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I feel a bit strange thinking . . . “this is ‘my’ office . . . these are ‘my’ responsibilities . . . this is ‘my’ new church, etc.” I was honored in March to begin serving as Senior Pastor at Lawndale. You have been incredible as a congregation welcoming me and Donna back. Your “welcome home” has resonated with our hearts and blessed us immensely. Pray for me that I will serve the Lord and His church at Lawndale for His glory. The strangeness of ‘my’ (fill in the blank) should stay strange. Everything is His. I desire to steward what He has entrusted to me as one who will one day give an account and as one who will one day pass it along to the next guy. I look forward to worshipping and serving the Lord with you in April. We missed Easter last year . . . not this year! Lord willing, we will move from 3 services to 2 at 9am and 10:30am on Easter, April 4. Then on April 18, we start our first series, “Revive the Church,” a verse by verse study through the book of 1 Timothy. There will be a few planned surprises along the way, and I can’t wait to see what unplanned surprises God has for Lawndale in this season!

Be the parent your family needs! Join Lawndale Baptist Church as we welcome Jim Burns, author of Confident Parenting, on April 10 for a parenting seminar that offers a comprehensive approach to developing a healthy God-honoring parenting philosophy. If you are a totally confident parent, this seminar is not for you! If you are at times humbled by the task of raising your kids to become responsible adults, then you will want to come. Whether you are a couple, a single parent, or a grandparent – this lively and informative seminar will encourage you and provide you with the help you need to become a confident parent. At least 4 out of 5 people have reported times of severe stress with their family during Covid. And yet, some families say they have drawn closer during this tense season. Jim will explore how to be a Confident Parent during Covid and what it takes to thrive as a family! Topics to be covered are: Finding Replenishment for Overcrowded Lives Overcoming Negative Family Patterns Creating a Grace-Filled Home Communication with Affection, Warmth, and Encouragement Raising Kids Who Love God This conference is offered in-person or, if you prefer, you may view via livestream from the comfort of your own home! The cost is only $10 per in-person attendee or $10 per household viewing from home. Register HERE! Jim Burns is the president of HomeWord and the Executive Director of the HomeWord Center for Youth and Family at Azusa Pacific University. Jim speaks to thousands of people around the world each year. He has close to 2 million resources in print in 20 languages. He primarily writes and speaks on the values of HomeWord, which are: Strong Marriages, Confident Parents, Empowered Kids, and Healthy Leaders. Some of his most popular books are: Confident Parenting, The Purity Code, Creating an Intimate Marriage, and Closer. Jim and his wife, Cathy, live in Southern California and have three grown daughters, Christy, Rebecca, and Heidi; two sons-in-law, Steve and Matt; and two grandchildren, James and Charlotte.

Church family, thank you for your continued prayers as we begin this transition time. We are pleased to let you know that beginning Sunday, January 10, our interim pulpit supply pastor will be Dr. David Horner. Dr. Horner, founder and Executive Director of Equipped for Life since 2016, served as senior pastor of Providence Baptist Church from 1978 until he retired at the end of 2015 after 37 years as Founding and Senior Pastor. He just completed a tenure serving as interim pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem. Years of practical ministry experience have given David a unique perspective. He holds degrees from Wake Forest University (BA), Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (MDiv), and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (PhD). He is an emeritus member of the Gospel Coalition Council. An established author, David has published four books: Firmly Rooted, Faithfully Growing, When Missions Shapes the Mission; A Practical Guide for Life and Ministry (republished as 7 Challenges Pastors Face), and Dad’s Words of Wisdom. We are looking forward to Dr. Horner being with us!

What a year it has been! Nothing like you would have imagined! WORLD-WIDE PANDEMIC, MAJOR ECONOMIC SHUT DOWNS ACROSS THE NATION, DEVESTATING HURRICANES, FIRES IN CALIFORNIA, AND THE LIST GOES ON. In fact, you may have said to yourself like I did this year, “What in the world is going on?” JESUS IS COMING SOON! The signs are everywhere! Christmas has always been about celebrating Jesus’s birth and we should, but have you ever noticed what Jesus said to his disciples? He didn’t tell them to remember his birth but he did tell them to remember his death and resurrection. Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.” – John 14:8-10 I think there are times in all our lives when we hear the words of Jesus and have the same collective thought, “What on earth is He talking about?” I don’t think we’re alone. I wonder what the disciples were thinking when they heard Jesus teach. Did they have that same thought, “Now exactly where is He going with this one?” In John 14, Jesus makes this astounding claim, “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” In reality, Jesus is saying something quite profound. “This God that you worship, who is far off, has come near. In fact, nearer than you would have ever imagined. If you want to know what He is like, then watch me.” In essence, Jesus was putting God on display. If you want to know what God is like, watch Jesus. Do you want to see how God would love or show compassion? Then watch how Jesus does it. To see Jesus is to see God in action. In Jesus, the invisible God is made visible. I pray you all have a Merry Christmas and may the New Year 2021 look better than this one! At least I hope so!

