April 20, 2025 - The Ultimate Gift!
Gifts are always "interesting" when people desire to make us feel their love and care through what they present to us. Whether it is a picture, a drawing, a bouquet of flowers, a gift card, or just a compliment, the "gift" is often a reminder that we have been remembered and hold some type of value to the giver.
Arriving outside of Kunming in Yunnan Province, I met with some local friends who had a plan to take me to a nearby town called YuXi. As I usually went to the Bai People group area of Dali or Lijiang to what was generously called a "training centre," visiting YuXi sounded great to me. The gifts of my time with those friends included some wonderful meals with silk worms and yak butter tea. To conclude my visit, I was provided with 6 long cartons of cigarettes....a local product! Arriving at the airport back in Kunming with my gift in hand, I still didn't know what to do with the "gift." Placing the cigarettes in the bin above my seat on the plane, I had to recognize that the gift represented something from their hearts to me. Arriving back in Guangzhou, I recognized my dilemma had an answer as I deplaned and simply left the valuable gift of cigarettes in the bin for whomever found it!
Jesus came as our ultimate gift from our creator God. He has not been received by all. Our Lord God offered Jesus on the Cross of Calvary to suffer and forgive the sins of all who would receive His gift of eternal life. We neither deserve nor earn the gift of love and salvation that Christ offers to all who will receive His gift of forgiveness and salvation. Today, we celebrate Easter. It is not a secular holiday just about eggs and bunnies. It is a day of remembrance that the Creator God loved us enough to send His only begotten son, Jesus, to sacrifice His sinless life as a substitute for our sinful behavior. Today is the day of salvation for those who will humble themselves, confess their sin, and cling to Jesus as Saviour and Lord. He desires our fellowship as His adopted son or daughter and that is HIS GIFT TO US! (John 3:16) What will you do with Jesus, today? Will you humbly pray and become a child of Christ?
Donald Gardner,
Senior Pastor
April 13, 2025 - "Gifts Have Importance"
When you receive a gift, it is usually something that the giver hopes to see you using at some future point....true? This is true of what God gives us as well. He provides us with skills, interests, concerns, and many other things with a purpose in mind. We are in a church (grouping of Chrisian believers) for not only the fellowship that is provided to us but also for the opportunity to be of value to the lost world around us. At CBC, the broader team of Christian servants is vital for us to be of impact to those with whom we come in contact. God has placed us here not as evidence of our great skills, but as evidence of how the Father can use even a mustard seed to become an impact on our church family and our world. We must pray for a heart of appreciation, that God uses "even us," as we place our lives and time in His hands in many different ways to make ourselves available for Him to use daily. We are gathered as a family, not to find fault in each other, but to seek to build up one another for the service of our Lord. There are no "insignificant" roles in the life of our church, for we are a living organism of service. Whether your role is to smile and greet new friends into the church or to be the best children's care worker that could be imagined, you are part of God's team at CBC. Perhaps your gift is cooking or washing dishes, and we must respect these skills, for we are not intended to all have the same ministry opportunities. Please know that you, and the gifting of God for you, is important and valued. YOU ARE VALUED!
The Scripture calls us to "serve the Lord with gladness" and not with a scowl. May you never be guilty of harming God's family by allowing negative things to remain in your heart.
Donald Gardner,
Senior Pastor
April 6, 2025 - "Does Prayer Guide Your Life?"
Before you read God's Words of Guidance on Prayer as found below, let us all consider whether we are willing to read with respect and expectation that the Creator of the Universe IS listening. Let us slow down and focus on the wishes of our Lord for our lives. If we expect God to bless CBC for our faithfulness, we must be broken of our pride. We must not be focused on our successes or failures but we must reflect the "expectation" that Jesus wishes to use us and guide us as we lean on Him. We must be disciples of action and faithful service. For CBC to be the church (Spiritual Family) that God desires, we must hunger after righteousness. We must exude love and burden for the lost. Yes, we must pray for ourselves. As God's tools, we are here to be actively used in reaching out in Christ's name. Let us dare to look deeply within ourselves before we read about Prayer. The values, ethics, and courage to be a true disciple demand much of us, but the reward is knowing that Jesus is truly our Lord.
