North Bay Fellowship

06/22/2026

Are Fathers Important?

Hello North Bay Fellowship!

Last Wednesday evening, we enjoyed a sweet time of fellowship at our monthly “Finger-Food Fellowship”. I certainly encourage you all to attend these events. Get to know your church family a little better, and enjoy good food and fun games in the process! Our love for each other will show the world God’s love for them!

Last Sunday was Father’s Day, and I would like to explore the concept of fatherhood a little more from a biblical perspective.

FATHERS ARE THE SPIRITUAL HEAD OF THEIR FAMILY

Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.

As counter-cultural as it is to say this, the Bible is clear that the husband/father is the head of his household. This is not a position of tyrannical control, but one of deep sacrifice and service! Notice it says, “even as Christ is the head of the church”. Later in this exact same chapter, we see Christ’s example of headship:

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

Jesus showed the true nature of “headship” when he gave himself for the Church! In the same way, husbands/fathers are to give themselves for their families! Fathers, we are the shield for our family. Our love for our family should be evident in our sacrificial service to them!

FATHERS ARE TO DISCIPLINE THEIR CHILDREN WITH COMPASSION

Psalm 103:13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

Proverbs 3:11-12 My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Discipline is simply teaching and training. A godly father will not be harsh and uncaring to his children. He will be firm, but unmistakably loving. Provoking our children to anger only leads to broken relationships, but firm, loving discipline leads them to Jesus! We are supposed to show our children the love of God in everything we do, and that includes discipline!

Also, fathers, we are responsible for teaching our children about Jesus! Believe it or not, that is not primarily the Church’s responsibility! Fathers are specifically called by scripture to instruct our children in the ways and words of God.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 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.

FATHERS ARE TO BE MODELS OF GODLY INTEGRITY AND WISDOM

Proverbs 20:7 The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him!

This is very difficult, but remember, your children are always watching you! I have heard it said that integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one else is looking. This is a great definition, but remember, your children are ALWAYS looking! They see what you do and learn how they are meant to behave from what they see. So it makes sense that a man who walks in integrity would be a huge blessing to his children!

FATHERS ARE TO SET A CLEAR FAMILY VISION

Joshua 24:15 … choose this day whom you will serve … But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

This verse shows Joshua in a position of headship, not over the nation of Israel, but over his house! Whether anyone would follow him or not, he made one thing crystal clear. He and his house will serve the Lord! Research has consistently shown that if the husband/father of the family attends church faithfully, his family is likely to follow! If he is a devout believer, his family is likely to be devout as well.

Fathers, we are called to be the spiritual leaders of our families. It’s vital for our children and our wives! It’s an important job! None of us fulfills all of these responsibilities perfectly. I know I certainly haven’t. However, our Heavenly Father is gracious, and through Christ, He continues to shape us into the fathers He has called us to be. We are called to sacrifice and serve. We are called to be an example. We are called to lead our families to serve the Lord! Let’s take our role and calling seriously and allow God’s blessings to flow into our families! You can’t do it without prayer! You can’t do it without God’s wisdom! And you especially can’t do it without the power of His Holy Spirit in your life!

Is the God of Heaven also your Heavenly Father? The Bible tells us that all who trust in Jesus are adopted into the family of God! All of us can truthfully claim God as our Father, and lean on Him for everything! Have you put your trust in Jesus?

Come and join us at North Bay Fellowship this Wednesday evening at 7:00. We have Bible studies for all ages! Everyone is welcome! If you’re looking for a church home to worship our savior and serve the kingdom, then we would love to have you and your family join us in that mission! We also have Bible study for all ages every Sunday morning at 9 a.m., and our regular worship service starts at 10 a.m. We also have a small group Bible study on Tuesday evenings at 6:30. There are lots of opportunities for you to get involved, serve, study scripture, and grow closer in your relationship with God! Please let us know if you have any questions!

06/21/2026

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North Bay Fellowship 06/21/2026 Pastor Jeremy Eden

06/17/2026

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06/15/2026

Is Unity Important?

