This Sunday, we will return to our study in 1 Samuel, picking up on the action in chapter 29. In this chapter, the author returns his focus to the predicament David found himself in at the beginning of chapter 28. In this chapter, we will ask: What becomes of God’s good plans for us when we make mistakes in life and, at times, make a mess of things? Come this Sunday and be reminded of the faithfulness of God toward his people.
 Our current series is called “The Story of David,” and will help us to learn to be men and women after God’s heart. King David is one of the most prominent figures in the Bible. He is known for his bravery, piety, and leadership and is considered to be Israel's greatest king. But David was not without his flaws. He committed adultery with Bathsheba and then arranged for her husband to be killed in battle. Despite this, David is still revered for his devotion to God and his commitment to the people of Israel. Overall, King David's legacy is one of leadership, bravery, and devotion to God. 

The overall series through 1 Samuel is called Choose Your King. The book of 1 Samuel contains the record of the calling of the nation of Israel’s first kings. These earthly kings had significant victories in their lives and some devastating failures. We will see our own victories and failures as we look at their lives. But above all, we will see that God, embodied in HIs son Jesus, is the only perfect king and the one we need to follow. Because of the length of the overall book, we will break the series up into several smaller mini-series organized around the central characters. 
 
 

Over the last two weeks, we have laid a foundation for why the church is important and what its purpose is and examined why formal covenant membership in a local church is biblical, practical, and functional. This Sunday, in our final message in the series, we will get into the practical side of church membership as we study what the church should expect of its members and, in turn, what those members should expect from their church. 

Series Overview: What is church membership? Is it Biblical? Does it matter? What does the church expect from members? What should members expect from the church? This short series will dive deeply into answering these questions and many more. Whether you have been a member your entire life or if you are a casual visitor, this series has something to offer. 

We will continue our series on Membership Matters. Last week, we established the biblical purpose of the church and the distinction between the universal church (made up of all believers anywhere) and the local church (made up of a gathering of believers called together in a specific context). This week, we will examine why membership in a local church is important and where we see it in scripture. 

What is church membership? Is it Biblical? Does it matter? What does the church expect from members? What should members expect from the church? This short series will dive deeply into answering these questions and many more. Whether you have been a member your entire life or if you are a casual visitor, this series has something to offer. 

We will turn our focus from David momentarily back to Saul and ask the very difficult question: can a sinner become so hardhearted that they can no longer hear from God? Throughout the book of 1 Samuel, we have seen Saul repeatedly refuse to listen to God’s prophets, refuse to follow the commands of God, and refuse to honor his own words of repentance. So, when he turns to God for military advice in this chapter, we should not be surprised at the response he receives. 

Our current series is called “The Story of David,” and will help us to learn to be men and women after God’s heart. King David is one of the most prominent figures in the Bible. He is known for his bravery, piety, and leadership and is considered to be Israel's greatest king. But David was not without his flaws. He committed adultery with Bathsheba and then arranged for her husband to be killed in battle. Despite this, David is still revered for his devotion to God and his commitment to the people of Israel. Overall, King David's legacy is one of leadership, bravery, and devotion to God. 

The overall series through 1 Samuel is called Choose Your King. The book of 1 Samuel contains the record of the calling of the nation of Israel’s first kings. These earthly kings had significant victories in their lives and some devastating failures. We will see our own victories and failures as we look at their lives. But above all, we will see that God, embodied in HIs son Jesus, is the only perfect king and the one we need to follow. Because of the length of the overall book, we will break the series up into several smaller mini-series organized around the central characters. 

What is church membership? Is it Biblical? Does it matter? What does the church expect from members? What should members expect from the church? This short series will dive deeply into answering these questions and many more. Whether you have been a member your entire life or if you are a casual visitor, this series has something to offer. 

For some Christians, church membership is only culturally important. "I am a member because my family has always been on the role at the church.” For other Christians, church membership is not something that they even think about. “If I attend, give, and serve, why does it even matter if I am officially on the roles?” In the first message in the set, we will seek to lay a biblical foundation for what church membership is and why it matters.

We are back in 1 Samuel, studying chapter 27. We have walked with David through many ups and downs, and this Sunday is another bid down. Another moment of faithlessness and doubt in David’s journey. He allows his despair and distress to blind him, and his sin begins to kill his faith. We will examine David’s sin to see how we can defend ourselves against our own internal sins.

