Pastor Craig Lile

07/16/2021

Robin and I took action on something we have been praying about for months... we took our first dose of COVID-19 vaccine this week.
When Covid first broke out many people made a decision to totally isolate from everyone, including family. After two weeks we decided we would rather risk death than not see children, grandchildren and loved ones.
When church first reopened some members asked if they could hug me. I said, “bring it on.” I have been in very remote places with missions that were not safe. I would also chance Covid in order to interact with any and all people. We had to quarantine once and then both contracted Covid. It was rough but we healed just fine.
Eventually came a vaccine. I believe every Christian should pray and respond as God leads. The Bible neither forbids nor directs us on this issue. Thus, it was a decision of prayer. We waited and watched. We felt it was not the government’s decision. We were not going to simply follow public opinion. After a season of study, observation and prayer I shared with Robin I thought it was time. We took a risk early in this pandemic in order to love, connect and keep ministering to others. We would now take the vaccine for both our safety as well as that of others.
Why am I sharing this? Because I believe it is more my place as a shepherd of God’s people than it is of the government or social media to provide some leadership to believers on this complex decision. Evangelicals are being very slow to take this action. I want to dispel some fear. You may not agree. That is okay. However, don’t attempt to say I made an unbiblical decision. Don’t say I did it out of fear. Don’t quote a conspiracy theory. And goodness, surely don’t attempt to tell me I have taken “the mark of the beast” from Revelation. I would be glad to answer questions. I hope this will help with the decision some are torn on.

06/22/2021

Last week was very successful, and it is apparent that a tremendous effort like VBS requires strong leadership and hard work. Our Family Ministry staff, our VBS leadership team, our custodial staff, tech team, security team and each staff member in a supportive role can rejoice in the success of all the teamwork. An event like this requires more than a few can accomplish, and I know our entire church is grateful with me for everyone who contributed in various ways to make the week go well.

I loved watching our church Experience Faith (E3) as we taught our children to Encounter God, Experience God Together and Empty Self!

At Faith Baptist Church, we “Experience Faith” or live out our faith in God by seeking to Encounter God, Experience God Together, and Empty Self.

05/25/2021

I just returned from two long days of meetings through my roles on the Christian Life Commission and as Executive Board Member of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. I am tired . . . but I am filled! Our BGCT handles countless ministries within our state, and are God's stewards of our cooperative gifts that amount to millions of dollars. They are careful, accountable and fruitful in many diverse areas with our cooperative giving as Baptists. Let me just list a few highlights:
- Our Intercultural ministries oversees 300 churches that worship weekly with multiple ethnic groups speaking 80 different languages.
- Our Texas Baptist Hunger Offering has served 395,794 meals thus far this year to the hungry.
- When Israel shut down the entire country during Covid 19 with helicopter, military and police enforcement of anyone who came out of their homes, our Texas Baptist Men were given free access to cook, travel throughout the country and deliver meals to those without access to food.
Our convention president, Jason Burden, opened his heart to share the personal testimony of tremendous suffering the Lord had allowed him to experience recently. His transparency, and COMPLETE FOCUS ON GOD'S PRESENCE, GRACE AND GLORY culminated in sharing 3 actions we can take during the storms of life. 1. Look up (spiritual/prayer) 2. Hold on ("This too shall pass.") and 3. Stay Together (we need each other). Wow! Amen! Praise Jesus! It was an exceptionally emotional and spiritual moment for me and I shared my gratitude and love with him after.
- Our Executive Director, David Hardage, is such a humble, wise, steadfast and easy-to-follow leader when so many leaders have left us disillusioned. What a fresh breath Dr. Hardage is. He calls me every time by name (I can't remember my own family's name), and is very approachable. He has given us his personal cellphone (who does that? No way I am calling this exceptional leader unless the walls are falling in). He has led us into a "G2" focus and theme (emphasizing the Great Commission and the Greatest Commandment), and alongside Associate Director, Craig Christina, they have reorganized and simplified the whole BGCT structure, which will take us into another level of ministry nationwide and internationally in the future.
- And finally, I have the privilege of serving on the Christlan Life Commission, which serves as the ethics agency of the BGCT. I have wanted to have an opportunity to keep Christ and HIs Word central to Baptist policies my whole life and this is a dream to have the privilege of being on this ministry team.
No . . . this is not a paid ad. It is just a reminder that we serve in a denomination of believers active beyond most of the local church's wildest imaginations. I am so thankful for leaders who take the ministry of the local churches united to another level.
My heart is full!