Hello North Bay Fellowship!

Last Wednesday evening, we discussed unity, particularly the unity of the Church. On Sunday mornings, I have been preaching through the book of Philippians, and unity is actually a main and recurring theme. However, I don’t really have time on Sunday Mornings to spend the time that I feel is warranted on such an important topic, so I decided to take a deeper dive in our Wednesday evening Bible study.

I think some of the best questions to ask about this topic are: What creates the unity of the Church? What destroys it? How do we fight against disunity? Let’s dig in and see what God’s word has to say about this important topic for the Church.

Ephesians 4:1-6 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

I’d like to point out that this passage makes it crystal clear that the unity of the Church, our “bond of peace” comes solely from the Spirit. We coalesce around one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all. Biblical unity is not uniformity. Christians may disagree about many secondary matters while remaining united in Christ. Unity is not the absence of disagreement; it is loving one another while submitting together to the supreme, absolute authority of God's Word.

The Church is truly meant to be a unified body under one Spirit, through faith in our one Lord! Walking in this unity requires humility, gentleness, patience, and love. We, as God’s people, should be eager to maintain this unity! We should be willing to take on this difficult responsibility! One of the most powerful arguments supporting the fact that unity is important is that it was absolutely important to Jesus!

In His high priestly prayer, he prays for the protection of the Church, and he also prays for the unity of the Church. Let’s read it in His words:

John 17:20-23 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Remember, the Church is not the building or the organization. Instead, the Church is made up of those who believe, those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus! And, it is nothing but God’s own unity that creates the unity of the Church. That’s the ultimate source. True unity in the Church would be impossible without the perfect unity of the Trinity.

Do you see how Jesus references His own unity with the Father? That’s the model! The Holy Trinity is perfectly unified, Father, Son, and Spirit. Jesus says the Father is in Him, and He is in the Father. Inseparable! Our unity is rooted in that unity! It is a gift from God, but it’s up to us, in His strength alone, to maintain it! Notice then that Jesus’ prayer is that the Church would be unified with God, so that the world may believe in Him!

Did you know that the unity of the Church was so important? Our unity, according to Jesus in this passage, helps the world to believe that Jesus is the true Son of God and that He loves them! If you think about it, that makes total sense! Because if we are not unified, if we do not have love for one another, and love for God, then we’re not credible! We’re nothing special.

We’re just another social club, a group of deluded religious people. Unity doesn’t exist in a group such as this. Unity is destroyed under those conditions. And the world smirks as the Church goes down in flames. A Church without the unity of the Spirit is dangerous and destructive to the kingdom. In fact, Paul warned Timothy about a Church like that: Those who would seemingly come in the name of the Lord in these last days.

When you read the following passage, keep in mind that Paul is not talking about the sinful world. This warning is from Paul to Timothy about those who have “the appearance of godliness”, but deny its power. This is the sinful, godless church of the last days. We are currently, ever since Jesus rose from the grave, living in those last days!

2 Timothy 3:1-5 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Do you see yourself in this list? I’m afraid some of us are actually tempted to feel good about ourselves because the WHOLE list doesn’t apply to us. However, read that list again carefully. If ANY one of these applies to you, it’s a destructive thing in your life, and a destructive thing for the Church. Never be okay with sin! Sin destroys unity.

Just look at the first one in the list! Lovers of self. If you love yourself more than you love your neighbor, then calamity is soon to follow!

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Selfishness is the root of some of the biggest church-killers there are! Gossip, slander, backbiting, complaining, jealousy, and so many more all come from selfish ambition or conceit! The source of this sin is us putting our needs ahead of the needs of others. We become lovers of self. Unity cannot exist alongside selfishness.

Following Jesus flies in the face of the “love yourself first” philosophy so prevalent in our world today. In fact, you’ll find that following Jesus actually flies in the face of what a lot of society expects from you! Don’t find your comfort in acceptance from society!

