Monthly Newsletter
July 2024
But you beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
Jude 20-21
I love Elephant Ears! Most of you know what I am talking about. Not the fair food but the plants. Now I’m not really a “planting and gardening” type of person but I do love the outdoors. Several years back my wife planted some Elephant ear plants at our house in Clemmons. The next year they grew like crazy! Every year I would chop the dead parts off when they died and the following summer they were back. They would come back as big and strong and healthy as ever. They impressed me because I really didn’t do anything to them. They were planted in the right place and they were in an area with the right resources and they just did their job! They grew!
The Biblical authors were very familiar with all things agrarian, so they made abundant use of the metaphor provided in that field. The Bible speaks of the seed of the Word which gets implanted in our hearts at salvation and then produces the fruit of a life dedicated to God and loving others (1 Peter 1). Jesus spoke often of this when He warned us to make sure that the word of God fell on useful soil (our hearts) so that it could bear fruit. Otherwise if the seed fell on bad soil and produced no fruit it was an indication of no genuine salvation (Matthew 13). One thing is abundantly clear in the Bible. Salvation produces a new life which is marked by growth and fruit! In other words, no fruit means no life!
One of the most difficult things I find as a Christian is when I find someone who “claims” to be born again but has no interest in the things of God’s word, no desire for fellowship with God’s people, nor is there any interest in seeing others come to know Christ! According to Jesus (Matthew 7) and the rest of the Bible, that person has no basis for thinking that their faith is genuine. James calls that dead faith and demonic faith (James 2). The person who has that, in my experience, is one of the hardest people to reach with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They have been duped by the Devil and their own sin into thinking that all is well with their soul when in reality they are in a terrifying place (Hebrews 10). We are in the midst of a vast mission field.
But let me turn the corner and speak to you as the church! Serving alongside of you for the past 7 years has been an overwhelming joy to me. Because I see the fruit of your faith. I know you really believe on Christ like you say you do because that faith has revolutionized and continues to motivate your lives! Your love for the Lord and your lives are producing fruit for His kingdom. How does this happen in our lives?
Colossians 1:9-10; since the day we heard of it (your faith in Jesus) we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you be filled with the knowledge of His will, in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, increasing in the knowledge of God. The Cycle works like this; You learn about the word, you apply the word, you start being able to use the word in your life, you then begin walking out the word, you then bear fruit, you then learn more so that you can continue to do it!
And WBC is bearing fruit in everything! Let me clarify what that means for you also. The Bible describes 3 types of fruit that the Christian life produces.
The Fruit of Attitude – Galatians 5 – The Fruit of the Spirit in a loving, joy filled and holy life is fruit I see in you.
The Fruit of Action – Romans 15 – Fruit is also what we do for others in our service and giving and response to needs. WBC has that fruit being produced in abundance.
The Fruit of Addition – Romans 1 – All of this fruit has the goal of adding people to the Body of Christ through the Gospel. And again, WBC is producing this.
You know I used to think those elephant ears grew like they did by accident. But not so. No growth happens by accident. It was the right seed in the right soil that then availed itself of the right resources that produced magnificent growth. My prayer for all of us is that we will continue to allow the seed of God’s word to have that affect on us, all to the Glory of Jesus Christ!
Because of the Life of God in you all, we had a wonderful and God-honoring VBS this year! We reached more people with the Gospel because of your sacrifices. We showed more people what genuine Christianity really looks like because of your selflessness! We saw more volunteers in front and behind the scenes because of your love for Jesus! I thank God for the fruit you bear through your sacrificial and genuine faith in Jesus in all we do together!
I am so thankful to be your Pastor!
Now let’s pray that God would continue that work in the lives of our kids as they prepare for camps this month! Pray that the Word will find good soil in all their hearts, so that their lives will bear fruit for God!
Growing with you,
Pastor Brandon
Jude 20-21
I love Elephant Ears! Most of you know what I am talking about. Not the fair food but the plants. Now I’m not really a “planting and gardening” type of person but I do love the outdoors. Several years back my wife planted some Elephant ear plants at our house in Clemmons. The next year they grew like crazy! Every year I would chop the dead parts off when they died and the following summer they were back. They would come back as big and strong and healthy as ever. They impressed me because I really didn’t do anything to them. They were planted in the right place and they were in an area with the right resources and they just did their job! They grew!
The Biblical authors were very familiar with all things agrarian, so they made abundant use of the metaphor provided in that field. The Bible speaks of the seed of the Word which gets implanted in our hearts at salvation and then produces the fruit of a life dedicated to God and loving others (1 Peter 1). Jesus spoke often of this when He warned us to make sure that the word of God fell on useful soil (our hearts) so that it could bear fruit. Otherwise if the seed fell on bad soil and produced no fruit it was an indication of no genuine salvation (Matthew 13). One thing is abundantly clear in the Bible. Salvation produces a new life which is marked by growth and fruit! In other words, no fruit means no life!
One of the most difficult things I find as a Christian is when I find someone who “claims” to be born again but has no interest in the things of God’s word, no desire for fellowship with God’s people, nor is there any interest in seeing others come to know Christ! According to Jesus (Matthew 7) and the rest of the Bible, that person has no basis for thinking that their faith is genuine. James calls that dead faith and demonic faith (James 2). The person who has that, in my experience, is one of the hardest people to reach with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They have been duped by the Devil and their own sin into thinking that all is well with their soul when in reality they are in a terrifying place (Hebrews 10). We are in the midst of a vast mission field.
But let me turn the corner and speak to you as the church! Serving alongside of you for the past 7 years has been an overwhelming joy to me. Because I see the fruit of your faith. I know you really believe on Christ like you say you do because that faith has revolutionized and continues to motivate your lives! Your love for the Lord and your lives are producing fruit for His kingdom. How does this happen in our lives?
Colossians 1:9-10; since the day we heard of it (your faith in Jesus) we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you be filled with the knowledge of His will, in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, increasing in the knowledge of God. The Cycle works like this; You learn about the word, you apply the word, you start being able to use the word in your life, you then begin walking out the word, you then bear fruit, you then learn more so that you can continue to do it!
And WBC is bearing fruit in everything! Let me clarify what that means for you also. The Bible describes 3 types of fruit that the Christian life produces.
The Fruit of Attitude – Galatians 5 – The Fruit of the Spirit in a loving, joy filled and holy life is fruit I see in you.
The Fruit of Action – Romans 15 – Fruit is also what we do for others in our service and giving and response to needs. WBC has that fruit being produced in abundance.
The Fruit of Addition – Romans 1 – All of this fruit has the goal of adding people to the Body of Christ through the Gospel. And again, WBC is producing this.
You know I used to think those elephant ears grew like they did by accident. But not so. No growth happens by accident. It was the right seed in the right soil that then availed itself of the right resources that produced magnificent growth. My prayer for all of us is that we will continue to allow the seed of God’s word to have that affect on us, all to the Glory of Jesus Christ!
Because of the Life of God in you all, we had a wonderful and God-honoring VBS this year! We reached more people with the Gospel because of your sacrifices. We showed more people what genuine Christianity really looks like because of your selflessness! We saw more volunteers in front and behind the scenes because of your love for Jesus! I thank God for the fruit you bear through your sacrificial and genuine faith in Jesus in all we do together!
I am so thankful to be your Pastor!
Now let’s pray that God would continue that work in the lives of our kids as they prepare for camps this month! Pray that the Word will find good soil in all their hearts, so that their lives will bear fruit for God!
Growing with you,
Pastor Brandon
