In my sermon this past Sunday, I borrowed a quote from Book III, Chapter 10 of C.S. Lewis’s masterpiece, Mere Christianity. This specific part of the book is one that deals directly with the Christian virtue we call hope. Lewis’s goal in this chapter was to compare hope – namely, hope in Heaven – to that of hope on earth. The two are similar yet can be confused in initiative. This is to say that often, the hopes that we hold onto in this world – peace, joy, contentment, satisfaction, etc. – are really things that we won’t entirely experience until we are Home in Heaven.
Now, this isn’t to say that we can enjoy these things now (or in Lewis’s words – that we can’t find hope in them). We should, and we must. But we should be aware that our senses are only designed to be aroused by things that will never be fully understood until we are in Heaven. This, in Lewis’s mind, is the essence of hope. Hence the quote I used in my sermon: “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
Here’s the warning that Lewis goes on to explain: Some people will vainly seek hope in the things of the world. They will use pleasure, entertainment, power, money, etc. to give them a false sense of hope. Others will seek hope in themselves. They will try to control everything around them to make them feel hopeful. The problem with these two pursuits is that they disappoint. They cannot provide hope because they cannot last. They perish with the use and are limited in design, forever hardwired by a dying, decaying world.
But there is a third option for hope: Heaven. Lewis argues that many miss this option simply because they are too immersed in this world to consider the one to come; and if they do give Heaven any consideration, he says, it’s usually only in a superficial, superfluous way e.g. people simply want to see loved ones when they die, they want a mansion, etc. These “hopes” are deceitful because they are still rooted in this world. They fail to pierce the veil that exists between this world and the one to come.
For the Christian, then, hope in Heaven means they understand that the things of this world are simply metaphors, symbols, and antitypes of things to come; that desires, satisfaction, joy, etc. (all things that we can enjoy now) are simply meant to arouse an appetite for the real thing to come when we pass on the Glory, not become the “meal” itself. Thus, when we experience these things, we don’t find hope in them necessarily, we find hope in the fact that there is coming a time when all our desires, satisfactions, etc. will be fulfilled when we see Christ face to face.
Hope is knowing that the affairs of this world are simply experiences that prepare you for the next. They are not meant to anchor you to this life but to set you free in the one to come – the one filled the endless potential that Christ has afforded you in Heaven. When you consider this reflection of hope, your perspective changes from a temporary hope to an everlasting one.

Blessings,
Bro. Ben

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” -Mark 12: 30–31
 
Other than John 3:16, this is one the most quoted passages in all of scripture, but it is also one the most misconstrued.  

What I find fascinating is how frequently this verse is cited by nonbelievers, apostates, heretics, and progressive “Christians” who do not affirm the inerrancy of scripture. These individuals (including progressive politicians trying to win the Christian vote) will quote this verse and somehow conclude that one must affirm sexual sin and the mutilation of the pre-born and deny God’s design for gender. In other words, people will suggest: “Jesus says to love your neighbor, therefore you must affirm my views.”
 
Why is this? Why do individuals who discard the rest of scripture and deny its reliability still hold on to this one particular passage?
 
The answer is simple, really: people have a wrong definition of “love.” This, in turn, leads to a wrong understanding of what it means to love God and neighbor.  
 
Loving God
In John 14:23-24, Jesus says, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.”
 
We also know that Jesus came not to abolish or remove the law, but to fulfill it (Matt. 5:17-18), meaning that, although the ceremonial laws have been completed in Christ, the same moral principles still apply to us- including those on adultery, idolatry, murder, greed, etc.  

As Southern Baptists, we believe in the inerrancy of scripture. We confess this in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000:  
“The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy.”  

The BF&M then cites 25 different passages in the Old and New Testaments to affirm this stance. In short, If we love Jesus, we will obey the entire Word of God, not just selected words of Jesus.
 
Loving Your Neighbor
In John 15:13, Jesus says that "greater love” means laying down one’s life “for his friends.”  
Usually, when we think of helping our neighbor, we think of a stranger in need- perhaps a homeless person. There is absolutely a time and place for that- after all, they need the gospel too.  

However, in an age where people bounce from church-to-church every time a congregation faces a rough season, Christians often neglect the fact that loving your neighbor includes loving the people you are in covenant with- your family and your church. Sometimes, that means sticking it out when the church faces a tough season. It means continuing to love and serve your family sacrificially, especially when you don’t feel like it. True love is self-sacrificial, not self-centered.

Compare that to the postmodern belief that love means letting people do whatever they want, no matter how harmful it is- all in the name of individual autonomy. We see this played our by the cliche, “My body, my choice.” What that really means is, “If you loved your neighbor, you would let them get abortions, no matter how harmful it is to the mother or the child.” Meanwhile, the Bible says that our bodies “are not our own” (1 Cor. 6:19) but that they belong to God and our spouses (1 Cor. 7:4).

Again: true love is self-sacrificial, not self-centered. Of course, the greatest example of this is the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, which is the whole point of John 15:13. Jesus loved God by being obedient to the point of death on a cross (Phil. 2:8), and He loved his neighbors (sinful humans) by atoning for their sins.

For the church, this is our hope. This is the self-sacrificial love that we get to partake in and show to others. Beloved saints, do not let anyone manipulate you into violating your conscience in the name of “loving your neighbor.” Instead, may we demonstrate the sacrificial love of Christ by giving ourselves up, keeping His words, and encouraging others to do so, no matter the cost!
- Bro. Casey

We all know the events that transpired in Genesis 11 with the Tower of Babel. This event occurred shortly after Noah and his family disembarked the Ark and were told to “be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth”. Eventually, Shem and his family settled in the middle/eastern portions of the world and became the Middle Eastern/Near East people groups. Ham and his family went south and filled the continent we know as Africa. And Japheth went north and west to settle in the lands we know as Europe.
But before any of this occurred, there was a short-lived rebellion against God. Led by a powerful leader named Nimrod (meaning “Rebel”), the people chose to defy God’s command and, instead, sought to “make a name for themselves” and build a temple “whose top could reach the heavens” (a metaphor for divine status). Their success garnered the Holy Trinity’s attention, and the Lord decided to go down and see what was going on. Alarmed by their progress, God intervened, confused their languages, and scattered them across the earth, lest “anything they propose to do be withheld from them”. God recognized that He had created human beings with near unlimited capability, and that His creation had chosen to use it for evil.
What Nimrod built that day was the foundation for a city named Babylon (which translates to “Confusion”). But more importantly, Nimrod laid the foundation for a kingdom that would defy God upon the earth. Babel represents the anti-God voice of defiance from those who reject God and His commands. It represents the unholy institutions that are erected for the sol purpose of making a name for mankind, building for humanity a kingdom who “top can reach the heavens”, and resisting God’s work on the earth; and for several millennia, God’s work to separate the people of the world through language barriers and geographic isolation has worked.
Now, let’s fast forward nearly 4,500 years to our modern day. Even though people have been separated for centuries, efforts have been made to bring humanity back together. A “Babel 2.0” is emerging through the pervasive English language, financial markets, and globalization; and perhaps the most sinister example of this is the binary code, used in computer systems, that has now reached a point where fears of human annihilation are being sounded through the threats of AI technology.
Indeed, the world does speak one language again. The people of the earth have come together and realigned themselves against God. They are building unholy institutions, alliances, and agencies bent on tapping the nearly unlimited capability of the human mind. In short, humanity has reconvened in Genesis 11.
Now, I’m no pessimist, nor am I a fearmonger. I am a Bible-believing saint of the most Holy God. You are too. So, fear is not how we are to respond to all of this. No, you and I were told beforehand that this would happen, that a new “Nimrod” would emerge in the figure of the Antichrist, that the world would consolidate its financial markets, religious beliefs, and governmental structure into one anti-God institution, and that the world would do it all for its own glory.
Because we know this to be true, we can have confidence that the Holy Trinity of God sees the activity of mankind from heaven and intends to return to earth one final time to put it all to rest – just like He did in Genesis 11. In fact, we have the knowledge that the world is doing all this according to the perfect, permissive will of God; and that they are oblivious to it. This fact mankind is doing all this to their own demise might be the biggest hat trick in the entirety of human history. It’s certainly the height of Divine irony.

