Every week, I would like to share with you a round up of links to articles and videos that have resonated with me in some particular way. It is important that you realize that I am not endorsing everything in these articles, videos, or sites but I share them with you as a way for you to see what has engaged my thinking and caught my attention online through the week. Some of the links are related to current events, some are related to current realities facing the church, some are just cool and random facts that you may or may not have known.

 -Pastor Chris Lenhart

Link Roundup 8-4-20

Suggested Reading: "The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism" by Jemar Tisby

August Memory Verse: John 19:30
Click here to download the August verse as a phone background graphic

Click here to download and print the August memory verse bookmark


Links

  • Alabama Pastor Resigns after Praying at KKK Leader's Birthday
    It is incredibly sad that a pastor, who also happens to be a State Representative, would participate in the celebration of a man who is responsible for the gruesome deaths of so many people of color in our country. Friends, if we think we have eradicated racism from within the American church or our government systems, this article should give us pause to stop and face reality.

  • Love is Inconvenient
    “It’s inconvenient (especially if you’re part of the majority culture as I am) to grapple with the fact that George Floyd’s murder proves, yet again, what people of color have been saying for years, when it was easier to believe the myth of equal treatment under the law.”

  • Brokenhearted Boldness
    We speak, not because it is convenient and easy to look at and call out the landscape of our own sin and the sin of the world, but rather because it is necessary to look at it, to find ourselves broken by it and to see the truth that in our brokenness and weakness, His power, the strength of God is made perfect.

  • The Meaning of "World" in John 3:16
    A good and concise exposition of the meaning of the word “world” in John 3:16.

  • Marriage in Rapid Decline, Even Among Evangelicals
    “’According to a Census Bureau survey taken in 2018, only 35 percent of 25- to 34-year-old men were married, a precipitous and rapid plunge from 50 percent in 2005.’ Fifteen percentage points lost in a little over a decade!”

  • The Great Distraction
    A reminder of what is really important in an age of distractions, and of who our true Commander in Chief is.

  • Make your School Decision. Then Trust God
    An interestingly worded article title for sure. Probably a good idea to be trusting God as you make your school decision. However, what the author intends to convey is that after our decision is made, we need to trust God in what he will produce through it!

  • Local Churches are Seizing the Initiative in Bible Translation
    New developments in technology have allowed local congregations to become more involved in translating the Bible for people groups without translations in their own language.

  • Battling Cancer, Washington Boro Native John Sherick ends 49-year run as Sunday School Teacher
    So thankful for those faithful Sunday School teachers that the Lord placed in my life! This is just both a beautiful and powerful article. Be sure to read all the way to the end and then watch the video provided, a clear reminder of the legacy that one person can have in lives of so many, often without even knowing it. If you just want to watch the video, you can find it here.

  • Unreached People of the Day: The Kashmiri People Group
    A population of 7,953,000 across the countries of India and Pakistan, this people group is largely influenced by Islam. Pray for global workers or national workers from within Pakistan and India to advance the gospel and for the truth of Jesus Christ to prevail over Islam. Pray that God would open eyes, ears, and hearts to receive the truth of his Word.

  • NewSong Tuesday: Every Praise
    Hezekiah Walker delivers a powerful song of praise. You will be encouraged and edified hearing and perhaps even memorizing passages such as 1 Chron. 16:25, Psalm 48:1, 86:12, 96:4-5 and 145:1-3 among others as you enjoy this high energy exclamation of praise to our King.




7-28-20 Links

  • Pastor Chris’s Reflections on The White, American Church’s Response to Racism
    Part Three: The Gospel’s Light of Hope and Next Steps towards building Awareness
    For the rest of July our Link Roundups will be intentionally, though not entirely, full of articles that might help to inform, educate, and reveal to us the reality of racism within the American church. My intention would be for you to grieve with me and lament the reality of a problem which still exists in our churches today, a problem of which we as the church, have largely been complicit to and highly dismissive in perpetuating. There is a godly grief which leads to repentance. And I (we) have much to repent of. Part One here. Part Two here.

  • Take a Look Inside of our Living Room Window
    The Ivey family sits down with Emmanuel Acho for an uncomfortable conversation, one that might help us grow in our awareness. In this video you will catch a glimpse of what life feels like sometimes in the Lenhart family home.

