OPEN BIBLE BULLETIN
VOL. 56 NO. 3 MARCH 2015
New Brunswick
Bible institute GOD’S PURPOSE
OUR PASSION
FOCUS
BY JOHN BOYD
Discipleship There was a time when the church influenced the culture. Now the culture influences the church! Why? It is my conviction that the church has neglected the one mandate, the one method, that Christ committed to our trust! Research in recent years shows that 85 to 95% of churches are not making disciples! This is the one command in the Great Commission! The Lord Jesus mandated His followers to go and make disciples. I believe this is the method Christ modeled and gave to us for the building of the church. “We’ve been using the wrong metric,” said Brandon Ware, senior pastor at Green Street Baptist Church in High Point. “Traditionally we have defined success as bigger buildings, bigger budgets and more bodies. That’s been our primary focus, and we circumvent the whole discipleship process.” “...the term ‘disciple’ appears 269 times in the New Testament, with 238 of those occurring in the four Gospels (the root word is used 281 times in the New Testament and 250 times in the Gospels alone). Why is this so important? The answer is because Christ did not come to make Christians; He came to make disciples!” - Growing Up: How To Be
A Disciple Who Makes Disciples by Robby Gallaty, Crossbooks Publishing. What do I mean by the term “making disciples”? This is the process I believe Scripture teaches us: “Discipling others is the process by which a Christian with a life worth emulating commits himself for an extended period of time to a few individuals who have been won to Christ, the purpose being to aid and guide their growth to maturity and equip them to reproduce themselves in a third spiritual generation.” - Allen Hadidian This was the model that was used in the church at Thessalonica. When you read through those five chapters you see the imprint of discipleship all over it. They took the gospel to them; they received it and were changed. They continued to invest in their lives to show them how to walk pleasing to the Lord. 1Thessalonians 2:10-13. Here are three questions that every believer needs to ask themselves: Am I growing? Am I investing in others? Do I need someone to invest in me? Let me challenge you to read through 1 Thessalonians and keep in mind the mandate that Christ gave to us, “Go and make disciples.”
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Interested in a Solid Biblical Education? Just a mouse click away
nbbi.ca
ROUND 2 COLLEGE FOR A DAY
For more details see inside Register at nbbi.ca/cfad March 26 - 28
CHAPEL SPEAKER MARCH 2015
March 19-20.........................John McKim Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry 1
PRESIDENT’S CHALLENGE
BY MATTHEW LITTLE
I Shall Not Be Moved A few years ago, when I was on Spring tour in New Brunswick with one of our music groups, we had a few hours of free time and decided to take a hike along a stream that bordered the property where we were staying. As we walked, we hopped over a few rocks to get to the other side. What I didn’t realize was one of the rocks was wet and my foot slipped off and down I went. As I lay there in three feet of water, the students were busy taking pictures and laughingly helped me up. I often chuckle when I think back to that story and I have come to realize first-hand how important it is to have a solid footing in life. It seems apparent today that many Christians are not marked by solid, unmoveable Christian lives. On the contrary, it seems more accurate to conclude that many believers have an “on the move”
mentality when it comes to their walk with the Lord. For some, they change their beliefs and convictions as readily as they change their clothes every day. Hebrews 10:38 says, “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back (emphasis mine), my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” It is the constant, dogged-determination to move forward at all cost, anchored on God’s promises and bound by strong, unshakeable, unwavering convictions, in which God takes pleasure. Sometimes I meet Christian friends who I have not seen in many years and I would like to pick things up where we left off but I soon find out where they stood is not where they stand today. What is it that can potentially make us unstable in life? God must provide us with the solid foundation we need. If we venture down a path of our own choosing, it is like walking a tightrope with a
Our second Encounter 2015 retreat is here. Join us for this awesome weekend! Bay Forrest, a former 6’ 10” NBA center for the Phoenix Suns, will be sharing God’s Word with us. He speaks all over the world combining biblically solid teaching with inspiring stories
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ENCOUNTER 2015 MARCH 20-22
definite fall in our future. 2 Samuel 22:37 says, “Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.” We must trust God’s path and move forward by faith and we must stand on God’s platform so we will not slip. Psalm 119:133 reminds us that the platform is God’s Word, “Order my steps in thy word; and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.” The instability that is so prevalent today among God’s people is a result of standing on the tightrope of our own ideas instead of on the solid ground of God’s Word. The more we allow our lives to be saturated by God’s Word the more God enlarges my “steps under me” and the result is that I become, “...steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord...”. 1 Corinthians 15:58a Always remember, while the world is falling apart, the Christian never should be.
from his years in the NBA. Don’t miss out on what promises to be a powerful weekend. Date: March 20-22. To learn more, visit our website at nbbi.ca/encounter.
