Tri-Annual Singing!
February 21, 2026
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Mining the Scriptures: 2 Thessalonians 3:16-18
With a final benediction, Paul brought to a close this second letter to the church in Thessalonica. These last words were written by Paul personally. While it seems that he dictated most of his letters, (cf. Romans 16:22), he typically sent his salutation with his own handwriting. “See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!” (Galatians 6:11). Perhaps Paul had bad eyesight, or some other condition that made it hard for him to write.
The words themselves are beautiful and significant. They declared clearly Paul’s love for his brethren. He asked God’s blessing upon the Thessalonians, that God grant them peace, and be with them. The phrase “be with you all” is not merely a closing. Paul desired they be granted and maintain a close relationship with the Lord.
He finished his letter with a request that Jesus Christ’s grace or favor be upon them. The ultimate expression of this is salvation.
(10 of 13) The Sweet Counsel of a Friend
“Ointment and perfume delight the heart, and the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel” (Proverbs 27:9). Men have always understood and benefitted from the advice of others. That is, if it is good advice. You may remember Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, who inherited the reign of his father in Israel. When he ascended the throne, he was told by the “whole assembly of Israel” to “lighten the burdensome service of your father” with the promise if he did so, “we will serve you” (1 Kings 12:1-4).
Rehoboam asked his father’s advisors what to do. They told him to grant the people’s request, telling him if he did, “then they will be your servants forever” (7). Instead of following their sage advice, he instead listened to his peers, who lacked the wisdom the elders supplied. The young men suggested he say, “And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!” (11). This was a direct cause of the northern tribes rejecting him in favor of Jeroboam. It led the chronicler of the Kings to write, “So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day” (19). Continue reading “(10 of 13) The Sweet Counsel of a Friend”
Sermon: Fair-Minded Toward God
The Noble Bereans (Acts 17:11) are examined to determine why their approach in examining Paul’s preaching was commended by God. May be we noble like the Bereans!
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Sermon: Dichotomies
A discussion of extreme contrasts found in God’s word. They show us the need to make choices that God’s commends rather than condemns.
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Sermon: Know This…
The Worthy Walk
Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” (4:1). He then goes on to describe aspects of that walk. Consider:
It is a walk of lowliness: having a humble opinion of oneself, humility, modesty (Thayer). “…But in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” (Philippians 2:3).
It is a walk of gentleness: mildness, meekness (Thayer). “To speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men” (Titus 3:2). Continue reading “The Worthy Walk”
Mining the Scriptures: 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5
Paul continued his thought from the previous chapter, noting their absence from Thessalonica. So he sent Timothy to them to “establish you and encourage you concerning your faith” (2).
The encouragement was needed because of their suffering. The Thessalonian Christians were being persecuted because of their faith. Notice the words used by Paul in these verses: afflictions, tribulation, tempt [-ation]. A lesson for us today: if we serve the Lord we too will suffer. What was true for them can happen to any of us at any time. “For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know” (4).
Paul was concerned about their faith. Understand, the devil (our tempter) is diligent in his efforts to thwart our faith and cause us to fail the Lord (cf. 1 Peter 5:8). So Paul’s motivation as he lived his life for Christ was to save himself, and as many others as he could. It made him a very effective ambassador for Christ!
The Humbled and Exalted Christ
I love the title of this short article. It is not mine. It came from a paragraph heading in my NKJ Bible. The one above Philippians 2:5-13. Jesus came to earth from heaven, living among us as a man, humbling Himself. This humility reached the point to where He died on the cross for our sins. “Therefore God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (9-11).
What Jesus did, and the Father’s response serves as a wonderful example for us to emulate. It shows God’s aversion to selfish pride, and His embrace of selfless humility. As James wrote, “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (James 4:6).
Take the time to read the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18:9-14. The Pharisee exalted himself in prayer, and the Publican humbled himself before God. Consider the conclusion as God accepted the tax collector, but not the Publican. “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (14).
(9 of 13) Esteeming Each Other
The key to esteeming each other is humility. If I am proud, my attention and interest is in myself. Pride associates with selfishness. However, If I am humble, my attention and interest typically will be in others. I see their value equal to, even exceeding my own. My humility makes me selfless. At least, that is God’s intention.
We are not talking here about self-hatred or despair. It is the realization that the value of another equals my own, and therefore my duty is to positively impact their lives. If you consider it, such actions reciprocated benefit all. I look out for multiple others, and all of them (having the same values) look out for me!
Consider the example Paul gave, writing about the care shown by a husband to his wife. “So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church” (Ephesians 5:28-29). The husband’s love is to be selfless. He esteems and values his wife and makes her welfare and happiness his work. This is an example of esteeming that should be common in the disciple’s life. Continue reading “(9 of 13) Esteeming Each Other”
Sermon: How Jesus Overcame Discouragement
A discussion of Discouragement and Despair, using Jesus as an example both in the experience and how to deal with it.
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(8 of 13) Praying for Each Other
Prayer is an essential part of the Christian’s daily life. It has been said that the Bible is how God communicates to mankind, and prayer is how mankind communicates with God. It is through prayer that we praise God, we let God know of our needs, we intercede to Him on behalf of our fellow man, and we petition Him through the mediation of His Son. God expects, and requires such communication on our part. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
The book of Revelation has an interesting description of heaven with a mention of the prayers of the saints, in Revelation 5:8. The description is of God’s throne, with the Almighty at the center of all creation. Paul describes the moment the Lamb (God’s Son) takes a scroll depicting the Father’s will for man. “Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Truly our prayers are taken to the very presence of God and our petitions to Him are heard. As we contemplate our imperative to love one another, it is difficult to think of any better way to practice that love than praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ to the Heavenly Father. Continue reading “(8 of 13) Praying for Each Other”
Sermon: God’s Children
A discussion of the first 10 verses of 1 John 3, detailing the love shown us by God, and the consequences to all the sanctified.
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(7 of 13) Loving Each Other
The single most important characteristic that is to identify children of God is love for one another. This truth is revealed especially by the pen of the man known as the apostle of love — the apostle John. There are a number of reasons for the designation. First, it was a self-designation as John humbly referred to himself in the third person in his gospel, as a disciple “whom [He/Jesus] loved” (cf. John 19:26; 13:23; 20:2; 21:7). Too, love was a central theme of both John’s gospel and his letters.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
“We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also” (1 John 4:19-21). Continue reading “(7 of 13) Loving Each Other”
Fall Meeting 2025: (Bruce Reeves)
The following sermon series titled, Walking With God, was preached at the West Side congregation by Bruce Reeves of Conway, AR on October 18-23, 2025
Saturday: God’s Strength: Why the Armor of the Lord Matters (Ephesians 6:10-17)
Sunday: God’s Mercy: The Just Shall Live By Faith (Habakkuk 3:16-19)
Sunday: God’s Holiness: The Transforming Power of Confession (1 John 1:5-10)
Sunday: God’s Providence: The Lord Never Fails (Ruth 1:16-17)
Monday: God’s Righteousness: Do Christians Need to Think About Hell? (Romans 2:1-11)
Tuesday: God’s Grace: Living in the Obedience of Faith (Romans 4:19-26)
Wednesday: God’s Deliverance: Jonah’s Prayer (Jonah 2:1-10)
Thursday: God’s Victory: The Resurrection Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:51-58)
