March has been a crazy time for our community as a whole and me personally. March has included two trips to San Antonio, a stop in Galveston, a cruise to Mexico and Honduras, and to a preaching conference in El Paso. With that busyness has come so much good, state championships, quality time with loved ones, and precious time in the Word.
While on our cruise to Mexico, the weather was a bit bleak for the first few days, it was cloudy and rainy. This weather put some members of our traveling party in a bit of a grumpy state, fair enough, when booking a trip to the Caribbean you expect sunshine and fair temperatures. Yet my father-in-law had a different outlook, “This just means more time to play card games together” or “Let’s go watch one of the shows on the ship” he would say. He was looking to make the best of the trip and be joyful overall.
So often in life we miss this mark, to be joyful – even though we are called to rejoice in Christ (Phil. 4:4). It is a hard calling, we all have plenty of trials, losing loved ones, losing jobs, broken friendships, poor decisions, etc. On top of the trials, life often gets busy, the world stops for no one. We all kids to focus on, spouses, birthdays, work, etc. Life can be full of toils that all pile upon another.
However, we are called to be joyous in the face of life, just as my father-in-law was joyous in the face of poor weather, why? Because we can look forward to the glory that lays ahead in Christ; and this Easter should magnify that hope.
Nearly 2000 years ago Jesus Christ was delivered to the cross as the sacrifice for our sins and through his death imputed his righteousness back unto us (2 Cor. 5:21) – restoring our relationship with the Lord, bringing us the hope of his glory.
Paul writes in Romans 5:2, “Through him [Jesus] we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”
As the weight of life adds up, the busyness carries on, take a moment this week to look to the glory of our Father that we have received through Christ. What a glorious and amazing wonder we get to celebrate daily because of the work of Christ. Rejoice in Christ now and forever.

-Slade Knowlton

Tiffany and I have entered into a new phase of parenting. There are several milestones that you think will never come and then all of a sudden, they appear. This milestone is having a teenage driver. It’s only a learner’s permit, but by the end of the summer our oldest will legally be able to drive on her own. In some ways that makes us a little nervous, but in most ways it just makes us feel old.
We’ve decided to take the parent-taught route. So she has completed all of her online coursework and now we have so many hours of drive time that we have to log with her. We both feel capable and emotionally stable enough to teach her, so we take turn letting her drive home from workouts, take us to Thriftway, or other small errands around town. We’ll slowly build up to longer trips as we feel like she’s ready. Honestly, she is catching on very quickly and it shouldn’t take long for her to drive into Amarillo.
But teaching her to drive has taught me several things, especially the first time letting her get behind the wheel. Growing up, my grandparents had a farm so all of my summers were spent helping on the farm. That meant that I started driving back and forth to the fields on three-wheelers, four-wheelers, and farm trucks before I was a teenager, and then tractors and grain trucks not long after that. Because I’ve been driving for so long, I have a lot of knowledge and experience that I take for granted. So that first time I let our daughter drive, I realized that I had failed to prepare her in some ways because I assumed she knew things that she couldn’t have known. She had never driven before. Now I’m not trying to over-dramatize anything. Overall, her first time driving went really well. It just brought to my attention the need to go all the way back to the basics and to communicate those things to her.
This is also what we’re called to do in our homes and in the church. We have a wide range of people in different stages of their spiritual walks. Young, brand-new believers. Older, brand-new believers. Young, experienced believers. Older, more experienced believers. How are we using are stage in life? Experienced believers, are you seeking out newer believers and using your knowledge and life experience to help them grow? Newer believers, are you seeking out those mature, experience believers to help you grow? In the same way a teenager wants to do everything they can to learn how to drive, new believers should want to grow in their faith. But someone has to teach them. Sure, they could teach themselves, but having someone to guide them along the way helps them avoid unnecessary trials, mistakes, and heartache. And the growth happens quicker than it would on their own.
We must humble ourselves to want to teach and to want to be taught. That is the very essence of discipleship. It’s the way that God designed it. He left us with the charge to make disciples, and that is our primary purpose in life (Matt. 28:18-20). And it was Paul’s charge to Titus and to us. Older men are to train the younger men. Older women are to train the younger women. And both are to be an example to everyone. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2).

Lord, help us to train others, and to allow others to train us.

- Kendall Harris

We went skiing over the weekend with a few of our friends and their families. Like the rest of the Rocky Mountains, Angel Fire has received almost no snow the entire ski season. I’ve been skiing dozens of times over the last 20 years and this weekend was hands down the worst skiing conditions I’ve ever seen. I was honestly shocked they were willing to open. Though they manipulate the metrics to make it look more appealing online, the truth is that there was very minimal coverage, with about 4 total runs open on the entire mountain. The runs that were open were 95% man-made snow, and with the Spring Break temperatures, the “snow” slid along a spectrum from ice to slush. At one point, the front lift was closed due to high winds, and we had to ride a shuttle around to the back side of the mountain if we wanted to keep skiing. A bird’s-eye-view would reveal a catastrophe of a ski trip. How did my kids feel about it?
They loved it. Every minute. We couldn’t drag them off the mountain at the end of the day. They raced to get in one more lift ride before they closed. We had a total of 14 kids with us, ranging from 9-18 years old, and not one was complaining about the snow conditions or the weather or the lift closures. They sat in the cabin in the evenings and regaled us with stories of their mountain exploits. Hopefully, memories were made that will last a lifetime.
A child, especially a beginner on the slopes, doesn’t need piles of fresh powder, or 80 different possible ways down the mountain. They don’t need perfect weather or state-of-the-art ski equipment. They only need a downhill slope with some form of snow-like-material and a couple regular skis strapped to their feet. The purest joy is in the essentials of the sport. To ski downhill, to glide unencumbered in God’s creation.
We have spent nearly 70 weeks in the book of Luke at FBC and we will be covering the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ on Good Friday evening and Easter morning, which are just a few short weeks away. The majority of the people in your life who are far from God do not need a great theological treatise. They don’t need a Christian apologetic for every possible disagreement. They don’t need the ins-and-outs of church polity or denominational affiliations. Instead, most need the distilled, unadulterated gospel message.
(1) They have a great need - “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
(Romans 3:23)
(2) There is a great provision - “and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:24)
All people need to hear that Christ was crucified and Christ was raised from the dead in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:3-4). That message will be revealed with clarity over Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Perhaps, you simply need to ask someone to come with you to church, and they might find (and you may be reminded) that the purest joy is in the essentials of the faith.

