Tri-Annual Singing!
June 20, 2026
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Category: Christian Living
Subject: Christian Living
Sermon: The Desires of Disciples
An examination of the proper desires of God’s people. For example to be lovers of God rather than the world, and to Honor and Obey Him, no matter the sacrifices that must be made.
Sermon: Not Carnality, But Christ
The text of Colossians 3 contrasts the life of the self-indulgent with the better life of a child of God who practices self-denial. Let us choose Christ rather than the fleshly lusts!
Sermon: Diligence
Diligence in serving God, the Brethren, Family and Others. These are the hallmarks of faithful disciples.
Sermon: Using Euphemisms
The use of Euphemisms can be healthy and helpful. In fact, euphemisms are often found in scripture. However, when they are used to mask profane thoughts and ugly words, they are sinful!
COVID-19 (33) Worshiping the Creature Rather Than the Creator
A couple of days ago I watched a discussion regarding the ongoing protests in America. The premise was the seeming desire of protestors to abolish the institutions and way of life that has characterized America from the beginning.
As a response to the part that racism plays in the conflict, the host of the program (a news anchor) referred to the Declaration of Independence. She said that the declaration clearly states that “nature has created all of us as equals.”
Continue reading “COVID-19 (33) Worshiping the Creature Rather Than the Creator”
Sermon: How’s Your Relationship with God?
A relationship with God requires contact with Him, time spent in His presence, trust in Him, and an effort to nurture that relationship. How are you doing?
Sermon: Paul’s Prayer for the Colossians (1:9-14)
The lesson is a discussion of Paul’s prayer, in (1:9-14), where he prayed that the Colossians would be filled with knowledge, walk worthily, and be strengthened.
Covid-19 (31) – How Do People View You?
I have an interesting question to ask you. How do people view you? And, is it important to know that? Ultimately, does it matter? There actually is a Bible answer to the second question, which we will discuss. You will have to answer the first by examining yourself, and trying to look at your words and actions as others do.
First, does it matter? Well, in one way yes, and another way no. Consider Paul’s words, “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord” (1 Corinthiansa 4:3-4). God will judge us. Because of this, we must ultimately please Him alone. If we are pleasing Him, then it doesn’t matter if others condemn us. All that matters is God is pleased.
However, that doesn’t give us carte blanche to go around acting obnoxiously, with no concern what others might think. Consider that God requires us to concern ourselves with how others might view us. In other words, to please God we need to please men, within certain parameters.
COVID-19 (30) Be Careful
In Titus 3, Paul gave instructions to the evangelist Titus. He wrote, “This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.”
The frequency
Paul told Titus to affirm the truth constantly. The phrase is not translated consistently by English versions. While the KJV and NKJV say to “affirm constantly”, the ESV says “to insist”, and the ASV to “affirm confidently.” Young’s Literal translation says, to “affirm fully.” Regardless of the different words used, the translations are not far apart in expressing the intent of Paul’s admonition.
Sermon: 6 Reminders from Galatians
There are a number of important concepts Paul reminds us of in his letter to the Galatians. Things like not living for the approval of others, and the fact that our worth is inseparable from our Lord.
COVID-19 (22) Processing a Pandemic
I came across a gem this morning from Warren King. He shared a chart (see the picture accompanying this article), with the premise “Who do I want to be during COVID-19? Though Warren didn’t make the chart, he shared it on Facebook. In the comments, a point was made that the chart mirrored the process that we go through when grieving. The five famous steps of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance.
In this chart are listed three ways people are handling the pandemic. Fear, Learning and Growth. The process is seen over and over again in life, and is certainly valid here. I would like to share a few thoughts about what is noted in the chart.
COVID-19 (19) Flattening the Curve
Today on the news I watched the governor of New York (the state hit hardest by the pandemic) saying that the cycle of contagion and death has hit a plateau in the state. He is counseling continued caution, but there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel.
Other places in the country are on a different timeline, and are feeling the effects of COVID-19 at a different level than New York. It is interesting to consider how the nation has responded to the disease. Because citizens are by and large acting responsibly, we seem to be flattening the curve.
COVID-19 (12) Are We Too Preoccupied?
One of our members forwarded a post today that mirrors some things that my son and I have been discussing the last several weeks. It is on the mind of many, and has been stated by the President himself when he said that we must make sure the “cure isn’t worse than the disease.” Justin’s post read:
“There isn’t actually any contradiction in the beliefs that (A) the virus is dangerous, (B) mass unemployments is dangerous, and (C) authoritarian government policies are dangerous. There needn’t be any cognitive dissonance holding all three at once; they’re not mutually exclusive.” – Caitlin Johnstone
COVID-19 (3) I Have an Idea
People are bound to be going stir crazy with the shelter in place orders here and around the nation. There have been quite a few jokes about sitting on the couch binging favorite Netflix shows. I’m showing my age. I have never associated binging with watching TV. In my day binging had to do with a half gallon of Bluebell icecream!
The Patternists: So Walk in Him
In the book of Colossians, Paul warns his brethren about turning away from Christ, to embrace something else. He wrote, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7).
Paul’s exhortation to “walk in Him” is not without explanation. He clearly emphasizes that walking in Jesus is being established and abounding in the faith that they have been taught. Truly, “…faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).
