Why Vision Sunday

Posted on by josiahkagin

 

Rock-climbing

With each new year comes a fresh opportunity to make deliberate plans for spiritual growth. I think we can all agree that we have plenty of areas in which we need to become more like Jesus Christ. The simple thing to do would be to enter 2016 and continue to live in the moment and take the path of least resistance. In the moment it is so easy to be content with having taken the first step of receiving Christ but not actively living for Christ. It is easy to choose something good in place of taking time with Jesus. It is easy to choose to be entertained rather than engaging spiritually with our families. It is my prayer that 2016 would be radically different for each of us. On Vision Sunday I will be preaching and conveying the vision that God has given me for our church. I believe that it will be life-changing for you as you allow God to work freely in your life. You may ask, “Why do I need to attend every service on Vision Sunday?” Here is my three-fold answer.

  1. Recognition of Need—If you do not think you need to grow this year in your relationship with Jesus, then Vision Sunday will just be another Sunday exercise. Vision Sunday by design  will give us a fresh perspective on our own personal areas of need. Once those areas have been identified they can be met with the help of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Just remember, when we come to God humbly expressing need, He promises us His grace. His grace is the strength and enablement we desperately need. James 4:6 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” What could be more exciting than anticipating God meeting your specific spiritual needs with His grace this year.
  2. Preparation for Growth—When preparing for a project you need the right tools. In construction I learned how important the right tool was to effectively accomplishing a task. Jesus has commanded us in 2 Peter 3:18, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” You and I need the right tools to see growth in our lives. On Vision Sunday during the evening service I will be making tools available that will help you take your relationship with Jesus to the next level.
  3. Anticipation of Opportunities—I believe that God has given some incredible opportunities for our church in the coming year. During the evening service of Vision Sunday we will dream together and I will share the vision about events and projects that we will anticipate and accomplish by faith. Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him…” I don’t want to just enter 2016 riding on the glorious past. I do not believe that would please God. I want us to by faith embrace the opportunities of 2016 and see our God do the impossible. Will you join me? Luke 17:5 “And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.” Will you like the disciples ask God to increase your faith?

I look forward to an inspirational day together on Vision Sunday and the best part of it will be being together with God’s people.

Why I am Thrilled to Pastor Grace Baptist Church

Posted on by josiahkagin

Grace Baptist Church

At the age of seventeen I told Jesus that my life was His to use, and I am so glad I did! I am continually amazed and humbled that God would call me to serve Him. My ministry verse is 1 Timothy 1:12“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.” I praise the Lord that when He does the calling, He also does the enabling! When I finished college, my desire was receive further training and mentoring as an assistant before I took a senior pastorate, but God had other plans. In 2007, my wife and I got married and God closed the doors on two assistant pastorate positions and led me to minister at Grace Baptist Church in Kettering, OH while I worked a secular full-time job. Over the years, I wanted to seek a pastorate position, but God kept closing other doors and opening them at Grace. In 2009 I was hired as a part-time assistant, then a full-time assistant in 2012. After our pastor retired in September of this year, I was both humbled and thrilled when the church voted me in as their senior pastor. As I think about the future and the new ministry that God has given me, I want to share some reasons that I am excited to pastor Grace Baptist Church.