- Josh Light

Recently Silas has really been struggling during the evenings, he’s fussy, tired, and bored all in one. Last night was no different, except Kenzie was not feeling well to add to the chaos. We decided to try driving around to calm Silas. Silas was fussy for most of it, until he fell asleep just as we were arriving home. Kenzie immediately told me to keep driving; I was a bit eager – Silas was finally calm – so I sped up. As I did, I hit a bump, it was just enough to wake him. Kenzie immediately scolded me, “You have to go slow!”.
The idea to slow down had not crossed my mind in a while, Wednesday nights are full steam ahead, basketball is moving at breakneck speeds, and Silas has shown me how rapidly life moves ahead. It is safe to say I am in the full swing of life, and it is not slowing down anytime soon. Why would I not speed up?
Often in life we tend to react in this nature, things get a bit chaotic, busy, or trying so we speed up to match life’s pace. After all that is that is what our American life has taught us, those who work hard and fast are successful. We are told that the only way to the top is to charge full steam ahead. All your desires lay ahead while your worries will fade behind.
It is hard to slow down, it our natural reaction to speed up. Here’s the deal, when we speed up, we began to take more on our own and less to the Lord. If we are out chasing what is before us, we cannot be chasing the Lord.  Psalms 46 starts by declaring the Lord as our refuge and strength, he is the one who protects us and provides for us. In times of hardship, chaos, and busyness He is the one we are called to run to.
The Lord is our peace, if we take our eyes off him and to the worries of the world we will have no peace, we will run into bumps in the road, waking the baby. Psalm 46 ends by calling the reader to “be still, and know that I am God.” When life calls you to speed up, do not match it speed through your own means, be still and look to the Lord for refuge. God will not be moved regardless at how enormous the mountains are, how fierce the sea rages, or how mighty the storm blows, he is a fortress and our refuge.
I encourage you to take a moment to be still with the Lord by reading Psalm 46.

-Slade

We are currently right in the middle of the Winter Olympics. I don’t know how excited you get about the Olympics, but we really enjoy them at our house. We are probably bigger fans of the Summer Olympics, most likely because we can relate to or understand those events better, but we enjoy watching it all.
As I was watching the events over the past few days, I started thinking about how critical I was being of the athletes and how stupid that was. Thinking things like, “I can’t believe she didn’t stick that landing.” But then quickly realizing she was just thrown 11 feet in the air, spun several times, and tried to land one-footed on a slim, sharp piece of metal.”
Or, “Oh he went too wide on that turn and it’ll cost him 2 tenths of a second…while he was traveling 70 miles per hour down a steep, snow-covered hill, on two wooden sticks trying to weave in out of plastic poles sticking out of the ground.”
And “Man, she won’t medal because she didn’t keep her line around that curve…while going 60+ miles per hour headfirst down a steep, ice-covered track with several sharp turns, riding on a little plastic sled.”
I was struck by the ridiculousness of the things that I was thinking. The problem was that my perspective was off. I was watching the most elite athletes in the world competing against each other, while listening to former elite athletes critique the events. Every athlete has dedicated their entire lives to growing and improving their abilities to be able to compete on the global stage, and I had just turned on the TV 10 minutes ago.
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “When everyone is special, no one is.” When every athlete is elite, we lose perspective on how truly gifted these people are. At some point in each of the events, I would like them to put an average-past-his-prime-athlete out there to compete in the event so that we could truly understand the athleticism that we are witnessing.
How often are we guilty of this same type of thinking in our everyday life? How often are we overly critical of judgmental of someone else based solely on our perspective of the situation? We have to stop and ask ourselves: Do we have all the facts? Do we know how this person’s past might affect how they are acting now? Are they a believer? If not, are they simply acting as we’d expect an unbeliever to act? How would I respond if I were in their situation?
Some of the only things that we have in common with all people is our imperfection and struggle with sin due to the Fall, and the opportunity for redemption through the grace of Jesus. I pray that the Lord would help us to view our circumstances, and the circumstances of others through that perspective. Let us not rely on our own experience and perspective, but may we seek the Lord and his help to see things as they truly are.

Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. - Proverbs 3:7

-Kendall

Look, I’m well aware that some time away from social media could probably do me some good in the area of mental health, clarity of thought, and most of all, focus on God. I’m also sensitive to my calling, as a pastor, to be somewhat aware of the goings-on of our world and the social reality that God’s people are living in. So, I am with you in feeling the tension all around us to think a certain way, to hold certain positions, and to adopt the biases of certain political worldviews. Of course, this involves the constant attack and denigration of anything and anyone who might hold the opposing political, social, or cultural opinion. The arena is muddy, and no one who enters leaves without becoming dirty themselves. The problem is that we have reached a point where every single thing that happens will be painted in a good light by one side of the spectrum, and then almost immediately repudiated by the other side. There seems to be nothing that might happen that could possibly be championed across the board. Ninety-nine percent of the time, this divide is along political lines — the right feeling obligated to oppose the left at every turn, and vice-versa. My fear is that, over time, the casual on-looker begins to wonder, “Is anything actually good? Is anything actually right? Because everything only seems right for a split second until the opposite side tells us why it is wrong.”
I still believe that we must not forsake the Scriptures for social media, or the Holy Spirit for hot takes. There is still a place for big picture Bible fidelity that is not politically motivated. There is still a place for godliness with contentment. (1 Tim. 6:6) There is a way to live a quiet life before God. (1 Thess. 4:11) It is not legalistic to kill sin (Col. 3:5) or to pursue peace and holiness (Heb. 12:14).