- Bro. Ben Lownsdale

Letting Go of the Past – Ecclesiastes 7:10 
This past weekend, we took Ezra down to my grandmother's house in Lexington to introduce him to my side of the family. While we were there, I took a stroll down memory lane. I looked through photos from my childhood, my dad's childhood, and even my grandfather's childhood. As we drove through town, I pointed out various locations- the LHS band field, the courthouse, the street I used to live on, etc-  and the memories associated with them. I'm sure Cheyenne is sick of hearing these tales, but it's hard to suppress those feelings of nostalgia when I visit home, which is becoming more and more rare.  
After graduating from UTM in 2022, I moved back home to take on a ministry role at a church in Lexington. Even though I was living with some friends and not with my parents, there was a level of comfort and complacency that came with living and working in my hometown. Many times, it was very difficult to break out of my comfort zone and take the steps necessary to grow emotionally, spiritually, and professionally.
Why is this? How can nostalgia, if not kept in check, become a trap for complacency? The answer can be found in Ecclesiastes 7:10:

“Do not say, “Why is it that the former days were better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.”

Does this mean that nostalgia is a sin? Not necessarily. After all, this verse is wisdom, not a command or a law. Nostalgia may not be an outright sin, but, like all things, it can LEAD to sin if we make the past into an idol and allow it to cloud our judgement. This is why Solomon suggests that excessive nostalgia, although not sinful, is unwise.
As I mentioned, nostalgia became a stumbling block in those first 2 years of my ministry journey. In my current season of being a new father and husband, one thing I've had to keep in check is my time spent playing video games. I don't think I've picked up my Xbox in almost a month, but I typically play many of the same games I played when I was a teenager, some of which I've had to cut out entirely. Why? Because I found myself trying to re-capture feelings and experiences that were long gone and were not helping me in my walk with Christ. As 1 Corinthians 10:23 says,  

"All things are permitted, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted, but not all things build people up."
 
This applies to nostalgic activities too: they can be enriching, but they can also cause us to take our eyes off of what God is doing in our lives now. Satan would love nothing more than for us to take our eyes off of Christ's leading and to retract from the world, especially with all of the chaos going on in today's world. 
But, as Jesus says, we are in the world, but not of the world (John 17:15-16), because we are the light of the world; and a light does no good when it's put under a basket (Matthew 5:14-16).  
As we look to the past, may we guard ourselves from idolatry. May we remember not just our good memories, but the Lord's faithfulness. As we do so, may we look up to the Lord and recognize the work that He is doing now, even in the midst of our chaotic world.  
As we look to His faithfulness and His sovereign work now, may that inspire us to shine our lights in a society full of darkness and share the good news of Jesus Christ!  
 
To God be the Glory, 
Bro. Casey Stanfill 

The Man of God in Black
“I knew Bob Dylan was searching for the truth and had been for years. And anyone who really wants the truth ends up at Jesus.”
— Johnny Cash 
We recently discovered that our 2 month old son, Ezra, LOVES Johnny Cash. When he's having a fit, and we've exhausted all of our options (milk, mylicon, pacifier, prune juice, diaper change, etc), we will throw on I Walk the Line, and he'll fall right to sleep. Perhaps it's the baritone/bass voice or the 'train beat' rhythms that soothe him. We have no idea.  
As a long-time listener, I've begun to rediscover Cash's music. But despite the fact that I have 265 of his songs saved on Spotify, I feel like I've barely scratched the surface of his music with the 72 albums released in his lifetime. 
Nevertheless, the story of Johnny Cash's life is a very inspiring story marked by rebellion and redemption.  
J.R. "Johnny" Cash had his fair share of personal struggles: the loss of his older brother, Jack, at 14 years old (and the ensuing emotional abuse from his father), rejection by record labels, substance abuse, divorce, and many others. All of these events contributed to the rough, rebellious, gritty persona that he is still remembered for today. 
In his final interview before his death in 2003, Cash described an encounter he had with God in Nickajack Cave in Chattanooga while strung out on pills in the late 60s. In his own words, this was the "beginning of the end" of his struggles with amphetamines.  
After his recovery and subsequent marriage to June Carter, there was a noticeable change in Cash's life. His music began to shift to a more "clean" tone, and, although he had recorded gospel songs throughout his career, he began to dig deeper into the faith.  
The best example of this transformation is his 1973 album, The Gospel Road. This album is a country oratorio, using musical drama to tell the story of Jesus' earthly life. The songs are so short that it forces you to listen to the album front-to-back and get the full experience. I imagine that his was intentional so that his listeners could hear the full story of Jesus and come to faith in Him. All in all, The Gospel Road is truly a masterpiece. 
So, here he is, the Man in Black, using his musical genius to glorify God and tell others the good news of Jesus. I am so grateful that Ezra has a solid Christian icon to look up to- one who had real, tangible struggles, but also saw real, tangible transformation in his life. And with Cash being a household name, perhaps this will give Ezra the opportunity to share the gospel with his friends.

As the church, what can we learn from the story of Johnny Cash?

1. In Christ, there is always hope. We can trust in Him to deliver us from the ongoing sins that so easily ensnare us.  

2. The Holy Spirit brings about visible, tangible, noticeable, observable change in our lives. 

3. God gave us a testimony that others need to hear. 

4. God gave us talents, abilities, and gifts so that others can see Jesus.

May we all glean from the Man in Black and trust in the transformative power of God!
 
To God be the Glory, 
Bro. Casey 

Scholars believe that Paul likely wrote 4 letters in total to the Corinthian Church. We only have two of them – 1 and 2 Corinthians they are called respectively. But deeply imbedded into these two letters are indications that Paul wrote two other letters, one in which Paul warns against associating with sexually immoral people (1 Corinthians 5:9) and the other in which he expresses deep anguish after a painful visit to Corinth (2 Corinthians 2:3-4; 7:8). These two are lost to history so we’ll never fully know what they had to say.

But the two surviving letters we do have are, thankfully, packed full of so many truths that we could study them for years and never fully appreciate their contribution to the Christian life. They are personal, powerful, and honest. They take us on a journey of one church’s struggle with real world problems, and they show us how this church worked through its issues to the glory of God. They, in a word, are a case study for churches today to study and understand what the primary purpose is of the church on earth.

The Church at Corinth had many problems. From the beginning of 1 Corinthians, we see that they were not growing in their knowledge of God. They were “babes” that still required the milk of God’s Word rather than the meat. Consequently, disputes broke out on who was the greater “pastor” to the church: Paul, Peter, or Apollos. And to add insult to injury, there was a man in the church that was having immoral relations with his father’s wife; and the church was letting it happen. This is the setting of Paul’s first letter to this church. It was a mess; there was no doubt.

But the beautiful story about this church is that we find out in 2 Corinthians that this church chose faithfulness over futility. They chose purity over immorality. They chose unity over division. Paul commends them for doing the hard work of purifying the Body of Christ and putting aside their differences.

You know, I think there is a lot the American Church can learn from our Corinthian counterpart. Many of the issues that plagued them are frequent in our churches today (funny how some things never change). We have pews lined with people, who might mean well, but are fundamentally ignorant of the meat of God’s Word. We have divisions galore on issues from leadership, to building projects, to vision. We even have immorality running unchecked in our membership that, let’s be honest, many in the church don’t have the courage to address. All this harms the American Church. It keeps us from effectively accomplishing the Great Commission because we’re too distracted with basic things.

But the good news today is that we have a choice. The American Church can choose rightly just like the Corinthain believers did. We can turn the trajectory of our course in the favorable direction of Heaven. We can purify our memberships and choose faithfulness and unity.

I’m grateful that FBCUC has chosen the greater things in its pursuit to honor God. By the grace of God, we continue to maintain our unity, faithfulness, and growth. We’re not perfect, and we still have work to do, but I’m grateful to pastor such a wonderful group of Christians. I’m grateful of the work we’re doing, for the Gospel we are preaching, and the Kingdom that is growing at 500 E. Church St. May Heaven reward our efforts and may the name of Jesus be glorified in all we do.

