The Truth Project answers that question by looking at important issues through the Truth of God’s Word rather than by the “wisdom” of this world. If you have never seen The Truth Project, I guarantee you that you will begin to see connections to the truth of the Word of God that you have never observed before.

It all starts on January 1, 2012 at 9:00 am sharp! Each session in this series is an hour long, so we will have a word of prayer at 8:59 and go right into it – whether you’re here or not! But I hope you will be! I know you’ll find things of great value for your walk with Christ in 2012.

That is what we’re focusing on this year – to KNOW Christ, and to make Him KNOWN. We can do neither without studying God’s Word and applying it to our understanding of this world.

And that’s my prayer for all of us in 2012: that we will come to know and experience Jesus even better so that our passion for Him will spread out into all our relationships.

Loving you in the Lord,

Pastor Bill

We often overreact when dramatic events play out on the world stage. But sometimes it’s true: Our world has changed, and things will never be the same.

The event that really changed everything, which we celebrate this month, was notably undramatic. Except for angel sightings in the sky and a single wandering star, it looked like an ordinary birth. Movies and artwork almost always picture the scene at night, the better to illuminate with a heavenly glow. But it just as likely occurred in the daytime, with the clamor of street vendors and the squeal of animals masking Mary’s cries.

But the Son of God came to earth that day cloaked in human skin.
Philippians 2:6-11 puts it this way:

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Silently and scarcely noticed, the Infinite slipped into the finite stream of history, and the world, truly, will never be the same. Our prayer for you, then, is that in the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, you will draw closer to Him in such a way that your world will never be the same.

Loving you in the Lord,

Bill

When we got to Rome, we decided to go on one of those Hop On / Hop Off buses so we could take in the “Eternal City.” But the person selling me the ticket said there was a big demonstration in town that day (like the other “Occupy Wall Street” rallies), and any public transportation would only operate part of the day. Sure enough, we only got part way around the city before we were dropped off with news that the bus wouldn’t be going back to the Terminal (close to our Hotel).

So we started walking back and soon found ourselves in a public square where we could see protestors off in the distance. But we were stopped by police tape. We started heading toward the police to ask which way we should go, but then a big group of them put their facemasks down, raised their riot shields, and headed toward the crowd. We made a U-turn and headed off in the opposite direction!

That night, the news said that of all the protests in 1,000 cities, Rome was the most violent. A policeman had been killed and 70 people were injured. Indeed, by the time we finally got back to the Hotel, we saw evidence of a lot of mayhem – including windows smashed and graffiti. Our eyes burned from all the tear gas in the air, and some of the people we talked to said they saw burned-out cars.

When we got on the ship the next day, we learned that because of a planned strike in Greece, we wouldn’t be going to Athens, but instead to Malta. Royal Caribbean wasn’t sure they could get any of the dock workers to tie up the boat. So, we missed the Acropolis.

Malta (where Paul got snake bit) was an interesting destination, but the day after we left, we learned that Qaddafi had been killed. And Libya is less than two hundred miles from Malta!

So, we were close to a lot of world news. But what I’m really thankful for is that WE weren’t the news, and that we made it safely home.

The country that surprised us the most, however, was Turkey. We got to see the ruins of Ephesus, which really are quite amazing. Archaeologists have excavated part of a hillside near the amphitheater (where Paul got shouted down with “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”). There are remains of homes with beautiful frescoes, mosaics and even indoor plumbing! And the Turks were some of the most gracious people we met on our trip.

Pray for this country–for those who were impacted by the earthquake (again, just days after we were there), and for their conversion to Christ.

Yes, it was an eventful trip, and we got to see a lot of amazing things. Still, it was good to come back to the familiar and the comfortable. As Dorothy (from Kansasl) once said, “There’s no place like home!”
Indeed, I’m thankful for home. And I’m thankful that my Eternal Home (unlike the Eternal City) will be in an indestructible, non-violent Heaven with you!

Loving you in the Lord,

Bill

Luther was not seeking to start a new denomination, but to reform the corrupt practices of the Roman church – especially indulgences – the practice of purchasing redemption for yourself or your loved one’s time in purgatory. In other words, you could shorten a person’s time in purgatory by paying money to the church. Or, you could pay money to indulge in a sin, and not suffer the eternal consequences.

What a diabolical scheme! What an insult to the ability of Christ to save completely! (And what an effective way to raise money to pay for St. Peter’s Basilica!) Often we think of Halloween as a time when (supposedly) evil lurks in our midst. But Satan’s power is often more evident in his great ability to deceive. For this reason, all of us should be aware of his evil schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11), and we should study God’s Word faithfully. None of us are immune to his subtle abilities, but like Jesus, can combat his His temptations with the Word.

Ultimately, that’s how Martin Luther triumphed. He spoke the Word of God into the situation he found himself in. And it helped to overcome the deceptions of the devil for many people.

So, have a Happy Reformation Day (and every day thereafter) because God’s truth triumphs!

