sin matters to God. If Jesus died for it, then it’s a big deal. Don’t make excuses for your sin. Don’t sweep it under the rug. Many of you know exactly what major sin is in your life; you just simply refuse to look at it. You are not willing to address the elephant in the room. You would rather pretend that it doesn’t exist than deal with it… so that’s what you do.

Be brave enough right now to be honest about your sin. Fight the urge to make excuses or explain it away. Fight the urge to make little of your sins and much of everyone else’s. Most of us spend far too much of our time looking at other people’s sins and far too little time dealing with our own. So, make today the day, you remove the plank.

* Barry, John D., Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R. Grigoni, and David Bomar. Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016.

The Twisted Perspective of Grumbling (W.o.W. Rewind)

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Thu, 21 May 2026 02:50:35 +0000

The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”

Numbers 11:4–6

‌

The Israelites are complaining about food in the dessert! They are sick and tired of eating manna every day. They begin to look back on their time in Egypt longingly. They begin to crave the food they had there. In fact, if you look down in verses 18 to 20 you will see that these people actually said “We were better off in Egypt!” and “Why did we ever leave Egypt?” ‌‌They preferred the meat of slavery to the bread of Heaven.

This story shows us a common strategy our Enemy uses to get us to grumble. He distorts and twists our perspective to make us see things the way he wants us to. When the Israelites complained ahout the manna, they weren’t remembering the hardships of their slavery. They weren’t remembering the feel of Egyptian whips on their backs. All they were remembering was the food…the fish and the onions and the cucumbers. In other words, they were remembering only the very, very few positive elements of their time in Egypt.

‌‌And at the same time they were forgetting all the positives of their current situation. They were forgetting that they were getting Manna for free. It was just sitting on the ground waiting for them each morning. They were forgetting that the manna tasted pleasant. It tasted like something made with olive oil. ‌And ‌they were forgetting that God was taking them to a Promised Land flowing with milk and honey, where they’d get to eat all those delicacies again and more to boot. In other words, they were forgetting all the many positives of their current situation, and were thinking only of this one negative.

The Enemy will try to do the same to you. He has done it to me many times. He will trick you into looking at your life from His twisted perspective. He will make you forget all the positives and focus only on the negatives. Don’t let him do that to you or you’ll start to grumble against God. Make sure you are seeing the whole picture. Ask God to help you to get your eyes off the negatives and help you see all the good things He is doing and has done for you.

One last thing, all of this was possible only because the Israelites had grown tired of God’s blessings and had begun to take them for granted. There’s an old saying, “familiarity breeds contempt.” Every single day, the Israelites were witnessing a miracle. Every day God was performing a miracle to feed them in the desert, and they grew tired of it. They lost the awe of what God was doing for them. They lost the gratitude they should have felt for God’s provision. And they began to hate what they should have been thankful for.

‌‌Don’t take the Lord’s daily blessings in your life for granted. Don’t let the Enemy cause you to hate what you should be thankful for.

Faith Fights Fear

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 13 May 2026 05:30:00 +0000

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Mark 4:40

The disciples were taking Jesus across the Sea of Galilee in a boat when Scripture tells us that a ‘furious squall’ came up. Waves were breaking over the boat to the extent that Mark 4:37 says it was “nearly swamped.” The disciples were terrified! And you can hardly blame them. Their lives were in danger. I would say that fear was an appropriate response to their situation.

But look at how Jesus responds when they call out to Him for help. The passage says Jesus “got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” Then He asked the disciples, “Why are you so afraid?”

The disciples' fear was perfectly reasonable from a worldly perspective. And yet Jesus rebuked them for their fear... because it showed a lack of faith. In vs 40 Jesus asks them, “Do you still have no faith?”

You see, if the disciples had trusted God more, they would have feared the storm less. If they had truly believed that God was in control of all things, they would have known that nothing could happen to them apart from His will. And if they truly had faith that Jesus was the Messiah, they would have known that that storm couldn’t be the end of Him.