Blessings,

Bro. Ben

The Power of Christ and Coffee
Anyone who knows me knows that I love coffee. At just about every social gathering, I find myself gravitating towards the coffee maker. Over the years, I’ve dived deeper and deeper into the coffee world to the point where I use a French press instead of a Keurig and buy fresh, specialty coffee from Vantage Coffee Roasters (right here in Union City) instead of the grocery store. I even discovered an audiobook called A Short History of Coffee by Gordon Kerr.  
In this book, I read about coffee’s African roots. According to legend, a farmer in Ethiopia discovered that his goats were unusually hyper after eating a particular berry, which contained what we now call a coffee bean.  
Over time, it was turned into a beverage and became widely associated with Islamic rituals and social events. Because of this, there was a mass controversy among Roman Catholics in the 16th century  as to whether Christians should be allowed to drink coffee. Catholic clergy had a very superstitious outlook, calling it “the devil’s drink,” and claiming that Muslims- because they could not partake in the Lord’s Supper- were using it to replace wine. Hearing these concerns, Pope Clement VIII requested a sample be brought to him. According to legend, upon tasting it, Clement stated:

“Why, this Satan's drink is so delicious that it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it. We shall fool Satan by baptizing it and making it a truly Christian beverage!”

Although skepticism of the papacy was growing after the Protestant Reformation, there is no denying that, without this interaction, we may not be drinking coffee in the foyer together on Sunday mornings!
I find it fascinating the role that coffee plays in society. First of all, coffee is a remedy. In the same way that Paul encouraged Timothy to use remedies for his stomach issues (1 Timothy 5:23), coffee serves as a remedy to give us energy and focus to get through the day. This ‘boost’ is certainly a necessity for me with a newborn at home!
But more importantly, coffee allows us to connect with others. My father and I grab coffee (also from Vantage) every Wednesday after lunch. We share coffee at our staff meetings. Our “Young Dads Support Group” shares coffee when we meet. Of course, our church shares coffee in the foyer every Sunday as we gather on the Lord’s Day.  
Whether it’s for sustenance or fellowship, coffee is just one example of the countless things that God works our good (Romans 8:28).  
So, as 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, whether we eat donuts or drink coffee, or whatever we do, may we do all to the glory of God. I look forward to sharing many more cups of coffee with you all!

To God be the Glory,
Bro. Casey Stanfill

Every time we sin, we are effectively brought before a holy God to answer for it. In fact, the Bible gives us several pictures of what this looks like in a heavenly capacity. First, In Zechariah 3:1-5, we see Joshua, the High Priest, standing before the Lord - with Satan to his right - accusing him (before God) of his sin. The Lord rebukes Satan and commands an angel to take away Joshua’s filthy garments (representing his sin) and replace them with clean robes (representing purity). This is, arguably, the best imagery the Bible provides concerning this. 
Second, we also know that the Bible says that Satan stands before the Lord, day and night, as the “Accuser of the brethren” according to Revelation 12:10. Jesus, as our Mediator, defends us righteously before God. 
And then there is this story from John’s Gospel, chapter 8:1-12, about the woman caught in the act of adultery. It’s her story that I would like to focus on in today’s newsletter. 
For context, John captures an account where Jesus is teaching in the Temple, and the religious leaders bring him a woman that was caught in the act of adultery. Obviously, this encounter was a set-up and there was no telling how long the scribes and Pharisees held this woman hostage before they used her as leverage to trap Jesus in a quandary. Nonetheless, she was guilty and was being brought before the Lord for judgment. Jesus, in keen understanding of the situation, diffused it and used it as an opportunity to show grace and mercy to this woman – a woman who, for all intents and purposes, should have been punished. 
But Jesus wanted to be merciful to her, and that’s the point. “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy upon whom I will show mercy,” God says in Exodus 33:19 (and repeated by Paul in Romans 9:15). Yes, sin is an affront to God. It is entirely unacceptable to Him. Yet, in His jurisprudence, He has the ability (and willingness) to grant mercy and grace where it is present. Jesus wanted her to live in a way that glorified Him, and mercy and grace were the only way that was possible. Hence, His words to her: “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you? Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” The first part of His words is mercy. The second part – grace. 
And this is where you and I come in. Every time we sin, we are like this woman being dragged before the Lord. We’re guilty and deserving of punishment. Satan is even there, condemning us of our guilt. The Lord, however, is rich in mercy and willing to be gracious. He rebukes the work of Satan, looks upon us with pity, and encourages us to do better in His grace. 
And before anyone accuses me of going light on sin here, I want to say that I most definitely am not. Sin is not to be scoffed at, nor is it to be tolerated in our lives. It should be fought, conquered, killed, and mortified. But here’s the thing: Jesus did all of that to sin when He died on the cross. Sin (as Paul would say it) no longer has reign over our mortal bodies; that “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me”. And Satan no longer has any jurisdiction; so, let them both be silent before the Lord. They are defeated foes so let them remain that way. 
I hope you understand, though, what was required for you to have such a standing before the Lord. I pray you realize what it cost the Lord to apply His grace and mercy to your life. And I hope that you will live in such victory and status. Your life is one of victory in the Son of God, not a means to sin. Something to think about today!

Blessings,
Bro. Ben  

How Satan Twists God’s Word: Lessons from Uncle Screwtape
I recently finished C.S. Lewis’s classic fictional work, The Screwtape Letters. This book is a series of letters written by a demon named Screwtape to his nephew, Wormwood. In these letters, Screwtape evaluates Wormwood’s work and gives him further advice on tormenting his human subjects. Through these fictional letters, Lewis conveys his beliefs about Satan, the demonic realm, and how spiritual warfare takes place in the lives of average, everyday humans.  
What stood out the most to me was chapter 14, which is all about humility. Screwtape instructs Wormwood on how to take humility, a godly virtue (Philippians 2:3-8), and distort it for their own purposes. He then lists off some specific tactics to instill a false sense of humility in their “patient.” 
The first tactic is to disguise pride as humility:

“Your patient has become humble; have you drawn his attention to the fact? All virtues are less formidable to us once the man is aware that he has them, but this is specially true of humility.”

When we tell ourselves, “I am being humble,” we are subconsciously being prideful; we become proud of the fact that we are being ‘humble.’ This, in reality, is the opposite of humility.  
The next tactic is to redefine humility as simply having a low opinion of oneself, reducing humility to mere insecurity:

“You must therefore conceal from the patient the true end of Humility. Let him think of it not as self-forgetfulness but as a certain kind of opinion (namely, a low opinion) of his own talents and character.” 

Both of these tactics have the same goal, which is “keeping their minds endlessly revolving on themselves in an effort to achieve the impossible.”
These demons want the patient to focus inwardly and have such unrealistic standards that he forgets the true goal of humility: self-forgetfulness and sacrificial love to God and neighbor. 
This is just one illustration of Satan taking Godly virtues and distorting it to our detriment. We see plenty of examples of this throughout scripture. Satan disguises pride as wisdom (Genesis 3:5-6), obligation as generosity (2 Corinthians 9:7), and toleration of sin as love (1 Corinthians 13:6). We often think that we’re obeying God, but in reality, we’ve fallen prey to Satanic lies! 
So, what is the solution? How do we know whether we’re being obedient or falling for Satan’s schemes? The answer, brothers and sisters, is simple: know the Scriptures. While tempting Jesus in Matthew 4, Satan quoted Scripture, but Jesus fired right back with more Scripture in proper context! 
So church, may we not fall prey to “the doctrine of ignorance” (as Bro. Ben suggests) and become a victim of Satan’s tactics. Instead, may we strive to be Biblically literate so that we can take our eyes off of ourselves and love our God and our neighbors properly! 
 
To God be the Glory, 
Bro. Casey 
 
 

Enjoying The Word: Some Simple Tools
On Wednesday, July 8th, I had the privilege of leading our prayer meeting in Bro. Ben’s absence. That night, we walked through my personal process for studying the Bible using the H.E.A.R. Method. If you’re interested in learning more about how to journal, I have included a QR code for the livestream from that night. 
 
After hearing everyone’s feedback, I noticed that there was some frustration with simply getting started with the process of Bible reading. So, my aim with this article is to offer some additional “tools” based on my own personal experience that will hopefully help you and leave you feeling inspired!

