Today was our first Sunday back at Calvary Church West Hills since I candidated on January 28, and what a sweet reunion. We had the opportunity to thank Dr. Adam Groza for his excellent work as interim pastor, and to hear Dr. Randy McWhorter preach from Hebrews 10:24-25 on the commandment to spur one another on to love and good deeds.

After the service, we enjoyed Sunday brunch in the fellowship hall and got to know one another better. I met a Middle Eastern woman who just came to Christ about six months ago, and is growing in her walk with the Lord. I also met a twelve year old boy who has chosen to follow Christ and wants to get baptized soon. We’re going to try and do it Easter morning! One family gave us a welcome gift bag, which included some delicious homemade cookies, and a hiking map of trails in the Santa Monica mountains.

Another special conversation was with Edith and Maryann, two of Calvary’s earliest members. They joined the church back in the early 60s and shared how they’ve been praying for us every Wednesday, and how excited they are about the future of Calvary. I thanked them for their commitment, their prayers, and their sacrifice. May the Lord strengthen us to build on that legacy and bring the hope of the gospel to a whole new generation.

Our old Kenmore clothes dryer has been stuck in high heat mode for a while and the timer no longer works. It just keeps drying until you open the door. You have to keep an eye on it so your clothes don’t shrink.

Yesterday we scheduled a repairman to come over. He took a look at it and said this model has outlasted its replacement parts and he’s no longer able to do repairs.

I asked him, “Do you appreciate seeing a living dinosaur?” He said, “I haven’t seen a unit this old in a long time. I feel like I’m in a museum.”

So, unfortunately we’ll need to buy a new clothes dryer once we get to West Hills. On the flip side, we have much to be thankful for, that our dryer still works (sort of), and that God allowed us to squeeze so much life out it. He always provides in his perfect time!

Yesterday I accepted a call to become lead pastor of Calvary Church of West Hills. We’re humbled and excited by this opportunity.

Our time at Immanuel has been a joy. We’re grateful for the many friends we’ve made and a fruitful season of ministry. It’s impossible to put into words all the ways we’ve grown and been blessed.

Now I am eager to get back into a lead pastor role and regular pulpit ministry. West Hills is on the west end of the San Fernando Valley, near Canoga Park and Woodland Hills. It takes us full circle back to LA County, where Natalie and I first met in 1996 when we attended the Master’s College and then I went on to The Master’s Seminary.

Calvary Church is an SBC church, so we look forward to continuing our partnership with our SBC family.

To God be the glory!

This week, I learned that Dr. Larry Pettegrew passed away. Dr. Pettegrew joins a growing list of mentors who are now with the Lord who were once my professors at The Master’s Seminary including Robert Thomas, Jim Rosscup, and Trevor Craigen. This “dream team” of humble scholars loved Christ and dedicated their lives to training others. How thankful I am to God for each of them!

My favorite memories of Dr. Pettegrew are those times in TH706 Theology IV when he would open the scriptures and discuss matters of discontinuity between theological systems, or go into detail about our coming hope in Christ. Dr. Pettegrew shared five reasons he was a premillenialist:

1. Literal interpretation
2. Biblical covenants
3. Old Testament prophecies (Major and Minor Prophets)
4. Romans 9-11
5. Revelation 20

Through it all, Dr. Pettegrew reminded us to be charitable toward others. “There is always a danger that important theology will be compromised for the sake of unity. On the other hand, we are for unity as much as possible.”

Growing up dispensationalist, I knew I could be wrong, and that like a Berean, I needed to search the scriptures to see if these things were true. For me, Dr. Pettegrew’s life and teaching made a compelling case for ethnic unity in the gospel, yet an ongoing distinction between Israel and the Church that does justice to the biblical texts and provides abundant hope for Christ’s second coming. I am now, as much as ever, a convinced believer in the premillennial return of Christ in part because of the ministry of Dr. Pettegrew.

“The doctrine of eschatology is very practical and uplifting!” he said. “Someone who is depressed can be encouraged to know the best is yet ahead.”

Now, Larry Pettegrew’s faith has become sight. Whatever questions remain about end times prophecy and the relationship of the “already” to the “not yet,” these things have been eclipsed by happiness in the presence of Christ. Thank you, Dr. Pettegrew, for your faithful ministry and for pouring into the lives of so many others. Enter into the joy of your Master.

Remember these TMC student planners from the 90s? I’ve been going through some old files and scanning old sermon notes into my sermon file system. Flipping back through these pages, I’m thankful to God and indebted to The Master’s College (now Master’s University) for their unwavering commitment to scripture.

So much spiritual transformation happened on those Monday/Wednesday/Friday chapel gatherings. Even then, I knew it was something special to be hearing speakers like John MacArthur, Jerry Bridges, Donald Whitney, DA Carson, Wayne Mack, Scott Ardavanis, plus many local pastors. Listen to some of the sermon titles:

*The Righteous Response to a Sinful World: Repentance (Hosea 14)
*The Discipline of Discernment (2 Tim 2:15-16)
*The Person of Christ: the Test of a True Christian (Col 2:10)

That was some good meat of the word!