June 14, 2026 - I Never Would

Scripture Reading — Genesis 50:15–20 (KJV)

15  And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.

16  And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,

17  So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

18  And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.

19  And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

20  But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Sermon Summary

Finish the Journey Well

Rev. Johnson opened with gratitude—for those gathered in the sanctuary and for everyone joining on Zoom from across the world—and with a reminder that it is a gift to be in God's house one more time. None of us knows which Sunday will be our last, so the words we so easily repeat carry real weight.

The goal of this journey, he said, is to finish it properly. People like to say it is not how you start but how you end, and that is true. God is not preoccupied with what we did twenty years ago; He is far more concerned with what we plan to do going forward, and whether our plan is to spend the rest of our lives with Him.

We All Have the Same Testimony

If we are honest, every one of us has come through some storms—and some of them were horrific. Yet here we stand. That alone, the pastor said, is reason enough to shout. The next storm is coming, but the memory of what God has already brought us through is meant to be our encouragement when it arrives.

He pointed to David, who faced Goliath with a testimony his own brothers didn't even know about. When a bear and a lion came after his flock, God gave him the strength to overcome them. David understood that he survived only because God was at his side. We like to credit our own strength—good reflexes, quick feet—but if we keep living, we come to see the truth: it is only because of God that we are still standing.

The Problem in the House: Unforgiveness

The message turned to a problem the pastor said lives in every church, including this one: unforgiveness. We carry the impulse for revenge from childhood—"I've got to get my lick back"—and children who think this way usually learned it at home. The remedy is the same one Joshua chose: as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

It makes no sense, he warned, to attend church every Sunday, come to Bible study and Sunday school, and still miss heaven because we refuse to let go. We will be kind to a boss who insults us because we need the paycheck, yet hold a grudge against family. Scripture tells us not to let the sun go down on our anger; we can lie down to sleep and never wake, and we should not carry that sin to bed with us. We cannot pick and choose how we obey God.

Joseph's Long Road

Joseph had every reason to be bitter. His brothers were jealous of the favored son with the special coat, called him "the dreamer," and plotted against him—first to kill him, then to sell him into slavery. In Potiphar's house he did the right thing and still ended up falsely accused and imprisoned. A fellow prisoner promised to remember him, then forgot for two more years.

From age seventeen onward, Joseph spent some thirteen years moving from the pit to slavery to prison. Through it all he kept his routine of prayer and kept calling on God, trusting that God would answer by and by.

True Praise Is Born in the Valley

Anyone can praise God after winning the lottery, the pastor said. The real question is whether you can praise Him in the valley—when the job is gone, when your spouse looks at you like a stranger, when your children act as though they've lost their minds, when your pockets are empty. That is where true praise is born.

He believed Joseph praised God in the pit, in slavery, in prison, and right through the years he was forgotten—refusing to throw in the towel over a few things that didn't go his way. And everywhere Joseph went, he found favor. Favor doesn't only mean God opens doors in a crisis; it means that even in the storm, God lets you know, "I still have My eye on you."

Forgiveness—"God Meant It for Good"

When the brothers, afraid for their lives, came begging forgiveness, Joseph had already forgiven them—back in the pit, in slavery, in prison, even with his father in the grave. God may make our enemies our footstool, the pastor noted, but that doesn't mean we put our foot on their neck. Instead we model how we ourselves would want to be treated.

This is the heart of verse 20: "Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good." Joseph could look back and say his brothers meant it for his harm, but God meant it for good—lifting him from slave and prisoner to second-in-command. He closed with Job, who lost everything yet never cursed God, not realizing God was using his suffering to elevate him. If you find yourself in the valley today, that is a sign God still has a plan for you. Hold on and faint not, and your testimony will be Joseph's: I never would have made it—if it had not been for our God.

Key Takeaways

•     If you have made it through the storms of life, it is only because God was at your side—"I never would have made it" should be every believer's testimony.

•     Finish the journey well. God cares less about your past than about whether your plan is to spend the rest of your life with Him.

•     Unforgiveness can keep a faithful churchgoer out of heaven. Don't let the sun go down on your anger—let go, and let God.

•     True praise is born in the valley. Praising God when everything falls apart is the praise that means the most.