1. You don’t have to do 7 days a week. 

Personally, I do about four days a week. That way, if I miss a day (which is common with a baby at home), there is room for me to catch up. I would rather do four days consistently than seven days inconsistently. For me, missing a day on an intense seven-day plan can lead to discouragement and frustration, which often lead to quitting. No matter how many days a week you choose, the goal is to build a routine.

2. Have a designated space. 

When you begin to associate a particular space with a particular activity, entering that space makes you want to do that activity. For example, when I walk into the den, it makes me want to watch TV. Similarly, every time I enter my study, it makes me want to read. For you, this could be a kitchen table, a sunroom, or a patio. Regardless, just remember: the goal is to condition your brain to associate that space with reading the Bible.

3. Engage the senses. 

I don’t mean this in a “hippie/new age spiritual” sense, but psychologically speaking, stimulating the senses helps me stay engaged and condition my mind to associate different things with the act of Bible reading—similar to the designated space.

a. Sight
I read from a nice-looking or sentimental Bible. This may sound materialistic, but in my experience, I am more likely to pick up a Bible that grabs my attention. Whether it’s a brand-new study Bible from Crossway or Holman (which has very budget-friendly options) or a lost loved one’s Bible, having a high-quality copy of the Word that captures your attention makes you more likely to pick it up and start reading.

b. Touch
A quality, physical Bible helps with this as well. I used to use my Bible app on my phone, but that all changed when my friend, Greg Forrester, told me:
“If the Bible is holy, then why would you not want to hold it in your hands?” 
The truth is that my phone was the biggest distraction in my life (and often still is). One notification would throw off my entire devotional time. Meanwhile, when I feel the thin pages and the leather material of a physical Bible, it becomes less like watching TV and more like an engaging, interactive experience.

c. Hear
With longer passages, I may use an audiobook of some sort. With shorter passages, I will usually read the verses aloud to myself. This helps me literally hear the Word of God speak to me. Sometimes, I also find it helpful to play soft music in the background.

d. Taste + Smell
I always have a cup of coffee with my Bible reading. Coffee was already part of my morning ritual anyway, so including it in my devotional time adds a whole new element. The caffeine helps me focus, and the taste and smell stimulate the senses and keep me engaged.
This isn’t an absolute necessity, but I also light a candle. I’m not invoking spiritual forces like the occult; instead, I’m participating in a historical practice that symbolizes Christ as the light of the world. 
 
In conclusion, I know that reading your Bible can feel overwhelming. But sometimes, all it takes is a few tools to help you get started—that was certainly the case for me. So remember: we’re in this together! I pray that these tools will be helpful to you and that the Lord will speak to you through His Word. May it transform us, renew our minds, and conform us into the image of Christ Jesus!

To God be the Glory,
Bro. Casey 

In the Book of Jeremiah, the prophet, speaking on behalf of the Lord, says this: “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls (Jeremiah 6:16).” I have long loved this appeal from the Lord because I am an old-fashioned soul living in postmodern times. I know many of you can appreciate the sentiment.

The context of this verse, however, is obviously not modern America; it is ancient Judah. So, at face value, we must read it for what it means: God is making an appeal for Judah to abandon the wrong paths that have led them away from Him and return to the old paths that led them to Him. Principally, though, there is much here for the modern Christian to glean. Let’s look.

First, let’s look at the usage of the words “way” and “path”. Seemingly, they mean the same thing. In a literary sense, they can be used interchangeably. In a moral sense, however, they mean something different. In this passage, the word for “way” speaks to one’s actions – the things they do. In this sense, we would say things like, “Their ways are eccentric” or “They have a different way of doing things”. The word for “path” speaks more to the direction in which one walks i.e. the wide and narrow paths. Together, these words form an appeal to both the mind and body. They appeal to one’s thinking and one’s behavior. Ultimately, they form an appeal from the Lord for wisdom (because that’s what wisdom does: it guides the mind and body).

Second, there is a comparison taking place in this verse between what the Lord calls “current” ways and “old” ways. Now, this is not to say that all current ways are bad (or vice versa), and it’s not to say that all old ways are good (or vice versa); it’s simply a comparison between the two. To appreciate this, you and I can probably think about some of the old ways we used to do things. Many of these ways seemed simple and functional. Over the years, however, many of them essentially died out. Contrarily, we can think of many of the new ways in the same sense. There are many new ways of doing things that are more efficient and industrious. There are many, however, that are not.

And this is where the Lord took issue with Judah. Judah had abandoned the ways of God and began walking paths that were not good. They had traded core, fundamental truths for cheap, progressive things. They had adopted worship of false gods. They had abandoned the Law. They had embraced wickedness.

So, the Lord makes an appeal for them to return to wisdom. “Go back and walk in the good ways (moral and spiritual pathways), and you will find rest for your souls,” the Lord says. This appeal to wisdom reminds us that, “Her ways are pleasant, and all her paths are peaceful (Proverbs 3:17).” It reminds us that, “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn (Proverbs 4:18).” It reminds us of the words of the psalmist when he said, “Direct me in the path of Your commandments (Psalm 119:35).”

In a modern context the same is still true. God’s ways are always better than man’s ideas. God’s truths are always better than man’s opinions. And God’s paths are still always better than ours. Unfortunately, modern man has become much like the ancient Judean: he is arrogant, proud, and wicked. He thinks that he knows better than God, and he thinks that he can escape judgment for whatever he decides to do.

Thus, the appeal from the Lord still stands today: “…ask for the old paths where the good way is and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls.” The truth is that God, through the ministry of Jesus, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the presence of His Word, is still making an appeal to return to Him. His desire is that all people will repent from their sin and return to Him; that wisdom would override the folly of our own imaginations; that the old paths would become desirable again.

Blessings,
Bro. Ben

Abe and the God of Abraham
“My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.”
— Abraham Lincoln, 1862
As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday this weekend, I’m reminded of perhaps my favorite president, Abraham Lincoln. Although there has been debate on his motives for emancipation, the reality is that his efforts were some of the most consequential of any president in history. Throughout his presidency, Lincoln endured perhaps the most difficult time of our nation’s history in addition to his own personal struggles with grief and depression in the loss of his two sons, one of which (Willie, 11 years old) died during his presidency. This also deeply affected his wife’s mental sanity, only adding to his burdens. It is said that Lincoln found comfort in the book of Job, which deals with the issue of suffering and submission to God.
In his Second Inaugural Address, just one month before he was assassinated, Lincoln stated that his prayer was “that this mighty scourge of war might speedily pass away.” But in the same breath, he also acknowledged that “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether,” referencing Psalm 19:9.  
In other words, Lincoln prayed that the war would end while also acknowledging that God has every right to punish and repay the nation for the injustices of African American slavery.
This reminds me of Psalm 46, which Martin Luther used as inspiration for his famous chorale, A Mighty Fortress is Our God (see my previous article on Bach, Luther, and the Psalms). This Psalm speaks of how God ends wars (v9-10) and how He is our ever-present help and refuge (v1, 11).  
This was certainly true for Lincoln. Although there were controversies on his religious views in his early political career, the president would later find a confidant in Pastor Phineas Gurley of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington. Gurley went on record saying that Lincoln did have a clear “conversion to Christ” and that he was often driven to his knees as he had “nowhere else to go.”
I grew up admiring President Lincoln, as many history enthusiasts do, but his outlook on God’s sovereignty and providence only deepened that admiration. His desire was to fully submit to God’s will, no matter how much personal and political affliction came with it. Lincoln’s submission to God was not a means of political gain, but a genuine act of humility in response to a life of brokenness. He even recognized that “each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God,” but that “Both may be, and one must be, wrong.”
What would America look like if we still had political leaders like this who truly submitted to God- not as an act of publicity, but as an act of humility?
What would America look like if we all individually and collectively submitted to God’s ways, no matter the backlash?  
How much would God bless our nation?  
How much would He reward the faith of His people?
We Christians (as well as nonbelievers) often ask God to bless America, but we don’t want to submit to Him and draw near to Him (James 4:7-8). Although God is merciful, we often don’t want to meet the conditions that warrant His blessing.
If we want God to bless and deliver our nation like He has before, our loyalties must lie with biblical principles above all else- even above the candidates themselves.
If this happened, who knows what the next 250 years will look like for America?
Church, let us follow the example of President Lincoln, submit to God’s will, draw near to Him so that we may be reap the blessings of God in our nation!

