May 2017 – Page 2 – Michelle Lesley

Mark: Lesson 5

May 24, 2017April 4, 2019 Michelle Lesley

Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4

Mark 3:

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. ²And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. ³And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” ⁴And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. ⁵And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. ⁶The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

⁷Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea ⁸and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. ⁹And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, ¹⁰for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. ¹¹And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” ¹²And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

¹³And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.¹⁴And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach ¹⁵and have authority to cast out demons. ¹⁶He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); ¹⁷James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); ¹⁸Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, ¹⁹and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

²⁰Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. ²¹And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

²²And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” ²³And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? ²⁴If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. ²⁶And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. ²⁷But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

²⁸“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter,²⁹but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—³⁰for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

³¹And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. ³²And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” ³³And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” ³⁴And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Questions to Consider

1. In verses 1-6, we see again one of the major themes of Mark: Jesus’ lordship over the Sabbath. Take a moment to review question 6 from Lesson 4 (link above). What are the similarities and differences between Mark 2:23-28 and Mark 3:1-6? Look at these two passages in a physical Bible. What do you notice about their placement, or sequence, in the manuscript, despite the fact that some time elapsed between the two incidents? Why might Mark have organized his manuscript this way?

2. Why was guarding against profaning the Sabbath such a major issue for the Pharisees? (1-6) What might they have worried God would do if Jesus influenced Israel to (in the Pharisees’ eyes) break the Sabbath? What did Jesus mean by his question in verse 4? Why didn’t the Pharisees answer Jesus? (4-6) Sometimes we think of anger as being sinful. Here, we see Jesus get angry. Why was His anger not sinful? (5)

3. What was Jesus doing (8) that drew such large crowds to Him? (10, 20-21) Compare the crowds, and their reason for flocking to Jesus in verses 7-12, 20-21, with this passage. What was the reason Peter and Jesus’ true followers stuck with Him? Do you see any similarities between the crowds that came to Jesus in droves for miracles, yet turned away from His teaching, and the crowds that fill miracle-promising “churches” today, even though those “churches” do not preach the truth of the gospel? What does Jesus want us to come to Him for?

4. How did Jesus’ ability to heal, his lordship over the Sabbath, His ability to cast out demons, and His definitive teaching on forgiveness (28-29) demonstrate that Jesus was God and that His authority over the physical and spiritual realms was equal to God’s? How would the authority over demons that Jesus gave the disciples for this mission (15) have authenticated the message they were preaching? (14) Was the disciple’s primary objective to preach the gospel or cast out demons? (14)

5. You may wish to examine verses 22-30 alongside these parallel passages in Matthew and Luke for better understanding. What is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (also called the unpardonable sin)? What were the scribes accusing Jesus of? (22) In your own words, explain Jesus’ reasoning to them. (23-27) Why did Jesus say the scribes making these accusations would never be forgiven? (30)

6. Why might Mary and Jesus’ siblings have been looking for Him? (20-21, 31-32) Was Jesus dishonoring his mother or rejecting his siblings in favor of others? (33-35) What point was Jesus trying to make? Compare verses 31-35 with these passages. What do we learn from these Scriptures about the importance of our spiritual family? Think about religions that unbiblically venerate Mary and ascribe supernatural attributes to her. Would this passage seem to support those beliefs?

Homework

Think about your church family. Is there a brother or sister, or maybe even a spiritual “mother” or “father,” who has helped you in your walk with the Lord, encouraged you, been there for you, maybe even led you to Christ? Take a moment this week to touch base with that person and express your love and appreciation.

Suggested Memory Verse

For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”
Mark 3:35

Church

Reader Recommended Churches

May 23, 2017March 9, 2023 Michelle Lesley

One of the great joys of this ministry is helping people find doctrinally sound churches to get plugged into. An awesome resource for finding good churches is my readers, especially my social media and blog followers, whose recommendations I continue to add on to the list below.

If you’re looking for a church in a certain area,
scroll down to the list.

Also, be sure to check out the
church search engines and other resources
at the Searching for a new church? tab
in the blue menu bar at the top of this page.

Please read ALL of the information in this section before recommending a church. Recommendations which do not meet these requirements will not be accepted.

If you’ve got a personal connection to a doctrinally sound church and would like to publicly recommend it, you can do so in the comments section of this article. Please include the website of the church you’re recommending. (Churches submitted without websites will not be considered for inclusion on the list.)

Due to doctrinal issues, at this time I am not accepting recommendations for:

United Methodist Churches
Calvary Chapel churches (continuationist)
Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) churches (continuationist, egalitarian, social justice)
Continuationist churches
Churches that consider Calvinism/Reformed theology to be false teaching
KJV Only churches (Churches which consider the King James Version to be the only acceptable and/or inspired translation of the Bible. Churches which merely prefer using the KJV are fine.)
Any church that uses music from Bethel, Jesus Culture, Hillsong, Elevation, anyone connected with these groups, Catholics, non-Christians, or any other contemporary musician who isn’t doctrinally sound.
Any church that uses or recommends books and materials from false teachers. (This now includes churches recommending or affiliated with The Gospel Coalition.)
Any church that violates Scripture’s teaching on the role of women in the church (1 Timothy 2:11-3:7). This includes, but is not necessarily limited to: churches with a female bearing the title of “pastor” (of anything) or “elder,” churches which allow women to function in pastoral roles without the title of pastor / elder (for example: female ministers of music or worship leaders; discipleship “facilitators” or “directors” who essentially function as elders / associate pastors, and so on), churches which allow women to preach to, hold unbiblical authority over, or instruct men or co-ed groups in the Scriptures (for example: teaching / co-teaching co-ed adult Sunday School / Bible study classes or home / small groups).
Any church that does not have a detailed statement of faith (“What we believe,” “Doctrinal statement,” etc.) or link to such,
Any church that does not have the pastor’s name (and staff / elders, if any) listed on its website.
Any church that does not have a website (a social media page alone is not enough).

Thank you for recommending your church!

See a church that shouldn’t be on the list?

Please keep in mind that this list has been in existence since 2017. Unfortunately, a few of the churches listed below may have taken an unbiblical turn since that time. If you see a church listed that you know for a fact isn’t doctrinally sound, please email me or post a comment to let me know, and provide specific evidence.