•     What others mean for evil, God can mean for good. Like Joseph, choose grace over revenge and trust God's plan in the waiting.

Baker's Chapel  •  All are welcome.

June 8, 2026 - Being in the Church Is Not Enough

Scripture Reading — Numbers 14:1–11 (KJV)

1 And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.

2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!

3 And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?

4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.

5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:

7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.

8 If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.

9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

10 And all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.

11 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?

Sermon Summary

In a direct and searching message from Numbers 14, Rev. Jeffery Johnson challenged the congregation with a truth many people quietly resist: simply showing up to church is not enough. Drawing on the story of the Israelites at the edge of the Promised Land — and on God's own words of frustration in verse 11 — the sermon calls every believer to examine whether their faith runs deeper than attendance.

A Dangerous Myth

There is a myth alive in the church today: as long as I'm in the building, I've done my part. But the sermon opens by asking a sobering question — why does scripture say that judgment begins at the house of God? Because God will first separate those who are present in body from those who are present in spirit. Attendance is a starting point, not a finish line.

A People Who Refused to Go In

Rev. Johnson took the congregation back to the wilderness. After 400 years of bondage, God heard the cries of His people and sent them a deliverer. He split the Red Sea, annihilated Pharaoh's army, fed the people daily with manna, kept their clothes from wearing out, and led them all the way to the edge of Canaan. Twelve spies were sent in — ten came back with fear, two came back with faith. Every single one agreed the land was rich and blessed. But the majority refused to go in and instead called for a new leader to take them back to Egypt. Rev. Johnson didn't let that pass lightly: Egypt had been devastated. The firstborn of an entire kingdom was dead. The whole army was at the bottom of the Red Sea. There was nothing to go back to. And yet, in their fear and unbelief, that is exactly what the people chose. The parallel to believers today was unmistakable: everyone agrees heaven is a good place. Not everyone is willing to do what it takes to get there.

Being Saved Comes with Responsibility

One reason people resist a deeper commitment is that they don't want the work. Jesus didn't train His disciples just to gather them in a room — He trained them so they could go back out into the highways and byways and compare men and women to the kingdom. He even prepared them for rejection: shake the dust off your feet and keep going. Don't take it personally — they're not rejecting you, they're rejecting Me. But the work still has to be done. Somebody has to go tell a sin-sick world that there is another way out.

God Knows What's on Your Heart

Of the approximately 600,000 men who left Egypt — all of them part of God's chosen people, all of them present for the miracles — only four had the opportunity to enter the Promised Land: Moses, Aaron, Caleb, and Joshua. Aaron died before reaching it. Moses saw it from a distance but could not cross over. Only Caleb and Joshua walked in. Rev. Johnson brought that number home: you can attend church, talk about church, love the church all you want — but God is reading the contents of your heart. Even a dog can sense who is kind and who is not. If an animal is that discerning, how much more does an all-knowing God see what we carry inside us? You can talk a good game, but God will not be fooled by lip service.

Judged by Your Works

The Book of Revelation says the books will be opened and every person will be judged by their works. That is a sobering reality. God takes you just as you are — broken, flawed, imperfect — and like a potter, He can remold you into something He can use. But you have to be willing to be shaped. You have to be willing to go somewhere you've never been before, to admit you haven't always gotten it right, to let people see how far you are willing to go for God. Peter claimed he would die for Jesus — and then denied Him three times before the rooster crowed. Saying the right words is not enough. God wants our whole selves.

Praising Him from the Valley

The sermon closed with a personal and powerful testimony. Rev. Johnson declared that the devil knows exactly whose side you're on — not by what you say on Sunday morning, but by whether you can still praise God in the valley. When the storms come. When people talk about you. When doors close. When the doctor has no more answers. That is where real faith is revealed. The praise the world didn't give you is the praise the world can't take away. "Being in the church is not enough," he concluded. "I want the devil to know whose side I'm on."

Key Takeaways

•  Attendance is a starting point, not a destination. God wants more than your presence — He wants your heart.

•  Everyone agrees heaven is good, but not everyone is willing to change. Entering God's promises requires surrender and obedience.

