“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2 ESV). My morning reading from the One Year Bible turned into a day long meditation on God’s heavenly city, The New Jerusalem. We’re only two days from finishing our annual practice of reading through the
Author: Gary Combs
RISE UP UPDATE: Putting together a winning team!
I’m excited to report that we’re making great progress on Phase 2 of our Rise Up initiative! Both our giving and our preparations for building are right on target as planned. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness! Just yesterday morning we met with our architect and contractor to work out the scope of Phase 2.
Uganda Mission Report 2019
Our church sent myself and my wife, Robin Combs, Pastor Jonathan Combs, and Chantia Stewart along with friends, Steve Woodard and Fernando Paz on a two-week mission trip to Kisoro, Uganda to partner with our sister church, Kisoro Hill Baptist Church and Pastor George Mbonye. This is the fifth mission trip our church has sent
Pioneers or settlers?
“Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power.” — Psalms 145:4 (NLT) We are always only one generation away from a failure to pass on the faith. I’m thankful that over 2,000 years ago the Lord Jesus passed it on to His disciples, who passed it on to the
Rising Up in 2019
Can you believe that 2019 is already here? With a new year comes an opportunity to ask ourselves the question, “How am I doing? … How am I doing in my heart for God? How am I doing in my heart for others? And how am I doing in my heart for our world?” Watch
4 personal growth areas for 2019
“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” — Luke 2:52 For many years I have made it a habit to spend the last week of the year in prayer, meditation and Scripture study. I call it my annual study break. It’s also a time to evaluate how I
4 Devotions of Life Changing Small Groups
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42 ESV). We’re not a church with small groups. We’re a church of small groups. Our church started in my living room with seven people. So, we’ve considered small groups to be one of the keys to fulfilling our
Taking off the training wheels
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6 KJV). When we first moved to North Carolina our children were ages five, two, and one. None of them could ride a bike without training wheels. The youngest was still mastering the
4 imperatives for raising up children in the Lord
‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline
You can’t do the “one anothers” without one another!
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” — John 13:34-35 “About 20 years ago, a church member was considered active