Chattanooga, TN

Pastor's Blog - Entries written by Mike DuBard

MonMondayDecDecember31st2012 Word of the Year

Posted Monday, December 31 2012 @ 8 AM byMike DuBard Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

What's Your Word of the Year?

Every year I try to pick one word that will define my year. This word describes an area of growth that needs to take place in my own life. It describes an area that I want to focus on, grow in and see God work dramatically.

In 2010, my word of the year was discipline. I focused on getting areas of weakness under control and chaotic areas of my life organized, and I am thankful for God revealing to me that a godly life is a disciplined life. (1 Cor. 9:27, Titus 1:8)

In 2011, it was the word dependence. We began the process of church planting and I knew that apart from a radical reliance on God that hadn’t been evidenced previously as much as I would like I would never make it, but God showed up and did an amazing work in my heart as he taught me what true dependence looks like. (Exodus 33:16)

In 2012, my word of the year was patience. If there is one thing that has noticeably changed in my life over the past year it has been my practice of patience. God has shattered my expectations, and shown me what was of me and what was of him. He has taught me to hold loosely to my erroneous timetable and wait on his perfect one.

I certainly haven’t mastered any of these, and will continue to grow, but I am very thankful for the fruit that God has born out in my life in each of these areas.

This year, in 2013, my word of the year is delight! One thing that I have recognized in my life is that I easily miss what is happening all around me because I am so focused on looking ahead. This year I want to focus on delighting in the person, purposes and people of God and focus more on what God is doing right now, than I do on what I hope he will do in the future.

I hope you will pray for your pastor this year as I strive to delight in who he is, in what he does, and in those of you that I have the privilege to lead and serve. Let’s delight together in the work that God is doing in me, in you and in our church!

You are loved!

Mike DuBard

MonMondayJunJune13th2011

Children's Ministry

Posted Monday, June 13 2011 @ 10 AM byMike DuBard Tagged No tags 2 comments Add comment

Are you passionate about discipling children? Here at Harvest we believe that our mission to go and make disciples includes the discipleship of our children.

The name of our children’s ministry is Higher Ground. We use the acrostic climb to communicate some of the values of our ministry. We want to see children climbing to higher ground in their relationship with Christ through:

C – Community – We want to help children establish spiritually healthy friendships.

L – Love – We want our children to be loved and to provide opportunities for our children to serve others in love.

I – Imitate – We want our children to be imitators of Christ as they are discipled from the Word.

M – Magnify – We want our children to magnify Christ through worship and prayer.

B – Boldly – We want our children to be bold in sharing their faith in Christ.

Although we believe that the church has a great responsibility to disciple children,

Parents are to take primary responsibility to disciple their children.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

⁶ And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Psalm 78:5-7

⁵He established a testimony in Jacob

and appointed a law in Israel,

which he commanded our fathers

to teach to their children,

⁶ that the next generation might know them,

the children yet unborn,

and arise and tell them to their children,

⁷ so that they should set their hope in God

and not forget the works of God,

but keep his commandments;

We believe that the role of the church is to support parents in discipling their children. Our desire is to partner with parents to provide encouragement, accountability and resources while being another voice speaking words of truth to their children.

Since we are all one family in the body of Christ we believe that:

Discipling children is everyone’s responsibility.

In so many churches children’s ministry is accomplished by a few brave souls who are “gifted to” and “really like” working with kids, but we believe that it is the responsibility of the entire church to disciple children. Whether or not a person is involved in the nursery or teaching a group of 4^th and 5^th graders, as a member of the body of Christ everyone is responsible to make disciples and that includes discipling our children.

We want to be a church that is passionate about children as Jesus was passionate about children. We want to be a church where children feel that they have many spiritual mentors and leaders. People who, even though they may not be involved in children’s or student ministries, don’t mind stopping a child in the lobby to offer a word of encouragement, or who don’t mind taking a high school student to lunch to share the story of what God has done in their life. We want to be a church where people are looking for different ways to invest in and pour into the lives of children and their families. This is what Jesus expects.

