Sermons
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November 12, 2023
Series: Sermons
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His steadfast love endures forever. One reason we need the church is to take joy in the ways God delivers his people, because thanksgiving is a public matter. The Lord saves all kinds of people in all manner of ways, and he likewise commands us to consider the steadfast love he shows to others.
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November 7, 2023
Series: Bible Study
Topic: David, Saul and David
Book: 2 Samuel
David and his men have retrieved their wives and children back from Amalekite bandits when yet another Amalekite stumbles into their camp. He brings along surprising news, betting everything that what he has to say will please Israel’s next king. It’s a deadly wager that costs him his life and displays for all to see that David’s respect for Saul’s position as the Lord’s anointed was real and that his affection for Jonathan ran deep.
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November 5, 2023
Series: Sunday School
Jacob, now back in the land with his family, is called by God to move to Bethel. But where did the idols come from, and why are people and places renamed for a second time? As we seek to answer these questions we see the promise to Abraham clearly restated in all of its elements to his grandson. Are we closer to seeing the promises fulfilled? And what do the stories of God’s continued faithfulness to Abraham’s children have to say to Israelites on their way out of Egypt, or to us?
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November 5, 2023
Series: Sermons
Nehemiah seems to end on a downer as we see once more the rebuilding community failing to keep themselves unstained from the world. In a chapter prefaced by the subtle seduction of the world and placing on full display the fundamental reality of compromise, do we yet find a word of hope? Are we able with Nehemiah to look beyond the sin and disappointment of the present to final victory and blessed reward? Join us as we wrap up Nehemiah pondering both failures and a future.
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October 31, 2023
Series: Bible Study
Driven by fear, Saul dies in as ignoble a fashion as he often reigned. And, in the aftermath of Saul’s tragic demise, the kingdom of Israel is left at a low point mirroring the turbulent times of the judges.
As we move forward in our study, we must ask:
How will David, the anointed one, respond to the news?
How will the tribe of Judah react to the changing political landscape and David’s claim to the throne?
And, perhaps most crucially, how will the rest of Israel respond to David and Judah?
The fates of the nation and the monarchy hang in the balance as power shifts, alliances form, and a new era of leadership is about to unfold. -
October 29, 2023
Series: Missionary Report
Speaker: Pete & Ruth Mitchell
This morning Pete and Ruth Mitchell, MTW missionaries to France, visited us during Sunday School. The session began with a brief French culture and spirituality quiz and continued with discussion of their time there ministering to a unique people steeped in history and rich in tradition.
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October 29, 2023
Series: Sermons
Speaker: Tony Pyles
Topic: Faithfulness, Generations, Rejoicing, saints, Worship
Book: Ezra / Nehemiah
As we approach the end of Ezra-Nehemiah yet another list of names heads a chapter filled with rejoicing. How might we foster the kind of joy in God’s faithfulness this chapter displays? Join us as we consider their joy in a record of God’s faithfulness, joy in a celebration of God’s faithfulness, and joy in preparation for God’s continued and future faithfulness!
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October 24, 2023
Series: Bible Study
Speaker: Tony Pyles
Topic: danger and protection, David, deception, Kingship, leaders
Book: 1 Samuel
As we approach the end of 1 Samuel the cliffhangers mount, and each resolution leads to new questions. Leaving Saul in the dark we turn to 1 Samuel 29 and consider David’s predicament, in the pay of a Philistine commander as their armies muster to attack Israel. Will he end up on the wrong side of the battlefield? And if so, what will he do when the arrows begin to fly?
God intervenes to settle David’s difficulty, only for him to stumble into a whole new set of challenges in chapter 30. But through a maze of layered contrasts David is shown to be the king Israel needs, though not the one who rules them right now.
Meanwhile, back in the north, what will become of Saul and the armies of Israel? Stay tuned! -
October 22, 2023
Series: Sunday School
Topic: patriarchs
Book: Genesis
Today we consider Genesis 33–34. In the first chapter we witness an emotional reunion marked by tension, reconciliation, and power plays. Jacob’s actions make it clear that he has no intention of living his life alongside Esau, and the undercurrent of mistrust may be mutual. Moving forward, the next chapter focuses on the defilement of Jacob’s daughter. So much sin and so little reconciliation! Passive Jacob has passed on his knack for deceit and yet even the narrator agrees that action must be taken!