http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/index.jsp Articles by the pastors of Tri-City Baptist Church. 2010 Tri-City Baptist Church. All rights reserved. http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/_images/pastors-posts-logo.gif http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/index.jsp Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:35:00 -0700 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:35:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20100722.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20100722.jsp After we have recognized who God is through worship, the next logical step is to bow the knee in submission to His authority. Lord, let your kingdom, your rule, your reign, your precepts, your system, your way of doing things come. Lord, let your will--your desires be done. Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:30:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20100628_miller.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20100628_miller.jsp God, you are holy and you deserve our worship. In our prayers, I believe we have lost the awe and wonder of what it means to enter the throne room of almighty God. In Isaiah 6 the prophet Isaiah received a glimpse of God's throne room. Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:30:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20100621_miller.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20100621_miller.jsp Prayer is one of the most important elements of our Christian life. It is the way we commune with our creator, seek forgiveness for sins, plead for help, ask that our needs be met, and align our hearts with God. Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20100604_tjepkema.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20100604_tjepkema.jsp To counteract the despair of the world, I think I am going to make up a new bumper sticker: "Fruit Happens." Sometimes as a counselor your best personal advice comes from yourself. Fri, 4 Jun 2010 09:15:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20100127_sproulm.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20100127_sproulm.jsp I have always been fascinated with space. We are told that the heavens reveal the very essence of God, so in that regard it is understandable that I am fascinated by our God's creation. Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:20:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20091009_sproulm.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20091009_sproulm.jsp The history of Tri-City Baptist Church over the last eight years is that of a great people honored and blessed by a much greater God. Our move, with all its joys and sorrows, is now complete. Fri, 9 Oct 2009 14:10:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20090805_stertzbach.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20090805_stertzbach.jsp Here's an excerpt from a letter in Field and Stream magazine, July 2009 (emphasis mine): "I play fetch with my dog using tennis balls. Since I use my dog for hunting, every activity is some kind of training." Wed, 5 Aug 2009 14:55:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20090626_sproulm.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20090626_sproulm.jsp Recently I was watching an old rerun of the Brady Bunch on TVLand. I really wasn't paying attention until one of the kids got hurt and said "rats". I was struck by how foreign that expression would be today in the media industry. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:30:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20090526_miller.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20090526_miller.jsp While most Christians have the Lord's Prayer memorized, few have taken the time to understand it, and fewer still actually pray this way. Tue, 26 May 2009 17:20:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20090414_stertzbach.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20090414_stertzbach.jsp I am the first to admit that I am not a "numbers guy." My standard joke is, "Hey. I'm a musician. Anything above the number six, and I have to subdivide." But I know that some of you understand and connect to numbers. Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:40:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20090402_stertzbach.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20090402_stertzbach.jsp I read recently that Blaise Pascal (French mathematician, philosopher and physicist, 1623-1662) never said that there is a "God-shaped vacuum" in all of us. What Pascal really said was that we all have an innate desire to seek happiness: "All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end." Thu, 2 Apr 2009 15:40:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20090323_tjepkema.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20090323_tjepkema.jsp "There is no greater goal in life than to truly know God. Experiencing Him and knowing Him intimately is a treasure far greater than any human achievement. God takes great pleasure in those who seek to know Him." -Blackaby Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20090309_general.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20090309_general.jsp This past Sunday we unveiled Tri-City Baptist Church's new logo and slogan. We decided to develop a new logo and slogan to help identify ourselves in the community. Having a strong "brand identity" will help us effectively communicate our church's uniqueness. This has never been more important than now as we prepare to introduce ourselves to our new community in Chandler. Mon, 9 Mar 2009 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20090219_koehn.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20090219_koehn.jsp Tug-of-war is just one of those games that you have to put your all into if you want to gain any ground. You know, confrontation is just like the game of tug-of-war: two or more people are needed to play the game, and there needs to be movement in opposite directions. Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20090206_sproulj.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20090206_sproulj.jsp President Abraham Lincoln is well remembered for his famous Gettysburg Address. He is also remembered for a very famous observation: "You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time." Fri, 6 Feb 2009 16:30:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20081105_maxwell.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20081105_maxwell.jsp I was getting my oil changed a few weeks ago and noticed an article on the wall from USA Today. It was about how to get better gas mileage. I'd heard most of the suggestions before: proper tire inflation, tune-ups, filter changes, good fuel, etc. However, there were two that I had not considered. Wed, 5 Nov 2008 14:30:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20081013_koehn.