Thy Rod & Thy Staff
Nondenominational Church
A place to serve, not sit.
What We Do
Church Purpose
Our purpose at our Bible base church is to get people to be like Christ and turn from that which is contrary to Him. We would like very much to lead others to make Christ the foundation of their lives. We would like to show Jesus as a faithful friend, a loyal companion, as someone who will stand by our side when no one else will.
As a body of Bible based Christian believers, we see our whole purpose as doing the will of God so that His Spirit might be manifested in our midst. With His hand we hope to convince others that Christ is our Lord and Savior. We want to show that if we trust in Him, He will very clearly show us that He is who He claims to be.– a Provider who can supply whatever we need whenever we need it under any and all circumstances, a Physician with no limitations in His healing power, a Counselor with infinite understanding and wisdom. We would very much like to reflect Christ in our midst as the Good Shepherd (Psalms 23 and John 10:1:18), as the one and only way to God, our Father in heaven.
Consequently, our Bible based churches goal is to get others to see the love of God and act accordingly. Undoubtedly God wants us to do His will but He wants it to be done out of love. God wants us to serve Him not because we have too but because we want too. God wants us to serve Him because we see Him as He is. He wants us to do His will because we see that doing His will is for out good. This is the purpose of our church and the platform on which it stands. We want to weld together a body of believers who love Jesus Christ so much that they want to be just like Him.
What Jesus Did
‘Starting Signals’ – Matthew 4:12-13
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.
Key Thought
“Runners take your mark … get set … BANG!” At the firing of the starter’s pistol, the runners burst out of their blocks and the race begins. Lying behind the start of the race are years of training, qualification races, hours of practice and conditioning, and preliminary heats that brought the runners to the starting line. Once there, they are ready to hear the signal for the race to begin. As Matthew tells us the story of the Good News of Jesus, he spends the first four chapters giving us background information on Jesus and helping us see how Jesus prepared for his ministry. Then suddenly, Jesus hears the signal: “John had been arrested.” Jesus first goes back to the obscure hamlet of Nazareth, his hometown (Matthew 2:19-20, 23), then moves to Capernaum, the bustling commerce city of the northern Sea of Galilee. It is now his time to start. Jesus goes where he is needed — where there are many people. He identifies himself with people seeking God’s great work of deliverance through the Jews — as a Jew he previously took part in John’s baptism of expectation and preparation. He is ready to faithfully serve both his Father and those who need him, no matter the cost. His ministry begins.
Today’s Prayer
Almighty and patient Father, I confess that at times I grow anxious and frustrated with how long things take to be accomplished, things that are holy and righteous and needed. Yet, I see in your greatest servants an incredible investment in preparation and testing before they were equipped to serve. Please give me patience to wait for your timing and give me courageous wisdom to know when the time has come to move with your grace and then to act decisively. In Jesus’ name, I ask for this grace. Amen.
Related Scripture Readings
Ⓒ 1996-2025 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.