Matthew 6:5-15 (ESV) ---"On Prayer for CBC"
And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street
corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your
room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you
pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like
them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we
also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses,
your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Donald Gardner,
Senior Pastor
March 30, 2025 - "A Message for Me!"
The Patches and the Wineskins
21 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, and a worse
tear will result. 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine
and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins.” (Mark 2:21-22)
Moving from one city or country to another sometimes takes a while to fully unpack! Recently, I was looking through some old trunks and bags only to find some wonderful "antique jeans!" I love the feel of old jeans but these were truly OLD. As I pulled them out, I noticed that these were a pair that still had knee patches on them from around 1995. That means these were probably purchased in the early 1990’s in Hong Kong and, somehow, they got packed away for quite some time. Reading the Scripture in Mark 2 certainly reminds me of the condition of my old jeans. They were patched by an old lady in a market who knew to use old material that matched the jeans to keep them functional. Just as in the Scriptures, the mixing of an old garment with an unshrunk cloth just wouldn't last long before the new piece would pull away from the old material. For Jesus, he knew very well that the Jewish leadership's traditions and customs would never merge well with what they needed to learn from Him.
The context of this verse is part of Jesus’ teaching on the impossibility of merging His new teachings and the salvation that would soon be offered by him on the cross with the old Jewish traditions. Knowing the Pharisees and their bureaucratic leanings toward ritualism for defining the spiritual status of their people, Jesus presented a new type of discipleship that was more than mere appearances and regulations. Jesus didn't ignore the need for a follower of His to live in a way that reflected God's action in their lives, but he called for the Jewish leadership of that day to be more than rule followers that were seeking to integrate Jewish habits/traditions with the new teachings that Jesus brought.
As Christians, our character, applied morals, and overall value system is so much more than any human attempt to "appear holy" by our own effort. Jesus calls us to be His disciples and that is not a call to Pharisaical Academic behavior, but is a challenge for us to abide, or be absorbed with, Jesus as our Lord. May you and I have the courage to be motivated to leave behind the things of this world and hunger to be Christ-like in all that we do.
Donald Gardner,
Senior Pastor
March 23, 2025 - "Cups: 1/2 Full or 1/2 Empty?"
I have always referred to myself as an "optimistic realist". When I meet persons who are choosing to be negatively critical and disappointed with events that life has brought their way, I am saddened that I can't "wake them up" to the Joy of what Christ has done for them! Sometimes, I meet so-called Christians who are distracted with life issues to the point that they have allowed themselves to be swallowed up in worldly matters for which they are not responsible.
Jonah was pretty good at pouting when things didn't go his way. Running from his Godly responsibilities when his personal thinking was threatened, didn't serve him well. He ran from serving God because he thought he knew better of what God should be doing with his life. Even when he finally took up his responsibility to go to Nineveh and successfully do God's service, his attitude remained a problem. He changed the lives and direction of a whole city of 120,000 people but was still pouting, for he didn't really value God's Will above his own wishes.
Is your cup 1/2 on the good side of serving the Lord or not? Full or Empty? The Scripture challenges us to "Rejoice in the Lord in all things." There are no problems or issues in life that should steal the Joy of God from us! Our desires or understanding of life's matters should never be allowed to overcome the condition of our "cup." Sure, we are all human. We all have our wishes and values, but we must remember that God works in His own ways even as He patiently teaches us that His desire is to see us lean on Him. Jonah may not have ever learned to have a Joyful Spirit as he rebelled toward God even in days when he served so efficiently! Yet, we must daily determine if we welcome a 1/2 full cup or not??? Let us all grasp that our behavior is a reflection of Christ living in us!
Donald Gardner,
Senior Pastor
March 16, 2025 - "On Prayer"
If Prayer was of value to Jesus as He walked toward His own crucifixion on our behalf (Gethsemane), then many other Scriptures speaking of prayer must be valid and instructional for you and I. Each month, we hold a church-wide prayer meeting in the Sanctuary at 12:30 pm. As the church is a gathering of the Family of God, that time together is a sacred time of fellowship with each other and, most importantly, with our Lord. One of my favorite Biblical verses on prayer reminds me to humbly keep myself firmly in the hands of my creator.....in all things!
