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 discipline, intimacy, Jesus

What a Facebook Break looks like—and it’s not what you would expect…

About a month ago, I felt like screens were overtaking my life. I had just come off of a wonderfully relaxing vacation, and as I thought about the prospect of going back to my usual routine, I felt convicted. My greatest concern was that I just spent too much time in front of screens and not enough time to reflect, read, and pray.

So what did I do? I got off Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I removed them from my phone and even deactivated Facebook for a short while (it’s back but I still don’t use it). My social media usage dropped dramatically and I had an opportunity to be free from my device. Or so I thought.

One key learning about my social media break is that my screentime didn’t drop. Why? Because Facebook isn’t the problem. Nor is any other social media. My time on social media was replaced with other screen time such as YouTube, which is, arguably, another form of social media.

So what was and is the problem? I’m the problem. My sinful, deceiving heart is the problem. It’s a Romans 7 issue, where I do the things I shouldn’t and don’t do the things I should. My time to reflect, read, and pray more is not because of Facebook, TV, or any other distraction. Those are symptoms, outcomes of my heart. Instead, my lack of time with God is because of my undisciplined, misaligned heart.

By removing myself from social media, I missed out on some things. Connecting with people I love who wished me a happy birthday last month. Being active with our church’s Facebook page. Being a part of someone’s life and encouraging them with comments and likes. These are the positives of social media. And sure, there are negatives, but with a healthy approach, social media can be a good thing. Just not all of the time.

So what now? I’m hoping that this experience can be a help to others. My hope is that I don’t develop a sense of legalism, but structure with room for the Spirit to lead me daily. That said, plan going forward is this:

  • Return to social media, but keep the apps off of my phone to avoid disctractions.
  • Schedule a time and a place a few times a week for prayer and deep reflection with the Lord, beyond my normal devotion time.
  • Set goals for reading, visiting others, and other onscreen activities each week.
  • Reassess my priorities at least every month, if not every quarter.

That’s it. That’s where I’m at. And again, I hope that this experience is helpful to you. If you’ve got your own thoughts, I’d love to hear it. Blessings to you on your journey in Christ.

In Him,

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 bible, discipline, Jesus, Seeking God

Need to make a Decision? Wait.

It’s so easy to choose the easy way.

We live in a world of choices, and often, we want to take the most reasonable one, a way that causes the least amount of pain, a way that brings comfort, prosperity, and even a feeling of peace for the moment.

Yet this temptation is deceiving, the pleasure temporary. We shouldn’t envy the world or the men who are taken by the world’s definition of success, and we certainly shouldn’t emulate them as believers. In fact, the very definition of success within the Kingdom is different, and proclaims a better way:

‭‭‭‭‭‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:31‭-‬32‬ ‭ESV‬‬, “Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways, for the devious person is an abomination to the Lord, but the upright are in his confidence.“

Man’s ways may seem right, but God’s ways are well above them. When we prioritize listening to God, we will see His righteousness reign in and through us. God the Spirit leads, His wisdom guides, and His uprightness becomes our confidence as He leads us to choose His way, even when our smallest decisions seem mundane or meaningless. Choices matter, and our micro actions match our priorities as deceit is cast aside, violence is abhorrent, and holiness is upheld. And yes, God is glorified.

So do you need to make a decision? Get in His Word, pray for guidance, and seek godly counsel. Look at each choice, not from a human-centered, cerebral and emotional standpoint, but from God’s perspective. Be deliberate, not hurried when thinking about what to do.

And especially keep in mind that when you are tempted to drift and take another way, He often calls you to the road less traveled instead, a way that advances the gospel way of life.

Praying for you,

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 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 Devotional, Jesus, Judgment Day

Be Encouraged. Get Busy.

For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; Psalm 94:14 ESV

In Psalm 94, there is a simple question being asked, “How long would the wicked prevail?” After all, injustice is everywhere, pain rules the day, and man has inflicted evil on man each and every day.

The immediate answer is also shown in this psalm: God knows all about the injustice. Don’t forget that He was the one who made the ear and created the eye, and He sees, hears, and knows it all. He hasn’t forgotten us or forsaken us. Instead, it is a matter of His perfect timing, because one day, His full righteousness will prevail and His judgment will take place as evil is destroyed. And at that time, His people will see that He has been with them all along, guiding them until His day of redemption. So we must wait.

Yet this waiting is not easy, because this fallen world has continued to exist for a very long time! Even today, we can easily see confusion, mayhem, destruction, and death in our culture. People are getting even horribly creative with committing sin, seeking pleasure and not purpose, seeking self love and not love for God and others. They are literally doing what is right in their own eyes, and even having the audacity and lack of shame to call it good. Sweet. Perfect.

But we know better, because Christ is better. We run to Him and His Word to stay encouraged and resilient. We look to His Spirit to strengthen us, to hold on to His promises, to look for Christ’s return. We stay focused on the truth that God will have the ultimate triumph over evil, over Satan, over sin. We embrace the fact that God will restore the earth to align with His will, and we hold on to that without wavering.

Christian, remain steadfast, remember that Christ will return one day to initiate the Day of the Lord. In the meantime, be encouraged and be busy: get out there, sowing and planting, working and harvesting, waiting for the final trumpet call and the glory of Christ to appear. Don’t be inactive but be active in your faith and life. Don’t be discouraged, but be encouraged. Jesus is coming, and we have much to do until He comes. And He alone will prevail with all of His glory. Amen.

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

Fran Trascritti Devotional, Jesus, Missions, purpose

What’s Your Purpose?

I call to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. Psalm 57:2 CSB

The attribute of God’s omniscience means that He is all knowing of the past, present, and future. He is and was and will be in all events and things. God is the One who brings purpose and fulfills it through His people.

God has the ability to interact with His creation. He speaks and the world comes into being. He moves and nations are born and destroyed, lives are changed, and souls are awakened to His presence. He is in full control of His universe.

With this in mind, our purpose is wholly dependent on God. The catch is that we are called to be obedient when He gives us the opportunity to do so. Yet we must be listening. We are in many ways, to be like the boy Samuel, who responded to God’s voice: “Speak Lord, Your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9).

This is how God works through His servants. Like a perfect symphony of movements, God works: He calls. We listen. We obey. He fulfills.

Are you listening? If not, ask Him to speak through His Word, through prayer, through godly people as it aligns with His Word. Pray like this: “Lord, Your servant is listening. Speak to me as I follow You daily to fulfill my purpose in You. Amen.”

—Pastor Fran