Author: Believers Church

May 10, 2024 Believers Church

Enduring…

Recently some discussions around the church have been about continuing on, not giving up, not throwing in the towel, but enduring to the end. Some of the verses in discussion have been:

“Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” – 1 Timothy 4:16

“But the one who endures to the end shall be saved.” – Matthew 24:13

But how do we continue? How do we know we will endure to the end?

The Word…

What does God say will endure to the end? Both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, God declares,

“All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” – Peter 1:24 (see also Isaiah 40:6-8)

We see an example of the word of God relating to our endurance in the parable of the sower. In it, Jesus defines the seed as the word of God. In some cases, the word was carelessly lost because of a hard heart (i.e., hard soil). In other cases, the word was deemed insufficient to handle the trials and difficulties of this life. And in other cases, the word, was choked out by the cares and desires of this world. It was only the heart that nurtured for, provided for, and prioritized the word of God that endured.

King David…

In the Old Testament, King David had a lot of ups and downs. From being a young shepherd, to triumphing over Goliath. From being an outlaw, to king over Israel. From conquering enemy nations, to committing adultery with another man’s wife. From being a murderer, to repenting, and being declared a man after God’s own heart. Very few have had as many highs… and lows… as King David. Yet what kept David through it all? How did he continue on, and endure to the end?

In Psalm 1, we read of David,

“But His delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night.  He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither.” – Psalm 1:2-3

David’s “leaf” did not “wither”, because his delight was in the “law of the LORD”, and he meditated on it day and night.

In Psalm 119, David uses 8 Hebrew words for the “word of God”. They translate into our English as laws, words, testimonies, ordinances, commands, promises, statutes, and precepts. To see just how vital the word of God was for David, see Psalm 119:15-16, 27, 31-33, 40-41, 54, 93, 105, 118, 133, 141, 147-148, 155, 159-160, 162, 170.

Us…

What about us? We too have our ups and downs. From victories over sin and mountain-top experiences, to shameful thoughts and wicked deeds. How might we continue on, and endure to the end?

Certainly, church participation, discipleship classes, fellowship with Christians, serving others, giving charitably, reaching out to those around us, and overseas missions endeavors are all good. But none of those things promise to keep us to the end. In reality, they are just the externals of our faith.

What is inside is the seed, the word of God, implanted in our hearts. That is what matters. Without it, there is no lasting spiritual life. Without it, nothing we do will survive the tests of time. The only thing that will endure forever is the word of God.

Is the word of God in us? Are we nurturing it? Are we providing for it? Are we prioritizing it? Are we delighting in it? Do we meditate on His word? How often? With what focus? For how long? To what extent? Are we getting our sustenance from His testimonies? Are we receiving our directions from His precepts? If not, perhaps it is time to repent, and to renew our delight in God’s word. Perhaps it is time to turn again to God’s word, and to meditate on it, that we might be “like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither.”

April 28, 2024 Believers Church

The Homeschool Group has had a busy couple of months, meeting regularly on Thursday afternoons.  In January and February, we did a drawing class and had a game day.  We didn’t make it sledding this year, but were able to ice skate together once.  We ended up walking quite a bit on local trails.

In March and April, we went out to the woods to do some hiking.  Most of the time we had great weather.  One time we even walked through snow!

Recently, a few of us parents went to a Homeschool Conference in Duluth.  Our group’s biggest take away was the sessions that were held on high school and post high school/career exploration.  As our kids get older, this is something we need to plan for.  It was also great to see the members of the Duluth church serving coffee from their coffee trailer at the event.

If you or anyone you know is interested in joining our group for Thursday meetings, please direct them to homeschool@jfbelievers.com.

April 16, 2024 Believers Church

Over the past few months, the OneLife Couples Ministry enjoyed the near absence of winter and we are now embracing the arrival of spring.

In January, we met in Menomonie, River Falls, and various small towns to eat together and hang up posters to promote the local community Bible discussions. We are very thankful to be able to say that we have had visitors come as a direct result of these posters.

To break the cabin fever, which wasn’t too much of a risk this winter, we enjoyed the sights, sounds, and smells of Como Zoo & Conservatory in February. We grabbed lunch/coffee at various places in the Twin Cities and everyone returned home with all of their fingers and toes intact.