What is good??
1. It is good to love God with all you have and to love your neighbor as yourself. (Matt. 22:27-28).
2. It is good to be a recognized part of the body of Christ (the local church) and to regularly gather with those saints. (Rom. 12:4-5, 1 Cor. 12:12-30, Heb. 10:25)
3. It is good to recognize the image of God in each and every human being, as those who have dignity, worth, and purpose. (Gen. 1:26-27, Eph. 2:10)
4. It is good to understand God’s image as being displayed in two genders (Gen. 1:27), and that God’s design for sexuality is consistently described as heterosexual and within the parameters of marriage.
5. It is good to oppose the willful disregard for God’s image through the killing of the innocent or compromised - whether through abortion, genocide, medically-assisted suicide, or otherwise. (Ex. 20:13, Prov. 6:16-17)
6. It is good to be a law-abiding citizen of your country and to pray for its peace, prosperity, and leaders. (Jer. 29:7, Rom. 13:1, 1 Tim. 2:1-2)
7. It is good to love and to seek the welfare of victims of injustice, including immigrants, orphans, and widows. (Lev. 19:33-34, Is.1:17, Jam. 1:27)
8. It is good to understand that the kingdom of God - both now and into eternity - is not exclusively American. (Acts 1:8, Rev. 7:9-10)
9. It is good to give the best part of your time and attention towards making disciples of your neighbors and the nations. (Matt. 28:19-20)
10. Finally, it is good to be more devoted to good works than spending your time arguing about things on the internet. (Titus 3:8-9)

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? - Micah 6:8

-Josh Light

Last Thursday, I was offered a chance to attend a last-minute, all-day, Youth Ministers networking event in Lubbock over that weekend by another Youth Pastor. We personally did not know each other, besides a few text messages and some mutual connections. I struggled on deciding if I should go: it was a full day, plus meeting a new person and others, and who really wants to be in Lubbock all day anyways? Yet, I hesitantly said yes and began re-reading the text to make sure I had all the details correct. I then realized I had said yes to attending a youth event, not a networking event. This caused some panic as youth events tend to take more energy and a different mindset, but I calmed down as I realized I had said yes because I had felt that I had reason to attend, and spending time with our youth is one of the best parts of the job.
So, I began to ask around to youth and parents to see if anyone would want to tag along, in which two boys said they’d like to go! As Saturday came, we loaded up around 6 am and met Youth Pastor who invited me to go at his church in Amarillo. I’ll be honest the event itself was just okay, but the day was great. The Youth Pastor who invited me, was a great host and it was good to connect with some local guys, I even got to catch up with the pastor who Baptized me. More importantly, I had a great time with the two youth who came with fun throughout the day! All in all, it was a wonderful day, and I was glad that I said yes, avoiding my hesitancy.
So often we encounter these times, where we feel a nudge or have a feeling, or even just flat know what we need to do but are often hesitant to say yes. I have been just as guilty as anyone in these moments, struggling to say yes or responding with a no. Yet we respond this way and so many of us struggle to know and understand what God’s will is for our life. Most of us would like a big sign pointing us in the right direction or God to just outright speak to us.
There are two simple truths to knowing the Lords will and his calling for us, one - we are called to glorify him and two- he has spoken to us. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” When we seek to glorify God, our hearts are put at ease, we can be sure we are pursuing his will. Well Slade, “How do I know that it will be glorifying to God?”, you may ask. Well, does the action or thing before you align with God’s word? Psalm 119:160 tells us, “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.” We can be confident that God has spoken to us through his word and that his words will endure forever.
I am so glad I said yes to going to Lubbock this past weekend, I am glad I chose the opportunity to delight in the Lord. The Lord is the only place we can find true peace with our actions. If you’ve been hesitant over a calling, decision, or situation, look to the Lord and his word, and if it aligns – say yes and delight in him.

-Slade Knowlton

This past weekend was extremely cold. I know you probably didn’t need me to tell you that, but it’s true. Temperatures like that are not common but they’re also not unusual. There’s usually a stretch of days every couple of years that the temperatures drop to significantly low numbers. One of the things that made this one so dramatic was how mild the winter had been so far. It hardly felt like winter until it slammed into us with single digit temps and snow.
Hopefully you fared ok during the storm. Thankfully, we have been blessed with technology that warns us that a storm like this is coming. When you know that it’s coming and how bad it will be, you can make the necessary preparations ahead of time. Even though you know the stores will be packed with people stocking up on groceries, ice melt, heaters, blankets, and gasoline, you choose to brave the “storm” at the store, rather than the storm outside. You don’t want to get out in it if you don’t have to.
This is our first winter in our new house, so this is the first time we’ve had to prepare this house for extremely cold weather. Each house is different, and you get a better idea of what needs to be done with each winter. But the basic things that you have to do are the same: drip the faucets, try to cover drafty windows and doors, move the firewood closer to the door, use extra blankets and wear extra clothes so that the central heat doesn’t have to work too hard.
All of this preparation was for a storm that was expected to last only a few days. And it was totally necessary and right for us to do it. We want to protect our house and our family, but in the end, those are temporary issues. Those are physical and material concerns, that only last for this lifetime. All of us have eternal preparations that we have to address.
There are things that we need to be doing each day to prepare for the daily struggles and temptations of life: time in the Word, time in prayer, time in fellowship and discipleship with fellow believers. We know from experience that those struggles and temptations will come.
But we don’t know when the Lord will return. We know that He will, but he hasn’t told us when. We can’t wait until the last minute to prepare, because we don’t have an app or a news station giving us hour-to-hour updates on when He will come back. We have to be prepared now. Jesus tells us to “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home…Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes…You must also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Luke 12:35-40)
We don’t know when He will return, but we want to be prepared when he does. And we want others to be prepared as well. So consider how you are spending your time, money, and resources. Is it preparing yourself or others for eternity, or is it serving your temporary, fleeting pleasures and desires? We don’t want to be caught off guard. There’s too much at stake.