Our current series is called “The Story of David,” and will help us to learn to be men and women after God’s heart. King David is one of the most prominent figures in the Bible. He is known for his bravery, piety, and leadership and is considered to be Israel's greatest king. But David was not without his flaws. He committed adultery with Bathsheba and then arranged for her husband to be killed in battle. Despite this, David is still revered for his devotion to God and his commitment to the people of Israel. Overall, King David's legacy is one of leadership, bravery, and devotion to God. 

The overall series through 1 Samuel is called Choose Your King. The book of 1 Samuel contains the record of the calling of the nation of Israel’s first kings. These earthly kings had significant victories in their lives and some devastating failures. We will see our own victories and failures as we look at their lives. But above all, we will see that God, embodied in HIs son Jesus, is the only perfect king and the one we need to follow. Because of the length of the overall book, we will break the series up into several smaller mini-series organized around the central characters. 

We will commence an extraordinary journey at the Vacation Bible School this week.  And here's the exciting part—it's not just for kids! We'll all be captivated as we delve into the most well-known verse in the Bible, John 3:16. This verse, often referred to as the Bible in a nutshell or the gospel in miniature holds a wealth of truths about what it truly means to be friends with God. 'Friendship with God' is the captivating theme of this year's VBS. 

Get ready for an exhilarating adventure at VBS with our SCUBA theme. Our kids will dive into a thrilling friendship with God! Throughout the week, they'll explore a captivating undersea world, basking in God's ever-flowing, neverending love. They'll be fully immersed in the Word and uncover the true meaning of living water, sparking their curiosity and enthusiasm for the journey!

One of the beautiful things about studying scripture is that there are always new things to see and learn, even when we repeatedly study the same events, stories, or passages. This Sunday, our story is very similar to chapter 24. So similar that, on the surface, it appears that it is the same lesson to be learned. But as we look closer, we can see another layer of Truth. This week, as David again spares Saul’s life, we will examine the faith that David expresses in God and see how we can put our full faith in God alone during the trials of our lives. 

Our current series, "The Story of David,” will help us learn to be men and women after God’s heart. King David is one of the most prominent figures in the Bible. He is known for his bravery, piety, and leadership and is considered Israel's greatest king. But David was not without his flaws. He committed adultery with Bathsheba and then arranged for her husband to be killed in battle. Despite this, David is still revered for his devotion to God and his commitment to the people of Israel. King David's legacy is leadership, bravery, and devotion to God. 

The overall series through 1 Samuel is called Choose Your King. The book of 1 Samuel contains the record of the calling of the nation of Israel’s first kings. These earthly kings had significant victories in their lives and some devastating failures. We will see our own victories and failures as we look at their lives. But above all, we will see that God, embodied in HIs son Jesus, is the only perfect king and the one we need to follow. Because of the length of the overall book, we will break the series up into several smaller mini-series organized around the central characters. 

We will work through the second half of the Lord’s Prayer and finish our time by praying through this model together.

When asked to teach his disciples how to pray, Jesus gave us a model or outline to help structure an effective and powerful prayer life. As we examine this succinct model line by line, we will discover practical ways to improve our prayer lives, whether we are seasoned prayer warriors or beginners.

The 2024 vision for North Conway will be “If my people pray…” Throughout this year, we will focus, as a church, on sharpening and deepening our prayer life in our private lives, in our families, and in our church. This coming Sunday, Pastor Jay will kick off the year with an introductory sermon on prayer. What is prayer? Why do we pray? How do we pray? What do we hope to accomplish with prayer? These are all simple questions, but they have very profound answers. Answers that have the power to change our lives and the lives of those around us. 

As we continue our focus on prayer for 2024, we will spend the next two weeks studying the Lord’s Prayer. When asked to teach his disciples how to pray, Jesus gave all of us a model or outline to help structure an effective and powerful prayer life. As we examine line by line this succinct model we will discover practical ways we can improve our prayer lives, whether we are a seasoned prayer warrior or a beginner.

The 2024 vision for North Conway will be “If my people pray…” Throughout this year, we will focus, as a church, on sharpening and deepening our prayer life in our private lives, in our families, and in our church. This coming Sunday, Pastor Jay will kick off the year with an introductory sermon on prayer. What is prayer? Why do we pray? How do we pray? What do we hope to accomplish with prayer? These are all simple questions, but they have very profound answers. Answers that have the power to change our lives and the lives of those around us.