Holidays & Special Services

The Necessity of Interdependence to the Spiritual Life.

Special Speaker: Pastor Matthew Walker from College Park Baptist Church in Cary, NC.

God has ordained that the Christian life is to be lived not in isolation, but in conjunction with the community of saints. So how is it that Christians, particularly here in America, have become used to amputating limbs off of the body of Christ (which is the local church)? In 1 Corinthians 12:12-26, the Apostle Paul refers to the Corinthian believers as being eyes and ears and noses—body parts. This is the same kind of language that Paul uses in Romans 12:5 when he writes that we are members one of another.

The Bible teaches that Christians are to be mutually reliant upon each other. This doctrine is incredibly important and should be a major heading in our ecclesiology (doctrine of the church). However, it has been almost entirely lost in American evangelicalism. Possible reasons include the American way of life that emphasizes independence and the rejection of denominationalism. American Christianity has become a complex collection of isolated congregations and an even more divided and isolated collection of Christians.

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The divine nobility and merciful simplicity of a godly woman.

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We Shall Be Like Him.

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The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us.

Life can be difficult even during holidays. How can we handle it when hardship keeps coming? The apostle John knew about enduring affliction. He wrote five New Testament letters to assure hurting people of who Jesus really was.

John 1:14 summarizes who Jesus was and is. When we reflect on the truth of this one verse, we find that we are infinitely spiritually wealthy in Christ. We have been given everything that is needed for life and godliness both here and in eternity (2 Peter 1:3, Ephesians 1:3-14). Because of who Jesus is, the Christian does not have an option to disobey or quit. We have been outfitted to persevere.

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A Soldier's Mission.

On Memorial Day, we honor those who have brought our nation physical safety. Even greater honor is due to the one man who brought spiritual safety to many - Jesus Christ.

Acts 10 tells the special story of God's care to save a member of the Roman military. The narrative focuses on the soldier Cornelius and the apostle Peter, but God is always the hero. He uses human instruments to achieve his eternal plans.

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Mothers Who Prepare Their Children to Be Spiritual Leaders.

From preachers to presidents, good leaders have often praised the value of virtuous mothers. We celebrate motherhood this week because the Bible also honors women. Jewish genealogies did not include women, yet Jesus' mother is mentioned by name in Matthew 1:16. The Bible mentions Mary because she displays several virtues that should characterize all Christians. What can we learn from her godly example?

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Living Through His Life.

Many hymns tell how the truth of the resurrection affects our life today. "I serve a risen Savior," wrote Alfred Ackley in "He Lives!" Charles Wesley underscored the reality that because Christ has risen, we will also rise, in his hymn "Come, Let Us With Our Lord Arise." Those who know Christ live because of Him, and our glory is His.

By contrast, those who choose to live without God often describe the fleeting nature of human life. English poet Thomas Gray wrote the line, "The paths of glory lead but to the grave." Our glory is short-lived without Christ. God's glory is eternal, and He has wonderfully planned to share it through Jesus Christ.

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When Faith Became Sight!

Pastor Kent Hobi

Do you ever wonder if all the things we believe as Christians will ever come true? Generations of God’s people come and go, and we still groan under the task of becoming who we are in Christ. Will our faith ever be sight?

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Those who have sacrificed for our freedom know that refuge is a fragile thing.

Psalm 16 gives us a glimpse into the warrior King David’s heart and shows us where he took refuge. David didn’t trust in his army, his people, his power, or his wealth. He knew that God alone is the source of refuge and soul security.

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Walking with the Living Christ.

In Luke 24, our risen Lord shows mercy and patience to two unbelieving yet religious persons. Many in our day also do not understand the full story of Jesus. Religion always either takes away from Jesus or adds to Him. True Christianity believes that Jesus as revealed in the Bible is enough.

Cleopas and his friend had been taught by religion that Jesus would be an earthly king. He will rule on earth in the future, but his first coming was to be our Savior. Their understanding of the Scriptures was incomplete.

Given only part of the story of who Jesus was, these sincere men were left to rely on human reasoning. When Jesus was crucified, they lost hope.

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