-Kendall Harris

It was very good to be back with you for worship on Sunday after a few weeks away. As most of you know, Amber and I spent about 10 days in London for our 20th wedding anniversary over the turn of the year. We loved every minute and got to visit several wonderful places and made memories that will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
We did not rent a car while we were there. In fact, we never rode in a car, period! Not a taxi or an Uber. We took public transit everywhere, and of course, that meant that we also did a lot of walking!
As you probably know, they drive on the wrong side of the road over there in the United
Kingdom. Which, again, we didn’t drive so there was no driving curve to learn. But, we walked a ton in the city and that meant crossing hundreds of London city streets. Like all of you, I have spent the entirety of my 43 years on this earth looking left first before I crossed a street. How many times have you told your children: “Look left, then right, and then left again, and then you can cross the street.”? Looking left is all I’ve ever done. It’s my natural bent. All my life, my most immediate danger was to my left.
Now, to be fair, the English know they are doing it wrong, because they are aware that everyone who visits their country is instinctively looking left first when crossing a street. And the reason that I know that is that if you look down at the pavement at every crosswalk you will see - painted on the street in bold, all capital letters - “LOOK RIGHT”. It is there to give every foreigner a clear word that could save their life.
At every crosswalk, you will be reminded: “your natural instincts will kill you. So, look right.” Truthfully, the world around us is looking for something that will bring meaning or fulfillment to their lives. In the midst of loneliness, anxiety, addiction, and uncertainty - people are looking for an answer. But, the nature of sin makes so that their natural inclinations are to look to solutions that are no solutions at all. They repeat the cycles of self-sabotage because they don’t know that returning to that well will bring about their demise. Someone needs to tell them: “Look right!”
“Look over here - look to Christ!”
Who will be voice in our community and our region that there is a better place to look? Who will proclaim and herald and announce the name of Jesus? Who will share the gospel with someone who is at their wits’ end?
If you truly believe that you have life-saving news, then share it with those who need it in 2026!
- Josh Light

This time of year, the gyms are full, fridges are stocked on clean foods, and hopes are high. Everyone is set on a new resolution and plan of action for the New Year, usually with hopes of improving in some form or fashion. My goal is to ultimately read more, a habit I have been slowly working on building up over the last few years, but I want to be extra diligent this year. Yet we are only two weeks into the year, and I am reading a bit more but not near my planned commitment. I’m sure many of you are in the same boat, still rolling along with a plan but it is slowly fading into something less than envisioned. Honestly, this is nothing new, we all know this about our plans, they tend to go in a different direction than we had originally mapped out. So often we apply this same logic to our Lord, making plans that fit our desires around his, working the two out together.
We often will try to put plan a perfect concoction of our desires and goals alongside
what God has called us to do or is calling us to do. We’ll rush into to Church to rush out, maybe family is in town or there is PYB practice later. Or maybe we will spend time in the Word but not make the time to pray, after all work starts at 8 am and the kids need to be in bed by 8pm, where is the time? I am as guilty as anyone, becoming a father has changed my entire routine, as it should. I didn’t plan or think it would end up this way, and I believe most people feel the same way, but slowly our plans change.
Proverbs 16 starts by declaring “The plans of the heart belong to man”, our desires
come from a broken, sinful heart that does not belong to the Lord’s. While it doesn’t make all our actions, desires, or thoughts sinful, it does let sin creep in every so often. What was once a good and God honoring resolution to eat cleaner, be faithful to the Word, exercise more, or the desire to play basketball, spend time with family, etc., has begun to change into something it wasn’t. Here’s the truth our desires will lead us down a path that changes constantly, there is no stability within out sinful hearts. Our plans that come from our hearts and desires are bound to change, because there is only one constant – sin.
Here’s the good news, like I said earlier we tend to think or behave as if God’s plans
and desires unravel just like ours – they don’t. Proverbs 16 goes on to say in verse 9 that “the
heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps”, God is leading the way for his
plan. He has no sin to derail him, his thoughts, feelings, and desires remain a constant – they do not change. As the new year begins, I encourage you to make sure your plans are aligned with the Lord, and if they’ve already gone wayside, look to him to correct course. Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established”, his plan knows no fail and no change.

-Slade

It feels strange that it’s already time to take the Christmas decorations down. I don’t know how early you put yours up or long you wait to take them down, but we typically leave ours up till around New Years Day or little after. We’re taking a little bit longer than normal this year to try to go through all that we have and get rid of the decorations that we don’t use anymore.
But every year, the process of taking down the decorations is a little sad, and I feel like almost everyone can relate to that. I don’t know that I could pinpoint one reason that it’s sad. I think it’s probably a combination of several things. There’s the sentimental nature of the decorations themselves. That could be the length of time that you’ve been putting them out, the person who gave it to you, or maybe it’s something the kids made. Christmas decorations also have a natural beauty to them: the greenery, the lights, the colors. Or maybe the decorations are symbolic of time togetherness, generosity, comfort, warmth, and tradition.
So maybe the decorations represent a feeling. Something that combines all of those things into something that’s difficult to describe, but it is obvious when it is missing, and we don’t want it to go away. But if we’re honest, we know that it’s not the decorations themselves because we put them away every year. We know that leaving them out all year would not fill the void that we feel when we pack it all up.
It's much deeper than that. The Christmas season provides a respite from the daily grind. It helps force people to think outside themselves. We are more intentional with each other. We tend to be more generous. A moment in time when all people share the same anticipation of something to come. A joint celebration.
But does that only describe Christmas? I believe it describes how things were intended to be all the time. And our sadness in packing up Christmas is simply a subconscious realization that things are broken. A desire for things to be made right. A longing for the perfection of all things.
Christmas is the beginning of God’s work to redeem our sadness. Christ’s first coming set in motion the plan to make us whole again. And Christ’s second coming will complete that plan. So as the Christmas season ends, we embrace the sadness as it reminds us that things are not as they should be, but we know that it will not be this way forever. We live in hope, knowing that he will make all things right. That’s a feeling that will last forever.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, 
so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
-Romans 15:13

