Archive for category Pastor Bryon

Generation to Generation – Matthew 1:1-17

Sep 13

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Friends,

Today is Grandparents Day, and as I considered this I looked at Jesus’ family tree.  As I looked at the story that is written within Christ’s lineage, I noticed that it was not a story of perfection, but a story of faith and perseverance.

We need our grandparents/seniors today as much as ever.  We need them to teach us about prayer, about tithing, about marriage, and about faithfulness in general.

I hope this message blesses you, and I hope you’ll take time to call your grandparents (or another significant senior in your life) and tell them how much you love and appreciate them!

You can listen to the message here:  Generation to Generation – Rev. Bryon LePere

Scriptures referenced:

  • Matthew 1:1-17
  • 2 Timothy 1:5
  • 1 Kings 16:30
  • 2 Timothy 4:6-8
  • Deuteronomy 6:4-7

Reflexions 9.7.09

Sep 7

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Probably everyone reading this has been stung by a bee before.  Well, just a few days ago, as I was working in the backyard one got me…a yellow jacket…on the underneath of my arm.  Ouch!  Only one got me, but for those next few minutes it was hard to concentrate on anything else.

Know what I mean?  Thankfully, I’m not allergic to them, but still I was nursing my wound for a while.  By the time I went to bed, it was still irritating me.  The next day, it was an annoyance that itched a little.  On the second day, I could tell it was there, but only a couple of times.  Finally, today I can’t feel it at all.  The pain is gone, the itch is gone, the annoyance is gone.

As I was thinking about this, I was reminded of how we deal with being hurt by other people.  When someone wrongs you, hurts you, or sins against you, how does it feel?  How do you deal with it?  How long does the hurt linger?

Hebrews 12:14-15 reads, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy…See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

When someone hurts us, we should seek for it to be like a bee sting.  It may hurt initially, but within a short period of time, the pain should leave and eventually it should stop bothering us all together.  This happens best when we speak openly and honestly with the person who has hurt us, and we resolve the issue (Matthew 18).

I realize there are some pains out there that are harsher than others.  But let’s be honest, how often do we let a little hurt go a long way?  If we hold on to these things, they become a bitter root that grows and affects too much of our daily life.

I see too many relationships today being hurt by what I would call little things.  Sure, they hurt a lot at first in that moment, but in the big picture, how big of an issue is it?  Unfortunately, too many of our marriages, friendships, etc. are letting bitter roots grow and choke out the love that should be growing.

I’m over my bee sting, just a few days later.  What kind of stings are you holding on to that you need to let go of?  Why not start today?

Forgiveness – Matthew 26:26-29

Sep 6

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Friends,

Forgiveness is such a precious word in our world today.  All of us will need to receive it and offer it at some point in our lives.  And it is essential to our spiritual growth.  The more I read in scripture and experience in life the more I see the need for grace and forgiveness to permeate our lives.

As I considered forgiveness in my own life and read the story of the Last Supper with Jesus and His disciples I was led to think about how personal this time was for them.  It is so easy in our world today to point fingers and look for the sin/wrong in others around us.  One of the true challenges and tests of our faith is to look inward and examine our own lives in relationship to God rather than focus on others.  What a world it could be if we only looked for the good in others!

As you listen, I hope Jesus and His grace and His forgiveness will become more personal for you.

You can listen to the sermon here:  Forgiveness – Rev. Bryon LePere

Scriptures Referenced:

  • Matthew 26:26-29
  • Isaiah 53:5
  • Hebrews 9:22
  • Joel 2:32
  • 1 John1:9
  • Matthew 7:1
  • John 8:7
  • Psalm 51:3
  • Luke 18:13

Tending the Father’s Sheep – 1 Samuel 17:15

Aug 30

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Friends,

What a beautiful day in the Father’s House today!  God has blessed us tremendously with our new deacons for the upcoming year.  Pray for Jerry, Joses, and Lynn as they begin this new chapter in their lives.

In this one verse, 1 Samuel 17:15, we read that David is tending his father’s sheep, while still going back and forth to Saul and knowing that he has been anointed to be king.  My focus from this chapter was on the interesting thing that in between his anointing and kingship, David was humble and still dedicated to the work he was supposed to do.  Similarly, Jesus Christ kept about His work for His Father in between His anointing and His ascension into Heaven.

Being anointed and called is not something meant to just give us status, but instead in the church it should be something that leads us to be humbled and seek to serve where God puts us.  Both David and Jesus sought not to be served, but to serve others.  We all, like our deacons, should seek to do likewise.

You can listen to or download the sermon here:  Tending the Father’s Sheep – Rev. Bryon LePere

Scriptures Referenced:

  • 1 Samuel 17:15
  • 1 Samuel 16:13
  • 2 Samuel
  • Luke 4:21
  • Mark 1:9-11
  • John 4:24
  • Matthew 5:17
  • 1 Timothy 3:8

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The Armor of God – Ephesians 6:10-17

Aug 25

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Friends,

Summer has certainly got the best of my schedule, so I apologize for the lack of posts.  But, I’m back, and let’s go from here!

