Fran Trascritti culture, gospel, Jesus

The Time is Now: Wake Up

Romans 13:11–12, Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

The feeds on my social media platform are filled with news of violence and shootings: another school shooting, a young girl brutally murdered on a train, a frame-by-frame video of Charlie Kirk getting shot, and all of it coming at once. It’s an information overload, and when you add in the many wars, political conflicts, and endless vitriol that exist in the world today, it’s overwhelming.

And we must admit one truth that sums up all that we see and hear: Evil exists in our world, and it has permeated everything. We are in darkness and in the night.

Life is fragile, and evil is real, and an existence can be ended by a virus or by an assassin’s knife or bullet. Despite many being desensitized by the media we consume, there is still a reality that life is precious and tenuous. The world is not some virtual place. Instead, it’s real, and it’s a dark, often chaotic place, with injustices and intolerable pain all around. And in this reality of the world we live in, no justification, no drama, no snarky politicizing matters.

We are in the same state: we live in a world where death, destruction, and chaos reign for the present time, and, unfortunately, no new laws, no new movements will change that significantly. And why is that? Because, to borrow a phrase from history, “We have met the enemy and the enemy is us.” No man-made action or reaction can cure the enemy of sin within us.

Sin reigns in the world, and it breeds chaos, killings, and a sea of violence. No one is immune from its power, no one is free of its influence. We sin because we are sinful, and though we pick our own pet sins to lobby against, the truth is all sin is vile, horrific, and endlessly destructive. Left to our own, we maim, injure, and hurt ourselves and others. And along the way, we justify it, doing mental gymnastics to excuse it, and even normalize it. We feel so enlightened and proud, and yet we are participants in the common destruction around us because of our sin. Our pride leads us to our doom. This is the way of the world and of the evil one, and this has been the way since the Garden.

But don’t miss the point that there is hope. While no law, movement, or politician can ever save us from ourselves, the eternal God-man, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, can. He did not come to condemn the world, but to save it. He came to restore what is the will of God, bringing a reconciliation between God and man, changing the future of each individual in a corrupted and decaying world.

It is this Jesus who snatched life from death, eternity from the temporal, and has brought hope to the despondent. This Jesus, who lived, died, and rose again, was witnessed by many who refused to deny it even under the threat of death. This Jesus, who many mock, came to save the world, and He is available for anyone to receive Him as Lord and Savior. This Jesus, who stands against evil and the chaos of its effects, brings peace, life, and hope to a lost and dying world.

Yes, this Jesus. And He calls you to wake from your sleep and become one of His own.

You don’t have to be alone in your sins, alone in the fear of the world’s random acts of violence. You don’t have to be a slave to the anxiety that rages within you or the depression that covers over you. Jesus is here and takes you through what you experience as a broken human in a broken world. He made a way for you to change your life and direction for the future. He made a way for your forgiveness, your restoration, and your eternal future with Him.

Receive or rededicate yourself to Him. It’s a life change you will never regret, a change that affects the world now and heaven tomorrow. A life change for eternity.

Pastor Fran

Fran Trascritti bible, discipleship, gospel, Jesus, ministry

It’s Just Not the Same…

A few years ago during the time of Covid, Major League Baseball, like any other professional sports, had a problem. They wanted to resume playing, but they viewed that having fans in the stands was a risk to spreading the virus further. Their solution was to put cutouts of smiling fans, simulating a crowd, complete with a crowd noise, in an attempt to make it all feel “normal.”

Yet it was, of course, far from normal. It just wasn’t the same thing and might have been a bitter reminder of the daily environment the world had been experiencing. The stands remained lifeless: there was no participation and no human interaction. In fact, the games felt empty, contrived, and cold.

This was an admirable attempt, but like it or not, fans are a part of the game. And nothing would ever replace the human element of a baseball fan. Fans change the game in a variety of ways.

As believers, we are not just cardboard spectators on the sideline. We are part of God’s work, His workmanship designed to do His work once we come to Christ. We take the gospel and bring it to the masses, changing hearts, lives, and eternity.

John the Baptist said as much when He confronted the Pharisees, who pridefully boasted about their supposed top tier place in the Kingdom:

Matthew 3:9 ESV, “And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.”

In other words, don’t think so highly of yourselves, because after all, God can make replacements who do what you do out of rocks! Pedigrees mean nothing concerning the Kingdom. Instead, repent and bear fruit in accordance with your newfound faith.

