Getty’s Christmas Tour

Keith and Kristyn Getty will be performing their Christmas tour in Oil City, Pa. on November 30th.  We are very privileged to have them so close to our church that we will organizing a trip to the concert.  Please contact Pastor Guy for tickets and travel instructions.  Don’t miss this opportunity to hear and see probably the most prolific, God used and talented hymn writers of our day and enjoy the season with new Christmas music.  It will be a great time! 

The Peace OF God

“The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Recently I was asked about what I was preaching through in morning worship at our church (fortunately this was not from one of our members).  As I began to explain that we are in the midst of the book of Philippians, the follow up question surprised me, ‘yeh, but how has this been made real to you and your church? You know you never preach anything that God doesn’t make it real.’  This scared me.  Even though there is a thread woven through the book of Philippians of profound joy, it is not the common theme or the purpose of this book.  Joy wouldn’t have scared me.  Dealing with conflict within the church, partaking in suffering for the gospel, straining ahead and advancing the good news of Christ, all issues which Paul addresses to the Philippians, they would cause me alarm.  If my friend’s assertion was true, and I knew it was, what was in store?

It’s been nearly 7 months of preaching though this book and I find I have either a keener awareness of people’s daily struggles and the struggles within church life or we have been prepared for the trying of our faith.  Our people have faced and are facing serious struggles of living the gospel in a fallen world.

But praise God, our studies have included the above verses.  It has become apparent to me that in the midst of all these struggles, what people crave is peace.  An inner peace that says regardless of my situation there is a peace which floods my inner being, my soul is at rest.  The book of Philippians has revealed that we can have that peace.

The promise of the scripture is that when we bring our concerns or requests before God, and by the way these represent any possible source of anxiety in our lives; do they not, and they are brought with thanksgiving on our lips, God has promised not the granting of that request necessarily but a granting of a peace that cannot be described in human terms.  A peace which cannot be comprehended apart from God because as the verse says it is the peace OF God.  His own holy serenity envelopes us, a supernatural peace.  The peace which God Himself enjoys.  A peace which knows no end, knows no conflict.  Wow, what a promise!

If we will bring all of our anxious requests before the omnipotent Father with the humility of a desperately needy child, and a heart that overflows with the thankfulness of His grace already bestowed, then he promises us HIS peace.  Thankfulness of His grace to us for our salvation, thankfulness of His grace in all good things is the key to the verse.  If we come with thanksgiving in our hearts for His abounding grace than He promises us peace beyond description.   Now that is a comfort.  A peace and comfort which guards our inner beings from all anxiety and worry.  A peace which says, my soul is at rest regardless of my struggle.

So I have realized that as God begins to hold us accountable for the preaching and teaching of His word, He also includes His good promises.  My prayer is that the folks of Center Hill find ourselves strengthened in the Lord and in His word, seeking this peace, seeking His peace.

soli deo gloria

We’re baaaack!

For all of you who for months have been waiting for an update on our church’s post, WE”RE BACK!  Due to numerous reasons we have not been able to keep up with post updates.   As of today, we will be updating this site on a regular basis with information of God’s leading and His work at Center Hill, recaps of current studies, upcoming events, pictures, announcements, devotionals, issues important to the Church, and an occasional rambling from the Pastor.

Speaking of the Pastor, I write this today as the permanent Pastor of Center Hill for the first time.  I have been serving since Feb of 2009 as Center Hill’s full time ‘interim’ Pastor.  As of June 5th, I have accepted the call to be the ‘permanent’ full time Pastor at the church.  What an exciting time.  My wife and I have grown to love each and everyone of the folks who call Center Hill ’home’ and have enjoyed a freedom to preach and a willingness to be taught by a people of a church that few Pastors ever have the privilege of knowing.  What a humbling and yet thrilling time for us at CHCC.

Pray for our church as we begin to walk this path of Christian growth and worship together.  Change is part of the Christian life as we are changed from glory unto glory in our journey to Christ-likeness.  It is the goal of our church to provide a place of corporate worship, a place of Biblical education and a place to find the equipping of families and individuals to fulfill their call to let their manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.  We will continue to strive to strengthen each other’s faith and walk in the Spirit as we look to the word of God and the God of the word.

Change is coming but it is with the thankful hearts of current members looking back at the faithful individuals of Center Hill’s past who have forged a direction of Godliness and a commitment to His word.  It is the unflinching conviction of the leadership of Center Hill to allow God to build His church as we walk in mutual submission to one another and to the leadership of Christ.