-Kendall

We’ve been talking a lot about Joy this Advent season from Philippians. This has led me to wonder: Is the pursuit of joy in Jesus above all things optional or essential? In other words, is joy a nice addition if you can get it OR is it mandatory for Christian living?
Think about Psalm 16:11 — ‘You [God] make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Seven quick observations from this verse:

1. There is a path that leads to joy in the presence of God.
2. God is the one who makes known this path. He points us on the way.
3. In God’s presence there is fullness of joy. Not 99% joy, but complete, 100% joy.
4. These pleasures are forevermore. Not 80 years, or even 80 million years, but eternal.
5. 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “All the promises of God find their ‘yes’ in Christ.” That means the promise of Psalm 16:11 is for those who belong to Jesus.
6. God’s presence is the exclusive location of this eternal joy. It is not one of many places, it is the only place and the only reality that can make us happy forever.
7. Therefore, following this path is our duty and our delight. It is not a possibility or an option, but an obligation.

CS Lewis wrote to Sheldon Vanauken, “It is a Christian duty, as you know, for everyone to be as happy as he can.” (A Severe Mercy, 189) God is telling us, “Get on the path! Take the road to full and lasting pleasure!”

Here are four reasons that I think Christians must be joyful people:

1. Joy has everything to do with suffering. If you are a Christian, you will suffer. Read Matthew 16:24 or John 16:33 or Acts 14:22 or 2 Timothy 3:12. We will suffer in this life, but we can only suffer well if we are finding our joy in the Lord, instead of our circumstances.
2. Joy has everything to do with loving other people. To truly love someone is to be willing to lay down your life for their supreme joy. How can you share what you do not have?
3. Joy has everything to do with displaying the glory of God. God simply will not be glorified in our lives if we find something else that gives us more joy than he does.
4. Joy has everything to do with your ultimate identity. Who are you? What were you made for? Has the Holy Spirit given you a new heart? Has Jesus rescued you from death? Are you born again?

If so, then it a Christian duty, as you know, for everyone to be as happy as they can.
-Josh

This past Sunday, I caught myself almost un-controllably belting “Glo-oooo-oooo-oooo-ria” when signing “Angels We Have Heard on High” during the service. And I believe this is worthy, as not only was it worship to our Lord, but the hymn is a certified jam. All be it I think I was singing so loud, that a few of the youth moved down their pews from me. I had never researched the song before, so I decided to dig in a bit. The original hymn was written 1862 and draws from an early church Hymn named “Gloria in excelsis Deo” with each drawing biblical inspiration from Luke 2:14. In Luke 2:14 the angels of heaven announce the birth of Jesus. A beautiful moment in the story of Jesus, leading to the shepherds going to Bethlehem.
As I sung, I truly was joyful in the moment worshiping the Lord, enjoying the moment with him and his people. It was like I slowed down for a couple of moments, which has been rare during the holidays. Of course, most of you would say likewise, that slowing down is tough this time of year. Yet as I dug into the hymn and read through Luke 1-2, I realized no one was distracted by the things of their daily lives, each person had their attentions turned towards the Lord. I’m sure Joseph and Mary had plenty to do, Elizabeth was pregnant herself, and the Shepherds were in the middle of a workday. Yet, everyone involved in the Christ birth turned their attention away from daily lives to focus on the Lord.
It is such a simple and basic realization, but we are called to do the same regardless of what is going on in our lives. We are called to turn our attention to the Lord, never letting our eyes drift. As the angels say in Luke 2:14, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”, our attention should be on the one who is highest and provider of peace. The Christmas story is really one of a fast moving, worrisome mix of unknowns for all involved, yet peace is felt by all.
Thus, I realized the most basic realization of them all, my eyes had drifted from God during this chaotic season. My attention had turned to my newborn, weddings, family gatherings, presents, etc. The peace I had felt while belting “Gloria in excelsis Deo” was really my attention returning to the one who is most high. And while I know this is said in some form or fashion yearly during this time, I call you to do the same. It doesn’t mean daily life stops; rather daily life is done with glory to our King. I challenge you to belt out in worship, stop and pray a few extra minutes, dive into your favorite book of the bible, whatever it is I pray that your eyes wander to Jesus and that you give glory to God in the highest.

- Slade

I have to confess that, having grown up in church, it can be easy for me to no longer be shocked by the truth of the incarnation. The unfathomable made ordinary by familiarity. But it is difficult for our finite minds to even begin to comprehend how God, the Creator of all things, could put on flesh and live among us, His creation. To live in our limited nature and to experience life as we do.
I’m thankful for songs that are written to remind of us that truth. One in particular that has been truly revealing to me this year, is a song on one of my favorite Christmas albums. The song is an old Dutch hymn that had been translated into English several decades ago and then and recently redone with contemporary music and instruments. I’ve listened to this song for several years now, and I’m embarrassed to admit that it took me this long for me to be awakened to the lyrics, but they are truly incredible.
I want you to read the lyrics for yourself before you listen to it. Read it several times. Notice the stark contrasts between Jesus’ deity and our humanity. Consider the fact that it was our sin that made it necessary for Him to come in the first place. And that His purpose for coming was to die for the sins that we’ve committed.
I know that just last week, Josh wrote a post about the incarnation. But it is Christmas time, and it is our hope that you will not let the season pass without truly reflecting on what we are actually celebrating at Christmas, what it meant for Jesus, and what it means for us. Allow the Spirit to help you see it as if for the first time.
-Kendall

The big theological word “incarnation” starts getting tossed around come Christmastime. It refers to teaching that the eternal Son of God took on flesh at a certain moment in human history. This moment when transcendent God became the imminent God - what the angel told Joseph in Matthew 1:23, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us.)

