We are thrilled to announce that Summer Connections is back! Please make a note of the three luncheons we have scheduled and plan on joining us for good food and great connections with new guests and old friends.
A Study in Philippians: April 16 – June 25
A Joy that Endures
Philippians is a book about an enduring Christ-centered joy in all things. It’s about Christian unity through the path of Christian humility. It’s also about standing firm in the face of persecution and rejoicing in all circumstances. As background, Philippi was a Roman colony known for its affluence and patriotism. It was named after Philip of Macadon, father of Alexander the Great. Its citizens were citizens of Rome, dressed like Romans and spoke Latin. They prided themselves on this affiliation.
The church at Philippi was the first ancient Jesus community that the apostle Paul started in Europe (in Acts 16). Fast forward a few years later, and Paul was put in prison, this church sent him a gift and he intended to thank them. In so doing, he was able to, with proper perspective, see his trial as fitting into the sovereign plan of God which resulted in the expansion of the gospel of Jesus Christ. For Paul, his life was defined by the story of Jesus, his humiliation which preceded his exaltation. Therefore, whether Paul went on living, or whether he was called to die, Paul was also living out the story of Jesus, which involved suffering for the glory of God. This is why the book centers around the beautiful kenosis hymn or poem of Philippians chapter 2 (Phil 2:6-11), and this helps us to see how living as a Christian is a way of living out this pattern which Jesus set before us.
Because of our relationship with Christ, and knowing Him, we can have an enduring joy. Knowing Christ is what we want to pursue above all else (Ch 3), this is what offers us joy and the peace that passes understanding, and this is the secret of contentment (Ch 4), no matter our circumstances. Like them, we too, can learn to do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Recommended companion reading:
4/16 – Relational Joy Thankfulness & Prayer
4/23 – Enduring Joy Paul’s imprisonment
4/30 – Citizens of Heaven Whether in life or death
5/7 – Jesus is Lord A call to humble sacrifice
5/14 – Mother’s Day,
Working out what God has been working in.
5/21 – A Model of Integrity
5/28 – Letting go of your inner Pharisee
6/4 – Pressing on Pursuing Christ
6/11 – Managing Anxiety God’s way Finding peace
6/18 – Father’s Day
6/25 – Learning Contentment, trusting Gods provision
4/16 – 1 Phil 1:1-11 Relational Joy Thankfulness & Prayer for the Philippians
4/23 – 2 Phil 1:12-26 Enduring Joy Paul’s imprisonment is for the greater good
4/30 – 3 Phil 1:27-2:4 Citizens of Heaven Whether in life or death, Christ is magnified
5/7 – 4 Phil 2:5-11 Jesus is Lord A call to humble sacrifice
5/14 – 5 Phil 2:12-18 Cooperating with God Working out what God has been working in / conquering complaining Bob And Amanda Mother’s Day
5/21 – 6 Phil 2:19-30 A Model of Integrity Epaphroditis and Timothy
5/28 – 7 Phil 3:1-11 Letting go of your inner Pharisee Rejoicing in the true gospel
6/4 – 8 Phil 3:12-21 Pressing on Pursuing Christ
6/11 – 9 Phil 4:1-10 Managing Anxiety God’s way Finding peace, joy and right thinking
6/18 – 10 bob Father’s Day
6/25 – 10 Phil 4:11-23 Learning Contentment and trusting God’s provision Trusting God’s Provision, thanksgiving, contentment clint
Recap of the Philippians Series
Previous Sermons in this Series
A Study in Ecclesiastes: January 8-April 2
Chaos. That is a word that seems to capture the zeitgeist of our age. Instability, wars, pandemics, and institutional breakdown have led people to wonder: is anyone in control? Do meaning and purpose exist? Indeed, with endless choices and uncertain times people today are less secure and more jaded than ever before. Doubts about everything are the new normal. We are living through an era that feels a bit … mad.
So… how do we live by faith in a world of madness? That is what the book of Ecclesiastes is about. It assumes doubts and offers answers not addressed anywhere else. It explores issues that haunt us at the end of life. In short, this ancient book offers meaning in the madness by directing us to the purpose giver: God himself.
Over the 12 weeks, we are going to explore all the important issues in life: Meaning, purpose, happiness, work, wealth, fame, power, suffering, justice, and death. The world’s answers are incoherent and incomplete. The teacher of Ecclesiastes shows us that order is possible in chaos, meaning is birthed despite the madness, and true beauty is revealed at the feet of our Creator King. Join us as we discover meaning in the madness.
