Ken Pruitt Archives - King's Grant Baptist Church

A Fond Farewell Fellowship – May 1

**This Sunday is Different!**

This will be Ken’s last day as our pastor and we want to have a farewell fellowship to show our love and appreciation for his five years of faithfulness at King’s Grant.

**The 9:00 hour:** we invite classes of all ages to meet at 9am this week, realizing some classes cannot meet due to space limitations.

**The 10am Hour:** we will be in the sanctuary for ONE worship service. Worship Kidstyle is also happening at 10am.

**The 11am Hour:** we are gathering in the fellowship hall for a farewell fellowship for Ken and Terry.!

Ken’s Encouragement to Pray for Ukraine

One February 27, Ken led the church in corporate prayer for the situation and suffering of the Ukrainian people. We wanted to include that information here.

Today, pray for Ukraine. Pray for those who are in harm’s way at this very moment. Pray for families torn apart. Pray for a country torn apart. Pray against the evil that perpetuates through every part of their lives.

[inlinetweet]Pray for the church in Ukraine. Pray for protection and boldness. They are our brothers and sisters.[/inlinetweet] We stand with them not only through humanitarian expression, but more closely related to them than even by blood – we are related to them by Spirit.

Pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ in Ukraine.

The President of the Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary recently said, “The church will go underground. You have to understand that historically we had that experience before under the Soviet Union. So, the church did not forget what does it mean to be persecuted, and we will rearrange, reorganize, and still do what we always do, still preach the gospel.”

So today, take courage dear Christian. [inlinetweet]Join our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, and let us continue to speak out and live out the Gospel.[/inlinetweet] This becomes urgent now more than ever. Jesus has always been, and will always be our only hope.

“*We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors, He has fulfilled for us, by raising up Jesus.*”
Acts 13:32-33

Forward – Teaching Series in Mark

Ken’s new teaching series (February-March-April 2022) takes us through the Gospel of Mark and concludes with our celebration of the resurrection of Jesus on Easter 2022.

Beyond the Faint Heart Invitation

Do the Word

An encouraging word from Pastor Ken:

So often, we read and understand what God’s Word teaches. But more than one might care to admit, there exists the tendency to move from God’s word without the accurate and immediate personal application of His truth. So, what moves us beyond such inactivity with the truth? How can we genuinely apply the Word of God to our lives?

First, time is necessary. Yes, time! An article from the late Bill Bright with Campus Crusade suggested a minimum of 15 minutes for personal study in God’s Word. John Stott suggests reading three chapters from the Bible per day and studying one of those chapters in depth. When you audit the way you have spent your schedule on any given day, what absorbs most of your time? Have you determined how to have adequate time in God’s Word?

Second, memorization is necessary. We may often groan at this idea, for so many things already demand our mental energy. Therefore, we may need a more practical approach to memorization. To effectively memorize, we must embrace the message of the text. The goal then becomes, “taking the message with us” throughout our day. We must take time to embrace the spiritual truth from the verses being read. We then strive to memorize a phrase or verse that will keep the truth before us. We may not memorize perfectly, but simply making the attempt will carry the message deeper into our heart.

Third, some form of inductive study is necessary. Inductive study engages one with the Scriptures through digging deeper for the truths of a particular verse or passage. The following is a simple example of such an approach (although there are many patterns one can discover through reliable Christians resources). When you read a verse or passage, ask the simple question, “what is one thing God is saying to me?” Follow with the question, “based on what God has said to me, what do I need to say to Him?” Finally, ask, “how can apply this truth to my life in the next five days?”

With time, memorization, and a simple plan, find some way to make personal Bible study a regular discipline in your life. I journal regularly, and almost every day I write down some answer to the three questions I have offered above. Notice that I said, “almost.” Life happens, and sometimes my desired way of studying the Bible does not. Nonetheless, I have prompts in my life that hold be accountable to a regular discipline of personal study. One prompt I use is that I always keep my journal with me. Like my car keys or my phone, my journal is never far away. With such an visual influence, my journal always seems to bid me to respond to God’s truth. Another prompt I have heard someone use is the alarm on a personal device. That may seem extreme to some, but there are phone apps that will wake you with a verse of the day. But I offer a warning here. Do not reduce personal study time to merely another piece of your daily schedule. Such prompts can become beneficial for establishing the discipline, but they should not be the goal. Eventually, with the right accountability, your study time should be the first thing you think about when you wake up. Your personal time in God’s word should also negotiate external demands of life, and not the other way around. So suffice to say, sometimes developing a regular habit of being in God’s word takes time. But, be intentional. You will be amazed at what can happen when time in God’s Word becomes as regular as waking up, grabbing your phone, and checking your updates.