God’s forgiveness and salvation is where we all should take our shelter! True unity in the church is not achieved without absolute dependence on God for our forgiveness! Without genuinely seeking holiness! We have to realize that not a single one of us is anything without Him! There is no room for selfishness, just thanksgiving! We need to come together, in one Spirit, around the Savior who made it possible for us to be one in Him!

Holiness is only found in absolute surrender to your Lord Jesus. It’s not easy, but that helps us to be sure that it’s the right thing to do! Pray that God gives you the strength to do it! It’s important for you, for your family, for your church, and for the world.

You may ask the question, “But, pastor, what if a fellow believer truly does do something evil against me? How do I handle that?” I’ve got great news! The Bible is crystal clear on what to do!

Matthew 18:15-17 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Isn’t the Bible great? There’s so much wisdom in this passage. The very first thing you do when someone sins against you is to go talk to him about it! I’m a firm believer that so many of the issues and difficulties that we face with our fellow believers stem from a simple misunderstanding. Sometimes, just that first step will clear everything up! Maybe you both see that it was a misunderstanding, or maybe they repent of what they’ve done and make it right with you. If that works, you have gained your brother!

But, if that doesn’t resolve the issue, talk to him again at a later date, but take witnesses along with you to verify that, among other things, YOU are acting in a godly manner. If that doesn’t work, then it is supposed to be brought before the Church! That’s right! The Church needs to hear about it. Openly! That’s how vitally important it is to be in unity and peace with each other!

If the sin continues unrepentantly, then we, the Church, can no longer affirm that person’s status as a brother in Christ. The Church has no authority to adjudicate that person’s true status as a believer, but, due to his unrepentance, we can no longer agree that the fruit of the Spirit is evident in his life. But remember, church discipline has restoration as its goal! We should pray for his salvation and restoration to the fellowship!

2 Corinthians 2:5-8 Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him.

While this person’s unrepentance has ensured that he can no longer be a member of the Church, we should never stop loving him. We should forgive him and begin the process of reconciliation. You see, we’re different than the world! We have been forgiven, so we should be quick to forgive! If Jesus has saved you, you understand the joy and relief that true forgiveness brings! He didn’t wait for you to ask. He died for you even before you sought His forgiveness!

Our unity will only be perfect when we learn to love people like Jesus loves people!

Are you personally unified with God? Remember, sin is what separated you in the first place. Have you dealt with your sin? Have you been forgiven?

Come and join us at North Bay Fellowship this Wednesday evening at 7:00. We have Bible studies for all ages! Everyone is welcome! If you’re looking for a church home to worship our savior and serve the kingdom, then we would love to have you and your family join us in that mission! We also have Bible study for all ages every Sunday morning at 9 a.m., and our regular worship service starts at 10 a.m. We also have a small group Bible study on Tuesday evenings at 6:30. There are lots of opportunities for you to get involved, serve, study scripture, and grow closer in your relationship with God! Please let us know if you have any questions!

06/14/2026

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North Bay Fellowship 06/14/2026 Pastor Jeremy Eden

06/13/2026

Hey, wonderful VBS Volunteers, don’t forget our meeting at 3:00 tomorrow afternoon (Sunday, the 14th), in the fellowship hall! Also, we will begin with behavior management training that would be beneficial for everyone who wishes to work with kids in the church! See you then!

06/12/2026

July 6th - 10th - Register here => https://vbspro.events/p_early/7598e0

06/08/2026

Should Women Serve As Pastors?

Hello North Bay Fellowship!

Last Wednesday evening, we discussed a very difficult and divisive issue. I don’t believe it’s divisive because it has to be; I think it’s divisive because the motives of sincere believers on both sides of this issue are often misunderstood. It’s the issue of whether or not a woman should serve as a pastor. It’s truly a hot-button issue. As a matter of fact, the SBC National Convention is meeting right now, and there is a high-profile amendment being proposed to add to the organization's constitution that would forbid women from serving in the role of pastor or doing pastoral work in any cooperating SBC church.

