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by Ben Klaus NOVI, MI – As a “newbie” at Legacy Church, I have been thinking a lot about planting. To be clear, I am not good at planting. I know this because of my agricultural background from the countryside of Wisconsin, where I grew up. Back in high school and college, I worked a job at a plant nursery. This taught me a lot about life and agriculture and convinced me that ministry was infinitely superior to farming. However, I did not realize that ministry and farming are the same thing! The Bible has a lot to say about the relationships between agriculture and ministry. There are six important connections between agriculture and ministry, so let me step through the biblical guide to spiritual planting. People plant crops for a reason. They have a reasonable expectation that there will eventually be a harvest, and the harvest will make all of their horticultural efforts worthwhile. It is exactly the same in ministry- we believe that one day there will be a harvest, and our harvest will be worthwhile. So we plant with the harvest in view. With this in mind, the Bible lays out six important steps to spiritual planting: Plant good seed. In Mark 4:14, Jesus explains that the seed which the gospel worker plants is the word of God. The kind of seed we plant will ultimately produce the kind of fruit we harvest. To the serious student of the Scriptures, this seems like an obvious truth. But we live in a time when churches are planting all kinds of other seeds; seeds of good works, seeds of self-help, seeds of charisma, and in many cases, seeds of pragmatism. The goal of gospel seed-planting must not be so shallow as to merely compel people to fill the seats of our churches. Rather, our goal is to see people truly regenerated by grace through faith, and thus become true disciples of Jesus Christ. As Paul points out emphatically in Romans 10, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The seed is the WORD. Plant in good soil. In the parable of the sower in Mark 4, Jesus explains that the soil represents the different kinds of hearts where the Scripture seed falls. Some will accept the seed, and some will reject it. But when we cross-reference this agricultural concept with Psalm 1, we discover that the soil may also be the word of God! The one who is planted and rooted in the word will be the one to grow strong and fruitful. As ministers of the gospel, we have no power over the hearts of men, other than our relentless prayers on their behalf. But we certainly can choose to be Bible-saturated ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ; and this choice largely determines the fruit we will harvest in years to come. Weed and water the field. Jesus alludes to this principle again in Mark 4:18, and I learned this the hard way from my agricultural background. The gospel minister must not only plant the seed, but he must also nurture an environment where gospel faith may blossom. We see this again in Jude 20-21. The gospel minister cannot create faith; this is the work of God. But we may create a positive environment for faith to flourish, so we must go about weeding and watering. False teaching and distractions must be removed, so that the gospel may take root and grow without harmful impediments. Remove parasitic insects and animals. Jesus alludes to this principle by his comment regarding the birds of the air in Mark 4:4 and 15. Desirable plants compete not only with weeds, but also insects and vermin. Many gardeners may put out a scarecrow in their garden, to scare off the birds; others use pesticides on their plants, to keep away parasitic bugs. It is very disheartening to grow strong and fruitful plants, then discover that the harvest has been eaten by deer or rabbits! So there is a constant defense of the integrity of the harvest. Be patient. Jesus doesn’t explain this point directly, but it is a self-evident principle of farming: a farmer never plants one day and harvests the next! There must always be significant time involved; for plants, this usually takes many months. But people move at a slower pace than plants. In fact, gospel outreach has actually been handicapped in many areas because ministers of the gospel tend to be impatient. We want our fruit, and we want it now! Because of our desire for instant results, the substance of the gospel has been altered; and many have turned to pragmatic, self-centered means to create the illusion of fruit. But illusion and substance are very different things. Finally, harvest with gratitude. Paul stated this point most clearly in Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” In light of the Great Commission, this promise is actually an absolute guarantee for the minister of the gospel. Where the seed of the word has been planted, and the biblical process has been patiently and carefully followed, we have a divine guarantee of fruit “in due season.” There will be a reaping. There are always those whom God is calling and drawing, and we will be blessed to help them take the final step into the kingdom of God. Harvest time is what this is all about! But to get there, no step can be skipped. We cannot speed up the process, we cannot skip steps, we cannot ignore our plot of ground, we cannot rest on our laurels; we have got to keep working, with biblical tools and biblical process and biblical fortitude, until God graciously blesses us with fruit from our labors. Right now, I am in a season of planting. What about you? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ben Klaus is the lead pastor of Legacy Church in Novi, Michigan. He is married to Rachel (14 years), and is dad to Matthew (12), Katelyn (9), and Christian (3). They are a family of musicians. All play the violin, and his wife is employed as a first violinist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. After nearly 8 years of ministry in downriver Detroit, God has recently moved Ben to a new ministry - Legacy Church in Novi. They have been there for less than a year, and are very excited at the gospel prospects in our church and community. #JUNE21

