Scripture is filled with the greatness of God. In this meditation following our Breaking of Bread meeting, Brother Richard Ledgister drew our attention to seven “greats” in the New Testament that we receive through the work of the Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep (Heb. 13:20).
In Matthew 26 and 27, we see that the Lord Jesus suffered at the hands of all types of people. In the same way, there is no type of people that is outside of the saving power of His death on the cross.
As we watch the news, we can see that there are storms raging all around us. But in Christ, we can have peace in the midst of these storms. God will keep us in perfect peace as our minds are fixed on Him, as we trust in Him (Isaiah 26:3).
During our Fellowship Sunday, Brother Norris Clarke shared two memorable object lessons to reinforce thoughts from the Book of Romans about sin and faith.
The final two chapters of the Gospel of Luke present a diverse variety of responses to the cross of Christ. From the soldiers who responded to the Lord’s sufferings with scorn, to the faithful women who looked on the cross with sorrow and love, these different views of the cross reveal the hearts of the observers. May we truly see Jesus afresh as we “Survey the Wondrous Cross.”
Using the example of John Mark from Acts, we can see several of the temptations unique to those who grow up in a Christian environment.
This is a message given by Brother Winsford King from St. Kitts during a recent visit to South Florida.
As we prepare for our Vacation Bible School next week on the adventures of the Apostle Paul, we are struck by his example of humble service to the church. In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul uses three images to describe his attitude toward these believers he loved so much: a nursing mother, a hard-working servant, and an encouraging father. May we adopt this same attitude toward all those we serve in the Lord.
During our open Sunday School this week, Brother Laurel Smalling shared this encouragement to the whole family to value obedience as a path to true happiness in the Lord.
This Mother’s Day, Brother Richard Ledgister shared briefly on the prayer of Hannah, who cried out to the Lord in her desperation and was heard by Him. Then Brother Luke Harriman used the word TULIP to show the way the relationship with our mother can show us deep truths about our relationship with God, as both of them treasure, understand, love, instruct, and protect us.
For our open Sunday School today, we heard a message on the commandments of the Lord. While many may think God’s rules are meant to merely ruin our fun, the Lord gives us rules because he loves us and wants to keep us safe. Not only that, but he also gives us the help we need to fulfill those commands.
The most important question you will ever be asked is the one the Lord Jesus asked His disciples in Matthew 16. He took them to a region at the north of Israel called Caesarea Philippi—long a center of idolatry and false worship—to ask them, “Who do you say that I am?” And today, He is still asking. How would you respond?
On this Resurrection Sunday, Brother Richard Ledgister ponders the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead in the light of several of the Lord’s claims about Himself in the gospels. When Jesus was raised from the dead, all the powerful claims about Himself were confirmed and established by God the Father. Before the message, Ken and Carolyn Huebner shared the stirring song, “Hallelujah, Jesus Christ Is Risen.”
During a visit to South Florida, Sean Bristol shared a message from 1 Corinthians 13 — the “love chapter.” Inspired by the love the Lord Jesus has shown us, we are called to show sacrificial, other-directed love to those around us, both to our brethren in the Assembly and to the neighbors we come into contact with day by day.
The story told by the Lord Jesus in Luke 15 of the loving father with two sons holds several lessons for us as we learn to walk in a way pleasing to our Heavenly Father. During his visit to South Florida, Brother Ruell Clarke shared from this story during our monthly Open Sunday School.
The prophet Haggai warned his Israelite hearers of the dangers of putting anything above the Lord as priority in our life. As pointed out in this message, even good things can become idols when they are mistaken for the primary thing. May we “consider our ways” carefully to discern whether anything or anyone else in our life is taking God’s place as preeminent.
In John 3, we see three “musts”: the “must” of the sinner, “You must be born again”; the “must of the Savior, “so must the Son of Man be lifted up”; and the “must” of the servant, “He must increase, and I must decrease.” In this message, Brother Richard Ledgister focuses on the “must” of the sinner as he draws several parallels and differences between our physical birth and our spiritual birth.