Mark 10:13-16

¹³ And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ¹⁵ Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” ¹⁶ And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

Luke 18:15-18

¹⁵ Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. ¹⁶ But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ¹⁷ Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

It doesn’t appear the disciples were real passionate about discipling children and Jesus becomes angry at their apparent lack of genuine concern for the children and infants that were being brought to him. Jesus wanted them to be just as passionate about reaching children as they were in reaching adults.

We take our children’s ministry just as seriously as any other ministry in our church. We are not baby-sitting, we are not providing child care, we are discipling children. We hope you will join us in raising up children who are passionate about worshiping, walking with and working for Christ.

MonMondayJunJune6th2011

A.C.T.S.

Posted Monday, June 06 2011 @ 11 PM byMike DuBard Tagged Prayer 0 comments Add comment

We had a great time of prayer at our core group meeting this week. Here at Harvest we believe firmly in the power of prayer and we recognize that apart from Christ we can do nothing (John 15:5).

How’s your prayer life? Are you relying on your own strength to accomplish the things of God or are you trusting and asking Christ for the power to live the life he has called you to live?

If you are struggling to have a consistent and meaningful time of prayer with Christ write down this acrostic

A. C. T. S.

It stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. We walked through and prayed through this together in our core group meeting and I want to challenge you to do the same.

Adoration

Simply put – Worship God! To avoid making your prayer time just a call to a “help line”, start your prayer times by worshiping God. We spent the beginning of our prayer time this week just praying and acknowledging the attributes of God!

Take time to pray through some of these Psalms and call out the attributes of God described in some of these passages.

o Psalm 121

o Psalm 142

o Psalm 144

o Psalm 145

Confession

After worshiping God, examine your heart and spend some time in confession.

· Read Psalm 51 and pray for God to “create in you a clean heart.”

· Confess known sin in your life and ask God to reveal sin that you have suppressed or ignored.

Thankfulness

After a time of confession, express your thankfulness to God.

· Read Romans 8:31-39 and remind yourself of the Gospel by praying through this passage.

o Pray through 8:31-34

o Pray through 8:35-37

o Pray through 8:38-39

Supplication

First read through Hebrews 10:19-23 to remind yourself to pray with a heart that is sincere, confident and unwavering in the belief that God is faithful.

Go ahead and break out your prayer list and begin to pray for the things that God has laid on your heart. You can find a prayer guide for our church here: http://www.harvestchattanooga.org/10564/content/content_id/219474/Prayer_List

I hope you will continue to pray for our church family here in Chattanooga, we know God is faithful and hope he will use your prayers to bring about his plan.

Mike

MonMondayMayMay30th2011

Living for Fruitful Labor

Posted Monday, May 30 2011 @ 8 AM byMike DuBard Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment

²¹ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ²² If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. ²³ I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. ²⁴ But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. ²⁵ Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶ so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

- Philippians 1:21-26

Paul writes Philippians from a prison cell, as he wrestles with the tension of whether he prefers death in order to go and be with Christ, or to stay in order to continue the work that needs to be done.

Paul says, “to live is Christ,” which describes our complete dependence on Christ, the centrality of Christ, and the all encompassing presence of Christ in our lives.

Then he states, “to die is gain.” At death we gain all that has been promised to those that are God’s children. We could go on and on about what we gain at death, but Paul wants to communicate why he is choosing to stay.

Paul says, “if I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.” Paul’s motivation for staying is to be used by God in order to produce fruit in people’s lives.

Always live to bear fruit in the lives of others!

Are you a disciple maker? Are you helping others to become more like Christ? The question that I want you to ask yourself is:

What kind of spiritual void would be left in people’s lives if I were to die?

Would people miss your leadership? Would people miss your encouragement, being challenged by you, praying with you?