Recommended companion reading:
1/8 – Book and Series Introduction
1/15 – Meaning in the Madness
1/22 – Purposeful Use of Time
1/29 – CONTEND CONFERENCE
2/5 – Meaningful Work
2/12 – False Meaning: Worship and Money
2/19 – Meaning in the Midst of Pain
2/26 – Wisdom and Meaning
3/5 – Meaningful Joy
3/12 – The Danger of Folly
3/19 – Meaningful Risk
3/26 – The Creator of Meaning
4/2 – Meaningful Death
Previous Sermons in this Series
Sermon on deck…
Is Christmas Unbelievable: December 2022
Many people assume that the story of the baby in the manger at Bethlehem is just another made-up fantasy for kids. In this series based on the book by respected apologist Rebecca McLaughlin, we will outline the evidence that Jesus was a real person, explaining the reliability of the Bible’s accounts of his life and why believing in a virgin birth is not as ridiculous as it might sound. This series shows that there is a rational basis for the belief that the world’s most famous story is fact, not fantasy—and how those events in history can infuse our lives today with meaning and joy
12/4 – Was Jesus Even a Real Person?
12/11 – Weren’t the Gospels Made Up Later?
12/18 – How Can You believe in a Virgin Birth?
12/23 – Christmas Eve Eve
12/24 – Christmas Eve
12/25 – Christmas Online Event
Recommended companion reading:
Previous Sermons in this Series
Planting deep roots in the limitless love of God, 2022.
Partner with us as we sow seeds of faith, cultivate spiritual growth & bear life-giving fruit within our community.
Planting deep roots in the limitless love of God, 2022.
Partner with us as we sow seeds of faith, cultivate spiritual growth &
Planting deep roots in the limitless love of God, 2022.
Partner with us as we sow seeds of faith, cultivate spiritual growth & bear life-giving fruit within our community.
MBC is thrilled to be a part of the emerging growth of God’s redemption and mission for our church.
We pray that you catch this vision with us to bring His light into this dark area. To that end, we invite you to partner with us and prayerfully consider a special year-end gift. Your contribution will enable us to expand our ministry through both Gospel Demonstration and Gospel Proclamation. In the year 2023, we will accomplish our vision of increased cultural engagement by equipping the MBC body of believers, by working with our local and global partners, and by continuing campus upgrades.
Serving Him Together, Pastor Dave and Pastor Bob
Year End Giving
for 2023
Please ask God to guide your giving and consider making your best possible donation as an investment so we may Plant Deep Roots in the Limitless Love of God. We envision that your generous contributions for the five initiatives we outline below will deepen our congregation’s love for God, widen our love for each other, and live tall so we may be a beacon of hope to the community here where we are planted.
Please take a look below to see what MBC has in store for 2023.
Your Generosity
We are filled with joy for an incredible 2021 at MBC!
Currently our financial giving (YTD) is up 20% over the last year! You truly embody the words of the apostle Paul; “For I know your eagerness to help… you were ready to give… For God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor 9:2-7). Our church has been able to expand our reach through many new visitors and large outreach events including a 9/11 Memorial Service that welcomed our Mayor and many first responders, a Big Tent Worship Night featuring several talented acoustic guitarist, and we hosted 3 Underground Sessions. We also held 3 informative seminars; “Suffering” with Dr. Jim Owen, “Parenting-Discipling the Next Generation”, and the online adult education course, Tactics. None of this is possible without your generosity.
At MBC, we have the heart to help people grow deeper in their discipleship of Christ. In 2022, we want to support individuals and groups toward this end in two intentional ways. First, we want to create and distribute a high-quality discipleship manual, customized just for MBC. This workbook is going to be a practical manual for intentional Spiritual Formation and will cover time-tested principles of spiritual growth. This workbook is designed for individual use but is best processed together in a group study setting. We will enjoy a church-wide campaign to this end in 2022. Second, we want to increase our staff at MBC to work in a focused way in the areas of spiritual formation, groups, and counseling, and oversee this important area of our church in an expanded capacity. This year’s end-of-year offering will help fund these exciting new spiritual formation initiatives.
Celebrating Christ
You went above and beyond!
Because of your generosity, we shared the love of God through large outreach efforts like MBC Unhindered, our local COVID mission work, and community events such as our Hare-Raising Easter Egg Party and Trunk-or-Treat events. We celebrated record breaking attendance at our Easter worship services and Summer Adventure kids program! To the delight of our seniors, we resumed our monthly luncheons. We also launched our new YouTube channel and continue to expand our online presence through our website, social media, and multiple podcasts. Our Stephen Ministry and Care Leadership teams provided round the clock support, prayer and encouragement to those in crisis.