by Mike Durbin “…for you haven’t traveled this way before” Joshua 3:4. PLYMOUTH, MI – These words were spoken to the people of God as they prepared to cross the Jordan River. Nearly 40 years earlier, God powerfully delivered them from Egyptian bondage under the leadership of Moses. They started toward the Promised Land, but the people rebelled against God and ended up spending four decades wandering in the wilderness. The entire generation who left Egypt, everyone who was over the age of 20 at the time of the rebellion, passed away in the wilderness except for Joshua and Caleb. A new generation of the people of God are on the bank of the Jordan River in this passage. They can see the Promised Land, the land that flows with Milk and Honey, but they’re on the wrong side. The Jordan River is between them and the Promised Land. The people of God are about to go a way they have never gone before, following a leader who had not been tested into a land they did not know. They are about to experience a life unlike any they have ever lived. They are entering uncharted territory. They are on the edge of a new reality looking into the unknown. That’s a pretty good description of what we are facing. We’ve come through challenging times. Life is different and we’re not sure what it will look like in the days to come. Like the people of God in Joshua’s day, we “haven’t traveled this way before.” They had to move forward when everything was changing, but the reality of the Promised Land - the land that flowed with milk and honey was before them. As I read the story of the Conquest, I wanted to see how God leads His children when we face the unknown. When facing the unknown - follow. The people are commanded, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God carried by the Levitical priests, you are to break camp and follow it.” The people are told to keep a distance of about 1,000 yards between them and the ark so everyone can see as Levitical Priests carry it into the Jordan River. They follow the Ark, because it represents the presence of God. It’s really an incredible picture - an estimated two million people all looking together and moving together as they follow the Ark of the Covenant. As God’s children today, we move forward, not following an ark, but with our eyes fixed on Jesus - the author and perfecter of our faith. “Follow me” is the invitation of Jesus as we face the unknown before us. We follow His teaching, His example, and the words He has given us in Scripture. The way forward is not a path, but a person. When facing the unknown - discover. Crossing the Jordan River was going to change all their lives, especially Joshua’s. Moses died before they crossed, and Joshua is the new leader of the people. We know Joshua felt insufficient for the task because several times in chapter 1 God tells him to “be strong and courageous.” Sometimes the most difficult land to conquer is not what lies before us, but what lies within us. Joshua knows great truths about God, but as he leads the people into the unknown, he is going to discover God in ways he never imagined. Head truth becomes heart truth as he personally discovers: “No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or abandon you” (Joshua 1:5). By stepping into the unknown, into that which he was most afraid of, Joshua discovers God is greater than his fears, his insecurities, and his insufficiencies. When facing the unknown - remember. Joshua tells 12 men to each pick up a stone from the Jordan’s dry riverbed and carry it to where the people of God will camp for their first night in the promised land. They set the stones up as a reminder of God’s deliverance. “…In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ you should tell them, ‘The water of the Jordan was cut off in front of the ark of the Lord’s covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan’s water was cut off.’ Therefore these stones will always be a memorial for the Israelites” (Joshua 4:6-7). The stones were set up to remind the people of God’s great deliverance. They were reminders that God brought them through the very unknown they feared. What they feared turned out to be a great deliverance from God and the beginning of life in the Promised Land. There would be more difficulties, battles to be fought, and other unknowns, but the stone memorial set up at Gilgal reminded them of God’s power, presence, and peace as they faced the unknown. “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God” (Corrie Ten Boom). ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mike Durbin is the State Evangelism Director for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Before joining the state convention staff, Mike served as Church Planting Catalyst and Director of Missions in Metro Detroit since 2007. He also has served as a pastor and bi-vocational pastor in Michigan, as well as International Missionary to Brazil. #JUNE21

by Scott Barkley WORCESTER, MS (BP) – At first glance, the merging of Burncoat Baptist Church and The Church on Seven Hills may have appeared to benefit one congregation more than the other. Burncoat’s membership and building were both showing their advancing years. The Church on Seven Hills was energetic, four years removed from its founding and full of college students. But that merger, said Pastor Andy Haynes, has brought about a singular body of believers where life experiences mingle with discipleship every day. Haynes, who also serves as the state director for collegiate ministries for the Baptist Convention of New England, said the dynamic has led to deep growth among church members. Members of The Church on Seven Hills take part in a food giveaway during Easter weekend last month. Photo courtesy of The Church on Seven Hills “Being multi-generational has been a big part of it,” he said. “We have an active college ministry and are continuing to grow through connections with our neighborhood. But we’re pretty evenly represented among different age groups.” The Church on Seven Hills began as a prayer group made up of several local college students – there are nine schools in the area – young professionals and families from their sending church, Hope Chapel in Sterling, Mass. Shane Colwell, Seven Hills’ pastor at the time, led the congregation to meet at rented spaces along the way, including an Episcopal church on Sunday evenings and later the hall of a Lutheran church on Sunday mornings. About four years ago Burncoat Baptist Church and The Church on Seven Hills merged under Colwell’s leadership. At the start of 2020, Haynes became pastor. Already known in the area for his work among college students, he continued to prioritize intergenerational relationships. Omar Cordova, a student at Worcester State University, shared the importance of those relationships prior to his recent baptism. The mathematics major who plans to become a teacher attended church until he was around 6 years old. From there, his sense of right and wrong largely depended on his friends’ opinions, and he described himself as very self-involved. One day Kevin Cox, a member of Seven Hills and full-time campus minister with College Students New England of the BCNE, was walking the Worcester State campus when he passed Cordova and his friends playing pingpong. He introduced himself and invited Cordova to the church. Cordova ended up attending Fusion, a collegiate ministry conference hosted each fall by New England Baptists, and said that’s where he said Jesus “became real” to him. That realization grew into something else after one of Haynes’ sermons. “Andy was talking about how if we don’t fully put our hearts into Jesus then we’re being sinful for rejecting Him,” Cordova