Dear Lawndale Family, My heart is truly blessed as I reflect on the past 21½ years. God has allowed us to see his mighty hand at work in the lives of countless people. We’ve shared an incredible journey together. Your support, prayers, dedication, attitude, service and sacrifice are gifts that I will treasure for the rest of my life. I can’t thank you enough for demonstrating what it means to be a true Christian family. Years and distance will not diminish the precious memories that I take with me along the next step of my journey. It has been my honor and privilege to serve as your pastor. My heart will always remain at Lawndale. As we enter into the future, I am excited about what God is going to do through you over the next coming years. From the very first day that I sat in my office, I prayed for the person who would one day occupy my chair. I prayed that, above all, he would love God with all of his heart and have a deep appreciation and genuine love for the precious people that he will serve. I KNOW that God will graciously answer my prayer! For that reason and many others, I know that the future of Lawndale is bright and filled with the promise of expansive ministry opportunities. I look forward to returning from time to time to witness the great things that God will continue to do through you. As you go forward, always remember what Jesus said was the most significant trait of his followers, as found in John 13:34, 35: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” You have modeled this well! With Sincere Love and Appreciation, Dr. Joe

Dear Lawndale Family, The month of November brings to mind our wonderful national celebration of Thanksgiving Day. I would like to thank each one of you for providing me with so many reasons to be thankful to our heavenly Father. I am thankful for a church that unashamedly stands on the Word of God. I am thankful for a church that is committed to the Great Commission. I am thankful for a church that is filled with true believers that are ready to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. I am thankful for a church that ministers to the people that are outside of the walls of this building. I am thankful for the love that has been showered upon me over the past twenty-one-plus years. I am thankful for God’s provision of wisdom and guidance throughout the years of my journey here at Lawndale. I am thankful that I have never gotten over the joy of my salvation. And I am most thankful that our Lord has afforded me the privilege of serving as the Senior Pastor of this church alongside of such a dedicated and sincere body of believers. I will always fondly remember and cherish my journey here with you. You ARE the salt of the earth. My love and my heart will always remain with you. God’s Richest Blessings, Dr. Joe

Dear Lawndale Family, Thank you for all the love and support that you have showered on me after announcing my retirement at the end of this year. The Word of God explicitly tells us to honor our mother and father in Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16, Matthew 15:4, and Ephesians 6:2, 3. I am no exception and I must step up and honor God’s Word and my mother. As I’ve shared in the past, her personal needs have escalated over the last six months. I consider it a great blessing to be able to assist her in whatever capacity that I can. I have watched so many of you give sacrificially to care for the needs of your parents. Thank you for being such godly models and examples. I am very blessed to have a wife that treats my mother as her own. Meanwhile, the work of the Kingdom of God continues. I look forward to seeing what God will be orchestrating over the next few months. The sermon series on “Joseph” speaks loudly to all of us. One thing that we all know, GOD IS GOOD! Blessings, Dr. Joe

Greetings Lawndale Family! It is wonderful to be conducting Sunday morning services in our Worship Center again. Thank you for supporting the ministries of our church throughout this longer than expected COVID ordeal. Your prayers, support and encouragement have meant the world to me. Troublesome days like these exemplify the significance of having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He is our sustainer, refuge and strength. Oftentimes, God uses difficult circumstances to draw us closer to Him and wean us away from this crazy, temporal world. As the song goes, “Heaven is a wonderful place, filled with glory and grace.” Meanwhile, on our short excursion down here, our Savior said in Luke 19:13, “So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’” Circumstances change, but our mandate remains the same. And so, we will continue to serve our Lord, make disciples and stay busy until He returns. Thank all of you for being a Christ-centered family of faith. Our labor in the Lord is not in vain. I Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” Blessings, Dr. Joe