To God be the Glory,
Bro. Casey Stanfill
 
Sources:
Carwardine, Richard J. “Lincoln, Evangelical Religion, and American Political Culture in the Era of the Civil War.” Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association 18, no. 1 (1997): 27–55. [quod.lib.umich.edu]
Lincoln, Abraham. “Meditation on the Divine Will.” September 1862. In The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, edited by Roy P. Basler. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1953. [Abraham Li...ivine Will]
Lopez, Sergio. “What Abraham Lincoln Found Reading the Book of Job amid Civil War.” America Magazine, November 3, 2020. [americamagazine.org]
Piper, John. “Abraham Lincoln’s Path to Divine Providence.” Desiring God, February 12, 2008. [desiringgod.org]
 

I was reminded of something the other day when a member of FBCUC asked me to comment on one of the Psalms. The specific psalm under discussion was Psalm 10. This psalm is a small example of a larger theme throughout several other psalms, namely Psalm 5; 35; 58; 59; 69; and 109. Together, these psalms are what are called imprecatory psalms – psalms that call on God to punish those who commit evil, violence, and wickedness.

These psalms have, invariably, been at the center of much theological conversation over the years. The controversy that these psalms stir up is one of: Is it right for God’s people to pray for the destruction of those who work evil? Should God’s people incline their hearts to the Lord for the demise and downfall of others? It’s a good question, so let’s spend some time discussing.

First, imprecatory psalms are Scripture, so they are, therefore, right and justified. They were written at a time when God’s people were hard pressed by their adversaries. So, naturally, the writers of these psalms lifted their voices and said, “God, destroy them all!” It’s a normal instinct to call out to God for help during times of vulnerability and helplessness. Imprecatory psalms take it a step further by categorizing this “help” as Divine vengeance. Psalm 96, to give you an idea, says this in verses 24-28: “Pour out your indignation upon them, and let Your wrathful anger take hold of them. Let their dwelling place be desolate; let no one live in their tents…Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written with righteousness.” That’s quite a mouthful!

Ok, so then, ethically and morally, the next question is: Is it ok for a believer to pray for such things? Should Christians today be praying for God to annihilate those who are persecuting our brothers and sisters in Nigeria for example? Should we pray for God to end the lives of those who are trafficking children, selling narcotics, or harming others through greed, abuse, and/or a plethora of other things? According to these psalms, the answer is “yes”. It is morally and ethically justified to pray for God to enact Divine vengeance on those who commit acts of violence against God’s people, the innocent, and the vulnerable.

Here’s why: Though believers do not have the capacity to act, think, or understand things as God does, we do have the ability to outsource justice and vengeance to the One who does. God hears the imprecatory prayers of His people as pleas to make it all stop. Believers, sensitive to the plight of others, can rightly cry out to God to intervene, punish evil, and stop evil things from happening. God, then, takes those prayers and has the capacity to balance His Divine justice and Divine grace in a way that pleases Him. Since He is the only one who knows the fine line between the two, believers can have confidence in knowing He will act at a time, and in a way, that brings harmony these prayers and His will.

A word of caution however: Though imprecatory prayers are right, believers should be cautious in invoking them in a way that is carnal or selfish. These prayers are serious business and come from a deep place of concern; so, they should only be considered after much contemplation. It is not right, for example, for believers to go around praying for God to just wipe everyone off the map. We should pray for the salvation of lost souls, but we should certainly know when it is time to outsource vengeance to Him. In the meantime, God continues to collect these prayers in heaven and will hurl them back to the earth during the Great Tribulation (Rev. 81-6). Eventually, He will repay evil with Divine justice.

Blessings,

Bro. Ben

It Is Well - A Father’s Day Testimony

On June 1st, I became a father. It is so surreal. Ezra has brought so much joy to our family and friends, and we cannot wait for him to grow up at FBC Union City! Cheyenne and I are extremely grateful for the outpouring of Godly love from our church family. Thank you for all the gifts, cards, text messages, phone calls, and meal trains!

This Sunday is my first Father’s Day, which only reinforces the joy that little Ezra has brought to our household! I cannot wait to spend it with my new family!
While I’m filled with joy, I’m also reminded of how Father’s Day has brought some “high highs” and “low lows” for me in years past.

On June 20th, 2019, just after Father’s Day, my grandfather, Frank Stanfill, passed away. (Ironically, June 20th 2026 was Ezra’s due date) This was my first taste with real grief- the first time I experienced loss. I remember my parents and my brother were at Beta Convention in Oklahoma City, meaning I was home alone when I heard the news. Fortunately, my best friend came and spent the day with me. All in all, despite the grief, our family was at peace because we knew that he was in heaven with Jesus.

Fast forward to June 16th, 2024 (the day of Father’s Day); I proposed to Cheyenne. It was a bit spontaneous, and it was nothing fancy- just the two of us in our shorts and t-shirts at Beech Lake at sunset. We had only known each other for 8 months, and we had no idea what our living situation was going to be. But when God clearly and irrefutably calls you to something, He doesn’t always give the details. So, we stepped out in faith, and God has blessed us immensely!

Fast forward one year later, we learned that we had miscarried our first child. This was perhaps a worse grief than losing my grandfather. Besides that, I was very concerned for my wife. Here she was, losing a child after already losing a husband. But we both had to deal with it in our own way. Nevertheless, God brought us through the valley like in Psalm 23.

Fast forward to Father’s Day 2026, and I’m at a loss for words. I’ve looked at Cheyenne and said, “Babe, we have a son,” countless times over the last two weeks. The amount of joy and zeal that she and I have felt is indescribable and vastly outweighs the pain of the past.

Over the years, Father’s Day has been a day of grief, pain, and darkness, but also a day of joy, life, and happiness. God is sovereign over all of it. Out of one of those dark seasons came my favorite hymn, which says this:

“Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say: it is well, it is well with my soul.”

No matter what we go through, we can find peace in knowing that we belong to Christ. Psalm 23 reminds us that Jesus, our Great Shepherd, leads us through the valley.  

Gospel singer William Murphy said this about Daniel 3:
“You’re gonna be in the fire, but when you come out, you won’t smell like smoke. You’re gonna be in the fiery furnace, but when you come out you won’t look like what you been through!”

Sometimes, it’s not our circumstances that need to change; it’s US!

After all, our heavenly Father works all things together for our good because He has predestined us to be more like Jesus Christ (Romans 8:28-30). He has a plan to use all of your good seasons and bad seasons to make you more like Him.  

I know that Cheyenne and I would not be where we are today emotionally, mentally, and spiritually if God had not inflicted us with those trials. Our trials have taught us to cherish what we are blessed with now and to trust in His sovereignty over all things.
 
So, remember, saint: Jesus is still Lord when times are hard. And when you come out the other side, you will look more like Him!  

To God be the Glory,
Bro. Casey Stanfill

The Purpose of Worship: Teaching, Singing, and Gratitude
This Sunday, May 31st at 5pm is our 5th Sunday Singing! This is our first time doing this, so we’re excited to try something new! To give everyone a clear picture as to why we’re hosting this event, let’s take a look at Colossians 3:16:
 
“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Our goals are simple: teach about God, and sing to God! 
Notice the line: “....teaching and admonishing one other.” Our songs are meant to teach us about God. In so doing, the word of Christ dwells within us. Whether it be a congregational hymn or a special, our minds and hearts ‘latch on’ to the melodies and the text sung, which bless our ears and transform us into His likeness. This is what differentiates worship from entertainment!
Notice also where it says, “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” These are three different types of musical works. Psalms were normally accompanied by an instrument, tracing back to 1 Samuel 16:23. Hymns were songs that were sung in direct praise to God (ex. Acts 16:25). Spiritual songs were songs designed to praise God and inspire be more Christ-like. Our program features a variety of music, including hymns, gospel songs, piano duets, trumpet and saxophone solos, and more!
Notice the last line of the verse: “....singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” We’re not only singing about God, but to God! And when we sing to God, we are to express gratitude towards Him for Who He is and what He has done for us!
One of the songs on the program sums up these ideas perfectly. The song is Thank You Jesus for the Blood by Charity Gayle. As the name suggests, this song is an expression of gratitude and a testimony of God’s saving power and deliverance. Additionally, the song teaches us about the character of Christ, the atonement, the resurrection, the work of salvation, and so much more!  
As you can see, the 5th Sunday Singing is not merely a talent show, but a night of teaching, singing, and gratitude. Our aim is to teach about God by singing to God. In so doing, God is glorified, Jesus is exalted, and our hearts are in awe of Him!
We hope that you will join us in exalting Jesus in song at our 5th Sunday Singing!  

