I'm from Omaha. Graduated from Holy Name in 1965. Spent 27 years in the Navy, came to Christ at age 32. Earned ThB (Bachelor of Theology) from William Tyndale & ThM (Master of Theology) and Doctorate of Ministry from Dallas Theological Seminary. And finally earned a ThD (Doctor of Theology) from Newburgh Theological Seminary. I served as solo pastor of Hillside Bible Chapel in Farmington Hills, Michigan for 4 years and then 25 years as senior pastor of Country Bible Church in Blair, Nebraska. I retired on my 70th Birthday on January 15, 2017.
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This is a seven sermon series on Grace.
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1) Reclaim Me – Salvaged by Grace
2) Reinforce Me – Sustained by Grace
3) Refine Me – Purged by Grace
4) Renew Me – Redesigned by Grace
5) Remake Me – Refreshed by Grace
God’s love will never change. He said, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” (Jeremiah 31:3). Paul informs us, “nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, thinkable or unthinkable – – absolutely nothing can get 
between us and God’s love… (Romans 8:38). God’s word is a solid basis upon which to build a good life as well because it never changes either. “The grass withers and flowers fade, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8). The third thing that will never change is God’s purposes for our life. Proverbs 19:21 says, “You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purposes will prevail.” The Psalmist sins, “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.”
At Country Bible Church we talk about God’s purposes under three major headings; Love, Learn, Live. The most important and foremost purpose of God for our lives is to Love him. Jesus called this the greatest commandment. He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). We express this love for God in our worship services. This begins by coming to faith in Jesus and expressing that faith in true worship. We are also called to a second commandment. Jesus continued “Love your neighbor as yourself.” We are not only called to believe in God, but to belong to his family. Amongst our fellow believers we practice our love for God as we grow in our love for each other. We also learn with others about God. We must be continually growing in the “grace and knowledge” of the Lord. God’s purpose is to love and learn, but it’s also to live. We must practice our love for others and for God by applying all that we learn from God’s word to everything we do in our lives. Living out our faith consists of serving others and sharing our faith with the world. We must love, learn and live!
For those whose hearts are set on fulfilling God’s purposes in their lives, He has given us a great promise in Romans 8:28. It says, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” David was given one of the best epitaphs of any other of the great biblical characters. It’s recorded for us in Acts chapter 13, verse 36. It says that David “had served the purpose of God in his own generation, then he died and was laid with his fathers…” I’d love it if that could be said about me! Wouldn’t you?
Chuck
“When I think of the wisdom of the scope of God’s plan, I fall on my knees and pray to the Father of all the great family of God…” Ephesians 3:14-15
The three little pigs is a great children’s story. One built his house out of straw. The big bad wolf huffed and puffed and blew his house down in order to get to the bacon. Another built his house out of 
sticks. The big bad wolf huffed and puffed and blew his house down also. But the third little pig built his house out of brick and no matter how hard the big bad wolf huffed and puffed, he couldn’t blow down that house. We all need a solid foundation upon which to build a good life. We not only live in physical structures, but we also live in social structures. We build them for ourselves. We build houses out physical material, but we build homes out of spiritual material. Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 5:24)
We all need a blueprint in order to build a solid house and we need another blue print to build a solid life. The blueprint for houses is written in the laws of physics. We must follow them or we’ll suffer the consequences of the first two little pigs. The blueprint for building a solid home and a solid life is God’s word. Alan Shepherd was asked in preparation of being blasted into outer space, what he was counting on. He said, “That God won’t change the laws when we get out there.” God’s laws are dependable, both in nature and in life.
James says that God is, “The Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” MacArthur rightly observed that “the Father of lights,” was an ancient Jewish reference to God as the Creator. But he wrongly contrasts the lights with God. He says, “The lights are the sun, moon, and stars—celestial bodies created by God. From our perspective, the sun, moon, and stars move, disappear, change in shape, or vary in intensity—their benefit to us comes and goes. But with God there is no variation or shifting.” It’s not in “contrast” to the lights, but in comparison to the lights. Just as the lights were created for “signs and seasons” (Genesis 1), they are reliable with their movements. We find our way in the dark by noting the location of the stars in the sky. We can count on the movement of the celestial lights to measure time and mark the seasons. Just as physics’ laws do not change, God’s spiritual laws do not change. As shepherd counted on the laws of physics, you and I can count on the laws of God to get us into the unknown and back again. Isaiah wrote, “The grass withers and flowers fade, but the Word of God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8).
Chuck
“I am the Lord. I do not change.” Malachi 3:6
Well, here comes 2012 ready or not! For the most part, I’m not ready! Has Christmas really come and gone already? I can hardly believe it. Everything seems 
to be moving way too fast for me anymore. The world is rapidly changing. Everything is going faster. In my internet search this morning I found that speed is the secret to business success. You’ve got to get faster and faster in all facets of business management. You have to think faster. You have to make decisions faster. You have to get your product to the market faster and then you have to sustain the “faster” motif. Everything must be faster. Some say that the computer speeds have leveled off. One report argues that it isn’t true. They keep getting faster with dual and quad processors but they are already so fast the normal user won’t notice the speed. A recent discovery by a scientific organization in Italy, confirmed in November of 2011, is that there is a particle that moves faster than light! It’s referred to as the God particle. I’m sorry, but I’m getting tired just thinking about it. I feel that I’m slowing down. I’ll be 65 in a few weeks, and I don’t feel like running faster, growing hair faster, getting rich faster or getting faster in any other of the millions of Google hits I found. I’d much rather get slower.
