Bill Heaton is leading our students on a local mission trip next week called Serve the City.  They have a lot of wonderful, gospel-centered ministry planned for people outside the church family in the Tempe area.  It’s going to be a great week!  You’ll hear about this on Sunday and be able to pray over the group.

Additionally, I am very excited that a family from Church on Mill who now serves in full-time ministry overseas will be sharing a compelling message of how God is at work.  You won’t want to miss it!

My father, pastor of Henderson Hills Baptist Church, is celebrating 20 yrs in the pastorate this Sunday.  My family is going back to Oklahoma to be part of the celebration. We will be thinking about you and praying for you on Sunday morning.  I hope God and Church on Mill allow me the honor of serving Church on Mill as long as my dad has served HHBC.

With anticipation,

Chuck

“Paul bares his soul at the very beginning of [Romans] chapter 9: ‘I have great sorrow,’ he says, ‘and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ, for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.’

Coming down from the heights of gospel meditation [Paul in Romans 5-8], Pauls’ heart is devastated by a burden for his fellow-Jews to experience the saving power of the gospel. His burden existed long before he started writing, but it is undoubtedly intensified by his rehearsal of gospel truths in Romans 5-8, a rehearsal which inevitably leads his thoughts towards the plight of those outside of Christ.

Hence, if I wish to have a ‘Romans 9′ kind of burden for non-Christians, I should become practiced at celebrating the gospel as Paul does in Romans 5-8. Over time, my joy in the gospel will become increasingly tinged with grief, and this grief-stained joy will lend a God-inspired passion to my ministry of evangelizing the lost.” Milton Vincent,  A Gospel Primer, pgs 26-27.

How’s your passion for the lost?  If it is not strong, it may be that you have yet to enjoy the fullness of the gospel yourself.  Today’s a great day to do so!

See you Sunday,

Chuck

We had a great 1st Wednesday last night on the topic of homosexuality.  Many has asked for a recording of the teaching.  Both audio and notes can be found at www.churchonmill.com/sermons (go to the bottom of the linked page).  We hope this serves you well as you seek to understand and live out God’s truth!

Next month (June 6th) our topic, Lord willing, will be fear and worry.  Make plans now to attend.  It will be helpful on a crucial topic many of us struggle with daily.

See you Sunday if not before,

Chuck

Where: Church on Mill auditorium

When: Wednesday, 6:30pm

Who: All are welcome and excellent ministry programing will be available for birth through high school students

What: Our topic for tomorrow is, “What does the Bible say about homosexuality?”  The agenda will include the following: God’s view of sexuality, the Bible’s position on homosexuality, homosexuality’s origin, and ministering to people in a homosexual lifestyle.  Following about 45 minutes of teaching there will be an open-mic Q&A.

See you tomorrow night,

Chuck

In His wonderful providence, God saw fit that we would already be encountering eschatology in this coming Sunday’s sermon from Luke.  I love it when He does that!

Want to prepare your heart to worship on Sunday?  Take a few minutes to enjoy the passage below:

1 Thess 4:13-18 ESV “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. ¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

Hopeful,

Chuck

P.S. – Also, this Sunday we will have some very special guests in the worship gathering – the members of Japanese International Baptist Church.  They have some very exciting news for Church on Mill.  You won’t want to miss it!

We are compiling answers to some questions from which the topics will be planned.  The questions you have, issues you struggle with, and topics on your mind will make up these unique gatherings at 6:30pm starting May 2nd.  Wonderful activities will be provided for kids of all ages.

If you were unable to complete a card this morning and would like to submit your input for 1st Wednesdays, please complete the below by posting comments or email me directly.  I look forward to hearing from you!  Here’s the questions:

1)   What have you always wished would be discussed in the church?

2)   What biblical / theological issue would you like to explore?

3)   What sin are you currently battling?

4)   What is one area where you think the church could improve its ministry?  Why?

Thanks,

Chuck

But does hell really exist?  Haven’t we moved past that archaic doctrine?  Is not God the God of love?  You may have found yourself asking these kinds of questions during our worship gathering on Easter.

Here’s a few things the Bible teaches about hell:

1) Hell is an actual place where all wicked people will spend eternity (Matt 25:41, 46, Mk 9:43). It is common today to think that hell is fairly empty if it exists at all. The Bible teaches, rather, that all people deserve hell and are secured a place there unless God graciously saved them through the gospel. Hell is real and all who die in their sins go there.

2) Hell is a place of eternal, conscious torment. In other words, real people will feel real pain (physical, emotional, spiritual) forever and ever and ever (Lk 16:28, Rev 14:9-11). This must mean that God’s holiness is more grand than we can imagine and our sin is more horrific than we can comprehend.