Examples of “isn’t doctrinally sound” include, but are not limited to: holding/practicing an unbiblical view of homosexuality, allowing women to serve as pastors, elders, or other positions of teaching/holding authority over men, a pattern of using Bible study materials authored by false teachers, a pattern of using music from heretical sources, New Apostolic Reformation, Critical Race Theory, social justice tendencies/teachings, significant and ongoing ungodly behavior by the pastor or church members, etc.

*A few of the churches on the list have deaconesses / female deacons. There is biblical support for this position (please click here for more information) in some cases, and this does not necessarily mean the church is doctrinally unsound or feminist. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the church directly to discuss this with the pastor.

DISCLAIMER: I cannot personally vouch for the theology of any of the churches recommended nor the people who recommended them. Please use this list only as a suggestion of churches to check out using biblical wisdom and discernment. (Concerns about deaconesses/female deacons? See * above.)

Churches outside the United States are toward the end of this list. Click on the name of the church for the church’s web site.

United States

Alabama

Dothan- Westgate Baptist Church

Florence-
Emmanuel Baptist church
Ransomed Community Church

Fort Payne- Grace Presbyterian Church

Huntsville-
Grace Community Church
West Huntsville Baptist Church

Mobile- Christ Fellowship

Muscle Shoals- Grace Life Church of the Shoals

Ozark- Reformation Church

Remlap- Providence Reformed Baptist Church

Talladega- Faith Worship Center

Troy-
Bush Baptist Church
First Presbyterian Church
Transformation Church
Troy Church

West Blocton- Camp Branch Baptist Church

Alaska

Anchorage-
Anchorage Grace Church
Church in the Wildwood

Chugiak- Peters Creek Baptist Church

Homer- Homer Reformed Baptist Church

Kenai- Calvary Baptist Church

Arizona

Chandler-
Apologia Church (James White, Jeff Durbin, pastors)
Shepherd’s House Bible Church (Costi Hinn, pastor)

Gilbert-
Redeemer Bible Church
San Tan Bible Church
Southeast Valley Bible Church

Goodyear- Redeeming Grace Church

Overgaard- First Southern Baptist Church

Peoria-
Fellowship of Grace Church
King’s Church

Phoenix-
Desert Hills Bible Church
Northwest Community Church
Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church

Sierra Vista- Sierra Vista Baptist Church

Tucson- Christ’s Church of Tucson

Arkansas

Beebe- The Bible Church of Beebe

Bryant- First Southern Baptist Church

Cabot- Bible Church of Cabot

Conway-
Conway Missionary Baptist Church
Grace Bible Church

Fort Smith- Oak Cliff Baptist Church

Greenwood- First Baptist Church of Jenny Lind

Heber Springs- Little Red River Bible Church

Jonesboro- Central Baptist Church

Little Rock-
Central Hope Church
Midtown Baptist Church
The Bible Church of Little Rock

Marshall- Marshall First Baptist Church

Nashville- Maranatha Baptist Church

Perryville- Perryville Second Baptist Church

Rogers- Trinity Grace Church

Russellville- CrossLife Church

Van Buren- Lee Creek Baptist Church

Witcherville- Fellowship Baptist Church

California

Alhambra- Mandarin Baptist Church of Los Angeles

Aliso Viejo- Compass Bible Church

Anaheim Hills- Kindred Community Church

Apple Valley- The Community Church at Jess Ranch

Aptos- Santa Cruz Baptist Church

Arcadia- Arcadia Bible Church

Arroyo Grande- Berean Bible Church

Bakersfield-
Grace Bible Church of Bakersfield
Sovereign Grace Church

Brawley- Western Avenue Baptist Church

Burbank- Calvary Bible Church

Burlingame- Grace Church of the Bay Area

Camarillo- Pleasant Valley Bible Church

Castaic- Lake Hills Community Church

Clovis- Trinity Community Church

Costa Mesa- Mission Bible Church

Cupertino- Creekside Bible Church

Duarte- Berean Bible Church

El Cajon- Faith Community Bible Church

El Monte- Chinese Congregational Church

Fontana- Summit Bible Church

Glendale- Lighthouse Bible Church Los Angeles

Glendora- Cornerstone Bible Church

Huntington Beach- Compass Bible Church

Inglewood- Fairview Heights Baptist Church

Irvine- Irvine Community Church

Kingsburg- Grace Church of the Valley

La Canada- La Canada Korean Church

Long Beach- Pillar Bible Church

Menifee-
Faith Bible Church
Menifee Hills Bible Church
Valley Christian Fellowship

Mission Viejo-
Resonate Church
Reverence Bible Church

Modesto- Grace Baptist Fellowship

Morgan Hill- Trinity Bible Church

Murrieta- Faith Bible Church

Newhall- Placerita Bible Church

Oxnard- Faith Community Church

Pasadena-
Emmaus Community Church
Redeemer Bible Church
Trinity Baptist Church

Rancho Cucamonga- Grace Rancho

Redding/Palo Cedro- Cow Creek Community Church

Ridgecrest- Cornerstone Bible Church

Riverside-
Cornerstone Fellowship Bible Church
Reformed Baptist Church of Riverside
Refuge Bible Fellowship

San Clemente- Outpouring Church at Surfers Row

San Diego-
Barabbas Road Church
Pacific Hope Church

San Gabriel- San Gabriel Community Church

Santa Clarita- Santa Clarita Baptist Church

Santa Maria- First Baptist Church

Santa Rosa- Christian Family Fellowship

Shingle Springs- Gold Country Baptist Church

Sierra Madre- CrossLife Community Church

Sun Valley- Grace Community Church (John MacArthur, pastor)

