FAC Band of Brothers

As traditionally is done for the last session of the Band of Brothers season, today was an open microphone session, where men were called on to share their hearts and what God has done in their lives. Before the session began, a worship team consisting of Jesse Harris, Tim Hunter, Jonathan Waltemyer, and Mark Walton provided three worship songs for all of the men to join in singing and praising God. Great job! After the worship time, several men, including a few of the guys who attended the very first Band of Brothers back in 2006, stood up and talked about how their lives have been transformed and the part Band of Brothers played in that process. Thank you Jesus for Who You are and for all that You have done all of these years through Band of Brothers. Alleluia!

Michael More' presented, "Joseph: Bringing Up Jesus," the last message in the series entitled, "Called to Righteousness (Integrity)," and the last message for Fellowship Alliance Chapel's Band of Brothers. Not much is mentioned in the Bible about Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, and the husband of Mary, but there is enough to show that Joseph was a righteous man of integrity. Joseph listened to the angel in each of his four dreams of the New Testament and obeyed God's direction by marrying Mary and bringing up the Son of God as his own Son. Joseph was not afraid to obey God in the face of great shame and humiliation and he answered the call to please God rather than men. Michael challenged the men to put on the full armor of God and stay in the battle for righteousness; stay in the battle to win the souls of the lost. Only then can we be blessed to be used by God as He, in fact, saves souls and builds His kingdom. Alleluia! Amen

Michael More' presented, "John the Baptist: Bold Humility," the third message in the current series. As example to us Christians, John the Baptist was not only bold with his faith, even to the point of it costing him his life, but he was also very humble, recognizing that he was a servant blessed to pave the way for Jesus Christ, Who the Messiah. As Michael pointed out, we need to be bold in presenting and defending our faith yet do so with humility and gentleness. When we have that bold humility, empowered by the Holy Spirit, then others may just begin to have ears to hear.

Pastor Steve Hoadley presented, "Barnabas: Son of Encouragement," during which he pointed out that the Holy Spirit filled Barnabas and was active in his life, allowing him to be the encourager he was. As Steve explained, Barnabas' real name was Joseph, but his personality to encourage others was so strong that he was known by the name "Barnabas," which means "Son of Encouragement." In fact, it was Barnabas who befriended and actually served as a mentor to Paul the Apostle who ended up being used by the Holy Spirit to write most of the New Testament. He also accompanied Paul as a missionary, relieved the fears of those who were reluctant to accept the man who was once Saul, a Christian persecutor, and encouraged John Mark after Paul rejected him as a fellow missionary; the same John Mark that went on to be used by the Holy Spirit to write one of the four Gospels. Pastor Hoadley finished by challenging the men to be involved in the lives of other mean who need mentoring during their Christian walk; and to be encouragers as exemplified by Barnabas.

Jesse Harris opened the final series of the final season of Fellowship Alliance Chapel's Band of Band of Brothers breakfast ministry, "Called to Righteousness (Integrity)," by presenting, "Boaz: Who's the Kinsman Redeemer?" As Jesse pointed out, living righteously means acting in accord with divine and moral law, realizing that the standard for morality is set by God Himself. The story of Boaz, in the Bible book of Ruth, is the story of how a man did follow God and lived a life of integrity, especially in his relation with Ruth. When the closest kinsman redeemer for Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth refused to take on that responsibility, Boaz, who was next in line, became that kinsman redeemer and purchased the widow Naomi's land and married the widow Ruth. God blessed that marriage and Boaz became the father of Obed, who was the father of Jesse, who was the father of David; all in the family line into which Jesus was born. Jesse then challenged the men as to what each are doing with their lives to introduce the lost to the ultimate Kinsman Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who gave his live as payment in full for the sin of the world and rose from the dead bringing victory over death. As Christians, we are to be such witnesses to this dark and dying world.

Jim Hall presented, "Nehemiah: Leading by Example" during which he pointed out three attributes a Christian leader must have in order to lead effectively for Christ: love of God, love of His people, and willingness to step out of his comfort zone. Nehemiah displayed all three of those as he led people from a land of captivity back to Jerusalem, in order to repair the wall around the city which would fortify the city and the temple. God blessed Nehemiah's efforts because Nehemiah consistently went to God in prayer and encouraged the people whenever trouble arose. Nehemiah instructed those he led that besides using the tools to do the physical work before them, that they should also keep their Spiritual weapons with them to fight off the enemy against all possible attacks that would keep them from completing the work God called them to do. The same applies to us today. We must always go about doing God's work yet doing so while keeping on the full armor of God that He gives us for the battle.