The Apostle Paul ends his letter to the Ephesian Church with some powerful imagery comparing the life of a Christian to that of a soldier. It’s a remarkable, instructive passage that modern Christians don’t give enough attention to. In fact, it’s true that this passage of Scripture is often reduced to little more than Sunday School material or VBS themes. There’s nothing wrong with this, but any mature Christian should know this passage forwards and backwards. So, let’s look at Paul’s explanation of the whole armor of God.

Paul’s usage of military equipment gives immediate context for what we’re dealing with here. The Christian life is war: war against our flesh, war against sin, and war against the spiritual forces around us. To minimize it to less than this is to trivialize the Christian life as little more than a whim, a walk in the park, or a mindset that every day is Friday. Jesus makes it very clear that the Christian life means dying to oneself, picking up one’s cross, and submitting one’s will to God. And if we’re honest, this is very hard to do. It’s for this reason, however, that Paul uses military concepts here. He wants his readers to know why the following equipment is necessary.

First, Paul says that one must be ready to stand on the day of temptation when the devil comes. This state of being prepared, in biblical terms, is called “be girded about the waists”. In an ancient culture where one’s garment went to the ground, one had to collect their garments up to the knees and tie them around their waist for maneuverability. Failure to do so meant that you would trip all over yourself while the enemy is attacking. Essentially, Paul is saying, “Go ahead and get yourself together before he attacks so you can react properly. Paul goes on to say that the truth is how one prepares themselves for that day of attack. Knowing the truth helps one react when an attack comes.

Next, we have the breastplate of righteousness. In ancient times, the breastplate protected the heart and vital organs that were essential for life. Similarly, righteousness protects the heart from attacks that would keep it from obeying the faith that God establishes there. If Satan can harm our faith, then he can use other weapons like doubt, fear, or hopelessness against us.

Our feet are to be ‘shod about the feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace’ Paul continues. This phrase links the believer’s feet to that of the believer’s sure footing in the Gospel. Without proper footing, the believer cannot effectively defend their ground or advance the peace that is contained within the Gospel.

Then we have the shield of faith. In the Greek, the word ‘shield’ translates “full-body shield”. You’ve probably seen shields like this before, ones that protect the soldier’s entire body. The shield of faith is no different. Faith protects us from the fiery missiles of the devil because faith involves God’s Word being implanted inside of us. When we have the Word in us, it extinguishes the lies that the devil would throw at us.

Next, Paul says, “and take up the helmet of salvation”, which is the believer’s final line of defense for their salvation. The helmet completes the suit of armor by protecting the most vital command center of the believer – the head. The helmet signifies security, identity, and clarity of thought in the midst of battle.

Lastly, Paul gives us the only offensive weapon in our arsenal – the sword of Spirit. Since our battles against the devil are ultimately God’s to fight, the sword of the Spirit enables the believer to proclaim, correct, and defend against Satanic attacks and accusations by using the Word of God and the indwelling Spirit.

Any believer, who is faithfully committed to living for Jesus must understand that this armor is essential. It is not a recommendation or a suggestion to wear. Failure to suit up every day will leave us vulnerable against the work of Satan in our lives.

Blessings,
Bro. Ben

The Kentucky Spring Turkey Season wrapped up on Sunday. Unfortunately, I finished the season empty‑handed. But I did see some action. One morning, I saw three hens—which are illegal to harvest. One evening, I saw a jake sneaking back to the roost—but only after he caught me on my way back to the house. He, of course, saw me and ran the other direction.
In “Part 1” of this article, we talked about diligence as described in Proverbs 12:27. Throughout the season, I told myself that if I remained diligent, then I would get what was coming to me. After all, that’s what our luxurious American lifestyle has taught us: pick yourself up by the bootstraps, work hard, and you’ll be successful in life.
While discipline and hard work are biblical virtues (Proverbs 6:6–11), Ecclesiastes (which I got to read in the woods) shows us how wisdom and labor do not guarantee success.
Ecclesiastes 2 talks about the vanity of wisdom and the vanity of toil—or hard work. Regarding wisdom, verse 15 says, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also,” referring to death. Wisdom is necessary, but at the end of the day, it does not make us invincible.
Regarding toil, verses 18–20 essentially ask, “What is the point of working so hard if I don’t get to enjoy the fruits of my labor? All of my stuff is just going to someone else who may not steward it well.”
Sometimes, no matter how wise or hard‑working we are, we don’t get the results we want.
In Western society, we have groups of people who think that if someone is struggling, it is always their fault.
We also have groups who think that if someone is struggling, it is never their fault.
Ecclesiastes calls us to be somewhere in the middle. Sometimes, we face the consequences of our foolishness or laziness. Sometimes, things just happen that we have no control over.
This is perfectly personified in hunting. The tom that got away in my first article was due to a lack of wisdom, but the jake that caught me on the way back to the house a few days ago was not.
Sometimes, you fail in hunting because you make dumb mistakes. Other times, you can pick out the best spots, purchase the best gear, and have a perfect plan. But, as my Uncle Brad once told me, “At the end of the day, you don’t know what the stupid animal is gonna do.”
So, if wisdom and hard work don’t always pay off, what is the solution? Ecclesiastes 2:24–25 says:
“There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from Him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?”
The solution is this: enjoy God and His gifts. This is also perfectly personified in hunting. I get to wake up, watch the sun rise, listen to God’s creation, and talk to God one‑on‑one. And, Lord willing, I get to enjoy harvesting wild game—an experience I look forward to sharing with my son one day. That is the ultimate goal: to enjoy God through the hunt.

To God be the Glory,
Bro. Casey

Recently, in one of my study sessions, I came across a verse that I haven’t read in a while but perfectly captures the way our culture behaves. The verse happens to be the very last verse in the Book of Judges. It says: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Now, without painting with too broad of a stroke, I don’t think it’s difficult for us to imagine how applicable this is in our day. Because lawlessness abounds in our lands, many – if not most – feel that they are free to think, act, and behave any way they want. Metaphorically speaking, there is no “king” in our land to affirm truth, morality, and justice. Therefore, everyone defines them according to their own sets of truth, morality, and justice.
Now, to be sure, this condition takes place in the heart. Our nation does have its own set of laws, morality and truth that have been largely guided by the Bible for hundreds of years. So, in a sense, there has been a “king in the land” that has informed the heart what is true, right, and noble. But as these erode, so too does their standing in our hearts. What I mean is, as God’s Word fails to be hidden in our hearts, it gets replaced with other things: ideology, philosophy, or lies. Once that happens, truth, morality, and justice become subjective, and the individual is “free” to do what is right in their own eyes.
This is the current situation in America. We’re in a Judges 21:25 scenario. Americans, in general, have become so fundamentally ignorant of the Bible that we cannot effectively define what is true; we cannot agree on what is moral; we cannot execute our own justice. Rather, husbands, wives, children, churches, communities, judges, politicians, etc. now act, think, and behave according to their own understanding, persuasion, and belief. Thus, what has befallen us is a societal nightmare.
Biblically, the reason this happens is because God created humans with the innate desire to place something on the throne of our hearts to rule. Ideally, God is the only One who can rightly, morally, and justly rule as King. However, if He is not placed there, then something else is: self, money, ideology, idolatry, etc. When these latter things rule, chaos ensues, and everyone does what is right in their own eyes.
All is not lost, however. The Book of Judges ends with despair, but God had a plan to establish a King who would rule over the House of Israel forever. Temporarily, He anointed Saul, David, Solomon, and so on to rule until His plan was fully realized. Eternally, however, Jesus is God’s plan to rule over His people; and any heart, home, church, community, and nation that allows Jesus to rule will be blessed.
This is where the trend is starting to swing back in our lands. People are tired of subjectivity and desirous of certainty, objectivity, and truth. They’re tired of chaos and want clarity. They’re sick of injustice and want peace. Young people are beginning to return to the Lord – especially young men. Tradition and truth are becoming popular again, and Jesus is being sought as the answer to our societal woes. Praise God for this! May our nation receive the blessing of the Lord for seeking Him aside from what is right in our own eyes!
Blessings,
Bro. Ben

