Our Pastor:
M. Randy Olson
Teacher Style: Expository
Training: 2 year Biblical Studies certificate from Liberty Bible Institute. In 2006 he attended the Expositor's Institute sponsored by The Master's Seminary & Grace Community Church under the teaching of Dr. Steven J. Lawson, Dr. John MacArthur and Dr. Rick Holland.
Pastor Olson attended both Clarkston and Lewiston schools. He graduated from Lewiston High School in 1975. In 1978 he married Lori Miller, a 1977 graduate of Lewiston High School.
From 1979 to 1984, Pastor Olson served as Sunday School Director at Calvary Baptist Church in Moses Lake. He then moved into the Youth Pastor role at Calvary until 1987.
He became the Pastor of Grace Baptist Church of North Bend in 1989 and served there until 1998. He came to Clarkston First Baptist in 1998.
Pastor and his wife have three sons. Mark, Jimmy and Nathan. All three have served in the military. Nathan is still currently serving.
Mike Gendron presented
"How to Proclaim the Gospel to Roman Catholics"
THE GOSPEL: We are not to be ashamed of it. We are called to proclaim it, defend it and earnestly contend for it.
Galatians 1:6-7 “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.”
Here Paul informs us that those who pervert the gospel, making it a different gospel, actually lead people away from Jesus Christ. Mike Gendron who for 34 years faithfully followed the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) then only to find out like Martin Luther that what he was being taught was not consistent with the Word of God. For two days Mr. Gendron will instruct us how to communicate the truth of the Gospel to those who are trapped in tradition and religion.
John 8:32 "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
Personal Bio
After obtaining a degree in Applied Mathematics, Mike worked in the space program at Cape Kennedy, Florida, for three years. He received an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas and enjoyed a 17-year career in corporate management, becoming National Sales Manager for a fortune 100 company.
A devout Roman Catholic for over 34 years, Mike was saved by God’s amazing grace after attending a three-day evangelistic seminar in 1981. Upon completion of a Masters degree at Dallas Theological Seminary in 1992, he served as pastor of evangelism and outreach at a Bible church in Dallas for three years and founded Proclaiming the Gospel Ministry.
Mike has addressed the students and faculty at The Master’s Seminary, The Master’s Academy International Dallas Theological Seminary, Moody Bible Institute and Tyndale Theological Seminary. Mike has done seminars at hundreds of churches throughout the world and has appeared as a guest on many radio and TV programs, including The History Channel.
Mike is Director of Proclaiming the Gospel Ministry, a 20-year-old evangelistic outreach to those who are lost in religion. The ministry conducts short term mission’s trips and evangelistic seminars in churches throughout the world. The ministry web site: www.pro-gospel.org contains a wealth of information and resources that bring clarity to the doctrinal differences separating Roman Catholicism and biblical Christianity.
Every true Christian is in an all-out war with the devil and his angels. Fortunately, our Lord has not left us without protection. In Ephesians 6, the Apostle Paul tells us that God has given us to defend ourselves against Satan’s attacks of deception and accusation. Our motto as Christians should not so much be “Name It and Claim It,” but “Take It Up and Strap It On!”
Dr. Don Kistler, founder of Soli Deo Gloria Publications, was born in California in 1949, the second of five sons of Jack and Faye Kistler. He grew up on a dairy farm in Central California and graduated from Azusa Pacific College in Southern California in 1971 with a double major in public speaking and religion. He holds the M. Div. and D. Min. degrees, and is an ordained minister. Prior to entering the gospel ministry, Dr. Kistler coached high school and college football for over 15 years.
Dr. Kistler pastored a local church for four years. As part of his preaching and teaching ministry, he has spoken at conferences with such notable figures as Dr. John MacArthur, Dr. R. C. Sproul, Dr. D. James Kennedy, Dr. J. I. Packer, Dr. John Gerstner, Elisabeth Elliot, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, Dr. Michael Horton, Rev. Alistair Begg, Dr. Albert M. Mohler, the late Dr. James Boice, and Rev. Eric Alexander, to name just a few.
Dr. Kistler is the author of the book A Spectacle Unto God: The Life and Death of Christopher Love, and Why Read the Puritans Today? and is the editor of all the Soli Deo Gloria Puritan reprints. He was a contributing author for Justification by Faith ALONE!; Sola Scriptura; Trust and Obey: Obedience and the Christian; Onward, Christian Soldiers: Protestants Affirm the Church; and Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching.
He has edited over 150 books. He currently resides in Orlando, FL.
Dr. Thrasher presented the
The Five Forevers
2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
In the world in which we live there is much uncertainty and anxiety about the future. While this is true, we as Christians have a God who is our Rock and Fortress and has not given us a spirit of fear, but promises peace with joy in the midst of this unstable world. God does this through the truths He has given us in His Word.
Gifted author, William Thrasher, has the unique ability to make great biblical themes understandable and readable. He will be giving us the “The Five Forevers” (possible title for an upcoming book), in a journey through Scripture to the things that never change by which we as Christians can build our lives.
Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.
Psalm 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, Mr. Thrasher received a B.S. in Business Economics from the University of South Carolina.
In October of 1980, he and his wife experienced the new birth in Jesus Christ. Since then his desire has been to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and understand as much as humanly possible the process of salvation.
