The Lord Jesus Christ is called "the express image of the invisible God" in Colossians 1 and Hebrews 1, and every aspect of the body of the Christ can be seen to speak of the glory of God. It is in this context that Luke Harriman offers this brief meditation on the cheeks of the Lord. While it may seem almost too intimate or informal of a discussion, if we trace this theme through scripture, we see that even in His cheeks we see the glory of God bodied forth in the flesh.
Scripture passages: Song. 5:13; Isa. 50:6; Matt. 26:67; Rev. 1:16
Recalling a Sunday School lesson from his youth, Brother Ken Huebner brought this message from 2Corinthians 5, where we see Paul give three reasons why he preaches and lives the gospel. With the Judgment Seat of Christ in view, and compelled by the terror of the Lord and love of Christ, Paul attempts to persuade his hearers. We ought to be similarly motivated to give Him our all.
Scripture passage: 2Cor. 5:10–15
Richard Ledgister delivered this stirring message the encourages us all to remember what it truly means to say that the Lord is our hope. While we casually use the word "hope" to express a mere wish that something good will come, biblical hope is something stronger: a firm confidence in a powerful, living, and loving God who has promised us that He will never leave nor forsake us. Drawing from several scriptures in the Psalms and the New Testament, Brother Richard calls us to "Be strong and let [our] heart take courage" as we wait and hope in the Lord (Ps. 31:24).
Scripture passages: Ps. 32:24; 39:7; 62:5; 1Pet. 1:3; 3:15; et al
Norris Clarke brings us this message, reminding us of the example of King Asa, who stood strong for the name of God in his younger years in the midst of a generation who had strayed from their position as God's faithful people. By removing the idols and bringing into the house of the Lord the sacred vessels, Asa stands as an encouragement to us to judge ourselves rightly in this current age.
Scripture passage: 1Kings 15:9–15
During a visit from the Corunna assembly in Michigan, George Morel took us to the prayer of Ephesians 3 that we might contemplate the depth of Christ's love for us. Whereas the city in Revelation 21 is only described with the three dimensions of height, breadth, and length, Brother George reminds us that there is more to His love than we can fully comprehend, seen in the fourth dimension mentioned in Ephesians. Brother Luke Harriman followed up by looking at the increasing depth of the river described in Ezekiel 47. Truly, to more fully enjoy the depth of His love, we must dive in and experience it for ourselves.
Scripture passages: Rev. 21:15–16; 22:1–5; Eph. 3:14–19; Ez. 47:1–12
Brothers Collin Beckford and Ken Huebner shared the ministry meeting this Sunday, bringing encouraging words of truth regarding the power and simplicity of our salvation. Brother Collin spoke from John 1 and 1John 1, focusing on the significance of our Lord being presented as the bringer of both light and life. And Brother Ken concluded our time together by walking us through several gospel verses, emphasizing the simplicity of the good news we are to proclaim.
Scripture passages: John 1:1–14; Acts 2:36; 16:30; Rom. 5:8–9; 10:9–10, et al
Traveling on their way to the weekend conference in Brooksville, Florida, Brothers Lloyd Ledgister and Joe Wilson made a stop at Pine Street Chapel. They visited our Thursday night Bible Study and each brought a word of encouragement and challenge. What a blessing to receive exhortation from one another as we endeavor to serve our Lord more and more faithfully as the Day approaches!
Scripture passages: Eph. 1; Luke 6:46, Matt. 19:16
As we come to the Lord again and again with a particular request, sometimes we might wonder if we are "nagging God" or perhaps displaying a lack of faith. Does God want us to pray repeatedly for those requests that are on our heart? Norris Clarke presents a resounding "Yes!" in this message on persistent prayer. Considering Israel's battle with the Amalekites in Exodus 17 as a model, Brother Clarke sees Moses's upraised hands as a picture of our continuous and fervent prayer. As the spiritual battle rages, we are to pray at all times, with all prayer, with all perseverance, for all the saints (Eph. 6: 18).
Scripture passages: Exodus 17:8–13; Ephesians 6
There is a beautiful hymn in our Spiritual Songs hymnal that says "From every stormy wind that blows, / From every swelling tide of woes, / There is a calm, a sweet retreat; / 'Tis found before the mercy seat" (#246). What exactly is the mercy seat, and why does it comfort and calm our fears? In this message, Luke Harriman addresses these questions by considering the connection between the old testament concept of the mercy seat and the atoning work of the Lord Jesus.
Scripture passages: Ex. 25:17–22; Rom. 3:21–26
Laurel Smalling delivers this probing message, asking an important question about our purpose in recalling our personal histories and the history of God's people. Taking the example of Moses in Deuteronomy 1, Brother Laurel encourages us to look back in order to remember the Lord's faithfulness rather than following the people of Israel's tendency of looking back to "when things were better." Their memory of the past always led to complaining in the present, while Moses's recounting of their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land resulted in humility and dependence on the Lord.