There is no Christianity without the Incarnation. Unless the true God of true God took upon himself our flesh, the corruption of sin and death could not be adequately dealt with. This is the glory of Christmas. Far from simply embracing an infant in a manger, we are celebrating the miracle of God becoming one of us for the purpose of saving us from ourselves.

Athanasius was the bishop of Alexandria for over 40 years between the years 328-370. He is most famous for the Creed named after him in which he gives a brilliant defense of the Trinity. He is also known for his short but powerful work “On the Incarnation”, written to describe exactly why God had to become a man. Though the language is a bit archaic and scholarly, I am attaching a short section of that work here for your edification. Read it slowly, maybe even out loud and allow it prepare your heart and soul for Christmas!

Today is Veteran’s Day, so I would like to personally thank any of you reading this that have served, are serving, or have family members that are veterans. I know that it is a great sacrifice to serve in our military, regardless of the capacity of service. We are truly grateful for what you have done for our country. We are able to live freely, and more importantly, worship freely because of your service to our country.
All of this has me thinking about the idea of freedom and how easily we take it for granted. Holidays like Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, and even the Fourth of July, help remind us of the costs of freedom, because we are quick to forget unless we are confronted with it on a regular basis.
We have become so accustomed to our freedoms that it is difficult for us to even define “freedom” without having something to contrast against it. You have to point to a country and say we are a free country because we’re not like that country. I believe that our inability to recognize and define freedom has led us to take our freedom for granted. It’s caused us to become complacent or to even feel entitled to that freedom.
This applies all the more to our spiritual lives. The longer you have been a believer, the easier it is to take our freedom in Christ for granted; to feel entitled to certain things that are a gift and not a right. When we forget the cost of our freedom, we view our freedom from the wrong perspective.
One of the greatest downfalls of the American church is the very thing that allows it to exist. The Lord has truly blessed us with great freedom in our wealth, our buildings, our education, and especially in our freedom from persecution. We can gather at any time, without fear of being arrested or killed. So, we should thank God for those things. But more often than not, the more we have of something, the less we value it and the less we appreciate it. It just becomes a part of our lives, and we don’t even recognize it anymore.
When it comes to our faith and the church, the freedom that we have to worship has been twisted into a choice that we make rather than a privilege that we treasure. Our American freedoms have bled into the church and has done a disservice to us. There are people around the world experiencing greater intimacy and dependence on the Lord because they are facing the threat of death for their beliefs.
Our “freedom” has become the “freedom” to choose whether or not we come to church each week, or to pray, or read our Bible. It’s up to us. But the freedom that we experience in our country is not the same freedom given to us by Christ. For one who has died has been set free from sin…and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness…and have become slaves of God (Romans 6:7, 18, 22).
In Christ, we are free from the bondage of sin and the condemnation of the Law. However, that does not mean that we are free to live however we want to. We are now slaves of God. But [his] yoke is easy and [his] burden is light (Matt 11:30). When we truly understand his sacrifice and his grace, we will desire to serve Him in any way that He calls. And we will gladly submit our “freedoms” to serve under Him.
Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God (1 Peter 2:16). How are you using your freedom?

-Kendall Harris

Recently I have been reading and praying through the Psalms of Ascent (Psalm
120-134), which the Jewish people would sing during their annual pilgrimage or travel to
Jerusalem for annual festivals. These Psalms are interesting as they have a focus on the
whole nation of Israel relying on God rather than the individual. And of course, recently I
had a hospital stay to invite our newborn son, Silas, into the world. During this stay I was
still working through the Psalms of Ascent, specifically Psalm 125. It was around 7 am of
the morning we got to the hospital, I was tired and nervous from leaving the house at 2 am.
However, I decided it would be appropriate to continue my morning routine none the less.
Psalm 125:1 says, “those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be
moved, but abides forever”. A bold reminder that followers of Christ are deeply held by the
grip of God, we cannot be moved because of Christ and his salvation.
But a question has been on my mind since this day, do I feel like I cannot be
moved, that my faith is as stable as a mountain? The quick answer to this is, my emotions
do not matter, only God’s. So, what are God’s emotions, are they like me the morning my
wife was giving birth, based on what is happening in the moment? No, God’s emotions are
not dictated by the moment, as he is creator and knower of all things (James 1:17, 1 John
3:20). To paraphrase J.I. Packer, God makes voluntary decisions, while our emotions lead
to involuntary decisions.
The fact that God is in control of his emotions and all decisions is a pure and holy
thing. The other 4 verses of Psalm 125 are a reminder of just that, God is holy and
righteous, and he has a great love for his people. Verse 2 says that the Lord “surrounds his
people”, he has a desire to take care of us. Apart of that care is being the stable and steady
one who is like Mount Zion, the rock which holds us. Jesus taught his disciples this exact
lesson in Matthew 17:19-21, in which he says that even the faith of the disciples is like a
mustard seed but cannot be moved since God’s is like a mountain. What a joy that brings
my heart, our faith is backed by God’s stability.
See I was sitting there in the hospital, scared and nervous, as I expected to
become a new dad soon. Yet my morning Bible time reminded me that God is sovereign
and steady, the opposite of scared and nervous. To answer my question, no as a follower of
Christ I cannot be moved regardless of my emotions. Jesus has given us access to become
a part of God’s people, the people he surrounds. Through Jesus’s life and death on the
cross, our faith that is like a mustard seed is brought forth to the likes of the mightiness and
security of Mount Zion.

