2012
The new year is here. If you haven’t investigated the person called Jesus, then this is a good time to start. God offers forgiveness of sins, a relationship with Him, and eternal life all through His Son Jesus. I began 2012 with sermons on Jesus the Healer. The greatest healing is not that of a broken body, but that of a bruised and broken soul. I want to encourage you to turn or return to Jesus the Healer as we begin 2012.
Advent
This is the first Sunday of Advent. I had not experienced the traditional lighting of candles on the advent wreath before coming to New Hampshire. Today we lit the candle of Hope and read the following scripture passages.
Isaiah 60: 1-3: Arise, shine; For you light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.
Titus 2:11-13 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ
It was good to be reminded of the hope that is ours in Christ. We look for the coming of Christ and the completion of our redemption story.
I chose to share a message from Psalm 143 and speak about hope from David’s perspective.
Giving Thanks
Yes, It is that time of year. Since most of us fail to live with the gratitude attitude all year round, it is good to be reminded by a holiday to give thanks. Don’t forget to give God thanks for Who He is and for what He has done for you this year. I shared a message on Thankful Praise today. I am thankful for Jeanie Haggstrom and Walking in Light Ministries. Jeanie has a long term relationship with First Baptist Church. We have helped in her ministry for many years. She shared a testimony with us this morning. I am posting links below to her testimony and today’s sermon.
Long Term Marriage
Today we began a series called Long Term Marriage. My goal is to share biblical principles about marriage that will help us enjoy being together for the long term. God doesn’t want us to endure a long term relationship with our spouse. He wants us to enjoy the relationship. The goal isn’t just avoiding divorce. There may be times we have to fight for our marriage, but we all want a marriage that is worth fighting for. We will consider several topics, including sacrificial love, submission, serving, forgiving, and appreciating the differences between men and women. If you are not married, you will still find principles that have application in your relationships. The photo is my parents holding hands. They have been married for 60 years. Thanks Mom & Dad for showing many people a wonderful example of a loving relationship. (Click the photo for direct links to the sermons for this series.)
Thirsty
I read Psalm 42 last week and was impressed enough to take a little detour before starting the next sermon series. I’m giving a 2 part sermon on spiritual thirst. The First is on Spiritual Dehydration. The second is on Free Drinks, Free Refills. I’ll begin a Marriage series on October 16.
MONEY $EN$E
Click to go to sermons
This series addresses the way we handle our money. We want to honor God with our resources. We cover topics like debt, tithing, sharing, and stewardship.
Hurricane Irene
We will not be having the pot luck lunch and informational meeting scheduled for 8/28 due to the weather forecast. That has been moved to 9/11 after the morning worship service. We are planning to have our worship service at 10:30 on 8/28, but advise you to come only if it is safe. Who knows? The storm may pass us by.
Summer Mission Trip
We took a team of adults and teens to Douglas, Massachusetts for a week of ministry from July 31 to August 5, 2011. We were serving CEF and one of our missionaries, Jeanie Haggstrom with Walking in Light Ministries. They were conducting a five day camp for elementary age kids from low income housing in Worcestor. Some of our group served as camp counselors, some served as kitchen staff, some served on a construction team doing roofing projects, and some served on team organizing the office space for Walking In Light Ministries. Everyone worked hard and we all experienced the presence of God in different ways during the week.
desIres
This series addresses the desires within for which we seek fulfillment. These desires can be for good or evil. You must choose wisely which desires you pursue. We want to learn how to guide our desires toward good and how to steer away from evil. We must submit to God to have any victory in this area. There is forgiveness and cleansing for the times we go astray. Join us as we seek help from God’s word.
Questions
The church has a clear and concise message of truth for a culture that is struggling to find our way in the darkness. We will focus on giving Biblical answers to some of the most pressing questions of our culture in this summer sermon series. I’ve been troubled by recent answers religious leaders have given to these questions in the media.
Listen to or download sermons here.