So today, be a doer of the Word. Take time to personally apply the truth of God’s Word. It is the Living Word, so make sure you live by it!

Advent 2020 Series

**First Sunday of ADVENT** (NOV 29)
Hope, Micah 7:7

**Second Sunday of ADVENT** (DEC 6)
Peace, Isaiah 9:6

**Third Sunday of ADVENT** (DEC 13)
Joy, Luke 2:10-11

**Fourth Sunday of ADVENT** (DEC 20)
Love, 1 John 4:9

Live. Love. Live Loved.

Coming February 16 and 23 – I Am Loved… (a personal love and an inseparable love)

Small Group, Big Impact

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” – Acts 2:42

“Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ” (Bonhoeffer.)

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The beloved German pastor and theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, reminds us that our Lord cares greatly about discipleship – faith as a lifestyle more than something flimsy built on religious activity. But, how can Christian faith develop as a lifestyle (a genuine expression of life) in the church today?

A Lesson from Younger Generations

Research Groups have recently reported that although young generations seem to drop out of church, there are large numbers who have remained, and they remain because of meaningful relationships. In fact, many who have remained report they have had a spiritually meaningful and helpful relationship with an adult inside the church, and some have even reported that they have had an adult mentor other than their pastor.

Such findings encourage us to value the influence of relationships within the church, for this represents the foundation for Biblical discipleship. And, this is how faith becomes a lifestyle. Such influential relationships are most often formed from within smaller Bible study groups than from larger gatherings.

A Lesson from the First Church

In the records of the early church, we have discovered how followers of Jesus were strengthened through meaningful relationships. The Book of Acts reports that within the church many lives were changed through relationships that were formed within smaller settings.

Acts, Chapter 2 reports that 3,000 people were added to the church. Chapter four reports that the church had grown to 5,000. Within this massive surge, most historians agree that the growth of the early church took place through house churches that were likely not much larger that 15 to 20 participants. In Acts 2:42, the Bible describes the emerging church of the first century: “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Such writers as Thom Rainer remind us that this passage gives a clear acknowledgment of the importance of the smaller gatherings that foster meaningful relationships so important to our growth and encouragement in faith today.

One significant way the first century Christians encouraged one another was in their devotion to the apostles’ teachings. While no formalized doctrine nor systematic theology had converged with the church at this time, the Holy Spirit-led truths of Jesus (His teachings, facts of His death and resurrection, and eternal life) were taught. When I consider that the apostles sat under the influence of Jesus for three years, I imagine their teaching to be fully in manner and in substance much like their Lord, who through the Holy Spirit continued to grow His followers. The unfolding of Gospel truths before these smaller gatherings reflected a hunger for the truth, and a relinquishment of the old way of thinking and believing.

Today, the church should be a place where relationships mutually influence one another in a hunger for the truth of Jesus and encourage a freedom from former ways of thinking and believing that the world offers.

A Lesson for You and Me

So, this leaves us with two very clear and personal questions offered by the example of the very first church: (1) Am I presently contributing to the church as a place of meaningful influence toward spiritual growth in small groups (do I look for opportunities in smaller gatherings to encourage someone in the truths of Christ)? (2) Am I presently involved in smaller groups of Christian encouragement (Discipleship) so that I am growing spiritually through meaningful relationships?

If Christian faith is to be a lifestyle (more than religious activity), the influence of meaningful relationships is a must! For, it is indeed true: Christianity without discipleship is Christianity without Christ.

Let’s make a difference. Let’s champion meaningful relationships for spiritual growth. This is indeed the church. This is the heart of Jesus.

[ a devotion by Dr. Ken Pruitt, President of Leland Seminary ]

READ – Read Acts 2:42-47 and be encouraged by the simplicity and profoundness of the developing community of discipleship.