— Slade Knowlton

Before LaVern Miller moved into an assisted living facility, she gave the church her ivy plant to the church. When they brought in, they said that she had been able to keep it alive for almost 40 years. That’s simply amazing to someone like me who can hardly keep a plant alive for 40 days, much less 40 years.
It's currently sitting in the entryway to our office area, but while the floors were being replaced in that hallway, we had to move it to a temporary spot out of the way. As it was being moved back, a small section of about 8 leaves broke off from the plant. I decided that I wanted to take that section and replant it in a pot in my office.
Now I know what you’re thinking, “You just told us that you don’t have a reputation for having a green thumb, so why do you think this time will be different?” Well, it’s in a spot that I will see it on a regular basis and Renea is very good at tending to the other plants in the office, so I will have the support I need to help the plant survive and thrive.
 The Bible, especially the teachings of Jesus, is full of analogies and parables with agricultural themes to help explain spiritual concepts in a tangible way. For me, LaVern’s plant has brought to mind the importance of the “root systems” of our families and our church. Our current society is much different from the norms in the Bible. Even up until less than 200 years ago, families generally did not move away from each other. Generations of the same family would live on the same property if not in the same house. However, today it is almost expected that our kids will grow up and move out of our house and will not come back to live in our house or even the same town. Since we will no longer have daily, face-to-face contact with them, there are two things that are crucial to their success wherever they go: how they are raised and where they are planted.
My attempt to propagate LaVern’s plant is not a perfect analogy, but it is helpful. A plant’s ability to thrive in a new environment is not necessarily dependent on the root system that it came from, but it is dependent on where and how it is replanted and then cared for. When it comes to our lives, both are very important. How we raise our kids, how they see us live, and how our church ministers to the kids of our community sets a foundation for the rest of their lives. When they move on from here, that foundation in Christ provides stability for the trials and temptations that they will face. But it also sends them out with the expectation to be an active, contributing member in a church, what they should expect from that church, their responsibility to attend to and nurture their own spiritual lives and to share the gospel with others.
We must be intentional with the way that we live and the time that we have with our kids. As a church we must be intentional with every minute that we have kids in our building. For some, it is the only exposure to the gospel that they will ever see or hear. We are helping to establish roots and foundations in Christ. We are propagating the gospel. So, let us not take lightly our responsibility to live as examples, to disciple others while we have influence in their lives, and to propagate the gospel in others.

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
- Proverbs 22:6
By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge 
the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. 
- Proverbs 24:3-4

-Kendall

When we use the word “forever”, we usually have a future-leaning mindset, ie., if something will last forever then it will continue eternally into the future. But, the Old Testament word that is often translated “forever” doesn’t only have the future in mind. The word is עולם (olam) and we see it as early as Genesis 3 when God curses the man and the woman for their sin in the garden. God says, “lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever (olam)—therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden…” (Genesis 3:22-23) In this passage, the true sense of the word is future. However, when Asaph wrote the 77th Psalm, he used the word in the complete opposite sense. In his anguish, lying awake in the middle of the night, he writes, “I consider the days of old, the years long ago (olam).” (Psalm 77:5)
The word itself doesn’t mean endlessness, but rather a temporal reality in the very distant past or very distant future. It’s a “time hidden from present sight” according to Chad Bird, a Hebrew expert from whom I learned how to understand this word. When the Hebrew wanted to communicate eternity or endlessness, it would often double the olam, such as in 1 Chronicles 29:10 (which was in our Scripture reading last Sunday): “Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father, forever (olam) and ever (olam).” God is not blessed or glorious only in eternity figure, but also in eternity past. The olam looks both forward and behind, placing us in a very small place called “the present” that is swallowed up in the always-existing-and-never-ending blessedness of God.
In Sunday School last weekend, we talked about having a larger outlook to help us navigate the stresses and fears of life. When we face hardship or uncertainty, our window of perspective often shrinks to include only what is facing us in the immediate present. While that may aid us in making quick decisions, it excludes all the ways that God has acted in the past and will continue to act in the future. We were discussing how David was so brave as he faced Goliath. One reason is that he understood the past victories of God and expected that God would repeat those. Another reason is that he knew the future promises of God upon Israel, and knew that no Philistine who “defied the armies of the living God” (1 Sam. 17:36) would be enough to stop what God had planned for his people. David had a true olam and olam perspective and it enable him to trust God in the immediate present.
Are your current anxieties causing you to forget all that God has done in your life before today? All the ways that God has answered your prayers? Forgiven your sins? Sustained you?
Are your current anxieties causing you to forget all that God has promised to do in the future? To never leave you or forsake you? That Christ will come to restore all of creation? That you will live forever with Christ as an heir of God?
The Christian who is at peace in the present has zoomed out to remember and anticipate the past and future goodness of God.
- Joshua Light

The Houston Astros finished the 2025 season with a record of 87-75, solid but not the standard they have set. The team ended up missing the playoffs by 1 win, which makes a myriad of close losses and blown leads feel extra painful. While numerous reasons led to the team’s failure, injuries and lack of organizational depth are the biggest reasons. This has led to most Astros fans viewing the season in one of two ways: blaming injuries for failures or blaming team efforts for failures. One side makes excuses while the other claims the team did not earn it. And this is often how we as people end up thinking, we either excuse mistakes and failures or we believe we should have tried harder. When it comes to our faith and relationship with God this tends to be no different.
Jesus often tried showing those around him this idea using his teachings and parables. For example, the Parable of the Prodigal Son, which Josh just preached well over his last two sermons, shows the careless younger son and the justifying older brother (Luke 15:11-32). In a similar parable in Matthew, two sons are asked to work by their father. The first son says no but does so anyways, the second son says yes but does not do the work (Matthew 21:28-32). The first son wronged by disobeying his father to his face but follows through. The second says the right things but fails to act on his words. The first son represents the sinners Jesus was coming to save, those who had been living in sin but would come to repent. The second son represents the Pharisees and other like-minded people who claimed to follow the Law, thinking this would save them, but could not uphold it perfectly. In the end each is serving self, rather desires or to try and justify.
As Christians I think we often fall into one of these two camps, careless about our sin or trying to justify our sin, and neither glorifies God. Sometimes we abuse God’s grace, neglecting our sin, avoiding repentance, living in a “sinful bliss”. Yet this only drives us away from God and causes a failed understanding of his grace. On the other hand, we often forget God’s grace and seek justification through working harder and doing more. We think if we read the bible more, pray more, do less sin, etc…, we will justify our sin ourselves. What selfish thinking it is to think we can save ourselves, trying to fulfill what only God can do. This too drives a wedge between us and God, stunting our relationship with him. Ironically both ways of thinking lead to a failed understanding of the riches of God’s grace, Ephesians 2 tells us God is rich in mercy (2:4), that we have been saved by grace (2:5), and that it is a gift that no one can earn and that no one should avoid (2:8-9).
Maybe you are “blaming injuries” or maybe you are claiming a “lack of effort”, regardless we still missed the playoffs. We are saved by grace alone, thank you Jesus, abusing his grace through careless bliss or self-serving righteousness only drives a wedge between you and God. I pray that we as a church seek to know his grace and seek to share that grace with others!
-Slade