Continuing this thought, then, just sitting in the crowd means nothing. Isaiah 40:15 ESV says,

“Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.”

Get off the sideline, because just being in the crowd might feel safe and secure for the moment, but it really is empty. Anyone and everyone can be in the crowd (after all, it is a crowd). Jesus called this state following  the wide path that leads to destruction, while He offers a more narrow way that leads to life. Being a part of Jesus means stepping out of what feels comfortable and secure and going to what is truly safe and secure.

God is calling His people to an active, vibrant life in Him. Is this life going to be perfect? Nope. Uncomplicated? Of course not. But as God calls you to a life with hope and peace and you follow Him, your life will change forever. After all, it’s only through Jesus Christ’s work on the cross and His grace that leads to everlasting life. And it’s available to all who call on Him.

Let this encourage you to step and stretch yourself in Him like never before. Step out of the crowd. Step into an abundant life in Christ. Step into bearing fruit from your repentant heart and soul.

To God be the glory!

Pastor Fran

Fran Trascritti bible, culture, gospel, Jesus, Missions

Building on the Foundation at Beacon Church

Years ago, Teresa and I found out some horrible news. The house that we were living in had been renovated a few years before by the prior owner, and for some reason, we began to see stains that popped up on the kitchen floor. The stains grew bigger and bigger, and eventually, we started to see moisture from a wall. Because it looked like it might have been a water leak, I called the plumber and he quickly determined the cause of the problem: an old ice maker valve that had been attached to a pipe in a wall had begun to leak, and when they did the renovation of the house, the drywall was built around the pipe. What a terrible realization!

The leak that came from that pipe dripped throughout the kitchen, soaking all of the interior structure beneath the floor of the kitchen. In other words, all of the supporting studs were waterlogged, causing damage, destruction, and ultimately, danger for our family. Thankfully, insurance took care of everything, and soon we had workers who literally took apart our kitchen and went to the very foundation of the house to put in a new kitchen. We spent most of the weeks throughout the holidays cooking our meals on hot plates and depending on the microwave- even for our Thanksgiving meal! However, eventually, that section of the house was rebuilt, and we had a safe, beautiful place to live in: in other words, the house was better than ever before!

Now let’s apply this example to our church. When our church first began our revitalization journey years ago, some very important structural things needed to be done at Beacon. And God used Pastor Ron and many of you to make these important changes for the greater good of the gospel. Some very difficult decisions had been made, including a name change, building updates, and all this through a pandemic. It was indeed a hard journey to dig deep, get strategic, and lay foundations in preparation for the next steps as a church.

And that’s where we were when I arrived at Beacon Church one year ago. Since then, we have carefully laid a solid foundation of discipleship and fellowship at our church. In fact, nearly everyone in our church body is either in a Sunday morning small group that studies the Bible, or in our Wednesday night Bible study, or is involved in the Big Bible Challenge—and some of you are in all three! We have been intentional about having more fellowship, bonding with one another in love, supporting and knowing one another intimately, and focusing on having community as a body of Christ. These are all important foundational things in a solid, healthy church.

So what’s next? Clearly, we need to build on our foundation of discipleship: evangelism and missions. We currently are thankful that we have guests almost every week at our church, and many return to visit again. Yet there’s a need for our community that we cannot ignore: within a ten-minute drive of our church, at least 100,000 people do not worship anywhere, and many of whom do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And because we now have the ability to disciple and receive people, we need to shift to focus on creating a culture of missions and evangelism to reach our neighbors. This means that there will be training on how to share your faith, we will be improving our greeter/welcome ministry, our process for guest follow-up will be updated, and we will offer opportunities for you to serve and to share Christ in local, national, and international mission efforts. This includes a planned international missions trip in late summer/early fall (details coming soon).

Church, the West Side of Cincinnati and beyond needs Jesus, and the time is now. We’ve already laid a foundation through God and His Word, and it’s time to continue the build on this as we welcome people into our home. It’s exciting to see this happening before our eyes! I believe that we can be better than ever before as a church, but it will take your intentional effort to fulfill God’s potential in you. I believe that we can see lives transformed, families changed, and the continued presence of God’s Spirit seen among us. Please pray, seek God, and ask him how he will involve you in such a great task as to reach the West side and beyond with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Together, we can do this!

In love and faith,

Pastor Fran

Fran Trascritti gospel, Jesus

Did Jesus Have a Crisis of Faith?

