NOLA Update (October 1, 2023)

by Oct 1, 2023

The Pulpit

  • In the update on Sunday, I misspoke when I said that Randy Buster “purchased” the pulpit. Randy did not purchase the pulpit. Randy BUILT the pulpit! Randy is a very skilled craftsman who practices woodworking on the side. This is the third pulpit like this that he has built for church planters.
  • Cornerstone Bible Church in Katy, TX purchased the pulpit for us because they recognize the preeminent place of preaching in the life of the local church. The announcement regarding their gift followed a sermon I preached this summer. It was such a special time. You can listen to that announcement here (begins at 51:00).
  • CBC has also taken us on as domestic missionaries to support us for our first full year of ministry!

Core Team Families

  • Thankfully, we were able to move into our home before closing. However, due to clerical errors on the part of the city, we still have not been able to close just yet.
  • The Robinsons were able to close on their home and will move at the end of this month. Praise God that they also found renters for their home in Mesa!
  • The Dudleys are still weighing a couple different housing options. Please pray for clarity so they can move into the city before our first corporate gathering on November 12th.

A Gathering Place

  • Lord willing, we will be gathering for corporate worship at Abramson Sci Academy. This is the high school from which I graduated in 2004. It was formerly known as Marion Abramson Senior High School. Since then, it has undergone some significant changes, including a completely new building and a new name.
  • There seems to be an open door for the gospel there. Everyone with whom we interacted at the school when we toured was very welcoming and eager to bring us into the school community. We are excited about building relationships there.

Upcoming

  • I will be speaking at Cornerstone Bible Church’s missions conference on October 27-29.
  • Our website is now able to host sermons and other media. Some older series that I’ve preached in Tempe have been made available and what I preach going forward will be posted there as well.
  • A sermon podcast is also available under the tile, “GBC Nola Sermon Podcast”.
  • For updates and news (especially after we launch on November 12th), sign up using the “Get Involved” section of the website homepage

Latest Articles

Rushing into a Perishing City

One of my new neighbors spent some time living in Arizona years ago. She eventually reluctantly followed family back to New Orleans. Before I introduced myself, she already knew that we were relocating because she noticed our Arizona license plate. She asked, “What in...

Fundraiser: Memorial Day Crawfish Boil

This Memorial Day (Monday, May 29th) at 3pm, our core church planting team is hosting a crawfish boil to help raise money to cover the church’s initial start-up costs. Participation in this event will cost $30 per person or $100 per family and will include plenty of...

NOLA Update (March 12, 2023)

On Sunday, I updated our church about the New Orleans church plant. A summary of the update is outlined below. News Completed our branding (logo, design, landing page for website - GraceBibleNOLA.org) registered as a corporation with the state of Louisiana opened a...

Fundraiser: “Spurgeon in Louisiana”

Charles Hadden Spurgeon said the following in an address titled, "A New Departure"*: "Surely there is some self-sacrifice among us yet, and some among us who are willing to be exiled for Jesus. The mission languishes for want of men. If the men were forthcoming the...

Slowly Ripening Results

William Hamilton Burns (1779-1859) was a pastor in Kilsyth, Scotland who is now known, oddly enough, for having faithfully and quietly carried out his ministerial duties in obscurity. Burns’s long-range approach to ministry is worthy of imitation and should not escape...

The Bread and Wine of the Gifts to the Church

Preaching is the bread and wine of the gifts to the church of God. It is sweet to the soul, rich with depth, but also at the same time easy to digest. It is essential to maturity in the life of the believer. If too long without it, it leaves one in a spiritual state...