If My People: A Call to Humility, Prayer and Hope in a Dark Hour
2 Chronicles 7:14-16
This week marks the 25th anniversary of September 11th, and I will begin the message with my own memory of that day. Then I’ll speak to the surprising season of prayer and unity in our country that followed, albeit short lived. But why did it take tragedy to bring us to our knees? From there, we'll dig into 2 Chronicles 7:14, God's promise to Solomon: If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
 
We'll walk through all four of those verbs — humble, pray, seek, turn — as a personal charge first to ourselves, then for our families, our church, our community, our country and the world. Along the way we'll look honestly at 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and how Paul's warning about self-love, lost self-control, and rejected truth describes our own cultural moment.
 
But we won't stop in the darkness — we'll close with the hope that we are salt and light, and that Christ in us is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). Come ready for an honest look inward, and leave with real hope for what God can do through a humbled, praying, seeking, repentant people.
 
I hope to see you there!
Pastor doug

Pray About Everything!
Philippians 4:6a & 2 Kings 6:1-7
 
Reverend David Shivers

A powerful sermon on the importance of prayer for the follower of Christ.

Jesus Is Coming Back — Are You Ready? 
Matthew 24:36-44
 
Jesus promised He would return, and that promise is certain, even though no one knows the day or hour. The real question isn't “if” He's coming, but “whether we'll be ready when He does”. We’ll look at why God's patience is an act of mercy (2 Peter 3:9), not a sign He's forgotten His promise. We’ll also unpack what it practically looks like to live ready: watching, praying, working, witnessing, walking holy, and waiting with hope (Titus 2:13).
 
We'll close by asking the most important question of all : have you truly given your life to Jesus? Whether you're taking that step for the first time or need to recommit, there will be a time to respond. Come ready to be encouraged, challenged, and reminded that His return is good news for those who belong to Him.
 
I hope to see you Sunday! Bring a friend!
Pastor doug

This Sunday: Storms Part 4: The Storm That Reminds
Matthew 14:22-33
Friends, This Sunday we close out our four-week Storms series with "The Storm That Reminds." Over these weeks we've seen how storms reveal what's really in us, refine our character like fire refines gold, and redirect us back onto the road God intends. This week, we land on the final truth: storms remind us that God is with us now, that He's always been with us, and that the storm will not last forever.
 
We'll walk through Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4 and Peter stepping out onto the water in Matthew 14, including a powerful clip from The Chosen, to illustrate that Jesus doesn't wait for the storm to end before He shows up; He comes into it. We'll discover that our focus, not our circumstances, determines whether we sink or stand. We'll look at how Peter's own storms gave him the personal story to write "trials prove the genuineness of our faith" (1 Peter 1:6-7).
 
And we'll close with the promise of Revelation 21: that every storm, no matter how long, has an expiration date. The bottom line: the storm may not always end when we want it to, but it will end, and Jesus will never leave us before it does.
Invite a friend and come ready to be reminded of God’sfaithfulness.
I hope to see you Sunday!
Pastor doug

Storms, Part 3: The Storm That Redirects
Jonah 1:1-6
 
This week, we continue on in our Storms series with Part 3: The Storm That Redirects
We've seen how storms can:
 
Reveal what's in our hearts (Week 1)
 
Refine our character (Week 2)
 
This week, we look at how some storms exist simply to change our direction, because God has a purpose that He's determined to fulfill in us. We'll dive into the story of Jonah, tracing his flight from God's call, the storm that stopped his escape, and the mercy hidden inside his three days in the belly of a great fish. We'll place his story next to Paul's — a man blinded on the road to Damascus, redirected not from rebellion, but from misplaced zeal. Together, their stories show us two kinds of storms: some are corrective, and some are providential.
 
The Big Idea: Some storms change our direction so God can fulfill His purpose.
The Bottom Line: Sometimes what feels like a setback is actually God's redirection and course correction. Come ready to reflect on where you may be resisting God's redirection in your own life. We'll have time to respond together in prayer.

See you Sunday!
Pastor doug

This Sunday:  Storms Part 2: The Storm That Refines
James 1:2-4
 
Hey Misty Creek family, 
This Sunday we continue our Storms series with Part 2: "The Storm That Refines." Last week we saw how storms reveal our foundation: what we really believe about God when everything else gets stripped away. This week, we go deeper: storms don't just reveal, they refine. We'll dig into James 1:2-4, where James makes the surprising claim that we can consider trials "pure joy" — not because trials feel good, but because of what they produce in us. 
 
We'll revisit Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their furnace, explore the examples of gold being refined and iron sharpening iron, and honestly wrestle with what it means when God's answer to our prayers is “no” or "not yet" instead of "yes." If you're in a storm of your own right now — a diagnosis, a strained relationship, a waiting season, this message is for you. We'll close by looking at James 1:12: "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial... that person will receive the crown of life." 
Come ready to be refined, not just comforted. 

See you Sunday, 
Pastor doug

I'm starting a new sermon series this Sunday called Storms. Over the next 4 weeks, I'll unpack how the Lord used trials, tribulations and storms in our lives to strengthen our trust in Him, to build our character and to shape us to be more like Christ.

This week:

Storms Part 1: The Storm That Reveals

Mark 4:35-41

Senior Pastor, Doug Allen

The God Who Searches Me (Psalm 139 Series Finale)
Psalm 139:19-24
 
This Sunday we close out our four-week journey through Psalm 139 with our final message. We've spent the last three weeks marveling at a God who knows us, is present with us everywhere, and formed us with intention and care. This week, we confront the fuller picture of who He is: a holy God who hates sin (Psalm 139:19-22, Proverbs 6:16-19) and yet loved us enough to send His Son to the cross so that hatred of sin would never mean rejection of us. We'll pause during the message to celebrate Holy Communion together, and then close with David's most courageous prayer: "Search me, God, and know my heart... see if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." We'll take time for quiet reflection and an open invitation to respond at the altar, closing our service with Phil Wickham's "Your Name Is Holy." Come ready to be searched, and to be led.

 
I hope to see you Sunday, 
Pastor doug

The God Who Formed Me
Week 3: Psalm 139:13-18 | John 3:16
 
You are not an accident. You are a masterpiece, knit together in your mother's womb by a Creator who does not make mistakes. This week, we continue our journey through Psalm 139 by turning to the God who formed us: every detail intentional, every day of our lives written in His book before we ever lived it. From body image to the sanctity of life, we'll confront the world's shifting standards of worth with God's unchanging verdict, and see just how far He went to prove it, sending His one and only Son to redeem us. Join us as we discover that your worth was never up for debate; it was settled at the cross.
 
I love y’all
doug

Senior Pastor, Doug Allen

Psalm 139 Part 2: The God Who is Everywhere
Psalm 139:7-12 | Week 2 of 4: Psalm 139 
 
Following last week's look at the God who fully knows us, this message explores David's question: "Where can I go from your Spirit?" Through three extremes: the heights of heaven, the depths of the sea, and the darkness of hiding. David discovers there is nowhere anxiety, suffering, or shame can take us that God has not already gone before us. Weaving in Jonah's flight to Tarshish and the story of Jesus seeking out the Samaritan woman at the well, the sermon lands on verse 10's tender promise: "Your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." Whether we're wrestling with fear of the future, isolation in dark seasons, or shame that makes us want to hide, God isn't waiting for us to find our way back, He's already pursuing us with grace. The message closes reflectively, inviting the congregation to simply rest in being held and pursued.