When you pray.

Luke 11:2  And he said to them, "When you pray, say: "Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.

Do we yearn for the holiness of God and the plead for his redemption of all things? When Jesus taught us to pray, he started with these two pillars of prayer. This past year Galena Bible Church has tried to be more intentional as a body in the area of prayer. We've implemented and emphasized two weekly prayer meetings (Tuesday mornings and Saturday mornings), organized a prayer chain (old school paper kind #1 calls #2 calls #3 etc), had a conference on prayer, had at least two sermons focused on the subject of prayer, and an entire service devoted to prayer, not to mention continuing to engage in corporate prayer during Sunday services weekly. Not because it's "the right thing to do", but because it's the only thing to do. We have no power to change broken people. We can't fix broken relationships. We can't heal deep multi-generational wounds. But the holiness of God can, and He has promised that He will (Your kingdom come). Do we ask for these things? Because of the very sensitive nature of conversations I've had with people I'll just be as vague as to say we have seen the spiritual fight we are in. Not just "felt it" or "perceived it", we've seen it. We've seen the harvest without the laborers. We've seen the struggle for life. We've heard the cries of hopelessness. And so what do we do?



We labor in prayer, because we know that the darkness is being pushed back.We labor in prayer, because we know that lives are being changed.We labor in prayer, because God has ransomed a people for himself by the blood of Jesus. We labor in prayer, because the Holy Spirit goes before us. We labor in prayer because it is how we can plead with the one who loved us and called us and sent us.


We don't pray perfectly, but we know God is listening.

What are we up to:

• Easter service was rather different for us this year. The church elders decided that it would be beneficial to do things a little different this year. So we held our Easter service on frozen Lake Alexander and rented the city community hall for potluck. The congregation hauled their folding camp chairs and we brought all the folding chairs we had at church. All of this was not enough seating for the 100+ people who attended. Some of whom had never attended a GBC service before. No sound system, two small fires, a spruce pole cross, and the Good News of the resurrection of Christ. After the service we had potluck at the hall and had a couple of additional guests that stopped in for burgers. 

• Our Wednesday night Bible studies continue to challenge us. This past week we had 20 people crammed into our downstairs living room. We're enjoying the study and conversation of Philippians and the openness that the group has.

• Galena YoungLife held its annual Prom boutique a couple weeks ago. This year we didn't use the church building for logistics, but the men and women of the church helped out with students at the fitting event itself. What a cool thing to walk into a young persons life and affirm (maybe even for the first time) their intrinsic worth. 

• Care for the church body has been a high priority for me in pastoral care. There are a lot of good or hard challenges that many of the believers are currently facing. What a privilege to shepherd the flock of God.

• We are super excited to announce that GBC and Galena YL have partnered to take on Caylee Redford as YoungLife Area Director/GBC Youth Minister starting in August 2015. Caylee has lived in Galena for four years and worked at the dorms as an RA. Caylee deeply loves students and we are excited to see someone in a full time roll who can put focused effort into student disciplemaking. We have a lot of work to get done as our compensation for her will be the Northern Light House next to the church (post flood donated home that we've moved onto the church property), which is still in need of completion.

Clint (Left) in the snowshoe race at Galena Spring Carnival. Run with endurance.

Things you can be praying for:

• Man and Woman: Made in God's Image Conference. This Thursday and Friday GBC will host Don and Brenda Ernst from Huslia to teach for a Men's night and Women's night. Be praying that community members who know Don and Brenda will be encouraged to attend and that the Ernsts will have clarity of mind as they teach. 
• I've had several believers say "I feel spiritually attacked". I never take that lightly. Pray for fortitude, protection, energy, and endurance.
• The Casey Family: Our partnership with SEND North has given us another opportunity to be on the front line of missions with the Casey family. Be praying that as they seek permission to move to a village down river that they would find favor within the tribal leadership. Pray for housing to become available as well. 
• Definitive salivations: Continue to pray that "professions of faith" would translate into "actual practice of faith" and radical life transformations.
• That God Holy Name would be held high for all to see amongst the believers of Galena, and that His kingdom would come to interior Alaska.

Jesus Questions: Which is easier to say...which is easier to do?

Luke 5:23 Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? 

The scene must have been a bit comical. There Jesus sits teaching a crowded Bible study and a little plaster falls from the ceiling. Then more, and more until a ray of daylight slips through the ceiling. Does Jesus stop teaching? Do the people stair as slowly the hole gets large enough for four friends to lower their paralyzed friend before Jesus. What did they want? Physical healing for their friend. What did Jesus do? He healed his soul. "Your sins are forgiven." In less than a minute he would heal the man physically, but it is a reminder for us that the most important thing we need from Jesus is that which he could not say into existence, but that for which he had to die to purchase for us. Delivered to the Galena Bible Church by Pastor Chris Kopp, Sunday April 12th 2015.

Jesus Questions: Can I have a drink?

John 4:7  A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."

How can a Jewish rabbi man, ask a social outcast Samaritan woman for a drink of water? It's because he knew she was desperately thirsty for the things of God. What do you try to satisfy your soul with that will never satisfy. When we try to satisfy our hearts with the physical, we will always be thirsty again.
Delivered to the Galena Bible Church, Sunday March 29th, 2015.

 

 

God doesn't "fix" us, He transforms us.