[ Read and Research About Authentic Discipleship ]

Applying Biblical Truth

From Pastor Ken…

“Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22

So often, we read and understand what God’s Word teaches. But more than we would care to admit, we move on from God’s Word without accurate and immediate personal application.

How can we correct such inactivity with the truth? How can we genuinely apply the Word of God to our lives?

First, time is necessary. Yes, time! Bill Bright with Campus Crusade suggested a minimum of 15 minutes everyday for personal study in God’s Word. John Stott suggested reading three chapters from the Bible every day and studying one of those chapters in depth. When you examine the way you have spent your schedule on any given day, what absorbs most of your time? Have you determined how to fight for personal time in God’s Word?

Second, memorization is necessary. We may often groan at the idea, for so many things already demand our mental energy. But I have realized that efforts with memorization can truly engage you with the meaning of a Biblical truth. And, when you begin your day, you are more apt to take the message with you through an attempt at memorization. You may not remember a verse perfectly, but simply making the attempt will carry the message deeper into your heart.

Third, some form or plan of inductive study is necessary. Inductive study engages one with the Scriptures through digging deeper for the essence of a particular verse or passage. The following is a simple example of such an approach (although there are many inductive studies one can discover through reliable Christians resources).

When you read a verse or passage, ask the simple question, “what is the one thing God is saying to me?”
Follow with the question, “based on what God has said to me, what do I need to say to Him?”
Finally, ask, “what plans can I make to apply this truth to my life in the next 2 days?”

With time, memorization, and a simple study plan, find some way to make personal Bible study a regular and meaningful discipline in your life. I journal a lot, and almost every day I am writing down some answer to the three questions I offered above. Notice that I said, “almost.” Life happens, and sometimes my desired way of studying the Bible does not. Nonetheless, early on I established prompts in my life to keep me posted to a regular discipline of personal study. One prompt I continue to use is to always keep my journal close in proximity. Like my car keys or my phone, my journal is never far away, and with an ocular influence my journal always seems to bid me to slow down and spend time responding to God’s truth. Another prompt I have heard someone use is the phone alarm. This may seem extreme to some, but there are phone apps that will wake you with a verse of the day. But I offer a warning here. Do not allow your personal study time to be reduced to simply a spot on your daily schedule. These prompts are good for establishing the discipline, but they should not be the goal. Eventually, with the right accountability, your study time should be the first thing you think about when awaken each day. Your personal time in God’s Word should negotiate external demands of life, and not the other way around. So, suffice to say, sometimes developing a regular habit of being in God’s Word takes time. But, be intentional. You will be amazed at what can happen when time in God’s Word becomes as regular as waking up, grabbing your phone, and checking your messages.

So, be a doer of the Word. Take time to apply the truth of God’s Word. It is the living Word (Hebrews 4:12), so make sure it is living in you!

Blessings.

READ: Read as much of Psalm 119 as you can in one sitting, and renew your appetite for God’s Truth.

Authenticity

A challenging word from Pastor Ken… AUTHENTICITY: The Unspoken Goal

“. . . to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statues and ordinances in Israel.” Ezra 7:10

Dr. Curtis Vaughn, renown Greek scholar and professor in Baptist life, was a personal mentor and friend whose influence significantly affects my life today, even years after his passing. One of Dr. Vaughn’s well-used teaching points was, “when you have recognized your humility you have just lost it.” Through this principle, he attempted to teach his students that the best things achieved in one’s life of faith can never be genuine and self-recognized at the same time. Therefore, any expression of spiritual authenticity ceases to exist when self-recognized. Also, such authenticity cannot be announced either as a goal or an achievement, but simply becomes a reality as one’s actions and attitude give way to a heart that truly seeks after God.

As an appointed scribe, Ezra’s personal life of faith exemplified spiritual authenticity in a clear and precise way. (Let’s engage with the pattern of his life offered in Ezra 7:10.)

First, Ezra had purposed early on to study the Law of the Lord. He set his mind to purposefully obey God at every point. He did not stop at the mere intention.
Second, upon studying God’s law, his desire was to “practice it.” Ezra was concerned about keeping the details of God’s Word, and not simply to embrace the law with a rote memorization. He studied for personal application. Can you imagine that upon every expression of God’s word you hear (in a sermon, bible study lesson, personal reading, a song, etc.), your initial reaction is not, “I know someone who needs to hear this,” or, “that would make a good bible study topic or sermon title”, but rather, “how can I better reconcile my own life to this truth?”
Third, Ezra was committed to teach God’s Word, and to lead others in personally applying God’s truth.

