What does the Bible say about the way church should be? From a jail cell in Rome, Paul writes with deep love for a church family who has partnered with him in the shared ministry of advancing the gospel.

As we end this current year together today and begin next year together as a congregation next week, we are, perhaps, troubled by what may lie ahead for us. We face changes, both known and unknown, individually, in our families, our workplaces, our society, our nation, in our church and the church at…

I. The Dead Stump The glory of his forest and of his fruitful land the LORD will destroy, both soul and body, and it will be as when a sick man wastes away. 19 The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few that a child can write them down. II. The Insignificant Shoot & Branch "He Shall Be Called…

Much of what I have to say this morning I must give credit to David Strain, pastor of First Presbyterian in Jackson, Mississippi. His thinking has heavily influenced my preparation in working through today’s passage. Here in Isaiah 7 , we see that the people of God are in big trouble. The future looks…

I. Closing Words, 1-11 A. Christ Shepherds His Flock Through the Elders, 1-5 Peter reminds us that in the testing and trials of persecution, the Church needs godly leadership in order to survive. How those who are leading go about their responsibilities is important. Are they acting as shepherds, or…

15. A New Slant on Suffering 15. A New Slant on Suffering John Butler / General 1 Peter: The Glory of Suffering / 1 Peter 4:12–19 We all have this natural reaction, this gut survival instinct, that suffering is somehow not the way life ought to be (or how we would choose how things should be). Peter,…

14. Living on the Edge of Eternity If we know that there will be an end-date to an activity, that knowledge will affect our actions, our decisions, on what we spend our time and money on, what sort of activities we engage in and commitments we make. If you know, for example, that you will be moving overseas…