A Bush Devotional Thought
Sno-go mechanics were not a prerequisite for the Masters of Divinity program at NOBTS, but there are times when I wish it had been. I took Shell on a beautiful Sno-go (Snowmobile for my southern readers) ride out to a place called Muller mountain a couple months ago. About 35 miles round trip. Half way there, my sno-go starts to sputter like it's getting bad gas. I gun it to try to blow through it and it seems like it cleans up and gets us there and back with no problems. About a week later while hauling some light freight down our road, it just dies on me. I mess with it and am able to limp it home. Start it up next day and runs great. This pattern of running not running goes for about a week then, nothing. Order this part...wait a week...that's not it...order that part...wait two weeks...that's not it. Finally I discover the above plug will not make a good connection. What's my "bush" solution. Put a big zip tie around the whole thing and cinch that bad boy up! Did I fix the problem? No, I fixed the symptom. The problem is going to cost me a whole lot more than I'm willing to pay right now.
Aren't you glad that's not how God works in us? Almost every government program in existence functions this way. It's reactionary. Something is already broken and we need to put structure in place to hold it together. The Gospel however is different from every other man made construct. Jesus doesn't "fix" us by His death, burial, and resurrection. He replaces us with himself! He makes all things new. He removes the "old dead man" and makes us to be "alive in Christ". It's been an incredible thing to watch God do this work in the lives of my church. We are a broken people, and I watch as God transforms what is broken and makes it new. What have you been trying to "bush fix" in your life that you need to let Christ replace?

What are we up to?
Last semester we started a mid week Bible study at our house. Every Wednesday we'll have anywhere from 3 to 12 attend. This semester we're going through the book of Philippians and have had some great discussion and open moments.

Sunday connection and outreach has been going very well. This past Sunday there were two van loads of students that came from the dorms. There's a consistent group of students that make it almost every Sunday. I'm always encouraged by these teens, because no one makes them come. They have to get themselves up, dressed, eat breakfast and be down to catch the van in time before it leaves. They come because they want to!

I had the privilege to speak at ChangePoint Church in Anchorage following SEND North's Annual Conference. ChangePoint is the largest church in the 60/70 window globally and has been a ministry partner of ours for the past 4 years. I shared the vision for church planting in the bush and the evangelistic approach to transition from the physical to the spiritual in all four of their Sunday services. It was a great privilege.

Most of our Interior Team, representing church planting in Galena, Huslia, Alakaket, and (hopefully) a down river village soon!

Our SEND North partners have been busy connecting both down river and up river. We're praying for the Casey family as they look to move down river to begin planting in a village with no evangelical church. This past month we spent half a week at the SEND North Annual Conference and reconnected with our extended team members and those in the other teams around Alaska and Canada.

Shell and I have had a lot of discipling, counseling, and coaching that we've had the privilege to walk in. Above is a dear sister who just had her first baby. We were privileged to be her pastor while she lived in Galena and have continued to try to be an encouragement from afar. It was great to get to see her and her baby boy when we visited town. In Galena God has been providing opportunities to walk with individuals and couples through growth in God's Word and in their relationships and situations.

Things you can be praying for:

• Easter outreach - We are planning an outdoor church service for Easter and BBQ to follow. Pray for warm weather, and positive community response.
• Men's/Women's Conference - This year we are hosting a Men's and Women's conference in the middle of April. Pray for our speakers, Don and Brenda Ernst, that they would be led by the Holy Spirit in what they bring to teach.
• Spring Suicides - Spring always has a high suicide rate in our state. Pray that the enemy would be pushed back and that the message of the Gospel would transform lives.
• Local village connections - We are finding open doors to come and serve in several villages. Pray that the Lord would raise up people who have a heart to move here and serve.
• Pray for us as we labor to get seasonal needs met such as firewood and pre-river breakup preparations.

Jesus Questions: Do you want to be healed?

John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?" 

Jesus asks a very sick man a simple yes/no question: "Do you want to be healed?" The man's answer is: "I'm hopeless". Far to many people are paralyzed by the hopelessness that comes from living in a fallen world, and in incredibly painful, challenging circumstance. Many people live with with a misplaced hope that will never satisfy. To those people Jesus resolutely speaks hope. "Get up, take up your mat, and walk." What is paralyzing your hope today?

Sermon delivered by Pastor Chris Kopp to the Galena Bible Church, Sunday March 22nd, 2015. 

Jesus Questions: Where can we by buy bread that these people may eat?

“Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” John 6:5

Jesus often chose to teach deep truths by asking questions. In this series we'll explore a number of the questions Jesus asked, and mine the riches that He has to teach us today. Why would Jesus ask such an illogical, irrational question like "Where will we buy bread to feed these 5000 plus people?" It was humanly impossible. But Jesus wasn't asking a question about food. He was calling for faith. He was offering "WE". It's an incredible offer that the crowds didn't receive, but the disciples did. Jesus may very well be asking you the same question today.

Doctrine to Doxology: The Story of man in the Story of God

Luke 24:25-26  And he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?"

There are two predominant lies that our culture teaches today. The first is that you are the star in your own story. This is a man-centric view of our existence. The second lie is that your story has no eternal significance. This could be called a matter-centric view of our existence where the only thing that has significance is matter itself, and not what happens with that matter. These are polar opposites, and pull at our affections, purpose, and values. Yet the Gospel intersects our story in such a way as to answer the problems with both of these lies. It's that our story is not THE Story: The story of God. And the incredible claim of the Gospel, is that God invites us into His story. This sermon is a narrative teaching on the Doctrine of man, and the Doctrine of Sin.

Delivered by pastor Chris Kopp, Sunday March 1st 2015 at the Galena Bible Church.