Matthew 6:5-15 says, "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you."
As we want to be known as Christ's disciples who are boldly guided by the values and Will of God, let us all learn to pray in unison and burden. Remember, Prayer is Worship as we place our dreams, concerns, and faith in the expectation that the Father is listening to our prayers.
Donald Gardner,
Senior Pastor
March 9, 2025 - "Musings at 3:45 am"
Inadvisably, for any sane individual at this time of day, I am up and reflecting on some of the events of Sunday's time with my church family. We are a body of people with persons ranging in age from toddlers to centenarians. We have some dynamic spiritual leaders who challenge the "faith walks" of us all and some others who distinctly function as emotional babies in our circle. Yes, we are a normal church body with strengths and weaknesses. We search out how we can be both bold in the Lord's guidance and still be equally caring and gentle for those who require that sensitivity. What is our hope that we can experience a revival of burden for the lost while having a renewed spirit of fellowship with our Saviour and Lord?
I suspect that our membership knows that we should be a body of "prayer warriors" with a closeness and intimacy between ourselves and our Father that can be rivaled by few others. Yet, if our prayer lives and the fellowship of prayer as a collective body were to define our health as a church, I fear that we would all have to recognize that we are not the model for other churches that we know is desirable. In our various congregations, we politely "bow our heads to the Lord" with short prayers at varying times. Monthly, we have a church-wide prayer meeting that brings a small group of us together. Yet, we all have to recognize that the intimacy between ourselves and Christ is weak and that act of weakness needs to be placed on our own behavior and not the Lord's.
We In a recent sermon, I reflected on James 2:26 where the reminder is that "Faith Without Works is Dead." Of course, for the Christian, we recognize that "Works without Faith are also dead." If we, as Christians, find ourselves praying without taking the actions which reflect our faith that God is listening to our prayers, then we sin. Our church needs people of confidence and that confidence is in the Omnipotent and Omni Loving Heavenly Father. May we all seek out our identity at CBC for where we can truly "serve the Lord with gladness!" (Psalm 100:2) .
Donald Gardner,
Senior Pastor
March 2, 2025 - Your Church is His Church...Serve with Joy!
If Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it (Eph. 5:25), does it not follow that as His disciples, we should recognize that we are to focus our lives on loving and caring for the body of Christ which is the church? As the head of the church, Christ is loved through us when we respect and honor the things that He has taught us to value...the church. This means that we are to sacrifice our own wishes and thinking for the development and growth of the family of God...the church.
The examples of Ephesians 5 relate to both God's family, the church, and the importance of family relationships. The responsibilities of the husband toward his wife are defined in comparison to Christ's love for the church and the people in that circle of faith.
An important theological understanding for us all is that Jesus does not love the church because of its perfect behavior and ministry successes. He loves the church with a spirit of forgiveness in order to aid us to move toward an appreciation of the sanctification we have been blessed with by the blood of Christ that was sacrificed on our behalf. In the same way, our wives are loved by their husbands, not because they are any more perfect than the man, but because the husband desires to aid the wife to become an even more joyous and fulfilled individual in the family of God.
In being a part of the church of God, either locally or universally across the world, it is important that we remember that we are to be servants of the High King with our lives. It is more important that our presence contributes to improving the church's witness in our world than it is for us to treat the church as the provider of our club-like comforts. Uplifting the people of God to be humble and dedicated disciples is never a waste of time by us.
Donald Gardner,
Senior Pastor
February 23, 2025 - "Who is Your Jesus?"
Is Jesus a Lion or a Lamb? We tend to often think in forms of "either-or" with less consideration of the potential of "both-and" as we seek answers to stressful problems or things we may not understand. While Isaiah 11:6 references the Lion and the Lamb, the primary reference to Christ as both the Lion and the Lamb is found in Revelation 5:5-6. In most ways, the power and character of a Lion is viewed as an opposite to the gentle spirit of a Lamb. Jesus is presented as both the Lion of Judah and the sacrificial Lamb that was slain for the sins of mankind! In Revelation chapters 4 & 5, a heavenly throne room is revealed where a heavenly scroll is found in the right hand of the one sitting on a throne. The kingship of Christ, as the only one worthy to open the scrolls and reveal the meaning therein, is presented in this scripture for the reader to consider.
