The Blog

CHBC Connect for July 12, 2024

 God’s Vision for CHBC: 3 Piers, 3 Pillars, and 3 Purposes
3 Purposes: Equipping Believers; Exalting Christ; and Extending the Gospel

 ^“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:18-20)

The purpose of CHBC is to glorify God by equipping believers, exalting Christ, and extending the gospel. This is the purpose of our church because God says it is the purpose of every church. Failing to share the gospel with others is not a weakness as it relates to a purpose statement. It is a failure of obedience to the command of God.

We are to make disciples of all nations. This is why we have evangelistic outreach in our community. This is why we train on personal evangelism in the church. This is why we are part of the Cooperative Program. 

As with anything, if we only act out of duty, at some point we can become cold, cynical, or indifferent. So, we do not approach the spread of the gospel as only duty. It is our delight. It is our delight to see boys and girls pray to trust in Christ at VBS. It is our delight to watch as children respond to the gospel at Cross Timbers. It is our delight to see students commit their lives to Christ at Falls Creek. We clap with delight as we watch new believers come for baptism. It is our delight to hear stories from the mission field of people in other nations committing to follow Jesus.

Give yourself with joy to the extension of the gospel. It is not just a phrase attached to the mission statement. It is the joyful duty of every believer to be part of the gospel reaching the nations. So, share the gospel with our children, speak of the gospel to friends and acquaintances as God gives opportunity, and give your tithe with joy, knowing that it empowers your church, and your mission boards to share the gospel with people you will only meet on the other side of heaven’s gates.

By His Grace and For His Glory,

Pastor Mark

CHBC Connect for July 5, 2024

God’s Vision for CHBC: 3 Piers, 3 Pillars, and 3 Purposes
3 Purposes: Equipping Believers; Exalting Christ; and Extending the Gospel

^“Therefore, let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”” (Acts 2:36)

We need to be able to answer the question, “Why does CHBC exist?” What purpose do we serve by continuing to meet together? Thankfully, that is not an answer we have to come up with ourselves. God, Himself, has told us why we need to be a church, and what the church is supposed to be doing.

One of the things we exist to do is to exalt Christ as Lord. God has made Him both Lord and Christ. It is our responsibility to respond to His Lordship. How can we, today, respond to His Lordship?

Here are some practical things we can be doing right now in response to the Lordship of Christ:

1. Tell Christ you love Him above all other loves.
2. Read the Bible and as you do think in your mind that you are not doing this to check off any boxes of Christian devotion, but you are doing it as a way to fellowship with Him.
3. Be obedient to the things you know His Word has explicitly told you to do. And when you fail in obedience quickly repent relying on the forgiveness of the gospel.
4. Pray for the gift of the assurance of being a follower of Christ who is fully surrendered. There may be moments when you doubt whether or not you have fully surrendered to Him. That is possible for everyone of us, so regularly ask for that assurance (Rom. 8:16).

By His Grace and For His Glory,

Pastor Mark