Dave Stow presented, "Ezra: The Team Approach," during which he gave an analogy of a sports team that needs all members to play a part in order to have success. In the same manner, leaders are called by God to make a difference for God's Kingdom by causing revival in the lives of others in order to bring glory to God. Ezra, in the Bible, was one such man who did so by leading a large group of men from Babylonian captivity back to the promised land, in order to build the temple. Dave pointed out that Ezra's humble realization that God's hand was upon him, was what gave Ezra the strength needed to bring about revival and play a part in the reunification of the nation of Israel. Dave challenged the men by asking, "Where are the Ezras today?"

Pastor Seth opened our newest series, "Called to Lead," by presenting "Joshua: Faith Brings Down Walls," during which he reminded us that because God created us for a purpose, He requires something of us. God gave Joshua the command to take the battle to Jericho and defeat the Canaanites, and Joshua worshipped God by living out his faith by following God. It was God Who brought down the walls of Jericho, honoring the full faith of Joshua. In the same way, we men today need to be filled with faith in God, by living out His Word and serving our purpose as leaders in the real Spiritual battle in which we are engaged. brought down the walls of Jericho, honoring the full faith of Joshua. In the same way, we men today need to be filled with faith in God, by living out His Word and serving our purpose as leaders in the real Spiritual battle in which we are engaged.

Stan Schroeder presented, "Peter: But Who Do You Say That I Am?," as the final presentation of the "Called to Loyalty" series. Stan talked about the different stages that Peter's loyalty to Christ went through as he was walking along side of Him on earth. As Stan explained, loyalty involves faithfulness, commitment, and obligation; and a failure to stay on track with all three results in a compromised loyalty. Peter went through those stages and yet, in the end, reaffirmed his loyalty to Christ and proved to be a great witness for Jesus in the book of Acts. We are also challenged to stay loyal to Jesus as we serve Him daily.

Jesse Harris spoke on the Biblical character Elisha and how he exemplified loyalty to Elijah, his mentor, and especially to God. He focused on how Elisha's loyalty led to great blessing in his life and ministry, and connected it to how our loyalty to God can and will be a blessing for us, not only for our life here on earth, but a blessing for our life to come as well.

Michael More' presented, "Jonathan: Worth the Cost," during which the men were encouraged to look at the legacy of Jonathan in the Bible, with respect to his Godly attribute of loyalty. Jonathan was a good example because he lived out his loyalty to his father Saul, to David, and primarily to God, all without wavering. Jonathan did so at the risk of his very life, demonstrating a belief that serving God was worth the risk.

Elder Phil Morgan presented the first message of the "Called to Loyalty" series, entitled, "Mordecai: Loyalty Rewarded." Phil defined loyalty as putting someone else ahead of yourself and sticking with that person through thick and thin. To be loyal necessitates being humble and submitting to God's sovereignty. God uses His people, even when we fail to be loyal, in order to accomplish His purposes. When we are loyal, not only to God, but to our families, to others whom we lead, to our jobs, to authority, and to the calling that God gives us is when God will bestow His blessings and rewards upon us.

Michael More' presented "What's So Good About That Friday?": The Easter Story, during which he presented the story of Christ's resurrection while keying in on the importance of Good Friday and the significance that day has in the perfect plan of salvation that Jesus has for His elect; those who have put their trust in the finished work of Christ alone. Good Friday had to happen for there to be a Resurrection Sunday and it was Christ's resurrection that also made Christmas necessary. As Michael pointed out, we must let the lessons Christ taught on the cross saturate our mines and the power He won on the cross invigorate our wills to be of service for Jesus in bringing others to Christ.

Mark Pitchko told his life story allowing the men to hear what his life was like before he knew Christ, how he came to accept Christ as his Lord and Savior, and how his life has been changed since he has been saved. Mark now realizes that through all the many trials in his life, including tragedies, and lengthy periods of darkness, Christ was lovingly watching over him and calling him to be His child. God never gave up on Mark and Mark finally learned to put all his burdens on Jesus, Who then miraculously made him the God loving man he is today. Mark reminded the men that Jesus would do the same for anyone who calls on His Name. Same God - Elevation Worship

Jesse Harris presented, "Onesimus: Truly ‘Useful'”, during which he explained how a runaway slave repented and turned to Christ, and then made amends by returning to Philemon from whom he had escaped. All this occurred after Onesimus, the fugitive, met Paul the Apostle in Rome and, under Paul's direction, became a follower of Jesus. As Jesse explained, just as the Holy Spirit convicted Onesimus of his sin and led him to repentance, we too need to allow that same Holy Spirit to guide us to repentance each time we sin. When we do, the Holy Spirit will give us newness of life, help us to pray, and teach us how to abide in Christ; and, as a result, He will give our lives purpose.