We may ask why Jesus is the chosen and worthy one to open the scrolls? As sinful and limited as we are in our faith, Christians are aware that Christ's role on the cross of Calvary was substitutionary and cleansing for our sins. Revelation 5:6 presents the victorious Jesus as the conquering Lamb whose holy blood was shed for you and me! In the Old Testament, the spilling of a pure Lamb's blood was a cleansing action to represent purity for the behavioral sins of men and a reconnection with the creator God. Jesus is our powerful Lion who is our protector and guardian as well as the forgiving, understanding, and sensitive Lamb who cares for you and me, even when we don't deserve His care. Yes, Christ is the extreme as He is both Lion and Lamb!
Donald Gardner,
Senior Pastor
February 16, 2025 - Is Preaching "Agenda" Appropriate?
The Episcopal Priest named Mariann Budde, recently presented her message of political concerns at the annual Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. Mariann’s emphasis on syncretism and the importance of religion revealed her understanding of the Christian faith as not being related to a personal relationship with Christ, but more as a knowledge of humanitarian concerns shared with all religious groups. While this approach may be attractive to many, it is not Christian. As a clear reminder of our discipleship and evangelistic responsibilities, Matthew 28:19-20 clarifies our role in life.
Jesus adopted the city of Capernaum as his home location after the religious leaders of Nazareth (Luke 4:16, 28-30) rejected Him. With numerous friends and disciples of Christ from that area, Jesus found comfort with the people of that city. Ultimately, it was also a city that rejected His miracles and teachings to the point that found His words of condemnation directed toward them. Christ had given his best to guide the society with truth but found hardened hearts there when many thought they knew more than He (Luke 10:13-15).
Like Houston in 2025, Capernaum had access to the gospel of Christ. Jesus walked among the people there, and yet, the people seemed to feel that their religious formality and understanding was an adequate personal choice for their spiritual lives. The behaviour of the people who walked and listened to the words of Jesus is sad. To them, just being in the building or attending religious activity was what they saw as adequate faith! In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus simply called those people "evildoers, I never knew you!" For us, seeing the church and its people will not bring people into a relationship with Christ without a person taking action. Action by all of us is required if we truly want to know that we are Christian. Repentance and Confession reveal something that the people of Capernaum seemed to struggle with doing. For Houston, we too struggle, for many people find it almost impossible to humbly lean on the love of Jesus as we recognize that we are imperfect and in need of a Saviour! May we be more courageous than the people of Capernaum. May we all look in our hearts and ask if Jesus is there!
Donald Gardner,
Senior Pastor
February 9, 2025 - Why are any of us at CBC?
According to the Scriptures, that you and I say we believe as His family, Jesus is the head of us all and of His church. If that is true, then the comment in Scripture that says Jesus loves the church and gave himself on the cross for us is understandable and important. His sacrifice on behalf of the church reveals the character and values of God. With that in mind, the answer to why we are at CBC clearly is that we, as His followers, are here to grow in faith, grow in service, and make ourselves available each day to be witnesses for others to see Christ in our lives. We gather to study His word during the Sunday School hour each week because we seek to be like Christ as we grow in Biblical training. We, as His family, gather to worship weekly as we practice what it is to direct our praise to God for the salvation Christ provides His followers. We witness, study, serve in many different ways, and hunger for God to direct our paths. Being at CBC is not about finding the perfect church/people but is about us recognizing our own imperfections and seeing how the Lord has provided us a body of Christians with whom we may use our God-given gifts/skills.
As we know, there are no perfect churches because each church is made up of people and that is where the challenge is usually found! Over the years, I have been involved in a number of churches and each one brought new opportunities of service to the Father. There are many groups that gather in the name of Christ with various denominational names. For those denominations that represent so many church bodies, we pray for them to have a healthy theology, a healthy purpose, and that God will guide their members to follow Christ each and every day. May we all pray for the many Christian churches of Houston that are well balanced and seeking to guide their brothers and sisters to find their place of gifted service to our Lord.
