Line Upon Line

Pastor Miles reframes the church's identity around "life in connection," reminding the congregation that the New Testament church gathered house to house for teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. He calls believers to host or join small groups during the shutdown, then leads communion as a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice.

Using Psalm 33, Pastor Garrett argues that the chaos, anxiety, and depression of 2020 reveal a spiritual battle, and that the answer is found in the God who is sovereign over creation, history, and the individual. He calls hearers to ground themselves in God's truth, hope in His mercy, and find purpose by surrendering to His unstoppable plan.

Continuing a study in Deuteronomy, Pastor Miles explains why the statutes and judgments of God given through Moses 3,400 years ago remain relevant today, offering three reasons: the law judges all who are alive, it produces a solid society and sanctified life, and it reveals sin and points us to Christ.

In the midst of a chaotic 2020, Pastor Miles teaches from Deuteronomy 4–5 that God's statutes and judgments are given to be heard, learned, and observed so that His people may live and flourish. While the law cannot save, obedience brings temporal blessing and rejection brings affliction and shame—both for ancient Israel and for nations today—pointing us ultimately to repentance and the transforming grace of Jesus Christ.

Studying Deuteronomy 4:41-43, Pastor Miles examines the Old Testament cities of refuge as a manifestation of God's mercy toward the guilty, showing that they ultimately point forward to Jesus Christ as the true refuge for sinners from the avenger of blood.

In a chaotic 2020, Pastor Miles teaches from Deuteronomy 4 on why God's people should remain in faith and faithfulness: because God is merciful when we fail, because there is mercy and deliverance in no other, and because the Lord alone is God. He calls believers to ask (remember God's mighty acts), know (that the Lord alone is God), and keep (His statutes), pointing finally to Christ who fulfills the law.

Pastor Miles offers a mid-year "state of the church" address explaining how COVID-19 has fast-tracked cultural and church trends already underway, then closes with a teaching from Philippians 4 on graciousness, rejoicing always, and contentment through Christ's strength.

Facing a "wall" while preparing his message in Deuteronomy, Pastor Miles sets the book aside to address the chaotic times of 2020, urging believers to walk circumspectly and to refrain from letting their Christian liberty become a stumbling block to fearful neighbors. He then shares two recent deaths in the church family, encourages baptism, and leads the congregation in communion.

A verse-by-verse walk through the book of Colossians built around the four times Paul speaks of "walking" (peripeteo), tracing what it means to walk worthy of the Lord, to walk in Christ, to no longer walk as the world walks, and to walk in wisdom toward outsiders. Throughout, the recurring theme of thankfulness anchors the call to live rooted in Jesus and gracious toward all people.

Teaching from Deuteronomy 4:15–24, Pastor Miles explains that human beings are made to worship and will inevitably worship something; when we refuse to worship the true God we descend into idolatry, corrupting His glory and misrepresenting Him to others. God is not jealous *of* us but jealous *for* us and for His glory—a consuming fire who judges all misrepresentations of His majesty.