Forging the Family Man – A Titus 2 Man 
This morning (5/5), my Bible reading plan, “Forging the Family Man” brought me to Titus 2:1-2 (CSB), which says this:
“But you are to proclaim things consistent with sound teaching. Older men are to be self-controlled, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance.” 
In chapter 1, Paul urges Titus to appoint qualified elders so that they can refute the prevalent false teachers on the island of Crete. In chapter 2, Paul urges Titus himself to not only teach sound doctrine, but also to set an example for the elders and congregants. In verses 6-7, Titus is told to set an example for the younger men through his good works AS WELL AS his sound teaching. 
Sound doctrine and Godly virtues are two sides of the same coin- and they must be in balance. 
You may have heard the phrase “Proverbs 31 woman” thrown around. This is a woman that nurtures, works hard, takes care of her family, and loves God deeply. We’re grateful for Proverbs 31 Women (after all, I’m married to one), but what if we coined the term “Titus 2 Man,” a man who cares about sound doctrine and good works? 
Christians often struggle to find balance between doctrine and good works. One one side, there are many churchgoers who only want the practical application that comes from scriptures without wanting a deeper understanding of who God is. Many see doctrine and theology as unnecessary or divisive. The thought process is, “I don’t need theology; I just need Jesus.” 
But this begs the question:  Who is Jesus? Is He just a man as the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe? Is He only God as the gnostics believe? This is a question of Christology- the study of Christ. Sound theologians and teachers have already answered this question using John 1:1, concluding that Jesus is fully God and fully Man.  
On the other side, there are also many Christians who care so deeply about being theologically sound that they become prideful and puffed up with knowledge (1 Cor. 8:1). The church at Ephesus was guilty of this; they taught sound doctrine but neglected to love others (Rev. 2:1-5). There are people with doctorates who have split churches, destroyed ministries, and burned countless bridges. Not mention the countless scandals over the years from church leaders.
Meanwhile, Titus 2 calls us to care about both doctrine AND virtue.  
May we all set out to be ‘Titus 2 Men’ who care about the Bible, teach sound doctrine, and set a godly example to the people that we’ve been called to lead- whether it be our families, our church, or beyond. When we do this, false teachings will be defeated, the church will flourish, and our lost neighbors will hear the Good News of Jesus Christ!

To God be the Glory,
Bro. Casey 

This past weekend, I met up with my brother and a friend in Jackson, TN for Rockabilly Weekend, a celebration of Carl Perkins (a Jackson native) and his contributions to music history. If you didn’t know, Carl Perkins famously recorded at Sun Studios in Memphis back in the 50s alongside Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley. In that time, Perkins wrote many hit songs- most notably, Blue Suede Shoes, made popular by Elvis.  
Although he was lesser known than the other three, Perkins is often credited with inventing “rockabilly,” a style that blends elements of country, gospel, and rhythm + blues. Blue Suede Shoes is the best example of this style. This would later evolve into what we now refer to as “rock n roll.”
Perkins’ influence on music history can still be felt to this day. Take any given artist that you listen to, and their influence can probably be traced back to Perkins. In fact, Paul McCartney from The Beatles went on record saying, “If there were no Carl Perkins, there would be no Beatles.”  
But despite this, and although his friends were seeking fame and fortune, Perkins never moved away from Jackson. It is mind-blowing to think that we had such an influential figure living right here in our backyards.  
During Rockabilly Weekend, I came across a copy Perkins’ autobiography, Disciple In Blue Suede Shoes, on display at the Carnegie Museum. Johnny Cash said this in the foreword of the book:  

“Carl Perkins is a Christian. He is also an entertainer and one of the greatest. His calling is that he be in the world, yet unworldly. He performs in concert halls, city auditoriums, and at times in places Christian brothers might refer to as dens of iniquity. Yet it is in these places that Carl's calling is the toughest and probably most effective, for he remains a Christian, never compromising his testimony wherever he is. Carl's calling isn't easy, but then the Lord never said it was going to be.”

This is a great reminder of John 17:24-16, which suggests that we are in the world, but not of the world. Perkins could have easily made a case for why he should be remembered as the inventor of rock n roll, “Mr. Blue Suede Shoes,” or the Beatles’ biggest influence. But instead, he wanted to be remembered as someone who loved his family, struggled with sin, found redemption in Christ, and lived out his faith in a tangible way in an industry that needed (and still needs) the gospel.  
Can our affiliates tell that there is something different in us? Do we carry ourselves in such a way that people inquiry about the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15)? Are we preaching the gospel to a lost and dying world?
God foreordained that we would be alive in this time and this place in our specific vocations. Let’s make our lives count and use our influence and occupations to have an eternal impact!

To God be the Glory,
Bro. Casey  

“These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness, and one who sows discord among the brethren.” Historically, these sins from Proverbs 6:16-19 have been coined the “Seven Deadly Sins”. Theologically, the Lord calls them abominations. The question is: Why does the Lord use that word? What is it about these sins that warrant such a harsh label? What does it even mean biblically? Well, let’s look.
“Abomination” in the Hebrew generally refers to something that is detestable, disgusting, abhorring, or idolatrous to the Lord. It has moral, ethical, and ritualistic applications but is most often used when referring to sins that are unnatural and specifically revolting to God. Unnatural abominations would be things like homosexuality (or any form of sexual immorality), child sacrifice, and bestiality – things that violated God’s original design for Creation. Ethical abominations would be things like lying, pride, murder, adultery, dishonoring parents, and sewing discord in the church – things that were offenses between people. And ritualistic abominations would be things like idolatry, violating dietary restrictions, and defiling the Sabbath or the House of God – things that would profane God’s design for worship.
Now, in all this there is an underlying principle of why abominations are isolated to be especially grievous: They are sins against the Person and character of God Himself. Abominations are specific acts that, when committed, are personal to God. They are crimes against Him. You see, though all sin has vertical (it offends God) and horizontal (it offends others) consequences, there are some that are especially egregious acts against the nature, Person, and character of God. The Bible calls them abominations, and, often, they came with the death penalty. That’s right, committing certain sins was punishable by death. That shows just how serious these offenses are to a holy God.
For the believer, we are not exempt from committing abominations so we must guard against the temptation to do so. Obviously, if we walk close to the Lord, we won’t want to commit such heinous acts against the God we love. However, Christians are capable of them. So, we must always keep our hearts and minds clear from the lust that would lure us into their trap. In so doing, we bless the Lord with faithfulness, not filthiness. Something to think about today!

Blessings,
Bro. Ben

The Lord of The Longbeards – Proverbs 12:27 
I love to hunt turkeys. It’s all I’ve been talking about the last few weeks. In Kentucky, spring season started on Saturday, 4/18. We had a busy schedule on opening day, so I had to wait until Sunday afternoon to go on my first hunt. As soon as I got home and unloaded the gifts from the baby shower (thank you all, by the way), I threw on my gear and hit the woods.  
At about 4:15pm, a tom (adult male) walks into the field. I see his bright blue head, his bright red gobble, and his black beard dangling from his chest. Any turkey hunter will tell you: Calling up a gobbler is the most addicting feeling ever. 
My adrenaline kicks in. He sees my hen (female) decoy, but he’s just outside of shotgun range. So here I am, gun raised, back against the ladder of the tree stand, sitting in the most awkward position, waiting for this gobbler to get close. But instead of getting closer, he decides to strut back and forth, trying to get my decoy to come to him. This continued until almost 6pm. He never got any closer.  
Knowing that turkey season is only 3 weeks, I told myself, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Needless to say, I overestimated my marksmanship. 
As soon as my struttin’ tom ran off, I told myself, “Golly, that was stupid.” 
When you blow it like that, your mind starts to race. “I should have done this differently.” “I shouldn’t have taken that shot.” “I should have come earlier.” “I should have gone to a different spot.” “I should have put my decoy further away.” But, what’s done is done. 
I always like to pray before I hunt, no matter what I‘m hunting- even squirrels. Before this hunt, I had prayed for wisdom, safety, and success. As you can see, thanks to my ego, I got the safety part, but not the other two!