3) God does not enjoy the punishment of people nor their condemnation to hell (Ezek 33:11). God is not jumping up and down with joy when a non-believer dies. He desires all to be saved; however, he is good, just, and right to banish sinners.

What should we do with this horrific doctrine? First, despite our natural revulsion to the idea, we must believe it. The existence of hell is part of the plain teaching of Scripture. Second, we should pray that God would give us broken heart for people headed for hell. The Apostle Paul once wrote that he would give up his salvation if that would permit others entrance to heaven. It doesn’t work like that, of course, but his compassionate heart is something we ought to strive for. Third, both the awfulness of hell and the glory of life forever with God in a renewed heaven and earth should propel us to share the gospel regularly. Fourth, the doctrine of hell ought to make us quick to forgive. Every sin ever committed against you will meet the justice of God either at the cross or in hell. What a comfort it is to know that the universe is not an unjust place. Be quick to forgive because God can be trusted to do what is right. Finally, let’s appreciate – every single day – the gift of salvation. All of us deserve eternal, conscious punishment, but in his mercy God saw fit to deliver you from horrific destruction. All praise to Jesus!

For His glory,

Chuck

• Over 150 people enjoyed dinner (thanks to those who cooked!), a terrific play by the children, and a meaningful time of worship.  Several people remarked that it was their most meaningful Good Friday yet.  It was such a special time to simply read the Passion narrative from Matthew and let the power of the Bible move our hearts for Jesus.
• On Saturday several LifeGroups, Gospel Communities, and Families put on neighborhood parties to mix with non-believers and build relationships.  This was a bit of a change for the church.  For several years we have done an event at the church property.  Why the change? One word – mission. In recent years it has no longer been effective at attracting us to bring our non-Christian friends, so we decided to take the party to them. Instead of just a few people outside the Church on Mill family being impacted, dozens of us were able to rub shoulders with upwards of 100 people outside the Church on Mill family. New people were met, relationships were established and deepened, kids had a lot of fun, the resurrection story was shared, and the church family enjoyed one another.
• Sunday was momentous.  God brought an enormous crowd to our worship gathering.  315 people were present as we worshipped the risen King, tackled an epic story of heaven and hell, got to hear the story of a changed life and see it proclaimed in baptism, and just enjoyed a great morning together

This Sunday at our worship gathering we will be covering an incredibly relevant and controversial topic: divorce and remarriage. Why? Because I want my job to hang in the balance this week. No, because we are a church family committed to all of Scripture and our journey through Luke now takes us to a passage dealing with the subject.

As I am preparing this message many of you have come to mind. This is not a theological diatribe existing in a vacuum. Divorce and remarriage, rather, is something that has impacted each one of us.

So, how do you prepare yourself to hear a sermon on a counter-cultural, emotion-filled, controversial topic? Here’s a few suggestions:

1) Read the passage ahead of time (Lk 16:14-17).
2) Pray for God to soften your heart, fill you with the Holy Spirit, and give you ears to hear what he might want to say to you.
3) Resolve, by the power of the gospel, to submit your will to whatever Scripture says, regardless of any former or current position you might hold.
4) See godliness – Christlikeness – as worth striving for. Our goal at COM isn’t to grow an enormous edifice; instead, our goal is to be faithful to glorify God by making disciples. Making disciples includes reminding all of us that the pursuit of godliness requires toil and strife. “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the savior of all people, especially those who believe” (1 Tim 4:10). If Jesus himself and the Christlikeness that flows from him is our supreme treasure, he’s worth the effort! Living by the truths of the sermon this weekend will require effort.
5) Be prepared to ask questions after the sermon. Clarification is an important thing, especially on these types of issues. All the leaders at COM want open, transparent, faith and hope filled dialogue to mark all our discussions. Let’s all the Lord to use this topic to draw us all closer as a church family.

For his glory and our joy,

Chuck

Friday – Good Friday Gathering: At 6:00pm, we will meet for dinner and a time of worship focused on the crucifixion.  Also, COM kids will share a special message with us.

Saturday – Neighborhood Parties: Several Lifegroups / Gospel Communities are hosting events to meet neighbors, build relationships, and share the gospel.

Sunday –  Worship Celebration: We will gather at 10:45am to worship the Risen Jesus Christ!  Coffee and donuts will be served on the patio starting at 10:00am so come early and bring some friends with you.

Let’s pray there’s a great movement of God this Easter weekend so that our hearts will be refreshed by the gospel and unbelievers will get saved by Jesus.

Chuck (email | facebook )