DRAW ME CLOSE is the Bible Teaching Ministry of Whitestone Christian Fellowship, taught by Pastor Bob Lawrenz. We pray that the audio bible teachings will bless and encourage you in your Christian walk. It is our desire that you draw ever so close to our Savior, our Redeemer and Lord.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Colossians 3:16⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Bobservations' Column is written each week by Pastor Bob Lawrenz, and correlates to our weekly Sunday Morning teachings.

This week's Bobservations' Column is written in correlation with Obadiah 1. Obadiah—the shortest book in the Old Testament at just 21 verses—illustrates how God's love for His people and His strict justice against evil operates together.

DRAW ME CLOSE is the Bible Teaching Ministry of Whitestone Christian Fellowship, taught by Pastor Bob Lawrenz.

We pray that the audio bible teachings will bless and encourage you in your Christian walk. It is our desire that you draw ever so close to our Savior, our Redeemer and Lord.

This week, we are taking a detour away from the book of Acts and into Obadiah. Obadiah, the shortest book in the Old Testament, is only 21 verses long. Obadiah is a prophet of God who uses this opportunity to condemn Edom for sins against both God and Israel. The Edomites are descendants of Esau and the Israelites are descendants of his twin brother, Jacob. A quarrel between the brothers has affected their descendants for over 1,000 years. Obadiah’s message is final and it is sure: the kingdom of Edom will be destroyed completely. Edom has been arrogant, gloating over Israel’s misfortunes, and when enemy armies attack Israel and the Israelites ask for help, the Edomites refuse and choose to fight against Israel, not for them. These sins of pride can be overlooked no longer. The book ends with the promise of the fulfillment and deliverance of Zion in the Last Days when the land will be restored to God’s people as He rules over them.

Special thanks to Emmanuel Garilus for permission to use his instrumental track, the beautiful rendition of Draw Me Nearer.

DRAW ME CLOSE is the Bible Teaching Ministry of Whitestone Christian Fellowship, taught by Pastor Bob Lawrenz.

We pray that the audio bible teachings will bless and encourage you in your Christian walk. It is our desire that you draw ever so close to our Savior, our Redeemer and Lord.

This week, Acts 11:19-12:25 covers a pivotal turning point in the New Testament: the rapid expansion of the gospel to the Gentile world, the rise of a major new Christian center in Antioch, a severe wave of political persecution in Jerusalem, and the miraculous deliverance of the Apostle Peter.

Persecution, prison, and political opposition cannot stop the Gospel. It thrived in Antioch despite adversity, and it outlasted Herod's wrath. Circumstances cannot thwart God’s ultimate plans for your life or His Kingdom. Remember that!

Special thanks to Emmanuel Garilus for permission to use his instrumental track, the beautiful rendition of Draw Me Nearer.

DRAW ME CLOSE is the Bible Teaching Ministry of Whitestone Christian Fellowship, taught by Pastor Bob Lawrenz.

We pray that the audio bible teachings will bless and encourage you in your Christian walk. It is our desire that you draw ever so close to our Savior, our Redeemer and Lord.

This week, Acts 11:1-18 details a watershed moment in early church history where Peter finds himself defending his ministry to the Gentiles before his accusers, Jewish believers in Jerusalem, who do not yet understand God's greater plan of salvation reaching the Gentile nations.

Peter’s vision (chapter 10) and subsequent encounter with Cornelius shattered the Jewish notion of exclusivity. God revealed to Peter that His redemptive plan included Jews and Gentiles (cf. John 10:16). Peter’s declaration that “God is no respecter of persons” affirms that the gospel of Jesus Christ is available to all, irrespective of nationality or social status.Peter is giving a detailed chronology of events.

Special thanks to Emmanuel Garilus for permission to use his instrumental track, the beautiful rendition of Draw Me Nearer.

DRAW ME CLOSE is the Bible Teaching Ministry of Whitestone Christian Fellowship, taught by Pastor Bob Lawrenz. We pray that the audio bible teachings will bless and encourage you in your Christian walk. It is our desire that you draw ever so close to our Savior, our Redeemer and Lord.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Colossians 3:16⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Bobservations' Column is written each week by Pastor Bob Lawrenz, and correlates to our weekly Sunday Morning teachings. To hear the full message just click on the following link: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Book of Acts - playlist by Whitestone Christian Fellowship | Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week's Bobservations' Column is written in correlation Acts chapter 11:19-30. The church at Antioch of Syria plays a crucial role in the book of Acts. Here believers were first called Christians (Acts 11:26). With its mixture of Jews and Gentiles, the church at Antioch became fertile ground for the growth and spread of Christianity and a model congregation in the early days of the new Christian church.

