We are a community of people dedicated to follow Jesus in all that we do. If you’re looking for a church committed to loving God, loving each other, teaching his word, and worshiping him, then we invite you to come join us at any of our worship gatherings and activities for adults, youth, and children (see our About page and Activities page). Also, if you’re looking to learn more about Jesus and what it means to be his follower, I would love the chance to talk with you (also, see our About page for contact information, or see our Follow Jesus page).
Check out our site, read the blog posts below for news updates and devotional posts, and check out one of our worship gatherings!
~ Pastor Mike
Sunday Morning Schedule
9:45am ~ Small Groups / Sunday School
10:45 am ~ Worship Gathering
This Sunday, we’ll continue our look at the Psalms of Ascent with Psalm 121. We’ll see how on our life’s God-ward journey in Christ, God provides us help along the way and keeps us secure into eternity. There will be no evening service as the annual Osage River Baptist Association picnic is at Kamp Keirsey at 5pm. We hope to see you there!
Schedule
@945 Small Groups / Sunday School for all ages
@1045 Worship Gathering
@5pm ORBA Picnic at Kamp Keirsey
Sermon Notes Help ~ Psalm 121
The sermon in one sentence: Life in Jesus is an upward journey on which God helps us and keeps us secure.
God is our Help (121:1)
We need help on our journey as we face enemies, threats, and distractions
God is our Help through Jesus who will lead us safely home into his Kingdom
Trust God to help you each day and keep you secure for eternity (121:2-8)
Because God is greater than all others
Because God is always-aware, always-involved, and always-working for your good
Because God is your keeper and shade–he protects you from all enemies
Because God keeps you forever-safe
Songs for Worship When the Morning Comes Thou Art Worthy Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah All the Way My Savior Leads Me God Will Make a Way
When the hour came, Jesus reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. Then he said to them, “I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” (Luke 22:14-18)
From the beginning, the Lord’s Supper or Communion has been a part of the Christian tradition. We gather together and share the bread and the cup, just as Jesus did with the Twelve at the Passover before his crucifixion.
The Supper is a rich moment in which we transition from hearing the Gospel to seeing the Gospel. We partake of the bread and the drink, acting “in remembrance of” Jesus (22:19)–the bread representing his body, broken for us; the cup representing his blood, shed for us.
Seeing the bread and the cup remind us that Jesus was broken on the cross for our sins. Eating the bread and drinking from the cup remind us of our union with Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus dwells not simply with each Christian but in each Christian. From the inside out, he shapes us with new hearts and new lives. Knowing Jesus’ words that he would not partake again until he did so in the Kingdom reminds us of our future hope. As Revelation 19 tells us, eternity kicks off with a feast, likely what Jesus had in mind.
As we see the Gospel in the Lord’s Supper, we see it’s past, present, and future implications. In the past, when Jesus shed his blood and broke his body, our sins were paid for and covered through his cross. In the present, Christ dwells in us, changing us, sanctifying us, making us more like him. In the future, we will be raised to glory and spend an eternity of joy with our Savior-King, celebrating everything he did to assure our place at his table.
Scripture quotes taken from the Christian Standard Bible.
Praying through verses or passages of the Bible is a great way to help you pray according to the will and desires of God. Below is a passage of Scripture and a sample prayer. I would encourage you to pray that prayer, or, even better, read the passage and pray as God leads you.
Text: Hebrews 6:9-12
Even though we are speaking this way, dearly loved friends, in your case we are confident of things that are better and that pertain to salvation. For God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you demonstrated for his name by serving the saints–and by continuing to serve them. Now we desire each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the full assurance of your hope until the end, so that you won’t become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance. (Christian Standard Bible)
Prayer
Father, sometimes days feel short; they fly by in a blink. Other times days feel long, like they will last forever. We live in this paradox where life is a vapor but also a long journey. Lord, in that journey, help us to walk obedient and faithful. Where we have served, stir our hearts to serve still. Where we have loved, empower us to love more. Help us not to become lazy and bored in our faith but to enjoy your mercies afresh each day. Set our eyes on those faithful saints who long endured, those who walked a faithful path to the end. May their lives encourage us to do the same. Amen.