Local Compassion: Feeding Hands
Earlier this year, Hurricane Ida ravaged parts of Central NJ with heavy rainfall and flooding. This event caused serious damage to the facilities of our local partner, Feeding Hands. This ministry provides food and clothing to hundreds of families in Somerset County. Through your generosity, MBC plans to purchase two commercial-grade refrigerators which would replace the ones Feeding Hands lost during the storm.
Global Outreach
MBC also has a huge heart for Global Outreach and Jesus’ Great Commission: to see the Gospel go to the ends of the earth. In 2022, MBC will be partnering with Amoon Sharon’s Alpha Ministries International, which has a strategic focus in Pakistan. Amoon and his team have a vision to start a church school for children in 50 villages! This year, MBC plans to help Amoon accomplish this goal by funding 7 new church schools in Pakistan, reaching the next generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Young Adult Passion Conference.
Our young adults are not the future leaders of the church, they are already the leaders of the church. They need to be empowered to go out with courage and lead with boldness as our church desperately needs to reach our next generation. Our culture actively draws them away from the Gospel so we need to equip our budding leaders to disciple and win people for Christ. With this mission in mind, MBC seeks to play an active role in their spiritual development and provide a way for them to attend the Passion Conference (young adult conference). Let’s support the our young leader’s growth by sending 10 of them to this conference in Atlanta.
Little Footprints Learning Center.
LFLC exists to nurture a love for learning, prepare children for success, and build relationships with families in our community by sharing God’s truth and love. Through your generosity, our scholarships allow families in need to provide their children with the power of a Christ-centered education.
Mark 16:15
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
As we look ahead to 2022, we must recognize that 2020 altered the way we do ministry. In a post-Covid world, digital ministry will remain a crucial component of spiritual formation AND outreach. Barna President, David Kinnaman authored this nomenclature: “Screens disciple.” In other words, we can ignore the digital revolution reality, or we can engage it with wisdom.
Part of our vision for 2022 is to expand our digital ministry footprint. The strategy will include launching an MBC YouTube channel. This platform is currently the largest search engine for Generation Z (those under 25)—if we want to reach the next generation, we need to create content that reaches into their world. While YouTube is a prime platform, creating engaging videos and online events requires updated equipment, staffing, and studio space. We plan to expand our online content offerings that both trains the insider and draws the outsider.
At the end of the book of Acts, the apostle Paul was in Rome preaching the Gospel and encouraging the believers. As the book ends, we read that he was “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance (28:31).” The Gospel was unhindered. And Paul went to the people. Where are the people today? Online. If screens can be used to disciple people, as Kinnaman asserts, then we need to get in the game and preach the life-transforming message of the Gospel in a 2022 digital world.
1st Timothy 6:17-19
“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”
Fellowship Hall Face-lift & Other Campus Upgrades
MBC will continue to work on key facilities upgrades and additions through your generous contributions. First is a new vision for the Fellowship Hall, second is to upgrade our WiFi infrastructure, and lastly to upgrade our Nursery.
MBC’s desire is to address the evolving needs of our community, and revolutionize the way we utilize Fellowship Hall, from an area used for breakfast treats and coffee, to a space that can be transformed into endless ministry possibilities.
We envision additional office spaces and a multi-purpose room that can be quickly reconfigured into a variety of gatherings such as for prayer and Bible studies, classes, workshops, worship nights, team building events, meals, and plays to meet the varying needs of our ministries.
Wifi Upgrades
We also desire to make it easier for folks to engage us digitally as we develop a comprehensive network to support our increased use of technologies both now and in the future.
Nursery Refresh
Please ask God to guide your giving and consider making your best possible donation as an investment with us as we Plant Deep Roots in the Limitless Love of God.
Year End Giving 2022
Our Sunday Live Stream is now on our YouTube channel
MBC’s Sunday experience is only available on our MBC Unhindered YouTube channel. We no longer provide live streaming to Vimeo and Facebook.
Welcome to MBC!
If you consider yourself new here, we would love to get to know you and help you get acquainted with our community.
Just click the link above and fill out a Connection Form.
Giving at MBC
You can make one-time or recurring donations to MBC via our online portal, using your credit or debit card, or direct withdrawal from your checking account.
Did you miss it?
No worries, you can still enjoy our services at any time:
1. Visit our Media or Sermon Archive pages.
2. Subscribe to our Podcast:
We are currently experiencing an unexpected temporary power outage affecting our Live Stream broadcast. We hope the power will be restored shortly for our 10:45 Service. We apologize for this inconvenience we are grateful for your patience.
