Carver's Corner (December)

For well over a year now the adult Bible class has been studying the apostle Paul’s letters to the Corinthian church. Throughout this study we have unearthed that theirs was a church that had many issues. But perhaps no issue was greater than that of unity, or the lack thereof. And it was this lack of unity that drove them further away from Jesus instead of closer to Him. In the church today, unity is the key.

I’ve seen it so many times, individuals that know better, or at least should know better, allow personal feelings, or the satisfaction of being in control cloud what it is they should be doing. This is a very Pharisee like attitude to have. Have you ever stopped and wondered how Jesus continuously put up with these people? Well He did love their souls, but they were the greatest threat to His ministry. They were in constant search of ways to make Jesus look foolish. On several occasions (Matthew 12 and 16) they seek a sign from Jesus. However in Matthew 23, Jesus calls them on their attitudes. Notice especially v.13-17, these were a people that were hypocrites and promoting division. 

Friends, we are ALL on the same team!! We are ALL working every single day trying to get to Heaven. It is our job to build each other up, to reflect Jesus in everything we say and do, and to demonstrate that to others in this community. In Colossians 1:9-18, Paul impresses upon these new Christians that Jesus is the head of ALL things. He is and will always call the shots, and have the final say. Be unified as one body under Him. For us today, we need to remember these words, but also that what you do is not as important as who you do it for. The measuring stick for us as the church here at Liberty is not found in our attendance, our facilities, the activities we have or that we wish we had, it is found in Jesus, and Him alone. The way we share Him and live like Him are the only thing that matters. Jesus is driving the boat, are you united with Him as your captain?

In Him, 

Carver

Carver's Corner (November)

 The words “I Love You” are so simple, yet so difficult to say. We might even be able to say them no problem, but we don’t truly mean them, making them hollow words. As you read this, think about the people in your life that you love. How often have you said these words to them? Do you even mean them, or do you say them because “that’s just what we are supposed to say?” Consider these two suggestions for making these words meaningful.

1. Your Relationships are a Gift from God. In a world that is so material, we oftentimes forget the things, or should I say the people that matter. We fall into the world’s trap of “using” those that God has placed into our life for our own selfish benefit. We are entering into a time of the year in which we are being inundated from every direction with material things. And sometimes we do lose or almost lose focus of what matters. Do we truly love the individuals in our lives, or do we love what we can get out of them? The Bible says many wonderful things about relationships. Husbands and wives have a special bond (Ephesians 5:22-33), as do parents and children (Proverbs 22:6, Ephesians 6:1-4). However, Paul sums it all up best, when he says “Let all that you do be done with love (1 Corinthians 16:14).”  

2. You are where you are for a purpose. That may be hard to understand sometimes, but it’s true. You have a platform, a ministry. And you can either take that and use it for good or bad. In the book of Acts, we read about a man by the name of Barnabas. His name literally means “son of encouragement.” He loved others very deeply and spent much time seeking to bring out the best in others. In Acts 11:22-24, we read that Barnabas uses his ministry to influence those at Antioch for good. And as a result “a great many people were added to the Lord.” Barnabas was where he was for a purpose. He chose to use his platform for good because he loved people, but most importantly he loved their soul. Can you say the same today?

“I Love You.” Three simple words, three frequently said words, but three oft hollow words. You say them, but do you mean them?

In Him, 

Carver

Carver's Corner (October)

Where has the Summer gone? It seems like just yesterday school was ending, the days were very long, and the temperatures were hot and humid. Now Fall is very much in the air. We have had a wonderful year thus far at Liberty. As we enter into the Fall months, keep in mind that we will be hosting the Jackson County 4th Sunday Singing on October 22nd at 2 o’clock that afternoon. Please put this date on your calendars as it will be a great opportunity to fellowship with others in the community!!

On numerous occasions, the apostle Paul went out of his way to encourage younger Christians. In our New Testament we have three examples of this in letters to Timothy and Titus. Timothy was a young man that was half Jew and half Greek (Gentile). Titus was a Gentile from the island of Crete, which is near Greece. Paul had met these two young men during his missionary journeys and they had become vital parts of his ministry. Timothy became a preacher at Ephesus, while Titus served as a messenger, and later the minster of the Lord’s church at Crete. The one common themes in both of Paul’s letters to these two young men were encouragement and instruction. 

Paul instructs both Timothy and Titus on how to lead and maintain a healthy and unified church. But in 1 Timothy 4:12 and Titus 2:15 he encourages these two men to “let no one despise you nor your youth.” Both would no doubt be looked down upon, and in all honesty probably had already been, because of their young age. Paul’s point in making these statements is that regardless of your age, you can still serve God. Never let your age, the wisdom, knowledge, and/or experience you think you lack, be a factor when it comes to serving the Lord. 

I have to remind myself of this constantly. Whether it’s at Liberty or otherwise, there have been numerous times when I am standing in the pulpit or teaching a Bible class and thoughts begin to creep in as I look out over the audience of “who am I to be up here?” These people all have way more knowledge than I do. No doubt Timothy and Titus had these feelings. I know there’s other ministers of the Gospel in this area who have shared that they have felt like this too. Friends, it doesn’t matter if you’re preaching the Gospel, or doing some other work in the church. You have a role, you are of value to God, no matter how young or young at heart you may be!!

