The President is wrong both on the validity of homosexual marriage and he is most wrong as to whether his Christian faith would have reasonably carried him to this point.  Concerning anything being finally right or finally wrong that is a question for the Word of God.  Without the Bible’s perspective on God, man, the origin of the universe, the origin of evil, the treatment by man of his fellow man, the nature of salvation, or of future things, all of these things demand a clear word from a God who is really there if we are to have any real confidence concerning their origin and meaning.  Marriage is the same.  “Male and female created He them.” and also “For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife.”  It was not good for Adam to be alone so God brought a woman to him.  This is not merely true for man but this is true for the animal realm.  Male and female are designed uniquely to complement each other and to reproduce together.  A same sex union, whether by human beings or cheese mites, will end up in the extinction of the species in a short time.  And thus from Genesis 19 at the destruction of Sodom all the way through the entirety of the Bible homosexuality is condemned – in no uncertain terms.  There is no legitimate way to condone homosexuality or same sex marriage within the confines of the inspiration of scripture.  The only way that such an idea can be maintained is to circumvent the clear teaching of the Bible, to assume a position of authority outside of it, pronounce the Bible as either incomplete or errant, and then with human authority alone to add to and deny the Biblical teaching.  The idea of homosexual marriage is a moral and theological sleight of hand.  It is not raised from any perspective of wisdom but from a concession to the humanism, perversion, and weakness of our age.  The Bible is not viewed through the lens of man’s ideas.  Man is viewed through the perspective of God’s truth.  All things stand subject to its pronouncements; even presidents.  We grieve for a misguided leader and the pressure of a misguided day.

Did Jesus say anything concerning homosexuality?  Directly no; indirectly yes.  Jesus said that not a jot or a tittle would pass away from the Law until all was fulfilled.  He said He did not come to annul the Law but to fulfill it.  Thus, anything the Law said, Jesus agreed with.  And the reason he died was to atone for man’s violation of the Law.  The Law of God without any confusion condemns homosexuality and sodomy as does the New Testament on at least five occasions.  The love of Christ in no way condones sin.  The love of Christ lays His life down for sin, warns man to flee from it and then changes man’s heart in the new birth.  Thus does the apostle Paul say, “Do you not know that the unrighteousness shall not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived.  Neither fornicators, idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetness, nor drunkerds, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you.  But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and the Spirit of our God.”   1 Corinthians 6:9-11

In other words, the love of God does not condone evil but provides an escape and forgiveness.  Closing one’s eyes to sin may be momentarily convenient and even good for reelection but in no way is ultimately loving or true.  And so we stand.

–Tommy Nelson
Denton Bible Church Senior Pastor 

There will be ONLY ONE service on Sunday, May 20 at 5 p.m. The entire church will share a potluck dinner afterwards on the grounds. Please bring a covered dish for your family and to share.  Don’t forget your blankets and lawn chairs!

NOTE: All other services and classes will be cancelled. 

The entire church is invited! Come join other DBC members for a Frisco Rough Riders baseball game. Tickets are $15 per person and include food and drink. Tickets are available at Starting Point on May 6 and May 13 (if not sold out). If you would like to carpool, meet at DBC at 5 p.m.

For more information, contact Al Camp at acamp@dentonbible.org or Cheryl Madewell at madesowell@dentonbible.org. 

Join us for a 12 week study of the Book of James. We will be using John MacArthur’s study guide. You may purchase the book at the first class for $10.

Two Class Times Offered
SUNDAY CLASS – Begins June 3, 9 – 10:15 a.m. in Fellowship Hall B. (Childcare available)
TUESDAY CLASS – begins June 5, 7 – 8:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall B. (No Childcare available)

For more information contact Jerry Clark at jclark@dentonbible.org or 940.297.6815.

Please register for the class you plan to attend:
Click here to sign up for the SUNDAY class.
Click here to sign up for the TUESDAY class.

By Michele Barber 

In April of 2009, Lynn Guillory and Dick Welday, along with a team of ministry volunteers, launched a Bible-based ministry at Denton Bible Church called Career Transitions.  This program was originally developed in the state of Georgia in 1987.  Then in 2000, a small group of business people in Atlanta developed and launched the parent program through Crossroads Career Network, which helped churches all across the nation minister to people who were unemployed or in career transition of some type.

Drive by the Learning Center II at DBC on any Wednesday evening between 6 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. and you will see the lights on!  There, inside one of the LC II classrooms, the ministry team is focused on sharing a six-step curriculum for those who are unemployed, under employed, those needing a career change, relocating, or any other form of job search status.

