Mossvale Community Church

Pastor Hugh continues through Psalm 23, with verse 5, where David describes God as a gracious host who abundantly provides for His people. The verse presents three images of God’s goodness: a prepared table, an anointed head, and an overflowing cup. The prepared table symbolises God’s provision and salvation. He invites us to partake in the blessings made possible through Jesus Christ and promises to meet both our physical and spiritual needs. The anointing with oil represents honour, healing, and the work of the Holy Spirit, who convicts, indwells, guides, and seals believers. Finally, the overflowing cup symbolises the abundant life and joy God gives, a blessing so full that it spills over into the lives of others through our service and love.

Daniel Carnan preached from Psalm 19v7–10, showing how Scripture is trustworthy, life‑giving, and complete through its six “of the Lord” descriptions: the law that is perfect, the testimony that is sure, the statutes that are right, the commandment that is pure, the fear that is clean, and the judgements that are true. He linked this to the New Testament’s witness that real transformation comes from God Himself: “neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Corinthians 3v7), and that we are “born again… through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1v23). Together, the passages affirm that God’s Word is fully valid and powerful because God Himself works through it.

In this message on Psalm 23:4, Pastor Hugh Chalk reminds us that the same Shepherd who leads us beside still waters also leads us through dark valleys, and being in that valley does not mean we are outside God’s will. The “darkest valley” represents not only death but every season of sorrow, fear, pain, and discouragement we face. Like David who endured caves, betrayal, loss at Ziklag, and the threat of death before becoming king,we often find that it is darkest before the dawn, and that God uses these valleys to prepare us for future ministry and to make us compassionate toward others. The shift in Psalm 23 from “He” to “You” shows that in suffering we move from talking about God to talking to Him, experiencing His nearness in a deeper way. His rod protects us from our enemies, and His staff guides and restores us when we wander, assuring us of both His presence and protection. Ultimately, even the final valley, death itself,has been overcome through Jesus Christ, who conquered death and offers salvation, so we can walk through every shadow without fear, trusting our Good Shepherd every step of the way.

Pastor Hugh Chalk preaches from Psalm 23v3, reminding us that like sheep who wander into danger, we need His guidance, echoed in Isaiah 53v6 and Proverbs 14v12. Jesus, the Good Shepherd of John 10, leads us through His Word. Proverbs 3v5–6 shows that we discern His will by trusting Him fully and aligning our lives with Scripture, including the enduring moral principles of the Ten Commandments. As we delight in the Lord (Psalm 37), He shapes our desires and directs our steps, even through dark valleys, always for His name’s sake. We were created, redeemed, and are continually led for His glory. Because our Shepherd restores, guides, and sustains us, we can face the future without fear.

In this second message of a series on Psalm 23, Pastor Hugh Chalk preaches from Psalm 23:2, showing us that because the Lord is our Shepherd, we lack nothing, especially rest. He leads us into “green pastures” and beside “quiet waters,” offering peace and contentment in a weary world. Just as sheep can only lie down when four needs are met: freedom from fear, from conflict, from irritating pests, and from hunger, so we find true rest when Jesus meets those same needs in us: calming our fears with His presence, replacing pride and tension with humility and peace, covering life’s irritations by His Spirit, and satisfying our deepest hunger through salvation and His Word. Though storms still come, He is with us, and in Christ’s finished work we find forgiveness, contentment, and rest for our souls.

Pastor Hugh Chalk teaching at Mossvale Men's Meeting.

In Three Kinds of Men (Part 2), the focus turns to the spiritual man as described in 1 Corinthians 2:15–16—a person who has been born again, made alive by the Spirit of God, and now lives yielded to Him. This message explores how the spiritual believer is able to discern and understand spiritual truth through the Word of God, even while remaining misunderstood by the natural world. Though the unbelieving mind cannot grasp their joy, peace, forgiveness, or hope, the spiritual person lives with confidence rooted in God’s sovereignty and eternal life. Most profoundly, Paul reminds us that believers have been given the mind of Christ, marked by humility, obedience, and a servant’s heart, calling us to ongoing transformation as our minds are renewed and our lives increasingly reflect the character of Jesus.

Pastor Hugh Chalk teaching at the Mossvale Men's Meeting.

In Three Kinds of Men (Part 1), Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 2–3 is explored as he reveals how God views humanity through a spiritual lens rather than outward distinctions. The sermon unpacks the three categories Paul identifies: the natural man, who is unregenerate and unable to understand spiritual truth because it seems foolish without the Spirit; the spiritual man, who discerns God’s wisdom through the mind of Christ; and the carnal (worldly) man, who is saved yet still immature, living according to human desires rather than spiritual maturity. Challenging the way the world categorises people by status, identity, or achievement, this message calls listeners to examine their own hearts, reminding us that God looks not at outward appearance but at spiritual condition, and urging a move from spiritual blindness or immaturity into a life fully led by the Holy Spirit.

The Lord Is My Shepherd

In this first message of a new series on Psalm 23, Pastor Hugh Chalk explores why this beloved passage is not ultimately about death, but about life - life lived under the care of a faithful Shepherd. Reflecting on David’s journey from shepherd boy to king, we see how Psalm 23 becomes a personal declaration of faith: “The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing.” The sermon unpacks the meaning of God’s personal name (YHWH), His sufficiency as the great “I AM,” and the intimate relationship God offers His people as Shepherd and Provider. Pointing to Jesus as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep, we’re reminded that true comfort, guidance, and security come only through knowing Him personally, and that only those who can say, “The Lord is my shepherd,” can truly rest in the promise, “I have everything I need.”

Pastor Gladstone Akabuah shares from Psalm 24.

In Psalm 27 (Part 2), Pastor Hugh Chalk focuses on the final four choices David made while facing crisis, showing how faith is practiced in the middle of the storm. David chose a joyful attitude, offering praise and “sacrifices of joy” even in the day of trouble (Psalm 27:6). He was willing to grow, asking the Lord to teach and lead him rather than simply remove the hardship (Psalm 27:11​). David also chose to believe, holding firmly to the conviction that he would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living despite unseen outcomes (Psalm 27:13​). Finally, he chose to wait on the Lord, trusting God’s timing and strength with confidence and courage (Psalm 27:14​). This message reminds us that joy, faith, and endurance are found not in the absence of trouble, but in choosing to trust God through it.