Healing the Centurion’s Servant

Brothers and Sisters, It is now week four of the COVID-19 Coronavirus quarantine. I pray that you are healthy and growing spiritually (3 John 2) during this rare time when the world seems to be taking a much needed rest. It is also a good time for reflection and prayer (Psalm 46). I hope you receive this lesson in the love in which it is given. The Lord knows all we go through, He knows all we need and He will not allow us to be tempted more than we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). He will supply all our needs.

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

Click here for the latest bulletin article: Strength for the Loyal Heart. Please pray for the congregation, for those who are struggling with physical ailments, and also that no one will lose employment due to this present distress. Please pray that we may assemble again soon, worshiping together with a renewed spirit of thankfulness. May God bless you this week!

–Your fellow servant, Bill Turner.

Healing the Centurion’s Servant

The Man Whose Faith Impressed Jesus (Matthew 8:5-13).

“Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

Although this Roman soldier makes only a brief appearance in the gospels, he’s had a lasting impact over the centuries of what true faith looks like.

April 19, 2020 – Sermon 7 of a series on the miracles of Jesus.
AUDIO | PDF TEXT

The man whose faith impressed Jesus

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.”

Numbers 6:24-26

Strength for the Loyal Heart

“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him”
(2 Chronicles 16:9).

THE LORD IS LOOKING FOR THOSE WHOSE HEARTS WILL BE TRUE TO HIM. And He is eager to “show Himself strong” on behalf of such people, those who know the meaning of loyalty.

Asa, the king of Judah to whom the admonition was addressed in 2 Chronicles 16:9, was a good man in many respects. The general course of his life was commendable, but there were times when his decisions left much to be desired. Earlier, he had been told by one of the prophets, “The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you” (2 Chronicles 15:2). This warning was not always heeded, however. And when Asa deviated from his duty, he forfeited the help of a God who fights on behalf of “those whose hearts are wholly his” (Jerusalem Bible).

There is hardly a virtue more noble than loyalty. Consider the cluster of words in our language that denote this trait. Faithfulness and fidelity imply adherence to one’s vows or obligations — the fulfillment of duty and the keeping of promises. Allegiance means that one has been true to an authority to which he is subject. Fealty, an older word, once referred to the obligation of a vassal to a feudal lord, but now means faithfulness to a law or principle that one has pledged to uphold. And the word loyalty itself gives us the picture of a person who has such a steadfast and devoted attachment to something that he or she is not easily turned aside.

Think of the good things that would come out of a serious application of these ideas to our seeking of God. If we sought Him with a loyalty that He could count on — a faithful love that would hold us at His side — what strength He would make available to us! Our greatest need is for fidelity, the honor that holds steadfastly to all the truth we know of God, however little that may be at present. If we turn our back on what we know of Him, then, as traitors, we cut ourselves off from His help at the time we need it most. Our seeking must be with an allegiance that will die in battle before it will do any treachery to God.

“Lord, help me faithfully to journey along my road, holding my rightful place in the great procession of humanity” (Michel Quoist).

Gary Henry – WordPoints.com

Set Free From Fear

The significance of Jesus’ incredible sacrifice of love at the cross through His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension may never be fully comprehended on this side of eternity. The Risen Savior Set the Captives Free. One way Christians are set free is from fear––the fear of life, of death and of eternity. (Revelation 1:17-18)

“At the heart of anxiety is fear, and at the heart of fear is our focus”

Sermon for April 12, 2020 AUDIO | PDF

Set Free From Fear

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”

3 John 2

Dear brothers and sisters, it is week three of the coronavirus quarantine and I pray your are safe and healthy physically and spiritually. News reports indicate that conditions may improve over the next few weeks which gives me hope we will see one another again soon to assemble in worship together. In the meantime, I send this sermon to you for your encouragement and edification. Remember to call, text, email, write one another and pray for one another. May we use this time to grow in faith, knowledge, love and good works. Below are links to a bulletin article and chart.

SERMON: Set Free From Fear (above). Click here for a text file PDF

BULLETIN ARTICLE: ‘Fear Not’

POST: Who Do I Want to Be During the Covid Crisis?

Fear Not

Drawing from this week’s sermon: Set Free From Fear, here are some ‘Fear Not’ assurances from the Bible, and the one proper form of fear needed.

IT’S SURPRISING HOW MANY ‘FEAR NOT’S’ ARE FOUND IN GOD’S WORD

• When Feeling Overwhelmed (Isaiah 41:13)
• When Feeling Forgotten (Isaiah 43:1)
• When Surrounded by Enemies (2 Kings 6:16)
• When Tempted to Loneliness (Isaiah 41:10)
• When Tempted to Despair (2 Chronicles 20:15)
• When you fear losing everything (Hebrews 13:5–6)
• When threatened by criticism of your faith (Matthew 10:26)
• When threatened with physical harm (Matthew 10:28)
• When Feeling Worthless and Forgotten (Matthew 10:31)

For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

BUT THERE IS ONE PROPER FORM OF FEAR…
“The Fear of the Lord”

It is Defined as Extreme Reverence and Awe Toward God
• The “fear of the Lord” is the beginning of knowledge (Prov. 1:7)
• The “fear of the Lord” will cause one to hate evil (Pr 8:13)
• The “fear of the Lord” will prolong life (Pr 10:27)
• The “fear of the Lord” is a fountain of life (Pr 14:26-27)
• The “fear of the Lord” leads to a satisfying life, sparing one from much evil (Pr 19:23)
• The “fear of the Lord” is the way to riches, honor, and life! (Pr 22:4)


“The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.”

–Oswald Chambers