Elder Mike Gowens took his text from Philippians 1:6 on Sunday morning, 7/9/17. This text teaches that the God who begins the good work of eternal life in one of His elect will never abandon that child, but will complete the work He began. Simply stated, Philippians 1:6 is one passage among many in Scripture that affirms the great doctrine of Eternal Security, or, as Pastor Gowens terms it, the Divine Preservation of the Saints.

On Sunday morning, 6/25/17, visiting Elder Chris McCool concluded our Communion Weekend meeting with an exposition of Isaiah 55. This wonderful chapter foreshadows numerous characteristics and virtues of the church our Lord established in the world, as well as the benefits of participation in it. Elder McCool urges us to press into that kingdom in order to enjoy the spiritual blessings that may only be found in the church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

During the Saturday evening (6/24/17) service of our Communion Meeting, guest minister Elder Chris McCool looked at the story of Jesus' visit to the house of Simon Peter in Capernaum as recorded in Mark 2. From that inspired narrative, Elder McCool drew several lessons of the kinds of things we may expect when Jesus is in the house. Here is the great need of the hour for the Church, i.e. the manifest presence of the Lord in our midst.

On Father's Day 2017 (6/18/17), Elder Michael Gowens looked at Proverbs 20:7 as the text for his sermon on the generational impact of a godly father: "The just man walketh in his integrity and his children are blessed after him." Fathers who are absent, whether physically, emotionally, or educationally, produce children who are lost and cannot find their way. Of the many responsibilities a man may have in life, none is more important than to bring up children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

In this 6/11/17 message, Pastor Michael Gowens considers what is perhaps the most crucial precondition for acceptable prayer - praying in faith. Two passages from the general epistle of James form the basis of this study: James 1:5-6 and James 5:13-15. The prayer of faith is not a matter of simple positive thinking or "naming and claiming" a blessing, but of confidence in God's approachability, goodness, love and power. It is also a prayer that acqueisces to His sovereign will, knowing that His way is always best.

Nuggets of gospel truth may be discovered throughout the Old Testament. Elder Mike Gowens finds one such gospel nugget in the narrative of 2 Samuel 14 - the story of Absalom's revolt against the throne of his father and David's incentive to bring him home again from exile. The text for this 6/4/17 sermon is 2 Samuel 14:14.

The May 26, 2017 sermon by Elder Michael Gowens was taken from the narrative in Acts 9:36-42. In the church at Joppa, an obscure female disciple named Dorcas lived a life of sincere devotion to Christ by means of quiet service to others. Upon her sudden and unexpected demise, the widows and saints gathered to remember her by showcasing the many crafts in their possession from her hand, mourning the passing of this greatly beloved Christian woman. From this narrative, Elder Gowens draws multiple lessons concerning authentic Christian discipleship for believers today.

On May 21, 2017, Michael Gowens took his text from Hebrews 10:38: "Now the just shall live by faith..." This important sentence defines a different kind of lifestyle for God's people than that which is popular in the world around us. We must be people who continue to follow God's word and trust God's promises even though feelings within, circumstances around, and consequences ahead argue against us. Soon, the Lord Jesus will return to judge the wicked and gather his own to himself. Until then, the just shall live by faith.

Popular culture is sadly confused about gender distinctions and what constitutes genuine masculinity and femininity. In this May 14, 2017 sermon from Proverbs 31, Pastor Gowens reminds us of God's ideal for women, and challenges the popular feminist paradigm that urges women to declare independence from a husband and family. This study considers three primary features of the "virtuous woman": (1) Her Principle Virtue; (2) Her Primary Orientation; (3) Her Pricelss Reward.

In this May 7, 2017 message, Elder Mike Gowens looks at Hebrews 4:16 and the encouragement believers are given to seek the Lord in prayer. Joseph Scriven, author of the beloved hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," talked about the great "privilege" given to us "to carry everything to God in prayer." There is, indeed, no greater privilege to sinful mortals than to commune with the Father by means of the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to this sermon and be challenged to a greater diligence and consistency in your prayer-life.