​I mentioned briefly Sunday morning that we were in need of nursery volunteers.  I want to share with you an article that I recently read about how every person can be a part of the ministry to our smallest parishioners. 
 
Why We Should All Work in the Church Nursery
By: Melissa Edginton
 
I remember when Emerald was tiny, and I was completely overwhelmed with my life. I had a first grader, a preschooler, and a new baby, and I couldn’t wait for those glorious two hours on Sunday when I could drop all of them off in their various classes and go have some adult conversation, without any tiny hands grasping for my dress, my hands, my hair, or any other body part. For two hours, I was my own, at least physically. I thanked God for those blessed men and women who volunteered to take a needy baby out of the worn out hands of her ragged mother, those saints who were willing to handle the crying, the spitting up, the diaper changes and the bottles. It was a magnificent ministry to exhausted, overwrought mothers like me.
 
Yet, the nursery always seems to be a touchy subject in churches. Everyone has their own ideas about how it should function and who should work in there. Some churches have more resources than others, some have more small children than others, some have an easier time finding volunteers than others. Just a few days ago I ran across an online discussion about church nurseries, and tired young mothers were declaring that they shouldn’t have to volunteer there, that other people should step up and take care of the babies and small children so that these exhausted moms can enjoy their time at church, one of the few respites that they get in their long week.
 
I understand why they feel this way. I have felt that way myself at different stages of life. But, there’s an important reason why mamas should continue to volunteer, even if it means that once or twice a quarter they will be rocking babies or playing with preschoolers during the church service. And that reason has nothing to do with the fact that churches need that young mama demographic to help out (although they do). The reason mothers should help in the nursery is because it gives us a chance to serve one another.
 
Who can better sympathize with an overwhelmed, somewhat depressed, sleep-deprived, dark-circles-sporting mother than one who is there herself? Who will be most sensitive to a mother’s needs and concerns?  Other young mamas, of course. Who sees most clearly how frightening it can be to drop off a baby for the first time? Who can most sincerely take a young mother’s hand and say, I’m with you, sister. I am just as tired as you are, and there is solidarity in the two of us caring for each other’s children in the name of Christ.
 
Now, these young mothers can’t carry this task of serving one another all alone. We often hear older mothers saying that they’ve already served their time in the nursery. We hear men claim that the nursery is a woman’s territory. We hear young married couples say that they aren’t equipped to handle small children. But young mothers need help. They need our ministry and our assistance and our encouragement. They need us to say, Just get here, sweet girl, and we will take care of the rest. It really matters. And it sets up a pattern in that family’s life–one of regular church attendance, of reliance on the church, of children who love to come to God’s house.
 
Sometimes we tend to think that when we are in the nursery we’re cut off from worship. We feel like we missed church. Even those precious young mothers may claim that they simply can’t worship if they are sequestered to the nursery. But, if any of us feel that way or try to use that as an excuse not to volunteer, then we are forgetting an important element of worship: service. Coming to church isn’t just about us getting our “Jesus fix.” It isn’t about seeing what we can get out of it or waiting around to be served. One of the functions of the church is to serve each other. We should be trying to out-do each other with love and help and servanthood instead of keeping score to see if enough is being done for us.
 
And, yes, dear church. These truths apply to the church nursery.
 
So, all of us–young moms, college students, grandmothers, dads, and all–should view the church nursery as an opportunity to serve the families of the church, which is a true act of worship. And, young mamas, don’t miss out on your chance to sympathize with and help out other women who feel just as overwhelmed as you do. They need your arms, your understanding heart, your gracious overlooking of the disheveled state of their hair. They need to know that you are all in this together, and what better way to show love to your fellow mamas than to love on their babies on Sunday morning a few times a year? I don’t think it’s too much to ask of any of us, no matter our phase of life.
 
