Church Blog

Sisters and brothers,

Happy Tuesday to all! Sunday, we remembered Christ Jesus our great Messiah and His sacrifice to buy us back for God with His blood. As we looked at Genesis 16 about Abram, Sarai, and Hagar, we learned that God sees and knows our deepest sorrows and moves in our lives to comfort and help us. Maybe you are in a situation you did not want to be in through no fault of your own, like Hagar. God wants to help you. You may be where you are because you have continually made all the wrong choices. I also want you to know, God wants to help you! God is pursuing you like He pursued Hagar when she was running. He longs to help you like he helped her. God loves, sees, and hears you. God is near to you. God will forgive. God will move in your life and your family. Though you think nobody sees or cares about you, God sees, cares, and can help you. Will you let Him?

We will have a workday this Saturday, September 6, here at the EMBC building beginning at 8:30 AM. Our main goal is to clean out our garage so it will become more usable. I hope you can join us for a few hours this Saturday to help us.

We will have a potluck luncheon after the worship gathering next Sunday, September 7. Bring enough food for your family and a little extra for any guest we may have.

Pray especially this week for Connie as she recovers and does physical therapy. Remember to keep praying continually for each other. None of us know fully the burdens our brothers and sisters in Christ might be carrying.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Brothers and sisters,

Happy Monday to all! Yesterday we praised that the true and living God. We praised God specifically because He has adopted those who believe in Christ Jesus to be His forever children! We then examined from Genesis 15 Abraham’s faith. Abraham is the one who is considered the father of those with faith. We learned from Genesis 15 about the nature of true faith. We learned that we can and should take our doubts and fears to God just like Abraham did. God can handle our doubts. God knows our doubts and seeks to reassures us of His certain promises. When there is delay in answer to our hopes and prayers, we see that God gives assurance many times into why there is delay. We learned from Genesis 15 part of the reason that God delays his judgments is that He will never be unjust in His judgments. God will never bring justice and judgments at the wrong time. Holy God will bring justice when it is the perfect time. We learned from God’s Word that following Jesus does not mean we never have doubts and questions. Following Jesus means we take our doubts and questions to God and His children and seek reasonable and rational answer to those questions. We also realized sometimes we will not be able to comprehend God’s purposes. At those times, God provides us with peace until we can one day understand. Honestly seeking God in faith means taking doubts and fears to God for confirmation and reassurance.

We will observe the Lord’s Supper next Sunday, August 31, 2025, in our worship gathering.

We will have a workday at the EMBC building on Saturday, September 6, 2025. We will meet at 8:30 AM and work for a few hours, especially at cleaning out our garage storage.

Remember to keep praying continually for each other. None of us know fully the burdens our brothers and sisters in Christ might be carrying.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Sisters and brothers,

Happy Monday to all! Yesterday, we worshipped our great God and thought about how He has revealed His love for us. From Genesis 14, we considered how events far from us in the world affect us. The world of Abram’s time was interconnected, and today the world is more interconnected. We must remember certain things as we live in this interconnected world. God’s Kingdom is happening among every nation and all peoples of this world. God’s Kingdom is among us now and one day will be all that is left. Yes, we are temporary citizen of the nations in the world, but believers now and forever are citizens of the Kingdom of our God and Christ. Right now, we are a part of that worldwide kingdom of Christ! The events of the world will affect us. Do not be surprised when world events reach you and your family. Do not be surprised when you are forced to act because of world events. Do believe that God moves through world events to bring about His forever Kingdom.God brings about His plans and purposes through world events.

I was reminded yesterday of the burdens some carry as they come and worship. Many are facing struggles we know nothing about. They and their families can be going through exceedingly demanding situations. Keep praying continually for each other! Be there for one another as best you can! Allow those struggling to share as little or as much as they need to share at any moment. Galatians 6:2 reminds us to, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Brothers and sisters,

Happy Tuesday to all! I want to thank Dr. Trey Turner, Executive Director of the Minnesota/Wisconsin Baptist Convention, for preaching for me while Carla and I were away at a family reunion. The Minnesota/Wisconsin Baptist Convention is a group of churches that partner with each other in obeying the Great Commission of Jesus. I am glad to join in mission with others seeking to take the message of hope in Christ across our two states and the world. 

Next Sunday, August 3, 2025, during our worship gathering we will observe the Lord’s Supper. Then following the morning worship gathering, we will have a potluck luncheon. Bring enough food for your family and a little extra for any guest who might be with us on that day.