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭27:46‬ ‭ESV‬‬, And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

As a young Christian, I came across this passage and for a long time struggled over its meaning. What was Jesus saying here? Did He give up, overwhelmed at the pain on the cross? Was He done with it all? Even more, was He having a crisis of faith?

Not knowing my Bible, I wrestled with this passage, especially reading it out of context. But as I grew in my faith and read my Bible more and more, I began to connect the Old Testament with the New. I would also dig deeper to research passages like this one. One thing that I realized is about how people in Jesus’s day would quote Scripture: they would recite the first few words of the text as a reminder of the rest of the message. For example, the Shema (hear) was a reference to Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One.”

And as we go to what Jesus said on the cross, we see this same statement as the first line of Psalm‬ ‭22, “[1] My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?” Going further into this psalm, we can see that this text points to Christ and his cross. He was the One who bore our sins, and He did it with unbearable pain. And in case there was a doubt of what He was doing, while in the middle of His pain and suffering, Jesus referred to this psalm. He wasn’t having a crisis of faith, He was reciting this psalm, clearly making a declaration of faith!

The result is miraculous. His death gave us life. His life gave us eternity. His righteousness was placed on a people, even those not yet born. And for those who believe, they have the right to be called children of God (John 1:12). Surely He has done this!

As a result of His magnificent work, we are faced with a choice whether or not to respond, and our response should be nothing but faith in Him. We are saved, not automatically, not universally, but particularly, by the power of grace and the conduit of faith. Believe and be saved, trust and live forever.

Jesus, the One and Only, did this for you. He died, was buried, and rose again, verified by many witnesses. May you see His glorious sacrifice, respond to His offer of forgiveness, repent and be changed forever.

Pastor Fran

Fran Trascritti culture, gospel, ministry, Missions

When Elections Fall Short…

This coming Sunday, I will be preaching on Mark 8:31-34, where Jesus shared with His disciples what was about to happen to Him when He returned to Jerusalem. Jesus was facing imminent arrest, suffering, death, and His resurrection, but all were needed to accomplish the Father’s. Peter, ever quick to react, rebuked Jesus for what He had said, and Jesus responded with a rebuke of His own: “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man” (Mk 8:33, ESV).

What was Peter thinking? I’m speculating a bit, but to be fair, he was probably concerned for Jesus’s health and well-being, but also for the work that he had given everything up for. It goes to figure that when a leader dies, a movement will usually stop, and from man’s perspective, the loss of Jesus would be devastating. This logic dictates that Jesus should never die, or at least avoid dying, and Peter’s response communicated that idea in mind.

Yet the ways of man are not the ways of God, and the ways of man will always fall short.

Photo by Element5 Digital

This brings me to today. This morning, I woke up disappointed at the news of our election in Ohio, as issue after issue fell short of what is right and proper in our state. Issue One passed, and now abortion is firmly in the constitution of Ohio. Issue Two succeeded as well, and since the recreational use of marijuana is now legal in the state, we are certainly going to be a smellier place from its distinctive “skunk smell” not to mention the real threat of having additional impaired drivers to go with its increased recreational use. Yes, in my view, the election was disappointing and sad.

And with such a result comes the reminder that people will vote as their heart believes, and we should remember that elections will miss the mark in a post-Christian society. So what is our response? More lobbying? More marketing activities? More politicking? These responses all fall short as they are all man-centered, and we end up looking more like Peter than our Savior. These ways pale in comparison to God’s ways, and although Christians should vote and passionately speak on issues, we cannot depend on these activities. Rather, elections should remind us that there is more gospel work to be done. This work is not going to happen through the ballot box, clever marketing, or gimmicks, but through the faithful sharing of the gospel. It’s on us, after all, to be the missionaries our neighbors need, as their souls cry out for someone, anyone, to share Jesus with them.

Church, wake up. Let’s love those who are without our Shepherd. Let’s stop demonizing people and instead love them with the blood-covered beauty of the gospel. Let’s care enough to get out of our comfort zones and do the real work that God calls us to do: to have gospel-centered conversations with others who desperately need eternal life. Let’s return to our own first love, sparking a fire in our hearts to reach more, teach more, and serve more with the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ. Let’s change our state, one soul at a time.

We have work to do. May we step out for the Kingdom. May God use us to advance His gospel and change the world.

Pastor Fran

Fran Trascritti bible, Devotional, gospel

Who are you trying to please, anyway?

Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@gunnarro

It was a normal day in the life of King Herod, who was known as a consummate politician. But when he gave the command to slay James, the leader of the newest Jewish sect, The Way, by the sword, he didn’t expect was such a special reaction from his former critics, the Jewish leaders. As a result, he did more to please them even more:

...and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread.
Acts 12:3, ESV


What do we make of this? First, Herod was a slave to adulation from the people. He did anything that he could to earn this admiration, and killing James gave him extra points with the Jewish leaders who opposed Christ. As a result, he arrested Peter to earn more loyalty. He even did it during an important festival, the Festival of Unleavened Bread.

In contrast, Peter had a different view and result: his preaching and ministry was met with vile hatred by the leaders, and he was jailed multiple times for this, including this time. Yet he did not quit preaching Christ.

Ultimately, each man lived radically different and had different outcomes. Peter was freed, able to preach the gospel and share the story of Jesus to many people. Herod, well, he was quickly destroyed, eaten up by worms for accepting the false worship of his followers. This egotistical, power hungry false god fell short, destroyed by the God of the universe that he opposed.

Today, there are many temptations to please people and follow the crowd. It’s common to want to be well liked by people, even to be popular. This is true for anyone, no matter how old or how young the person may be. This can cause people to do things that are man centered instead of being God centered, including compromising truth. And while truth should be shared in love, truth should not be compromised, and truth cannot be changed to avoid hurting a relationship or worse, to be vainly admired by people.

Let’s remember the lesson of Herod: Our goal is to live, love, and walk in a way that pleases God, and sometimes in a fallen world that conflicts with the way of people. Yet we must be faithful, being careful to love and to speak truth. Because above all, God is the One that we please, and God is the One to glorify.

May God be honored with our lives, words, and actions!

Pastor Fran

Fran Trascritti Devotional, God's Goodness, gospel, Jesus, salvation, Thirsty Thursdays

The Great Rescue Story

Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and he will provide me here and now with more than twelve legions of angels? Matthew 26:53, ESV

It could have been a great rescue story of the Son. He could have called 35,000, 45,000, even 50,000 or more angels to remove Himself from the grasp of His accusers. Jesus could have avoided all of this pain, the mockery, the beatings, the crown of thorns. He could have been rescued from it all.

But this was not the rescue story of Jesus. It was the rescue story of the world.

Jesus made it clear that He was saving us willingly, righteously, and zealously. He willingly endured the hatred, strife, pain, mockery, and even torture at the hands of the Jewish and Roman leaders. He willingly exchanged His sinlessness for our sin, His punishment for our benefit, His death for our life. Jesus did it for us, we who were the ones who placed Him on the cross, we who rebelled against God, sinned against Him, He did it for us. Willingly.

But why? Because of His great love for us. He loved us, so He willingly went to the cross to save us.

He died. We lived.

He suffered. We triumphed.

He was held captive. We became more than conquerors.

Because of Jesus, you have been rescued.

And through faith in Him comes no condemnation, no death, no loss of life.

In Christ, you are rescued. Freedom. Forever.

Pastor Fran

Fran Trascritti gospel

Beyond the Natural

Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his payment. Job 15:31 ESV

The world is full of those who have shut their eyes to the supernatural, seeing and trusting only the natural world that they see, hear, and feel. They trust in emptiness, temporary treasures that rust, rot, and fade away. Beauty that they cling to dissipates, physical strength weakens, and the numbers of a person’s days on earth becomes less and less. The emptiness that they trust in becomes their end.

Yet, there is hope! We have before us a greater way, the only way. Jesus, the One and Only, the path to eternity that goes beyond the natural, made us alive with Him before God. We receive Him and we live. We turn to Him and see the supernatural, the physical and the spiritual. We follow and we have eternity before us. We believe and we receive forgiveness and a new life in Him.

It’s not automatic. You must receive the Christ who paid the price for your sins. You can have hope by receiving Jesus as your Lord and Savior, make today the day everything changes!

Pastor Fran

PS- Need to talk more about your relationship with Jesus? Send me an email by going to my church page here.

Fran Trascritti bible, Devotional, gospel

Is That You, God??

And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” —1 Samuel 3:10 ESV

Samuel was young, inexperienced, undiscipled, even innocent in many ways. So when God spoke to him at night, well, it makes sense that he thought that it was Eli speaking to him instead of God. After all, what does the voice of God sound like anyway? And why would God speak to him?

Today, we have to look at a passage like this and wonder, does God speak today? And if He does, how does He speak? Even more, what should we do about it?