Part of me didn’t want to go again this morning, but then I recalled Proverbs 12:27 -  
“The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.”

In other words: you snooze, you lose. But notice that last part: the diligent get their reward. What I needed yesterday wasn’t better shot placement or a stroke of luck; it was diligence. After another unsuccessful hunt this morning, I imagined what I would tell Ezra if he were in my shoes. I thought, “We’ll get him. We just gotta stick with it.” And if by God’s grace I do tag out this season, the satisfaction will be tenfold what I would have had on opening weekend.
There is so much biblical wisdom to be learned from hunting. Maybe that’s why there’s such a draw to it. In a world of smartphones, microwaves, and instant gratification, pursuing wild game forces you to be strategic (Proverbs 29:18, Luke 14:28), to be still (Psalm 46:10), to observe (Psalm 8:3-4), and sometimes, improvise.  
It’s amazing that God can use something as simple as hunting to conform us into the image of His Son. What is God trying to show you through the activities of your life? What Biblical wisdom can you gain from the things you enjoy doing- things like hunting, building, reading, or traveling? Open His Word, be diligent in prayer, and God will change you in ways that you didn’t expect.

To God Be the Glory,
Bro. Casey 

If you live long enough, you find that trends, fads, and movements come and go. If you live longer still, you find that many trends, fads, and movements eventually come back and become popular to a new generation. And if you are blessed to live long enough to make sense of it all, you realize that lasting change doesn't come from trends, fads, or movements at all, so you simply quit caring about them.
It breaks my heart, then, when I see the Church of Jesus Christ so willing to follow trends, fads, and movements, often at the expense of orthodoxy, tradition, and history? It breaks my heart to see believers become so desirous of something new when they often fail to see that "new" means little more than "naught". It breaks my heart to see believers caught up in, hurt by, and confused by fads, trends, and movements that are little more than repackaged deceptions that distract and detract from our mission.
It begs the question: Why are the promises of the things that God makes new everyday not good enough anymore: mercy, the old paths, strength, hope, purpose, the gathering of the saints etc. How have God's people been turned so far aside that they now find themselves playing marbles with God's diamonds? Surely there is an answer to it, but I fear it would not be a pleasing answer to the Lord.
This kind of rejection for God’s goodness is akin to the Israelites loathing (oh, what did they call it again? Oh, that’s right) “that worthless manna”. It seems that God’s people become easily shortsighted to His goodness that they begin to desire things that cannot satisfy. In our day, we’ve seen trends like “The Holiness Movement”, “The Prosperity Gospel”, and “The Self-Help Gospel” wreak havoc in the lives of believers. We’ve seen fads like postmodernism, social justice, intersectionality, and the like divide the Church like never before. And we’ve seen (what were called) “movements of the Holy Spirit” rise to popularity only to die out in unsustainability. All this is occurring simultaneously besides the decline of orthodoxy, traditionalism, and church history.
Naturally, the question becomes: Why is this happening? Historically, the answer to that question can be found in the pages of the Bible. The pattern Scripture provides tells us that periods of faithfulness are usually followed by periods of idolatry, apathy, and rebellion. Certainly, reading through Judges, the Kings/Chronicles, and the Prophets show us that God’s people are easily deluded by intoxicating temptations to chase after other things besides God: Wealth, leisure, and opulence to name a few. These things, though provided by God, are often quickly taken for granted, only to be followed by hard times.
This reason drives my desire for FBCUC to be a place of faithfulness; that we never take the blessings God has given to us for granted, but that we would put those blessings to work for the Kingdom’s sake. The spirit within me is compelled to never become too comfortable, but to always be ready to give glory to God for all the good things He has done.
I invite you to join me in this appreciation! God is doing so many good things here, and it would be a shame to forfeit the opportunity to praise and thank Him through faithfulness and obedience. He alone is worthy!
Blessings,
Bro. Ben

Somewhere in the middle of yesterday and tomorrow lies this little thing we call today. It’s the only part of life we are guaranteed. The “present” it is often called. Today started a long time ago (forgive the pun) when God made the very first day. At that moment, there was no yesterday, only today and tomorrow. It’s hard to imagine such a thing because we are so accustomed to time marching on to the tune of seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years. It’s all linear to us, and there is nothing we can do about it. We are captured and immersed in its clutch.
But to God, it’s different. To God, there is no yesterday, today, or tomorrow. He exists beyond the limits of time. It only makes sense, really, since He is the One who made time. But He is not confined by it or held to its demand. Think of painter, if it helps to understand this. A painter exists beyond the limits of the picture he/she has created. Though the picture captures the essences of time, tone, mood, setting, or context, the painter exists beyond the limitations of his/her creation. They are part of it, but they are not confined to it.
Theologically, we call this timeless nature of God “eternal”. The fact that God is beyond time gives Him the capacity to “be” in all three aspects of time simultaneously. Because He is present throughout time, this gives His character the capacity to be other things as well: omniscient, sovereign, and omnipotent to name a few. Because God is eternal, He can know all things that have ever occurred, are occurring all over the world right now, and those things that will occur in the future. Because He is eternal, He can guide His desired outcomes to come to pass – His will we call it. And because He is eternal, He can providentially control all aspects of humanity, creation, and events without any trouble whatsoever.
So, for you and me today, this gives us great comfort. The nature of time itself causes many great anxiety. Many dread the past and all its mistakes. Many dread today because of all the problems we face in our time. And many fear tomorrow because we don’t know what will happen. Time has a way of causing us to respond to it in these ways. It’s always pressing – always demanding. So, it’s good to know that we serve a God who is eternal, omniscient, sovereign, and omnipotent. He is never surprised by the events of the world. He is never pressured to meet a deadline or be somewhere when He’s needed most. And He is never overwhelmed by the management that His creation requires. He created it all and it all worship Him through its design. He looks down from heaven, and He sees each one of us; and He knows how to provide, on this day, our daily bread. A comforting fact indeed!

Blessings,
Bro. Ben

J.S. Bach was the most important composer of what we call the baroque period- an era of music marked by dramatic expression, sudden shifts in volume or sound, expressive melodies, and intricate counterpoint (multiple melodies woven together).
This past week, I wrote a paper for my History of Worship class on Bach’s Cantata BWV 80: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott. The title is German for, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” a beloved chorale by Martin Luther that we still sing to this day.
Bach took Luther’s chorale and made it into a cantata (a medium-length narrative piece for choir featuring soloists and orchestra) to celebrate the Protestant Reformation almost exactly 200 years after the Reformation took place. The original text of Mighty Fortress and different variations of the melody (sung by soloists and the choir and played by the orchestra) can be heard throughout. So, for example: the first movement uses the text of the first stanza (“A mighty fortress is our God”), the second movement uses the second stanza + the melody, so on and so forth.
Just like how Bach used Luther’s Mighty Fortress as his source material, Luther used Psalm 46 (written by the sons of Korah, a family of musicians that led the Levites in worship in the temple) as his source material. For example, Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Luther paraphrases this verse: “A mighty fortress is our God, a sure defense and armor.”
As you can see, we’ve got a clear line of inspiration: Psalm 46 --> Mighty Fortress --> Cantata BWV 80.
This line of inspiration is so fascinating to me, and it shows just that our worship practices didn’t spring up out of nowhere; we’re standing on the shoulders of giants who had a deep love for Yahweh and wanted to glorify Him through music.
This is a reminder that, as 1 Peter 1:23-25 says, the gospel of Jesus Christ is imperishable and enduring forever. Because of that, God is worthy to be praised! As we move forward together and sing the songs of the faith, let’s continue to remind ourselves of His enduring Word, His faithfulness, and His worthiness to be praised throughout the ages!