Because this is so current, you will likely be seeing and hearing a lot of people’s opinions on this issue in the coming days. The proposed amendment is a controversial stand to take in our society for very obvious reasons. I’m sure you already have an idea about how you believe about this issue, but I would urge, as we discuss it biblically, that we should begin by pushing our preconceptions aside.

I realize that there are many women, even in our local churches in our own communities, serving their church in the role of pastor. This Bible study is, in no way, directed at them personally or their churches. I’m not questioning their sincerity. I don’t wish to disparage anyone or any congregation. I simply want to do my due diligence on the issue and rightly divide the word of God to the best of my ability.

To be accurate and correct on any issue, we must look to the only source of ultimate truth, God’s word, for clarification. Is the amendment the right thing to do? Is it wrong? Is this even an important issue at all? Let’s dive into God’s word and see for ourselves…

THE CASE IN FAVOR OF WOMEN PASTORS:

Let’s begin by looking at some of the most common scriptures and facts in the Bible that are used to support the idea that a woman CAN serve as a pastor/elder/overseer of the Church.

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

This passage is widely translated as removing ALL gender roles, not just the restrictions on being a pastor. After all, it clearly says there is no difference! We are all one in Christ Jesus. However, in context, we can see that this is not the truest meaning of this passage.

If you read the entire passage (and I suggest that you do), you’ll see that Paul is talking about the sonship (adoption) of all believers. And gender, ethnicity, or social standing really doesn’t matter for that. It doesn’t matter who you are… It’s only by faith that your royal adoption has taken place! The passage is addressing unity in Christ and equal standing in salvation, rather than explicitly addressing gender roles or the church office of pastor. So, I’m afraid, this particular verse has to be taken out of context to say that it explicitly supports the idea of women pastors.

Let’s look at another one:

Acts 2:17a-18 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy… even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

Here, the apostle Peter is talking about the spiritual gift of prophecy, which, uncontroversially, is, and has always throughout the Bible been given to both men and women. This is not in any biblical sense the same thing as the office of the pastor. This scripture does not directly address the office of pastor.

In Acts Chapter 18, verses 24-26 we read of a godly couple, Priscilla and Aquila, a man and a woman, who take a preacher who is described as “eloquent, and competent in the Scriptures” aside and teach him about the way of God more accurately. It says that he only knew about John’s baptism, so they likely explained the Baptism of the Holy Spirit to him.

Does that mean that the woman Priscilla was acting as a pastor, or was she simply sharing the gospel with a friend and helping to strengthen his ministry? I would hope that any of you in the church, man or woman, would be kind enough to pull me aside privately, even as your pastor, and explain the truth to me in the scriptures if I were missing it in some way or another! This account never identifies Priscilla as a pastor. I think it’s difficult to claim that it, in any way, supports women as pastors.

There are, throughout the Bible, and throughout Church history, many prominent women who have been praised for their service and identified as prophets and faithful servants of the gospel (Lydia, Junia, Phoebe, etc.). Women have always been valuable, important, instrumental, and active in the Church. However, none of them in scripture were ever called elder/overseer/pastor, etc. You see? It’s not an attack on women. Women are vital to the Church. I strongly encourage godly women to step up and serve God in their callings! But we all must be captive to the word of God.

THE CASE AGAINST WOMEN AS PASTORS:

Now, let’s look at the scripture that indicates that the office of pastor/overseer/elder is limited only to men.

1 Timothy 2:11-14 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
Remember, 1 Timothy is a letter written by Paul and addressed to a pastor, Timothy. He instructs him and gives him guidance on church organization, leadership, and proper conduct in the church community. This passage has often been interpreted as very disparaging to women. But is it? Paul is simply saying that it’s not a woman’s role in the church to teach or exercise authority over a man.

