Community Bible Church

08/13/2026

"...being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." ~Ephesians 4:3

The Greek word translated "being diligent" could also be rendered as "eager"; it carries with it the idea of exerting oneself, endeavoring, or giving difference. Basically, preserving (keeping, holding firmly) the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace is a BIG deal to God, and it is something which we ought to throw all of our weight behind.

So, just what is the unity of the Spirit? First off, by definition, it is true unity in diversity; it is many operating as one, for one purpose. The word translated "unity" here comes from the Greek word meaning "one"; the word translated "one" is the same word used in John 17 where Jesus prayed that His disciples would be "one" as He and the Father are one. This oneness leads to harmony and order, and it stems from submission to Christ. All of the previously mentioned qualities in this chapter are necessary for those who are engaged in this kind of lifestyle and attitude, because true unity lays aside self for the benefit of others and, most importantly, for the glory of God.

The catch with this kind of unity, however, is that it is absolutely and utterly impossible without the Holy Spirit. There is no way in heaven or on earth that two or more people can operate with this level of oneness unless the Spirit of God is actively working in the hearts of each person. This is why it is described as "the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace"; unless each person is actively walking in the Spirit, governed by the peace of God, true and lasting unity are impossible. Yet, this is exactly the life to which we have been redeemed in Christ! That is why it says to "preserve" the unity of the Spirit - we are already reconciled to the Father and each other in Jesus, sealed with the Holy Spirit!

This, then, is where it all ties together: You and I, as beloved and chosen children of God, can (and must) eagerly and diligently pursue the preservation of the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Let us lay aside the flesh and walk in the Spirit; let us give up our rights and submit to each other; and, let us do whatever it takes to abide in Christ together. When God's people walk with God's grace in God's unity, God gets the glory and His kingdom goes forth.

Soli Deo Gloria!

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07/29/2026

We are hosting a FREE Rummage again this year. Everything is free! The dates and times are as follows:

Friday, July 31st - 9:00am-3:00pm
Saturday, August 1st - 9:00am-Noon

Anyone and everyone is welcome! May the Lord Jesus bless you.

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07/29/2026

"...bearing with one another in love..." Ephesians 4:2c

What does it mean to "bear with" someone else? The Greek word translated as such here is done so differently in the NASB; in that translation, the words "showing tolerance for" are used. Now, there is certainly an element of tolerance that is needed when it comes to bearing with others; this type of tolerance is not just putting up with someone else, however.

This is why I chose the NKJV for today's devotional: "Bearing with" carries more of the true meaning of this word and passage, because the Greek word itself has the idea of "to hold up, to hold oneself erect and firm, to sustain, to bear with, endure". This is tolerance, yes, but it is also far more than that; it is not just that we are called to put up with each other - no, we are to support and hold each other up. To bear with each other is to care so deeply for each other's well-being and endurance that we ourselves are willing to suffer loss in order to help hold each other up from falling.

This is why the last part of this verse is so important; if we are called, commanded, and equipped to bear with each other, then we also must have an overwhelming and overpowering understanding of the love of God for us. Listen, I know how difficult it is to live with me, to walk with me, and to love me. If Sarah didn't lean into the Lord and His love, there is no way she would even want to care for me. And the same is true for everyone else; we are not lovable people in the flesh, and we do not truly love people, or love bearing with people, in our natural inclinations. We can only do that as we know and draw from the love and grace of God.

Yet, God has loved us, called us, equipped us, and filled us with His love. We can and must bear with each other in His love; it is what marks us as Christians, and it is one of the most powerful testimonies of the gospel. When we choose to put each other's needs and desires over our own, and when we choose to forgive, accept, and hold up each other - even when wronged - we are proclaiming to the world that God has sent Jesus (John 17:20-21), and that we belong to Christ (John 13:34-35).

So, how are you being called to bear with others today? Remember that our first allegiance and line of command is to the body of Christ; yet, this command to love others does extend to all others as well, limited by the governance of God's Word and Spirit. Who is God putting in your path today to bear up with in love? How does your overall perspective, especially of your brothers and sisters in Christ, need to change - in order to come in alignment with the truth of this passage?

Don't delay obedience. God has loved us with an everlasting love, and He is bearing with our weaknesses even now. Praise Him, and trust Him. What an awesome privilege we have to walk in His strength and reflect His heart!

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07/16/2026

"...with longsuffering..." ~Ephesians 4:2b

The word that is translated "longsuffering" in this rendering of Ephesians 4:2b also can be rendered as "patience", "forbearance", and, "slowness in avenging wrongs". (I used the NKJV's translation for today's devotional, because "longsuffering" gives a fuller body to the English.) This word represents, perhaps, one of the simplest concepts in Scripture to understand, while simultaneously being one of the most difficult to apply.

We need look no further than the character of God to find example after example of what longsuffering entails: From His forbearance with Cain to His patience with Abraham's failings, from His suffering long with Moses' attempts to shirk his leading of God's people to His patience with the Israelites [again and again and again], and from His forbearance with the ignorance of the world to His Son to His continuous longsuffering with ourselves - the LORD is the epitome of patience! We could write volume after volume describing it, even just from current, live examples today!