Sure your family will miss you, and people will miss hanging out with you and they will remember how friendly you were at church on Sundays – but spiritually would anyone know that you are gone? Are their people in your life whom you are having such a spiritual influence on that if God were to take you home, God would have to raise up someone else to continue the work?

The purpose and mission of Harvest Bible Chapel is “to glorify God through the fulfillment of the Great Commission.” In one word it’s discipleship. Not just becoming better disciples, but going out and being disciple makers. We want to see people living to bear fruit in the lives of others.

This means that as we learn and study and experience the things God has for us, it is with the intention of not just being changed ourselves, but to go out and teach others through what God is teaching us. This means that as we study God’s word, not only should we be seeking to apply his word to our lives daily, but we should be trying to learn in such a way that we can go out and teach it to others.

So what kind of fruit should we be seeing in others lives if we are truly making disciples?

^{Paul says, 25} Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶ so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

Paul focuses on three kinds of fruit that we need to be looking for in people’s lives:

1. Fruit that reveals progress in the faith.

Are you progressing in your faith? Are the people you are discipling growing in their knowledge of Christ and their likeness to Christ? Are you further along today then the day you met Christ?

2. Fruit that produces joy in the faith

Are you increasing in joy? Genuine, growing faith produces genuine, growing joy! People who are experiencing Christ through seeing him work in their lives, answered prayers, changed lives are going to have a greater joy because of their faith.

3. Fruit that points back to Christ.

Paul recognizes that fruit that is being produced in people’s lives has nothing to do with his strength and abilities, but should always point back to and bring glory to Christ. If we ever start to take credit for the fruit that is produced in our own lives or the lives of someone else, we are on the way to becoming a judgmental and legalistic church.

If we attribute our growth to pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps, we will always struggle to understand, and look down on people who haven’t been able to achieve what we have been able to achieve. But if we understand that sanctification is a process that is done by the power of God, we will have more grace, love and affection for those that are striving to be changed by God, and we will trust in the power of God to accomplish the work and give all the glory to him when he does.

MonMondayMarMarch14th2011

Pillar of Harvest - Evangelism

Posted Monday, March 14 2011 @ 2 PM byMike DuBard Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

The third pillar of our church is that:

• We Believe in Sharing the Good News of Jesus with Boldness.

Boldness doesn’t mean grabbing a bullhorn, a sandwich sign and finding the nearest street corner. Being bold doesn’t mean being obnoxious and confrontational, but it does mean taking advantage of God given opportunity to tell others about who he is and what he has done.

We want to be a church that boldly shares the Gospel. I don’t believe that you need to build a relationship over 20 years with someone before you can share the gospel with them, all we need to do is find people ripe to the gospel and boldly proclaim the hope that they are so desperately seeking.

But what is the Gospel? According to 2 Corinthians 2:14, “Christ is spreading through us the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.” If we are responsible for sharing the Gospel, we need to know the essentials of the Gospel that need to be shared.

Below is a list of essentials that I believe is necessary for a proper understanding of the Gospel. There are certainly other aspects of the Gospel that could be mentioned and emphasized, but these are elements that I believe are absolutely necessary.

This structure is not original to me and has been influenced by a book that I would encourage you to read: What is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert. Pick up and read this book to get a more in depth understanding of the different facets of the Gospel presented here.

    1. Ruler – “God is the ruler of the universe who created us in his image for his Glory!”

o Genesis 1:27 – “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
o Isaiah 43:6-7 – “…bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

People will never know they aren’t accomplishing their purpose in life if they don’t know what their purpose is. We must be bold in telling people that we exist to point back to God. We exist to reflect his image and bring glory to his name.

People must view God as the king and ruler of the universe who has created all things, so that they will reflect his glory and be in his service. Understanding God as King helps us to better understand the rebellion we have committed against him.

    2. Rebellion – “We have rebelled against God and our sin has separated us from him.”

o Isaiah 59:2 – “but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”
o Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Rebellion is treason against the king! When we understand sin as treason against the king, it’s impossible to think of sin as “negative thinking” or “isolated mistakes” that are just a part of life. Treason is willful, intentional and a direct rejection of the authority of the king. We have rebelled against our King and the consequences are eternal.