03/09/2021

My heart loved Christine Conway very soon after meeting her through my son. As my son courted her my heart was bonding to hers through that season in their relationship. When she accepted my son’s marriage proposal my heart was filled with joy. We all celebrated. On the wedding day last Saturday I joyfully told her after that she was now officially my daughter. She carries my name, is one with my son, and now carries all rights as a member of our family and to what belongs to me as co-heir with my son.
That is just a touch of the far greater invitation, grace and inheritance God gives believers when we join to Christ through salvation. We carry His name. All that belongs to Jesus is joyfully shared with us as His bride. Our love from, with and to family is meant to be a constant reminder of how Christ initiated love, courts and proposes to us, we accept as believers, and enter into eternal relationship and blessings with God. Oh, how deep is His love.
So now I can officially call Christine Lile my daughter. And even better, all believers can post that we are sons and daughters of the living God- in eternal relationship and family with God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit!

03/03/2021

Our church has been going through a 40-Day Easter challenge, which entails "giving up" and "taking up" some disciplines in order to set our hearts and our minds on things above and not on earthly things (Colossians 3:1-2) in preparation to celebrate Easter.
Two truths have really moved me in my personal devotions. They are areas I want to ask for grace daily, repent as needed and make sure I am aligned with Christ and His word in.
The first area regards idols. An idol is any person, place or thing that exercises control over the thoughts and desires of our heart that only God should have. I am repenting and adjusting daily to any areas the Holy Spirit reveals that I am not loving God with all my heart, soul and mind, and keeping Jesus as the first-love in my life.
A second area that I have questioned and asked God to help me understand through the years pertains to my attitudes toward those whom I consider enemies. During this season God has enhanced my understanding of truth. Christians are commanded to forgive our personal enemies, pray for them and turn the other cheek. We have all experienced hurt, betrayal or contempt from someone we counted a friend. But we are sinful, and require a level of forgiveness from God that far exceeds the level of forgiveness that will ever be required of us toward a personal antagonist. HOWEVER, Christians in our culture have been led to an extreme when it comes to the enemies of God and our attitudes toward them. Our culture and unfortunately, the church often condemns our anger and spite toward evil, godless and destructive enemies of God. In Psalm 139:19-22 David expresses thoughts we all have felt and that the Holy Spirit placed in God's eternal word when he wrote, "God, if only you would kill the wicked - you bloodthirsty men, stay away from me - who invoke you {God} deceitfully, your enemies swear by you falsely. Lord, don't I hate those who hate you, and detest those who rebel against you? I hate them with extreme hatred; I consider them my enemies."
Evil and godless politicians, educators, religious leaders and media are, as Jesus would say, "children of their father, the devil." It is unbiblical to teach Christians must always be meek, gentle, nonconfrontational, private in their beliefs and accepting of all. Noah preached repentance and confronted the lost. David hated and fought God's enemies. The prophets publicly called out sin and sinners by name and deed. John the Baptist exposed the sin of politicians. The Apostle Paul called out evil people in the church by name, telling the church to discipline or cast them out if unrepentant. And Jesus forgave misled but repentant sinners while exposing, opposing and calling evil religious leaders "whitewashed tombs" that appeared clean on the outside and yet were rotten and full of death on the inside.
I commit to ask God's grace to help me first abandon all idols, and then to expose them as the Holy Spirit and God's word leads.
I commit to ask God to show me, as stated in Ecclesiastes, God's "proper time" of when I am to "love" and when I am to "hate," and then teaching that to others as the Holy Spirit and God's word leads.

02/15/2021

Spending most of the day writing a sermon on the Philadelphia church in Revelation 3:7-13. Wow...it is so revealing in its prophecy regarding the “missionary ” church in modern history. You are not going to want to miss this. I am so fired up!
I also encourage you to watch the sermon from last Sunday on the church at Sardis. It is never as powerful on video as the Spirit unveils it in worship, but it was one of the most insightful in this series.
I love my Father so much! I love my Lord Jesus so much. I love and ask for filling of the Holy Spirit!!!

