I was guilty of false advertising. I said I would bring a short devotional after our praise and Thanksgiving service.  I keep the promise of shortness but was moved to preach the gospel and call those who were present and without Christ to repent of their sins and call upon Christ for salvation.   I pray that the seed of God’s truth was planted in hearts and that God would give the increase.   You can listen to this short and clear salvation message by clicking on the title:  God’s Goodness, Hell, and Salvation

Sincerely in Christ,  Mark Worden, pastor

I. The Call to Give Thanks

II.  Some Reasons to Give Thanks

III.  Some Situation in which to Give Thanks

IV.  Some Results of Giving Thanks

We encouage you to read Psalm 107 before listening to this message on Giving Thanks.

He spoke from Proverbs 3:1-6    We have entitled the message: Trusting God! Click on the title to download the message to listen to a heart challenging message from the heart of man who loves the Lord.   Or you can listen from this website by going to the Audio Sermon page and using the sermon player.

1 ¶ My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Jesus tells a story to drive home the point that salvation is all of grace.   The parable of the landowner and the vinyard workers  has many practical lessons for our lives.  One big lesson is the grace of God which leaves us no room for pride!  For a listen of Pastor Mark’s exposition of Matthew 20:1-19 click hear.

Today’s morning sermon called us to true discipleship.  Are you following Christ or are you just playing church games?    Pastor Mark preached from the same passage as last week ( Matthew 19:16-26) with a different focus and included the last few verses to close out the chapter (Matthew 19:27-30).  The general outline to the message is as follows: The Call, the Response, and the Reward for Forsaking All and Following Christ.   Click here to download the message for a listen.

November Pastor’s Chat

God is worthy! The things of which God are worthy, from Revelation 5:12, have challenged us this year: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.” Thus far, we have focused on what God is worthy of, but have not focused on the name of God in this verse. In this coming month of Thanksgiving let us focus on our God who is the Lamb.

This Lamb is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ whom John the Baptist identified as such in John 1:29 when he saw, “Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”  Thanksgiving and love should well up in our hearts toward our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who bore our sin on the cross of Calvary as the Lamb of God ( I Peter 1:18-21).  We who have been forgiven much should love much (Luke 7:47).  But do we?

Do you sometimes sense a lack of love and thanksgiving in your heart toward Christ?  My friend, I call you to remembrance!  Remember your sin before a Holy and Righteous God. Remember the times you unwittingly and wittingly broke his commands. The Lamb, Jesus Christ, died for your sins.  O praise Him! Thank Him! Stand in awe of the Lamb of God. It is by looking to our Savior that we can be delivered from the penalty of sin and the practice of sin.  Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” May God richly bless you as you look unto Jesus as the Lamb of God this coming Thanksgiving season!

With love and prayer, Pastor Mark

The Lamb of God

Genesis 22:8, “And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.”

John 1:36, “And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!”

I Peter 1:18-21, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”

Acts 8:30-35, “And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.  The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

Revelation 21:22, “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”

Revelation 21:23, “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”

Revelation 22:1, “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

Revelation 22:3, “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him.”

Sunday night’s  message was convicting concerning our neglect to set aside a day to worship God.  Pastor Mark preached on applying the principle of a Sabbath Rest in our present lives as New Testament believers.

Sermon Title:  The Lesson of a Sabbath Rest – Click on title to download for a listen!

Text: Exodus 20:8; Exodus 31:12-18; Isaiah 58:13-14

Our Scripture reading this morning was from Titus 3:1-7; do you have the hope of Eternal life?

“1 ¶ Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Pastor Mark preached from Matthew 19:16-26 on eternal life.   Let us know if we can be of help to you in becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ!

Morning Sermon-  Title: The Blessing of Children Text: Matthew 19:13-15

Evening Sermon- Title:  Lessons from the Ten Commandments Text: Exodus 20