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20081013_koehn.jsp As I walk down the Arizona State University sidewalk, I meet various people passing by. Represented in the sea of people are those who come from different states, different cultures, different religions, different beliefs, and different ways of thinking. I think to myself, "There is no way I can tell all of these people about Jesus Christ! Where do I even start?" Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20081006_stertzbach.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20081006_stertzbach.jsp A recent article accused Sarah Palin of having "Neanderthal faith." Yes, indeed, her faith is probably similar to Joachim Neander (1650-1680) the outstanding hymnwriter of the German Reformed Church and the only hymnist with a fossil hominid named after him! Mon, 6 Oct 2008 15:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20080828_brockd.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20080828_brockd.jsp It is Tuesday, August 26 at 11:20 a.m., and I just got a phone call from my father as I sit here in my office. Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20080818_gephartk.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20080818_gephartk.jsp Ancient Israel in the days of Nehemiah also had a building program. Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20080707_sproulm.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20080707_sproulm.jsp Excerpts from documents that proclaim the "exceptional" experience that is America. It is these documents that have brought millions to our shores, "yearning to be free." I encourage you to read them and to enjoy your heritage of freedom. Mon, 7 Jul 2008 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20080617_sproulm.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20080617_sproulm.jsp Ways a wife can live in respect of her husband's role of servant-leader. Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20080605_sproulm.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20080605_sproulm.jsp Ways a father can help his children to Christlikeness. Thu, 5 Jun 2008 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20080507_sproulm.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20080507_sproulm.jsp Ways children can obey and honor their parents. Wed, 7 May 2008 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20080430_sproulm.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20080430_sproulm.jsp Ways a husband can help his wife to Christ-likeness. Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20080401_sproulj.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20080401_sproulj.jsp When was the last time someone told you an outright lie, assuming that you recognized it or could prove it was a lie? Maybe the more difficult question would be this: "When was the last time you told someone else a lie?" Ouch! Tue, 1 Apr 2008 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20080218_miller.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20080218_miller.jsp Conflict in and of itself is not evil, and in fact can actually be a good thing. Conflict is simply two opposing viewpoints or desires clashing. We all look at our world differently. Mon, 18 Feb 2008 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20080111_miller.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20080111_miller.jsp God has provided every tool, every weapon we need to do battle with our flesh, the world, and the devil. But sadly, many Christians spend their lives in defeat - not because they are defeated in the battle, but because they are on the sidelines. Fri, 11 Jan 2008 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20071219_sproulj.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20071219_sproulj.jsp Have you ever sat and thought about the variety of responses recorded in the Bible to the birth of Jesus Christ? Wed, 19 Dec 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20071211_stertzbach.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20071211_stertzbach.jsp The Christmas season is a time of year when we can go about making a difference...well, differently. At no other time of year do people have one thing on their minds. Tue, 11 Dec 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20071203_stertzbach.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20071203_stertzbach.jsp If you heard all the curmudgeonly things I say about Christmas time, you'd think I was a real-life Scrooge! Someone bought me a Christmas themed-tie with the Grinch on it. And I wear it proudly all season! Mon, 3 Dec 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20071107_sproulm.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20071107_sproulm.jsp Many scientists today seem obsessed with finding life on other planets. With all our problems here on our own planet, why is man so set on finding life somewhere else in the universe? Wed, 7 Nov 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20071023_stertzbach.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20071023_stertzbach.jsp We do change. Though we don't like to admit it. And though we often don't recognize it. Our tastes change, too. Folks often say to me, "Well, I know what I like." What that usually means is, "I like what I know." Think about that. Tue, 23 Oct 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070928_sproulm.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070928_sproulm.jsp Many characteristics of our ministry make us very counter-cultural. One of them is our approach to young people. Fri, 28 Sep 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070918_stertzbach.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070918_stertzbach.jsp Sometimes the greatest truths are the simplest truths, aren't they? My problem is not necessarily understanding the complex truths of God, but of living the simple truths of God. Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070911_sproulm.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070911_sproulm.jsp In honor of 9-11, I am going to send along some links today, six years later, that I think might be of help. Tue, 11 Sep 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070905_stertzbach.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070905_stertzbach.jsp I read an interview with Tufts University developmental scientist, Richard Lerner who challenges the myth of the "troubled teen" in his book, The Good Teen (Smithsonain.com/lerner). Wed, 5 Sep 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070827_maxwell.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070827_maxwell.jsp Hunting for a new home was sometimes fun but was often frustrating: big house - small yard, big yard - small house, nice living room - small bedrooms, nice everything - too expensive, inexpensive - bad neighborhood, or bad everything. Mon, 27 Aug 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070821_tjepkema.