    3. Result – “God’s justice demands a payment or punishment for our sins.”

o Exodus 34:6-7 – “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty…”
o Psalm 33:5 – “He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.”
o Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Rebellion is a rejection of his authority and is punishable by death. This is exactly the position we find ourselves in when we are born into this world. The consequences of sin cannot be overcome or conquered on our own.

Without the payment of sin, there would be no evidence of God’s justice. Somebody has to pay the penalty for our rebellion or God is not being just, which goes against his very nature.

People cry out that a just God would never send people to hell, but it is God’s justice that demands people be sent to hell in payment for their treason. If a judge were to give freedom to every person on death row without requiring a payment for their crime, we would cry out injustice at the top of our lungs. Why do we hold God to a different standard?

We have been condemned to death and are sitting on death row unless something changes. BUT something has changed. God has offered redemption for those that have committed treason!

    4. Redemption – “God’s love has provided forgiveness of sins and payment of debt through Jesus’ death on the cross.
o Rom. 5:8 – “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinne, Christ died for us.”
o Isaiah 53:6-7 – “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
o Galatians 3:13 – "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

We don’t deserve redemption. We don’t deserve the grace that God has shown us in providing a solution to our dilemma. We are totally rebellious, spitting in the face of God, rebellious and deserving of God’s wrath, and yet God still love us so much that he provides his son to take our place and pay the penalty for a rebellion that he never committed.

Imagine standing on a platform in a public square, waiting to be hanged for your rebellion. The king and the rest of the kingdom look on as the noose is tightened around your neck, but then the king leans over to his son who has never said a word against his father, who has been entirely faithful and he speaks to him.

Then the king’s son, with tears in his eyes, gets up and walks down to the platform where you are standing, removes the noose around your neck and places it around his own and dies in your place. What would be your response to the king?

    5. Response – “We must repent and turn from our sin and have faith in Christ alone for our forgiveness and salvation.”
o Jeremiah 3:13 – “Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the Lord your God…”
o Mark 1:15 – “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
o Acts 17:30 – “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.”

God is looking for a response from every person. A response that acknowledges him as king, that acknowledges our rebellion, and acknowledges what he has done. How have you responded to God?

The Gospel is often presented as a fire insurance policy, or golden ticket that will keep you out of hell or get you into heaven. This will typically generate an insincere response similar to a person who had just been spared the hangman’s noose, and out of the excitement of knowing that he is free, pays lip service to the king and makes promises that he never intends to keep.

It isn’t the thought of freedom that should generate a response, but the knowledge of our guilt in the eyes of God. It is only the acknowledgment of guilt that produces a response to redemption and gives us reconciliation with the King!

Reconciliation is the purpose! Redemption is the means!

• Romans 5:10 – “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”

MonMondayMarMarch7th2011

Pillars of Harvest - Prayer (Pt. 2)

Posted Monday, March 07 2011 @ 12 PM byMike DuBard Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment

Well, it was definitely a week of ups and down. We really believed God was opening the door for us to meet in East Hamilton only to see it abruptly closed. I have had some people tell me they are not interested in being a part of our core group and yet I already see God doing a work in the hearts and lives of the people that are a part of our core group.

God is revealing just what we need to see that he is at work in our church, while also revealing what we need to keep us relying on his power and plan. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Prayer Brings Unity

One of the things I have learned in discipling believers and leading small groups is that people will either let fear be a barrier to prayer or they will embrace prayer as a way to draw closer not only to God, but to others.

When we are not led by fear, it is true that prayer unifies! In Acts 4 it says “when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”

I can imagine that the prayers of the early church were not empty prayers to impress one another. They were not unwilling to pray because of fear of what others might think. Their only fear was what would happen if they didn’t pray.

They were gathered together in one place praying for the power of God in order that they could continue to speak the word of God with boldness, and God responded!