•  Being saved comes with work. Christians are called to go into the highways and byways and share the good news.

•  God knows what is in your heart. Lip service and long attendance records do not fool Him.

•  Learn to praise God from the valley. The faith that holds in hard times is the faith the devil cannot shake.

May 31, 2026 - “You Don’t Have to Bow”

Scripture Reading — Esther 3:1–6 (KJV)

1 After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.

2 And all the king’s servants, that were in the king’s gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.

3 Then the king’s servants, which were in the king’s gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king’s commandment?

4 And it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.

5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.

6 And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.

Sermon Summary

In this powerful message drawn from Esther 3:1–6, the speaker centers on one defining act of faith: Mordecai’s refusal to bow before Haman, the king’s powerful prime minister. That single act of defiance becomes a window into the deeper truth that God’s people are never required to bow to the pride and pressure of mere mortals.

The World’s Pressure to Bow

The message opens with a frank look at how the earthly realm demands flattery and submission. In the workplace this impulse is called “brown-nosing” — buying gifts for the boss, excessive flattery, and agreeing with those in authority even when they are wrong. Haman embodied this spirit in reverse: he was not content to receive honor; he demanded it. Immensely wealthy and appointed prime minister by King Xerxes, he declared that none of his prosperity gave him satisfaction “as long as I see Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.” His spirit was wounded the moment someone refused to flatter him — a warning to anyone today who withholds friendship from those who will not bow.

Mordecai Stands Firm

Mordecai’s refusal was not stubbornness — it was obedience. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not bow down to them, nor serve them.” God’s own commandment forbade His people to bow down to mortal men. The preacher reminded the congregation that if man is truly in control, then where is God? When David gazed at the vastness of the universe and asked, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” (Psalm 8:4), he was placing human power in its proper, humble perspective beside the Creator.

Haman’s Plot and the Danger It Brings

Haman’s wounded pride escalated into genocidal hatred. Fueled by generations of enmity between the Jews and his ancestors the Amalekites, he bribed King Xerxes with 10,000 talents of silver to authorize the extermination of every Jewish person in the kingdom. When Mordecai learned of the conspiracy, he tore his clothes and clothed himself in sackcloth and ashes — an outward sign of deep humiliation and grief. The question the preacher raised was direct: “When do we get humiliated about the injustice done to us in this world?”

Esther’s Courage and the Power of Prayer

Mordecai urged Queen Esther not to assume that her palace position made her safe, and reminded her: “Who knows whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther responded with faith rather than fear. She called a three-day fast — for all the people and even the animals — and then risked her life by approaching the king uninvited, declaring, “If I perish, I perish.” Prayer went before her, softening the king’s heart so that he extended the golden scepter, granting her an audience. The preacher drew a vivid picture of Esther’s fervent prayer, reminding the church: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” — and that some things come only by fasting and prayer.

God Working Behind the Scenes

One sleepless night, King Xerxes called for the royal chronicles to be read to him. He discovered that Mordecai had once saved his life and had never been rewarded. When the king asked Haman what honor should be shown to such a man — Haman, assuming the king meant himself, suggested a royal parade through the city streets. The very honor Haman designed for himself was given to Mordecai. The preacher highlighted this turn of events as a picture of God’s behind-the-scenes work: “Though the pressures of life seem to weigh you down and you don’t know what to do, God is concerned and He’s working it out.”

The Trap You Set Just Might Be for You

On the second night of a banquet Esther hosted for the king and Haman, she revealed Haman’s plot against her people. The king ordered Haman to be hanged on the very gallows Haman had built for Mordecai. His ten sons were hanged as well, to eliminate any future threat of retaliation. The message was unmistakable: karma is real, and actions have consequences when God is in charge. “Fret not thyself because of evildoers… for they shall soon be cut down like the green herb” (Psalm 37:1–2).

A Call to Prayer, Humility, and Witness

The sermon closed with both a challenge and an invitation. God’s promise stands: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). But there is work to do. The preacher called the church to stop calling people who cannot help and start casting every care upon the Lord (1 Peter 5:7). He celebrated the resurrection — “He died, but He got up on that third day Sunday morning” — and closed with the Great Commission: go and tell somebody. Tell them He is a rock in a weary land, a shelter in the time of storm, a bridge over troubled waters, the Lion of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

Key Takeaways

•  You are never required to bow to the pride or pressure of people. God alone deserves our ultimate allegiance.