Trabuco Canyon- Trabuco Canyon Community Church

Tustin-
Compass Bible Church
Mission Bible Church

Waterford- First Southern Baptist Church

West Covina- Christ Community Church

Whittier- Disciple Church

Willits- Agape Bible Church

Vallejo- Community Bible Church

Victorville- God’s Grace Reformed Church

Visalia- Abounding Grace Church

Yankee Hill- Calvary Concow

Colorado

Austin- Surface Creek Community Church

Centennial- Southside Bible Church

Colorado Springs-
Austin Bluffs Evangelical Free Church
Mesa Hills Bible Church

Denver- Providence Orthodox Presbyterian Church

Fort Collins- The Town Church

Golden- Chapel in the Hills

Grand Junction- Heritage Church

Greely- Grace Church

Highlands Ranch- New City Church

Mancos- Summit Lake Community Church

Morrison- Red Rocks Baptist

Parker- Parker Bible Church

Pueblo- Pueblo West Baptist Church

Connecticut

Coventry- Presbyterian Church of Coventry

Hamden- Westminster Presbyterian Church

Manchester- Presbyterian Church of Manchester

Newtown- Newtown Bible Church

West Hartford- Christ Community Presbyterian Church

Windsor- Christ Proclamation Church

Delaware

Clayton- CenterPoint Church

Milford- Berean Community Church

Wilmington- Grace Community Church

Florida

Cape Coral- Grace Baptist Church (Tom Ascol, Pastor)

Chuluota- Cornerstone Baptist Church

Clearwater- Lakeside Community Chapel

Destin- Cornerstone Presbyterian Church

Gainesville- The Chapel of Gainesville

Glen Saint Mary- Glen Baptist Church

Hileah- Miami Bible Church

Jacksonville-
Grace Community Church
Paradise Church
Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Jupiter-
Beacon Baptist Church
Grace Immanuel Bible Church

Lecanto- Providence Baptist Church

Melbourne- Harbor City Baptist Church

Miami- New Testament Baptist Church

Ocala- Olivet Baptist Church

Orange Park-
Community Bible Church of Orange Park

Orlando-
Lake Nona Presbyterian Church
Liberty Church
Orlando Bible Church

Ormond Beach- Riverbend Community Church

Palm Harbor- Grace Community Church

Panama City- Covenant Presbyterian Church

Pensacola- McIlwain Presbyterian Church

Plant City- Reformation Church

Sanford- Saint Andrew’s Chapel

Sarasota- Bethel Community Church

Seminole- Christ The King Presbyterian Church

St. Augustine- Christ Reformed Community Church

Steinhatchee- Fellowship Baptist Church

Tallahassee-
Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Grace Church of Tallahassee

Tampa-
Christ Central Presbyterian Church
The Church at Tampa
Grace Bible Church / Grace Bible Deaf Church
The Grove Bible Chapel

Winter Garden- Calvary Baptist Church

Winter Park- Redeemer Bible Fellowship

Georgia

Athens- Green Acres Baptist Church

Atlanta-
Berean Bible Baptist Church
Christ Covenant

Canton-
Canton Bible Church
Cherokee Presbyterian Church

Douglas- Carver Baptist Church

Douglasville-
Arbor Heights Bible Church
Prays Mill Baptist Church

Dublin- Jefferson Street Baptist Church

Duluth- Providence Church

Fayetteville-
Fayetteville First Baptist Church
Heritage Reformed Baptist Church

Lilburn-
Cornerstone Bible Church
Killian Hill Baptist Church

Macon- North Macon Presbyterian Church

Madison- Remembrance Community Church

Marietta- Grace Community Church

Oxford-
Church at Haynes Creek
CrossPointe Church

Palmetto- Ramah Baptist Church

Peachtree Corners- Peachtree Corners Presbyterian Church

Powder Springs- Midway Presbyterian Church

Rincon- Centerpoint Community Church

Rockmart- Victory Baptist Church

Sandy Springs- Mount Vernon Baptist Church

Sharpsburg- Faith Bible Church

Smyrna- Smyrna Presbyterian Church

Tucker- Atlanta Reformation Fellowship

Villa Rica- New Georgia Baptist Church

Watkinsville- Treasuring Christ Church

Woodstock- Faith Community Church

Hawaii

Haleiwa-Sunset Beach Christian Church

Honolulu-
Hawai’i Kai Church
Huikala Baptist Church

Kapolei- Makakilo Bible Church

Mililani- Island Grace Church

Wahiawa, Oahu- The Lords House

Idaho

Boise- The Well

Burley- Calvary Baptist Church

Driggs- Teton Valley Bible Church

Kootenai- Kootenai Community Church (Jim Osman, pastor. Justin Peters’ former church.)

Meridian-
Ambassador Bible Fellowship
Compass Bible Church
Faith Community Bible Church
Meridian First Baptist Church

Nampa-
Kindred Bible Church
New Hope Baptist Church

Illinois

Alton- Heartland Baptist Church

Arlington Heights- First Baptist Church

Ashton- Ashton Bible Church

Chicago- Garfield Ridge Baptist Church

Frankfort- Peace Community Church

Freeport- Park Hills Evangelical Free Church

Joliet- New Covenant Community Church

Lansing- Lansing Bible Church

Mackinaw- New Castle Bible Church

Mahomet- Church of the Cross

Matteson- Hope Reformed Baptist Church

Mattoon- Providence Church

Momence- Momence OPC Presbyterian Church

Mt. Vernon- Second Baptist Church

New Lenox- Cornerstone Church of LincolnWay

Norridge- Maranatha Bible Church

Oak Forest- Grace Fellowship Church

Paxton- The Upper Room Bible Church

Peoria- Bethany Baptist Church

Princeton- Princeton Bible Church

Rockford- Calvary Baptist Church

Sparta- Calvary Church

Springfield- Southern View Chapel

Washington- First Baptist Church

West Chicago- West Chicago Bible Church

Zion- Lakeview Church

Overland Park- Countryside Church

Wichita-
Cornerstone Bible Church
Heartland Community Church
The Bridge Church

Kentucky

Bowling Green- Grace Community Church

Campbellsville- Friendship Baptist Church

Frankfort- Buck Run Baptist Church

Lexington-
Porter Memorial Baptist Church
Todds Road Grace Church

Louisville- Anchor Bible Church

Mt. Sterling- Living Water Church

Murray- Redeemer Community Church

Louisiana

Baker- Reformation Church

Baton Rouge-
Central Bible Church
Christ Covenant Church
Community Bible Church
First Baptist Church
Trinity Baptist Church
Woodlawn Baptist Church

Denham Springs- New Covenant Church

DeRidder- DeRidder Presbyterian Church

Duson- Christ Church

Franklinton- Richardson Baptist Church

Gonzales- First Baptist Church

Keithville- Redeemer Community Church

Lafayette- Christ Church (Northside)