Now, let’s apply this to our lives… Why are you so afraid? Is it possibly because you lack faith? The simple truth is that the more you trust God, the less you’ll fear the storms of life. The more certain you are that God is in control, that not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from His care (Matthew 10:29), the more you’ll trust that no harm can come to you apart from His will

Consider what the psalmist says in Psalm 27:3, “Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.” What was it that gave the psalmists such freedom from fear? It was faith! Faith fights fear! So... trust the Lord! And have no fear.

Set Apart

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 06 May 2026 05:30:00 +0000

And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

Luke 1:80

It wasn't normal for a young person in the first century to live in the desert, but because of God's special calling on his life, John the Baptist did just that. In doing this, he imitated the prophet Elijah who lived in the desert and was fed by ravens during the famine.*

And more than just imitating Elijah, "in the Old Testament, the wilderness was the place where God met with His appointed messengers."** For example, it was in the wilderness that God met with Moses at the burning bush. And it was in the wilderness that God met with His people and gave them the 10 Commandments at Sinai. So, John likely lived in the desert not only to emulate Elijah but also to commune with God and to keep himself separate from the world.

Now, in my opinion some of the monks of the Middle Ages took this mindset too far. I don’t think you should go live in a cave and not see another living soul for years on end. But that isn’t the error that most Christians in our day and age fall into. We aren't in danger of separating from the world too much but too little.

Let John the Baptist serve as a reminder that we are called to live separated lives. Christians ought to be holy, set apart, and different from the world around them. As 2 Corinthians 6:17 says, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

Let’s strive to live that kind of Christian life.

* Martin, John A. “Luke.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.

** Barry, John D., Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R. Grigoni, and David Bomar. Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016.

Do More for Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:30:00 +0000

The King will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

Matthew 25:40

Jesus makes this astonishing statement in the parable of the sheep and the goats. Yes, we minister to the needs of the lost as well so that we might lessen their suffering and have an opportunity to share the gospel with them, but it isn’t love for the lost that is our identifying mark as Christians. It’s our love for other believers. True sheep love other sheep. This reminds us of what Jesus says in John 13:34-35.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

People should be able to look at us and judge our Christianity based on our love for other believers. And that’s exactly what Jesus does in this parable. He identifies His sheep by their love for other believers.

Now, this isn’t talking about earning salvation. We aren’t saved by loving believers. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. No, this is evidence of our salvation. When we are saved, we become a part of the family of God. And one of the marks that God places on us is our love for that family. Those who love Jesus, love His children. Thus, our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ marks us out and sets us apart as members of the family of God.

This a test of salvation that you can apply to your own life. Do you love God’s people? Do you love the church? Is their evidence of that love in your life? Are there any believers anywhere who are better provided for or ministered to because of you?

Find ways to love on Jesus by loving on and serving His people... His church. Give generously to your church. Invite the new person at church over to your house for a meal. Visit those who are homebound or in the hospital or in a nursing home. Take meals to the person who just had a surgery or a death in their family. Pray faithfully for them. Weep with them when they weep, and rejoice with them when they rejoice.

When you do these kinds of things for other believers, Jesus takes that personally! He says, “whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you do for me.” I want to encourage you to start thinking about it like that. When you minister to another believer or to the church, don’t think of it simply as doing something for them… train yourself to think of it as doing something for Jesus. Let's do more for Jesus!

The Church Needs All Kinds

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 05:30:00 +0000

"Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you."

Romans 16:6

The book of Romans is hailed, almost unanimously, as the Apostle Paul's doctrinal masterpiece. Yet, it ends not with doctrine or theology but with personal greetings. Most of the sixteenth chapter is taken up with the names of various individuals that Paul wants to send greetings to in the church at Rome. Then there are also those who are with Paul as he writes who want to send their greetings to the believers at Rome as well.

If you aren't careful, as you read about the roughly 35 individuals that are mentioned by name in Romans 16, you'll begin to think that this is a waste of time. But as I read it, one overwhelming lesson jumps out of the text at me... it takes a lot of people with different gifts and callings to make the church work.

Romans 16 mentions scribes, public servants and wealthy believers with the gift of hospitality. It mentions ministers and mothers and hard workers and teachers. And I'm sure that more than a few of those named are just regular old everyday church members who loved Jesus. The church needs all of these!

