Weekly Update
From a Dinner, Devotion and Dessert
Highland,
As I came to the office this morning, I wanted to share with you an update, which you can listen to by clicking the link below. It includes a devotion that took place at our family dinner table this week, too.
I am so thankful to be part of the Highland-Tribe!
I love you,
Rob
Each Saturday from 10:30am-1:00pm, we serve our streets a meal of Chicken & Rice, along with the Gospel. Volunteers are welcome to join us. Chicken & Rice Ministries is our flagship work. It serves as the invitation to all in our streets to come and know Christ. If you would like to come and serve, please contact us.
This Sunday, I look forward to seeing everyone at the Tent Gathering. As we gather this Sunday for our Tent Gathering, I wanted to go over the schedule with you. This Sunday, our schedule is as follows:
10am-11am: Coffee and Conversation. As you arrive, grab a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich. Enjoy having conversation with one another and the chance to be together. Also, if you’re willing, some will be setting up for the 10 am service. We welcome your help, if you’re able.
11am-12am: Tent Gathering Service. *At 11am, bring your camping chairs or blankets to make for yourself a place outside, underneath our tent. We will gather to worship as we set our eyes upon Jesus. Highland, I ask that we would be in prayer for the name of Jesus to be exalted in our corporate gathering; that those who wander, or are deceived throughout our streets, would hear that Jesus saves, and repent! We will conclude and dismiss following this service. So, breakfast will be offered but not lunch.
We are strongly encouraging social distancing and masks will be available for those who would feel most comfortable wearing one. If you have a mask, please bring one for yourself to use. We ask that you stay home when you are sick. We also ask that you cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Also, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Finally, keeping your hands clean using sanitizer or by washing them with soap is vital. If you have a personal bottle of sanitizer, bring it and keep it on you for your personal use throughout gatherings.
Van route riding requirements: windows down, masks worn and no more than 10 on a van.
Wednesday night studies, Pillow Party and prayer sessions have been canceled.
Children’s Ministries, Life Class & Breakfast will not resume until a later date.
*All proposed plans remain contingent upon medical information available to us throughout the foreseeable future. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us. I rejoice over you, Highland. I love forward to being with you Sunday.
I love you, Highland,
Rob
Highland, Chicken & Rice is happening today! Shout out to the youth group of St Andrews Presbyterian for serving alongside us today, with Chicken & Rice Ministries!
Tomorrow, we will hold our services. Coffee and Conversation at 10am. Weather permitting, we will then hold our Tent Gathering, unplugged, at 11am.
I love you, Highland.
Rob
Highland, by the way, today is Carrie’s birthday, too!
Each Saturday from 10:30am-1:00pm, we serve our streets a meal of Chicken & Rice, along with the Gospel. Volunteers are welcome to join us. Chicken & Rice Ministries is our flagship work. It serves as the invitation to all in our streets to come and know Christ. If you would like to come and serve, please contact us.
This Sunday, I look forward to seeing everyone at the Tent Gathering. As we gather this Sunday for our Tent Gathering, I wanted to go over the schedule with you. This Sunday, our schedule is as follows:
10am-11am: Coffee and Conversation. As you arrive, grab a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich. Enjoy having conversation with one another and the chance to be together. Also, if you’re willing, some will be setting up for the 10 am service. We welcome your help, if you’re able.
11am-12am: Tent Gathering Service. *At 11am, bring your camping chairs or blankets to make for yourself a place outside, underneath our tent. We will gather to worship as we set our eyes upon Jesus. Highland, I ask that we would be in prayer for the name of Jesus to be exalted in our corporate gathering; that those who wander, or are deceived throughout our streets, would hear that Jesus saves, and repent! We will conclude and dismiss following this service. So, breakfast will be offered but not lunch.
We are strongly encouraging social distancing and masks will be available for those who would feel most comfortable wearing one. If you have a mask, please bring one for yourself to use. We ask that you stay home when you are sick. We also ask that you cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Also, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Finally, keeping your hands clean using sanitizer or by washing them with soap is vital. If you have a personal bottle of sanitizer, bring it and keep it on you for your personal use throughout gatherings.
Van route riding requirements: windows down, masks worn and no more than 10 on a van.
Wednesday night studies, Pillow Party and prayer sessions have been canceled.
Children’s Ministries, Life Class & Breakfast will not resume until a later date.
*All proposed plans remain contingent upon medical information available to us throughout the foreseeable future. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us. I rejoice over you, Highland. I love forward to being with you Sunday.
I love you, Highland,
Rob
Highland,
We are watching the weather. A decision will be made and posted as soon as possible.