When you consider an all-time great in any field, it’s safe to assume that they didn’t do it on their own. They all had a coach or a mentor or a friend that helped them succeed. In sports, Michael Jordan had Phil Jackson, Tom Brady had Bill Belichick, and Smalls had Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez. Even in the academic and theological realm, Dietrich Bonhoeffer had Karl Barth; J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis had each other. All of these people probably would have been somewhat successful on their own, but they were able to do so much more through the guidance, advice, admonishment, and encouragement of someone else.
The same is true for our Christian life. God designed us to need each other. He gave us the church and its members to help us in our daily lives. And within the church, he gave us elders to lead and guide the church body, as well as you, the individual. Ephesians 4:11-12 says he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry. So as your elders we are called to help equip you for ministry in your context through guidance, advice, admonishment, and encouragement. To love and care for you as you grow in spiritual maturity. To shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight…willingly, as God would have you, not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock (1 Peter 5:2-3).
And part of the beauty of the church is that you, as a church member, elect your elders. You have an opportunity to do that this Sunday as we vote to affirm Robin Fulce as a new lay elder of our church. But what stands out when electing an elder versus hiring a coach or other types of leaders, is how the selection is made. Decisions on secular leaders are based on what that person has accomplished. How many games have they won? How much have they grown their business? What’s their net worth? Their success gives them credibility.
But with an elder, it’s the Lord’s calling and a man’s character that gives him credibility (see 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9). How dependent is he on the Lord? How well does He follow the Lord? And how well does He lead others to follow the Lord also? He obviously needs to be able to teach and a capable leader, but it is not solely based on his charisma or personality. Because Colossians 1:28-29 says Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. It’s the Lord’s energy and the Lord’s power that matures and grows people. But He uses the elders to accomplish that purpose.
I consider it a great privilege that He has called me fulfill that role among you, with Jeromy, Josh, and Tye. And together, we believe that God is calling us to add another elder to help shepherd the flock of FBC Panhandle. So we hope that you will prayerfully keep all of these things in mind as you consider Robin as a new lay elder.

-Kendall

I heard from a friend of mine who pastors in Tennessee that he had planned to address the Charlie Kirk murder at the end of their worship service this last Sunday. However, several people got up and left angry beforehand because it had not been addressed as part of the service or the sermon. The irony was that many churches had high attendance this past weekend as people flocked to church in response to the tragedy, while many also walked out of churches because they felt the tragedy was not appropriately sermonized.
This reaction stems from big-platform pastors using the tragedy to make incendiary indictments of other churches and pastors, such as this tweet from Mark Driscoll:

“If your pastor doesn’t address the demonic assassination of one of the greatest faith leaders of our time its time for them to resign.”

That’s right, a well-known pastor called for every other pastor to either handle the Kirk assassination exactly like he would or quit altogether. Of course, this type of rhetoric put expectations in the minds of conservative churchgoers all over the USA. If and when those expectations were not met, they stirred division in those churches by walking out or publicly decrying their own pastors and leadership.
At FBC on Sunday, we utilized our prayer time to ask God for his mercy on Kirk’s family and grace for us as a church to process the very public nature of the tragedy in a way that would bring glory to God. However, our concern (as always) was the spiritual health of our particular local church body and not trying to fit into any nationwide messaging or propaganda.
Without a doubt, the killing of Charlie Kirk (and the broadcasting of it on social media) was horrific and unsettling. Those of us who are Christians are correct to see this kind of public evil as utterly sinful and an attack on one of God’s image bearers and outspoken fellow follower of Jesus. There are many who have seen Kirk’s death as a martyrdom similar to Stephen’s in Acts 7 - a martyrdom that caused the church to disperse and spread the gospel to further reaches of the Gentile world. I truthfully hope they are correct, and that the gospel of Jesus Christ does begin to spread and take root in unlikely places.
However, it is still the gospel of Jesus Christ and not the gospel of Charlie Kirk. There is still only one death that Christians must rally around, and it occurred on a cross outside Jerusalem 2000 years ago. If our attention terminates on Charlie Kirk and not on Jesus, then we reveal something about what we truly believe. It is especially noteworthy to me that no martyrs are listed by name in any of the New Testament epistles, though many were being killed for their faith in Jesus in the first century. Even Paul, who was converted to faith soon after he ordered the killing of Stephen, never mentioned Stephen in any of his letters. Yes, Hebrews 11 and Revelation 6 & 12 mention martyrs in general, but still never by name. I think that is very important, because the NT refuses to venerate any martyr, but returns again and again only to the name of Jesus.
I do hope that God uses this tragedy for good and for the spread of the gospel. But, our message should never have Charlie Kirk - or any other human person - at the center, but should align with Paul as he writes, “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
There is a death that churches must address every Sunday. And if that death is not mentioned, parishioners have a right to walk out and pastors should resign. But, it is not the death of Charlie Kirk, it is the death of Jesus Christ for the salvation of sinners.

- Josh Light