When they prayed together for the power of God they were able to go out together and boldly proclaim the word of God. That’s who we want to be as a church. We are going to be a church that believes firmly in the power of prayer. We will saturate everything we do in it and are confident that God will strengthen us with his power through it.

There is so much power in prayer and most Christians are not using the most powerful tool that we have been given. As we saw last week, prayer is the conduit through which God increases our ability to use the tools he has given us in order to fight the battle before us (Ephesians 6).

Prayer Produces Passion

Not only is prayer unifying, but seeing the power of prayer produces passion in our lives. If you want to be more passionate about something, start praying for it. If you want to be more passionate about your neighbor, start praying for them. If you want to be more passionate about your marriage and family, start praying for them. Prayer makes us more attentive to the work of God in the things we are praying for, and as we see him work, it increases our passion for Him.

Prayer is Satisfying

Not only does prayer unify us and produce a passion within us, but also it is satisfying to our soul. I am most satisfied when I am in the presence of God. Not because I feel better about myself for praying, but because my confidence in God and my faith in his power and plan increases as I sit in his presence and I am satisfied that his plan is perfect and that he will provide for my every need.

I needed that this week and especially last night. I just needed to rest in his presence and be completely satisfied that his plan is perfect and his power more than sufficient.

How’s your prayer life? Is it producing fear or is it uniting you with others? Is it a source of discouragement or passion? Is the lack of it producing guilt or the practice of it satisfying to your soul?

You are Loved!
Mike

TueTuesdayMarMarch1st2011

Pillars of Harvest - Prayer (Pt. 1)

Posted Tuesday, March 01 2011 @ 2 PM byMike DuBard Tagged Discipleship Pillar Prayer 0 comments Add comment

Write this down!

Prayer is foundational for faithfulness and victory in the Christian life.

If you are not experiencing either of these you have probably forgotten the truth of this statement. This week in our core group meeting we looked at the prayer pillar of Harvest Bible Chapel, which is:

         · We Believe Firmly In The Power of Prayer.

This pillar is based on Ephesians 6:18 which says that we need to be praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints…

Apart from prayer you are facing failure and defeat because self-reliance is incapable of providing strength and power needed to win the battle you are facing. For you to be victorious and experience the power of prayer in your life you have to first:

                   1. Recognize your dependence on God!

In verse 6:10, Paul exhorts the saints at Ephesus to “…be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.”

If you don’t recognize your dependence on God as the basis for living the Christian life you are going to fail miserably. You must be dependent on the strength of God in order to live your life for God. You cannot be faithful to God in your marriage, family or job if you are relying on your own strength to do so. God knows we don’t have the strength, power or ability to do so and that’s why he has given us his strength, but if you haven’t recognized your dependence on God’s power to live this life you will never seek it.

After we recognize that we must be dependent on the strength of God we then need to:

                   2. Recognize what the real battle is!

In verses 11-13, Paul tells us exactly who we are facing – “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

Take a minute and jot down where your greatest conflicts take place? Is it in your mind? In your marriage? In your family? At your job? With your neighbor? Before we pray for strength to fight the battle, we have to know who we are fighting. The fight isn’t against your wife, your kids, your boss or the guy next door who won’t mow his grass. It’s against Satan.

I’m not a “the devil is behind every bush” kind of guy, because I know that much of my problem is the battle against my own flesh, but it would be very foolish not to believe that Satan is taking my weaknesses and tendencies and trying to exploit them and make me succumb to them every chance he gets.

The sooner we recognize who the battle is against, the sooner we can start praying for the strength of God to fight. Fighting Satan in our own power is like fighting a wildfire with a squirt gun. It’s not going to happen. Let’s bring out the big guns and fight him with the equipment that God has provided.

