In honor of Labor Day tomorrow, September 5, I am preaching from Psalm 127. The main idea of this psalm is that without God life and all our efforts are not worth it, but when you give God the rightful place in your life, you can rest in His blessing. When you leave the Lord out of your life, all that you do is in vain. The word “vain” shows up three times in this psalm. It means something that has no value or worth. It is an empty achievement. Solomon introduces this idea through two parallel images: the building of a house and the guarding of a city. He then makes application to those who labor and toil without trusting God. And then finally he closes by speaking about God’s provision for our needs, using children as an example. Are you able to find rest in His blessing and provision, or do you labor in vain because you leave God out of your life?

In today's message, we will see the importance of baptism according to God's Word. There are those who will tell you that baptism is not necessary for salvation. When we are baptized, we reenact the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Romans 6:4 tells us, “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” Of course, the symbolism God intended is lost if we are not buried. Many will tell you that sprinkling and pouring are acceptable forms of baptism even though the Greek word baptizo actually meant immersion or submersion. To say that sprinkling is an acceptable form of immersion is simply unscriptural. God commanded immersion and a person is either immersed or they are not.

In order to make a cake, one needs to follow the recipe using all the necessary ingredients. God has a recipe for salvation, and the Bible reveals the necessary ingredients: faith, repentance, confession, and baptism, resulting in living a new life in Christ by being faithful and obedient to God's Word and Will.

The apostle Peter lists five attitudes that demonstrate spiritual growth in the life of a Christian as they faithfully follow Christ even through suffering extreme persecution. These attitudes did not come naturally to Peter, but the Holy Spirit changed him from an impulsive, strong-willed personality to a submissive, tender-hearted, and humble follower of Christ. The Holy Spirit can change our lives, too, if we open our hearts to His working in our lives. We will then begin to notice the attitudes that demonstrate our growth spiritually as Christians. How has your spiritual growth progressed since you first started following Jesus?

Do you ever wonder what people think about you? Do you even care? To some extent, most of us do care what others think of us. Have you ever wondered what God thinks of you? In today's text, Paul instructs a young minister to remind the people of what God thinks about them. Today's message is the second of two parts in which we examine what God thinks of us from Titus 3:1-8. Is it possible to know what God thinks about us? Do we want to know what He thinks about us? Well, our passage this morning reveals exactly what God thinks about us.

Do you ever wonder what people think about you? Do you even care? To some extent, most of us do care what others think of us. Have you ever wondered what God thinks of you? In today's text, Paul instructs a young minister to remind the people of what God thinks about them. Today's message is the first of two parts in which we examine what God thinks of us from Titus 3:1-8. Is it possible to know what God thinks about us? Do we want to know what He thinks about us? Well, our passage this morning reveals exactly what God thinks about us.

Jeremiah tells the exiled Israelites they would live in Babylon for at least 70 years. Therefore, they should settle down, build houses, marry and even pray for the peace and prosperity of the city in which they now found themselves (Jeremiah 29:4-10).

The words of Jeremiah 29:11 were spoken to people in the midst of hardship and suffering; people who were likely desiring an immediate rescue. However, God’s response is not to provide immediate escape from the difficult situation. Rather, God promises that He has a plan to prosper them in the midst of their current situation.

Christians facing difficult situations today can take comfort in the Good News of Jeremiah 29:11 knowing that it is not a promise to immediately rescue us from hardship or suffering, but rather a promise that God has a plan for our lives and regardless of our current situation, He can work through it to prosper us and give us a hope and a future.

On July 4, 2022, Americans will celebrate 246 years of independence as a nation. Countless lives have been sacrificed to gain and ensure our national and personal freedoms. However, Jesus Christ offered His life as an atoning sacrifice freeing us from the bondage of sin and death. Paul distinguishes between freedom to sin and freedom to serve. Freedom or license to sin is no freedom at all, because it enslaves you to Satan, others, and your own sinful nature. As Christians, we should not be slaves to sin, because we have been freed to do what is right and to glorify God through loving service to others. In Christ, you have been called to freedom.

Happy New Year! 2021 is gone and 2022 is here!
David wrote Psalm 31 during a distressing time in his life when he was being unjustly troubled by family, friends, neighbors, and enemies, and he turned to God to ask for help from his distress. In today's message, we will look at David's prayer and see how we can get through the distress in our lives through God's help.