Why is it, then, that we struggle so much with applying this simple concept? For one thing, true patience and longsuffering can only be consistently practiced when we walk in the Spirit. Remember the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23? Patience is one of those fruits, and it is only as we surrender to the Spirit's control and power that we can truly embrace and exhibit it. Another thing about longsuffering (which goes hand-in-hand with submitting to the Spirit) is that it naturally is a flesh-killer: Me, myself, and I have to die, if we are going to have true, deep forbearance and patience with others.

Longsuffering must set self aside - even if I am 1000% in the right, in order to bear with and extend grace to someone else. Remember, it is long-suffering - suffering long on behalf of someone else - regardless of how stubborn, rebellious, stupid, foolish, sinful, or hurtful a person may have been toward us. Do I have a slowness to avenge wrong done to me - in the same measure that God has had a slowness to avenge wrong I have done to Him, even after becoming His child?

Beloved, what a privilege we have to be children of God! What an awesome opportunity to reflect His character to each other, and the world around us, by living a life of forbearance! Let us choose today to surrender to His Spirit, putting the flesh to death, and walking, one little step at a time, in the humble path of longsuffering. May He be glorified, may our hearts be strengthened, and may all the world know the love of Christ!

07/08/2026

"...with all humility and gentleness..." ~Ephesians 4:2a

Tying humility and gentleness together in this verse makes perfect sense, for they must often go hand in hand when lived out in a practical manner. In fact, to be truly gentle, in the godly sense, a person must be humble. Why? The Greek word that is here translated "gentleness" carries with it the idea of "mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness". To have a meek and mild attitude requires great humility, especially when the people and circumstances around a true saint may be extremely hostile and difficult. Gentleness may involve great restraint, and it certainly involves a proper understanding of the authority and power of God.

Case in point: Jesus. Who has ever been more gentle than Jesus? He, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, emptied Himself and became poor in spirit - even poorer than us - in obedience to His Father, and in view of our redemption and reconciliation. When He walked the earth He deserved all, and utter, reverence and homage; yet, He demanded none. Even in the famous examples of His righteous indignation - where He drove the merchants and money-changers out of His house of worship - there is no indication that He caused harm to, or that He destroyed those people - as He certainly had every right to do. No, Jesus was (and is) gentle in every way; from welcoming the little children to bearing with the arrogance of His own disciples, Jesus spoke and dealt in a meek and mild manner.

What about you and I? Are we gentle people? Are we known to our spouses, our children, our grandchildren, our siblings, our parents, our neighbors, our coworkers, our classmates, our students, our leaders, and even to our brothers and sisters in Christ, as those who excel in gentleness? Are our lives marked with meekness? Are we of a mild disposition - and not just when things are looking up? What about when there is disagreement or hurt? What about when things or people are frustrating us?

Gentleness, like humility, is costly; yet, those who live in it find that it is rich and deep, for it flows from the heart of God. May we, as beloved children of God, walk worthy of His calling on us, as we think, speak, and act with all gentleness. May He, as our faithful Father, remind us again and again, as often as we need it, of His own gentle nature toward us. Thank You, Father!

07/02/2026

Here are a couple of prayer opportunities in light of America's 250th:
-A special Church-Wide Prayer Meeting is planned for TONIGHT at 6:00pm, as we seek the Lord together on behalf of the USA.
-OneWay Worship is scheduled to take place at the church building on Sunday, July 12th, at 6:00pm. This session of the prayer and worship night will be of a slightly different format, with times of prayer planned specifically for our nation.

Have a wonderful day with the King of Kings!

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06/26/2026

"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility..." ~Ephesians 4:1-2a

In the last devotional, we dug deeper into the first verse of this passage and into some of the details it lays out in relation to our relationship with God. In light of all that, let's turn our attention for the next several devotionals to how walking worthy of the Lord affects our everyday interactions with each other. We will begin with just the first part of the second verse today.

"...with all humility..." For starters, it is imperative that we always, always, always remember that Jesus is not only our Redeemer, Savior, Lord, and Friend, but also that He is the standard and example which we are tasked with emulating. This is true for humility, and for every other attribute we see in Scripture. Jesus' life is the only perfect picture of what true living with and before God actually looks like. This reality is overwhelming for at least two reasons: 1. We can never attain this perfection in our own strength; it is impossible. 2. Jesus was Himself God, and yet He submitted Himself to His Father.

We would do well to unpack both of these reasons for a bit, as understanding the depth of both will help us to grasp our responsibility to the passage itself. First off, that we are unable to attain to the standard Christ has set before us is important for us to understand. Why? Because grasping our inadequacy and inability to reach the life of Christ can (and should) lead us to a place of humility. We can see how small and insignificant we are - not when we compare ourselves to each other and those we think inferior - but when we compare ourselves to the perfect Lamb of God. We are humbled before Him, which enables us to be humble before each other.