•  Knowing the Lord and knowing His requirements gives you the courage to stand — like Mordecai — even when standing is costly.

•  Prayer and fasting break down barriers and soften hearts. Some things come only that way.

•  God works behind the scenes on behalf of His people — be still and trust Him.

•  The traps we set for others may become our own. Leave vengeance to God and fret not (Psalm 37).

May 24, 2026 - “An Uncommitted Missionary”

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:7-11 (KJV)

⁷ I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

⁸ Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

⁹ Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me:

¹⁰ For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

¹¹ Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

An Uncommitted Missionary

Paul writes these words from a prison cell, facing execution, and the loneliness in his voice is hard to miss. He has fought the fight. He has finished the course. He has kept the faith. But in the same breath, he names a man whose story took a very different turn — Demas.

Demas was no stranger to ministry. He was a fellow laborer with Paul, an associate of Luke, a trusted name in the work of the gospel. He had a promising start. But somewhere along the way, something shifted. Paul tells us plainly what happened: Demas "loved this present world." He didn't fall because the work was too hard. He didn't stumble over doctrine. He simply set his affection on the wrong things and drifted toward Thessalonica — a wealthy, cosmopolitan city full of everything the world had to offer.

Have you ever been deserted? Paul had. And his question hangs in the air for all of us this morning: what happened to Demas? What turned a faithful friend into a missing man at the very moment he was needed most?

The answer is the same answer Scripture gives us again and again. Friendship with the world is enmity with God (James 4:4). Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world (1 John 2:15). Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). Demas didn't lose a theological argument — he lost his first love. His motivation was misplaced. He served out of duty instead of devotion, and when the going got hard, duty wasn't enough to hold him.

That's a sobering word for any of us who have raised our hand to follow Christ. It's possible to start well and finish poorly. It's possible to look the part, to sit in the right pews, to labor alongside the right people, and still walk away when the world calls loud enough. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.

So the question turns to us: how can we desert such a great salvation? How can we walk away from the One who has been a bridge over troubled water, a rock in a weary land, a shelter in the time of storm? How can we turn our backs on the One who woke us up this morning, put food on our table, made a way out of no way? The God who is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent — taking care of your family in one place and mine in another at the very same time — how could we possibly trade Him for anything this world has to offer?

The race is not given to the swift, nor to the strong, but to those who endure to the end. Don't give up. Keep on keeping on. Look to the hills from whence cometh our help — all of our help comes from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. May it never be said of us, as it was said of Demas, that we loved this present world more than the One who gave His life for us.

To God be the glory.

May 17, 2026 - “Second and Last Place Are the Same

Acts 26:1-18, 28-29 (KJV)

¹ Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:

² I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:

³ Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

⁴ My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

⁵ Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

⁶ And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:

⁷ Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

⁸ Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

⁹ I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

¹⁰ Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.

¹¹ And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

¹² Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

¹³ At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

¹⁴ And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

¹⁵ And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

¹⁶ But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

¹⁷ Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

¹⁸ To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

²⁸ Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

²⁹ And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether, such as I am, except these bonds.

The whole world loves a close call. Olympic medalists who came within a hundredth of a second. Buzzer-beaters that nearly went in. The lottery ticket that was off by one number. In nearly every arena of life, almost earns admiration. We say things like, “Hey, at least you tried.” We hand out medals for second place. We post the runner-up’s picture too.

But there is one room in all of existence where almost earns nothing at all.

Look at King Agrippa.

He sits on a throne. Paul stands before him in chains. The apostle has just preached one of the most powerful sermons ever recorded — his own testimony, beginning to end. Paul tells the king about his old life as a Pharisee, his persecution of the church, his collision with the risen Christ on the Damascus road, and the calling that turned him from prisoner-maker to prisoner. And when Paul finishes, the king — moved, stirred, intellectually convinced — leans forward and says:

“Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

Almost.

Beloved, do you hear that word? It is one of the saddest words in all of Scripture. Because in the courtroom of heaven, almost doesn’t count. Agrippa walked away that day not as a saint, but as a sinner who was nearly saved. And nearly saved is still lost.

