Messages
Pastor’s Message
Life is full of difficulties, isn’t it? Cars, refrigerators, washing machines, hot water heaters, and everything else on this earth eventually wears out. Our bodies sometimes get sick. People lose their jobs. Life is just hard sometimes. Our natural tendency is to get anxious, worried, or frustrated — or all three at once.
It shouldn’t surprise us that statistically there’s never been a time in history when we’ve been more anxious than we are today. Historians will probably call the day and time in which we live “the age of anxiety.” Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered in anything other than God and His will for us. Though we have less to worry about than previous generations, we have more worry. Though we have it easier than our forefathers, we are inwardly more anxious.
God has lovingly told us in Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” In the Greek, the word for “anxious” has the meaning of “distracted,” further illustrating the power of anxious thoughts. Anxiety magnifies our problems and minimizes our view of God. It prevents us from seeing God’s power and sovereignty in the midst of our circumstances.
The verses above plainly tell us what we should replace our anxiety with …… Prayer.
Had a stressful day at work? Pray.
Saw or heard something that made you anxious? Pray.
Overwhelmed by the future? Pray.
Overwhelmed by the present? Pray.
Worried for a family member? Pray.
Remember that God is much bigger than your problems. This is not always easy. Sometimes we need to repeatedly let go of the same thing multiple times in a day because we are so used to holding on to it. Once we’ve learned to let go of things outside of our control and allow God to do the rest, His supernatural peace will guard our hearts and minds. Today, choose to pause and pray whenever anxiety tries to enter your mind. The Lord is faithful to come to our aid whenever we ask!
I hope to see you and your family in church this coming Sunday. Don’t forget to let your light shine for Jesus!
Pastor Rick
Message From Andy (Student Minister)
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
– John 14:6-7
A wise man, or droid in this case, once said, “Here we go again ….” (Star Wars – C-3P0)
August is here, and the new month marks the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year!
August is also time for our annual Back to School Retreat at Camp Bays Mountain. It’s always a very special time for our students and helps them to have a God-focused mindset in starting the new year. Our theme this year is “The Way”, and we’ll spend the weekend talking about how, from the very beginning, Jesus Christ is The One True Way. And He tells us this very clearly in John 14:6-7!
Please be in prayer for our students and teachers as we start back to school on August 3rd, and that this would be a school year where we each Glorify, Grow, Give, and Go!
Andy