It would be our hope and honor to have you join us at Center Hill for any of our worship or teaching services.  We are committed to sound doctrine and meaningful worship as we walk this Christian life together.  As was once said of a great church – ‘Come for the theology and stay for the community.’

soli deo gloria

Dad’s of daughters, watch this!

A passion for people, Lord!

As I sit at the 2011 Ligonier Ministry Annual Conference taking in the messages centering around Light and Heat, a Passion for the Holiness of God, I am once again reminded of the reality of my own lack of appreciation and sometimes even the lack of awareness of the holiness of God. This short trip has led me to realize that the church at large, and I in particular, have failed to see God for who He is and people for who they are. It is only when we see and understand, though finitely, God’s infinite wonder, magnificence and “transcendent purity”, that we begin to see our own sin and the weight of it. It is only in that moment of understanding of our own depravity and final condition of separation from God’s presence, that we truly begin to see others in their lostness.

We had the privilege of worshiping at First Baptist Church of Barnwell, South Carolina this past week, where our good friend and mentor Keith Richardson is Senior Pastor. What a great time we had with them. The church’s Missional Pastor, Lee Clamp, delivered a convicting message of our eternal view of people, especially those outside the church. Do we see people while wearing our own pair of ‘Jesus goggles’? Do we see them on the very precipice of hell? Do we look about us during our visit to the grocery store and see those individuals but a breath from eternal torment? Surely we don’t. For if we did we would tell them of the gospel at every moment of opportunity. We would implore them with desperate cries to repent and believe. To cry out with the love of Christ about the love of Christ. But instead we are so easily satisfied with all this world affords that we complacently allow them to slip past us, possibly into a Christ-less eternity.

As Spurgeon said, “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.”

Lord give us a greater view of You and thereby seeing ourselves and others as meriting souls of hell and yet as undeserving as we are, recipients of Your grace, even the grace of salvation.

soli deo gloria

The Cause of All Things

I never expected the theological depths found in the story of a man being swallowed by a big fish and then delivered alive on dry land after three days.  This fun to tell and hear children’s story has been a staple of last minute or surprise teaching opportunities for many years by more than one faithful Sunday School teacher.  If you find yourself having been raised at all with any influence of a Christian church, you know the story very well, right?….. Maybe not.

The past several weeks we have been preaching and teaching  through the book of Jonah.  We always follow up our morning worship hour with Sunday School and the topic of discussion and discovery for the adults is the morning message (man does this keep the preacher honest).   The discussion these past several weeks has been wonderful.  The topics which the book of Jonah has led us to has caused us to stretch and rethink our individual perception of God and who He is.  Stretch and conform our thinking to a biblical view.

As Pastor, I have found myself nearly at a loss for an adequate answer to some of the questions posed.  Questions dealing with God’s sovereignty and His will.  Why do bad things happen, sin and evil in general, election and man’s will, creation and the fall are just a few of the questions discussed these past 5 weeks.  Yes, when you give serious consideration to the issue of God’s sovereignty, these issues become unavoidable in your study.  Unavoidable but not always answered satisfactorily.

In many of the cases, I have felt I nearly copped out when asked these probing questions by coming ultimately back to the cause of all things, God’s will.  Why did God place His love  on Israel, because he loved them.  Why does God bring prosperity and create disaster, because He, the Lord does all these things.   Why did God chose to persevere with Jonah and save Jonah from himself, because He did.  Why did God….because He willed it.  As I found myself in study today, I came across this statement from one the church’s  divines.  He sums it up better than I ever could….

“. . . it is very wicked merely to investigate the causes of God’s will. For his will is, and rightly ought to be, the cause of all things that are. For if it (God’s will) has any cause, something must precede it, to which it is, as it were, bound; this is unlawful to imagine. For God’s will is so much the highest rule of righteousness that whatever he wills, by the very fact that he wills it, must be considered righteous. When, therefore, one asks why God has so done, we must reply: because he has willed it. But if you proceed further to ask why he so willed, you are seeking something greater and higher than God’s will, which cannot be found. Let men’s rashness, then, restrain itself, and not seek what does not exist, lest perhaps it fail to find what does exist”

I hope the folks of Center Hill have found this study to be as rewarding and convicting as I.  I believe they have.  It is encouraging when 75% of the adult congregation find the Word preached so compelling, not by human attraction incidentally, that they remain to discuss it further.  When this occurs lives must be changed and God is honored.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!….

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.  Romans 11:33

By the way, who was the divine quoted above?  No fair googling.  E-mail me the answer and I’ll let you know who is right in Sunday School this week.

SOLI DEO GLORIA!!!!!