Opelousas- Christ Church

Shreveport-
Grace Baptist Church
Trinity Baptist Church

Maine

Ellsworth- Faith Community Fellowship

Hancock- Hancock Eastside Baptist Church

Limington- East Limington Baptist Church

Portland- Redeeming Grace Fellowship

Standish- Living Stone Community Church

Topsham- Cornerstone Baptist Church

Windham- Windham Baptist Church

Maryland

Baltimore- Baltimore Bible Church

Bowie- Belcroft Bible Church

Columbia- Hope Bible Church

Hollywood- Truth Bible Church

Millersville- Anchor Baptist Church

Oakland- Grace Reformed Church

Massachusetts

Burlington- Church of the Open Bible

Chelmsford- The Shepherd’s Church

West Boylston- Bethlehem Bible Church

Westport- Calvary Bible Church

Weymouth- First Baptist Church

Michigan

Ann Arbor- Fellowship Bible Church

Battle Creek- Faith Baptist Church

Calcedonia Township-Whitneyville Bible Church

Comstock Park- Maranatha Bible Church

Dearborn- Warrendale Community Church

East Lansing- University Reformed Church

Farmington Hills- Oakland Hills Community Church

Grand Rapids-
Grace Immanuel Reformed Baptist Church
Trinity Baptist Church

Hamburg- Hiawatha Bible Church

Hudsonville-
Grace Community Church
Trinity Protestant Reformed Church

Livonia-
Bell Creek Community Church
Berean Baptist Church

Mt. Morris- Mt. Morris Community Church

Niles- Redeemer Church

Plymouth- Solid Rock Bible Church

Rochester- First Baptist Church

Roseville- Cornerstone Baptist Church

Southfield- Highland Park Baptist

Three Rivers- Verse by Verse Church

Trenton- Community Bible Church

Waterford- Oakbrooke Bible Church

Westland- Harvest Bible Church

Ypsilanti- Calvary Baptist Church

Minnesota

Burnsville- Berean Baptist Church

Crosby- Lifespring Church

Missoula- Sovereign Hope Church

Oslo- Kongsvinger Lutheran Church

Plymouth- Anchor Bible Church

Rochester-
Calvary Baptist Church
Grace City Church
Northbridge Church
Redemption City Church

Saint Paul-
Beacon of Hope
Faith Bible Church Twin Cities

St. Louis Park- Gospel of Grace Fellowship

Mississippi

Brandon- Grace Baptist Church at Castlewoods

Gulfport- Bayou View Baptist Church

Hernando- Oak Grove Baptist Church

Jackson- Grace Community Church

Lakeshore- Lakeshore Baptist Church

Meridian- Northpointe Presbyterian Church

Olive Branch- Grace Bible Church

Summit- Berean Community Church

Missouri

Branson- Branson Bible Church

Jackson- Grace Baptist Church

Lee’s Summit- Summit Woods Baptist Church

Liberty- Liberty Baptist Church

Nixa- First Baptist Church

Rogersville- The Summit Church

Rolla- Grace Bible Church

Sedalia- Bethany Baptist Church

Springfield-
South Creek Church

St. Louis-
Christ Fellowship Bible Church
Forest Park Bible Church
South County Bible Church

Wildwood- New Community Church

Montana

Billings-
Cornerstone Community Church
Valley Bible Church

Bozeman- Grace Bible Church

Ekalaka- Ekalaka Bible Church

Frenchtown- Frenchtown Community Church

Helena-
Calvary Baptist Church
Reformed Baptist Church

Kalispell- Central Bible Church

Missoula- Sovereign Hope Church

Nebraska

Gretna- Providence Bible Church

Lincoln-
Heartland Bible Church
Indian Hills Community Church

Omaha- Omaha Bible Church

Papillion- Grace Baptist Church

Nevada

Carson City- Fellowship Bible Church

Las Vegas- Trinity Reformed Church

Minden- Grace Community Church

Reno- Community Bible Church

New Hampshire

Gilmanton Iron Works- Harvest Bible Church

New Jersey

Corbin City- Corbin City Baptist Church

East Millstone- Calvary Community

Hamilton Square- Faith Baptist Church

Matawan- First Baptist Church

North Brunswick- Christian Fellowship Church

Ocean City- Ocean City Baptist Church

Trenton- Fellowship Capital City

Wayne- Bread of Life Fellowship

New Mexico

Albuquerque-
Desert Springs Church
Sovereign Grace Baptist Church
–SGBC also maintains a directory of like-minded churches throughout NM.

Roswell- First Baptist Church

Santa Fe- Gospel Life Community Church

New York

Coram- Hope Reformed Baptist Church

Dansville- Grace Baptist Church

Elmira- Elmira Christian Center

New York City- Providence Baptist Church

Ridge- Missio Church

Woodside- Woodside Community Church

North Carolina

Clayton- Southside Church

Charlotte-
Fairbluff Bible Chapel (Per the recommender: Most of the women practice head covering.)
Prosperity Presbyterian Church

Creedmoor- Promised Land Community Church

Fayetteville- Veritas Church

Fuquay Varina- Redeemer Community Church

Greensboro-
Ebenezer Lutheran Church
Westover Church

Harrisburg- Grace Church

Matthews- Christ Covenant Church (Kevin DeYoung, pastor)

Mills River- Calvary Fellowship

New Bern- Berean Community Church

North Wilkesboro- Word of Grace Baptist Church

Pittsboro- Grace Hill Church

Raleigh-
Capital Community Church
Friendship Baptist Church
Vintage Church

Selma- Thanksgiving Baptist Church

Waxhaw- Rehobeth Presbyterian Church

Wilmington- Cornerstone Baptist Church

Winston-Salem-
St. John’s Lutheran Church
Tapestry Church
Twin City Bible Church

North Dakota

Fargo- Community Baptist Church

Minot-
Christ Reformed Church
Harvest Reformed Church

Ohio

Ashland- Little Flock Fellowship Church

Beavercreek- Grace Covenant Church

Beloit- The Community Bible Church

Canton- Faith Bible Church

Carlock- East White Oak Bible Church

Chillicothe- Chillicothe Baptist Church

Cincinnati- Truth Community Church (Don Green, pastor)