Paul goes on to list these in the next few verses:

· Truth (14a)

· Righteousness (of God) – Not our own righteousness, that’s useless! (14b)

· The Gospel (15)

· Faith (16)

· Salvation (17)

· Word of God (17)

These are the tools God has given us to fight the battle! Take a few minutes and jot down some ways that these tools will help you fight the schemes of Satan. We did this in our core group and came up with great reasons why we have to be dependent on these things and how they can practically defeat the lies of Satan.

Lastly, we need to:

              3. Recognize the necessity of prayer!

You are only going to stay dependent on God if you stay on your knees. Prayer is acknowledging your own inability and your desperate dependence on God for victory. If you’re not praying you are trusting in yourself, which results in defeat every time.

If you are struggling with defeat and conflict on a regular basis examine your prayer life? Do you have one? Is God just a genie that you rub when you need something or is your prayer life preparing you for battle.

NO PRAYER = NO VICTORY

TueTuesdayFebFebruary22nd2011

Pillars of Harvest - Preaching

Posted Tuesday, February 22 2011 @ 7 AM byMike DuBard Tagged Pillar Preaching 0 comments Add comment

Here at Harvest Bible Chapel we are passionate about the preaching of God’s Word, and this week in our core group meeting we looked more closely at why we are so passionate about it.

The foundation of Harvest Bible Chapel is seen in our four pillars and the first is:
• We will proclaim the authority of God’s Word without apology!

In 2 Timothy 4:2, Paul challenges Timothy to “Preach the Word,” and that’s exactly what we are going to do. We believe that God has all authority to guide, command and direct our lives since he is Creator and Redeemer. Because God has chosen to speak to us through his word, we will be faithful in proclaiming his word as the sole authority for all of life and godliness.

• We will proclaim the authority of God’s Word without apology because God has ordained preaching so that we will boast in him alone (1 Cor. 1:27-29).

In a culture where the one true gospel of scripture is being trumped by different forms of social and relational gospels, we will stand firm on publically proclaiming what God has said and letting his words be the vehicle for transformation in people’s lives.

• We will proclaim the authority of God’s Word without apology because the power of God is found in the foolishness of preaching (1 Cor. 1:21).

Many churches are trying to get farther and farther away from the public proclamation of God’s Word and are exchanging preaching for more pragmatic and trendy ways of trying to reach people which only leads to self-reliance and elevates our own creativity above the Creator.

• We will be known for Expository Preaching!

We are passionate about preaching the whole counsel of God’s word, which is why here at Harvest you will find us preaching verse by verse through passages and complete books of the Bible.

• We will be known for Expository Preaching:
o In order to say what God said.
o In order to teach the whole counsel of God.
o In order to deal with difficult text and doctrine.
o In order to elevate the word of God.
o In order to avoid misinterpreting God’s word.
o In order to live and think biblically.
o In order to understand the unity of Scripture.

Our desire is to be doers of the word, not hearers only and in order to make sure we are applying Scripture to our lives and not just listening to it, we will be very high on the application of God’s Word. As we work verse by verse through passages of Scripture it will always be with the intent of applying the truths of God’s word so that we don’t become a people filled with just head knowledge of God’s Word that puffs up. We want to be a church that is intentionally living out God’s Word each and every day together as we move forward accomplishing the mission of making disciples that God has given to us.

• We will proclaim the authority of God’s Word without apology because when we do the Power of God is on Display.

In Ephesians 1, Paul’s prayer is that the church would grow in it’s knowledge of the greatness of God’s power and we believe that by preaching God’s Word boldly we will see the power of God on display in awesome ways as he transforms people’s lives.

Marriages will be reconciled, prodigals will come home, relationships restored, bondage to sin will be broken and people will be saved by the power of God working through his word, not by lofty speech or man’s wisdom.

So if you are hungry for the preaching of God’s word and are passionate about making disciples come and join us at Harvest Bible Chapel Chattanooga.

Mike

WedWednesdayFebFebruary16th2011

Overwhelmed by Grace?