I love you,
Rob
Highland,
We continue to work through our series entitled, “The Church.” Our current focus within our series is on our conduct, both as a body of believers and as a people who bear witness to the name of Jesus. To listen, simply click the link below.
Sermon audio available for 30 days. To save the sermon, download it.
“To the pure, everything is pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; in fact, both their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, and disqualified for any good work.
But you must say the things that are consistent with sound teaching. Older men are to be level headed, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance. In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine. They are to teach what is good, so they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, homemakers, kind, and submissive to their husbands, so that God’s message will not be slandered.
In the same way, encourage the young men to be self-controlled in everything. Make yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity in your teaching. Your message is to be sound beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be ashamed, having nothing bad to say about us.
Slaves are to be submissive to their masters in everything, and to be well-pleasing, not talking back or stealing, but demonstrating utter faithfulness, so that they may adorn the teaching of God our Savior in everything.
For the grace of God has appeared with salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a people for His own possession, eager to do good works” (Titus 1:15-2:14, HCSB).
Highland,
I enjoyed being together so much today. Know that I am interceding for you this very moment! Let’s go into this week “eager to do good works!”
I love you,
Rob
Highland, here’s our plan for this weekend. I am so grateful to have you in my life and look forward to seeing you. - Rob
Each Saturday from 10:30am-1:00pm, we serve our streets a meal of Chicken & Rice, along with the Gospel. Volunteers are welcome to join us. Chicken & Rice Ministries is our flagship work. It serves as the invitation to all in our streets to come and know Christ. If you would like to come and serve, please contact us.
This Sunday, I look forward to seeing everyone at the Tent Gathering. As we gather this Sunday for our Tent Gathering, I wanted to go over the schedule with you. This Sunday, our schedule is as follows:
10am-11am: Coffee and Conversation. As you arrive, grab a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich. Enjoy having conversation with one another and the chance to be together. Also, if you’re willing, some will be setting up for the 10 am service. We welcome your help, if you’re able.
11am-12am: Tent Gathering Service. *At 11am, bring your camping chairs or blankets to make for yourself a place outside, underneath our tent. We will gather to worship as we set our eyes upon Jesus. Highland, I ask that we would be in prayer for the name of Jesus to be exalted in our corporate gathering; that those who wander, or are deceived throughout our streets, would hear that Jesus saves, and repent! We will conclude and dismiss following this service. So, breakfast will be offered but not lunch.
We are strongly encouraging social distancing and masks will be available for those who would feel most comfortable wearing one. If you have a mask, please bring one for yourself to use. We ask that you stay home when you are sick. We also ask that you cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Also, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Finally, keeping your hands clean using sanitizer or by washing them with soap is vital. If you have a personal bottle of sanitizer, bring it and keep it on you for your personal use throughout gatherings.
Van route riding requirements: windows down, masks worn and no more than 10 on a van.
Wednesday night studies, Pillow Party and prayer sessions have been canceled.
Children’s Ministries, Life Class & Breakfast will not resume until a later date.
*All proposed plans remain contingent upon medical information available to us throughout the foreseeable future. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us. I rejoice over you, Highland. I love forward to being with you Sunday.
I love you, Highland,
Rob
Gentian Baptist has been so devoted in their love toward us!! They have committed to serve alongside us on their Serve Saturdays and they get so much done! They help us with tasks around the property and assist us in ways that really help us function so much better. Thank you, Gentian. And a special shoutout to Bo!
Wirth a grateful heart,
Rob
“He (being Jesus) has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. We have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, in Him.”
Colossians 1:13-14, HCSB
To grip this passage correctly, we must fine-tune our understanding of the terms: “domain” & “transfer.” These terms both speak to our sense of belonging and personal identity. These terms work together to express to us, as believers within Christ, that we are adopted and bear a new identity.
Jesus, the Son of God, dwelled among us within this dominion of darkness. He lived, showing us what God is like and, ultimately, laid down His life, willingly, to purchase us back from the dominion of darkness. Those who repent, declaring Jesus to be Lord, are then transferred (adopted) from the dominion of darkness into the family of God - Who is light and love. We become citizens of His kingdom of light! We bear His name; we wear His name-tag upon our chest! Therefore, every belief we fashion, every decision we make, flows out of our renewed, conscecrated spirit. We wholly belong to the Lord and the Lord’s name defines our personhood.
Knowing that His identity defines us, it’s His Word and His opinion that we now always seek to remain within agreement with, in ALL things, related to our lives throughout our days. Pursuing agreement with His Spirit and His Word is the perpetual evidence of our belonging to the Lord.
“My dearly loved brothers, understand this: Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for man’s anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.”