said. After the service an elderly member of the church approached him and asked what was stopping him from believing in Christ. Apparently nothing, because Cordova prayed for Jesus to be his Savior. Cordova and others at the church take part in small groups, many of them representing various generations or those in different stages of life. Last year Seven Hills members left a major footprint in the community through ministries such as grocery distribution and providing school supplies. Recently, two high school students from the church qualified for the BCNE-sponsored missions opportunity Quest, which requires participants to have a mentoring relationship. One participant is being mentored by a retiree, the other by an older adult. The church’s older members say the sight of 20-somethings leading the worship team or welcoming guests is encouraging. “They love the energy and passion,” Haynes said. Moreover, younger attendees and a loosening of pandemic-related restrictions means a return to the sounds of children in the sanctuary during the service. Far from a distraction, Haynes called it “a joy.” The merger made The Church on Seven Hills older, and Haynes said that was a move in a healthy direction. “Early on we were very young, but one of our prayers was to be multigenerational,” he said. “We wanted more of that wisdom that comes with life experience. God answered that prayer and brought in another generation to supply what we’d been lacking.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Scott Barkley is national correspondent for Baptist Press. #JUNE21

by Belafae Johnson MASCOUTAH, IL – My wife and I, along with our three boys, moved to Mascoutah in 2014, believing that the Lord had called us to start a church in a small southern Illinois town. I had not been introduced to the process of church planting yet. All I had was a burden for the lost and a yearning for a church to be a place of peace for those from various ethnic, social, and economic backgrounds. For the next four years, the Lord moved in amazing ways. Quite honestly, he moved at first in ways I thought I wanted no part of—the prospect of our new church and me as a Black pastor becoming part of the Southern Baptist Convention. My reasoning was rooted in fact and ignorance. What I knew about the Convention and its early history was enough for me not to join. But over the course of two years of praying, seeking, and building relationships, the Lord made it clear that I would be operating in disobedience if I didn’t yield to what he wanted to do for me and through me in the SBC. The Lord placed Southern Baptists in my life who loved, cared for, and encouraged me, my wife, and my kids to the likes that I’ve never seen before. I met several church planters, including one man I hired at the company where I worked. It seemed accidental when I first encountered Nick Volkening. He was a student at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, looking for a job. He was also helping Rayden Hollis plant Red Hill Church. Nick gave me the book “Church Planter.” Today Nick pastors New City Church in Champaign. We visited traditional SBC churches in some of the most rural and southern parts of this country. We found them to be kind and supportive. An older white couple, Steve and Shirley Ernest in Cunningham, Kentucky, took us into their home and hearts. The financial support of their church is amazing, but the respect they give me as a pastor and preacher is what brings tears to my eyes. I’m valued there! On Easter Sunday of 2018, the Lord so graciously allowed Purposed Church to launch. Three years later, I’m still part of the SBC. Due to infighting, controversy, and at times downright divisive rhetoric, many Black pastors have wrestled with whether or not to stay. I must be honest, I am troubled too. At times I feel defeated by what I read and hear coming from the huge family that I’m a part of. I have no ill will towards any of my brothers in Christ who made the decision to leave the Convention, but I must be clear: While I do not speak for all Black pastors, I desire first and foremost to be obedient to what the Lord has called me to. I want to be a part of the change that I want to see. We face problems as a nation and as a denomination. Our Black brothers and sisters are hurting and fatigued by what we’ve had to endure simply because we were born Black in this country. And while I intentionally will not name specifics regarding discord in our denomination, words have become the bricks that are building a wall. How can we preach from Ephesians 4:1-16 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 and continue to use our platforms and voices to cause division? Do we believe Galatians 3:28? “There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus.” We serve the Jesus who tore down the wall of hostility to bring us to himself—all of us—in order for believers to be unified, to be of one mind and of one accord. I believe our convention should be a place of refuge and rest from the fighting. It is my heart’s desire for the Holy Spirit to convict each and every one of us about our conduct and our speech. I pray that repentance becomes the cry of our hearts. It’s my heart’s desire that we not think more highly of ourselves than we should. I pray that we lay down our preferences, so all our brothers and sisters feel welcomed and appreciated in all of our churches, at all of our conferences, and throughout our Convention. It’s my heart’s desire that we become The Church that Jesus died for us to be. If you desire to know how pastors who look like me feel, to learn how we are processing these events, I welcome you to join me in the humbling and hard work of seeking out and building relationships with Black pastors in our convention. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Belafae Johnson is planter and pastor of Purposed Church in Mascoutah. #JUNE21