Columbus-
Calvary Bible Church
Maranatha Baptist Church

Dayton- Arbor Church

Galloway- Hope Baptist Church

Greenwich- The Ripley Church

Harrison- NewSong Church

Liberty Township- Liberty Heights Church

Loveland- New Hope Baptist Church

Middletown- University Baptist Church

Mt. Orab- First Baptist Church

North Ridgeville- Cornerstone Bible Fellowship

Olmstead Falls- Olmstead Falls Bible Church

Ontario- Westwood Alliance Church

Peoria-
Bethany Baptist Church
Fellowship Bible Church

Sandusky- Firelands Grace, OPC

Sylvania- Bethany Community Fellowship

West Liberty- Grace Chapel

Wilmington- Wilmington Reformed Fellowship

Winchester- Grace Bible Church

Xenia- Cornerstone Bible Church

Oklahoma

Broken Arrow-
Arrow Heights Baptist Church
Grace Community Church (Susan Heck’s church)

Chattanooga- First Baptist Church

Jenks- Jenks Bible Church

Mustang- First Baptist Church

Oklahoma City- Mission Bible Church

Owasso- Bible Church of Owasso

Tulsa-
Christ Reformed Church
Grace Bible Church
Grace Community Church

Oregon

Albany/Tangent- Grace Bible Fellowship

Beaverton-
Beaverton Grace Bible Church
Southwest Bible Church
Southwest Hills Baptist Church

Bend- Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church

Enterprise- First Baptist Church

Hermiston- Victory Baptist Church

Hood River- Faith Bible Church

Klamath Falls- Immanuel Baptist Church

Lebanon- Cornerstone Bible Church

Medford- Redeemer Bible Fellowship

Mt. Angel- Mount Angel Bible Church

Oswego- Lake Bible Church

Portland-
Bethany Baptist Church
Hinson Baptist Church
Sauvie Island Community Church

Salem-
Sunnyslope Christian Reformed Church

Pennsylvania

Ambler- Cornerstone Presbyterian Church

Annville- GraceLife Church

Brogue- Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Carnegie- Bible Baptist Church

Chicora– St. John’s Reformed Church

Clearfield- First Baptist Church

Downington- East Brandywine Baptist Church

Harrisburg- Grace Bible Fellowship Church

Harrison City- New Life Presbyterian Church

Larksville- High Point Baptist Church

Lebanon- Lebanon Bible Fellowship Church

Mohnton- CrossWay Church

Telford- Reformed Baptist Church of Franconia

Transfer- Lakeside Evangelical Congregational Church

Uwchland- Windsor Baptist Church

Rhode Island

Bristol- Mount Hope Church

North Providence- Grace Community Baptist Church

South Carolina

Beaufort- Community Bible Church

Charleston- Grace on the Ashley Baptist Church

Greenville- Faith Free Presbyterian Church

John’s Island- New Life Fellowship

Lexington- Grace Bible Church

Mount Pleasant- Christ Church Presbyterian

Myrtle Beach- Calvary Bible Church

Simpsonville-
Temple Baptist Church
Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church

Spartanburg- Trinity Presbyterian Church

South Dakota

Canton- Solid Rock Bible Church

Chamberlain- St. Olaf Lutheran Church

Hartford- Central Valley Community Church

Sioux Falls- First Evangelical Free Church

Spearfish- Faith Bible Church

Tennessee

Arlington- Macon Road Baptist Church

Bartlett/Arlington- Providence Baptist Church

Bartlett- Redemption Community Church

Bristol- Liberty Baptist Church

Chapel Hill- Smyrna Baptist Church

Cookeville- Midway Baptist Church

Eads- Crossroads Baptist Church

Jackson- Pleasant Plains Baptist Church

Joelton- Calvary Bible Church

Johnson City-
Grace Gospel Church
North Johnson City Baptist Church

Kingsport- Bridwell Heights Presbyterian Church

Knoxville-
His People Church
Hope Church

Lawrenceburg- New Prospect Baptist Church

Lebanon- The Journey Church

Lookout Mountain- Christ Reformed Baptist Church

Loretto- Liberty Grove Baptist Church

Maryville- Grace Community Church

Murfreesboro- Trinity Presbyterian Church

Munford- Cornerstone Community Church

Powell- First Baptist Church

Sevierville- Smoky Mountain Bible Church

Smyrna- Grace Christian Assembly

Spring Hill- Community Baptist Church

Texas

Austin-
Dayspring Fellowship
High Pointe Baptist Church
South Austin Presbyterian Church

Belton- Tapestry Community Church

Boerne- Grace Bible Church

Bryan-
Emmanuel Baptist Church
Redeemer Baptist Church

Clifton- Zion United Church at Womack

College Station- New Life Baptist Church

Copperas Cove- Watershed Church

Corpus Christi- Corpus Christi Community Church

Cypress- Harvest Bible Church

Dallas- Trinity Bible Church

Denton-
Denton Bible Church
The Church at Pecan Creek

Diana- First Baptist Church

Duncanville- Faith Baptist Church

Elgin- Grace Community Baptist Church

Forney- Grace Reformed Baptist Church of East Texas

Fort Worth-
Christ Fellowship Bible Church
Glenview Church

Frisco-
Heritage Grace Church
The Parks Church

Garland- New Liberty Baptist Church

Georgetown- Grace Community Fellowship

Harlingen- Covenant Presbyterian Church

Houston-
Bridgepoint Bible Church
Christ Community Church
Copperfield Bible Church
Faith Memorial Baptist Church
First Lutheran Church
Grace Family Baptist Church
Harvest Bible Chapel

Kerrville- Kerrville Bible Church

Lindale- First Baptist Church (Tom Buck, Gabe Hughes, pastors)

Longview- Faith Baptist Church

Lubbock-
Fellowship Church
First Baptist Church Roosevelt

Lufkin- Keltys First Baptist Church

Marble Falls- Providence Reformed Baptist Church

Mauriceville- First Baptist Church

McKinney- The Parkway Church

Mesquite- Lake Ridge Bible Church

Nederland- Hillcrest Baptist Church

New Braunfels- First Baptist Church

Palestine- Westwood Baptist Church

Pasadena- Providence Baptist Church

Pflugerville- Providence Presbyterian Church

Plano- Cornerstone Church

Richland Hills- Reformed Baptist Church of Fort Worth

San Angelo- College Hills Baptist Church

San Antonio-
Believers Fellowship
Crossway Bible Church
Grace Community Church

Southlake- Countryside Bible Church (Tom Pennington, pastor. Master’s Seminary extension center on campus.)