In Christ,
Blain Craig

​         Martin Luther is credited with saying, “Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone but in every leaf in springtime.”  What a beautiful truth and reminder.  I am glad spring is a theological reminder for the promise of resurrection because aside from that it is probably my least favorite season, oh except for summer.  Well that is a discussion for another time and place because I am sure you care very little about my climatological preferences, but what you should care about is that God is preaching his character and gospel to us in the very seasons of the year.
          Every year we are reminded of the gospel.  Every year the flowers, trees, and grass come to life.  No longer are they shriveled, gray, and lifeless; in springtime they become vibrant with color and shape.  Every year, God preaches the same sermon so beautifully that only he is able to bring life were there was only death.  Only he is able to bring vibrant color in spring where there was only the lackluster drab of winter.   The world will say that is the sun doing that, not God.  But of course without the sovereign sustaining hand of God at every moment there would be no sun.  At least in the northern hemisphere all of this springtime activity happens at precisely the same time of year that God instituted the Passover that pointed to fulfillment in Jesus Christ as the Passover Lamb. 
          So as we admire the beauty of wildflower and the refreshing rain that God sends, it should remind us that God is sovereign in sustaining this world through the changing of the seasons.  Those same wildflowers and leaves should also remind us that God has not left us abandoned to the grave.  Physical death is coming to all of us as sure as winter follows fall, but the good news of the gospel is that in Jesus Christ as the firstborn of the resurrected eternal life is coming after that death as sure as spring follows winter.
          Thank you, Lord for teaching us the truth of your character and your plan not only in the pages of the book of Scripture, but in the pages of the book of your creation.  May you be highly exalted and praised as the high king of heaven, the maker of heaven and earth, and the supreme sovereign of all things in heaven and on earth, who has given us life eternal through the precious life and death of your son and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  To him be glory in all generations in every season for all time.
 
In Christ,
Blain Craig

​As most of you know, over the past couple of Sundays we have started a new series in the book of 1 Samuel.  The book begins with the birth narrative of Samuel.  That has afforded us the opportunity to think about our families and in particular the relationship between mothers and their children.  Last Sunday I spoke on my concern about the church’s approach to ministering to children.  I plan to say this publically on this coming Sunday morning, but I also wanted to address it here.  I want to apologize for something I said in that discussion of children and hopefully clarify.  In discussing children’s church at one point I said it was, “of the devil.”  I regret that I used that phrase and would sincerely like to retract it.  As a preacher speaking as often as I do publically, a person is bound to say something they regret.  Although I do stand by my position that children’s church is not the best option for a congregation, that is not the same as being evil or “of the devil.”  Something can be less than the best and not be evil.
            I also wanted to take this opportunity to clarify that my feelings toward children needing to be in the congregation is not to be taken as a condemnation of the important ministry to children.  It is entirely good and appropriate for children to have several opportunities to hear the truth of God’s word in a way they understand and is meaningful to them.  I am so thankful for the work that Stephenie and so many others do week in and week out to meet the needs of our children.  I simply think the best option for the Lord’s Day morning corporate worship includes children worshipping with their families.
            I want you to yet again here me clearly that our children are a precious blessing to our church.  They do not yet understand or appreciate how blessed they are to belong to families and a church that saturates them with Jesus.  Mason Stokes and Adalynn Schwaderer are both examples of the joy that fills a family and congregation at the earliest stages of a new life.  We are just getting to know them, but I am excited to watch them grow.  Alec Shaw and Maggie Stokes are both coming into their own special personalities.  Both are happy little ones that make me smile every time I see them.  Hannah Boyd and Karis Hooker are both at a stage where they are recognizing that they live with little boys and if they want to get what they need, they have to be assertive, sometimes even aggressive.  Of course, Abram Hooker is one of those brothers who keeps his sister on her toes.  Ava Kaneshiro is always ready for a smile and a hug.  Stephen Stokes is … well, I’ll just leave it at he is beyond description!  Adin Shaw and Catelyn Steele have both become my good friends and they never have a shortage of things to tell you.  Chloe Martin-Vegue has the sweetest smile of innocence and love I think I have ever seen.  And Grayson Kaneshiro may be the smartest almost 6 year old I have ever seen.  All of these are the sweetest little sinners!!  Yes, they are sinners, but thank God they will hear the gospel in their families and at Oak Crest.
 
In Christ,
Blain Craig

​Do you suffer from “chronological snobbery?”  Well I am sure you weren’t diagnosed with that at your last check-up, but it is likely that all of us have been guilty of chronological snobbery at some point or another.  That is a phrase coined by C.S. Lewis to describe the idea that only newer is better.  He was particularly talking about newer learning and reading, but really the idea applies to many areas of life.
          Consider this quote by Lewis:
“It’s a good rule after reading a new book never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between. If that is too much for you, you should at least read one old one to three new ones....Every age has its own outlook. It is especially good at seeing certain truths and especially liable to make certain mistakes. We all therefore need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period.... None of us can fully escape this blindness, but we shall certainly increase it, and weaken our guard against it, if we read only modern books....The only palliative is to keep the clean sea breeze of the centuries blowing through our minds and this can only be done by reading old books.”
          Ah, the “clean sea breeze of the centuries,” you don’t hear that language these days.  That is precisely the point Lewis is making.  We need the insight of those who have gone before.  This is especially important in the Christian life.  We are prone to think, “I have my Bible that is all I need.”  Well, yes, nothing compares to the Bible, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn a great deal from believers from the past. 
          I want to challenge you to think about the fact the Word of God is always reforming us, always bringing us into conformity with Christ.  One of the ways God can accomplish this is through the rich devotional and doctrinal writing of the past.  I know, I know, it doesn’t sound all that thrilling!  But trust me there is some truly wonderful writing that is not necessarily on the New York Times best seller list.
          Have you ever heard of the Heidelberg Catechism?  It was written in 1563, not long after Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenberg.  It was meant to teach children the truths of the faith.  Consider the richness of the very first question:
Question 1. What is thy only comfort in life and death?
Answer. That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, hath fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him.
          Newer is not necessarily better.  Thank God for his faithfulness throughout the centuries to preserve the truth of his word and the power of the gospel.
 
