Rick Deschenes, Pastor/Elder

My name is Rick, and I serve as the Executive Pastor/Elder of Steel Valley Church. My primary responsibilities include is to lead the administration of the church including financial accountability, staff oversight, and preaching God’s Word as opportunity is given. I was born and raised in New Hampshire/Massachusetts, and have also lived in Maine, Arkansas, and Ohio at various seasons of life. I currently reside live in Boardman, Ohio. I have been married since 2017 to Ester, and we do not have any children yet. I have earned a B.S., M.S., Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Arkansas. My passion within the church is encouraging others, preaching and teaching, prayer, student ministry, missions, and evangelism. I am also passionate about life for my family, traveling, teaching, and church.

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Fun Facts:

Hobby List: Jogging

Favorite Author List: John Piper, John MacArthur, and R.C. Sproul

What is the Gospel?

a. God has existed as one being, in three persons, for all eternity--Father, Spirit, Son

b. God created the universe by the power of his Word. He created humanity, and he established a kingdom where humans were to exist and delight in the presence of God eternally.

c. Humanity sinned against God and chose to elevate themselves to the position of gods, for which the consequence was death and separation from God.

d. Rather than rightly judge and condemn humanity to Hell, God had a plan for salvation, even before He created the Earth

e. God chose a people and revealed his law, to show humanity their sinfulness and inability to achieve righteousness.

f. At the fullness of time, God by his Spirit sent his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ into the creation.

g. Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, he was fully God and fully Man, and he fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law in humanity’s place.

h. Jesus heralded a new Kingdom but was killed for making himself equal with God. Jesus took upon himself the punishment for humanity's sin, which is the fullness of the wrath of God, and in so doing he died upon the cross.

i. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead and walked among humanity for 40 days, and then ascended into heaven where He is seated in glory at the right hand of God the Father.

j. Through his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus offered the free gift of salvation to any and all who will repent of their sins and believe upon Him for the forgiveness of sin and eternal life.

k. Jesus will return in the near future and call all who believe upon him, both the living and the dead, to rise in Christ. He will destroy the old creation and cast all who refused his gift into outer darkness. Finally, he will establish a new heaven and a new Earth, where the redeemed will dwell in the eternal Kingdom and delight in His presence for all eternity.