Donald Gardner,
Senior Pastor
February 2, 2025 - "Inauguration Emotions"
A few weeks ago, at the Inauguration of President Trump, a new era of leadership in America was begun. However, it did not necessarily represent the wishes of all people. Change is common in life but is often highly stressful for some individuals who resent situations where they are not the final decision makers. On the other hand, change offers us the opportunity to review our circumstances and see what God may have in store through new experiences yet to be experienced!
As Christ's Disciples, we are called to ask Christ to be our Lord, to guide our behaviour and responses toward the world in which we live. For over 70 years, the National Prayer Breakfast has been held in Washington D.C. at the beginning of a new president's service. At this year's Prayer Service, President Trump and others in attendance heard a message that was more about social justice, the prosperity gospel, social and religious inclusion, LGBTQ rights, and similar things, than anything to do with the Christian life. The speaker was an Episcopal priest named Mariann Budde. She shared her agenda and revealed that her burden is not for the eternal lives of people, but instead, is focused on spreading her political leanings. With a true opportunity to speak to the nation about the importance of following Christ, she disappointed all and that includes herself. In order to show herself as inclusive and non-judgmental toward all, she wasted a message of salvation to be offered to all.
A prayer for CBC is that we may worry less about our own reputations and understanding as we focus more on how we represent the Kingdom of God with our lives. May we all seek to make CBC a stronger and dedicated body of believers who are filled with the joy of being Christ's Disciples.
Donald Gardner,
Senior Pastor
January 26, 2025 - "Character Led Jesus to the Cross"
The average man would not easily have chosen to live a life dedicated to helping others, speaking truth at all costs, and ultimately find himself sacrificing his life for others. Then again, Jesus is my mentor and hero because He is not an "average man!"
Life is full of successes and failures for each of us. Many of us evaluate our value based on the secular accomplishments that our education and careers have brought our way. Appreciation of opportunities that have manifested themselves throughout our lives is not wrong. But to find ourselves completely wrapped up in the obtaining of more and more worldly accomplishments is fleeting. The slang term of our day communicates things clearly, "you can't take it with you!" Colossians 3:1-2 says, "Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."
We Christians are a strange breed. If we have learned our lessons well as Christ's disciples, we probably don't reflect our world's goals, values, or society well. As our brave mentor, Jesus, modeled a life of dedication and purpose. He never allowed the distractions of this world to corrupt his direction or His ultimate purpose. Indeed, even Satan could not misdirect the path of Jesus. We know the ultimate price that Christ faced on our behalf as he courageously entered Jerusalem. He revealed that being a strong leader can certainly face down the evil that is found in this world.
Donald Gardner,
Senior Pastor
January 19, 2025 - MORE JESUS CHARACTER COMMENTS 3:
John 6 reveals Jesus at Capernaum. He is seen as a focused Saviour who is concerned about truth and theology. Popularity as an ego based identity was not even a consideration, an attitude expressed within the testimony of Jesus. As has been said before, "Our Actions reveal our Character" and Jesus presented some very challenging values and teachings that resulted in the vast majority of his so-called followers and disciples walking away. As Jesus spoke of being the "Bread of Life" and the need for His disciples to "eat His flesh," the followers argued in confusion about this son of Joseph and His references to having come down from heaven! Yet, Jesus did not simplify His message or alter His words to attract public consumption even though He knew his Jewish audience was dwindling rapidly! With His listeners being highly religious persons and respecters of sabbatical laws, Jesus knew how He could have drawn in the number of followers IF that had been His goal. However, the values of Jesus were to assist His real disciples to look into their own hearts and confirm their commitment to serving Christ in all things.
We all have to review daily the depth of our faith. We have to consider how much we actually appreciate the salvation that Jesus has provided. In some cases, we have to ask ourselves how much persecution or prejudice we can endure when our Christian walk is questioned. Christian courage is to remember what the sinless Jesus has offered us on the Cross of Calvary! At Capernaum, Jesus' message was not attractive to the masses and nearly all of His followers were found out as "sightseers." There was no "cheap grace" to be offered by Jesus in that location. Jesus left the final decision to follow Him with the individuals.