In Christ,
Blain Craig

​I want to invite you to participate in an upcoming worship opportunity.  Hillcrest Baptist Church in Cedar Hill is hosting a missions conference in February called Committed: Global Impact Celebration.  The conference is spread over the dates of February 11-14, but the event culminates in a special worship service on Wednesday, February 14th at 6:30.  David Platt, President of the International Mission Board will bring the message.  Dr. Platt is a gifted preacher I have had the opportunity to hear on many occasions.
          So that we can encourage everyone to attend, we will not have our regular Prayer Meeting and Bible Study that Wednesday night.  We are also cancelling our children and student activities so that all our families may participate.  I recognize that day is Valentine’s Day, but what could be more meaningful and loving than refocusing on the task of reaching the nations for Christ.  I also recognize it is very unusual for us to cancel our own service and attend another church’s event, but I am confident this will be a blessing to our church.
 
In Christ,
Blain Craig

Recently, an interesting little paragraph caught my attention in the book of Luke.  It is a rather obscure couple of verses that pack a mighty punch.  As we turn the corner into November and very shortly December, it is right that we turn our attention to the incarnation.  We should consider the wonder and awe of the baby in Bethlehem, but we should consider that wonderful event in light of the gospel itself.
          In Luke chapter eleven, Jesus is teaching on a variety of important issues.  Luke interrupts the narrative to tell us, “As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!’ But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!’” (Luke 11: 27-28).
          What an interesting exchange.  This woman compliments Jesus indirectly through his mother.  She says how wonderful it must be to be the mother of such a good boy.  In essence, she says that Jesus has made his mother proud.  Jesus does not respond with “Thank You.”  He does not respond by saying, “Yes, she was a great and blessed mom.”  His response is yes, but.  What is the meaning of Jesus response?
          First of all, it should not be misunderstood as a derogatory comment against his mother.  Scripture is clear that Mary was indeed blessed among women.  She said in chapter 1, verse 48, “for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.  For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.”  That prayer is actually fulfilled in part by the comment by the woman to Jesus.  The real lesson is not really about Mary at all, but is found in what Jesus says is the real blessing in life.
          Jesus does not deny that his mother is blessed to bear the God-Man.  How humbling it must have been for Mary to carry and raise the Messiah, but Jesus to our shock and astonishment doesn’t focus on that as the greatest blessing.  Note what he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”  That is truly amazing.  Just think how blessed Mary was to be the mother of Jesus.  Jesus says that is a small blessing compared to hearing God’s Word, who he himself is, and obeying it.  So Jesus says something like,  Yes Mary is blessed, but it is not merely in the fact that she is my physical mother, but the real source of her blessing is that she hears my word and obeys it.  What a truth.  The same thing that provided the greatest blessing to Mary is available to you and me.  That is to know and trust Jesus as the living and reigning Christ.