Posted Wednesday, February 16 2011 @ 9 AM byMike DuBard Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Have you been overwhelmed by God’s grace? In our core group this weekend we walked through Ephesians 1:3-14 to cast the vision for a church where grace abounds. But before we can ever be a grace filled church we have to be grace filled people.

Being overwhelmed with God’s grace for our lives should lead us to have a great grace for others. It is when I realize that I am the greatest sinner I know and begin to comprehend the great grace that God has shown me that I can start to show that same kind of grace to others.

The reason that so many people walk into churches today and sense a judgmental, arrogant attitude is because our churches are filled with people trying to live the Christian life apart from God’s grace. When people pull themselves up by their bootstraps in order to live a holy life, they begin to feel confident in their own ability and look down upon those that aren’t as successful.

Living the Christian life in your own strength does not produce holiness, it produces legalism. It produces arrogance and a lack of grace for others. Harvest Bible Chapel is a church where we recognize that we don’t have it all together. We are a church where being vulnerable and transparent isn’t a sign of weakness, but a sign of power; God’s power working in our lives.

In Ephesians 1 we see Paul pointing over and over again to God’s grace being lavished upon us before, during and after our salvation in order to result in his praise. He begins this passage by saying, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” and goes on to explain that the basis of his praise is the grace of God bestowed on us through the spiritual blessings we have received in Christ.

• Praise God! Because of His Grace He Chose Us!

In vs 4, Paul points out that “the Father has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,” highlighting that our election by God could have nothing to do with us. It is not our ability, appearance or strength that is the basis for God’s election, it was accomplished before we were ever born.

Some would say, “God knew we would choose him, so that’s why he chose us.” Paul is pretty adamant throughout this passage about why God chose us and it has nothing to do with us.

In vs. 5 he says that he predestined us for adoption as sons (and daughters), according to the purpose of his will.

In vs. 9 he says that “it is according to his purpose.”

In vs. 11, “we have been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” HIS WILL! Not ours, ”to the praise of his glorious grace.” Over and over again Paul is going to highlight God’s grace by God’s will to show us it is God’s desire alone that has chosen us for salvation in hopes that it will overwhelm us and result in his praise.

That’s God’s grace before salvation, but we also see God’s grace at our salvation.

• Praise God! Because of His Grace He Redeemed Us!

Vs. 7 says that, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us…making known to us the mystery of his will…”

His provision of redemption comes through his making known to us the mystery of his will. It is this enlightenment of our hearts and minds that has made redemption possible. Paul is once again pointing to God’s grace that has given us the ability to ask for forgiveness. He goes on in chapter 2 to show that because we were dead, God had to make us alive and it is by his grace that we are saved through faith.

Our faith is only possible because of the grace of God in making himself known to us, opening our eyes, and cultivating the soil of our hearts so that we can respond to the Gospel through faith.

• Praise God! Because of His Grace He has Sealed Us!

God’s grace provided our salvation and preserves our salvation. Verse 13-14, “he has sealed us with the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it…”.

Genuine salvation is brought about by God and protected by God. If it’s up to me to keep my salvation, I am going to fail. If it’s up to me to be good enough to please God so that he doesn’t take away my salvation I am in big trouble.

The only way that I will be blameless before God is because he has given me the righteousness of Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:19). If God only sees the righteousness of Christ, how can my unrighteousness make me lose my salvation? Praise God! He has sealed us for the day when we will receive the inheritance he has set aside for us.

OVERWHELMED YET?

MonMondayFebFebruary7th2011

On Mission!

Posted Monday, February 07 2011 @ 6 PM byMike DuBard Tagged Disciples Mission 1 comments Add comment

On Mission!
We are not planting a church for people to just attend, we are asking people to join us on the mission that God has given us: To GO and MAKE Disciples!!!!

The mission statement of Harvest Bible Chapel is “To Glorify God through the fulfillment of the Great Commission, in the spirit of the Great Commandment.”

Our mission is found in Matthew 28:18-20 when Jesus tell his disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (ESV)

The mission that Harvest Bible Chapel is on is to:
• Lead all types of People...