In the 70’s there was a huge movement to teach college kids “speed reading.” I took the class at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas. I never quite mastered the technique and I can’t tell you how relieved I was when I read James Sire’s book, “How to read slowly.” It’s really great to take time to settle in and relax with all the stress to read faster and faster.
One of the greatest truths in the world is expressed to us in Isaiah 40:8. It says, “The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God shall stand forever.” Change, growth and decay is part of the world’s complex makeup. The only thing that isn’t going to change is God and change. Things will always change until the Lord returns and established His absolute rule and reign over this time-bound world. But for now, I can find peace and comfort in God’s word. It will not change. Relax! Take a break! Read and reflect on God’s Word and get refueled for the never ending changes of life.
Chuck
“So take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky feet. Mark out a straight path for your feet.” Hebrews 12:12
The older I get the less I like things to change. I fight it tooth and nail if necessary. With all the younger staff at my church, I’ve had to learn to prepare myself for change. They do not like things to get too stale and while I appreciate that, I’m 
the one who feels the most “backward” on the staff and the worship team. I guess that’s bound to happen when you get to be my age. But change is a difficult thing for us all. I remember having to move from my elementary school in North Omaha, Blessed Sacrament, to High School at Holy Name. I hated the change and I was only 14! What’s up with that? I think it shows that when we get comfortable, it’s difficult to adapt to change no matter how old we are. It was certainly true for me.
Everything changes! One of the songs I enjoyed in the 1960’s was “Where are you going?” The first verse went like this:
Where are you going, my little one, little one,
Where are you going, my baby, my own?
Turn around and you’re two,
Turn around and you’re four,
Turn around and you’re a young girl going out of my door.
Turn around, turn around,
Turn around and you’re a young girl going out of my door.
It’s all a part of growing up and there’s nothing we can do to stop it. The older I get the more incredible it becomes to me. I sweat over my Sunday sermons and Sunday comes and Sunday goes. I look forward to time with the family. The family comes and the family goes. Nothing can stop it! It’s very unsettling at times and it causes one to ponder the purpose of it all. What does it really matter anyway? It’s here for a moment and then gone. Dust in the wind! Sand through the hour glass of time. Etc. The bottom line for me is that through it all there is something that never changes. Look at these brief verses from God’s Word: Malachi 3:6 (NIV) I, the Lord, do not change! Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV) I have loved you with an everlasting love. Psalm 119:159 (GN) Your love never changes.
Chuck
Romans 8:38 (TM) … nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, thinkable or unthinkable — absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love…
Jesus exhorts us to become like little children because heaven belongs to them. He said in Matthew 18:3, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. What exactly is the Kingdom 
of Heaven all about then that God gives it to children? Romans 14:17 gives us the answer. It says, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” The idea of peace and joy struck me as I was thinking about the Christmas season this year. That’s what the angels declared when they announced the coming of Jesus. Peace and Joy are two characteristics that are probably most appropriate for children. Grown-ups worry too much about what we’re going to eat and drink and how to put a roof over our heads and how to make a living. Jesus frequently addressed the stress of adulthood. He wanted us more like children who rest confidently and comfortably under His care. “Don’t worry about tomorrow,” He says, “tomorrow will take care of itself.” But like the Israelites whose sins brought devastation to their lives we lament with the writer of Lamentations, “The joy of our hearts has ended…” (Lamentations 5:17).
There are many things that rob us of our childlike faith, joy and peace in life. One of those things is an unbalanced schedule. The wisest man in the world exhorts us to get a grip on our perspective on the variety of activities under the sun. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 exhorts us to remember that there is time for every purpose under heaven; plant & harvest, kill and heal, cry and laugh, grieve and dance, embrace and refrain, keep and throw away, tear and mend, love and hate, be quiet and to speak, war and peace. In the modern adult mindset we must balance our lives with respect to our activities. Out of balance is usually the result of sinful intentions, motives, or desires. That’s why Peter tells us (1 Peter 5:8 – Amplified Version) “Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.”
In setting your schedule for 2012, please plan to spend time with God. When we put God first, all other things fit better. Commit to regular church attendance and time with God in His Word. It will effect everything else you do in your life. The Israelites recognized that Moses spent time with God. Exodus 34:29 (HCSV) As Moses descended from Mount Sinai—with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands as he descended the mountain—he did not realize that the skin of his face shone as a result of his speaking with the LORD. Those who spend time with Jesus will find confidence and security in their day to day life today also. Acts 4:13 (ESV) Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.
Chuck
“I will spend time thinking about everything you have done. I will consider all of your mighty acts.” Psalm 77:12
Sermon Videos
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