​In Christ,
Blain Craig

​I love this time of year.  Fall is my favorite season, but within that season there is one day that stands out as my favorite, October 31st.  And October 31st of this particular year is the most significant of my lifetime.  I want to use these lines to share with you why October 31st is among the greatest holidays of the year.  As a matter of fact, I would place it third behind Christmas and Resurrection Day in my personal favorites.  Why do I love October 31st so much?  It is Reformation Day.  This year we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the event that is probably the most significant moment in the history of the church since the day of Pentecost.  On that day, those many years ago Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenburg, Germany.  Luther had become more and more concerned about some of the beliefs and practices of the Catholic Church, especially the sale of indulgences.  Indulgences were like “get out of jail free” cards.  The church was teaching that for a fee you could buy a pardon from some years in purgatory.  The truth is you can’t buy your way into heaven.  Martin Luther knew that and he wrote 95 statements about why he disagreed with Rome. He could no longer stand the fact that the Catholic Church had become a hollow shell of what the New Testament taught about the Christian faith.  That simple act of posting his convictions, that he never thought would cause such a stir, started the Protestant Reformation.  That simple act was one of the defining moments in all of human history.  Sadly, it is all but forgotten in the shadow of the godless heathenism of Halloween.
          Now you may be thinking, why in the world does it matter that some monk nailed a piece of paper to a church door?  It matters because the Reformation reminded everyone what the Bible really teaches.  Out of the Reformation came what we now summarize as the “Five Solas,” or the five “onlys.”  In short the “five solas” state, “The Bible alone teaches that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone to the glory of God alone.”  That is what we believe above all else, but that was quiet different than what the Roman Catholic Church of Martin Luther’s day was teaching.  This October 31st we should praise and thank God for the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We should celebrate that we are justified by faith alone, not by our effort or works.  I am not saying that the gospel didn’t exist until 1517, certainly not.  What I am saying is that God used men like Martin Luther to make sure the whole world can know the Bible is the true word of God and Jesus has died on the cross and risen from the dead so that we might have eternal life. 
          On Sunday October 29th, we will have a very special Reformation Service.  I want to encourage you in the strongest way to be in attendance on that day.  We will sing great hymns of the faith and hear the Word of God.  We will remember that Reformation Day is the celebration of the recovery of the glorious gospel of Jesus by grace through faith.  Happy Reformation Day!  ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda secundum verbum Dei (the church reformed, always reforming according to the Word of God)  To God alone be the Glory!  May he bring reformation to our lives! 
 
In Christ, 
Blain Craig

​We are officially in the season of fall.  I know the 90 degree temperatures may not feel like fall, but cooler weather should not be far away.  Fall is my favorite season, with winter a close second.  In the fall, we are back into normal routines after the chaotic schedules of summer.  It is a perfect time to start fresh especially when it comes to worship.         
            Fall is a great time to re-evaluate what is truly important.  I want to invite you to our mid-week worship and activities at Oak Crest.  There are so many things to do and places to go, but don’t neglect the most important thing.  We have a unique opportunity in the middle of the week to pray, learn, and worship.  Students and children are studying the Word in-depth.  There are activities for everyone.  Would you consider gathering with us on Wednesday nights?  Our Prayer Meeting and Bible Study begins at 7:00pm.  The time we spend together on Wednesday nights is a time of recharging and renewal.  I am so thankful God has granted us the privilege of feasting on his Word in the middle of the week.  Don’t wait for Sunday to worship with other believers at Oak Crest.  Make Wednesday night worship a priority in your life.
            I am also excited to announce the re-launch of our Wednesday Night Meal.  This fall, our student ministry will be hosting the meal at 6:00pm Wednesday evenings beginning on October 18.  I hope you will consider being a part of this effort, not only for the sake of the students’ fundraising, but also for the invaluable fellowship we will share each week.  If you are interested in helping in this effort please contact Sara Craig for more details.
            I don’t know about you, but by the time Wednesday rolls around a lot of pressures and stresses from the week have started to pile up.  This fall will be an opportunity to not have to cook as well as an opportunity to be nourished by physical food and the food of the Word of God.  It is a blessing to come together corporately to God’s Word for a boost of certainty.  We gather every Wednesday.  Would you consider joining us?
 
           
In Christ,
Blain Craig

​I humbly borrow the following Puritan supplication, my sincere prayer and desire:
My Master God,
I am desired to preach today, but go weak and needy to my task;
Yet I long that people might be edified with divine truth, that an honest testimony might be borne for thee;
Give me assistance in preaching and prayer, with heart uplifted for grace and unction.
Present to my view things pertinent to my subject, with fullness of matter and clarity of thought, proper expressions, fluency, fervency, a feeling sense of the things I preach, and grace to apply them to men’s consciences.
Keep me conscious all the while of my defects, and let me not gloat in pride over my performance.
Help me to offer a testimony for thyself, and to leave sinners inexcusable in neglecting thy mercy.
Give me freedom to open the sorrows of thy people, and to set before them comforting considerations.
Attend with power the truth preached, and awaken the attention of my slothful audience. 
May thy people be refreshed, melted, convicted, comforted, and help me to use the strongest arguments drawn from Christ’s incarnation and sufferings, that men might be made holy.
I myself need thy support, comfort, strength, holiness, that I might be a pure channel of thy grace, and be able to do something for thee; 
Give me then refreshment among thy people, and help me not to treat excellent matter in a defective way, or bear a broken testimony to so worthy a redeemer, or be harsh in treating of Christ’s death, its design and end, from lack of warmth and fervency.
And keep me in tune with thee as I do this work.
         
          -- The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions
 
 
In Christ,
Blain Craig