The Thursday Update

March 19, 2026

Lakeshore Friends—

So few people live in God’s love.  The things we see in our world every single day prove this.  The cruel things people say, the evil things people do, the active aggression people exhibit toward others, the passive aggression people mask toward others, and so much more. These are just a few examples.

When people who have never known God’s love do this, we should not be surprised.  When you don’t know God’s love, it is impossible to really love others fully.  Our goal for people in this station of life is to help them see God’s grace and love so that they can know what true love is inside their spirit.  That’s what we talked about last week in our “No Greater Love” series kick-off message last Sunday.  As Ephesians 2:1-10 tells us, we can move from death to life, from separation from God’s love to submersion in God’s love when we turn to faith in Jesus Christ.  Then we can learn to spend the rest of our lives living in God’s love personally and then expressing it to Him and others perpetually.

But how do you live in God’s love every day? 

How do you avoid drifting from God’s love when the waves of life come crashing in on you? 

And how do you avoid a total shipwreck that destroys God’s love in your heart and life?

It’s not as easy as it sounds.  Over the years, I have seen so many people experience God’s love by putting their faith in Jesus Christ only to have a short-lived encounter that doesn’t last.  It usually starts with little drifts away from God until they all start to add up to a journey that is way off course.  They just lose the love that God offered and gave them.

But there are hundreds of others at Lakeshore that seem to stay in God’s love, growing and living in His love more and more each day.

What makes the difference between those who live and stay in God’s love and those who do not? 

We’ll find some important answers on Sunday in Jesus’ words in John 15:1-20.  I hope you’ll be here to learn what they are.  Our world needs to see more people living in God’s love than ever before.  And we all need to live in God’s love if we are going to make it in this often-hateful world.

Warmly,

Vince

March 12, 2026

Lakeshore Friends—

A number of years ago, Jackie DeShannon sang a song that proclaimed something most people believe.  It was titled “What The World Needs Now Is Love”.  The refrain in the song says what should be obvious to everyone:

“What the world needs now

Is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now
Is love, sweet love
No, not just for some, but for everyone.”

This is one of many songs that espouse the virtue and value of love and how our world really needs love if it wants to survive.  Despite this, our world is sorely lacking in love.  There is a lack of love everywhere we turn— it’s on the streets, at our workplaces, in our neighborhoods, in our politics, and even in our families.

So what’s the problem?  Simply put, while our world talks about love, it clearly has no answer for what true love is, how love is fully expressed, and where love itself comes from.  Without those answers, people can never express true love.  Perhaps another song sung by local artist (and Gates Chili graduate 😊) Lou Gramm best describes the state of many when it comes to the world’s understanding of love: “I want to know what love is”.

So what’s the solution?  The Good News is that God says that we can know what true love is, how to express it to others, and where it comes from.  We’ll explain how, and so much more, in a new series we’re beginning on Sunday, “No Greater Love”.I’ll teach through four important passages of Scripture over the next four weeks leading up to Easter and provide answers to these questions about love. We’ll learn how there is no greater love than the love of God expressed in Jesus Christ.

I hope you’ll be here.  And if you know someone who has been “Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places” (by Johnny Lee), invite them to join you.

Warmly,

Vince

FEBRUARY 26, 2026

Hi Lakeshore,

One of the reasons I’m so excited about our current series, Beyond A Reasonable Doubt, is because it’s pushing us to think deeply about what we believe and why we believe it. That’s really what apologetics is all about. The word simply means “a defense,” and as followers of Christ, we’re called not just to have faith, but to understand it and articulate it. In a world where truth is constantly questioned, studying apologetics helps us move from “I think” to “I’m confident,” and from “I hope so” to “I know why.”

Scripture makes this clear. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have—but do this with gentleness and respect.” That’s apologetics. It’s not about winning arguments; it’s about lovingly giving reasons for our hope. And in Acts 17, we see Paul reasoning with people in the marketplace, thoughtfully engaging their questions. God is not intimidated by honest inquiry, and neither should we be.

Studying apologetics also strengthens our own faith. When doubts creep in, or when family and friends start asking hard questions, we won’t be shaken so easily. Jesus said in Matthew 22:37 that we are to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind. Engaging our minds honors God. It deepens worship. It turns belief into conviction.

My prayer is that Beyond A Reasonable Doubt won’t just be another sermon series we attend, but a catalyst for growth. Let’s lean in. Engage our minds in thoughtful logic. Let’s ask questions. Let’s search the Scriptures. And let’s grow into believers who not only trust Christ deeply but can explain that trust clearly—confident, gracious, and grounded in truth.

Pastor Frank
Executive Pastor