Building Update from Patterson

It's starting to get very real! I'll confess that as we were about 30 minutes away from Patterson yesterday morning, my heart started beating quickly and I got butterflies in my stomach. I realized that we were getting ready to take a crucial step forward in the planting of Golden Valley Baptist Church in Patterson. Not only were we getting ready to put some money where our mouth was, but we were also getting ready to make some decisions that would have a tremendous impact on the success of this new church plant. I definitely wanted God's direction and blessing on the decisions of the day. I was thankful to know that so many of God's people were praying for our trip yesterday. It was certainly a profitable trip.

We were able to accomplish five goals for the day (besides eating at String's Italian Cafe!) . . . . . .

It's Time to Find a Building!

Today is an exciting day as we moved forward on planting Golden Valley Baptist Church in Patterson. Today is the day that we begin looking for a place to hold services. My sending pastor (my dad), Pastor Robert Benefield, and I are travelling to the city of Patterson to gather information.

We will be looking at hotels, public schools, private schools, store fronts, and possibly the Spanish Baptist church pictured above. While in Patterson, we also plan to set up a P.O. Box for the church. Please pray for God's leadership as we make this vital step forward.

While I certainly have my dreams and ideals of where I would like to meet, I want to be exactly where God wants us to be. We are trying to make this decision as quickly as possible in order to list our service location on tracts and invitations that are being designed.

Check back on Friday when I will post the results of this trip and also the results of the trip to last week's church planting conference in Oklahoma.

Thank you to all of those who are praying! God is meeting needs!

Church Planter's Conference in OK

I am blessed to be heading to a Church Planter's Conference in Oklahoma City, OK. I will be leaving in just another two hours. This conference will be hosted by Heartland Baptist Bible College. I am excited for the opportunity to visit the campus and to see some friends from my college days. I graduated from Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College while it was in San Dimas (before it became HBBC and moved to OK). I am thankful to know that there are so many pastors who are burdened for church planting.

Please pray:

• For a safe journey

• For my heart to be challenged and stirred

• For the needs of many church planters to be met

• For me to make many good contacts with preachers who can support Golden Valley Baptist Church through prayer and finances

• For the many church planters to encourage the hearts of those who are already pastoring

• For my wife and son

Invested Treasure = More Passion

Did you ever wish that your heart were more burdened for missionaries and their labors in foreign lands? Did you ever wonder why you weren’t more concerned for unsaved relatives, neighbors, and co-workers? Did you ever question your lack of passion for sharing the message of salvation?

The answer to these questions can be found in the Sermon on the Mount. Luke 12:16-34 gives an account of a man who is passionate about the possessions of this world. Jesus calls that man a fool, and then He says, “So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Jesus then states that, in contrast to the rich man who was totally engrossed in his personal possessions, a Christian does not even need to worry about what he will eat or wear.

Why does God make this contrast between the person who invested everything he had in himself and the person who invests nothing (“take no thought”) in himself. The Lord sums up the whole situation in Luke 12:34. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” When a person invests in himself, he falls in love with himself. God commands the Christian to take no thought for himself. Instead, he is to “seek the kingdom of God.” When a Christian invests in God’s kingdom, the passion of his heart will follow.

Would you like to be passionate for lost souls, missionaries, and soulwinning? By faith, invest the treasure of your time, abilities, and money into these areas. According to the very words of Christ, “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”