God’s purposes in redemption have always been global. He sent his Son, born Jesus, a Jew in a poor family from nowhere special in the Middle East, two-thousand years ago. At his crucifixion, the sign above his head declared him “King of the Jews.” And right that sign was.
But there was also more, something that sign missed. This Messiah of Israel, King of the Jews, a Jewish carpenter wasn’t sent by the Father for just one group of people. The King of the Jews is also King of Creation. The hope we have through Jesus is global.
We see this spelled out in the Old Testament as Isaiah, a prophet of Judah, wrote:
On this mountain, the Lord of Armies will prepare for all the peoples a feast of choice meat, a feast with aged wine, prime cuts of choice meat, fine vintage wine. On this mountain he will destroy the burial shroud, the shroud over all the peoples, the sheet covering all the nations; he will destroy death forever. The Lord God will wipe away the tears from every face and remove his people’s disgrace from the whole earth, for the Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 25:6-8)
Isaiah saw a future celebration–a party with the best food and drinks. And what was the cause? Death was dead; grief, no more. And who was this promise for? All peoples and all nations.
The mission of Christianity is not about exclusion but inclusion. Yes, salvation is through Jesus alone. He is the way, truth, and life; no one comes to the Father but through him (John 14:6). But this Jesus, born a Jew, was sent to be the way, truth, and life for all peoples in all places. Ethnicity does not exclude. Class does not exclude. Education does not exclude. Gender does not exclude. Political sentiments of the day about who is friend and who is foe does not exclude.
The people of Jesus are meant to be the greatest force of love in the world, shining the hope of salvation for all to see–the shroud lifted and death destroyed forever.
Scripture quotes taken from the Christian Standard Bible.
This Sunday we’ll begin our look at Psalm 120-134, the Psalms of Ascent, the songs ancient pilgrims sung on their journeys into Jerusalem. We’ll think about how these reflect our God-ward journey in life, as we head toward eternity and the New Jerusalem where God dwells forever among his people. We’ll take a look at Psalm 120 and think about how Jesus is the Truth who frees us from the world’s lies. We hope to see you there!
Schedule
@930 Sunday School Kickoff – Coffee and doughnuts in the gym
@945 Small Groups / Sunday School for all ages
@1045 Worship Gathering
@6pm Why? video study by Chip Ingram in the youth room
Sermon Notes Truth ~ Psalm 120
The sermon in one sentence: Life in Jesus is an upward journey that begins when we recognize Jesus is the Truth who frees us from the world’s lies.
Songs for Worship Higher Ground In Loving Kindness, Jesus Came At Calvary In Christ Alone Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
Praying through verses or passages of the Bible is a great way to help you pray according to the will and desires of God. Below is a passage of Scripture and a sample prayer. I would encourage you to pray that prayer, or, even better, read the passage and pray as God leads you.
Text: Hebrews 2:1
For this reason, we must pay attention all the more to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away. (Christian Standard Bible)
Prayer
Father, the old hymn* states: “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love.” We face so many things in life that tend to distract us. Even good things can take our focus off the best. We thank you for giving us Jesus and bringing us to salvation in him through the Gospel. We have heard the good news. Remind us daily of your gift of grace. Stir our hearts daily to long to be in your word. Move us daily to long for you. So that we will not spend our days drifting away. Amen.
This morning, we’ll take a look at Psalm 23 and how this famous song represents our lives following Jesus, the Good Shepherd. We’ll consider five truths about our life journey from this psalm as an introduction to our series on Psalms 120-134, the Psalms of Ascent. We hope to see you there!
Schedule
@945 Small Groups / Sunday School for all ages
@1045 Worship Gathering
**Holiday weekend, no evening study
Sermon Notes The Psalm of Life ~ Psalm 23
The sermon in one sentence: In the journey of life, we are to fix our eyes on eternity and live each day following Jesus as we head there.
Our lives are an upward/Godward journey with an eternal end
The journey has moments of joy and contentment as well as moments of uncertainty and fear
God guides and walks with us through the good and the bad; he is our peace, comfort, and satisfaction
As we follow the Shepherd, we will find eternal joys in the end as well as great grace in each step
Our task is to keep our eyes on our Shepherd-Savior
Songs for Worship We’re Marching to Zion Be Thou My Vision The Lord Is My Salvation On Jordan’s Stormy Banks Victory in Jesus