This is why Paul’s reply hits with such force: “I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether, such as I am, except these bonds.” Paul is saying — King, I don’t want you almost. I want you altogether. I want you all the way in.

Here is the hard truth: when it comes to salvation, second place and last place are the same place. Both are outside the kingdom. Both are on the wrong side of the door. The man who refuses Christ outright and the man who comes within an inch of stepping through — they end up in the same room.

How many of us are walking around as almost Christians?

Almost surrendered.

Almost forgiving.

Almost obedient.

Almost honest.

Almost generous.

Almost free.

Almost present in worship.

We applaud ourselves for how close we are getting. But God is not impressed with proximity. He calls us to passage. He doesn’t want you near the cross — He wants you under it. He doesn’t want you near the throne — He wants you bowed before it. He doesn’t want you near the church — He wants you in it.

What is your almost today? What is the one thing you keep walking up to and never walking through? You know what it is. The Holy Spirit knows what it is. And He is not letting that conviction die down in your chest by accident.

Don’t be a King Agrippa — the man who heard the gospel up close and walked away applauding the speaker. Be a Paul — bound in chains and still free in Christ. Altogether. All the way.

Because in the kingdom of God, there are no podium finishes. No participation trophies. No silver medals.

Second place and last place are the same place.

So today — come altogether. Come the rest of the way.

We’ve saved you a seat.

May 10, 2026 - A Mothers Heart

A Mother's Heart

Mark 7:24-30

²⁴ And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.

²⁵ For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:

²⁶ The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.

²⁷ But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.

²⁸ And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.

²⁹ And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.

³⁰ And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.

Reflection

Jesus had crossed the border into Tyre and Sidon, looking for a quiet place to rest. He didn't want to be found. But a mother found Him anyway — because that's what mothers do.

She had every reason to stay home. She was a Gentile, a Greek, a Syrophoenician — an outsider to the covenant community. She had no claim on this Jewish rabbi, no standing to make demands, no relationship to leverage. What she had was a sick child, and that was enough. A mother's heart doesn't measure the cost before it acts. It simply moves toward the one who can help.

When she fell at His feet, she wasn't there for herself. She didn't ask for healing, recognition, or relief from her own burdens. She came on behalf of someone who couldn't come for herself. That is the shape of a mother's heart — it intercedes. It stands in the gap. It carries to Jesus the names of children who are too young, too sick, too far gone, or too lost to carry themselves.

Then comes the moment that has troubled readers for centuries. Jesus says, "Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs." On the surface, it sounds like a refusal. But this mother heard something deeper. She heard an invitation hidden inside a test.

The Verses That Changed Everything

"Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs."

"For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter."

What faith. What boldness. What holy wit. She didn't argue with Jesus — she agreed with Him and pressed in further. Yes, Lord. She accepted her place. But she also knew something about the table of God: even the crumbs are enough.A scrap from the Master's table can heal what nothing else can touch. A leftover blessing from Jesus is greater than the full feast of this world.

This is the theology of a mother's heart. She doesn't need the whole loaf. She'll take a crumb, because she knows whose table it fell from.

And Jesus — who had seemed to push her away — pulls her in. "For this saying go thy way." Notice He doesn't say "for your tears" or "for your persistence." He says for this saying — for this faith spoken out loud. Her words moved heaven. Before she got home, the deliverance was already done. The miracle traveled faster than the mother.

What This Means for Us

Somewhere right now, there is a mother praying for a child she cannot fix. A grandmother standing in for parents who have walked away. A spiritual mother carrying names before God that no one else remembers. To every one of them, this passage says: keep coming. Keep falling at His feet. Keep speaking faith even when the answer seems delayed. The Lord is never as far away as silence makes Him feel.

Your child may be in another room, another city, another world entirely from where you can reach. But your prayers can cross any border Jesus has already crossed — and He has crossed them all.

A mother's heart, joined to the heart of Christ, is one of the most powerful forces on earth.

"Yes, Lord."

That's all it takes.

May 3, 2026 - What If It Were You

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:8–11 (KJV)

⁸ And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.

⁹ If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.