Michael More' presented "Zacchaeus: Repentance in Action," during which he told the New Testament story about how a hated chief tax collector in Israel, named Zacchaeus, had an encounter with Jesus that changed his life forever. Zacchaeus made his decision to follow Jesus and went from being an enemy of God to one who loved Him, from a crooked tax collector to a restorer of four times the amount that he unethically took from people, and from a deceitful sinner to a follower of God. The Zacchaeus story reminds us that "...if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." Alleluia!

Tim Vibbert presented "John Mark: Repentance to Rehabilitation," during which he reminded us that Christ, through His work alone gave us the gift of reconciliation by His death on the cross for our sins. While we were yet sinners, Christ willingly died for us, paying our debt in full. John Mark, was reconciled to the apostle Paul by his presumed repentance and later again became "useful" in Paul's ministry of spreading the Gospel of Christ. Tim reminded the men that we cannot control the actions of others but, through Christ, we can take the first step toward reconciliation.

Pastor Steve Hoadley presented, "David: A Repentant Heart," during which he pointed out that David was a man after God's own heart because he became aware of and accepted God's grace for his life. As Steve pointed out, we need more than a doctrine of grace but rather a sense of God's grace. Yet no one can come to true repentance without the Spirit of God Who makes us recognize our need for repentance. Only then can we get beyond the guilt of our sin and live our lives as forgiven people. Alleluia!

Coach Jim Horner presented, "Jacob: Repentant Faith," during which he spoke about how Jacob went from being a deceitful sinner to a repentance that caused him to wrestle with an "angel" all night in order to receive a blessing from God. During that encounter is when God changed Jacob's name to Israel, which means "Fighter of God." Coach explained that it is God that gives us the repentance through His grace. We can only come to salvation in Jesus by God's grace, not by anything that we can do.  Only His grace gives us the faith to believe. When we are truly repentant, that repentance will result in the good works God has designed for us believers. 

Elder Phil Morgan gave his life story which included what his life was like before he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior, how he came to Christ, and what changes being a Christian has brought to his life. Phil closed in prayer by leading in a sinner's prayer affording those in attendance, not having a personal relationship with Christ, the opportunity to pray to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord. Alleluia! 

Elder Miguel Lemming presented, "Paul: 'Stand Firm!'," in which he quoted a statement offered to him by Michael More': "The Word shows us that Paul is certainly an example we can follow in putting on perseverance. Even after all the trials Paul went through, including severe beatings, being stoned and left for dead, being shipwrecked, and finally being unjustly thrown into a Roman prison, Paul still goes on, as Philippians 4:1 says, expressing his love for believers while encouraging them to “Stand Firm” in the Lord." As followers of Christ, we too are to do just that, stand firm in our faith no matter what trials life has in store for us. Only by staying strong in our faith and leaning on Christ, Who is ever present with us, can we believers continue to persevere. 

Juan Cerdan-Diaz presented "Abraham: All Things Are Possible," using the account of Abraham from Genesis 15 as the basis for his presentation. Abraham received a command from God and chose to obey that command because he believed God. That belief that Abraham had was counted unto him as righteousness before God, and as a result, Abraham received a promise from God that he would be the father of a great nation. With Abraham's encounter there was a command, obedience, and a promise. It is the same with us when we believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Further, when we believe in Jesus, that belief leads to righteousness which leads to perseverance in waiting on God's promises for our lives.

Elder Paul Krihak presented, "Moses: 'Let My People Go.'" The presentation was a continuance of the series, "Called to Persevere," and Paul pointed out that perseverance starts with obedience, and that the story of Moses is a story of obedience. Just as with Moses, God uses a progression of events to fulfill His purposes, if we are willing to obey His calling on our lives. We must persevere through the trials of life so that the Lord can work through us, knowing that God uses a progression of events to fulfill His purposes. The Lord will always be with us and, if we obey, we don't have to worry about what success looks like. God will bring about the result He desires. 

Elder Eric Johnson presented "Job: 'Blessed Be the Name of the Lord.'" Job was a very successful man both in a worldly sense and especially in a Spiritual sense, in that God called him "blameless." Although Job walked closely with the Lord, God allowed him to be put in a position where he lost all of his worldly possessions, his children, and even his health. Yet Job refused to curse or blame God in spite of discouraging messages from friends and even from his wife. Job was able to persevere through it all, persistent in his faith in God and His promises. Although he questioned God's motives, Job never denounced or gave up on God, and, in the end, God restored all the blessings He had given to Job and even more. Job's persevering faith in God brought him through suffering. 

