Brother Bill Hubler shared this brief message from John 20 during a visit to the area. The Lord's triumphant resurrection from the dead has ushered in a new relationship with God, whereby we can come near to Him in faith. He is not just "the Lord"; we can now call Him "My Lord."
Scripture passage: John 20
Reflecting on the promises found in Romans 8:28–39, Collin Beckford encourages us to approach the throne of grace with boldness and confidence. When we are in Christ, there is nothing that can separate us from His love. Brother Collin also turns our attention to John 10, where we are given the assurance that nothing can snatch us from the hand of God. Following up on this thought, Brother Norris Clarke encourages us to respond to God's faithful shepherding with obedience. Citing an example from Nehemiah, Brother Norris calls us to act immediately on the truths we find in God's Word.
Scripture passages: Rom. 8:28–39; John 10:27–30; Neh. 8:13–18
The freedom we have in Christ is sometimes hard to understand; if, as Galatians 5:1 puts it, "it is for freedom that Christ has set you free," does that mean Christians are free to do whatever they want? In this message, Luke Harriman considers the meaning of Christian liberty and how it contrasts with the so-called freedom the world offers us.
Scripture passages: John 10:1–11; Psalm 121
Scanning the Lord Jesus's letters to the seven churches in Revelation, Ken Huebner brings us the practical challenge of taking these exhortations and encouragements to heart personally. From the call to Ephesus to remember her first love to the challenge to Laodicea to forsake their indifference, Brother Ken calls us to respond to these letters as if they were addressed to each of us individually. With God's help, this can cause us to draw closer to the Lord.
Scripture passage: Rev. 2–3
Jasper Barnett and Campton Smalling shared the pulpit this Sunday, delivering words of encouragement as we enter a new year. First Brother Jasper, took us to John 16 in a meditation that fixed our eyes on Christ as the example and key motivator for godliness. Then Brother Campton, visiting from Jamaica, shared some thoughts from Exodus 8–12 concerning the people of Israel's preparation to move forward out of Egypt toward the Promised Land. May we seek to begin this year with a sense of purpose and vision as we await our coming Lord.
Scripture passages: John 16:25–31; Ex. 8–12
Norris Clarke delivered this message a couple of weeks ago, reminding us of the security we have as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. And the source of that security is not found in ourselves; we are secure because of His great love for us.
Scripture passages: John 13:1; 17:20–26
During a visit to Lake Worth, Brother Viv John shared this message of encouragement and comfort concerning the importance of living our lives in the context of God's timing. Focusing on verses in John 13, Brother Viv brought out the truth that the Lord Jesus was constantly aware of the Father's timing, and when His hour had come, He submitted to His will completely. When we feel like we are in a "holding pattern," with nothing discernible happening with regards to our goals and dreams, we must rely on the truth that God is never late, and He will never forsake us.
Scripture passage: John 13:1–5
Brother Ken Huebner presents this meditation on the passage in Proverbs 6 describing seven things that are an abomination to the Lord. As people who have been saved and brought out of darkness into the light of God, we are to strive to rid our lives of these things and anything that resembles them. From prideful eyes to the tendency to sow discord, the characteristics described here should be just as abominable to us when we see them in ourselves. Following the message, Brothers Luke Harriman and Henry Starr make some additional comments.
cripture passage: Prov. 6:16–19
As many worldwide turn their thoughts to the birth of Jesus during this season, Luke Harriman suggests that perhaps it makes more sense to meditate the true moment of the incarnation: His conception. Considering the timeline given to us in Luke and words from the prophet Haggai, Brother Luke encourages us to celebrate the coming of the Seed of the woman into this world.
Scripture passages: Luke 1; Hag. 2:10–23
*Note from the speaker: I realized afterward that the message was more confusing than it should have been because I neglected to discuss the difference between the months in the Jewish calendar and the months in our calendar. Since the Jewish religious year begins in March/April, the ninth month in Haggai refers to Kislev, which corresponds to November/December, rather than our ninth month, September. Check out this website to help clear up any confusion.
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