by Eric Stewart GRAND BLANC, MI – Worship has historically been one of the chief instruments of God for defeating His enemies. The psalms and the Old Testament prophets recount the stories of God responding in power to faithful worship. Remember Jericho, the city delivered into the hands of God’s people through trumpets and a battle cry. After obeying the Lord’s orders to march around the city for seven days, Joshua said, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!” and the walls came down, and all that was promised was given to them (Joshua 6:16-21). King Jehosaphat was another who recognized the necessity of worship. 2 Chronicles 20 describes Judah’s victory over the armies from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir. When he heard that these numerous enemies were approaching, Jehosaphat’s response was to call a fast for all of Judah to seek the Lord. Recognizing his complete reliance on God, Jehosaphat prayed, “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (20:12). In response, the Lord used the prophet Jahaziel to tell the king “the battle is not yours but God’s” (20:15-17), recalling the words of Moses with his instructions to “stand and see the salvation of the Lord” (Ex. 14:13). Jehosaphat trusted and believed his God, and he led his people in humble worship to the Lord (20:19,21). While the army of Judah went out, singers in the lead, the Lord set ambushes for the Ammonites and the Moabites, causing them to turn and fight amongst themselves (20:22-23). Judah went to see the outcome, and they found a valley full of corpses and enough goods to plunder for three days (20:24-26; see Ex. 12:35-36). The Moabites and the Ammonites had come to pillage Judah, but the sinner’s wealth was laid up for the righteous (Proverbs 13:22). In both of these accounts, the people of God only had to glorify His name, and then step back to let Him fight. Worship is warfare, a crucial weapon in the persisting Christian battle. But today, in our world divided into essentials and non-essentials, we’ve placed corporate worship as a body in the latter category. The powerful, world-changing worship that took place in the Old Testament still exists, and is relevant for us today as New Covenant believers. Ephesians 2:6 says that, in Christ, we have been seated in the heavenly places. The phrase “in Christ” is one of the most important expressions in the Bible. It symbolizes our union: we are in Christ, and Christ is in us. He currently sits at the right hand of Father in Heaven, and by faith, we join Him there. By faith, we have been crucified and buried with Him, have been resurrected with Him by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, have ascended into Heaven with Him, and can join Him there for worship. That is how we bring Heaven down to Earth. The church is the ‘worshiping assembly’, and her mission is to call the nations to worship God. But worship is not only our goal; it is also one of the chief means assigned to achieving that goal. Worship is not a retreat from the church’s work of conquest. Worship is a fundamental ‘strategy’ of the church militant. Worship is not a retreat from cultural engagement; rather, worship is the driving engine of all true cultural engagement. For too long, we have treated worship as a supplement to the Christian faith when it is our greatest weapon. Our prayers and praises ascend before God, and He thunders from the heavens, shakes the earth, and scatters our enemies before us (Rev. 8:1-5). The Lord of Hosts was with His people back in the Old Testament, and He’s still with His saints today, wielding the same power and might. It is never a matter of if we worship, but who we worship. Every week is our opportunity to declare that our praise belongs to God. The most essential thing we as Christians can do is to weekly, publicly, and corporately worship the Lord. Our children, the lost and unbelieving, and even our brothers and sisters need to see us worship Him in Spirit and truth. King Jehosaphat responded to the looming threat of war by praising God. It should be no different for us. When we bring to the house of God glory, laud, and honor, He will respond by striking down our enemies. “Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” Psalm 46:6-7 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pastor Eric Stewart is the chief pen scribbler of this article. His mission is to declare all of Christ for all of life. He joyfully carries out this mission with his wife Lori and his three children that make him the right kind of proud. He currently is one of the Pastors at One Life Church, President of One Life for Life, and a Church Planting Catalyst for the North American Mission Board. #JUNE21

by Art Werry FRASER, MI – What a difference a year makes. Last Father's Day, Brandon was caught in the throes of a drug addiction that was taking him down the path that kills tens of thousands each year in America. Brandon’s life continued to fray as his heroin and alcohol addiction led to more and more family conflict. Continually forced to choose between caring for his family and feeding his addiction, he repeatedly chose the latter. His children faced the very real possibility of growing up without their father. When he wasn’t distracted by the drugs, Brandon was too ashamed, so he would simply stay away from the children he loved. What could change the course of this troubled man? Was it the fear of becoming another statistic – one more number along with the mother of his 14-year-old daughter, who had already succumbed to overdose? Desperate to change the course of this all too familiar drama, Brandon’s wife, Patty, stepped in. Gathering the family together for an intervention, she gave Brandon a choice, get help or get lost. Running short on options, Brandon went into treatment, but he dropped out before completing the program. After walking to Patty’s house, he hoped she would relent and take him back, but that was not to be. Firmly standing her ground, she insisted he get help. Stunned, Brandon decided to break the downward spiral and get serious about recovery. He entered and successfully completed a 45-day program. As part of his exit strategy, Brandon began investigating longer term 3/4 housing options. The name of our program, Pathway To Freedom, caught his eye because it sounded hopeful. After an initial phone call, Brandon entered the program, and the rest is history. We began praying for him and pointing him toward Christ, the only hope of lasting recovery. A few months later, Brandon prayed to receive Christ and was baptized with Patty and the children watching. He is not only staying clean and sober, but he is also holding down a steady job. Brandon readily admits, “I used to be impressed by the big, shiny things in life. Now with God in my life, I’m so grateful for what is right in front of my eyes – my family” New Life has operated this residential program for men for many years now. Participants are given a safe place to live and a structured environment in which to combat the chaos that is a by-product of addictive behaviors. Pathway is a long-term program that allows the opportunity to share Christ with men who are desperate for something to break the chains of addiction that they have battled in many cases for decades. New Life shares a partnership with the Baptist State Convention of Michigan (BSCM) as they support the ministry. Sadly, the scourge of addiction that is ravaging our country shows no signs of letting up any time soon. Pastor Art Werry regularly encourages pastors to consider starting a recovery program in their church – even if it is only a 12-Step table that meets in their building. The heartache of addiction resides on every street in every city. Pastor Werry says, “Pathway is by far the most rewarding ministry I have ever been involved. Our recovery ministry is based on the belief that lives can be restored through the power of Jesus Christ.” He regularly tells the men in recovery that he does this ministry as much for the sake of their children as for them. He adds, “Our heart’s desire is to see the multi-generational cycle of addiction broken by the power of Jesus.” It is such blessing to hear a spouse like Patty say, “I enjoy seeing the relationship being built between the children and Brandon. The kids adore him.” This year, Father’s Day will look remarkably different for Brandon from last year. Sitting in church with his children, he can focus on a future that is much brighter than it was just a few months ago. What a difference a year makes. What a difference Christ makes. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Art Werry has been pastor of New Life in Fraser for over thirty years and executive director of Pathway to Freedom for over 25 years. He also handles the technology needs of the BSCM. Art and his wife Tricia are raising their teenage daughter, Hannah. #JUNE21