The descent to hell is easy

As our church continues her series in the book of Jonah, I was once again challenged in the depth of this book as I consider the attributes of our covenant keeping God. Our passage this week led once again to God’s sovereign rule over all creation and we are beginning to get a glimpse of God’s mercy. When God sets His mind and purpose on something, He will go to all lengths to accomplish it. Disobedient Jonah has said ‘no, I will not go and preach to pagans’ contrary to God’s desire and will for him. God now intervenes supernaturally in circumstances to bring about His purpose in and through Jonah’s life. As we read the first 16 verses of the book of Jonah, it becomes apparent that God was determined to use Jonah, either as an obedient child or as a disobedient servant.

It isn’t directly stated in the passage, but logical deduction tells us that Jonah didn’t enter into his disobedience quickly or immediately. No, his disdain for the Ninevites was rooted deeply.  His rationale of God being merciful and gracious was a learned truth.  His choice to turn west to Tarshish instead of east toward Nineveh began with one and two and three steps. He searched out a ship in a port city going as far from Nineveh as possible and decided to pay his own fare to further his disobedience. Then content in his rebellion against God, he falls asleep in the lower deck of the ship.  Jonah’s sin took thought, planning and time.

But just as Jonah’s disobedience didn’t instantly appear, neither did God’s judgment appear instantly in it’s fullest toward Jonah. Our God is a merciful God, slow to anger and judgment.  He wants Jonah’s repentance and humility and sets His purpose to that end.  He turns the storm up in intensity as the sailors row harder and throw out the cargo, examples of our human efforts to thwart God’s purpose.  The tempest is raging.  But God is so committed to His purpose of Jonah preaching to the pagans of Nineveh, he brings a ship full of ‘innocent’ sailors to the brink of a watery grave instead of allowing His erring child to continue on his disobedient journey.

It is the same for His church today. God will bring the gentle nudge toward obedience, then the push and finally the knock down should we resist in His will. He is like that, He is merciful. He wants to save us from our sin and He will go to any length to do that.

James Boice expanded on the philosopher Virgil’s statement, ‘The descent to hell is easy’. I quote ‘When we disobey God, he does not rearrange the stars of heaven to say, “Stop, do not go farther.” He let’s us go. At first he does not put great obstacles in our path. If we choose to stop reading our Bibles, he does not send a prophet to get us reading them. If we stop praying, he does not send a disaster into our lives to make us turn to him. Not at first!! He simply allows us to go downhill and to pay for our own foolish choices. However, when we persist in our disobedience, he gets tougher. He begins gently, just as we gently disobey. But in the end he sends a tempest.”

How is it with you today?  Has God called you to something specific and yet you have gently started to disobey.  You cannot thwart His will.  He is sovereign and will accomplish what He plans.  He is also merciful and will not allow His children to continue in their disobedience but may very well wield all the forces of the omnipotent to produce an obedient child.  Study Jonah and find a deeper and greater assurance in a purposeful, merciful God, willing to save.

soli deo gloria

Pastor Guy

Here am I, send….him…or him…or him

We at Center Hill begin a short 5 or 6 week series on the book of Jonah during our Sunday Morning worship.  My intention, as Pastor, was to continue in our series from the pastoral Epistles after the break we took to study biblical ordination.  However, the Lord has brought the prophet Jonah to my mind on numerous occasions during the past month or so and I have become aware of the rich doctrine taught in the book named for him.  The doctrines of God’s sovereignty, mercy and love.

We began this past Sunday with an overview of the book and I posed a question to our folks during the message and then later in our adult Sunday School class.  Do you believe in the sovereign rule of God over all matters?  We say we do even if we only have the most rudimentary understanding of the gospel.  It is actually the very foundation of our hope.  We hold to the truth that even during the worst of life’s calamities, there sits on the throne of the universe an omnipotent, good God in control working all things for His glory and our good.  It is the very bedrock of our hope in times of trouble.

But do we really believe in God’s sovereign rule when His will comes into conflict with the obstinate disobedient human will?  You’ve heard it said from the young lady considering marriage, “I now he doesn’t claim Christ, but we love each other.  I know what God’s word says, that I’m not to marry him, but I don’t care.  It will work out”.  What about God’s sovereign rule in that case?  Or what about “I know I should apologize and ask for their forgiveness but I just can’t, I just can’t.  I was wrong and I know God’s word says I should make this right but I just can’t talk with him, I won’t”.  What about God’s sovereign rule in that case?  It seems that man’s will trumped God’s, right?