In Him,

Carver

Carver's Corner (September)

Before I say anything else, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the entire congregation for your support of our 2nd annual Liberty’s Kids Back to School Bash lock-in. We had a wonderful night of activities. All the kids had a great time, no one went to sleep, and most importantly God was glorified. Lord willing, we will do it again in 2024!!

I don’t know about you, but I am super excited as we head into September. As an avid fantasy football player, this month is only the beginning of a five month journey to lead all four of my squads to glory. The most serious league that I am in is one made up primarily of fellow ministers and our wiffleball league mates. Smack talk and preparation begin anew as soon as the champion has been crowned, all leading into our draft a week from this writing. For the past several years I have co-managed a team with my best friend. As part of our preparation we make an effort to keep up with free agent signings, trades, the NFL draft, training camp, and preseason games. From this we sort players into tiers. The higher tiers are the players we want on our team and the lower tiers are ones we want to avoid at all costs. This is very similar to what we might catch ourselves doing with the Bible.

In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul reminds the young preacher Timothy, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Friends, everything that we read in the Bible is important. Each book, chapter, and verse is there for a reason. However, sometimes they don’t line up with the current state of your lives. And when this becomes the case, you might try to spin what is said to conform with it. But you can’t pick and choose, put into tiers, nor add and remove the things you like and dislike. This is not fantasy football, nor a restaurant menu. This is, as Paul so boldly stated, “the inspired word of God.” In Revelation 22, a warning is given. Verse 18 warns against adding to the scriptures, while verse 19 warns against taking away. The Bible is perfect or complete, why would you ever feel the need to change it? Let it change you!!

In Him,

Carver

Carver's Corner (August)

There is an online trivia game that has recently taken the sports world by storm. This phenomenon began with a baseball version, but has quickly evolved into a football and basketball version too. The game is called “Immaculate Grid.” There are nine squares that make up the game and one is only allowed nine guesses. Squares are filled with a player that plays or has played for a specific set of teams. Players can also be guessed based on a specific statistic they have achieved or award they won. You might have already guessed that this game is very challenging. When we strive for that flawless game; perfection with no mistakes, it is impossible to achieve.

The apostle Paul knew that living completely sinless lives has never been and will never be realistic as Christians. In his letter to the church at Rome, he wrote “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).” Just a few chapters later, he writes that we should “live in the world, but not of the world (Romans 12:2).” 

There are people today who make themselves miserable because are afraid of making a mistake and then having to ask for God’s forgiveness. They read about Jesus and think that they have to be perfect; flawless; and without any sin. Friends, this is not the case. Jesus is our savior. His power works for us as sinful beings. If we were perfect, without sin, what He did for us would not matter.

My best friend and I love playing “Immaculate Grid.” But if we sat there trying desperately to be perfect without ever making an error each time, we would never do anything else. Likewise, if we lived our life striving for perfection; never committing a single sin, then we would never accomplish a thing. We would never make mistakes and have the opportunity to learn from them. Mistakes make us better people when they bring us closer to God. His perfection completes us (2 Timothy 3:16-17) by bringing us into a divine covenant with Him (Ephesians 1:7; Titus 2:14).

In Him,

Carver 

Carver's Corner (July)

 I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say that our sermon series on Esther was a blessing. Esther is a book that often gets overlooked perhaps due to the fact that it’s in the Old Testament or maybe because God is never mentioned by name. Regardless of these facts, Esther is a book that is full of great blessings and lessons that we can all learn from today. Lord willing, July 2nd, we will be beginning a new series on “Making the Most of Worship.”

As we enter into the middle of the Summer, we need to keep in mind that we are the most powerful sermon that another person can ever hear. What you say, do, or post on social media can either have a positive or negative impact on you and the Lord’s church. Likewise the people you choose to associate with matter. In Matthew 5, Jesus begins His “Sermon on the Mount” with what we know as “The Beatitudes.” But beginning in v.13 and following through v.16, we see that He reminded the people then and us today to be good examples.

As members of the Lord’s church, we should hold ourselves to higher standards. We can’t ever let “the salt lose its flavor (v.13).” And likewise, we can’t ever allow our light to burn out. The things we do matter. This month and for the rest of the year, remember who you are, and who’s you are. Don’t risk your soul for a few moments of worldly pleasure. Be an example in all things (1 Timothy 4:12) like Esther was.

In Him,

Carver

Carver's Corner (June)

 First things first, a huge “thank you” is in order to the entire congregation. We had a wonderful gospel meeting. Thank you for your attendance, your efforts in inviting people, but also thank you for your prayers. We are so grateful to Keith for coming and watering the seeds that we have been planting. One of our themes this year as a congregation is evangelism. Sometimes you might want to quit, but when you stick it out, good things will happen!!

“Be where your feet are,” is a phrase that I have used from the pulpit a few times recently. We live in a world that likes to look too far ahead and too far in the past. And if we don’t remember to “be where your feet are” then we will undoubtedly miss something or a series of things that are very valuable. We have had and will have several of our church family traveling now that school is out. We plan and go on these trips, but guess what? We always come back to “where our feet are.”

In Ephesians 5:16, Paul reminds the church at Ephesus to “See then that you walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Paul is not saying that you can’t plan out your days, weeks, months, or years, instead he’s saying to “be where your feet are,” cherish every single moment. Friends, once time is gone, it’s gone. Only God knows what the future holds. We make our plans, and God sits back and laughs. As we enter the Summer months, where we have so much going on, and so much more that we want to shove into our calendars, let’s remember this truth!!

In Him,

Carver