Do you feel dirty? Shameful? Undone? Do you feel the weight of guilt on your shoulders? David said in Psalm 51 that his sin was always before him. He was constantly aware of his sinfulness and his sinful tendencies. The apostle Paul himself proclaimed in Romans 7:15-25, “For what I am doing, I do not…
Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Relationships can often be a sticky subject. We all have relationship issues from time to time. We have experienced thriving relationships and we have experienced broken relationships. When it comes to being…
We all have memories from our childhood that rises to the surface of our minds from time to time. I have many such memories. One memory in particular serves as a reminder of how God provides exactly what I need in the moment I need it. When I was a very young boy around 6…
From the Pastor's Heart / leadership / Pastoral Ministry / Small church ministry / state of the church / the church
It is often said that we should not ‘reinvent the wheel.’ This statement coincides with another thought, ‘if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.’ These statements certainly contain truth. There is no need to create something that has already been created. There is no need to change something that is working just fine. We are…
In the chaos of a fallen world we long for peace. In Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi we are given encouragement on how we can experience true joy. There is nothing like a church that is filled with joy. You can sense it when you walk through the doors. This joy fills our…
As we experience the joy of knowing Jesus we must learn to continue in that joy. We must press on. The Christian journey is one that is filled with unspeakable joy. We are pilgrims in this world. We are on a journey to our Heavenly home. This journey is filled with many ups and downs.…
I love the words to that precious hymn: ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,and to take him at his word;just to rest upon his promise,and to know, “Thus saith the Lord.” Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!How I’ve proved him o’er and o’er!Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!O for grace to trust him more! O how…
It is a joy to serve the Lord. Let me say that again, IT IS A JOY TO SERVE THE LORD! If you are accustomed to just sitting on a pew and doing nothing, I encourage you to get into the game. Discover your spiritual gifts and use those gifts in the life and…
We have already seen how we are to ‘work out’ our salvation through the practice of spiritual disciplines or exercises. It is in that context that Paul speaks of God’s will being worked in us for His glory. As we ‘work out’ our faith, God will do a work in us so that He can…
Just as physical exercise is necessary for a healthy body, spiritual exercise is necessary for a healthy spirit. Paul encourages the church at Philippi to ‘work out’ their salvation. He also mentions to engage in spiritual exercise with ‘fear and trembling’ This means to not relax in this exercise. It means to not grow lazy,…
To experience the joy of being of one mind and of being in one accord, it comes from having the mind of Christ. To have the mind of Christ is to have the attitude that Christ exhibited. Attitude is everything. Your attitude is similar to your outlook on life. It is how you look at…
The joy of one mind involves living with one mind and with humility. Verses 3-4 of Philippians 2 says, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for…
Many people at the start of a new year will pick one word that they focus on for that year. I am not accustomed to doing that myself every year, however, this year there are two words that I am focusing on and praying for in my life. Those words are: holiness and wisdom. …
1 Peter 4:10 says, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” Every person that is born is given by the sovereignty of God certain talents and passions. Every born-again believer is given certain spiritual gifts to be used…
In chapter one of Philippians we learned of the joy of growing together and the joy of the Gospel. This joy increases and develops as we strive to be right with God and right with each other. Right relationships are the key to joyful Christian living. As such relationships are developed there is great joy…
Pastor Chris Noland 