by John Adams BATTLE CREEK, MI – Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, don't panic. Don't obsess over the details about what is going on. Don't argue with each other. Don't fret over canceled plans. Don't worry about how crazy some people are acting. And don't despair over how hopeless things might look. Nothing about your circumstances has taken God by surprise. He knows what He is doing and what He wants to do through you right now too." I wrote these words a little over a year ago as the pandemic began to grow in the United States. That was a hundred plus online sermons and services ago. And many crises and deaths ago. It has been challenging, but the Lord has been with us, every step. In Luke 24:13-35, two of Jesus' disciples are in the midst of what seems like overwhelming circumstances. They are on their way home from Jerusalem, the third day since Jesus' death. As they walk, they are discussing and arguing with each other. They are also very discouraged. It looks like every hope they had for Jesus was over, and it all seems to amount to nothing. At some point in their journey, Jesus comes up and begins walking with them. The text says they "were prevented from recognizing Him," but it was also true they were not looking for Him nor expecting Him. Jesus joins their conversation by asking them what they are discussing. His two traveling companions are so stunned, they stop in their tracks, and I bet their mouths dropped open too. They ask Him if he is the only person who doesn't know what has happened recently. Jesus replies by saying, "What things?" I wonder if He was able to keep a straight face or if He shed a little grin? I imagine that for the next hour or more, they unloaded on Him all the details they knew about Jesus, His ministry, betrayal, death, and burial. They even shared their hope that He might be God's coming king who will rescue and rule over His people. Surely they also had dreams of participating in the Messiah's kingdom too. But now it has been three days since Jesus' death, and nothing has happened, except a few disciples claimed to have a vision of angels who told them that Jesus is alive. Jesus spends the rest of the trip clearly explaining how the things that happened to Him were all part of God's plan. When they reached their destination, they ask their mystery guest to stay with them. And when they give Him the honor of blessing the meal, their eyes are opened, and they can recognize Jesus. The One they were so upset and worried about had been walking with them the whole time! Suddenly, everything began to make sense to them. Jesus Himself had explained the spiritual significance of recent events and their experiences. Now they know how to think and feel about their circumstances the way God does. All it took was a little time with Jesus to turn them from being upset and discouraged to being excited and full of hope. They could not wait to share their good news with others! It is often easy for us to let our circumstances overwhelm us. Today is the perfect time to remind ourselves that we walk with the Lord by faith regardless of our events. When things change, and especially when they seem so beyond our control, we must remember that our relationship with God has not changed. We still have all of the constant, never-failing love, favor, and presence of the Lord we had before. And as we continue to walk with and trust the Lord, He will open our eyes and touch our hearts about what He is actively doing in the middle of our circumstances. As life slowly begins to become the new normal, let's not forget to trust Christ every day. Even on the good days. ABOUT THE AUTHOR John Adams is the Pastor of Grace Fellowship Baptist Church in Battle Creek Michigan. He loves his family, wife Melissa and three sons, Connor, Riley and Aiden. #JUNE21

by Kevin Finkenbinder DEWITT, MI – The following is a fictional account, but in every way possible I have endeavored to build it based on what the Bible said actually happened. As with any historical fiction, I have filled in the blanks with my thoughts, but it is my goal and belief that the following is faithful to the Gospel narrative. Should there be any discrepancies, rest assured that the mistakes are mine and not because of any error or contradiction in scripture. Our first Mary was born in the small town of Migdala on the Sea of Galilee about 4 days’ journey from Jerusalem and a full day’s journey from Nazareth. Migdal was known for only a few things. First, Migdala pickled fish that was shipped along the trade routes to most of the known world so it had a positive reputation among the gentiles. It was the first city Rome invaded in 54 B.C. so it had a negative reputation among those of Israel. She would rather forget her life before. As a firstborn child, she was considered a curse to her father because she was not a boy. Rather than a source of economic strength and family honor, she was seen as a burden on the family. By the standards of her village, her father had likely not treated her poorly, but he had probably not shown her love, seeing her as little more than a household servant by the time she was eight. Around the age of 14, her father married her off to the owner of one of the pickling businesses. Though he smelled of pickled fish, he did provide for her needs. It was through her husband’s business that she first met Simon and Andrew and (as much as was legally possible between a woman and two men) become their friend, but when they moved their families to Bethsaida, she lost track of them. Though a good man, her husband was significantly older than Mary, so when he died, she was left young and alone. With no legal right to his property, no children and no prospects, she turned in desperation to immoral activity. She then covered her shame by indulging in wine and occasional intoxicants made from the hemp and poppy plants that grew abundantly. This led