Pastor Dave Krilov presented, "Noah: The Faithful Builder," during which he talked about the type of faith Noah had and how Noah was able to feed that faith. The abundance of perseverance Noah had in building the ark, while living in the evil that surrounded him in the land, could only come from God. Noah dispelled any fears that he had by keeping his faith that God would accomplish what He said He would. Noah was an ordinary man who sinned like us, yet he stood blameless before God because of his faith. We also need to, as did Noah, keep our souls aligned with God while seeking intimacy with Him. We must always trust that God will keep His promises while always remembering, as Christians, that our identity is in God alone, through Jesus Christ. Alleluia! 

Today was our first open microphone session of the season, where several men were willing to share their hearts toward a theme of "Thankfulness." Michael More' also called for all service men and veterans to stand so as to be recognized in honor of Veterans Day that was celebrated six days ago, and as a show of thanksgiving for their service to our country. Praise the Lord for all the blessings He bestows upon each of us. 

Pastor Erik Jarvis presented, "Ananias: The Courage to Obey," during which he talked about how an ordinary man was called by God to perform what appeared to be the highly dangerous task of making contact with Saul, who was a lead persecutor of the followers of Christ. Yet, Ananias, although concerned for his safety, found the courage to meet with Saul and pray over him to regain his sight. As Erik taught, to obey God's commands we need to listen, have courage, and then take action. 

Dr. Dennis Borg presented, "Stephen: Courageous Faith," during which he talked about Stephen's background as a Hellenistic Jew and how he was challenged to care for the Greek widows who were being neglected in favor of the Jewish widows. Stephen was completely faithful to the Gospel, and when challenged by the religious leaders went through the Old Testament stories of God's omnipresence and power. When the Holy Spirit allowed Stephen's testimony to pierce their hearts, the Jews turned on him and stoned him to death. Stephen became the first Christian martyr yet, like Christ, asked forgiveness for those putting him to death. Dennis challenged the men to be called to the same courage in sharing the Gospel, relying, as did Stephen, on truth and the Holy Spirit.

Jack Allison presented his life story, covering what his life was like before he accepted Christ as his personal Savior, how he came to accept Christ, and what has changed since. Jack talked about how his walk has had a zigzag pattern, but how he is learning more and more about overcoming fears he never even thought he had and how he can walk closer and closer to Jesus as he stays in fellowship with other Christian men and Christian groups.

Michael More' presented, "Elijah: Trust and Obey," during which he talked about the extraordinary tasks that Elijah accomplished by hearing, believing, and trusting God. By doing all three, Elijah was able to obey God, knowing that the job he was called to do would be accomplished and that he could be bold in the Lord, knowing that God would protect him as Elijah was undertaking the tasks God appointed him to do. We too can have the same boldness in Christ as we too, as Christian men, have been ordained unto good works for which we were created. Yet to be able to set aside all of our fears and allow God to work through us, we too must be able to hear, believe, and trust God.

Stan Schroeder presented, "Joseph: Obedience Through Adversity," during which he taught about Joseph, one of Jacob's favorite son, who went through all kinds of adversity throughout his life, yet kept his integrity in place by choosing to obey God. Joseph was sold to slave traders by his jealous brothers, lived alone in a foreign land, and was even unjustly imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. He had many reasons to be bitter and without hope. Yet Joseph learned early on that God is with His people and often works behind the scenes for His glory and their good. While Jacob's circumstances seemed horrible when happening, they were all part of a string of events that God used to reconcile Joseph to his family and save the nation of Israel from starvation and extinction. We were challenged to have the same resolve when faced with unpleasant circumstances, remembering Genesis 39:21 (ESV): "But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison." As we obey God's call, He gives us the same love and favor. 

Tim Vibbert presented, "Daniel: God's Law, Not Man's," during which he first presented an overview of the Book of Daniel and then zeroed in on how Daniel stood firm on his desire to obey God. With his life on the line, through the trickery of Babylonian officials, who were jealous of Daniel's relationship to the Babylonian king, Daniel stood fast in praying to God to the point of being thrown into a lion's den rather than pray to anyone or anything but the one true God. Tim challenged the men to stand firm in our faith in the face of culture changes that are bringing our nation and our world on a downward spiral.

This season's theme for Band of Brothers is "Ordinary Men, Extraordinary Deeds: God Qualifies the Called." The first series is entitled, "Called to Obey," and Jesse Harris opened it up with "Isaiah: "Here am I; send me," based on Isaiah 6:8 from the Old Testament. As Jesse pointed out, Isaiah felt unworthy to follow God's call, even declaring that his lips were unclean. Yet God provided cleansing for Isaiah, who then chose to follow God's call and preached to several kings of Judah, suffered much persecution, yet continued to obey God and carry His message. Isaiah was blessed to be able to prophesy the future birth of the coming Messiah, which was fulfilled several hundred years later. All of this happened because an ordinary man chose to obey God by following His call.