I could dream that my courage to stand strong for Christ would be adequate when a time of heavy persecution might come. But, there are no guarantees about myself and my faith. The bravery of Jesus in times of threat and criticism is the model that I must seek for myself but I am certainly a failure in many ways. Jesus was tempted, criticized, beaten, spat upon, and many other things that would probably challenge my strength of faith. The religious men of his day saw Jesus as unacceptable to their legalistic understanding.
My bargain with you is that I will pray for you if you will do the same for me!
Donald Gardner,
Senior Pastor
January 12, 2025 - "Character"
You have all heard of "Sunday Christians" and understand that it is not a very complimentary thing to be held as a label for ourselves. John 6 presents Jesus as having had thousands of followers as they dreamt of seeing him perform miracles and ultimately, presenting himself as the anointed king of Israel! With time, only 12 apostles remained as the kingship that Jesus brought was not up to the demands and wishes of his followers. These 12 held on to following Christ even though He was a disappointment to the masses. If it is true that our "actions reflect our Character," the scene of thousands departing Jesus and leaving only a small band of faithful apostles with Him reveals a great deal about courage and character. Let us never follow men but remain firm to the task and needs of Christ and His Church.
In Nazareth, Capernaum, and elsewhere when addressing large groups of people, Jesus dared to speak truth that he knew would not result in his popularity. He spoke of sin, forgiveness, truth, and bold dependency toward God. When doing miracles, his followers came in mass out of curiosity but when he emphasized the "cost of discipleship" to the crowds, MANY walked away! He alienated the masses by challenging whether their faith was a daily owned reality that would carry them through times of difficulty or merely something they wore on their sleeves! Jesus came into the world bringing truth, yet He was not received. Daring to speak of the ethics, morals, and truth of God didn't draw many long-lasting friends to Jesus. Should we ever be surprised that the full message of Christ may not always be understood or received well? Let us never compromise the truth of the gospel's message for the popularity that may come by not sharing God's love.
Donald Gardner,
Senior Pastor
January 05, 2025 - "A person's mental and moral qualities"
Jesus is my hero, my mentor, and my Lord. He "feared not," allowing truth and dedication to His life's purpose in directing His choices. Jesus faced persecution for his faithfulness to live by His ethical principles and follow his moral compass. The Pharisees and Sadducees of His day were religious leaders who often challenged Him to live by their standards. Satan directly pushed Him with the societal temptations of power, position, and earthly reward. The governmental leadership found little to hold him responsible for, but still did not stand to defend Him as those leaders crumbled before the will of societal and Jewish desires.
The land in which Jesus walked was not unlike our own. The life actions that we take daily, reveal our character and values just as Jesus' actions proved His character of selflessness, courage of conviction, and heart of sacrifice. The path of Jesus held temptations and challenges, and yet, He was not one to deny, run from, or ignore those issues. He chose to bravely reveal and live the truth. Christ's modeling for us as His disciples was one of courage and dedication. Facing problems was a strength of Christ, and yet, it came with a price for Him. He had disciples who served Him as coworkers and brothers, but at times, they walked away from Him when the pressures of being a follower grew too great for their commitment. Indeed, when Christ faced government and religious leadership that ultimately took Him to a cross, there were few who surrounded Him in support. When we follow Christ as a disciple, it is hoped that His Character guides our ethics, morals, and faith to reflect Him.
My Jesus is the one who healed the sick and cleansed the temple by driving out animals and overturning the tables of the moneychangers. He stood up to the Pharisees/Sadducees when they incorrectly presented the theological teachings of God. He also prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane on His way to the Cross. Preaching truth with honesty, strength, and confidence meant that the manipulation of people was never His intent. He allowed people the freedom to choose truth and the accompanying actions of those choices or have people walk their own paths and then endure the consequences. We must all "own our decisions, words, and actions" in life if we are to be His disciples.
Donald Gardner,
Senior Pastor