Spring- Founders Baptist Church

Stephenville-
Rocky Point Baptist
Shiloh Church

Sugar Land- Sugar Land Bible Church

Tyler- New Harmony Baptist Church

Van- Grace Baptist Church

Watauga- 116 Bible Church

Weatherford- Weatherford Presbyterian Church

Willis- Grace Covenant Baptist Church

Wylie- Cornerstone Baptist Church

Utah

Draper- Corner Canyon Church

Ogden- Refuge Church

Roy- Roy Bible Church

Salt Lake City-
Christ Presbyterian Church
Evangelical Free Church of Salt Lake City

West Jordan- Jordan Valley Church

Vermont

Middletown Springs- Middletown Springs Community Church

Rutland-
Green Mountain Baptist Church
Redemption Church Rutland

Virginia

Broadway- Broadway Baptist Church

Chesapeake-
Grace Community Church
Redemption Church
South Norfolk Congregational Christian Church

Culpeper- Providence Bible Church

Fredericksburg-
Christ Fellowship Bible Church
Trinity Bible Church

Hampton- Reformation Christian Fellowship

Harrisonburg- Providence Baptist Church

Haymarket- Piedmont Bible Church

Lynchburg-
Grace Assembly
Redeeming Grace Baptist Church
Timberlake Baptist Church

Midlothia- Grace Bible Church

Norfolk- Trinity Presbyterian

Purcellville- Loudoun Valley Baptist Church

Radford- Christ Church (Anthony Mathenia, pastor; Paul Washer’s church)

Springfield- Immanuel Bible Church

Stafford- Pillar Church

Sterling- Cascades Bible Church

Suffolk- Westminster Reformed Presbyterian

Virginia Beach-
Colonial Baptist Church
Grace Covenant Church
Green Run Baptist Church

Warrington- Covenant Reformed Baptist Church

Williamsburg- Grace Church

Winchester- Blue Ridge Grace Brethren Church

Washington

Battle Ground- Cornerstone Baptist Church

Bremerton-
Calvary Baptist Church
Faith Community Bible Church

Carnation- Snoqualmie Valley Bible Church

Federal Way- Christ’s Church

Kent- Eastridge Baptist Church

Keyport- Keyport Bible Church

Lynnwood- New Beginnings Church

Monroe- Grace Reformed Baptist Church

Morton- Morton Community Bible Church

Olympia- Littlerock Community Fellowship

Port Orchard- Calvary Church

Puyallup- Edgewood Bible Church

Spokane- Faith Bible Church

Spokane Valley- Dishman Baptist Church

Stanwood- Emmaus Road Church

Veradale- Valley Bible Church

Yakima- Sun Valley Church

Washington D.C.

West Virginia

Bluefield- Covenant Reformed Baptist Church

Wellsburg- First Baptist Church

Wisconsin

Franklin- Cornerstone Bible Church

Nashotah- Lake Country Bible Church

Pound- First Baptist Church

Richland Center- Grace Life Church of Richland Center

Sheboygan- Immanuel Bible Church

Wisconsin Dells- Rock of Hope Church

Wisconsin Rapids- Liberty Bible Church

Wyoming

Casper- Sovereign Grace Church

Cody- Redeeming Grace Church

Jackson Hole- Cornerstone Church

Laramie- Laramie Faith Community Church

Pinedale- Grace Life Church

Powell- Trinity Bible Church

Thayne- Emmanuel Bible Church of Star Valley

Worland- Sovereign Grace Bible Church

Outside The United States

Africa

Sola 5 Member Churches– Churches in various locations across Africa

Kenya

Nairobi– Emmanuel Baptist Church

Asia

Hong Kong

Admiralty- Ambassador International Church

Japan

Central Baptist Church

Kuwait

Bible Believers’ Baptist Church (contact church for specific location)

Philippines

Paranaque City, Moonwalk- Moonwalk Community Bible Church

Pasig City- Greenhills Christian Fellowship

Quezon City- Cubao Reformed Baptist Church

Other Areas- Churches recommended by Cubao RBC (above)

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Dubai-
Covenant Hope Church
Redeemer Church
United Christian Church

Australia

Keysborough:
Dingley- Village Church

South Australia:
Modbury/Clovercrest- New Community Church

FIEC- Please also see the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches. There are several member churches throughout Australia.

Europe

Germany

Munich- Munich International Community Church (English speaking, international church)

Ireland

Carrigaline- Carrigaline Baptist Church

Dublin- Grosvenor Road Baptist Church

Norway

Stavanger- First Presbyterian Church of Norway

United Kingdom

FIEC- Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches. Nearly 600 member churches in the UK. Includes church search engine.

London-
Enfield Town Community Church
Gracelife London

North Yorkshire:
Blossomgate/Ripon- Zion Evangelical Baptist Church

Oxfordshire:
East Hanney- Hanney Chapel

Suffolk- Wattisham Chapel

North America

Canada

Alberta:
Calgary-
Calvary Grace Church
Fairview Baptist Church

Edmonton-
Grace Life Church
Meadowlands Baptist Church

Lethbridge- Lakeview Bible Church

Medicine Hat-
Evangelical Free Church of Medicine Hat
Grace Family Reformed Baptist Church

British Columbia:
Coldstream- Lavington Church
Mission- Sovereign Grace Baptist Church
North Vancouver- Westlynn Baptist Church

Manitoba:
Brandon- Faith Fellowship Baptist Church

Ontario:
Cambridge- Hespeler Baptist Church
Killaloe– Calvary Baptist Church
Quinte/Madoc- Madoc Baptist Church
Toronto- Grace Fellowship Church
Walsh- Walsh Baptist Church
Waterloo- Trinity Bible Chapel

Saskatchewan:
Saskatoon- Fellowship Baptist Church
Weyburn- Gospel of Grace Fellowship

Canadian & American Reformed Churches

Mexico

Baja California:

Mexicali- Gracia y Paz Iglesia Cristiana

South America

Mailbag

The Mailbag: How do I move on after God says “no”?

