The Thursday Update

FEBRUARY 12, 2026

Lakeshore Friends,

Doubt and deconstruction.

Typically, when we read those words, we think of something we’ve seen online, another Christian who has publicly announced their deconstruction, our lost friend or neighbor, or the hostile atheist. Many times, our focus is on the hostile, unbelieving world that needs to hear a logical apologetic for the Christian faith. This is good and needed. Although, there are two sides to this coin: what about the Christian who struggles with doubt? Often, this is a silent struggle for the Christian because talking about doubt as Christians can feel like a “taboo” topic. This Christian may feel shame, feel like they’re a “bad Christian,” or hide their questions for fear of the response of other Christians. I know because this was me. During my time in Bible College, I walked through a year like this, and asked questions like “why do I doubt when I’ve always believed, and others find it so easy?” Where I felt shame and fear of the response I’d receive, God’s Word comforted with me with the appropriate response due to doubters like me:

Be merciful to those who doubt (Jude 22).

This short, one chapter book in the New Testament gives light to the appropriate response to be given to doubters: mercy. Where we might expect to receive shame, or feel condemnation, Jude calls on Christians to be merciful on those who doubt. In fact, we see Jesus model this same attitude toward doubt. In Matthew 11:1-19 Jesus shows mercy and meets John the Baptist in the midst of his doubts (yes, John the Baptist - the last person you’d expect to have doubts about Jesus). In John 20:24-29, Thomas the disciple resolutely says, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (v.25). One week later, Jesus appears to Thomas, inviting him to see the nail marks in His hand and lets Thomas touch them to he may believe. Jesus did not condemn Thomas but comes down to His level and meets Him with mercy.

When I struggled with doubt, I was met with mercy. That mercy helped me not to be overcome by doubt, but helped me to ask questions, find real answers, and grow stronger in my belief than ever before. To the Christian who struggles with doubt, there is mercy for you. For the person who hasn’t placed faith in Jesus yet, there is mercy for you. For the Christian who does not struggle with doubt, let us be merciful, meeting doubters with love and allowing them to ask questions and seek answers. For all, our next series starting Sunday, “Beyond a Reasonable Doubt,” provides you an opportunity to come with questions, find real answers, and be met with the tender mercies of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God bless

Nate

FEBRUARY 5, 2026

Lakeshore Friends,

This Sunday is the highlight of the sports year; it’s the Super Bowl. Every single year, it is the most-watched event in America by far. Along with that, more Pizza and Chicken Wings will be consumed than on any other day. And yeah, many people will call in sick on Monday, too. Naughty, naughty!

It’s a big day!

But at Lakeshore, we’ll have what I know is an even bigger day— nine people will be baptized in our services. For anyone who loves Jesus, this is way more exciting than a football game. You’ll hear from nine lives that have been surrendered to Jesus Christ, have been forgiven by His grace, and are willing to go public with their faith in Him… all so exciting to see. Their testimonies will move you and inspire your faith— regardless of where you are in your spiritual journey.

Sunday at Lakeshore is the real Gameday!

I hope you’ll be here for all the fun. Along with the baptisms, I will show a pretty powerful clip from Tom Brady as part of my message introduction (yeah, I know, Buffalo Bills fans…) and talk about what Jesus says about the meaning of life. And the Atrium will once again become a tailgate party after each service.

So wear your favorite football jersey or shirt (or for people like Pastor Brian Pawlowski, “a sports thingee shirt” 😊) and be here for Gameday at Lakeshore!

Who Dat!? (that’s a New Orleans Saints chant)

Vince

JANUARY 29, 2026

Lakeshore Friends,

Have you noticed all the hate that is out there these days?

You see it observing people on the news.  There are lots of people so filled with hate and bitterness toward others.  People wishing harm and even death on others they don’t like or disagree with.  The celebration of people being killed is the most gross example of this.

You hear about it in the lives of others who share things about what their friends and family say to them.  It’s really hard to believe people can say the things that they do about other people.  By the way, Pastors experience it as well.  Every pastor can tell stories of some of the most incredibly hateful things people say about them and about their church or ministry.

And you can be certain that hate is on the rise in the world.

Have you experienced hate yourself these days?  How do you handle it in your life?

Over the years, I’ve grown and learned a lot about hate and hateful people.  Here’s what I have learned from the Bible and life: 

1. There will always be hateful people.  It doesn’t matter what you do or don’t do, what you say or don’t say, how hard you try or anything else.  We must learn to accept this as a sad reality.  The sooner we do, the better we can prepare for it happening to us.  As the pop hit song goes, “Haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate hate.”
   
   
2. The more you love Jesus, the more people will hate you for it.  That’s because the ways of the world are in contradiction to the ways of God.  Jesus told us so in John 15:

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.  As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.  That is why the world hates you.  Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’  If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.”  John 15:18-20a, NIV

1. The hate we see today will only get worse as we approach the last days and the return of Jesus.  Don’t expect things to get better.  If they do, it won’t be for long because the trend is becoming crystal clear for anyone who knows what the Bible says about these last days.  The Apostle Paul wrote these words to Pastor Timothy as an example for us to understand.  Notice how many of these words are tied to feelings of hate for others, for God, and for life:

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.  2 Timothy 3:1-4, NIV

1. We can find inner joy when we are hated for Jesus Christ’s sake.  God allows us to be hated so that we can find our joy in Him and not in this life.  In fact, Jesus says that when we are hated by others for living for Him, we will receive a greater reward in heaven:

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  Matthew 5:11-12, NIV

1. The only response to hatred and evil is love and goodness.  Consider these verses when deciding how to respond to haters:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”  Matthew 5:43-45a, NIV 

 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.  On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  Romans 12:19-21, NIV

With a world of hate all around us, it is very easy to get sucked into hate ourselves.  “We hate him!”  “We hate those people!”  “We hate people who vote this way!”  “We hate people who support this or that or whatever!”  We must guard against embracing the same lifestyle that our hateful world embraces.  As a Christian, the last thing I want to be known for is hate and the first thing I want to be known for is love.  So I want to try and live like it everyday. 

So when people hate you and me, think of it as God’s opportunity to show them a love that is impossible without God producing it in us to pass on to others.Warmly,

Vince
Senior Pastor