Tri-Annual Singing!
February 21, 2026
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Category: Age
“They Shall Still Bear Fruit in Old Age”
People who enter their 60’s are generally looking forward to retirement from work – a typical goal that is sought with gladness, with the anticipation of a happy number of years to do what they want instead of what is required by an employer.
It is important to note that when it comes to the kingdom of God, there is no concept of retirement. As with all other things, if you desire to stop doing what you are doing, stop putting God first, it is an affront to the Creator and unacceptable to Him. Nothing is to come before the Lord. Continue reading ““They Shall Still Bear Fruit in Old Age””
Respect for the Elderly
The book of Ruth shows an obvious respect given to the elderly in that day. This is seen in Ruth leaving her homeland to stay with Naomi as she returned to Israel.
It is seen in Boaz’ treatment of Ruth. While it is certain that Boaz was a noble individual, his treatment of Ruth came in part because of his respect for his Naomi, his kinswoman. When Ruth was identified as the “young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi” (6) he encouraged her to stay and glean in his fields. He was protective of her, and supplied her and Naomi enough to eat. The reason Boaz gave for helping her related to her sacrifice in leaving the land of her birth to “come to a people (Naomi’s) whom you did not know before” (2:11).
Ruth showed respect to Boaz despite his being significantly older, and she sought his favor. He said, “You have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich” (3:10).
After Boaz wed Ruth, they had a son. The women of the village of Bethlehem had an interesting reaction. “Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, ‘There is one born to Naomi.’ And they called his name Obed” (17).
Rather than being dismissed by society, Naomi was revered in her old age. What an example for us to embrace!
Jesus and Healing
In John 5, we read of the healing of a man who had been lame for a long time. It is an interesting narrative, and one of the first times in Jesus’ ministry that He came under fire by the Jews, who were angry at Jesus for healing this man on the Sabbath day.
Our interest comes from verses 2-4. “Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had” (John 5:2-4). Notice that the healing of an individual came if he was the first to step into the pool at the appointed time. Continue reading “Jesus and Healing”
Mining the Scriptures: Matthew 2:19-23
After Matthew records the departure of the young Jesus to Egypt (a fulfillment of Hosea 11:1), the massacre of the infants in Bethlehem, and finally the death of Herod; an angel appeared to Joseph to return with the child and His mother back to Israel.
However, Joseph was afraid to return to Judea because the son of Herod, Archelaus was reigning the place of his father. Apparently Joseph’s fear was legitimate as God warned him in a dream about the danger there, and Joseph instead turned to Galilee.
The city of Nazareth was where Joseph settled, and where Jesus was raised. In fact, he was often referred to and known as Jesus of Nazareth in the New Testament. Nathanael, in John 1:46 asked about Jesus, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Indicating the city did not have a good reputation in Israel at the time.
This was also a fulfillment of a prophecy concerning the Christ. “He shall be called a Nazarene”, which was written hundreds of years previously, in Judges 13:5.
The Collection
In 1 Corinthians 16:1-2, Paul wrote, “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.”
Nothing is surprising about this text. It relates an obligation that we have to support the Lord’s work in a systemic and regular way. It denotes the Lord’s day as the day when the collection will be taken. We know this to be the day that Christians came together to worship the Lord (cf. Acts 20:7). I states an obligation that we help those in our number (other Christians) who have a physical need (cf. Galatians 6:10).
This is the only place in scripture where there is a pattern established for this financial obligation we as Christians are given toward the Lord’s work. There are other places which give authority to practice benevolence, to support efforts of evangelism and to edify the church, but here alone is the passage that tells us how money is to be gathered in the local church.
What remains is for us to do our duty in a manner that the Holy Spirit prescribes. “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Fall Meeting 2023 (Wayne Fancher)
Below are the 9 lessons, both audio and video, that Wayne Fancher preached for the West Side congregation from November 4-9, 2023. We commend them to you.
11/4 (Saturday Night)
Continual Reorientation in An Ever Changing World
11/5 (9am Sermon, Sunday)
Little By Little
11/5 (10am Class, Sunday)
Lessons from the Parable of the Prodigal Son
11/5 (11am Sermon, Sunday)
How To Fight Sinking When We Are Hit By Sorrow Upon Sorrow
11/6 (Monday Night)
The Different Aspects of Faith
11/7 (Tuesday Night)
God Who Makes the Broken Beautiful
11/8 (Wednesday Class @ 10am)
She Has Done What She Could
11/8 (Wednesday Evening Sermon)
Spiritual Collateral Damage and Blessings
11/9 (Thursday Night)
Soldiers of Christ Arise and Put Your Armor On