Remember to keep praying continually for each other. None of us know fully the burdens our brothers and sisters in Christ might be carrying.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Sisters and brothers,

Happy Monday to all! Yesterday we worshipped our glorious Christ Jesus and proclaimed the truth that only through the name of Jesus can forgiveness, salvation, and real life be found. Then, we learned about how believers should deal with conflict. In Genesis 12, there was conflict between Abram and his nephew Lot over grazing land. Abram acted in faith to resolve this family conflict and gave Lot the first choice of the direction to move his herds. Abram could have demanded the first choice because it was his right as the family patriarch. Instead, Abram acted generously toward Lot. Abram acted in faith that God would provide for Him. However, Lot looked with his eyes and did not consult God in what choice should have been made. He trusted completely in in own senses and judgment. Abram was unselfish and generous and trusted in God. Abram saw life as a journey of faith and following God. Lot saw life only through the practical, human, physical seeing of circumstances around himself. The choice Lot made brought about terrible consequences for Lot and his family. We live in a day where people are told they can determine everything about their lives. We are told to trust our feelings and our reasoning ability. We are told that no one outside of us and no outside authority can direct us in those choices. The advice is often given to follow our hearts, to trust our emotions and let them guide us. That is terrible advice! The Word of God tells us something far different. It tells us that, “the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick. Who can understand it?” The Word of God tells us to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Jesus. It tells us if we want to save our lives we will lose them, but if we will lose our lives to Jesus and the gospel, we will save our lives. Life is not found by looking internally and trusting ourselves but looking outside of ourselves to God’s perfect Word which reveals Jesus to us. Jesus is the One who took up His cross and lost His life for our sake so that we could be forgiven and given the eternal life of God. We are to trust Him and seek His guidance in our lives. Believers seek to trust God to lead them in life rather than trusting only what they observe. Trusting ourselves without seeking God leads to death. Trusting God and looking to His Word and His Holy Spirit in a walk of faith in Jesus leads to life. Which will you choose today?

Dr. Trey Turner, Executive Director of the Minnesota/Wisconsin Baptist Convention will be with us next Sunday, July 27, to preach God’s Word. Be with us to meet Trey and hear what God will say to us as Trey preaches.

Remember to keep praying continually for each other. None of us know fully the burdens our brothers and sisters in Christ might be carrying.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Brothers and sisters,

Happy Monday to all! We worshipped yesterday together by remembering our wonderful, merciful Savior and learned together about seeking God’s direction in every circumstance from Genesis 12. There is something special about being with the people of God and adoring Him together. Living for Jesus is meant to be done in community, not in isolation. It is not “me and Jesus,’ but “we and Jesus.” I am glad we can offer online worship for those confined to their homes, for those who cannot attend physically on any given Sunday, and for those who are curious about what following Jesus is all about and need a safe option to “check us out” and explore knowing and following Jesus. However, if you are a believer and physically able, it should be a regular practice to gather physically with the family of God.  If you do not, you are depriving God’s family of your needed presence, depriving your family of relationships with God’s family, and depriving yourself of the intimate connections you need with God’s children to faithfully follow Christ. Do not miss the blessing of gathering with God’s family regularly!

We will have a virtual church council meeting on Thursday evening, July 17, at 6:30 PM.

Remember to keep praying continually for each other. None of us know fully the burdens our brothers and sisters in Christ might be carrying.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Sisters and brothers,

Happy Monday to all! We worshipped yesterday by remembering our great Redeemer and His grace. Then from Genesis 12, we considered the call of Abram to leave all that was familiar to him-family, friends, and nation-to follow the call of God to go to an unnamed place, people, and nation where God promised to bless Abram. Abram had to decide if he trusted God who had called him to the unknown. Abram did trust God and so Abram went. All the families of the world were blessed through Abram’s obedience. What do you believe about God? Do you believe He loves you more than you love yourself and wants the absolute best for you? That is the great question of the ages. If you believe God loves you and the best thing you could do in life is to follow Him wherever He leads you, you will follow. You will not fear trusting God to lead you in life. Christ bids us to surrender to Him without us knowing where He might lead us. The question is one of trust. Will we trust in Jesus no matter where He leads? We can trust the One who gave up His life for our forgiveness so we would know Him and be with Him forever. Romans 8:32 reminds us, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”  We do not have to know where we are going and when we will get there because we know the One who loves us, is calling us, and leading us. We know God who holds the future.