Sunday was another great day to be in the house of God.  As the summer winded down, we were able to celebrate some of the great things God has done in our children’s ministry.

This summer we studied the passage about the full armor of God found in Ephesians.  My hope was not only that they would learn the scripture, but that it would find daily application for their lives as well.  One of the challenges for Christians today, in my opinion, is for us to live out the faith and doctrine that we profess.

The belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, and the others mean nothing if we do not let the light of Christ shine thru how we live these things out.  I hope that as you listen to this message, you will be challenged to consider your faith and witness.

You can listen to my message here:  The Armor of God – Rev. Bryon LePere

Scriptures Referenced:

  • Ephesians 6:10-17
  • John 14:6
  • 1 John 3:7
  • Romans 1:16
  • Hebrews 11:1
  • 2 Corinthians 7:10
  • Matthew 7:1
  • 1 Samuel 19:4

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Stumbling Blocks – Malachi 2:1-9

May 18

Posted by Big Island BC Admin in Pastor Bryon, Sermons | 1 Comment

Friends,

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!  As the rains moved out yesterday we have been blessed with some incredible weather for the week.  I hope you have an opportunity to be out and enjoy it.

Yesterday we continued our walk through Malachi.  This passage, 2:1-9, is a challenge to the priests (and I believe to all of us) to consider where out heart is when it comes to worship and our offerings towards God.  In addition, it is a challenge to watch how we handle the Word of God and specifically the teachings that are contained within.

Finally, I believe the strongest challenge within this passage for all of us is to watch how we administer and live out the commandments of God.  Just as God shows no partiality in His love/judgment towards us, we should not show any partiality in how we express love and Christ-like accountability towards our neighbors.  Too often, I believe we over emphasize the sins of some without recognizing that all sin is sin and all of it is displeasing to God.

Let us never forget that the love and grace offered to us by God through Jesus Christ is available in full to everyone, and that God gives full and equal opportunity to all to take possession of that incredible gift.  And, in the light of that, let us live that out by living out grace to all of our neighbors.

Download and listen to the sermon here:  Stumbling Blocks – Rev. Bryon LePere

Scriptures Referenced:

  • Malachi 2:1-9
  • Romans 10:14-15
  • 2 Corinthians 5:20
  • Luke 17:1-4
  • Galatians 6:1ff
  • James 5:19-20
  • Galatians 3:26-29
  • Matthew 20:1-16

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Leftovers, Part 1 – Malachi 1:6-14

May 12

Posted by Big Island BC Admin in Pastor Bryon, Sermons | 1 Comment

Friends,

Another great day to be in the House of the Lord!  Mother’s Day is always a special time of worship and a reminder to me of just how blessed we are in our congregation.

As we continue our walk through Malachi, we come to the 2nd sermon in the series.  This passage really challenged me to think not only about what I am bringing as an offering to God, but the quality of what I am bringing.  Originally written to the priests in the Israelite community, I believe this passage speaks to us all.

Malachi 1:14 in particular really hit me hard.  How often in our relationships (marriage, parenthood, etc.) do we make a commitment, only to fall short too quickly?  What about in our school work, job, community organizations?  Too often, I believe, we commit our best, and we truly desire to give our all; but in the end, sometimes all we can offer is our leftovers.  Our leftover time, leftover energy, leftover resources, leftover money.

There are some powerful questions raised by this passage:  What kind of offering are you bringing to God?  Is it your best?  Or is He only getting your leftovers?  What are you doing to make God’s name great among the community?

Anyway, take a listen…your thoughts?

You can download the sermon here:  Leftovers, Part 1 – Rev. Bryon LePere

Scriptures Referenced:

  • Malachi 1:6-14
  • Leviticus 22:17-22, Deuteronomy 15:21
  • Numbers 30:2
  • Matthew 5:33-37
  • 1 Peter 1:19

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Blinders – Malachi 1:1-5

May 3

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Friends,

What a blessing this morning to be in worship!  We had a mother and daughter to come forward and make professions of faith!  God is so good!

This morning I began a sermon series on the book of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, and the last word from God before John the Baptist comes on the scene in the Gospels.  This was a troubling time for the Israelites.  They were back in the promised land, but not much was going as promised.  They had little land, little power, many enemies, and no Messiah.

They were discouraged; and feelings of doubt, fear, and depression were setting in.  How often do we focus too much on the negative things in our life at the expense of the many, many blessings that God provides for us?  I liken this to horse races, where often they put blinders on horses so they can focus on nothing else than the race ahead.  We, too, put blinders on, but too often they are to focus on the negative instead of looking at the world wide eyed and seeing all the many areas where God is blessing us.

God does not abandon us, but too often we abandon Him, as Esau did in Genesis and referenced here in Malachi.  His love is everlasting and all sufficient.   Are you trusting in that?  Is your faith built on that solid rock?

Big Island Baptist Church was built and grew on the backs of so many faithful Christians who were committed to the work of God in our fellowship and our community.  Now, we stand in their place, and God is calling us to stand up, and be the body of Christ that He has called us to be.  How will you and I respond?