May 22, 2017April 10, 2019 Michelle Lesley

I loved your article, When God Says “No”. I have a question though: At what point do you move on from the hope or desire? I’m a single mother and feel that I will always have a natural desire for a spouse and I will always desire that for my young children, but the Lord has not provided this for me. At what point do you stop asking for the thing, weep deeply over the life you hoped would be, and move forward?

A dear reader asked this in the comments section of my article When God Says No, and I wanted to share my answer to her here on The Mailbag, because I think it’s something a lot of us struggle with.

When God seems to be saying no to a desire, I think there’s a sense in which moving forward is something you do over and over again every day until or unless God takes that desire away. Taking life “one day at a time” sounds cliché, but if you’ll look at the way Jesus teaches, that’s very much the mindset He wants us to have.

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus instructs us to ask for daily bread. This is an echo of the manna God provided in the wilderness on a daily basis. Later in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us not to be anxious for the things we don’t have and not to worry about the future. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” He says.

Those passages are hard for me because I’m a planner, and I don’t like surprises. I like to have everything mapped out and know in advance what’s going to happen so I can feel secure. But I’ve found that when I’m secure and everything is going well and I don’t really have any problems or unfulfilled desires, I tend to pray less. Depend on God less. Need Him less. And God knows that, more than anything we might desire, what we really need is to need Him. So God does the “daily” thing. God likes for us to get up every day and depend on Him for that day.

So I think what you – what all of us – need to do is get up tomorrow morning, spend time with the Lord, and ask Him to help us honor and glorify Him through our words, actions, decisions, etc., that day. Then, we get up the next day and the next and the next, and do the same thing. We put our hope in the Lord Himself, not in what He might or might not do in our lives, and we simply seek to walk with Him and be obedient to Him day by day.

If it would be something that would help you – sort of a “memorial stone” type of thing – you can set aside some time, maybe even in a special place, to hash everything out with the Lord about your situation. Pour out your heart to Him in prayer, cry, repent of anything you might need to repent of, study some applicable Scripture, commit your heart to trust Him, and, as the old gospel song says, “take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.” In the future, if you start feeling sad or frustrated with God about not having a husband, you can look back on that time as a reminder that you committed to trust God and leave this issue with Him.

Finally, (and I know this might sound silly, but I have to remind myself of this all the time) remember that God’s provision isn’t dependent on our prayers. He truly does know what we need before we ask. In other words, you could stop praying for a husband right this minute and never pray about it again and God is not going to forget that that’s what you want, or move it to a lower priority level on His prayer-answering list, or punish you by denying you a husband simply because you stopped praying about it. There are things God blesses us with that we’ve never spent a moment praying for. There are things we stop praying for that God finally gives us years later. And there are things we pray constantly for that God says “no” about. God is going to do what is best for you and what brings Him the most glory, and that doesn’t hinge on whether you pray about that specific thing every day or not. The purpose of prayer is not to get God to do what we want Him to do. The purpose of prayer is to get us on the same page He’s on- so that we want what He wants.

It can be really difficult and sad when God doesn’t grant our desires, especially when we know they don’t conflict with Scripture, but the blessing is that God can use these circumstances to increase our dependence on Him and conform our desires to His own.

If you have a question about: a Bible passage, an aspect of theology, a current issue in Christianity, or how to biblically handle a family, life, or church situation, comment below (I’ll hold all questions in queue {unpublished} for a future edition of The Mailbag) or send me an e-mail or private message. If your question is chosen for publication, your anonymity will be protected.

Obedience, Sanctification

When God Says No

May 19, 2017April 10, 2019 Michelle Lesley

When I was sixteen years old, I was convinced God was calling me to be the next Sandi Patty…I wanted God to use me- to put me on a stage every night in front of thousands of people so I could sing to them about Him…Somehow, it never occurred to me to care what God thought about all this or what He might want to do in my life. If I thought about it at all, I just assumed He was on board with my plans. Like, how could He not be, right?¹

There’s much ado about dreaming big dreams for God in modern evangelicalism. Think of the biggest thing you want to do for God and then “step out on faith” and make it happen. Sometimes we’re even told God is offended if our dreams aren’t big enough. It means we don’t have enough faith. It means we don’t believe God – or love Him – enough.

Or does it?

If you study through the books of 1 and 2 Samuel, you’re going to get to know Saul and David pretty well. And as you observe and compare their words, their behavior, and their interactions with God, a major theme that jumps out is obedience to God’s word versus doing what’s right in your own eyes.

Saul was an “I did it my way,” kind of guy. Time and again, he looked out for number one. Tried to build up his own kingdom. Did what he thought was best.

In 1 Samuel 15, God told Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites. Everything. Every living creature and all their stuff. All means all.

But Saul had big dreams. So, he destroyed all the worthless stuff and all the people, but he saved the king and all the valuables. He disobeyed God’s clear word in favor of what he wanted to do.

Here’s the interesting part, though. When Samuel showed up and said, “Why did you disobey the Lord?” Saul said, not once, but twice, “I did obey the Lord.”

Why? Because Saul was going to offer some of those sheep he spared in a grand and showy sacrifice to the Lord. He was going to “do great things for God” and, in his mind, that was far better and more glorious than simple obedience to God’s explicit command.

By contrast, God says David was “a man after my heart, who will do all my will.” David sought the Lord and obeyed His words.

But David had a dream, too. He loved God deeply and wanted to do something big to honor Him.

“See now, I dwell in a house of cedar,” David said, “but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” David wanted to build a grand and glorious house for God.

It was a good dream. A dream that stemmed from godly motives. A dream that was, in reality, part of God’s plan.

But God said, “No.” Because it wasn’t God’s plan for David.

Sometimes there are things we want to do for God in life or in ministry because our hearts are fairly bursting with love for Him. Nothing small or insignificant will suffice – we want to do great things for Him because He has done so many great things for us.

Can I just tell you – that heart is what is most precious to God, not whatever it is you can dream up to do for Him. Every parent who’s ever received a clay ashtray or a bedraggled dandelion from her five year old knows this. We love the heart of our child who wants to show her love for us, even if the gift itself isn’t quite right.

And just like you would have to tell your five year old no if she wanted to demonstrate her love for you by having the family skip church on Sunday so she could cook you a four course brunch, God sometimes has to say no to the things we want to do for Him because those things – even though motivated by love for Him – conflict with His word, are out of sync with His timing, or aren’t His specific plan for us, personally.