Loving you in the truth,

Pastor Bill

Some of you have asked why there are only certain churches that we pray for on Sunday morning. It’s not because we don’t want all congregations to be part of City Ministries; it’s because not all churches in Petaluma have agreed to our covenant. We don’t know the reason all of them prefer not to do so, but I’m sure part of it has to do with our mission and beliefs. So let me share some of the things I helped to draft in this covenant, so you’ll know more about what drives the City Ministries Pastors:

Our Mission: City Ministries exists to bring the churches of the Petaluma Area together to through explicit agreement, visible unity, extraordinary prayer and service to our community.

Our Beliefs and Values:
* We believe in the existence of only one God who exists as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
* We believe the Bible is the infallible Word of God.
* We believe that Jesus Christ was God in human flesh and is the sovereign Lord of creation, the only Savior of mankind, and the Head and Chief Shepherd of the Church.
* We believe that working together in the unity of the Spirit embodies the heart and mind of Christ.

It is a combination of our mission and this last “value” that drives our desire to worship together. So I hope you’ll make it a big priority to be at Together ’11. I know it’s going to be a great event. You can meet at the church building and ride with your friends. There will be up-close parking for senior citizens, and great music, preaching and communion together. Bring something to sit on and either a sack lunch or money for Cattleman’s Tri-tip sandwiches. And enjoy worshipping the Lord with other believers in Petaluma!

Loving you in the Lord,

Pastor Bill

Summer is here! – or at least summer break. Many of you will be going on vacation sometime within the next few months.
Allow me to suggest a few tips for a more rewarding vacation.

1) If you’re gone over a Sunday morning, attend church where you go. It’s always refreshing for me to hear another preacher and see how other believers worship. If you want to know ahead of time where you could go, we have a book in the office that has Christian churches listed by the towns they are in. Just call for info.

2) Don’t neglect your daily disciplines of Bible reading and prayer. In fact, vacation can be a great time for extended reading on a devotional classic or a serious doctrinal book.

3) Remember that the needs of the church here at home continue even though you’re away. We still accept your tithes and offerings by mail!

4) Pay more attention to the needs of your family and how you can bless them rather than just trying to figure out how many activities you can squeeze into the time you have. Vacations are a great time to build both relationships and memories.

5) Marvel at the wonders of God’s good creation. As Psalm 19:1-2 reminds me, even though God’s original creation has been marred by both the Fall and by continued sin today, I still never cease to be amazed at how well God’s design both provides for our physical needs and reminds us of the beauty and greatness of God.

Loving you in the Lord,

Pastor Bill

Even though May includes the two holidays of Mother’s Day and Memorial Day, I want to thank God for another celebration of sorts. It has to do with numbers because numbers are important in the Bible (there’s even a book with that name.) We all count our years when we have a birthday, and for those of us who are married, we number the years since we were wed. So it seems appropriate that we mark those dates that have significance in our lives.

Kim and I moved here at the end of April 2005 to continue the gospel ministry of Petaluma Christian Church that started back in 1865. And that means May is the beginning of our seventh year and 2011 is the beginning of PCC’s 146th year.

I think those are both significant numbers. Here’s why: Since the
time I came, I have witnessed several local churches hire and fire their Pastor. That’s not something that is particular to Petaluma. Short Pastoral tenures are almost a way of life these days. So I give God thanks for the way in which He has kept the church / Pastor relationship here so strong. I want to remind you that I do love you, and I’m thankful for the way God has put us all together in this congregation to serve Him.

In addition, 146 years is a long time for a congregation to remain in existence. But PCC is not only a church that exists, there is also a vitality of new life in Christ that is being nurtured here. I praise God for every sign that He is growing and developing disciples of Jesus Christ here! And there are many.

As far as numbers go, I also want to note that God brought Steve here four years ago in April. I’m also grateful for the wonderful contribution he and Karen continue to make to the worship of our congregation.

Kathy’s hire date is in September, and she will have been on staff here 11 years at that point. I thank the Lord for Kathy’s attention to detail as she manages the office and all our great volunteers. Jonathan, of course, is new to our staff, but I look forward to the time he will be serving our youth.

All of which is to say, “Thank you, Lord, for Petaluma Christian Church. Thank you for the time You have put us together here on this earth to serve You. And thank You that relationships can grow strong as we spur one another on toward love and good deeds and encourage one another all the more as we see the Day (of the Lord) approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Loving you in the Lord,

Pastor Bill

The great thing about that is that we have plenty of advance notice to invite our friends and neighbors to church. 60% of people who were recently polled said that they’d come to church if invited by a friend, relative or neighbor. So our “odds” so-to-speak are pretty good. And what better way to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ than to bring someone to PCC so that they might learn more about Him and have eternal life in His name?

Charles Spurgeon put it this way: “To know a crucified Savior as having crucified all my sins, is a high degree of knowledge; but to know a risen Savior as having justified me; and to realize that He has bestowed upon me new life, having given me to be a new creature through His own newness of life, this is a noble style of experience: short of it, none ought to rest satisfied.”

This year, we have some special things planned that I hope will make a big impact in people’s lives. So remember that even though Easter comes late this year, it’s never too late to invite someone to come to Jesus.

Loving you in the LORD,

Bill