If all we had were Apostle Pauls and Timothys, then we wouldn't really have a church at all. We need people like Mary who is mentioned in Romans 16:6 as someone who worked very hard for the church. We don't know what she did. We don't really even know who she was. Mary was a very common name back then! And yet, she is memorialized in the pages of Scripture as someone who served the church with gusto.

Never think that what you have to offer doesn't matter to the church. Never think that you don't matter just because you aren't on stage. God made you the way you are on purpose. And if you're believer, then He saved you and called you to serve His church and advance His kingdom. You may not serve like someone else does, but the church needs all kinds. So, serve in the ways that you can. Work hard for the church, and I have no doubt that your faithful service will be remembered too.

Faithful Servant?

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 05:30:00 +0000

"His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’"

Matthew 25:21

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Matthew 25:23

In the Parable of the Talents, two servants receive the same word of commendation from their Master. Words that every Christian hopes to hear from their Lord one day. "Well done, good and faithful servant!" What did they do to receive such an honor, and what must we do to receive the same?

First, it's important to note that when Jesus returns, there will be a settling of accounts. You will have to give an account of how you have used what He has entrusted to you. You will stand before Him and answer for how you served Him… and how you didn’t.

Second, hearing “Well done, good and faithful servant” isn’t just about believing. Being saved will get you into Heaven, but it won’t get you a “well done.” This commendation is reserved for the faithful... for those who work tirelessly to serve the master and grow His kingdom... for those who faithfully steward what He has entrusted to them.

Third, the two servants who received this commendation were equally faithful but not equally productive. One servant earned five talents for his master; the other earned only two. That's less than half of five. But both were equally faithful in that they doubled the amount they had been entrusted with. This proves that it isn’t about scale but faithfulness. You don’t have to compare yourself to or try to outdo other believers. You just have to be faithful with what God has entrusted to you.

Lastly, these servants were not only commended but also rewarded with more responsibility and a higher position. The master says, “You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.” Those who prove themselves faithful in the master’s absence will be entrusted with more when He returns. Though every believer will be saved, we will not all hold the same position in Heaven. There will be work to do in Heaven. There will be things to manage and to care for to the glory of God. And I understand this parable to teach that God, who does all things rightly, will divvy up responsibilities in the kingdom based on how we have proven ourselves here on earth. God rewards faithfulness!

So, be careful to faithfully use what God has entrusted to you to grow His kingdom. Live in such a way that you will hear your Master say, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!"

God's Commands Don't Change (W.o.W. Rewind)

noreply@blogger.com (Lance Wamble (Pastor of Orlinda Baptist Church)) — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.'"

Exodus 8:20

This is the same command God has been giving to Pharaoh since chapter five. Over and over again God has sent Moses to Pharaoh and had him say essentially the same thing. “Let my people go so they may worship me.” This is the fourth time now that Pharaoh has been given this command, and he will receive it several more times still.

This tells us something about God. His commands don’t change because of our disobedience. Even when you disobey, God keeps commanding obedience. It doesn’t matter how long you have been disobeying Him either. You may have been living with your girlfriend or boyfriend for years, you may have been abusing alcohol for decades, you may be fully addicted to pornography. That won't change God's command. Over and over again, each day God confronts you with the very same commands He has always given you. Keep the marriage bed pure (Hebrews 13:4). Don’t be drunk with wine (Ephesians 5:18). Don’t look lustfully at someone you aren’t married to (that's a paraphrase of Matthew 5:28).

In the same way that God confronts Pharaoh with a familiar command in this passage, God is confronting some of you in your heart right now with a command He has given you many times before. What command of God are you ignoring? Which of His commands haunt you and meet you every morning when you get out of bed? You’ve felt convicted about it for a long time but until now you haven’t obeyed. It’s time. Don't bargain with God or negotiate. Don't try to wriggle out of it. God's commands don't change. Do what Pharaoh never did. Humble yourself under God's command and offer full and whole-hearted obedience. If you don’t, trouble will follow you.