by Wayne Bridegroom
Jesus is never in the shame game. He will, however, quietly meet with us and say something to the effect of, “I love you so much. Would you allow me to bring healing into (this particular area) of your life? Let’s partner. I’ll show you the way.”
by Wayne Bridegroom
I just returned from the 127th gathering of the Modesto Police Department Clergy Council. The Clergy Council has been meeting monthly for over nine years. Over those years, new entities have joined the procession, including the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department, the local California Highway Patrol office, the mayor of Modesto, Modesto City Schools, County Probation and the DA’s office. The official business today was “passing the mantle” from our four term, retiring DA to our newly elected DA.
by Cynthia Cody-Vera
I have never been in a tornado, but I was on Saturday.
Yes, it was small, but came with warnings: hail, strong winds, flooding, lightning, and thunder! Alerts of atmospheric rivers headed our way while chunks of hospital ice fell from the dark skies. The constant roll of what seemed like never-ending rumbling was unsettling.
Please know that while John and Marti are laid up with Covid, the Catch continues to operate without a hitch. If you should need anything, please feel free to contact any of the following:
Wayne Bridegroom: Associate Pastor, bridegroom@gmail.com
John Shirk: Minister of Discipleship, johnshirk@fgbc.org
Cynthia Cody Vera: Prayer Ministry Pastor, cynthiacody@rocketmail.com
Dave Kelley: Vanguard Representative, tornveil2@gmail.com
Our Catch today comes by way of Pastor John Shirk.
by John Shirk
When Jesus told the Twelve to make disciples of all nations, they knew exactly what He meant. They had just spent 3 years with Jesus watching Him make disciples of them. Three years of meals together. Three years of walking from town to town through the Judean countryside. Three years of listening to Jesus speak in parables and quote the Scriptures. Three years of watching the power of God at work in the Son of God.
Please know that while John and Marti are laid up with Covid, the Catch continues to operate without a hitch. If you should need anything, please feel free to contact any of the following:
Wayne Bridegroom: Associate Pastor, bridegroom@gmail.com
John Shirk: Minister of Discipleship, johnshirk@fgbc.org
Cynthia Cody Vera: Prayer Ministry Pastor, cynthiacody@rocketmail.com
Dave Kelley: Vanguard Representative, tornveil2@gmail.com
Our Catch today comes by way of Pastor Wayne Bridegroom.
by Wayne Bridegroom
I grew up on a family dairy in California’s San Joaquin Valley. When the price of milk plummeted in 1963, dad had to get a full time job to sustain us. That meant that he milked our herd of 50 cows in the morning and I milked them in the evening after high school baseball practice/games. Of course, there was no pay. It’s simply what we did on a family dairy.
Both John and Marti have Covid. Treatment calls for total rest. Please pray that this will be a light case and there may be a quick recovery. We will be back as soon as strength returns.
Our Associate Pastor, Wayne Bridegroom and I were exchanging thoughts on evangelism and discipleship the other day when he wrote, “I fear that there is a huge disconnect because we make such a big issue of ‘getting saved’ as a transaction assuring heaven that sanctification (in most evangelical circles) simply translates into being a good American and adding on prayer, Bible reading and church attendance.”
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
Disciple: a follower or student of a teacher
If you are a believer, Jesus calls you a disciple — one of His followers or students. That means at least two things.
You will be learning. That’s what it means to be a disciple of Jesus — you are a student of Jesus. I like to think of us as students because it is a more purposeful word. A follower can just tag along, but a student is learning, studying, taking notes, observing, asking questions, debating. A student is engaged in the learning process and the process is never over.
I first proposed this idea in a Catch three years ago to the day. It came out of a lunch I had with a pastor, an attorney who is an influential church leader, and a Christian college professor with a PhD from Oxford. They all love Jesus, but none of them are having a satisfactory church experience. The professor is on disability, the church leader can no longer stomach his church, and the pastor is tired of Christians and can’t wait to retire in three months. None of them are very hopeful about where the church in America is going. What’s wrong with this picture? You could say I just had an unfortunate group of people who are all having individual struggles for some reason, but Barna’s research would say I had lunch with a typical cross-section of Christians in America. All of them agree on one thing: The boomers have it; the millennials are looking for it; and most everybody in between too busy with life to bother.
We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also. 2 Corinthians 6:13
by Marti Fischer
My heart hurts for the loss of Ethan. I embrace what C. S. Lewis wrote, “Grief is like a long valley, a winding valley where any bend may reveal a totally new landscape.” And indeed it is a journey, one I will not cut short.
John Fischer The Catch 