Calling on the Troops

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Dear Faith Family,

Can you hear the triumphal music in the background? Can you see the troops marching down main street in line as they head off to battle? Can you feel the honor, the courage, the duty!!!

Progress is going great at Faith West. This week we will have finished the carpet on the fourth floor of the apartments. The construction workers are working their way down to the first floor and anticipate being done July 1.

As the construction workers exit the rooms they will have cleaned up most of their mess, but there is still work to be done to get the building ready for students to move in and for us to be able to serve our community well. And that is where you fit in!!! We need you in the Faith West Cleanup Army. Continue reading →

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Graduation, International Students, and a Marvelous Ministry Opportunity

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Steve Viars
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Last Saturday my wife Kris and I had the privilege of watching our daughter Karis graduate from Purdue with a Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering.  Flanked on one hand by Karis’ husband Austin and the other by my mother, our little tribe rejoiced at this tremendous accomplishment.  There were hundreds of thoughts swirling through our minds as we watched academic proof unfold that our little girl is “all growed up.”  God is good.

One of the background observations we made was how many international students graduated that day as well.  Of course we recite the statistic frequently–that Purdue has the second highest number of international students of any public university in our country.  But it becomes especially obvious when you hear the names, see their families, and marvel at how the world comes to West Lafayette, IN year after year to study. Continue reading →

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Holy Macedonia, Batman!

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Ever watch an old Batman episode where Batman and Robin are climbing a building with a rope? Sure, you knew that they just turned the camera sideways to make it look like he was climbing a tall building, but it’s Batman so you just enjoy the nostalgia.

Usually, they fight the bad-guys and at some point in the episode Robin says, “Holy [something], Batman,” as he reflects on something amazing, large or formidable. When I read about the impact a group of believers in Macedonia had on the people around them, I feel like having a Robin moment. Continue reading →

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Worship Fail

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Corbit White

Have you ever been sitting in a worship service and thought back to your previous week?  Suddenly your heart sinks because the words that are coming out of your mouth do not line up with your actions or attitudes.  Instead of singing “I Surrender ALL” you feel like you should be singing, “I Surrender SOME” or maybe some of the other worship songs in the above video.

Where is the truth in your worship? Continue reading →

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Two Important Discoveries from a Personal Experiment

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Rob Green
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For the past year or so I have been conducting a little experiment. I wanted to discover the times that I was most likely to be sinfully angry, frustrated with people around me, irritated, grumpy, and wallowing in self-pity. While the results of this experiment are very helpful, I must admit that I don’t always LIKE what I discover.

Discovery #1: My weariness was not normally based on my schedule

Busyness can be a problem. But I found that a nap was only in order about once every two or three weeks. Even in my busiest seasons of all, a nap once or twice a month was more than enough to keep the body functioning. Continue reading →

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Fingers Crossed

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Joe Mieden
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Have you ever had someone make a promise to you that they wouldn’t, or couldn’t, keep? It’s kind of like when I was young and one of my peers would promise that they would do something outlandish for me, only to reveal that they had their fingers crossed the whole time; we would all laugh and try to trick one another with this little game.

Do you ever wonder if God does that with us? Does He ever say just the thing we want to hear, only to reveal later that He’s had his fingers crossed the whole time? Perhaps God’s beautiful promises are merely great intentions gone awry in the face of real life, or just playful trickery and wishful thinking…or are they?? Continue reading →

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Reflections on a Nine-Year Journey

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Nine years ago, in 2004, Faith Church, led by Pastor Steve Viars, asked Rob Green and me to seek out our doctorates.  The goal of the request was to pursue appropriately credentialed faculty to establish a church based seminary that would train men for pastoral ministry.  Dr. Green finished his PhD last year after eight years.  During the last week of March, I successfully defended my dissertation, which constituted the final step in the process.

This nine-year journey has reinforced in me the value of a variety of spiritual virtues. Continue reading →

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Boston and the Nature of Man

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The tragic bombings at the Boston Marathon have provided a rich glimpse into the current condition of our culture.  Whenever calamity strikes, the recesses of our hearts are revealed as we reflect and speak about what has occurred.

Before the identity of the bombers was even determined, CNN ran an opinion piece by Will Cain asking whether human beings are inherently good or inherently bad.  That is not the kind of question you discuss while standing in line at a fast-food restaurant.  But when bombers purposely attack innocent people, the question of the nature of man is given center stage and rightly so. Continue reading →

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Treasures in Heaven

Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” (Matthew 6:19-20).

Recently, we asked some of the servants and kids involved in our Children’s Ministries to tell us about their experiences.  In this video, you can check out some of the rewards that come from investing in the lives of children.

If you’re a member of our church and would like to begin storing up these kinds of treasures by serving in our Children’s Ministries, you can sign up here.

 

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4 Things that Seminary Has Made Me Thankful For

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(And yes, that title ends with a preposition.)

There are many things for which I was extremely grateful when I came to Faith Bible Seminary in fall of 2010. I was thankful for a church that would give so sacrificially as to make it possible for me to go to seminary for free. I was thankful for faithful men of God who would commit years of their life to training young men like me. I was thankful that God was with me as I came to a brand new world in Lafayette, Indiana.

I’m still very thankful for all of those things. But there are several new things that I’m thankful for now because of my seminary experience. Continue reading →

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