Pastoral Prayer – 8/10/25

Prayers for the Church

Father,

Give us to have certainty concerning the things we have been taught; (Luke 1:4) and let our knowledge grow up to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ. (Col. 2:2) And make us doers of the word and not hearers only. (James 1:22)

Prayers for Members

Lord God we remember ___ and ___ ___, asking that you comfort them …

Pastoral Prayer – 8/3/25

Prayers for the Church

Father,

We draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive not only mercy to pardon, but grace to help in every time of need. (Heb. 4:16)

We ask for your grace to be sufficient for us, let your power be made perfect in our weakness. (2 Cor. 12:9-10)

We are daily tempted to trust ourselves to our own good works, but any good that comes from us is …

Liturgy Shapes Us

After a guest at our church has visited 2-3 times, I often hear the following: “You aren’t like most Baptist churches I have been too.” I always trust that’s a compliment, but nonetheless, I understand what they mean.

Most Baptist churches don’t stand every time the Bible is read, or prayers dedicated to adoration, confession, and supplication, or have a minister declare to you that your sins are forgiven through Christ. Most Baptist churches don’t …

Pastoral Prayer – 7/13/2025

Prayers for the Church

Almighty God,

We draw near to your throne of grace, that we may receive not only mercy to pardon, but also grace to help us in every time of need (Heb. 4:16)

Father, let our old self be crucified with Christ so that we might no longer be slaves to sin, but worship and love you with full hearts. (Rom. 6:6) Give us grace to put off the old self, and …

Ritual & Ritualism (The Nature of True Worship) – Psalm 50

Psalm 50 – Study Guide

THE TEXT:

Our text for today is Psalm 50. These are the words of God:

The Mighty One, God the Lord,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth.
Our God comes; he does not keep silence;
before him is a devouring fire,
around him a mighty tempest…

SUMMARY OF THE

Man in His Pomp – Psalm 49

INTRODUCTION

Two days ago on Independence Day, you fired up the grill, threw on some burgers and dogs, and immediately, out of now where came the flies. I think when I get to heaven, if God asks me if there’s anything I’d like him to explain I’m going to ask, “Why flies. Lord? Were you tired? Did you slip up and say, ‘fly,’ and they just appeared?”

As nasty and pesky as they are, at …

Pastoral Prayer – 7/6/2025

Prayers for the Church

Our Father,

You are the God of hope. So fill us with all joy and peace in believing, so that by your Spirit, we may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13) You will not abandon us to the grave but have already ransomed us with the blood of Christ.

Prayers for Members

Father, we thank you for our members, ____ and ______ ________. May your grace be upon their home, their son …

The City of God – Psalm 48

GRAB THEIR ATTENTION

The Pyramids of Giza, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, Pharo’s Lighthouse at Alexandria, and the Colossus of Rhodes. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. They’ve captured the imagination of school children and archeologists for centuries. But the list is incomplete. In fact, the most glorious of ancient cities, the most beautiful of ancient temples has been overlooked, and that …

Jesus Calls Sinners – Luke 5:27-32

Jesus Calls Sinners

An Orderly Account: Encountering Jesus in the Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:27-32

The Text

27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.

29 And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at

What is Christian Community?

What is Christian Community? _____________________________

Letter from the Pastor 5/22/2025

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Community in the church is unique. There’s nothing else like it. Outside of the church people find community through nationality, shared political ideas, shared stage of life, work, or common interests and hobbies. But the unity and community of the church transcends all these categories.

Every Sunday morning we confess our belief in the “communion of the saints,” form the Apostles’ Creed. …