Secondly, if Jesus was God (and He was, and is) and He still submitted Himself under the Father's authority, how can we expect to do anything less? His attitude of meekness and lowliness went further still: In submitting Himself under His Father's authority by coming to earth as a Man, He also submitted Himself to those who were created by Him and for Him! His humility is seen in His obedience to His earthly parents, His association with the outcast and sinner, His conversations with leaders and peasants alike, and, ultimately, in His sacrificial atonement on Calvary. Jesus is the perfect example of what it means to have "all humility".

Therefore, when we are commanded to "walk worthy...with all humility", we are being compelled forward into a life of magnifying others over ourselves - just as our Savior so perfectly illustrated for us. This starts with a heart that is humble before God, relying on His mercy and grace, and empowered by His Spirit. Then, and only then, can we operate and respond in a way that thinks of ourselves less, and others more.

Is it difficult to live in this way of exalting others over ourselves? Yes. Is it especially difficult when we feel mistreated, ignored, ridiculed, misunderstood, etc.? YES, absolutely! Yet, when we choose to trust God and follow Jesus in this journey, we are proving the Gospel to be true, and living in the new identity to which we have been called and saved. Remember, we have the kindest Redeemer, the greatest Helper, and the perfect Friend.

Beloved, since we have been so well-loved by our all-humble God, let us love Him back in humility of heart - in every way.

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06/25/2026

THIS Sunday's worship service is scheduled to take place at the Outagamie County Fairgrounds in Seymour, WI, in the Midway Tent. Rocke Brothers Music is collaborating with us for the service, which starts at 9:00am.

Plan to arrive at a fairgrounds' parking lot prior to 9:00am to avoid admission fees.

NOTE: We will not be meeting at the church building this weekend.

May the Lord be glorified in this event!

06/12/2026

"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called..." ~Ephesians 4:1

This passage has a significant implication for each and every one of us. What is it? This verse implies that the audience has been called by God to an eternal relationship with Himself through the Lord Jesus Christ. This calling is in line with His grand purpose of saving, reconciling, and adopting us as His dearly loved children. That purpose put Jesus on the cross in our place, and that love is what compels us to repentance. This implication requires a question of you, if the rest of the passage is to apply: Have you answered the call of God on your life by accepting His terms of rescue and redemption? His Word and His Spirit are beckoning you to trust Christ today and be made new.

If you have answered God's call, then we can go on: Paul pleads with the Ephesian believers as one who is praying for them and encouraging them in the Lord (see the previous 3 chapters); his plea is not for their loyalty, financial support, or admiration, however. Paul, who sees himself as one who is ultimately a captive of Christ, begs the people of God to live in accordance with their true identity. Understand, when we are called and redeemed by God to salvation, we become the righteousness of God in Christ; when He has washed us clean with the blood of Christ, we become His spotless bride; when He sets us apart for His glory, He indwells us with His Spirit. We are no longer the old, dead sinners that we used to be; no, we are now living, holy saints!

Paul, the formerly proud persecutor of Christ's body, is now speaking from the place of captivity [presumably]. His plea to the Ephesian believers is not from the vantage point of one who is ignorant of the cost of a life lived in accordance with God's calling. In fact, Paul's perspective as a prisoner (and as one who has already suffered greatly in many ways for the name of Christ) gives greater weight to his appeal; he understands that his life (and that of every believer) is not his own, for he was bought with a price. Therefore, the appeal to "walk worthy of the calling" is not an empty or symbolic concept, but a real and costly way of life.

How do we walk worthy? By taking one step at a time with Jesus, allowing the Holy Spirit to conform our life to His through His Word and grace. It requires our looking at Him, meditating on His Word, and gaining a larger view of Him through our knowledge and relationship with Him; then, with all of that in play, allowing Him to make His life our own through humble obedience and contentment. This is what we were created for, and it is this in-step, following Jesus path to which we are called, and for which we are equipped.

So, brother or sister...Are you walking worthy of the calling with which God has called you in Christ? Remember that He is a faithful Father who will always help us when we look to Him. May He encourage your heart, remind you of who you are in Christ, and fill you to overflowing with His Spirit.

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05/21/2026

"The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth." ~Psalm 145:18

Oh, what a glorious reality! The LORD, the God and Creator of everything that exists, is near those who look to Him from a genuine heart! It might be from a place of brokenness from sin or over sin; it might be from a position of great loss or heartache; it might in the highs of praise, or the depths of despair; but...the LORD is near if the cry comes from a heart that is desperate for Him.

Don't sugarcoat your life before the LORD. God sees you more clearly than you see yourself, and He still loves you and cares for you. If you are unsure of that, look at the cross of Christ and the GREAT burden of sin which He carried for you and me; if you are struggling to know that He can help you, look at God's glorious work in the resurrection, and His transforming power through the gospel in the lives of those who have been touched by it.

Be honest with the LORD today and cry out to Him. Regardless of your circumstances, your failures, your trials, your sin, your joys, and your triumphs - He will respond to those who come to Him in sincerity of heart. That is who He is, and that reality is overwhelming.

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