Bay Forrest, 6’10” evangelist Phoenix Suns ’77-’80
SPRING CONFERENCE 2015 APRIL 30 - MAY 3
Keynote Speaker...
We encourage you to join us April 30 - May 3, 2015 for our annual Spring Bible Conference. Our guest speaker will be Dr. Ray Pritchard
who serves as the president of Keep Believing Ministries. He has ministered extensively worldwide and is a frequent conference speaker and guest on Christian radio and television talk shows. He has written 31 books and is the co-host of Today’s Issues on American Family Radio. Dr. Pritchard has also pastored for 26 years, has been mar-
Now Booking!
ried to Marlene for 39 years and has three sons. You will certainly be challenged by his ministry.
Guest Musicians...
Dell, Susan and Richard Hyssong travel full-time as the award-winning Hyssongs. Their energetic family ministry combines vocal harmony, humour and brass instruments to delight audiences with their Christcentered message, shared through the powerful medium of music. The group has been singing together for 18 years and perform at more than 250 events each year.
COLLEGE FOR A DAY MARCH 26-28, 2015
These are exciting days in which we live. The world is rapidly changing and there are more people who need Christ than ever before. These are also scary days. There is a growing ignorance concerning God and His Word, even among those who claim to know Him. Are you ready to meet the challenges life may throw your way? Do you know God’s Word and have the ability to competently share it with others? Have you taken up your cross and committed your life to being a follower of Jesus? NBBI exists to help train you in God’s Word, help you grow in your walk with the Lord and provide an atmosphere where you can discover God’s plan for you. Join us for our College for a Day and see if God might be leading you to study His Word. This is a weekend that could change you forever!
FOR SPRING MUSICAL GROUPS AND MANIFEST TOURS
BY STEPHEN WAGSTAFF
Spring is just around the corner whether the weather agrees with me or not. It won’t be long now and our two music groups and Manifest, our drama team, will be hitting the road to launch our 2015 Spring Tours! We are busy putting together our itineraries and may be in an area near you. If you
Thrive
are interested in having one of our teams visit your church or event please call and let us know how we can accommodate
Manifest
you. Our tour dates this year are May 5-17. Call 506-375-9000 to book now.
Unashamed
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ON THE ROAD
STAFF ITINERARIES DAVID DOHERTY
March 29 Open Bible Campus Church Victoria Corner, NB Worship Service KEITH MCMAHON March 5-14 HE Butt Foundation Camp Leakey, TX Family Camp
A NOTE FROM PRESIDENT LITTLE Wilbur & Leona Matthews We are excited to notify you that Mr. Wilbur Matthews, graduate of NBBI and former Alumni Director, will be travelling in a part-time capacity for the school. He will be joining our efforts to reach out to as many alumni and friends of this ministry as we can. Mr. Matthews brings a lifetime of ministry experience to the table and has been a trusted friend of this ministry for a very long time.
MARCH MISSIONS TEAMS
PLEASE PRAY!
Texas Team, March 4-15, Camp Ministry
FAMILY FILE
KEEP UP WITH OUR GRADS
BIRTHS October 24, 2014 - to Pete and Carly (Gardiner ’02) Nichols, a daughter, River Marion.
Collin McMahon, Jeremy Shaw, Lindsey Johnston, Graham Brunt, Breanne Long, Dorothy Fellows, Velvet Lang, Caleb Wentzell, Erin O’Leary, Keith & Beth McMahon, Katie Heffernan, Ashley Coughlan New York Team, March ??, City Evangelism Ministry
Vacation With A Vision Why not join us this year for our Vacation with a Vision program? The dates are June 28-July 3, and July 5-10, 2015.
Jesse Myers, Bradley Bruce, Taylor Thompson, Rebecca Delaney, Moriah Mohl, Emily McKelvey, Mikaela Marshall, Jessica Allison, Lucas Mol Silva, Bea Mol Silva, Jacob Brewer, Emma Gumprecht, Mike Grant, Julie & Steve Wagstaff
New Brunswick Bible Institute 2335 Route 103 Victoria Corner NB Canada E7P 1C7 Phone: (506)375-9000 Fax: (506)375-1800 Website: nbbi.ca Email: nbbi@nbbi.ca
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Editor........................................Larry Rushton Writers........NBBI Faculty, Staff & Students Typist........................................Brenda Cabral Layout & design.............................Larry Rushton Copy proof.................................... Rose Meed Printer....................................... Merritt Press
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HOMEGOING Joy (Mullin) Steeves, 3 year graduate of 1979, was promoted to Glory on Monday, January 5, 2015.
Printed in Canada
January 22, 2015 to Alan Paul (’98) and Sara Porter a girl, Mackenzie Elisabeth.