I’m NEW HERE
Welcome to MBC! If you consider yourself new here, we would love to get to know you and help you get acquainted with our community. Just click the link above and fill out a Connection Form.
You can also view MBC’s Sunday experience on Facebook Live.
So check us out and share the stream with others!
You can also view MBC’s Sunday experience on Facebook Live. So check us out and share the stream with others!
Did you miss it?
No worries, you can still enjoy our services at any time:
1. Visit our Media or Sermon Archive pages.
2. Subscribe to our Podcast:
You can make one-time or recurring donations to MBC via our online portal, using your credit or debit card, or direct withdrawal from your checking account.
We are currently transitioning to a new giving platform called Pushpay, which allows for a fast and simple giving experience.
You can also view MBC’s Sunday experience on Facebook Live.
So check us out and share the stream with others!
You can also view MBC’s Sunday experience on Facebook Live. So check us out and share the stream with others!
Did you miss it?
No worries, you can still enjoy our services at any time:
1. Visit our Media or Sermon Archive pages.
2. Subscribe to our Podcast:
You can make one-time or recurring donations to MBC via our online portal, using your credit or debit card, or direct withdrawal from your checking account.
We are currently transitioning to a new giving platform called Pushpay, which allows for a fast and simple giving experience.
You can also view MBC’s Sunday experience on Facebook Live.
So check us out and share the stream with others!
You can also view MBC’s Sunday experience on Facebook Live. So check us out and share the stream with others!
Did you miss it?
No worries, you can still enjoy our services at any time:
1. Visit our Media or Sermon Archive pages.
2. Subscribe to our Podcast:
You can make one-time or recurring donations to MBC via our online portal, using your credit or debit card, or direct withdrawal from your checking account.
We are currently transitioning to a new giving platform called Pushpay, which allows for a fast and simple giving experience.
Did you miss it?
No worries, you can still enjoy our services at any time:
1. Visit our Media or Sermon Archive pages.
2. Subscribe to our Podcast:
You can make one-time or recurring donations to MBC via our online portal, using your credit or debit card, or direct withdrawal from your checking account.
We are currently transitioning to a new giving platform called Pushpay, which allows for a fast and simple giving experience.
Weekly Pastors Video: Every week Pastor Bob and special guest brings you some encouraging truths from the Scriptures , current events and let you know how you can connect. You don’t want to miss this important weekly video delivered right here!
Stay tuned right here for regular updates from Behind The Pulpit.
Here you will find our Pastor’s weekly videos updates and various MBC community opportunities to connect with each other.
A Journey though Romans, Sermon Series
The book of Romans has been called “the greatest letter ever written.” Theologian N.T. Wright said: “Romans is by common consent Paul’s masterpiece. It dwarfs most of his other writings, an Alpine Peak towering over hills and villages.” Over the next few months we will begin to unpack this amazing treatise and we will discover or rediscover God’s amazing doctrines of grace. We will learn about justification, sanctification and glorification, all doctrine which leads to duty or practical application in our lives. The first part of this series will discuss questions such as “Why do we need God’s righteousness?” (1:18 – 3:20). “What is God’s righteousness?” (3:21 – 5:21), and “How does this affect me?” (ch 6-8). The book of Romans was written to “establish” us (16:15) in the Gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation (1:16). This is the foundation upon which we can build our entire Christian lives. This series will deepen your faith, strengthen your walk, and encourage you to live in the victory of the Holy Spirit.
Recommended companion reading:
Schedule:
1/5 – Romans 1:1-17 ~ Introduction to the gospel
1/12 – Romans 1:18-32 ~ Humanity’s Rejection of God – The Exchange
1/19 – SOHLS ~ Special message for Sanctity of Human Life
1/26 – Romans 2:1-16 ~ The Problem with Self Righteousness
2/2 – Romans 2:17-29 ~ The Problem with Jewish Self Righteousness
2/9 – Romans 3:1-20 ~ Universality of Sin
2/16 – Romans 3:21-31 ~ The acropolis of the Christian faith – The Just and the Justifier
2/23 – Romans 4:1-25 ~ Justification by faith
3/1 – Romans 5:1-11 ~ Peace with God
3/8 – Romans 5:12-21 ~ Imputation
3/15 – Romans 6:1-14 ~ Union with Christ (Adam v Christ)
3/22 – Romans 6:15-7:6 ~ Slaves of God
3/29 – Romans 7:7-25 ~ The War within (Part 1)
4/5 – Romans 8:1-11 ~ No Condemnation – PALM SUNDAY
Previous Sermons in this Series
Sermon on deck…