Remember to keep praying continually for each other. None of us know fully the burdens our brothers and sisters in Christ might be carrying.

Love being your pastor!

Brothers and sisters,

Happy Monday to all! Yesterday we worshipped God outdoors in His beautiful creation. From Mark 10, we learned that no sacrifice is too great to make in following Jesus. We looked at one known to us as the rich young ruler. We learned that this ruler eagerly desired to know the truth. We learned he humbly went to Jesus, the One who is Truth itself, the place where truth can be found. We learned this rich young ruler asked the right question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” He asked the question that helps us know what life is about now and what life in eternity is all about. We saw that as Jesus looked at this rich young ruler that Jesus loved him. Jesus told this rich young ruler he lacked one thing. One thing stood between him and eternal life. The riches the young ruler held on to kept him from receiving the eternal life Jesus wanted to give to him. You cannot receive eternal life if you are holding on to and trusting something else. Are we holding on to the pennies, the worthless things, of this world, when Christ would give us eternal life, the riches of heaven, and a relationship with the living God? Abandon anything that keeps you from knowing, loving, following, and serving Jesus. Knowing, loving, and walking with Jesus is worth it. No sacrifice is too great to make in order to follow Christ.

Remember to keep praying continually for each other. None of us know fully the burdens our brothers and sisters in Christ might be carrying.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Sisters and brothers,

Happy Monday to all! Yesterday we turned our eyes to the only One worthy of worship and praised Him for who He is and all He has done. Then from Acts 11, we thought about the march of God in history and remembered that history is “His story.” We saw this as God moved to bring people from every tribe, language, nation, and people into His Kingdom to worship Him and bring Him glory forever. We understand that God will provide gifted people to help His children join Him as he marches. We also know that God’s people will care for each other and those around them. God is bringing about His purposes in the world. This world will one day become like the Garden of Eden, completely restored. Evil will be completely destroyed. As God marches on, we need to make sure we do not seek to hinder His work. We need to make sure we are willing to serve Him unnamed and unknown. God will completely bring about His redemptive plan for this fallen world. I pray we all join Him in this work.

On Sunday June 29, weather permitting, we will hold an outdoor worship service followed by a picnic on the property. We will have a special time for our worship gathering at 9:30 AM. There will be no Bible Study on that morning.

Remember to keep praying continually for each other. None of us know fully the burdens our brothers and sisters in Christ might be carrying.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Sisters and brothers,

Happy Monday to all! Yesterday, we worshipped God who never changes and who is our Rock and our Redeemer. Then as we continued to worship by looking at 2 Corinthians 13, we saw the difference between true godly strength and weakness. In 2 Corinthians, the Corinthians looked at Paul’s method of relying on the power of God rather than human methods as a weakness. The Corinthians assumed that if you had power you used it. Often, true strength means you refuse to use power even when it is within your capacity to use it. Paul was not trying to be the dictator of the Corinthian church. Paul by the power of the Holy Spirit was working with them in gentle and persuasive ways to help them believe in and follow Jesus. The Corinthians were used to seeing in Corinth self-promoting people, who through flashy, manipulative, and strong-arm methods sought to dominate people. Jesus is not like that, and neither were Paul or the other apostles. They refused to promote themselves or the gospel with those kinds of methods. However, just because they were gentle did not mean that God’s power was not present and working through them. There are things that seem weak but actually have great power. Jesus’ crucifixion seemed like weakness, “but to us who are being saved it is the power of God,” (1 Corinthians 1:18).Believers need to understand what God’s strength truly means. God’s strength happens as we continually examine ourselves so God’s strength might continually flow through us. God’s true strength becomes reality among us as we, His people, seek unity in Christ. From 2 Corinthians 13, we see this eternal truth: God’s weakness far surpasses the greatest human strength.

Remember to bring your baby bottles back on Father’s Day, June 15, for the CareNet Pregnancy Center of Dane County. CareNet has a wonderful ministry of saving lives and helping women and families.

On Sunday June 29, weather permitting, we will hold an outdoor worship service followed by a picnic on the property. There will be no Bible Study on that morning.

Remember to keep praying continually for each other. None of us know fully the burdens our brothers and sisters in Christ might be carrying.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church