to other choices, eventually ending in her becoming demon possessed. This would have been the end of Mary of Magdala, also known as Mary Magdalene, if it had not been for her friendship with Simon and Andrew. Our Second Mary was Jacob’s second child. Since Jacob was a carpenter, she grew to love fine wood products and the earthy smell of freshly sawn timber. Her household was happy and when she got old enough she was wed to Cleophas. Like her father, Cleophas was also a carpenter, though unlike her father, he specialized in fine furniture instead of buildings and barns. They were a happy couple, worshiping together in the synagogue and spending time in a lively community. Because of the nature of his sales, Cleophas regularly travelled between his home in Nazareth and his ancestral home in Bethlehem, just outside of Jerusalem. Mary often accompanied him in his travels and, surprising for the time, he encouraged her to learn from the religious and philosophical teachers in Jerusalem. Mary of Cleophas’s older brother, Joseph, ended up marrying our third Mary. This Mary’s mother was Anna and her father Heli. Heli and Anna were well known in the community for the compassionate way they cared for others, a trait that they instilled in Mary’s heart. By the time she was old enough to be engaged, she too was known for her compassion. It was this pious compassion that attracted Joseph to her in the first place, and it was Joseph’s strong, yet forgiving nature that made Mary leap for joy when her father announced the marriage arrangements had been made. Everything in Mary's life became more complex shortly after she was engaged to Joseph, when an angel told her that she would bear a son who is God’s son and that she was to name him Jesus. Joseph threatened to divorce her, but then the angel visited him as well. While everything was good between Joseph and Mary, she still had to live with the rumors surrounding how she came to be pregnant. As Jesus grew, Mary watched Him. She loved the memories of Him lying on her chest as an infant. She still smiled when she thought of the compassionate way that he treated his friends. She was proud of the way he had learned the carpentry trade from His step-father Joseph while never failing to learn more about God. Mary watched as he began to teach. At first, she was proud, but then she became concerned. At one point, she and her other children had even tried to pull Him away from His itinerant ministry because they were afraid He had lost His mind. In spite of her early encounter with the angel Gabriel, Mary’s doubt in this situation was largely influenced by the doubt of her children and family. Joseph had died and her family was all she had. In fact, the only one in the family that didn’t have this fear was her sister in law Mary of Cleophas, who early on started using her business travels with Cleophas as a way to accompany and support the travels of her Nephew Jesus. Mary of Cleophas often told her sister in law of the amazing way that God was working. Shortly before Mary started to follow His ministry, He had called several men to follow His teaching and be His disciples. Among these were Simon and Andrew. They traveled with Jesus, and Mary of Cleophas had been there with them as their troupe ran into an old friend of Simon and Andrew, Mary Magdalene. When they encountered her, she was in a terrible state, being controlled by the demons who possessed her life. Simon and Andrew were heartbroken at this encounter. They told Jesus about what a wonderful person Mary had been and about the hardships she had survived. They questioned how God could allow this to happen. But rather than directly answer their question Jesus cast the demon out of Mary Magdalene’s life. It was at this point that Mary Magdalene began to follow and support the ministry of Jesus, and shortly thereafter Mary Magdalene and Mary of Cleophas were fast friends. When Mary heard the stories of what her son was doing, including stories like the change in Mary Magdalene’s life, it started to overcome the doubts, and she too began to see that what her son was doing was ordained by God. She began to believe in Him and to grow closer to both her sister in law, Mary of Cleophas and to Mary Magdalene. All three Mary’s were devoted to Jesus and so all of them were heartbroken when He was arrested, tortured and led to be executed on a criminal’s cross, but none was quite as devastated as His mother. No woman should have to see this happen to her son, even more so when He is totally innocent. The three women went to the foot of the cross. Mary, heartbroken over what was happening to her son, needed the support of the other Marys. They all needed each other. There from the Cross Jesus looked at His mother and His disciple John, and told John to take care of her as if she was His own mother. Shortly thereafter, Jesus cried out committing His spirit to God, He declared, “it is finished” and then died. The three Marys would have stayed to take care of His body, but the soldiers forced everyone away. It was their intent to kill the condemned men so that they wouldn’t be alive on the Sabbath, but were afraid that if the crowd watched it could cause a riot. Thankfully Joseph of Arimathea had enough clout to redeem Jesus’s body, or else His body would have been dumped into the trash heap in the valley of Gehenna, a place so terrible that its name was also used for hell. Joseph quickly wrapped the body for burial, and put it in his own tomb, but could not add the traditional spices and perfumes because the Sabbath was quickly approaching. With the Sabbath restrictions, the Marys could do nothing for Jesus’s body until the Sabbath was over on the first day of the week. As soon as they could, the women went to the tomb to anoint the body with the ritual spices. They arrived just as the sun was rising, unsure how they would get the tomb open, and uneasy about the inevitable smells from a body that had been dead for three days and three nights. When they got there they found the tomb already open. Jesus’s mother Mary and Aunt Mary stood there perplexed, but Mary Magdalene ran to find the disciples in a panic. She was sure that someone had stolen His body. A short time later the disciples and Mary Magdalene arrived. The disciples went in to inspect the empty tomb, but Mary stood outside weeping with the others. After inspecting the tomb, the disciples left to share the news with others, not fully understanding what was happening. The women, however, stayed at the tomb. Angels appeared to the women and said, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has arisen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” In her grief, the words of the angels had gone right past Mary Magdalene’s head. She then turned and saw Jesus, but in her grief she did not recognize Him and thought He was the gardener. She asked Him where He had taken the body so that she could go see it. Jesus then said her name, “Mary,” and at His voice she recognized Him and embraced Him in a hug. Jesus lovingly told her to let Him go as He was ascending to the Father. Mary now believed. Later that afternoon, Mary’s Husband Cleophas and another disciple were walking on the road to Emmaus. They were joined by Jesus, but did not recognize Him. Jesus asked what they were discussing and Cleophas told Him about the things that had happened to Jesus. Jesus then explained how everything that happened had fulfilled prophecies of the messiah. They still didn’t recognize Him until He lifted his hands to break the bread at the meal. The view of His nail pierced hands opened their eyes and they recognized Jesus, but then He disappeared from their sight. Over the next several days, Jesus appeared many times, in sealed rooms and open spaces, in public crowds and in small gatherings. The ones who treasured His appearances the most were likely the three Marys. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kevin Finkenbinder is the Pastor of First Baptist Church in DeWitt, Michigan since June 28, 2020. Pastor Kevin and his wife Amy have three children: Isaiah, Asa and Hannah. Pastor Kevin graduated from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and has worked in University Student ministries. #JUNE21

by Nate Click MONROE, MI – Recently, one of my kids began driving his mother crazy in a new way. He will innocently start by asking her, “Mommy, what are you doing?” After she answers he always responds with the classic “Why?” Pray for her patience as this happens every five minutes (or less). While I hope that he eases up on my wife’s sanity, I can’t help but love his curiosity. Right about here I’m hoping you learn a lesson from my two-year-old and ask “why?” Because curiosity breeds creativity. Through the Bible, there are more than 2,500 questions with many of them being asked by God Himself. From the very first “Where are you?” in Eden to Jesus’ famous “Who do you say that I am?” God uses questions to help men to examine themselves and to cause them to turn their attention to the areas that need to be addressed. He channels their curiosity. As we develop curious minds, we should be curious in a few directions. Foundationally, we should be curious about the Word. Any of us who have engaged in basic hermeneutics were taught to ask questions of the text. This is the beginning of the process for creative teaching and preaching as well as continued spiritual growth. The questions that we ask of the Word of God shouldn’t stop with our reading of Scripture. Rather, that curiosity should be brought into our churches. Like me, you may have heard that the first words of a dying church are “but that's how we’ve always done it.” That’s not to say that we are not doing many good things. By asking questions about our programs, ministries, and methods, we can strengthen the good things that are being done while also identifying (and possibly eliminating) the things that are taking energy away from the mission of the church. And these questions open the door to creativity. A couple of years ago, I began to ask questions about how our church could do a better job at getting our message out digitally. This led to a few very successful social media campaigns and even discovering Google ad grants for non-profit organizations. (For those who are unfamiliar, Google offers ad grants for non-profit organizations including churches that can be used for up to $10,000 worth of advertising each month. Search “Google ad grants” if you’d like more information.) This came about from asking the question “what tools are out there?” Creativity came through curiosity. And this can bleed out into our communities and culture. We have some churches in our state that are doing incredible jobs in their neighborhoods. Most of their creative efforts started with a simple question like “what do our neighbors need?” The beautiful thing about this question is that each community will likely have a different answer and God has placed you where you are to help meet these needs. As you begin the journey of asking questions, some of them may be answered easily. But often, questions will breed more questions. And that’s okay, because questions breed creativity. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nate Click is the Lead Pastor at Heritage Baptist Church in Monroe, MI. Before moving to Monroe, the Clicks have served in churches in Ohio, Tennessee, and California focusing on church technology and next generational ministries. He and his wife, Cindi, have four beautiful, young children. #JUNE21

by Coye Bouyer LANSING, MI – Words have incredible power, sometimes we forget just how much power spoken words actually have in and over our lives. A life-giving positive tongue creates a positive community, creating greater joy in one’s own life and within the life of their community. Proverbs 15:4 says, “A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but perversion in it crushes the spirit.” Here, Solomon is saying that your mouth possesses the power of medicine to bring back the life of its listener. However, just as gentle and soothing speech can rejuvenate and revive; harsh speech, coarse, callous or critical conversation from a mean mouth, possesses the power to crush or BREAK the MORALE (spirit) of its hearer. In a recent sermon series, I tried to remind myself and our church of how reckless words wreck, and how we must be careful to cautiously consider our conversation. So how about you today? Are you carefully calculated in your conversation. Are you tactfully taming your tongue, or are you tackily traumatizing others with it? Remember just as a mean mouth can crush the morale of another it is also true that your mouth can minister medicine. Think about it. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pastor Coye L. Bouyer is the founding pastor of Kingdom Life Church in Lansing, MI. where he has served since March of 2010. Pastor Bouyer recently stepped into the Diversity Ambassador role for the BSCM and firmly believes that he was not only called to Preach the Gospel as part of the process of reconciliation of man to God, but also using any platform as a bridge of reconciliation of man to man, and even more so amongst the brethren. Pastor Bouyer and his lovely wife Keturah (Gen. 25:1) have been married four over 20 years and have four children; Sierra, Seth, Cayla and Coye II. #JUNE21