God’s passion is for “people of all nations” (19a). We want the worship of God in our church to be a precursor to our worship in heaven, including people from every tongue, tribe and nation. It has been God’s passion and mission from the beginning that the fame of his name would go forth to all people resulting in the praise of his name from all people.

Ps. 67:3 says, “Let the people praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.” Our desire at Harvest is to have the praises of God lifted up by people from every nation here on earth, as it will be in heaven.

Jesus Christ commands us to “go and make disciples” of all types of people (19a). There are two aspects of making disciples that we must focus on if we are going to be successful on this mission. He wants us “to lead all types of people to…”
• Have Faith in Christ
• Grow Up in Christ

First and foremost we want people to come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we want people to hear the incredible message of the Gospel so that when they hear, they acknowledge and respond with repentance and faith to the salvation that God provides. But that is not the end.

We will not be a church that leaves people at the foot of the cross. We want to see people grow up in Christ as they move forward and grow in their love for who God is and what he has done that results in being able to live a life by the power of God’s grace resulting in bearing fruit that proves the genuineness of their salvation (John 15:8).

We also want to lead all types of people to:
• Identify with Christ

Once we are a son or daughter of God, we are no longer our own. Jesus commands us to …”baptize these disciples in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit” (19b). We were bought with a price and belong to him who redeemed us and ransomed us from the penalty of sin. We want to challenge believers to no longer be identified by their culture, job, hobbies or personality, but to be known by their identity in Christ.

Here at Harvest we believe that Baptism does not save a person, but it certainly identifies a believer as a follower of Jesus Christ. We take baptism very seriously and devote entire services to people standing up in the waters of baptism to declare that their identity is now being a follower of Jesus Christ and that they are no longer living for themselves, but for Jesus Christ who has saved them (2 Cor. 5:15).

Check out these links for some past Baptism Service Highlight’s from our sending church: Harvest Bible Chapel Davenport.
http://www.vimeo.com/10896867
http://www.vimeo.com/19576568

Verse 20 calls us to “teach these disciples to observe all that I have commanded you.” So we want to lead all people to:

• Obedience to Christ

We recognize that in our own strength this is impossible, and only through the power of Christ living within us can we be obedient to his commands. Our desire is to live a life that is worthy of the calling that Christ has given to us and we want in everything to point back to him.

Our motivation for obedience to Christ is not a list of rules and laws, but is motivated by an overflow of love for God and for others, from a heart, mind, soul and strength that has been set apart by God and devoted to God (Mark 12:30-31). Our desire is to live as he lived, love as he loved and forgive as he forgave.

And because Christ has promised “I am with you always, to the end of the age,” (21b) we will strive to do and teach all of these things:

• While guided by Christ.

Jesus Christ is our foundation, our comfort and our guide. We will head out on this mission following our Lord and Savior as he guides and directs us into and out of the days ahead. We hope you will come and join us as we follow Christ on the mission he has laid out. You have a role to play in this mission “to make disciples”; we hope you will find it here at Harvest Bible Chapel.

Mike

WedWednesdayJanJanuary26th2011 Off and Running!

Posted Wednesday, January 26 2011 @ 12 PM byMike DuBard Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Last Sunday was our first open house and we were blessed to have 20 people from the Chattanooga area come to hear more about the church. Many are interested and we will be having our first Core Group Meeting this Sunday Night. I will be using this Blog to dig deeper into the distinctives and culture of Harvest as we work through these things in our Core Group Meetings. It will provide a refresher for those who attend and allow others to catch up who aren't able to attend one of our meetings. This Sunday we will be gathering together to hear how God has worked in our lives up to this point, and what we are looking forward to in the future. If you are interested in joining our core group please contact me at mdubard@harvestchattanooga.org.

Links

Gospel Coalition Blog

Offices located at:
6150 Shallowford Rd, Suite 102
Chattanooga, TN, 37421
(423)-763-7095