The ministry team is currently comprised of Dick Welday, Lynn Guillory, Dorothy Cummings, and Michele Barber.  Each team member brings their own unique skill-set to help those job seekers in attendance.  The CTM team doesn’t actually find jobs for the attendees, but rather walks alongside them and provides them with tools to find a job in today’s business world.  Teaching topics cover such areas as:

Job Search Management
Networking Techniques
Branding & Personal Packaging
Two Minute Presentation
Resume Development
Accountability
Interviewing & Salary Negotiations
Job Search Focus

Unfortunately, due to the current economic situations we are faced with in our country, unemployment seems to be a common experience for so many these days.  The stress brought on by losing a job takes its toll on individuals and families just like losing a loved one or going through a divorce.  The classroom setting helps guide job seekers to realize their God-given talents, organize their job searches, polish up their resumes, and utilize some of the social media tools which are used in today’s Human Resources field.

In addition to the classroom curriculum, each Wednesday the group practices their networking skills in preparation for their “30 second elevator pitch.”  That’s the potential opportunity job seekers might have when they randomly run into someone and need to give a 30 second summary of who they are, what job they are looking for, and what their skill-set is that will help land them a job.

The Career Transition Ministry class has been serving those in career transition in this area for the past three years, and there have been almost 600 job seekers come through the CTM class.  Over 20% of those have come back, brought celebration cookies, and let the group and team leaders know that they have landed a job.  It’s always a joyous occasion on Wednesday nights to see cookies brought through the door.  Job landers share with the group what their journey was, how God’s hand guided them, and what the class did to assist their job search.  Some of the job seekers even send messages expressing their appreciation and thoughts.

One such job seeker was Daisy Harris:

I would like to express my deep and abiding appreciation to the CTM team for a tremendous career transition program. The team, the courseware, and the format of the program were extremely helpful during my career transition. The instructional/ facilitation team provided a classroom environment of encouragement and practical tools to equip and support in the job search for a marathon instead of a sprint. As a Christian it is quite phenomenal to have a practical program in place to participate with others to have the career transition experience be God- focused, standing on His truth and directed according to His purpose, thus co-laboring with the Lord to recognize our next assignment to serve and support others for their well being and life purpose in Christ (Romans 8:28). 

 Another job seeker message came from Carrie Burns:

Whether they hide it well or it just spills out, I have seen people come into our CTM class scared and broken, with their confidence drained…  But then they encounter Dick, Dorothy, Michele, and their fellow classmates.  The nurturing, knowledge, support, and dedication found in our class not only helps us in our professions as we seek God’s will, but also tends to our souls.  By the time class members are ready to leave, they are equipped, motivated, and standing strong!  

Should you, or someone you know, ever stand in need of the services of Denton Bible’s Career Transition Ministry, just email careertransitions@dentonbible.org to sign up for the next Wednesday night class.  Dick, Lynn, Dorothy, and Michele will be there waiting!

Join Al & Becky Camp as Denton Bible’s SeniorLife tours the home of the English Reformation, home of John Westly, Charles Spurgeon, plus the protestant Reformation & much more of our Christian heritage. John Brown will be our teaching pastor for this tour of our Christian & Cultural foundations.

Please book by April 19, 2012: Double $3,599; Single $3,949
after April 19th: double $3,699, single $4,049
Price includes air fare, air taxes and fees, and hotel.

Contact Al Camp for more information at 940.297.6821 or acamp@dentonbible.org.

Join us for a wonderful time of relaxation and Christian fellowship as we cruise to the scenic beauty of Alaska from July 7 through July 14 2012. Our Pastor, Tom Nelson will be leading us in a study of the Bible along the way. We will have several ports of call as we journey from Seattle Washington up through the inland passage to Glacier Bay Alaska and back.

For more information or to register for the cruise, please go to the Inspiration Cruises site a thttp://www.inspirationcruises.com/dbc

A History of Christian Thought by Jonathan Hill traces the progressive doctrinal movement of the church from the century after Christ right up until the present day. It really clarifies where we are and how we got here – from Justin Martyr to German liberalism.

Another meaty book by the same author is What Has Christianity Ever Done for Us?: How It Shaped the Modern World. The author looks at everything from the landscape with its steeples, to education, to commerce, to common morality, to our political system. He shows that western civilization would not exist as it does without the history of Christianity.

One that will really amaze you is No Man Knows My History. It is the biography of Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism. The author is a Pulitzer prize winning author named Fawn Brodie, who won the Pulitzer for her biography of Thomas Jefferson. The book on Joseph Smith was given to me by an ex-Mormon who said it is the book no Mormon wants you to read. She begins with his parents and proceeds through his youth and fascination with legends, myths, and divination. While she sees Smith as obviously farcical, she gives a (just like a woman) sympathetic treatment of Smith that shows how he would go from a youth fascinated with treasure hunting to a man striving to be The Emperor of The West. She gives few opinions. It is the most well documented book I’ve ever read.

You can order the books at your favorite book source.

For additional information, contact the church office at 940.297.6700 or dbc@dentonbible.org.