We are privileged to have Dr. David Pennington -PhD, BJU- and his wife with us in our services today. Dr. Pennington has been a church planter, pastor, and educator. He is presently beginning a ministry to help pastors and churches develop stable and successful ministries. The Penningtons live in the Charlotte area and are members of Bible Baptist Church of Matthews.

Many people think that they are Christians simply because they -prayed a prayer- or because they go to church. The Bible teaches that our salvation from sin is the result of God's saving grace through faith in Jesus- saved people are those who follow Jesus Christ. Today's sermon examines a group of people who considered themselves to be -Christians- -to borrow our term-, but they were not. They did not recognize Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Today's sermon- Christ-blindness -Matthew 12-38-42-.

A godly heritage requires two specific things. It requires godly parent-s- - there must be a generation that is redeemed and recognizes God's rule over life. There must also be godly child-ren- - another generation that is saved and growing in godliness. Tonight's focus is on the role of both parents and children in establishing a godly heritage. Tonight's sermon- The Wisdom of a Godly Heritage -Proverbs 17-6-.

The period of the judges is often declared to be a time of lawlessness --the people did that which was right in their own eyes--. Even the judges themselves do not escape judgment. Many rank them as progressively worse ending with Samson. But the last judge is actually the greatest. Today we look at Samuel's death and notice how his life was a testimony of praise to the Lord.

One of the things most parents think about is how to protect their children from the negative influences in the world around them. Unfortunately, this is impossible for two reasons. First, these negative influences are everywhere. It is impossible to shield children from learning about sin and being influenced by sinners who encourage them to sin. Second, this negative influence also indwells them. Children are born with a sin nature. How can parents respond- What hope do we have- Tonight's sermon- Wisdom in Parenting -Proverbs 2-10-22-.

It is one thing to talk about God in the abstract, to think about His nature and character and all of His other attributes. These are powerful ideas that inspire us to worship. It is even more incredible to think about God and realize that we have a personal relationship with Him.

Next week is Friend Day. This is not just an opportunity to have a Fall fellowship with fried chicken. This is part of our church's commitment to spreading the gospel in our community. Jesus left us with the command to make disciples of the nations. Today's emphasis is on this important truth. Today's sermon- Do Something. -Romans 1-13-17-

Sunday Evening Service, September 29, 2019-God's Wisdom in Family Life Series-Pastor Matthew Walker--The Christian home operates best when it is governed by God's wisdom. The book of Proverbs is filled with observations about the family that Christians should consider for their own homes. Tonight, we look at the foundational issue of marriage as it relates to wisdom in the home. Tonight's sermon- The Foundation of a Happy Home -Proverbs 18-22, 31-28-

Dave Barba will be preaching tonight. Dave and Claudia have been part of our church from its inception. Dave was our first song-leader -and the first to do it while working a yo-yo- while Claudia played the piano. Dave even drilled the holes in the church pulpit- They were integral in the early days of our church, supporting this ministry in many different ways. It is our pleasure to host them this evening.

God is our ever-present refuge. He is our high tower. He is our help in times of trouble. The Scriptures present God as the source of comfort during difficult times. Today's sermon looks at Samuel's disappointment over Saul and sees a prophet who is both fearful and crestfallen. However, instead of remaining in that condition, he responded to God's commands by taking hope in God's plan for a new king in Israel.