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070821_tjepkema.jsp I have started to collect the little sayings we often use around here. Some are original, some are modifications of other quotes, but they are all things you're bound to hear if you stick around Tri-City long enough. Tue, 21 Aug 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070727_sproulj.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070727_sproulj.jsp Do you see little things in life as blessings or do you see them as aggravations? Do you see little things as needing attention or do you constantly overlook them? Are little things opportunities to you or are they time-wasters? Fri, 27 Jul 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070717_maxwell.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070717_maxwell.jsp I pray this day that God creates / From me His fruit may others taste. / If I succeed, to Him be praise. / If failure's mine, I seek His grace. Tue, 17 Jul 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070712_stertzbach.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070712_stertzbach.jsp It's that most wonderful time of year when my mind is filled with thoughts of. . . . Christmas? Yes, Christmas. As I read plays, cantatas, and Christmas musicals this summer in preparation for the holiday season, one theme keeps recurring. A lot of dramas are built on the idea that we get too caught up in the tinsel and wrappings of the season to remember the true meaning of Christmas. Thu, 12 Jul 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070702_tjepkema.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070702_tjepkema.jsp We all struggle with the circumstances of life. We have serious problems with work, children, relationships, in-laws, and outlaws. God has commanded us not to worry about these things...but it is so hard not to worry. We can't stop thinking about the problem; we can't help but be concerned, can we? Mon, 2 Jul 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070622_maxwellm.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070622_maxwellm.jsp I recently received an e-mail that reportedly had pictures of the inside of the home of Tiger Woods. They are beautiful photographs, but according to www.snopes.com, the home is not owned by Tiger Woods. Fri, 22 Jun 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070614_stertzbach.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070614_stertzbach.jsp Our "sacrifice of praise" to God as musicians is not our performance. The performance is a byproduct of the sacrifices of preparation, time, energy, skill development, submission to direction, etc, that we have already made! Thu, 14 Jun 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070607_miller.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070607_miller.jsp In my devotions this morning, I came across the story of Amaziah, the king of Judah, preparing for war. His lack of faith led him to hire 100,000 mercenaries from Israel for a price of 100 talents of silver. This was a mistake. Thu, 7 Jun 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070531_stertzbach.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070531_stertzbach.jsp If it is true that "you are what you eat," it is equally true that you are spiritually what you ingest spiritually. And music is one way that we feed our spiritual natures. Thu, 31 May 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070522_sproulm.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070522_sproulm.jsp So many people today, both Christian and non-Christian decide that they will create their own destiny outside of the will of God. Their destruction will be awesome as well. Man will choose to yield to God's good thoughts and destiny or he will choose to follow his own path. Tue, 22 May 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070518_stertzbach.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070518_stertzbach.jsp It always surprises me when someone says, "I can tell that singing in the church choir is a spiritual experience, not just musical." We in the choir know this, of course. Fri, 18 May 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070514_tjepkema.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070514_tjepkema.jsp It has been reported that depression is the number one psychological problem in the world today. The vast majority of depression has a spiritual component to it. Mon, 14 May 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070504_stertzbach.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070504_stertzbach.jsp There are times in our lives when our spirits are particularly receptive to spiritual music. It may be times of great sorrow or trial or illness. But during these times God's music resonates within us, perhaps because we are more "in tune" with Him. Fri, 4 May 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070430_tjepkema.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070430_tjepkema.jsp Through the many years of counseling and teaching, I have taught that forgiveness is the cure for the pains of life. I am not speaking of the physical pain of illness or injury, but the pain of the heart, soul, and spirit. Mon, 30 Apr 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070427_stertzbachd.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070427_stertzbachd.jsp A famous architect made the statement, "God is in the details." He was, of course, expressing the idea that the little choices were the things that made great art and therefore it was art that he worshipped. Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070424_maxwellm.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070424_maxwellm.jsp Often when I counsel struggling teens they admit to neither praying nor reading God's Word. Because of a lack of surrender, they miss out on the direction and power that God would otherwise supply (Psalm 1). Tue, 24 Apr 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070419_stertzbachd.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070419_stertzbachd.jsp "Why should I worship a dead Jew?" This startling challenge was asked by a sincere young Jewish student. He had been attending evangelistic meetings and had caught the speaker afterwards to pose his challenging question. The pastor's response became one of our churches favorite gospel songs. Thu, 19 Apr 2007 13:00:00 -0700 http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070416_sproulm.jsp http://www.tricityministries.org/tcbc/resources/blog/20070416_sproulm.jsp I read an article about the fears of our government regarding "homegrown" terrorists. These are terrorists that grew up in America and are American citizens. Obviously, they are harder to stop and find because they are American citizens. Mon, 16 Apr 2007 13:00:00 -0700