¹⁰ And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

¹¹ When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

Summary

The scene opens in the Valley of Elah. Two armies face each other across the ravine — Israel on one ridge, the Philistines on the other. From the enemy ranks steps a giant of a man, Goliath of Gath, nearly ten feet tall and armored head to heel. Day after day, for forty days, he comes out and bellows the same challenge: send me one man. Settle it in single combat. Loser's people serve the winner's. And every time the words ring across the valley, the response from Israel is the same — silence, paralysis, fear. Saul, the king who stands head and shoulders above the rest, is dismayed. The whole army of the living God is greatly afraid.

What If It Were You?

It is easy, three thousand years removed, to read this story and shake our heads at Israel's cowardice. Where was their faith? Where was their courage? Why didn't someone — anyone — step forward? We read it knowing how it ends. We know about the shepherd boy with the sling. We know the giant falls. So we judge the trembling soldiers from the comfortable distance of hindsight.

But pause there. What if it were you?

What if you were standing on that ridge, sword in hand, watching nine and a half feet of armored death pace the valley floor? What if it were your turn in line, your name being called, your family waiting at home for word of whether you had survived the day? Would you have stepped forward? Would your faith have held? Or would you, like Saul and all Israel, have been dismayed and greatly afraid?

The honesty of verse 11 is one of the gifts of Scripture. The Bible does not airbrush its heroes. It tells us plainly that the king and the army of the Lord — the covenant people, inheritors of the promises, the ones who had seen God split the Red Sea and bring down the walls of Jericho — froze. Their fear was not a footnote. It was the headline. They were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

And before we are too quick to distance ourselves from them, we should ask what giants stand on the ridge of our own valley. The diagnosis we are afraid to hear. The bill we cannot pay. The marriage that is unraveling. The child who has walked away from the Lord. The temptation we have battled for years and feel sure will finally swallow us. The future that looms larger than our faith.

We have all stood, at one time or another, where Israel stood — hearing the taunt, counting the cost, and finding our courage failing. The question is not whether giants come. The question is what we do when they do.

The story of 1 Samuel 17 does not end in verse 11. The fear of Israel is not the final word. A boy is coming from the sheepfold who does not measure the giant against himself, but against the living God. But that is for another day. For now, sit with verse 11. Sit with the fear. Be honest about it. The God who would deliver Israel is the same God who meets us in our dismay — not when we have conquered our fear, but right in the middle of it.

What if it were you? It is. And the same God stands ready.

April 26, 2026 - Pleasing the Crowd Despite the Cost

Matthew 27:15-26 (KJV)

¹⁵ Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.

¹⁶ And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.

¹⁷ Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, "Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?"

¹⁸ For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.

¹⁹ When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, "Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him."

²⁰ But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

²¹ The governor answered and said unto them, "Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you?" They said, "Barabbas."

²² Pilate saith unto them, "What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?" They all say unto him, "Let him be crucified."

²³ And the governor said, "Why, what evil hath he done?" But they cried out the more, saying, "Let him be crucified."

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it."

²⁵ Then answered all the people, and said, "His blood be on us, and on our children."

²⁶ Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

In Matthew 27:15-26, Pontius Pilate stands at one of history's most defining crossroads. He holds the fate of Jesus in his hands and knows the truth — Scripture tells us plainly that he recognized Jesus had been handed over out of envy, not justice. His own wife pleads with him to have nothing to do with condemning "that just man." Every internal alarm is going off. And yet, when Pilate looks out at the angry crowd shouting "Let him be crucified," his convictions buckle under the weight of their voices.

So he reaches for a basin of water. He washes his hands in front of the multitude and declares himself innocent — as if rinsing his palms could rinse his conscience. But no amount of water can wash away a decision made to please people instead of honor truth. Pilate chose the crowd's approval over a clear conscience, political comfort over moral courage, and in doing so condemned an innocent man to die.

The tragedy of Pilate isn't that he didn't know better. It's that he did — and chose the crowd anyway. His story is a sobering mirror for every believer who has ever felt the pressure to stay silent, soften the truth, or go along with what's popular just to keep the peace. Pleasing the crowd always comes at a cost. The only question is who pays it.

