Passion for Ministry

My passion for ministry, the thing that God used to call me to pastoral ministry has been helping people know why we believe what we believe. A favorite verse of mine that goes along with that call is 1Peter 3:15 "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." (NIV)

My hope for this blog is to engage those seeking to understand what it is they say they believe, and help them on that journey. In the church, there are a lot of things we say we believe. All too often, we really don't understand why, and that translates into a lack of putting that faith into action.

An example of that might be that we say we believe in evangelism, but we do little if anything to help share the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we truly believed that evangelism was important, that faith would lead to some kind of action, such as sharing our faith with those around us, or making some specific effort to share the gospel in some manner.

Paul uses the term "working out your salvation" (Phil. 2:12 NIV) He is not saying that we should work for our salvation. He makes that clear in Eph. 2:8-9. What he is saying is that our faith should be evident through the works that we do. Works are the fruit that hang on the tree called "Life in Christ". They are the evidence of life and vitality we have in Christ.

If you have questions about tenants of the faith that you would like to discuss, I'd love to have the opportunity to discuss that with you.

By His Grace Alone,
Pastor Bruce Jacobsen

Why I believe in Christ

I believe in Christ because He has made Himself known to me through His Word, the Bible, through the Holy Spirit, through the church and through what can be known about Him in what He has made (creation). As I have studied the Bible, I find the truths of Scripture resonate deeply within me as being absolutely true. When confronted with the truth that Christ died for my sins on the cross, and paid my penalty for sin (which is death) with His own life, I trusted in Him alone for that forgiveness and salvation through Him. Some time ago, He has put a call on my life to help others know about Him, about His saving grace, and His immense love for us, despite our sinful condition. Through my ministry as a pastor, and through other contacts and opportunities, I seek to help others know about Him, and to ultimately know Him personally as their Savior and Lord. I hope to use this blog as another opportunity to help shine the light of Christ to anyone interested in knowing Him better.

By His Grace Alone,
Pastor Bruce Jacobsen