Download and listen to the sermon here:  Blinders by Rev. Bryon LePere

Scriptures Referenced:

  • Malachi 1:1-5
  • Zechariah 9:1, 12:1
  • Deuteronomy 7:8, Jeremiah 31:3, Psalm 136, John 3:16
  • Matthew 6:25ff
  • Deuteronomy 7:8-11
  • Acts 15:5-11, Romans 1:16, 10:12
  • Psalm 91:8-16
  • Hebrews 12:1-2

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Reflexions 5.2.09

May 2

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Friends,

Last Sunday was Women’s Day in our worship service.  For me, that meant sitting in the congregation until the end of the service for the invitation.  And best I could, I just sat there and didn’t worry about anything with the service, I just enjoyed it.  And for that I was extremely blessed.

One of the great things that the planners of the service did was to put some worship choruses into the service in between speakers.  We had 4 different speakers (Alice Nichols, Katie Wallace, Kaitlyn Plott, and Annie LePere) and instead of stacking them together or doing full hymns, we did these shorter songs.

Well, after Katie spoke, we sang “Alleluia”, a beautiful and simple little chorus.  The first verse is Alleluia repeated over and over, and then the second verse is “He is God’s Son” repeated several times.

Well, Mary was up in the choir with Annie, and Nathan had agreed to sit with dad during worship, so it was just me and him for this song.  The cool thing is – Nathan is starting to read and so he could actually read the all of the words to the second verse.  So there we were, me moving my finger along to track where we were, and Nathan and I singing together in worship.  I believe this was the first time we have ever been able to do that!

Now, let me tell you…we sounded terrible!  Neither of us has the best voice, and since Nathan was following me trying to follow the melody…well, it was sad.  But, hey, make a joyful noise, right?!  So there Nathan and I got to WORSHIP together, father and son.  What a tremendous blessing!

Many of you reading this may get to stand or sit next to your family in worship on a regular basis, but not me.  Sunday was truly awesome for me, and I am very thankful that we had the opportunity for this.  I am even more excited for the next chance to be next to Nathan and/or Mary when we can glorify God together.

This Sunday I’m beginning a sermon series based on Malachi.  The more I read this little book at the end of the Old Testament, the more amazed I am at how it speaks to our world today (and especially Big Island).  Hope to see you there!

Blessings,

Pastor Bryon

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REFLEXIONS 4-22-09

Apr 23

Posted by Big Island BC Admin in Pastor Bryon | 1 Comment

Friends,

As many of you know, the LePere family spent the better part of last week in Orlando, FL visiting Mickey Mouse and his friends.  After 33 ½ hours in the family truckster and covering 1800 miles, I’m happy to say we had a great week and are still getting along for the most part!

There are so many things I could share about our trip, but for this Reflexions I want to talk about Nathan buying a clock.  But not just any clock…he bought a genuine Disney Mickey Mouse clock for $12.95, with his own money I might add.

As we were unpacking, we opened up the box for the clock and set it up.  With the instructions there was also a paper with their one year limited warranty.  The instructions on the warranty tell you that if the clock ceases to work properly to send the clock, sales receipt, and a check to cover handling, postage, and insurance charges.  Check amount?  You guessed it…$12.95 (see previous paragraph).  Now, they tell you this is not a repair charge, and that they reserve the right to either refund or replace the clock.  Some warranty, right?  Send in the cost of the original, and we’ll replace it for you!

Thankfully, God does not work that way.

Because of the sin in our lives, we are broken.  Confronted by the righteous judgment of God, we are fractured individuals, beaten and broken each time we disobey the commands of God.  Surely, if God wanted to, He could just discard and abandon us the first time we disobey Him and take His love and care from us and pass it on to someone else.  As the sovereign Lord, He could very easily replace us whenever we are broken beyond His tolerance level.

Thankfully, God does not work that way.

Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you and I are offered the opportunity to be repaired, renewed, reborn, and remade in the image of Christ.  Through Christ we may stand before God unblemished (Jude 24), washed in the blood of the Cross (Revelation 7:14), sanctified and cleansed through our Savior (Titus 3:5).  Instead of tossing us out and replacing us, God’s desire and grace is to redeem and repair His creation time and time again.

Do you get that?  In a world where the majority of our stuff is considered too easily disposable, God never throws out or discards those made in His own image.  Read the “Parable of the Prodigal Son” (Luke 15:11-32) or consider the thief on the cross (Luke 23:39-43).  Heck, just read the Gospels!  Time and time again, we see Jesus reach out to the discarded people of society and show them how through the power of faith they can be transformed and remade.

So what about you?  How are you broken?  Would God be justified in just tossing you out and starting over with someone else?  Ever felt like He should do that?

Thankfully, God does not work that way.

No, instead, He desires to repair you.  Time and time again…over and over…through the power of Christ in your life you can have your life put back together.  You may not feel like you are worth much, but to God…you are priceless.

See you soon!

Pastor Bryon

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