  • CS Lewis on White Supremacy & Frederick Douglass on White Brutality
    “I understand that it is quite natural for me, as a white man, not to want ‘my nose rubbed in it’, yet I don’t see how I can assist, support, or generate change in my context without at least attempting to understand, and to feel, something of the struggle and pain of others.”

  • Racism among white Christians is higher than among the nonreligious. That's no coincidence.
    “In public opinion polls, a clear pattern has emerged: White Christians are consistently more likely than whites who are religiously unaffiliated to deny the existence of structural racism...Our fellow African American citizens, and indeed the entire country, are waiting to see whether we white Christians can finally find the humility and courage and love to face the truth.”

  • Black Books Matter
    There is much more to read than racism and the woes of suffering and struggle.

  • As Adoption Ages: How Parents are Handling Teen Challenges
    “There was a significant reawakening of the historic Christian role of caring for orphans in the mid- to late-2000s. Those kids are now hitting their teen and early adult years.”

  • The Elusive Trait of Reasonableness
    Reasonableness requires a willingness for us to admit and live in the reality that we could be wrong. It directs us towards postures of love & listening, mercy & compassion.

  • Further Reflections on Recent Conversations about Christian Freedom
    The fervent importance of keeping Romans 14 ever before us in this season.

  • Unreached of the Day: The Gujar People of Pakistan
    With a population of 5,052,000, almost all within this people group identify as Muslim. Pray for the good news to be proclaimed, for the gospel to take root and for the Holy Spirit to produce fruit amongst this people group.

  • Hymnday Tuesday: Great is thy Faithfulness
    Written by Thomas Obediah Chisholm, an ordained Methodist minister. Original composition by William Runyan, who then passed the tune along to his dear friend Dr. Will Houghton of the Moody Bible Institute. Before too long, the hymn deeply ingrained itself in the life of the American church. The theme behind these powerful words come directly from the book of Lamentations 3:22-23, but are all throughout the pages of the Scriptures.


7-21-20 Links




7-14-20 Links




6-30-20 Links

It is important that you realize that I am not endorsing everything in these articles, videos, or sites but I share them with you as a way for you to see what has engaged my thinking and caught my attention online through the week. Some of the links are related to current events, some are related to current realities facing the church, some are just cool and random facts that you may or may not have known.

 -Pastor Chris Lenhart

Discipleship Toolbox

Spiritual Growth

Our desire is to develop fully devoted followers of Christ who make disciples. In light of that vision, we are very passionate about helping every person who attends CMBC to take their next step. No matter where you are on your spiritual journey, there is always another step to take towards being fully devoted in your following of Christ. There is no one prescription for spiritual growth because everyone is different. But there are some basic areas to consider. It is our desire that each person intentionally participates with God and others in this transforming process. We invite you to consider what’s offered at CMBC and how that may be used by God to mature you in the faith.


Daily Bible Reading

We believe that reading God's Word, the Bible, daily is vitally important and absolutely necessary for spiritual growth. There are many different devotionals and guides for helping you read and apply the Bible, and we encourage you to find something that works for you. Here are a few suggestions:


Preparing for Baptism

Baptism is important, but it is not salvation. Baptism should be among the first steps of a new believer’s walk in obedience to the Lord. This booklet will help you more thoroughly understand baptism.


Steps to Membership

What is church membership? Although “official membership” is not found in Scripture, the idea of being a regular, integral part of a church fellowship is indicated throughout the Bible. It is not an option. It is mandatory for the kind of healthy spiritual life God intends. (1 Cor. 12:27)

 

Here are some ways to get integrated into the fellowship at CMBC.

  • Attend the “Exploring CMBC” class. This 4-week class is normally offered once a year during the ABF hour (9:45-10:45) on Sunday mornings and is for those desiring to know more about CMBC or intending to join. These classes are required for membership.
  • Click here to download and read the “Becoming a Member” booklet. If you wish to become a member and have completed the “Exploring CMBC” membership class, fill out the form at the back of the booklet and turn in to the church office.

The Story

The Bible is the story of God’s love for you. A love that goes beyond what we as humans can fathom. And because it is a story about the relationship between God and humans, it is sometimes painful. But there are times when hope is evident and God’s love is victorious.


 

The purpose of the story is to introduce us to Jesus Christ and his victory over sin and death. The story is complete in one verse which many of us know – John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

 

But there’s more to the story. Listen and allow The Story to change your heart and life...thestoryfilm.com