DRAW ME CLOSE is the Bible Teaching Ministry of Whitestone Christian Fellowship, taught by Pastor Bob Lawrenz. We pray that the audio bible teachings will bless and encourage you in your Christian walk. It is our desire that you draw ever so close to our Savior, our Redeemer and Lord.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Colossians 3:16⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Bobservations' Column is written each week by Pastor Bob Lawrenz, and correlates to our weekly Sunday Morning teachings. To hear the full message just click on the following link: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Book of Acts - playlist by Whitestone Christian Fellowship | Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week's Bobservations' Column is written in correlation Acts chapter 11:1-18 details a watershed moment in early church history where Peter defends his ministry to the Gentiles before the critical Jewish-Christian leadership in Jerusalem. It tells the story of the Apostle Peter defending his decision to preach to, baptize, and share a meal with Cornelius (a Gentile) and his household (chapter 10).

Jewish believers in Jerusalem criticized Peter not just for speaking to non-Jews, but for breaking traditional kosher and purity laws by entering a Gentile home and eating with themPeter calmly retold the story of his rooftop vision from Acts 10, where God declared that no person or food is "common or unclean". He explained that while he was speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon the Gentiles in the exact same way it did on the Jewish believers at Pentecost.Peter asked a defining rhetorical question: "If God gave them the same gift he gave us..., who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?"

The critics stopped objecting, praised God, and recognized a massive paradigm shift: "So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life, through faith in Jesus Christ.

DRAW ME CLOSE is the Bible Teaching Ministry of Whitestone Christian Fellowship, taught by Pastor Bob Lawrenz.

We pray that the audio bible teachings will bless and encourage you in your Christian walk. It is our desire that you draw ever so close to our Savior, our Redeemer and Lord.

This week, in Acts 10:34-48, The statement “God is no respecter of persons” means that God does not show favoritism or partiality. In other words, the free offer of the gospel is available to all—Jew and Gentile alike (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:24).
In the Old Testament, God established a covenant relationship with Israel (Deuteronomy 7:6). This led many Jews to believe that Gentiles were “unclean” and beyond the reach of God’s saving grace.
Peter’s vision and subsequent encounter with Cornelius shattered the Jewish notion of exclusivity. God revealed to Peter that His redemptive plan included Jews and Gentiles (cf. John 10:16). Peter’s declaration that “God is no respecter of persons” affirms that the gospel of Jesus Christ is available to all, irrespective of nationality or social status. This profound truth breaks down national barriers and unites people from diverse backgrounds (see Ephesians 2:11–22).

Special thanks to Emmanuel Garilus for permission to use his instrumental track, the beautiful rendition of Draw Me Nearer.

DRAW ME CLOSE is the Bible Teaching Ministry of Whitestone Christian Fellowship, taught by Pastor Bob Lawrenz. We pray that the audio bible teachings will bless and encourage you in your Christian walk. It is our desire that you draw ever so close to our Savior, our Redeemer and Lord.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Colossians 3:16⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Bobservations' Column is written each week by Pastor Bob Lawrenz, and correlates to our weekly Sunday Morning teachings. To hear the full message just click on the following link: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Book of Acts - playlist by Whitestone Christian Fellowship | Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week's Bobservations' Column is written in correlation Acts chapter 10:34-48.

Acts 10:34-48 documents the first formal entry of Gentiles into the Christian Church. It represents a radical theological shift, breaking down the ancient religious barrier between Jews and non-Jews.
Peter's preaching shifts from a Jewish audience in Jerusalem to a Gentile household on the coast of Israel, showing that the resurrection message is for everyone.
This was a radical turning point in God’s economy of salvation. For almost 2,000 years since Abraham, salvation had been from the Jews (John 4:22) and through the Jews. A Gentile had to become a Jewish proselyte in order to know and worship God in the way that God ordained. God had promised Abraham that through his descendants, all the nations would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). But up till now, the blessing of salvation was pretty much bottled up with the Jews. But now a radical shift takes place. The door of salvation swings wide open to the Gentiles, and it does not require them first to become Jews. It surprised Peter’s Jewish traveling companions (Acts 10:45), and although Peter had come to understand it intellectually (Acts 10:34), it probably startled him, too.
Peter acknowledges the unusual circumstances that led him to Cornelius’s home (Acts 10:28–29). Although it was unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit a Gentile, God showed Peter that he should not despise or reject anyone (verses 28–29). In response, Cornelius recounts the vision that he received from an angel of the Lord (verse 30–32). He then expresses a desire to hear what Peter had to share with him and his household (verse 33). It is at this point that Peter declares, “I perceive that God is no respecter of persons” (verse 34, KJV).
The statement “God is no respecter of persons” means that God does not show favoritism or partiality. In other words, the free offer of the gospel is available to all—Jew and Gentile alike (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:24).