  1. A Dream Come True—When I yielded to Jesus as a teenager, He began to change my desires. I used to want to be in law enforcement. God began to change my desires as I followed His leading. As I entered Bible college, the greatest desire of my heart was to be a pastor. I realized that God had a lot of work to do in me before He could work through me as a pastor, but the desire was still there and growing. I like how Paul said it in 1 Timothy 3:1 “This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.”  God has granted me that desire and I praise Him for it.
  2. A Great Church—Grace Baptist Church has been a part of the Kettering, Ohio community since 1983. It is an established church with a heart for missions and it’s community. I am constantly blessed as I watch members following God’s direction in their lives and seeking to serve Him faithfully. I truly believe that the brightest days of Grace Baptist Church are still ahead.
  3. Pastoral Longevity—Many pastors come into situations where there has been multiple short-term pastorates. The people are unsettled because they don’t know if the next pastor will stay long enough to get to know him. I am so thankful that this is not the case here. I will only be the third pastor at Grace in thirty-two years. Pastor James Baker pastored Grace for about 21 years, and Pastor Robert Shaw pastored for 1o years. God used both to establish good direction for this ministry, and I look forward to following their legacy of longevity.
  4. Unity of Heart—I hear of many churches that have no harmony. Petty matters are disputed between members and a general tension is felt in the body. I could not be more grateful of the unity that is present at Grace. I fully realize that this is a work of the Holy Spirit as the members yield to Him. To the members of Grace Baptist Church, thank you for allowing this to be true of you.
  5. Established Direction—The desire of Grace Baptist Church as a whole is to lovingly stand for Jesus in the midst of a crumbling world. I am grateful that our direction in doctrine and purpose remains firmly set. The Bible is not viewed as a book we judge, but rather the book that judges us.
  6. Courageous Men—There is an epidemic in society today of men who will not lead. I praise the Lord for the men of Grace Baptist Church, ones who are striving to live an holy life before God, to lead their families toward God and to serve in ministry for God. I look forward to partnering in the ministry with men such as these.
  7. Spirit of Excellence—If it is worth doing, it is worth doing right. Praise God that is the heart of this church. Lets not go half-way for Jesus, lets give Him 110%.
  8. A Heart to Follow—Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1 “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” Over and over I have seen the people of Grace Baptist Church live this verse out in there lives. What a privilege to pastor a group of believers with this heart!
  9. Attentiveness to Preaching—God promises to bless the preached Word of God. I believe that preaching must have the priority in every service. I am thankful that Grace realizes the importance of preaching, and week after week people gather opening their hearts and Bibles to hear God’s Word preached.
  10. Clear Purpose—I tend to be a focused individual. Give me a goal and motivate me towards that goal, and it is hard to stop. When I look at the city of Kettering and the many spiritual needs represented, I see much work to do. More people need to be introduced to Jesus. I do not believe that God placed Grace Baptist Church or me in this city by accident. I do not believe that 5 years from now we or our community should still be the same. I firmly believe that we must team together to impact every person for Jesus Christ. This will only happen as we impact the person that God brings into our life today. With Jesus coming any day now, there is much to do, and I desire to be found faithful at His coming.
Grace Baptist Church, I am thrilled to have been called to be your pastor and look forward to many more years of serving Jesus together. I ask for your prayers, specifically for God’s wisdom and strength. Thank you for allowing me the greatest privilege of my life!


As He Did Afortime

Posted on by josiahkagin

BibleIn the wake of the ruling that has been passed down from the highest court in our land, I want to point attention to a biblical character that gives an excellent pattern for Bible believing Christians. Daniel was unashamedly a follower of the one true God. He openly loved Him and sought His guidance daily. Daniel was so open, that those who worked closely with him knew his habits of prayer. When the new law was handed down from the king saying that the citizen could only pray to the king and no other god, Daniel’s co-workers knew that he would continue to pray to the God of Heaven.

Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

Before we look at today’s ruling from the Supreme Court and bunker down, lets remember what Daniel did. He continued walking with God and seeking Him daily as he did aforetime. What do Bible believing Christ followers need to do today?

  1. Seek God
    Don’t react publicly until you have sought God privately. Take time to pray today. Pray for God’s grace to stand and shine for Him. Pray for other believers to remain steadfast. Pray for our leaders to come to trust and follow Jesus. Pray for a revival of the fear of God in our country. You cannot go wrong in seeking the Supreme Ruler of All first.
  2. Share Jesus
    Continue to witness for Christ. If you have not been an open witness, seek God’s forgiveness and begin right away. Jesus needs you to stand and shine for Him in the midst of spiritual darkness. Don’t allow fear and cultural trends to mute your witness for Jesus. He is the answer to all the chaos!
  3. Show Christ’s Love
    As you witness, remember to speak the truth in love. Christ always showed compassion to those that were against Him. Let the love of Christ be most evident in your voice and eyes as you proclaim Jesus Christ. Remember, there is not a single person alive on planet earth that is beyond the reach of His love. Let Jesus love them through you.

Weekday Worship

Posted on by josiahkagin

  

John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 

We know about Sunday worship, but what about weekday worship?