April 19, 2026 - On the Back Side of the Desert

On the Back Side of the Desert

The Sufficiency of God

Introduction

Every servant of God eventually finds himself on "the backside of the desert." It's the place of waiting, of silence, where yesterday's dreams feel distant and tomorrow's promises feel delayed.

Moses knew it well. Once a prince in Pharaoh's palace, he had tried to deliver his people in his own strength — and failed. Forty years later, at eighty years old, he was tending another man's sheep in the wilderness. His platform had shrunk to a flock on the back side of nowhere.

But that is exactly where God showed up. Because the back side of the desert isn't where God abandons us — it's where He prepares us to discover that He is enough.

The Text

Exodus 3:1-10 (KJV)

¹ Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

² And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

³ And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

⁴ And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

⁵ And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

⁶ Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

⁷ And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

⁸ And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good and a large land...

⁹ Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.

¹⁰ Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my children of Israel out of Egypt.

The Sufficiency of God

Look carefully at what God says in these two verses.

"The cry is come unto me." God doesn't ask Moses to point out the problem — He has already seen it, already heard it, already come down. The deliverance was settled in heaven before it was ever announced in the wilderness. That is the sufficiency of God. He is never reacting, never scrambling, never waiting on us to notice.

"I will send thee." He doesn't tell Moses to devise a plan or deliver Israel in his own strength. He says, "I will send."The sending is His. The sufficiency is His. Moses isn't the deliverer — he's the vessel.

This is the pattern for every servant on the back side of the desert:

• God sees what we cannot fix.

• God hears what we cannot answer.

• God sends us — not in our sufficiency, but in His.

Moses would protest his inadequacy again and again. To every objection, God gave the same answer: "Certainly I will be with thee." The sufficiency was never in Moses. It was always in the God who sent him.

Conclusion

Maybe you're on your own back side of the desert right now — dreams feeling dead, years feeling wasted, the call of God feeling far away. Take heart. The same God who met Moses in a burning bush still meets His servants in the wilderness.

He has already seen. He has already heard. He has already come down. And when He sends you, He will not send you alone — because the sufficiency is not in you. It is in Him.

April 12, 2026 - No Way Out

The Rich Man and Lazarus: A Story That Still Speaks Today

Scripture Reading: Luke 16:19–31

Watch the Message

The Passage (Luke 16:19–31, World English Bible)

19 "Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day.

20 A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, full of sores,

21 and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried.

23 In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom.

24 He cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.'

25 "But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But now here he is comforted and you are in anguish.

26 Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that none may cross over from there to us.'

27 "He said, 'I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house;

28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so that they won't also come into this place of torment.'

29 "But Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.'

30 "He said, 'No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'

31 "He said to him, 'If they don't listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.'"

A Brief Reflection

In this striking parable, Jesus contrasts the earthly lives and eternal destinies of two very different men. One is nameless, wrapped in purple and fine linen, feasting each day behind the safety of his gate. The other is Lazarus — named, known by God — who sits hungry and hurting just steps from the rich man's table, ignored.

When death comes, as it does to both, their positions are reversed. Lazarus is carried by angels to Abraham's side. The rich man awakens in torment, pleading for even a drop of water. The story's most sobering detail is not the flame but the fixed gulf — the reminder that what we do with this life matters beyond this life.

Then the parable turns. The rich man begs for a messenger to be sent back to warn his brothers. Abraham's answer cuts to the heart of the matter: "If they don't listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead." God has already spoken. The question is whether we will listen.

Three invitations from this passage:

• See the Lazarus at your gate. Who has God placed within reach of your compassion this week — a neighbor, a coworker, a stranger?

• Hold your blessings loosely. Wealth, comfort, and status are not condemned here, but indifference is. How are we using what we've been given?

• Listen to the Word you already have. The rich man wanted a miracle; Abraham pointed him back to Scripture. The Bible in our hands is a greater gift than we often realize.

May we have ears to hear, eyes to see the Lazarus beside us, and hearts ready to live today in the light of eternity.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain.

Join us this Sunday as we continue walking through the teachings of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke.