by Mick Schatz ROSCOMMON, MI – When I was in middle school and high school this seemed like an extremely important question (maybe for some it still is). My friends and I would have friendly arguments stating our opinions and justifying our choices with all the knowledge we had gathered from Popular Mechanics and other such magazines. Some of my friends were actually car junkies - enjoyed working on cars, knew how engines worked, and could fix various car problems. I knew nothing, but it did not matter I was a Chevy man because it was the best car or truck to own and that was fact! It’s funny to look back and realize ultimately whatever I could afford became my vehicle of choice. As a kid, divisive issues were questions like Coke or Pepsi, Jeans or Huskies, Dolphins or Buccaneers (I grew up in Florida), Larry Bird or Magic Johnson, and other great life altering questions which I am sure you could add your own. But, as an adult… Politics, religion, climate change, Dr. Seuss, sexual orientation, Covid, mask or no mask, ethnicity, hybrid or gas, hymns or songs, abortion, vegan or carnivore, social media and on and on. What does not divide us? Some of these issues are extremely important and deserve to be treated as such so I’m not trying to marginalize them. It just seems more things divide us than unite us. The culture is continuously flooding our senses with opinion and hyperbole. So how do we navigate these treacherous waters? How do we not drown in the tidal waves of rhetoric? Our culture says turn to psychology, social and political science to answer these questions. Even in our Christian culture timeless truths and Godly values are being jettisoned for more “modern” thought and ideas. We are being told to interpret and discern eternal truth through the lens of modern philosophies, theories and opinions. As Christians God’s Word is the lens through which we see, interpret and engage the world. God’s Word is the filter through which we sift every philosophy, theory and opinion to see if they hold true. We will never discern truth apart from the Bible and apart from Jesus’ Gospel we will never have reconciliation. Hopefully I’m not setting off any alarm bells that have not already sounded in your heart as a Christ follower. However, we must be vigilant… We must be vigilant in our God-given mission to share the Gospel and be ambassadors of reconciliation and peace. It’s easy to become so distracted and frustrated with the divisions in our world that we forget Jesus is truly the answer. He is sufficient for the whole of life, every sociological, psychological, economical, philosophical, and spiritual realm of our lives. Sin is the root of all our divisions-the number one divisive issue in all humanity-but Jesus is the remedy. On the cross, Jesus bridged the divide. Only the blood of Jesus, shed on the cross, can redeem, restore, recreate and reconcile that which separates us from Him and each other. The human heart will never produce solutions to human division apart from Jesus. The answer is simple, living it out is the work. Don’t live in discouragement, defeat or frustration. Stay the course-live the mission-share the Gospel of Peace with a divided world. Jesus is sufficient! Now, I’m pretty sure my childhood friends are still Mopar fans, but that’s okay because they love Jesus so I’ll still follow them on Facebook. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mick Schatz serves on the staff of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. He is the State Director of Spiritual Enrichment and Retreats and lives at Bambi Lake. #JUNE21

by BSCM staff PLYMOUTH, MI – The Baptist State Convention of Michigan (BSCM) announced the hiring of Rev. Coye Bouyer as the BSCM’s Diversity Ambassador. Bouyer’s role will be to connect with ethnic pastors across the BSCM mission field, to encourage pastors in their ministry settings, and to be a bridge of communication between the BSCM and the state’s ethnic pastors. BSCM Executive-Director, Tim Patterson said, “I am thrilled to be serving alongside Coye in this ministry. I have found Coye to be a delightful and loving kind of leader.” In addition to the responsibilities laid out for Bouyer’s position, he has a list of personal goals that he hopes to accomplish. He says they include developing relationships, to embrace the diverse forms of worship and church across Michigan, and to be a bridge builder between the BSCM and the state’s minority churches. Tim Patterson announced the hiring in a letter to BSCM churches. The letter can be read in its entirety below. Dear BSCM Family, It is my privilege to introduce to you the newest member of the Baptist State Convention Staff. Rev. Coye Bouyer will serve as our new Diversity Ambassador for our state. I am thrilled to be serving alongside Coye in this ministry. I have found Coye to be a delightful and loving individual that passionately loves his Lord and his family. Coye also has a deep desire to be the kind of leader who can understand and communicate effectively with people from all walks of life, backgrounds and ethnicities. I see in Coye a wonderful and godly leader. His role and responsibilities will include but not be limited to: Serve as Diversity Ministry Ambassador for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan as directed by Timothy Patterson, BSCM Executive Director Connect with all Ethnic Pastors in the BSCM Mission field. Encourage pastors in their ministry settings across Michigan and express our appreciation for them. Share our 500 by 2025 vision with pastors and challenge them to join the movement. Point pastors to resources that are available, especially on our website and in the Baptist Beacon and other SBC resources. Explain the Cooperative Program and the power of our partnership to advance God’s Kingdom together and demonstrate the various methods used to contribute. Be a bridge of communication between our state offices and our ethnic pastors and leaders. Pastor Coye shared some of his aspirations in his new role: To Develop Relationships – I want to establish and develop relationships throughout our state with other minority pastors and leaders as well as their churches. To Embrace and be Embraced – Due to the diversity of the church body different churches have differing cultural norms, worship styles and ways of acceptance into their church communities. I hope to not only embrace the diverse ways of worship and dynamics of different churches but also be embraced by my brothers and sisters who are a part of them. To Become a Bridge-Builder – The ultimate goal is to become one who connects our Michigan Southern Baptist Minority Churches with our state office; it’s staff, it’s resources and its vision for Michigan Southern Baptist. As well, I would like to see the State office connect and build authentic and intentional relationships with our Southern Baptist Minority Churches and Ministries throughout Michigan. In this role I get the privilege of connecting two parties to each other, thus becoming a Bridge-Builder. I am so excited about Coye joining our team. I strongly encourage you to contact Coye and welcome him to the family. Rev. Timothy C. Patterson Executive Director Baptist State Convention of Michigan 41100 Plymouth Rd. Bldg. 1, Suite 315 Plymouth, MI 48170 Office: 810-714-1907 Cell: 904-408-9521 #APRIL21 #MAY21