Dear MBC Family, It is Sunday morning, March 22, and I woke up early because I am still experiencing jet lag from our trip to Malawi. After dealing with the effects of a traveler’s stomach bug and taking the last few days to recover from that, I finally found a few moments to collect my thoughts which I wanted to share with…
We exist to display God's glory, declare God's truth, delight in God's Son, and disciple God's people
We exist to display God's glory, declare God's truth, delight in God's Son, and disciple God's people
Posts by Todd Dykstra
The Protestant Reformation which occurred 500 years ago was the result of a number of key figures in church history. One of the most significant was William Tyndale who began to understand the need for the people to have the Bible in their own language so that they could see the truth for themselves, directly from the Word of God. As a…
Dear Brothers and Sisters at Maranatha Bible Church, A number of you have asked me for my thoughts on Rob Bell’s latest book Love Wins. Since the book came out this week, the blogosphere has been buzzing with posts and comments about it. Many reviews have been written in the last few days and I would encourage you to read them to…
Have you ever wondered how the cross of Christ and the Gospel relates to you now that you are a Christian? While it is easy to put the Gospel on the shelf after coming to Christ, it is imperative that we keep it central in our lives since it is the very lifeblood of our relationship with God. All of God’s grace…
Do you or someone you know struggle with caring more about what people think of you than what God does? Do you battle being self-consciousness and controlled by the opinions of others? There is hope for you! The Bible addresses this as the “fear of man” and Ed Welch has written a wonderful, practical book on how to replace your “fear of…
Parenting is hard work! Raising children in the fear and admonition of the Lord requires consistency, strength, and much wisdom. Equally important to effective parenting is keeping the Gospel at the center of all child-rearing attitudes and activities. In short, it is the Gospel that shapes and transforms parenting by keeping the focus on Christ’s work on the cross not only as…
C.H. Spurgeon once said, “The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father…It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts are lost in its immensity; so…
Contentment is an elusive virtue, even for the believer. So many situations arise in life that threaten to rob us of our contentment in Christ. Yet, as the apostle Paul noted, “godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment” (1 Tim 6:6). It is necessary, therefore, that we fight for contentment and learn to be content in whatever…
Yesterday, many of us were at the airport to see the Thiry’s off to Tenerife. After helping them process 12 checked bags, car seats, a stroller, and 5 carry-ons, we gathered together for a short time of prayer and then said our good-bye’s. It was in all senses of the word “bittersweet.” It was sweet in that we had the great privilege…
This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday, the day we remember the coming of Christ into Jerusalem to begin the Passion Week. I want to encourage you to read the account of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem and the events that transpired surrounding it. Over the next couple of days, take a few minutes to read Matthew 21:1-11 and Luke 19:28-44 which describe Jesus’…
If you are a father and still have children living in your home, I just finished a book you should consider reading. It’s called Family Worship by Joel Beeke. If you are like me, you’ve probably struggled at times wondering how to lead your family and children in regular, productive worship times at home. What should you study? How long should it…
Do you want to listen to some great preaching this week? The Shepherd’s Conference is taking place at Grace Community Church in Los Angeles. If you have some time during the day or evening the next few days, check it out. Just click on the link below and click on the video streams: http://www.shepherdsfellowship.org/sc/live/player/default.aspx Here is a link to the conference schedule:…
My greatest desire for myself and for each of you in our beloved church family is that we would know Christ better, live out of His life and power, and become more and more like Him. The secret to becoming like Christ each day is not in trying harder or finding some spiritual formula. The key is in trusting Christ and walking…
I have been thinking about Jeremiah 9:23-24 for a few days: “Thus says the Lord, ‘Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord…
We have been reminded recently of the brevity of life and the fact that life is a vapor. The deaths of 2 people close to our church family and the earthquake in Haiti have caused me to reflect on how short life really is. How do we respond to these tragedies and sorrows? Listen to this quote from The Thought of God…
Do you have kids? Do you want to join me at the Answers in Genesis Conference? I will be taking my boys to the conference with Buddy Davis on January 10 and 11 at Calvary Grace Brethren Church in Alto. If you have elementary or junior high age kids this would be a great conference to go to to help them have…
Attempting to navigate the labyrinth of making decisions can be daunting, confusing, and at times paralyzing. It doesn’t have to be that way, however, as Dave Swavely describes in his book Decisions, Decisions. This easy to read, practical book cuts through the confusion of how believers should and should not make decisions. The first half of the book debunks many of the…
The great Protestant Reformation which occurred in the 16th century is undoubtedly one of the greatest moments in church history. Although Martin Luther’s pounding of the 95 theses to the door on October 31, 1517 was a momentous occasion, the Reformation did not happen instantaneously. It happened over a number of years through many different people. In this book, Diana Kleyn and…
In a day when the church needs to catch a renewed vision for world missions, John Piper’s book Let the Nations Be Glad! is a breath of fresh air. In typical fashion, Piper pleads for the church to catch a God-centered vision for engaging in global outreach. His premise throughout the book is that missions exists because worship doesn’t. In other words,…
Have you ever wondered, “If God is in control of everything, then why evangelize?” In his classic work on this issue, J.I. Packer explains how God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility (and privilege) to evangelize are not only compatible, but necessary. In a careful review of the biblical evidence, he shows how a right understanding of God’s sovereignty is not so much a…