The sermon, centered on 1 Samuel 7:12 and the stone named Ebenezer—'thus far, Yahweh has helped us'—calls the church to a balanced reflection: gratitude for God's faithfulness throughout 30 years of history, marked by trials, leadership, and divine deliverance, yet tempered with sober realism that the race is not finished. It emphasizes that while God's past help is undeniable and worthy of celebration, not all who begin will finish, as evidenced by biblical warnings about apostasy and spiritual drift, urging believers to examine their own perseverance. The message challenges the congregation to look honestly at the reality of those who started but did not endure, warning against complacency and calling for a renewed commitment to run the race with endurance, laying aside sin and fixing eyes on Jesus. Drawing from Paul's exhortations in 1 Corinthians and Hebrews, it calls for disciplined faith, self-denial, and a focus on eternal rewards, culminating in the hope of finishing well by God's grace, not human effort, and living with the conviction that every step forward is sustained by divine mercy.

This sermon examines the biblical qualifications for the office of pastor, drawing primarily from 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 to establish that these standards are divine requirements rather than optional preferences. The speaker emphasizes that a pastor must be blameless, faithful in marriage, temperate, and sober-minded, focusing on character integrity over professional skill or popularity. These criteria serve to validate a man's ability to lead with wisdom and protect the church from false teaching and internal conflict. The transcript clarifies that while perfection is not expected, consistency in moral behavior and sound judgment is essential for effective shepherding. Ultimately, the church must adhere strictly to God's word when evaluating candidates to ensure proper oversight and spiritual health.

Post-Communion The Spirit's Fruit of Temperance 1) In Christ 2) From Christ 3) To Christ

Pastor Josh reminds us that in our salvation God is also calling us to add to our faith.

The fourth message in the study through Titus, and the one where doctrine walks out the door and into the street. Paul tells Titus to speak the things that become sound doctrine, then works straight down the congregation - aged men, aged women, young women, young men - and gives each group a short, concrete list. Nothing abstract. Sober, grave, temperate. Teachers of good things. A pattern of good works. Sound speech that cannot be condemned. The reason is the striking part: "that the word of God be not blasphemed." Righteous behavior adorns the gospel - it makes the message beautiful to people who are not yet listening to it. Hypocrisy does the reverse. Brother Robert takes the congregation to Romans, where Paul tells believers that the name of God is being blasphemed because of the way they are living, and makes the point plainly: we should never hand the enemy an occasion to mock God. Running underneath it is the charge to pass the flame - to raise up younger believers who can take your place and carry the gospel forward after you. If you have ever wondered whether the ordinary details of your conduct matter to anyone but you, this message answers that.

This sermon, drawn from 2 Peter 1:3–11, calls believers to a life of intentional spiritual growth rooted in the divine gifts already provided through Christ's power, emphasizing that salvation is not a static event but the beginning of a lifelong process of becoming more like Jesus. The central message is a sobering yet hopeful challenge: believers must actively 'add to their faith' virtues such as virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity, not as a means to earn salvation, but as evidence of genuine faith and a response to God's grace. The preacher distinguishes between two dangers—lacking these qualities due to ignorance and slacking due to willful neglect—warning that spiritual stagnation leads to blindness and forgetfulness of one's cleansing from sin, not loss of salvation. The ultimate goal is not merely to avoid being barren, but to live with such fruitfulness that one's calling and election are made certain, ensuring a joyful, abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of Christ, where personal faithfulness will be rewarded with divine approval.

Are you someone who might push your personal convictions upon others a little too strongly? This morning, consider how the Lord tells us to temper our knowledge with love. -Notes: https://pastormarksbury.blogspot.com/2026/06/sermon-love-and-liberty-part-2-1-cor.html -Livestream: https://lwbcfruita.org/live -Donations: https://www.lwbcfruita.org/give

A Treatise on Indwelling Sin - a Chapel Library Publication chapellibrary org It is in this case as it is in the contest between a wise man and a fool: "Whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest" (Pro 29:9). Whatever frame or temper he is in, his unceasing folly makes him troublesome. It is so with this indwelling sin: if it violently roars, as it will do on provocations and temptations, it will be outrageous in the soul; or if it seems to be pleased and contented, to be satisfied—it is all as one and the same. There is no peace, no rest to be had with it or by it.