Conclusively then, 3 steps that exemplify authentic living are observed from Ezra and applied to our lives:

Study the Word of God so consistently and personally that the application of the truth becomes clear.
Make the application through carefully obeying God’s truth at every point in your life.
As you grow in your obedience to God’s word, be open to teaching His truths to others (intentionally influencing others through your faith). The teaching may be in the context of your parental role as you teach your children, in the context of your campus as you speak necessary truths into the lives of your friends, through personal feedback in church settings like small groups and Bible study classes, or in more formal roles of teacher and preacher. Writing, singing, and serving speak the truth as well. But do not sell yourself short. God has a word for you to share in the way He has designed for you. It may not be as a scribe like Ezra, but there is no unimportant way of living out God’s truth. Let Him open the door for your influence. You simply need to be ready. Allow the truth to flow out of you from within your own genuine encounter with God.

This constitutes for every Christ-follower how to live out one’s faith authentically.

Spiritual authenticity! That’s the unspoken goal. Now, don’t talk about it. Don’t wish for it. Don’t announce it. Simply go and do it.

Study, obey, and influence others. Live out what God is pouring in!

Blessings, Ken Pruitt

READ: Read and meditate on the following verses and be encouraged toward genuineness of faith: Romans 12:9; 1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Peter 1:22; James 1:27; 2 Corinthians 8:8-9.

Authentic

Here is an encouraging word from Pastor Ken, January 20, 2020

“Ezra had purposed in his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statues and ordinances in Israel.” Ezra 7:10

When one reads of Ezra’s authentic practice with the Law of God, one might assume that this stands as the reason God’s favor was on him (as described in verse 9). Nonetheless, when looking carefully at Ezra’s life, his genuineness in obeying God’s Law expressed something more than simply adjusting to good practices during crucial times so that God would bless him. Ezra had been released from Babylon to Jerusalem to lead his people in a time of rebuilding and reformation after the destruction of the Holy City. Many accompanied Ezra under the blessing of a pagan king. But in all this, God’s favor covered His servant Ezra. However, Ezra did not adopt a new pattern of devotion in the moment so that God would bless his efforts. It seems Ezra had already committed his way to the Lord, and because of this, God’s favor was especially on him when called for extraordinary tasks.

This morning, how are you preparing yourself? You may ask, “for what?’ And, I believe the greatest answer is, “Preparing for God!”

Instead of adjusting to a deeper time of study and prayer for a present assignment, commit to a deeper encounter with God simply because you are preparing for Him. Instead of increasing your time in God’s Word because you are about to lead a Bible study, be in a deeper time of study simply because you are preparing for God. Instead of increasing your daily time in God’s Word because someone in your small group is going to ask, “what have you studied recently,” be daily in God’s word anyway – because you are preparing for Him.

The principle is simple. Do not expend energy in necessary spiritual disciplines simply because of something on the calendar, or because of some event or encounter that needs extra attention (although these things always require spiritual preparation). Expend energy in spiritual disciplines for God! Be the one who already has a regular commitment to spiritual disciplines simply because of a genuine desire to honor God?

I believe this is a clear mark of true spiritual authenticity. And, as you increase your time in God’s Word and Prayer – and as you adjust to other practices as attending church more regularly, or sharing your faith more readily – consider deeper commitments simply because you desire to prepare yourself for God every single day, and not for a specific task you may have planned.

So, read and study more. Spend more time with God when you know a big assignment, or a big event is ahead of you. (Seeking His favor in this way is never wrong.). But the challenge remains: why not approach every day as if you are headed for a big assignment? Why not awaken each day with a deeper desperation to study God’s Word and to hear from Him? Why not give Him your best every single day?

You never know when you will be called to an extraordinary task. But in the meantime, spend every day preparing yourself for God with all your heart. Why? This is indeed authentic living.

Be blessed!

READ
Read and meditate on John 15:5-11 to discover how our Blessed Savior modeled and instructed authentic living.