Pastor Appreciation March 29, 2026

Honoring the Shepherds Among Us

A Pastor Appreciation Reflection

Each year, we pause to recognize and celebrate the men and women who faithfully lead, teach, and care for our spiritual communities. Pastor Appreciation Day is more than a date on the calendar—it is an intentional moment to reflect on the calling, sacrifice, and impact of pastoral leadership.

The Weight of the Calling

Pastors carry a unique responsibility. They are called to:

• Proclaim truth with clarity and conviction

• Shepherd individuals and families through life’s highest and lowest moments

• Provide counsel, often in times of crisis

• Lead with integrity, humility, and perseverance

Behind every sermon is prayer, study, and personal investment. Behind every act of care is a heart committed to serving others, often quietly and without recognition.

The Value of Encouragement

Scripture consistently reminds us of the importance of honoring those who lead well. Encouragement is not optional—it is essential.

Simple acts can have a lasting impact:

• A handwritten note expressing gratitude

• A conversation sharing how their leadership has made a difference

• Prayer—intentional and consistent—for their strength and wisdom

These gestures reinforce that their labor is seen, valued, and meaningful.

The Human Side of Leadership

Pastors are not immune to fatigue, discouragement, or personal challenges. While they lead others, they also need support themselves.

A healthy church culture acknowledges this by:

• Extending grace

• Offering support to their families

• Creating space for rest and renewal

Recognition should not be limited to a single day but embedded into the rhythm of church life.

A Collective Responsibility

Appreciation is not the responsibility of a few—it belongs to the entire community. A thriving church is one where leadership is both respected and supported.

This season is an opportunity to ask:

• How can we better support our pastors throughout the year?

• What systems or habits can we establish to sustain encouragement long-term?

Closing Reflection

Pastors invest deeply in the spiritual growth and well-being of others. Taking time to honor that investment strengthens not only them but the entire body they serve.

Let this be more than a moment—let it shape a culture of ongoing appreciation, respect, and partnership in the work of ministry.

March 22, 2026 - I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel

Romans 1:8–16 (ESV)

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you
10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—
12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.
13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.
14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.
15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Summary and Reflection

In this passage, Paul expresses deep gratitude for the faith of the Roman believers and emphasizes his desire to visit them. His intent is not only to strengthen their faith but also to experience mutual encouragement through shared belief.

Paul highlights three key themes:

• Faith in Action: The reputation of the Roman church demonstrates how visible and influential genuine faith can be.

• Mutual Encouragement: Christian growth is not isolated—believers are strengthened through community and shared faith.

• Boldness in the Gospel: Paul’s declaration in verse 16 serves as a central thesis—he is unashamed because the gospel carries God’s power to bring salvation to all who believe.

This passage sets the foundation for the rest of Romans by clearly establishing Paul’s mission, his heart for people, and the universal reach of the gospel.

Watch the Sermon

May 19, 2024 - Who Do You Want to Leave Behind

Genesis 6:17-18

King James Version

17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

18 But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.

1 Corinthians 3:6-9

6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

May 12, 2024 - A Praying Woman

Ruth 1:14-18

King James Version

14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.

15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.

16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.

May 5, 2024: It Will Be Okay in the Morning

Luke 23:1-4

King James Version

23 And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate.

2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.

3 And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.

4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.

April 28, 2024 - Seeking The Will of God - Matthew 6:25-33

Matthew 6:25-33

New King James Version

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one [a]cubit to his [b]stature?

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not [c]arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

April 21, 2024 - What Sacrifices Have You Made - 2 Corinthians 11:23-33

23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?

30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.

31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:

33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.

April 14, 2024 - You Can’t Save What you Don’t See - Luke 19:41-42

Luke 19:41-42

King James Version

41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

April 7, 2024 - Are You Getting Ready? - Job 1:6-12

Job 1:6-12

"6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, 'Where have you come from?'

Satan answered the Lord, 'From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.'

8 Then the Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.'

9 'Does Job fear God for nothing?' Satan replied.

10 'Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.

11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.'

12 The Lord said to Satan, 'Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.'

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord."

March 31, 2024 - Three Days That Change the World - Luke 23:44-47

Luke 23:44-47 in the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible reads:

"44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.' When he had said this, he breathed his last.

47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, 'Surely this was a righteous man.'"