News
Outdoor Gospel Meeting
We are holding a series of outdoor meetings begin Sunday, June 14 at 9am and continuing Monday through Friday at 7pm each evening June 15-19, if the Lord wills. Larsen Plyler will be preaching. Each service should last about an hour. We will meet on the lot east of our building. We invite you to bring a lawn chair and join us. If it should rain, we will cancel the outdoor meeting by 5:30 p.m. and announce it on our Facebook page and on our website.
We Faint Not
The headlines are usually bad, and they are worse lately. A few samples: "How will we ever be safe inside?" (The Atlantic); "Why do some people refuse to wear masks? Definace, misguided thinking" (San Francisco Chronice); "Protests and unrest spread across the U.S. after cities impose curfews" (The Guardian); "Supreme Court, in 5-4 decision, rejects church's challenge to shutdown order" (New York Times). It would be easy for someone to lose heart if we only read the headlines, but times were hard and uncertain in Paul's day too. The work of the gospel had many challenges, and he wrote to the saints in Corinth, "we faint not." We invite you to listen to a sermon with the same title.
For You See Your Calling, Wednesday Study
Paul wrote, "For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called" (1 Cor. 1:26). Most Christians are of humble backgrounds. We are not striving for worldly success and noteriety. We are striving for God's approval. We invite you to listen to a short study of our calling in Christ titled, For You See Your Calling.
Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled
Jesus told His closest disciples that they should not let their hearts be troubled. He was promising the Helper, or Comforter - the Holy Spirit. The Spirit would lead them in all righteousness and truth. They could embark on the work that lay ahead, the greatest work in history in many ways, with the full assurance that God would be with them. We can have the same confidence in the peace that we have in Christ with God. We invite you to consider a short lesson on the idea of peace with God and comfort in Christ.
Paul's Letter to Philemon
Receive him as a brother. This was Paul's request of Philemon. Onesimus, a runaway slave, had been converted by Paul. Paul was sending Onesimus back to his master, Philemon, and asking him very tactfully, kindly, and diplomatically to receive his runaway slave back as a brother. Paul's example of love in dealing with both Onesimus and Philemon stands the test of time for you and me. We should deal with one another in the same way. We invite you to listen to a short study of Philemon on our sermons page.
Memorable Events and Spiritual Lessons
The latest sermon posted to our site is titled, Memorable Events. It is a brief look back at some Biblical events and some modern events that altered history either a little or a lot. There are always inquiries and questions in modern times about such events as men try to decide what happened and how to prevent it from happening again. This lesson is a look at some spiritual lessons that such events should remind of us. We hope you can listen. We're continuing to have outdoor worship Sunday's at 9am if you would like to join us. We hope to be returning inside soon as we decide how to do that safely and efficiently.
Stand Fast in the Lord
Paul closes his letter to the Philippians with the exhortation to stand fast in the Lord. He encourages two women in the church to be of the same mind and asks others of the brethren to help them toward that end. He calls on the saints to rejoice in the Lord always. He calls for gentleness in the brethren and says they should meditate on good things. He thanks the church for the gift brought by Epaphraditus and says he is most pleased by the good that will be credited to them for their kindness with God. He assures them that he has learned to be content with much or little, and says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." This is a lovely and encouraging letter, and we invite you to review the fourth chapter with us. A short class study is posted with our sermons. It is titled, Stand Fast in the Lord, Php. 4.
What is the work of Christ's church?
When Jesus returned to heaven victorious, He gave gifts to His church. Ephesians 4 lists those gifts: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. What was the blessing of these gifts? The blessing was that Jesus was making certain His church was equiped for ministry and edified. We invite you to listen to a short sermon on the idea of these gifts titled, Teach and Edify.
Pressing Toward the Goal
Our Wednesday study of Philippians 3 is posted to the website. We invite you to study with us. The class is on our sermons page titled, Pressing Toward The Goal. Paul warns of Judaizing teachers who would turn the Philippians saints back to the old law of Moses and call for circumcision, but he says the saints in Christ are the circumcision. He encourages them to follow his example and leave the things of worldly importance behind and press toward the goal of salvation in Christ and resurrection from the dead.
The Choices We Make
The book of Judges speaks of a time when there was no king in Israel, and people did whatever was right in their own eyes. God was not pleased with His people during that time, nor is He pleased today when we do whatever we think is right without looking to His word. Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. We look to His word, the truth, to guide us. Otherwise, we are doing what they did in the days of the Judges. This week's sermon is posted, titled, The Choices We Make. We invite you to listen.