Does that necessarily mean she’s not as important, not as valuable, or not as smart? Does that mean she’s inferior to him in any way? No. Paul explains the “why” in the next two verses. He points to God’s preordained order of family leadership. It was Adam first, and then Eve. Eve was the one who was deceived, and Adam simply followed her in her sin. Both guilty, but one led, and the other followed. Because of this, it is against the order of God for the church family that men should be led spiritually by women.

Some argue that Paul was simply addressing a local issue in the church that Timothy was pastoring, but Paul’s explanation, going all the way back to the fall of humanity, makes that very unlikely. It seems very clear that this is a mankind issue. An issue caused by sin. In fact, this same leadership structure is used in Ephesians and 1 Corinthians to define marriage roles between men and women. It’s a recognizable pattern in the rest of scripture.

So, Paul’s teaching, inspired by the Holy Spirit and grounded in both the creation order and the events of the fall, is that women are not to hold a formal, authoritative teaching role over men in the church. They cannot be a pastor or a even a Sunday school teacher (since that is an authoritative spiritual teaching role) of adult men. While this may sound like a strict or even audacious claim to modern ears, let’s see if there is further support for it in scripture:

In 1 Timothy chapter 3 and Titus chapter 1, Paul lists qualifications for pastors/elders/overseers, and in both he says they must be the “husband of one wife”. Verses 2 and 6, respectively. A woman cannot be a husband, at least according to the biblical definition of the word. Some will argue that this simply means the person, whether male or female, must be faithful to his or her spouse. However, there’s no valid reason to assume this. Paul is clear about gender roles and differences throughout his writings. A literal reading of this passage simply disqualifies women for this office.

WHAT CAN WOMEN DO IN CHURCH?

Some people would argue that a woman is not even to speak a word during the assembly of believers. They use this passage as proof:

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

That sounds pretty definitive, doesn’t it? However, like everything else in the Bible, context is king! This particular instruction follows Paul’s instructions on evaluating tongues and prophecy. While it is not clearly worded, it is very readily reasoned that Paul is simply forbidding women to do this, as it would put them in a place of instruction over men. The Bible is clear that both men and women were prophesying and speaking in tongues. It makes no sense that just a few verses later, Paul would forbid even that.

Paul is regulating the type of speech, not eliminating participation. This is remarkably consistent with everything else Paul has written and taught in scripture. There must be a godly order to worship. Women can pray out loud, sing, give announcements, share testimonies, welcome people, offer encouragement, etc. All of these involve speaking! None of these places her in a formal authoritative teaching role over a man. None of these is forbidden anywhere in scripture.

In fact, let’s look at this instruction for older women in the Church in the book of Titus:

Titus 2:3-4 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children,

Women are supposed to teach women! Women can teach children, just not grown men. Women are sometimes the best choice to minister to a single mom or a homebound widow. Women can serve in the church in many different ways. However, we are all subservient to the demands of scripture.

For God’s own reasons and his divine purposes, I believe it is very clear that women are not supposed to be pastors. Men are. And sadly, most men are not willing to heed the call. That’s a large part of the problems the Church is facing right now. Remember to pray for the Church! We are the bride of Christ! He loves all of us and has paid a great price for us!

God showed us the ultimate example of love and service by willingly dying for our sins, to ensure that our eternal forgiveness is possible through Him! He then rose again, and He now promised to share his new eternal life with all sinners who will turn away from their sins, and put their trust in Him! Have you trusted Him?

Come and join us at North Bay Fellowship this Wednesday evening at 7:00. We have Bible studies for all ages! Everyone is welcome! If you’re looking for a church home to worship our savior and serve the kingdom, then we would love to have you and your family join us in that mission! We also have Bible study for all ages every Sunday morning at 9 a.m., and our regular worship service starts at 10 a.m. We also have a small group Bible study on Tuesday evenings at 6:30. There are lots of opportunities for you to get involved, serve, study scripture, and grow closer in your relationship with God! Please let us know if you have any questions!

06/08/2026

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06/07/2026

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North Bay Fellowship 06/07/2026 Pastor Jeremy Eden