His gift to the church has come through his writings. His books include Basics for Believers #1 and #2, and Things I’ve Learned on the Way to Heaven.
His books have been recommended by Kent Hughes, John MacArthur, Alistair Begg, and Erwin Lutzer, along with many others.
Dr. Horner presented
"Pilgrim's Progress" and "Future Isreal"
Overview - Pigrim's Progress
John Bunyan (1628-88) was arguably one of the most influential writers in human history. Consider the fact that after the undoubted supremacy in circulation of the English Bible, Bunyan's classic allegory The Pilgrim's Progress, has commonly ranked second. This has led it to be called "the second best book in all the world."
Even secular critics have agreed that this uneducated mender of pots and pans was a writer of uncommon genius. Raised during the turbulent seventeenth century in England, following conversion from an unsavory past, Bunyan began to preach and receive a welcome hearing. His first venture at writing at this time was a vigorous response to Quaker doctrine. Staunchly nonconformist, he was imprisoned for 12 years in the Bedford County jail for refusing to remain silent.
Some eleven editions of The Pilgrim's Progress were published during Bunyan's lifetime, this popularity being stimulated by the enthusiastic readership of the common people. Then in subsequent centuries broader acceptance followed, even by such literary notables such as Cowper, Coleridge, Macaulay, Froude, etc.
In particular, The Pilgrim's Progresshas gained extraordinary universal acceptance, its style being both simple yet engaging in its ability to communicate vital biblical truth. However, as with other classic writings, modernity has taken its toll. Hence, there is a need for the communication of the truth, Bunyan so pasionately proclaimed, in a manner that, while not compromising with regard to truth or style, yet addresses this twenty-first century with clarity and timeless appeal.
Overview - Future Israel
Over the centuries, since the ministry of Jesus Christ and the birth of the Christian church, the relationship between Judaism and Christianity has been one of unending tension. Especially within Christianity, any acknowledgment of ongoing distinctive Jewish identity has been fraught with controversy and stern repudiation. It has to be admitted that, within Christendom in a broad sense, the prevailing belief has continued to be that the Jew, the nation of Israel and the land, have, on account of unbelief and disobedience, earned permanent passé status. In other words, it is declared that this ancient people has forever forfeited its covenant relationship with God.
Such an estimate has not been without painful consequences, especially the fact that many Christians have treated the Jews as having become persona non grata in the sight of God. The only hope for such a forlorn people is said to be their ultimate absorption into the Christian church with the result being the loss of historic Jewishness. Any continued attachment to the past Old Testament legacy can only be retained in abstract, symbolic terms; to claim that God continues to recognize Jewishness, that which is ethnic, national and territorial, is said to revert to carnal, outmoded concepts with regard to the kingdom of God.
However for many years Barry has also pursued serious study of the field of eschatology. His particular concern is with regard to the present validity and role of national Israel in conjunction with the coming messianic kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. While of sovereign grace convictions, nevertheless he has become disturbed at the anti-Judaic tone that has pervaded much of this broad theological environment. He is convinced that a loving attitude toward the Jewish people, notwithstanding their predominant unbelief, ought to be a spontaneous consequence of a true biblical eschatology. Such a response is difficult if the Jewish people are denied their continuing Jewishness. Hence Barry’s latest publication Future Israel, has addressed this vital concern with some detail.
He resides in Arizona, where he ministers at Christ’s Church of Tucson.
Dr. Ware presented “Beholding Our God”
Session 1: Beholding the God of Merciful Holiness- Isaiah 6:1-13
Session 2: Beholding the God of Redemptive-Covenantal Love- Isaiah 43:1-7
Session 3: Beholding the God of Sovereign Supremacy- Isaiah 44:24-45:7
Session 4: Beholding the God of Unqualified Omniscience- Isaiah 46:3-11
Sunday School Topic: Complementation Roles of Men and Women- Genesis 1-3
Session 5: Beholding the God of Self-Sufficient Fullness- Isaiah 40:12-17
Session 6: Beholding the God of Everlasting Joy- Isaiah 55:1-3a
“[God’s] purpose in creating and redeeming us is not that we might fill up some lack in him, but that he might fill us up with himself. He made us empty to be filled with his fullness, thirsty to drink of the water of life, weak to receive his strength, foolish to be instructed and corrected by his wisdom. In his love, he longs to give, to share the bounty. He wants us to experience in finite measure the fullness of joy and blessing that he knows infinitely- all to redound to the praise and glory of his name, the Giver and Provider of all the good we enjoy.”
Dr. Bruce Ware, Professor of Christian Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is a highly esteemed theologian and author in the evangelical world. Dr. Ware has written numerous journal articles, book chapters, and book reviews and, along with Thomas Schreiner, has co-edited The Grace of God and the Bondage of the Will and Still Sovereign. Ware is the author of God's Lesser Glory: The Diminished God of Open Theism; God's Greater Glory: The Exalted God of Scripture and the Christian Faith; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, and Relevance; and Big Truths for Young Hearts: Teaching and Learning the Greatness of God . Dr. Ware and his wife Jodi have two grown daughters and one grandchild.
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Pastor: M. Randy Olson