James 1:19-20, HCSB
To be quick to hear and slow to speak denotes humility. It’s actually our conscious decision (an act of submission) to silence our flesh, then to choose to listen to the Holy Spirit, which results in our disposition coming into agreement with the Holy Spirit. This is the renewal process of the mind which the Holy Spirit takes us through (1 Corinthians 2:16). As our disposition is being renewed by the Holy Spirit, every decision we make and every deed we commit then comes into agreement with the Spirit of God.
To choose to listen leads to a faithful obedience, which leads to righteous choices in our lives. The righteousness produced from the Holy Spirit through our obedience is the evidence of our salvation and the fruits of God’s spirit in our lives from which others are nourished.
As believers, one way we can seriously mis-step in our relationship with God’s Word is by hearing but not receiving; learning but not submitting to the authority of Scripture. It is easy to familiarize ourselves with Scripture through a sermon, a podcast, a Sunday School lesson, only to use Scripture we hear to underwrite our own views.
This remains an issue because our disposition would remain rooted in the flesh; it would remain yet still critical, judgmental and given to unbridled anger without restraint from the Holy Spirit’s self-control. Therefore, as James insinuates, when we are not seeking first to listen and to come into agreement with the Holy Spirit, then we are more inclined to act out of anger. Perhaps we are angry about just causes, right stances; even still, if our dispositions are not are not under the authority of the Holy Spirit, we will carry out even our just anger in the wrong way.
The events of 2020 and on into 2021 certainly reveal this reality. The anger demonstrated over, even just causes, has come out the wrong way from all sides and it has produced the wrong outcome in every way.
‘Man’s anger cannot accomplish God’s righteousness.’ It never has; it never will. Our scientific developments, our political persuasions or our just causes will not serve to better us, let alone save us. We are sinners. Our hearts are corroded with sin-filled desires, which dish up destruction. Highland, let us remain under the authority of the Holy Spirit, so that we produce the fruit of righteousness, even in our anger (Ephesians 5: 18-21; Romans 12:9-21).
Our world spins upon an axis of injustice; it is the very dominion of darkness. Jesus entered our world, bore our sin and now offers to buy us back with His own blood. In our submission to His redeeming Name and salvation, we then belong to the Kingdom of Light, bearing His name, His nature! So, while we walk through this shadow of death, our hearts no longer reside here. We are citizens of the Kingdom of Light, the “city on the hill.”
“He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a people for His own possession, eager to do good works” (Titus 2:14).
So, Highland, let us commit ourselves to the good of our neighbor and the glory of our God, not allowing ourselves to become entangled with the wrestling matches of this world. May we press on to know our Lord and make Him known, both in our citizenship and our conduct, remaining unstained by sin throughout our days.
I love you,
Rob
Each Saturday from 10:30am-1:00pm, we serve our streets a meal of Chicken & Rice, along with the Gospel. Volunteers are welcome to join us. Chicken & Rice Ministries is our flagship work. It serves as the invitation to all in our streets to come and know Christ. If you would like to come and serve, please contact us.
This Sunday, I look forward to seeing everyone at the Tent Gathering. As we gather this Sunday for our Tent Gathering, I wanted to go over the schedule with you. This Sunday, our schedule is as follows:
10am-11am: Coffee and Conversation. As you arrive, grab a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich. Enjoy having conversation with one another and the chance to be together. Also, if you’re willing, some will be setting up for the 10 am service. We welcome your help, if you’re able.
11am-12am: Tent Gathering Service. *At 11am, bring your camping chairs or blankets to make for yourself a place outside, underneath our tent. We will gather to worship as we set our eyes upon Jesus. Highland, I ask that we would be in prayer for the name of Jesus to be exalted in our corporate gathering; that those who wander, or are deceived throughout our streets, would hear that Jesus saves, and repent! We will conclude and dismiss following this service. So, breakfast will be offered but not lunch.
We are strongly encouraging social distancing and masks will be available for those who would feel most comfortable wearing one. If you have a mask, please bring one for yourself to use. We ask that you stay home when you are sick. We also ask that you cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Also, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Finally, keeping your hands clean using sanitizer or by washing them with soap is vital. If you have a personal bottle of sanitizer, bring it and keep it on you for your personal use throughout gatherings.
Van route riding requirements: windows down, masks worn and no more than 10 on a van.
Wednesday night studies, Pillow Party and prayer sessions have been canceled.
Children’s Ministries, Life Class & Breakfast will not resume until a later date.
*All proposed plans remain contingent upon medical information available to us throughout the foreseeable future. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us. I rejoice over you, Highland. I love forward to being with you Sunday.
I love you, Highland,
Rob
