Posts Tagged witness

The Armor of God – Ephesians 6:10-17

Aug 25

Posted by Big Island BC Admin in Pastor Bryon, Sermons | No Comments

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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Reflexions – 1.22.09

Jan 23

Posted by Big Island BC Admin in Pastor Bryon | No Comments

REFLEXIONS 1.22.09

Friends,
Happy New Year! It seems that 2009 is already moving quite fast. And this past week has certainly been historical. I know that most everyone witnessed the inauguration of Barack Obama as our new president. I caught most of it either on tv or radio. It was hard not to be proud of our country. I was particularly interested in hearing Rick Warren’s invocation prayer.
There was controversy leading up to his prayer because some of his stated views did not match up Obama’s. Many felt that he should not have been asked at all, while some thought it was Obama’s way of reaching out to the evangelical community. As I listened to his prayer, there were a couple of things that touched me:

1. It was authentic. I thought it truly reflected Warren and his faith. I would expect a rabbi to do a Jewish prayer, for example. I think it is unreasonable to ask a Christian pastor to do a prayer that does not acknowledge Christ. When I am asked to do weddings, I tell the couple that I will do what I feel reflects a Christian wedding. Makes sense to me.

2. It didn’t assume faith upon everyone. When Warren referred to Christ, he described Him as “the one who changed my life.” I believe that Christ has the power to change everyone’s life, but only if they accept it. I thought Warren’s words here were very well done.

3. As much as it did not assume anything upon anyone, it was also very inclusive. When Warren started saying the Lord’s Prayer, I immediately wondered how many people in that crowd were saying it with him. Yes, the US is a very diverse country, but the overwhelming majority still claims Christianity as their faith. I thought this was an excellent way of drawing many in the crowd into the moment.

I’m sure there is more, but these were some of my thoughts. How about you? What surprised/impressed you the most at the inauguration?
I do feel we need to be sensitive to others in how we project our faith. But being sensitive does not mean that we compromise who we are and what we believe. Romans 1.16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” (NIV) Never compromise your beliefs and your faith!
Hope to see you Sunday!

Blessings
Pastor Bryon

Special Note: Our church website officially has podcasts now. You will be able to download my sermons within 24 hours of worship each week. In addition, you can find a recording of Chris Brown, Curtis Goff, Bob Brooke, Evelyn Goff, and Susan Brown singing Because He Lives and Victory in Jesus from a few weeks ago. Awesome track! Each of these will be a .mp3 file. Email me if you have any questions.

–
Rev. Bryon LePere
Pastor
Big Island Baptist Church
434.610.6125
pastorbryon@gmail.com

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