Today's scheduled open microphone session was pre-empted by a few guys who “hijacked” the session to pay tribute to Michael More', the ministry's director. Michael was both humbled and deeply touched by the kind sentiments paid to him, as well as the momentos with which he was presented by several...

Michael More’ presented, “Go Ye Therefore,” during which he expounded upon Matthew 28, Jesus’ last conversation with His disciples before He ascended into Heaven. After reviewing the events of Holy Week, and their significance, Michael talked about the necessity of and the reasons we followers of Christ must follow the...

FAC Senior Pastor Seth McCoy presented, “Abiding: Continuing in Him,” as part of our current series on abiding in Christ. As Seth pointed out, the entire foundation of existence is built on a relationship of love, a love between a Father and His Son. We serve a triune God, and...

Pastor Steve Hoadley presented, “Abiding: Depending on Him,” during which he referenced John 15, in which Jesus tells us that we need to abide in Him because without Him we can do nothing. We, as followers of Christ, are the branches, but Jesus is the Vine on Which the branches...

    Dave Stow and Jesse Harris presented, “Discipleship: How Is It Done?,” during which each took a separate part. Dave introduced the men to the fact that FAC’s Men’s Leadership Team will be rolling out a new men’s mentoring program in September. He also talked about his father’s story...

Brian Potter presented, “Discipleship: A Love Relationship,” during which he talked about the importance of discipling with other men and sharing each other’s burdens and trials. Brian gave examples of personal experiences in his family life, whereby instead of choosing to be bitter and angry at God, Brian and his...

Dave Stow presented, “Discipleship: Serving God,” during which he reminded the men that Christians are called for a purpose to fulfill a mission. Jesus’ last instruction to His disciples before He ascended into Heaven was to go and teach all nations, making disciples. Our mission is to follow Jesus and...

Charles Iannuzzelli presented, “Discipleship: The Plentiful Harvest,” based on Matthew 9:36-37, wherein Jesus points out that there are few workers to gather in the harvest, and asks for prayer that more would step up. Charles pointed out two key obstacles that tend to stop Christians from spreading the Gospel, fear...

Jesse Harris presented, “Mentoring Men: Our Mission,” during which he pointed out that the final instruction which Jesus gave His followers before He ascended into Heaven is given in Matthew 28:19-20. Jesus tells us to go out and make disciples by teaching them all that He has commanded us. We...

Today Dick Wirth and Tom Lowe shared their life stories on stage, in an interview format conducted by Michael More’. Each talked about the various stages of their lives and their Spiritual condition during those stages, culminating with how and when they came to know Christ as their personal Savior....

Michael More’ presented, “Greater Love Has No Man…”, during which he pointed out consistently from Scripture how God wants us to love others. God calls his disciples, and all of His followers by extension, his ‘friends.” He also says, in John 15:14, “You are my friends if you do what...

Coach Jim Horner presented “Place Others Above Self!”, during which he talked about how doing so requires above all love, and then humility. As coach pointed out, self-love and caring only about one’s own needs is sinful and is not the example Jesus gave us to follow with His life,...

Pastor Erik Rebstock presented, “Be Willing To Bear Another’s Burdens!,” during which he reminded us that, in doing so, we may suffer some scars. Erik proposed that bearing another’s burdens has three marks: it costs something; it is an investment with incredible returns; and it is an obligation. Pastor Rebstock...

Stan Schroeder presented “Make God Your Center!,” wherein he effectively used Scripture to show both what happens when God is not in the center of your life, and the benefits and blessings that come about when He is indeed your center. As Stan points out, men tend to be compartmentalized...

Dr. Matthew Miller presented “Humility Requires Surrender,” during which he pointed out that we cannot walk humbly before God without first fully surrendering to Him. Matt also denoted that whatever one surrenders his desires to, other than God, is his God, whether that be his job, his children, or even...

Mike Mitchell presented his life story, one that took him from a normal childhood, growing up in Philadelphia and raised by hard working ethical parents, to a life of alcoholism and drug addiction, to eventually seeking God and having sobriety for the last 13 years. Because of his addictions, although...

Pastor Erik Jarvis concluded our current series on mercy by presenting, “Mercy: Give It To Receive It.” To start the message, Erik defined mercy as having compassion when you have the power to punish or provide harm. For the most part, Erik used text from the Sermon on the Mount...