Scripture passage: Deut. 1:1–8
We all have a longing for permanence, to know that we are established and secure. This is described in the Bible as having our name written in stone, in heaven, in the Book of Life, etc. But the prophet Jeremiah also speaks of names being written in the earth. Luke Harriman presents this message on the familiar story from John 8 of the woman caught in adultery, which is the only time in the gospels we see the Lord Jesus writing. He reads this scene with Jeremiah 17 in the background, leading to a reflection on where our names are written.
Scripture passages: Jeremiah 17:1–14; Isaiah 49:15–16; John 8:1–11
Responding to news of a tragedy in our local neighborhood, Luke Harriman encouraged us to look to the Lord as the source of comfort and hope. In times of distress, we need a fresh glimpse of the Lord to reassure us that He knows all and is sovereign over every circumstance. After the message, Brothers Norris Clarke and Laurel Smalling also shared a brief word of comfort and encouragement.
Scripture passages: Isa. 64:1–4; 66:1–2; Rev. 1:12–18
Sometimes, when we fail or are simply feeling the weight of our own humanity, we may not be so sure the Lord can use someone like us. Luke Harriman shared this message on Zechariah's vision of Joshua the priest to encourage us to keep running the race, in spite of our failures. Zechariah saw the high priest in the presence of God, clothed in filthy garments. He was being accused by the enemy of our souls and seemed unusable by a holy and righteous God. But thankfully, the story doesn't end there. God had work for Joshua to do, and He wants to use you as well!
Scripture passage: Zechariah 3
In many areas of our lives, we are loved for how we perform: when we are pleasing our employers, our fans, and even sometimes our spouses and churches, they love us. But what happens when we aren't performing that well? Often, that love can be withheld from us. God's love is nothing like this. Richard Ledgister presents this message on the love of God and describes how it has nothing to do with how we perform. Drawing from the stories of the lost son and the lost sheep, Brother Richard demonstrates that God loved us while we were still sinners, and He will keep loving us to the end.
Scripture passages: Rom. 5:6–11; Luke 15:1–7, 11–24; Matt. 11:28–30
Looking forward to our upcoming family camp, Luke Harriman offers this message on the Feast of Booths. The Lord wanted His people to celebrate this feast each year as a testimony to their wilderness pilgrimage. The feast was unique in that the people were to live in temporary booths throughout the eight-day celebration. Brother Luke considers several characteristics of the feast and then applies these to our own yearly celebration of family camp.
Scripture passages: Lev. 23:33–44; Zech. 14; John 7:37–39
There is no better place for the believer to find him- or herself than at the feet of the Lord Jesus. There we not only receive rest, comfort, instruction, and courage but we also engage in our true purpose as the Lord's people: worshiping our beloved Savior. In this message, Luke Harriman considers the example of Mary of Bethany, whom we find continually at the feet of Jesus. We see her there wondering, weeping, and worshiping while others around her are content to complain, correct, and calculate. May we be encouraged to draw near to our Lord and truly worship at His holy feet.
Scripture passages: Luke 10:38–42; John 11:17–35; 12:1–8
Laurel Smalling asks the question, "What is your home like?" God has instituted the home for His glory and the furtherance of His kingdom, but sadly many homes don't rise to the challenge. Drawing from Genesis 12–19, Brother Laurel considers the drastically different home lives of Abraham and Lot.
Scripture passages: Genesis 11:27–13:13; 19
Preaching from the story of Moses at the burning bush, Richard Ledgister prepares our hearts for our upcoming Vacation Bible School by considering the five excuses Moses gives the LORD when He calls him to go to Egypt and deliver His people. How often we are tempted to say similar things to God when He tries to use us: "Who am I to go? What if people don't listen? Please send someone else!" Prayerfully, let us heed this call to make ourselves available to the Lord's use—wherever He may send us.
Scripture passage: Exodus 3–4
Brother Ken Huebner takes us to the story of the Queen of Sheba's visit to Solomon's court for a meditation on the greatness of our true Solomon: the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as the Queen was amazed by Solomon's wisdom, house, food, servants, and the rest of his wealth, so we must confess that the half of our Lord's glories have not been told. Such beauty and glory demand that we give our all to Him, knowing that we can never out give God.
Scripture passage: 1Kings 10:1–13
Richard Ledgister shared this helpful message outlining three purposes of the church, all of which must be present in any local assembly in order for there to be the proper balance. For a church to truly meet the calling she has received, there must always be evidence of ministry to God, ministry to believers, and ministry to the world.
Scripture passages: Col. 3:16; Eph. 4:12–13; Luke 4:40