Jonah is told by God to go east to Nineveh because He had a purpose for him there but instead Jonah said ‘no, I’m going west’.  And so he does and even pays his own fare for this disobedience, amazing.  But turn loose the Hound of Heaven and watch stubborn grace at work.  Watch as a sovereign God controls the forces of nature, appoints fish, a plant and a worm, and changes the hearts of a vicious murderous people from haters of God to lovers of God.  His will will not be frustrated.

Join us for this series as we look deeper into the attributes of God and see His merciful, loving control over His creation to bring about His perfect will of redeeming a people for Himself  in spite of His disobedient children, unbelieving bystanders and pagan idolaters.

Pastor Guy

soli deo gloria

It’s all about Him

With the gathering of our own church family, friends from nearby and our immediate family from across the state, Center Hill Community Church was a packed house on January 23rd.  We had come together not simply to ordain the Pastor unto the ministry but to glorify God.

My greatest fear for the day was that it would become about the person being ordained, me, and not about the God who had called and enabled me.  Center Hill didn’t confuse the issues.  Even though kind things were said about me (kinder than I deserved) and the examination of my call completed, the over arching message was that God was center and it was His ministry that was to be furthered.  From the board and congregation’s examination, the preparation of the meal, the planning and presentation of music, the preaching of the Word by Rocky Hammond and Jeff Burkett, and the moderation of the services by Jim Titler, the people of Center Hill came to a deeper understanding of “Soli Deo Gloria”, God’s glory only.

If I used this space to thank each and everyone who had a part in the success of the day, I would surely leave someone out and worse yet deflect the glory of the day from our Lord.

In recent months as I had prepared for the ordination, I came across a recurring theme in the Word of God, humility.  I can’t remember who said, ‘if a man claims to be humble in the slightest, it is a sure sign he is not’ but it has stayed with me.  I am not claiming to be humble but instead say that I was humbled by the day.  Micah 6:8 has been more and more impressed upon my heart that what is required of me is ‘to walk humbly with my God’.  I am humbled to think that God being so sovereignly in control of the very dust motes floating in the air of my  study and each snow flake falling outside the window has at the same time called me to His ministry.  I trust I never lose the weightiness of that thought.

Thank you Center Hill for honoring our Lord and allowing the moment to reflect His glory.

soli deo gloria

Pastor Guy

“Set apart for me…”

Center Hill Community Church is about to ordain, ‘set apart’, their Pastor unto the ministry of our Lord.  The church in the New Testament followed the example set in the Old Testament of ‘setting apart’ their sacrifices, ‘setting apart’ their priests, and ‘setting apart’ there leaders unto the specific use and administration of God.  Examples of this in the New Testament are found in Acts 6 in which the church ‘set apart’ the seven for specific ministry and in Acts 13 when Barnabas and Saul are called by God and ‘set apart’ by the church to God’s  work.

I am most intrigued and humbled by the words of the Holy Spirit in Acts 13 ‘set apart for Me, Barnabas and Saul…’  Wow, to think that God had chosen specifically these two men for a specific task He had for them.  The God of creation, the great I AM had, for His pleasure and glory, chose two humble servants to minister in His name.  What an awesome, overwhelming responsibility and privilege.

So it is for those God has called into the ministry of His word today.  We call them Pastors, Elders, Deacons, Missionaries, Evangelists, etc.  Nevertheless, the responsibility and privilege is the same as it was for the first century church leaders and servants.  They …we… have been set apart for “Jehovah’s” purposes.  It’s not because we’re special in some way, holier, wiser, or possess more redeeming qualities than others.  No, God for His pleasure and glory has set apart certain of His servants for reasons known only to Him.

But when I consider this from a personal perspective, what a humbling proposition this becomes.  With Christ as the standard, I am not blameless, I am not a lover of good, I am not hospitable and to a degree I am violent and greedy.  All of which would preclude me from being ‘set apart for God’ to the ministry.  As I stated, it is a humbling proposition. What then makes a man worthy of  ‘the call’?

Grace, pure and simple.  It is by God’s grace I have been saved and it is by God’s grace I live.  And it is by grace that I have been called and enabled in the ministry.  It must become my commitment to the church which sets me apart and to My Lord who calls me to serve each moment at the point of God’s grace, humbly submitted to His enabling power and the standard of Christ likeness.  It then is not my ability to minister, my ability to preach and teach or my ability to live blamelessly but Christ who lives through me.

Pray for us and join our congregation on January 23rd as we  exercise our God given privilege and responsibility to set apart one for His service.  Pray for me, that I submit to our Lord’s teaching and His Spirit’s conviction in matters of leadership and personal holiness.  It’s all about grace, it’s all about Him.

soli deo gloria

Pastor Guy