Let this mind be in you...
Paul encourages the saints in Philippi to, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (Php. 2:5). We invite you to a short study of Philippians 2 in our Wednesday night series overviewing Paul's letter to the saints in Philippi. His call in the second chapter is to have the same mind or attitude Jesus had when you deal with one another. He recalls how Jesus who existed in the form of God emptied Himself and took on the form of a man, served God as a bond-servant, obeyed God's will even to the point of death, and that the death on a cross. It is to this example we are called by Paul in our service to God.
You Will Not Surely Die
John wrote, "And he deceives those who dwell on the earth..." in Revelation 13:14. He deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden when he contradicted God, telling Eve that if she ate the forbidden fruit, "You will not surely die" (Gen. 1:4). Deception is the tool of Satan, and Christians must guard against being deceived by his cunning efforts to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). We invite you to listen to a short lesson titled, You Will Not Surely Die. It is on our sermon page and currently has a link presented on our home page as well.
Paul's Letter to the Church in Philippi
We are beginning a Wednesday night study of Paul's letter to the saints in Philippi. We welcome anyone who would like to listen to the study online. This short letter is personal, spiritual, and encourages joy in trials.
This Little Light of Mine
Many of us grew up singing the song, This Little Light of Mine. We would sing, "I'm gonna let it shine." Jesus taught us to let our light shine in the world. He combined the teaching with the thought that we should keep our saltiness salty or maintain its flavor. Disciples of Jesus must be faithful inwardly and outwardly. God sees our hearts. Mankind sees our dress, hears our speech, notices what we do and where we go. We must let our light shine so as to bring glory to God. We invite you to listen to a short sermon titled, Let Your Light So Shine.
Genesis 50, Wednesday Night Study
We come to the end of the beginning. Jacob dies, and his family buries him with his fathers. Joseph's brothers worry that he will deal with them harshly for what they did to him years earlier now that their father is dead. But Joseph comforts them with kind words. Vengeance is God's. Then Joseph dies at 110. God has used his circumstances to save many people, to bring the Israelites to Egypt, and to set the stage for His plan to continue to unfold.
Courageous Constancy
The journey toward a heavenly home is not a sprint but a marathon. We must weather the storms of life and stay true on the sunny days. Paul's first letter to the church in Thessalonica has been called, at least in part, a study of how to remain constantly courageous as a faithful child of God. We invite you to listen to a short sermon that focuses on some of Paul's ending exhortations in this letter. The sermon is titled, "The Marathon For Christ."
Jacob Blesses His Sons
Our Wednesday night Bible study continues in Genesis 49. Jacob is near his death, and he prophetically blesses his sons. The highlight of the blessings is God's promise to bring Messiah through the tribe of Judah. We invite you to listen to a short simple study of Genesis 49.
Continually Devoted
Luke 2:42 teaches us that the 3,000 who believed, repented, and were baptized after hearing the first gospel sermon then continued steadfastly in four things. The NASB reads that they continually devoted themselves to these things: the apostles' doctrine or teaching, the fellowship, the breaking of bread, and to prayers. Are we following that example? We invite you to listen to a sermon that looks at that thought. It is titled, "Continually Devoted."
Joseph Buys the Land for Pharaoh
Our continuing Wednesday night study of Genesis now comes to Genesis 47:13ff. Joseph takes care of his family in Goshen, but the Egyptians suffer as the famine continues. They run out of money, barter livestock for food, and then give their land and themselves to Pharaoh for grain. Our study tonight goes through Genesis 48 and Jacob's blessing of Joseph's sons. We invite you to listen.
O LORD, How Long?
Habakkuk 1:2: "O LORD, how long shall I cry, and you will not hear?" There is a frustration in the prophet's appeal to God, but God's answer is terrifying. He will bring the Babylonians army against Judah in judgment for the wickedness of the people. As this short prophecy ends, Habakkuk sets forth a confidence in God that is a pattern for our faith. We invite you to listen to a short sermon titled, "How LONG, O Lord?"
Israel Moves to Egypt
We uploaded a short Bible study from Genesis 46-47 for anyone who might want to use it as an aid in directing your mind toward heavenly things.
Full of Trouble
We are living in troubled times, uncertain times, and many people are feeling helpless - indeed hopeless. God's children know that God is in control. The man Job had a sudden change in his life. Satan took his family, his possessions, and his health from him. His friends turned against him, and even his wife encouraged him to give up. However, Job remained faithful even as life as he knew it was turned upside down. We can too. And we should.
Let Us Pray
"First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:1-4, NASB).