Community Pastor Preaches Saturday and Sunday Services
Submitted by: Brian Ninedorf on Monday, December 06, 2010
Keywords: News
Brian Ninedorf, our Community Pastor here at The Dwelling Place, received the nod from Senior Pastor Darren Whitehead to preach at this past weekend’s services. Brian has been at the church since April 2010 and has been a great addition to the developing of the community dynamic of our church body. Having recently launched the Life Groups program, Brian has worked hard at cultivating both the leaders and the people that make this ministry possible.
“In a season where people are trying to find the best deals, lowest prices, and newest items to purchase for loved ones during the holidays, you can just imagine how much stress and anxiety is added to people when Thanksgiving passes and December rolls around. Not to mention the stunning amount of people who are forced to spend these coveted days alone. Yes indeed, December is a month of joy and excitement, as well as pain, sorrow, and loneliness. You can just imagine which month out of the year has the most suicides… I did the research… its April!” Those in attendance showed their favor upon this well-timed joke by responding with an eruption of laughter.
The passage used to address his listeners this chilly Sunday morning was found in Philippians 2:4-9. Brian sought to relay a message of peace, exhorting the people to cultivate this in three ways:
1) Verse 4 reads, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” Within our rejoicing in the Lord, we will find that peace that so often escapes our minds. By consciously giving glory and praise to God we come into harmony with this precious fruit of the Spirit. For through our rejoicing we live out what verse 5 teaches by “letting our gentleness be known to all men.”
2) In verses 6 and 7, Paul exhorts the Philippians to “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” He does not, in fact, portray this activity as one that is groggy, wearisome, or boring. Quite the contrary! For how would that description fit into the following verse? “7And the PEACE of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (emphasis added). Thus through prayer we are setting ourselves up to receive a mysterious, yet comforting, peace that acts as our own personal body guard, protecting us from the inside, where it is most needed.
3) Finally, in addition to an attitude of joy and an activity of heart-felt prayer, Brian encouraged the church by verses 8 and 9 to maintain right thinking. Look at what Paul writes: “Finally, brethren, whatever is true…honorable…lovely…of good repute…excellence…worthy of praise…think about these things.” As we set our minds to continuously think about these items, which are truly most worth our consideration, as is promised in verse 9, “the God of peace will be with you.” What greater confidence comes upon one’s heart and mind than when it is known that God will be near? How could there be any more assurance to be had than in the promise of the presence of God dwelling with the person who fixes his mind upon the beautiful things of God and makes it a practice to do so?
“Though this may be a time of anxiety and pressure,” Brian would go on to say by way of summation, “there is peace to be found in the person of Almighty God, as He promises us in His enduring Word.”
To hear this sermon, please visit our video archive and select the date of this past Sunday (12-5-2010).
May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.