It might be your heart’s deepest desire to serve God as the perfect Proverbs 31 wife…and God says no by declining to provide you with a husband. Maybe it’s always been your dream to raise a house full of children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord…and God says no by preventing you from bearing or adopting children. “I’ve always loved to tell people about Jesus,” you think, “Surely He’s calling me to be a pastor.”…and God says no in His word because that’s not His plan for Christian women.

God said no to David, too. It wasn’t the right time. It didn’t fit with what God was trying to accomplish in Israel at that moment. And David wasn’t the right man for the job. God had other things He wanted David to do.

How did David respond when God said no? Did he push forward with his own plans and build the temple anyway? Spend the rest of his life sulking or angry at God? Turn away from God all together?

No. David responded with humility that God would use him in any way, joy over God’s love and blessings, and thanksgiving for God’s plans and promises.

That’s what a heart that truly loves God does. It obeys Him. It finds joy in any task He might bring our way. It is thankful and humbled that God takes any notice of us whatsoever and lavishes His grace and mercy upon us by allowing us to do what He wants us to do.

God didn’t allow David to build the temple. God didn’t allow me to become a top Christian recording artist. Maybe there’s something God isn’t allowing you to do. Will you joyfully obey Him in the things He does have planned for you? Will you be thankful and humbled that He desires to use you as part of His good plans and purposes even if those plans and purposes don’t match your own?

May we all follow David’s example – and the Greater David’s example – by saying, meaning, and living out, “Not my will but Thy will be done,” even when God says no.

Additional Resources:

How do I move on after God says “no”?

Ministry, Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday ~ Used by God

May 18, 2017May 17, 2017 Michelle Lesley

Originally published April 9, 2015

When I was sixteen years old, I was convinced God was calling me to be the next Sandi Patty (if you’re under 40, she was the Kari Jobe of my day). I had been singing solos and in church choirs since I was in the second grade. I was taking professional voice lessons and spent my first year of college as a vocal performance major. Not to toot my own horn here, but, while I’m not the greatest singer in the world, certainly not even in the top 10 or 20 percent, I’m also not one of those people you see during the audition rounds of American Idol who makes you want to conduct a nationwide manhunt for every person who ever lied to this poor soul and told her she could sing just so you can beat all of them senseless with a pitch pipe.

But anyway…

I had a modicum of talent and I wanted to put it to work doing “great things for the Lord.” I wanted God to use me- to put me on a stage every night in front of thousands of people so I could sing to them about Him.

Paragon of adolescent spiritual maturity that I was, it somehow never occurred to me to care what God thought about all this or what He might want to do in my life. If I thought about it at all, I just assumed He was on board with my plans. Like, how could He not be, right?

Because even in my day, that was the subtle message that was coming from the pulpit (and Christian media) and landing in the pew: If you really love Jesus and prove it by walking faithfully with Him, He’s going to use you to do some big, fat, hairy thing for Him. You’ll be the next David or Esther or Paul or Mary, and your name will go down in history just like theirs did. You’ll be famous, dahling.

Only I’m not really sure where Christian preachers, authors, and entertainers got this idea, because it sure as heck isn’t in the Bible.

The Bible knows nothing of the idea that we can behave our way into getting God to “use” us in some big way. Quite the opposite, in fact. Take a look at some of the “big names” in the Bible and what they were up to when God drafted them.

Noah- just a godly guy trying to survive a sin sick world

Moses- on the lam for murder and hanging out in the desert with a bunch of sheep

Paul- Christian-killer

David- more sheep

Gideon- just trying to feed his family

Peter- gone fishin’

Abraham- even more sheep

Were some of these guys walking faithfully with the Lord? Absolutely. But they were walking faithfully simply because they loved the Lord and desired to please Him, not with the goal of getting God to do some big thing in their lives. In fact, most of them were downright shocked when God showed up and revealed His plans for them.

And have you ever noticed that God doesn’t just use “good guys,” or guys who eventually become “good guys”? Ever read the story of Samson? Going strictly by his words and behavior mentioned in Judges 14-16, the dude comes off as a self-centered, slobbering ball of lust with anger management issues. Yet, knowing all about him before he was even born, God said He would use Samson to “…begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” (Judges 13:5)

And what about Pharaoh? In Exodus 9:16, God says to Pharaoh, “But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” The plagues…the parting of the Red Sea…I’d say God used Pharoah for His glory in a pretty big way.

God can use anybody He wants for any purpose He wants, and He’s not at the mercy of their behavior in doing so.

What do we mean when we say we want to be “used by God,” anyway? I think what we often have in mind is something awesome, something grandiose. Something that will bring us fame, fortune, and glory. I’ve never heard someone say she wanted God to use her for His glory like God used Job.

Or, for that matter, Jesus.

The greatest event in the universe, the one that brought God more glory than any other phenomenon in the history of ever, was also the most excruciating moment of sorrow and suffering eternity has ever known: the crucifixion of Christ for our sin.

When we say we want God to use us, we want the stupendous, not the suffering. The crown, not the cross. Yet it is often in suffering that God is most glorified. So, just whose glory is it we’re seeking, again?

If you live your life clamoring after God to make you an Esther or a Paul, or a Sandi Patty or a Billy Graham, you are almost certainly going to be disappointed. And not just because there are only a handful of “big name” God-followers out there compared to the nameless millions who have followed Him faithfully in obscurity, but because being used by God in some big, ostentatious way is not what He calls us to clamor after.

When you stand in front of God on the Day of Judgment, He’s not going to say, “Well done. You did some phenomenal things for Me that people are still talking about!” He’s going to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Faithful servants aren’t out to change the world, they just obey. They go where they’re told to go. They do what they’re told to do. And they do it to honor their masters.

For servants of Christ, most of the time that means getting up every day and doing the same humble tasks over and over for a lifetime: cooking meals, going to work, changing diapers, serving the church, cleaning the house. You know, servant stuff, all done to the glory of God. This is what God calls us to.

God doesn’t call us to seek to be used, He calls us to seek to be faithful.

“So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty’.” Luke 17:10

The famous people mentioned in this article are mentioned for frame of reference purposes only – because they are recognizable names with large platforms in evangelicalism – not because I’m recommending you follow them. I am aware of the biblical issues with each of them.

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AT SATISFACTION THROUGH CHRIST.