01/04/2021

Well . . . Do I look older? Recovery continues from Covid. I have not run fever for several days. I have lost 12 lbs. I am sporting the beard Robin and the kids always beg me to keep (it comes off before I go back to work). And I walked down my street and around the block for the first time in 8 days. My breathing was good but the heart rate stayed high for walking.
I have not, and encourage my fellow believers to not let fear direct you through this pandemic. It is going to still be here for awhile. Some have quit assembling with believers for close to a year now. Our faith is to be in the love, power and sovereignty of our Lord! Yes, some will die from Covid. But some of us will die from the flu, cardiac or stroke events, a wreck or countless other dangers we live among in this fallen world.
I continue to share a message I believe is from God: if you are working and your children are going to school, you are not in isolation. Therefore, don’t isolate from other believers and the worship of God.
We have an increasing number in our church who are in quarantine from Covid. But our staff has yet to hear of a single church member getting Covid from our church or worship. They all state outside sources. My faith also attributes that to God’s hand.
Thank so many of you for your prayers, phone calls, texts and emails! Your love has been remarkable and we cherish you!
I will be clean-shaved and back in the office Thursday. Cannot wait to see you, masked up, on Sunday!

12/30/2020

Covid has had a great impact on us all. After observing and praying about it for several months I publicly shared the following three observations many months back. 1) Covid was so contagious that I would ultimately contract it. 2) Since there was clear statistical evidence to support it, I would probably recover and get well. 3) Because it was so widespread and undetectable at first (if at all) I would probably give Covid to someone I love.
I determined therefore that Covid as well as sickness, life and death are in God’s hands. I would not let something I could not control have control of me.
I have never turned down remote mission trips because I might come into harm. I have not avoided visiting hospitals because I might be infected. I have not quit driving because I might lose my life in a car wreck. GOD IS SOVEREIGN AND HOLDS OUR DAYS AND LIVES IN HIS HANDS!!!
I have just been diagnosed with Covid. I had two days of bad headaches, high blood pressure, temperatures of 100-101.9, and body aches. So number 1 happened. My doctor thinks I will come through this fine, but warned me strongly that it always has small chance of turning bad, thus number 2 above seems to be holding up statistically to form. And the doctor said I have likely given this to Robin, and unfortunately she began coughing today.
With those observations indeed becoming reality let me urge you to again view this pandemic through faith in God’s strength and sovereignty.
We are not closing church! How long do you close church out of caution over something you cannot control and that has been going a year and has no end in sight? We need to be careful. But we all have to work, go to school, occasionally go into stores, and be with family. We can’t isolate from our world. Most will eventually contract Covid. Most will live. Most will give it to someone we love.
Live by faith. Robin and I have instructed our kids months ago that if we died through Covid we have no regrets. We would rather suddenly die by something out of our hands (and yet totally in God’s hands) than slowly die through not living by faith, the worship of God with other believers, and in constant isolation and fear!
I love you. Strengthen your faith in God in these trying days. He is sufficient. Love God and love others! We must not abandon people outside our homes if we wish to fulfill Christ’s greatest command! And unless your are elderly or have serious underlying conditions, which makes Covid life-threatening, I would urge you to reevaluate just how long you are willing to pull yourself, your spouse and your children away from Christ’s church and community.
Truly this time has been a great test of every believer’s trust and obedience. May Christ approve us all in the end!!!

12/07/2020

I remember when there were two stockings, just me and Robin! Wow! We thank God for His blessings! Merry Christmas!

11/26/2020

Thanking God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. . . the essence of every blessing celebrated today!