Hello Lawndale Family, I’ve enjoyed seeing so many of your smiling faces at our outdoor worship service. There is something special about meeting together as a church body. To say the least, we’ve all been on a unique journey over these last few months. Many prayers have been lifted up before our Lord, asking for an end to this difficult season of life. It’s important to remember that the Apostle Paul pleaded with the Lord to remove his “Thorn in the flesh.” God’s response to him is found in II Corinthians 12:9: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” God didn’t remove Paul’s obstacle but He promised to demonstrate His power through him. We have limitations. God doesn’t! When we admit that we have limitations and weakness, we are affirming the power of God’s strength. It is by allowing God’s power to fill us that we become stronger than we could ever imagine. Our Lord doesn’t intend for His children to be weak and ineffective. He wants us to DEPEND ON HIM, for Psalm 46:1 tells us, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Blessings, Dr. Joe

Hello Lawndale Family, Thank you for your prayers and support. As you know, we are living in unchartered waters regarding many governmental, health and safety issues. Day to day information from the media, church members and health department sites are being taken into account. This knowledge is being used to formulate the best future meeting scenarios for our church body. Thank you for your patience and understanding. I’m sure that you are aware that we are dealing with a huge moving target with a multitude of organizational implications. That aside, there is great news for those of us whose lives are guided by the Word of God. HIS WORD is not in unchartered waters! It has anchored the hearts of faithful followers for thousands of years. Famines, wars, rebellions, pandemics and a host of other troublesome events have not budged the anchor. Our citizenship is in heaven, the true home of eternal righteousness and peace. For now, we are sojourners and aliens that are called to stand for truth on this fallen, sinful, disappointing earth. So for now, we will continue to shine light into darkness. We will continue to shine as a beacon of hope in a world that seems to grow darker by the day. And we will heed the words of the Psalmist that extend from ancient days to today, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path,” Psalm 119:105. Blessings, Dr. Joe

Greetings Lawndale family, I pray that you are finding God’s peace in the midst of the storm. Perhaps during this season of lockdowns and shutdowns, it has caused you to wonder, “What is God’s will for my life?” Most everyone has addressed and re-addressed that question over the course of their lives. We pray for direction, and sometimes it may feel like God is silent. God is not silent. He reveals His will for us on a “need to know” basis. Our “need to know” and “need to control” tendencies may occasionally come into conflict with that truth. Knowing everything from our first step to our last step is God’s business. Our business is a “faith business.” That should not surprise us. II Corinthians 5:7 clearly states, “We live by faith, not by sight.” Faith is best developed in the environment of the unknown. While our specific future may be unknown, God’s character, nature and attributes are clearly revealed in His Word. Walking by faith keeps us close to our Heavenly Father. Living in the “unknown” keeps us dependent on Him. Therefore, we don’t have to be concerned about the future. Our Heavenly Father is already there and He will always take care of His children. Always! Blessings, Dr. Joe

God bless each and every one of you for your prayers and support during this lockdown period. We are working on a re-opening strategy for our church. The wide range of age demographics poses some unique challenges. We are TENTATIVELY looking to implement this schedule starting June 28, 2020 and return to our regular schedule sometime in mid-August. Your health, safety and our obligation to our community are of the utmost importance. Sunday Worship Schedule 9:00AM – 10:00AM Contemporary Worship Service 11:15AM – 12:15PM Contemporary Worship Service 4:00PM – 5:00PM Traditional Worship Service* *This service is reserved for Senior Adults and those who are most vulnerable. IMPORTANT. Please note that our Sunday Worship Services will be ONE hour long. Sunday morning preschool classes will be available from birth to four-year-olds for both of our morning services. For the time being, there will be no children’s Life Journey Groups. The time gap between worship services allows for cleaning/disinfecting between services, therefore we ask that you exit the building promptly. Offering plates will not be passed during services. Receptacles for tithes and offerings will be available by our Worship Center entrance doors and the lobby. Seating will be roped off at every other row. When you attend, please sit together with your family. Also, allow a four-seat space for members other than your family. Several Adult Life Journey Groups will have some optional meeting times due to their unique season of life, that is, they do not have children that would need to attend a Life Journey Group. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THIS IS THE CURRENT TIMEFRAME AND PLAN. WE WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED OF ANY CHANGES. God’s Richest Blessings, Dr. Joe