First, a quick answer is, yes He does. God spoke then and He still speaks today, primarily through the Bible. And yet though His voice is not audible as it was with the boy, Samuel, it is still loud and clear today, and it is through His Holy Spirit that the words in His Word interprets and applies on you His will for your life. In other words, God’s here, God speaks, but we need to be open to listen to His will.

So if you want to hear from God, run to His Word. Read intently and fully as you seek His wisdom, because His will is waiting to be shown and understood. After all, in Romans 12, Paul tells us that we are to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds” (verse 2) so that we can know His perfect will (3). To the willing listener, God provides guidance, direction, and encouragement, and His precepts are all you need as you develop and grow in Him. All His wisdom is there for you to taste and enjoy as you respond to His direction and will.

But listening is not just a passive exercise. God expects His servants to be open and attentive so that it leads to action. Take the example of Samuel: once he realized that it was God speaking, he got into a posture to take action. He listened and obeyed. He heard and took action. God would soon shape Him to be a powerful prophet, in many ways the last judge in Israel, the one who would eventually guide them to David, the man after God’s own heart. Listening and obedience go hand in hand.

So where are you at right now? Are you spending time each day in His Word? If not, you’re missing out, because this is primarily how God is going to speak. Second, if you are in His Word, are you obeying Him? Are you looking at your life and making sure that the sin that has entangled you is dealt with? Remember that Christ is faithful and just, powerful enough to forgive and cleanse those who come to Him in faith. He will forgive you when you turn your sin struggles over to Him.

Last, be encouraged, because God has provided you a direction to accomplish His will. Trust in that and find ways to grow in Him through good, godly servants to teach you and prepare you to serve Him fully. Take heart, because as you do join God at work, He will use you in a way that will bring Him glory. He is able!

May you be attentive to the Lord speaking into Your life, changing you as you seek to change the world!

Blessings,

Pastor Fran

Fran Trascritti Daily Reading, Devotional, gospel, Jesus

There’s Hope in Your Cycle of Sin.

“But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.” Judges 2:19 ESV

The cycle of Judges was a constant for Israel in the post-Joshua days. The cycle looked like this: as they turned from God to sin and idolatry, God released an enemy to suppress them, then, after crying out to the Lord, God raised up a judge to rescue them. After a period of peace, the people fell to sin and the cycle repeated again and again.

From our perspective, it seems obvious: how could they not learn from their mistakes? How could they not see their sinfulness? Yet, they in their stubbornness fell again and again. They paid what seemed to be an unnecessary price for an obvious lesson, a war of the flesh that occurred multiple times over.

Of course, we are not much different in our own wars of the flesh. And this is especially confusing for believers in Christ, because although we are free from the condemnation of sin, we still struggle with it on this side of glory. Our sins are clear and obvious, and when it becomes painfully obvious, we often turn back to God, confess, feel better, then commit them again. We can fall into a constant state of a sin cycle (or Judges’ cycle), leaning on God’s grace, even abusing it by taking it for granted.

Yet Christ didn’t die for a powerless people over sin. The same power that gives us God’s grace is the same power that gives us the ability to resist the temptations in the first place. In 1 Corinthians 10:13-14, Paul wrote, (ESV) “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Paul’s point is this: we’ve all experienced it, and for those in Christ, we have a faithful God who gives us a way to escape from the temptation. This is the same point Jesus made in Matthew 6 when He taught us to pray some simple and truthful words to the Father, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver me from evil.”

Our freedom of the sin cycle is of course, through Jesus. We have to remind ourselves that we can be conquerors over the flesh through both a true repentance and dependence on God. Through a healthy practice of confession to Him and to godly, close friends. Through a rekindled faith in the blood stained cross, the sacrifice made through Christ’s death. Through life in the power of His resurrection, a daily reliance in the power of the Holy Spirit. Through all these things that God has given to us to fight the good fight for God’s sake in our lives.

Remember, if you are in a sin cycle, there is hope. You are saved by grace through faith. Nothing else matters and nothing else means anything but the eternal life that awaits you. Hold on to that. Focus on that. Let God’s power in you help you to break free.

May the Lord speak into you to give you a true, heartfelt repentance and confession to Him. I pray that He will provide you with a true reliance on the power of His Spirit, that you are transformed by His power, keeping you in His Word, will, and way. Praying for you today!

In Christ alone,

Pastor Fran