11/16/2020

We had Police Appreciation services this morning in our church. We recognized the police, I preached on mutual submission in relationships out of Ephesians 5, whether in our roles as supervisors or subordinates. And after hearing completely one-sided and destructive attacks against law enforcement from many politicians, groups and all the corrupt national media the past 6 months, I set out to share the other side from a police officer’s aside, and our responsibility to them. Christ followers should always strive to share both sides in conflict!
I was shocked when Chief Deputy Gilmore came forward at the end of the service to say a few words.
He said it had been an especially tough year. He stated how much this meant. Then he was overtaken by emotion, handed me the mic, and hugged me.
Believers, pray for and support our law enforcement officers! You cannot fathom the hatred and vitriol they receive from people who have never even personally met them. And we have never walked in their shoes! It is a tough and sometimes dark job.
The response this morning from the second highest ranking officer in our WF police force touched me in a way I will never forget! The appreciation of support and desire for citizens to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” was expressed in that moment more deeply than any words he could have spoken.
CHRISTIANS, DON’T FOLLOW WOKE MOVEMENTS.
SHOW THE SAME GRACE, LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE THE LORD HAS SHOWN TO YOU!

11/01/2020

After receiving no action and a basic form response to my first email to the president of MSU over Dr. Jun’s unprofessional, unethical and anarchist statements I followed up with this more direct set of concerns. It has been 3 weeks. NO RESPONSE! NO REPLY!
We must continue to let our college know their inaction will not be acceptable.
Do your part! Write, respond and keep this in the light so it does not get buried. I was going to keep this second email private, but with the lack of response, I make it public:

Dr. Shipley,

Thank you for your response to my concerns. However, like many in the community who have contacted you, I felt your response was a form response meant to pacify concerns and with no action intended. Before emailing you I had already read both the initial MSU public response, followed by your public response. Both were unsatisfactory to concerned citizens in the city. I am not sure that you understand the depth of anger and concern with the MSU leadership and its ethical and professional standards. You are responding to Dr. Jun and yet failing to recognize that the public is reacting to this same pattern of response toward conservative concerns over a period of time.

Most of us feel that the Dr. Jun issue was a product of our liberal colleges held unchecked for years. We had hoped that our hometown college would not reflect the extreme liberalism that conservatives know has been implemented throughout the nation. But issues over the past decade have confirmed in our minds that MSU does not hold balanced representation of values that many leaders in our community would be willing to accept. And many Christian leaders are quite convinced that if a Christian professor, under his/her “free speech” protections, told a class that every human would stand before God one day in eternity and be judged for their rejection of salvation through Christ, then action would be taken immediately and decidedly (which is taking place in colleges all across our country). I simply do not believe Dr. Jun is covered under free speech protections for state employers. I also expected and yet continue to find myself surprised at your response, ignoring concerns while protecting such extreme liberalism leading to vile actions.

As for your prescribed curriculum, content, objectives and outcomes, the logic stating a curriculum protects students from a professor “teaching a particular ideology” is either naïve or condescending. People all across America teach from the same Bible (curriculum), and yet every ideology a human could conceive from a godless mind has been communicated to an audience misusing that curriculum. In fact, much teaching from our American pulpit today has shifted from the careful, exegetical, contextual teaching of the Bible (with God’s content, objective and outcomes presented) to false teachings that piece phrases out of passages together to promote the belief of an individual rather than the careful exegetical and hermeneutical process of teaching what God intended.

Of course every teacher to some extent introduces personal ideology in their teachings. I spoke by phone with the professor I mentioned in my last email with you. He acknowledged his hurt with religion and tendency toward agnosticism. His class was certainly aware of that, and will be when he teaches on any future religious events tied to history (which he said is part of the course). I had a warm and productive talk with the professor. He stated he would not attack religion. And I believe the statements he made in his class that first day were not as egregious as was presented to me. However, he would have been wise to build some relationship with his class before expressing his thoughts on Christian beliefs the very first day of class. To start his very first day by questioning a central belief that Christians hold made his ideologies public before he had ever covered a single thought regarding the “curriculum, content, objectives and outcomes.”

Our community is aware that the college classroom and administrations in America are overwhelmingly stacked with liberal ideologists. Again, this community is not crying out for even a balanced representation of conservative and liberal professors. However, Christians have watched the tide of increasing vitriol toward Christ and Christianity and we are alarmed at that being indoctrinated into our kids in the classroom. Professionalism, respect for conservative values, accountability, ethical standards and a little balance are what you will hear in every email you receive.

I am grateful for your consideration of some strong sentiments that I believe are held by many. I am praying for you. I yearn for my alma mater to better reflect what many in my community hold dear, so that I can once again be proud of it.

Sincerely,
Pastor Craig Lile