In March, our members met together to enjoy pizza and a night of trivia. We were able to get to know some more things about one another through some of the questions. (Ask Connor and Maddy what they’d do if they won a million dollars.) Apparently, there are a lot of fans of the TV show Psych in our group!

Most recently, we got out hiking at Hoffman Hills followed by a picnic lunch. Quite a few of us climbed the observation tower and got to see an eagle soar overhead. We could not have asked for a more beautiful day for a hike in the woods. We are thankful for the friendships and marriages God has entrusted to all of us and look forward to growing together in the months and years ahead.

April 10, 2024 Believers Church

In 1808 Sir Walter Scott penned a line that would become more popular than he likely realized at the time: “Oh, what a tangled web we weave” he wrote into an act called “Marmion”, “when first we practice to deceive”.

LESSONS FROM HISTORY

More of a keen observation than a fictional quip, the fact that sin makes our life a knotted mess isn’t hard to see. Read the script of Israel’s second king and you’ll know what I mean.

Called by God and anointed by the Spirit, yes, but David was no angel. He would eventually transgress again and again. Lust followed by adultery, and then after that, solicitation for murder. A series of sinister decisions turned everything into a tangled clutter. His sin, not surprisingly, would end in death (II Sam.12:18).

Judas was similar. Greed followed by theft, and then after that, conspiracy to murder. Like his Jewish forbear, Judas’ sin jumbled up his entire life, and likewise ended in death (Mt.27:5).  

CONTRASTING LEGACIES

David & Judas: The King of Israel had a penchant for women; the Disciple of Christ had a thing for money, and both accounts ended with a funeral. Different vice, same result. What started in the heart, culminated in the grave. Oh, what a tangled web we weave…

The lasting reputation of these two men, however, are polar opposite: Judas is forever labelled as the “son of perdition”, while David is remembered as “a man after God’s own heart”. Putting these accounts side by side makes you wonder how David was able to escape the snare, while Judas wasn’t so fortunate. What was the difference between them both that resulted in such contrasting legacies?

PARABLE OR PROPHECY?

There’s a story told of woman who worked long ago at a textile mill. With an occupation like hers, it was inevitable that there would be occasional tangles in the thread. This being the case for all who worked in the mill, a sign was hung on the factory floor that read: “When your thread gets tangled, call on the foreman”. To no one’s surprise but her own, the woman’s work eventually got snarled.

Embarrassed of herself and concerned for her position, she tried to ignore the sign. “Calling for help might get me in trouble” she thought, “I’ll just straighten this out myself”. She tried and she tried to untangle that thread, but she only made her situation worse. Finally, she called the foreman and said, “I did the best I could”. To which the cunning foreman replied, “No, you didn’t. The best thing you could have done was to call on me”.

Everybody at the mill gets their threads tangled.

When David became entangled in sin, he called upon God. It was the best thing he could’ve done. As promised, the Heavenly Foreman rescued him from distress (see Psalm 32). When Judas became entwined, however, he tried and tried to untangle that thread, but he only made his situation worse. The foreman wasn’t called upon, and Judas lost his position.

Therein lies the difference between the two men. David called upon God, whereas Judas tried to fix the problem on his own.

What would you do? After all, everybody at the mill gets their threads tangled, but only some will call upon the foreman.

UNTANGLED FINALLY

Sir Walter Scott wasn’t the first to realize that characters like us have a knack for weaving ourselves into an awfully tangled web. Every player in human history knows that’s true. But are you enmeshed in your sin? Are you trapped in a web of deceit that you’ve woven yourself?

There’s no need to lose your position over it. Call on the Foreman. It’s the best thing you could do. He alone knows how to resolve the issue and untangle your life once again. He’s done it for others, He can do it for you.  

“FINALLY…I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone! Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there’s still time, so they don’t drown in judgment” – Psalm 32

March 22, 2024 Believers Church

Beginnings

With the burst of babies at church, the past few months have involved some Beginnings Room preparations. Beginnings is the name of our toddler ministry for children ages 6 months through 4 years old. As much as possible the Children’s Ministry seeks to be a parent-run ministry, as we believe that it is important for parents to take an active role in their child’s education.