Worship means to ascribe worth to. The idea is that you show someone or something that they are of value to you. Everyday we ascribe worth to many things and people in our lives. You may ascribe worth to your wife by taking time to listen to her share her heart or to your job and employer by being excellent in all that you do. Many ascribe worth to public opinion and to the philosophies of this world by allowing them to sway their thought and action . However, above everything else in our lives, the God of Heaven must receive our worship!

If you had a friend to whom you were only worth something once a week, how healthy do you think that relationship would be? Yet, many times the only time we deliberately worship God is when we assemble for church on Sunday morning. Truthfully, our Heavenly Father deserves so much more than that!

Let’s pause for a moment and ponder the question, how can I ascribe worth to my God everyday of the week?

  1. Conversation—When someone is special to you, you talk to them. You might call several times a day, text, Facebook or FaceTime them. You crave communication with them. God has told us that we are to pray without ceasing. We are to be in constant, open communication with our Heavenly Father. Remember, conversation is two-way. We must talk to God in prayer and listen to Him through His Word. Test yourself today. How much of the day are you conversing with God? You worship God when you talk to Him and when you hear Him talk to you.
  2. Adoration—Is there anyone or anything on earth that deserves our adoration like our God? The resounding answer is “No!” He alone is worthy to be praised! He personally sacrificed he beloved Son so that we could have a relationship with Him. Do you tell Him how much you love Him? Do you revel in who He is to you? When we adore Him we worship Him.
  3. Declaration—Nobody illustrates this like grandmothers. I have rarely met one that did not have a picture of her grandchildren and a speech ready for anyone that asks. They love to talk about their grandchildren. Do you love to talk about your God? Are you just waiting for the opportunity to declare all His wondrous works? When we talk about Him we worship Him.
  4. Prioritization—Time is precious and what gets prioritized gets done. If a person were to look at your “To do” list, would they be able to see that God is worth a lot to you. I am not just talking about church attendance. I am talking about God being worth so much to you that your daily priorities are all centered around pleasing Him. When we prioritize God and His will for our daily lives we worship Him.

Will you take the time to evaluate your weekday worship of God? While worship has been trivialized in many minds and places to forty minutes of praise and worship music once a week, will you choose to worship the God of your salvation in spirit and in truth. Show Him His worth!

Thoughts from our Project

Posted on by josiahkagin

Untitled design-4This past Monday, our church was able begin phase one of our Auditorium Enhancement project. For over a year we have been praying about and raising funds. It is so exciting to see a fresh, new look taking shape. I would like to praise the Lord in several specific ways in regards to this project.

  1. Jesus is the Motivation
    It may seem obvious, but I want to praise the Lord that Jesus is the reason and the motivation behind this project. Jesus is the reason we exist as a church, He is the one whom we serve and the one whom we desire to magnify in every venture we undertake.
  2. Believers with a Heart for God
    Praise the Lord for believers who have had a heart for God and a willingness to sacrifice, giving of their time and finances. I am thankful for those who have prayed. I am grateful for the spirit of unity that the Holy Spirit has given to God’s people.
  3. Wisdom from God
    Many have co-labored on this project to this point with a heart to be guided by God’s wisdom. Praise God for wisdom for each step of the way! God’s wisdom allows all of us to carry out His will and to exercise our gifts in a skillful manner.

May God continue to guide and use Grace Baptist Church to impact Kettering and our world for Jesus Christ.

Think About It!

Posted on by josiahkagin

IMG_2410You have heard that humans are creatures of habit. What is habitual often takes place with little thought or at least fresh thought. It is very easy to allow this to happen in our church attendance. Whether it is the weekly services or a special set of revival meetings, we can go, sit and listen with little thought of preparing ourselves to receive with meekness the engrafted Word. Before you rush off to church this morning, would you take a moment to think about what you are doing. Think about what God wants to do in your heart. Think about what you want God to do in your heart. As you think about it, consider doing the following.

  1. Pray—give God permission to work in your heart by the power of His Word.
  2. Expect—anticipate that God will give you something awesome from His Word.
  3. Commit—resolve to respond in obedience to all that God shows you in His Word.
  4. Act—choose to immediately practice what you have been taught from His Word.

Remember, every time you walk into church and hear biblical preaching, it is a blessing and a gift from God. Don’t take it for granted. Think about it!