With this goal in mind, at the end of February we held a training session for parents with children old enough to participate in the Beginnings Room. These parents are now able to help staff the Beginnings Room when it is open. The training also served as a refresher for our volunteers who have been staffing the “on call” Beginnings Room up to this point. We are still just opening the room on an “as needed” basis on Sundays, but we will be ready if the day comes when we have a need for Beginnings on a weekly basis again.

Foundations

In Foundations, the Elementary-aged kids have been learning about the authority of Jesus as they meet for class every other Sunday. Most recently we studied about what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus, and why our response to Jesus is so important. Just like in church upstairs, in Foundations we don’t shy away from the hard things that the Bible says.

Resources

I recently listened to a Webinar from Truth78 titled “Choices Facing the Next Generation: Wisdom or Foolishness?” The webinar offered many practical ideas for helping to lead children on the path of wisdom. Truth78 is a ministry whose mission is “to inspire and equip the church and the home for the comprehensive discipleship of the next generation.” I would highly recommend this webinar for anyone looking for help in this area!

March 10, 2024 Believers Church

As an uncharacteristically warm winter comes to an end, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the life of our church community here in Duluth. From fun events and gatherings to weekend retreats and serving togethering, we’ve covered a lot of ground in the first few months of 2024. Here’s what we’ve been up to!

We celebrated the New Year with a festive game night featuring a crock pot buffet filled with delicious food. The next day (aka literally just several hours later), we kicked off the first day of the year with a wintry hike. We had a great time and enjoyed ringing in 2024 together.

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In January, the Young Adult Ministry embarked on an ice fishing trip. They enjoyed a beautiful frozen landscape and even reeled in a few catches, adding an extra thrill to the adventure. Afterwards, those who were interested got a tutorial in how to clean a fish.

Our college-aged ministry, Street Level, remains active on Monday nights as we gather for a meal followed by working through the book of Mark. We read it together during our sessions and then have a group discussion. Welcoming several new faces, these meetings have been a great chance to get to learn more about the Bible and get to know each other.

We also hosted an international cooking night at the Street Level house, where a diverse gathering of people came together. It was a memorable experience, filled with flavors from around the world.

Members of Street Level also joined our larger counterparts from Menomonie in Chetek, WI for a weekend of fellowship. The ministry as a whole dedicated Friday night and Saturday to addressing cultural barriers that prevent sharing the Gospel. Large group sessions focused on relevance, relationships, and repentance, while small groups allowed us to share testimonies and simple gospel messages. Practical prayer was weaved into the weekend and greatly emphasized. We prayed together for ministry opportunities, boldness, obedience and each other.

We served coffee at Ice Fest in Superior, though the lack of snow and warm temps turned it into more of a mud fest. Which was okay by us, because it meant we didn’t have to bundle up as much as usual! Nevertheless, it was a successful event where we connected with many people, raised funds for missions and even managed to enjoy a round of free mini golf.

Some of our singles attended a Regional Christian Singles Retreat in Chetek, WI hosted by Believers City Church in Menomonie. During the retreat, they delved into sessions by Andy Stanley, focusing on making Godly decisions, all while enjoying the camaraderie among attendees.

In February, we enjoyed watching the Chiefs beat the 49ers at our annual Super Bowl Party. For those of us who aren’t into football, we had plenty of games and tasty treats.

Several of us joined a team on a trip to New Orleans to help renovate a church. This was a rewarding experience that left us feeling immensely blessed to be part of this important work. Wrapping up February, we enjoyed another game night filled with snacks and laughter.

On Sundays, we started going through the book of Acts, placing a special focus on the transformative work of the Holy Spirit. Meanwhile, our Wednesday evenings keep things fresh with a rotating schedule. Whether we’re delving into verse-by-verse Bible studies through Lamentations, exploring the life of David in men’s and women’s groups, or engaging in insightful ‘rewinds’ to discuss recent sermons, our time together has been enriching. We even took one Wednesday evening to watch “The End of the Spear,” a film about the sacrifice of several courageous missionaries.

Looking ahead, we’re excited for all the upcoming months will have in store. With endeavors such as our community Bible studies for young adults and a missions trip to Mississippi, we’re excited to set out on new adventures together. And let’s not forget a fun-filled rollerskating outing planned for our Young Adult Ministry!

If you’ve been supporting us through prayer, thanks so much. If you’re not and would like to do that, we would greatly appreciated it!