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 morning we start a new sermon series looking at the topic of finding hope in the midst of the darkness of depression and anxiety. We’ll take a look at Genesis 3 and John 1 and see how sin has broken the world but Jesus provides the solution as the Greatest Light. Then following morning worship, we’ll have our quarterly fellowship meal and business meeting. We hope to see you there!
Schedule
@945 Small Groups / Sunday School for all ages
@1045 Worship Gathering
@Noon Fellowship Meal followed by Business Meeting
@6pm Video study on the book of Judges
Sermon Notes The Greatest Light ~ Genesis 3, John 1
The sermon in one sentence: The fall brought spiritual and mental darkness and despair into the world; Jesus is the greatest answer and our eternal hope.
Two realities about despair, hopelessness, and mental illness
Every instance of despair or mental illness is rooted in humanity’s fall into sin (Genesis 3)
Not every instance is tied to a specific sin (John 9)
Two pursuits in our quest for hope
Pursue Jesus as the greatest answer (John 1)
Pursue the help of other means you need in order to see Jesus clearly
This week we’ll finish our “God and Money” series by taking a look at 1 Timothy 6 and what it means to be generous in our world. We hope to see you there!
Schedule
@945 Small Groups / Sunday School for all ages
@1045 Worship Gathering
Sermon Notes Give Generously ~ 1 Timothy 6:17-19
The sermon in one sentence: Having learned to stay focused, plan well, and live within your means, work to increase your generosity toward others.
This morning we’ll be in week three of four of our God and Money series, as we seek to discover how to grow in generosity. We’ll talk about avoiding debt by living within your means and how this helps us to be good managers of what God has provided. We hope to see you there!
Schedule
@945 Small Groups / Sunday School for all ages
@1045 Worship Gathering
@2pm Missions and Evangelism Team Meeting
@6pm Bible Study
Sermon Notes Live Within Your Means ~ Luke 12:42-48 & Various Scriptures
The sermon in one sentence: Avoid the stranglehold of debt by living within your means so you can maximize generosity.
We are “stewards” of God’s resources (Luke 12:42-48)
We keep watch over what he has given and we use it wisely
We remember that all our money and resources belong to God, not to us
We maximize our wise use of resources to fulfill God’s purposes with our wealth
We minimize debt that hinders our wise use and generosity
To minimize debt and maximize generosity:
Maintain an attitude that you will avoid debt (Romans 13:8)
Adjust your lifestyle to avoid debt as much as possible (Proverbs 21:5)
Make a plan to pay off your existing debts as soon as possible (Psalm 37:21, Ecclesiastes 5:5)
This morning, we’ll continue our God and Money series by taking a look at what the Bible says about how we are to be wise and plan well when it comes to our finances. This evening, we’ll join with other Osage River Baptist churches at Kamp Keirsey for the annual camp picnic. We hope to see you there!
Schedule
@945 Small Groups / Sunday School for all ages
@1045 Worship Gathering
@230pm Adrian Manor nursing home service
@5pm Camp Picnic at Kamp Keirsey
Sermon Notes Plan Well ~ Various Scriptures
The sermon in one sentence: Wisely consider your finances in order to maximize your involvement in God’s purposes, because you belong to Jesus and everything you have is his.
Those who are wise “will count the costs” (Luke 14:27-33)
Jesus uses realities of money to illustrate the point: He is worth following and everything we have belongs to him
Therefore we should use our wealth to honor God
Four main purposes of money to help us love others well according to God’s will:
To provide for you and your family (1 Timothy 5:8)
To give help to those in need (Matthew 6:2)
To support the spread of the gospel (Philippians 4:10-19)
To enjoy life with family and friends (Ecclesiastes 9:7-10)
Three aspects of planning well in order to maximize your involvement in God’s purposes:
This morning we’ll kickoff our new Sunday School / Small Groups year with doughnuts and coffee in the gym at 930 before classes begin at 945. Then during our worship gathering, we’ll begin our God and Money series with a look at 1 Timothy 6:6-10, learning how to stay focused with a proper perspective on wealth. Then on Sunday evening, we’ll conclude our Follow Me video study. We hope to see you there!
Schedule
@930 Sunday School Kickoff in gym
@945 Small Groups / Sunday School for all ages
@1045 Worship Gathering
@6pm Follow Me video study in youth room
Sermon Notes Stay Focused ~ 1 Timothy 6:6-10
The sermon in one sentence: Stay focused by remembering that wealth is temporary but godliness brings eternal gain.
Godliness provides the best gain, so pursue godliness with more passion than you pursue wealth (6:6, 9-10)
There is only a small amount that you need for life, so enjoy what you have and be content with the basics (6:6, 8)
Wealth is only temporary, so be wise with your wealth and don’t waste it by hoarding it (6:7)
This morning on this holiday weekend, we’ll take a look John 10 and the topic of the assurance of our salvation. Next week, we start a new 4-week series on personal finance called “God and Money.” We hope to see you there! There will be no evening activities at the church tonight with the holiday.
Schedule
@945 Small Groups / Sunday School for all ages
@1045 Worship Gathering
**No Evening Study
Sermon Notes The Assurance of Salvation ~ John 10:1-30
The sermon in one sentence: Our salvation rests assured in Jesus; if we have a relationship with Jesus, then we can have assurance of salvation.
Our salvation is permanent
Jesus is the means and the keeper of our salvation
Our salvation rests assured in Jesus
How to know if you have salvation
You are trusting in Jesus as Savior and King
You have a relationship with Jesus
You are experiencing spiritual growth
Songs for Worship I Know Whom I Have Believed I Will Glory in My Redeemer Now I Belong to Jesus Higher Ground Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)
In this devotional series, we’re taking a look at Matthew 24 & 25 to see what Jesus teaches us about his return and the end of the current age of history. Today, we’ll conclude with Matthew 25:31-46.
In Matthew 25, Jesus concluded his teaching about his return with a picture of final judgment. Final judgment is the last event of the current age of history, before eternity kicks off with the re-creation and perfection of the heavens and earth. Of this event, Jesus says,
“All the nations will be gathered before [the Son of Man], and he will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'” (25:32-34)
Jesus’ mention of “all the nations” indicates that though he was a Jew and the expected Messiah of the Israelites, that neither the salvation he offers nor the judgment he carries out is exclusively for the Jews. In the Old Testament, God chose the Jews as his people to bring forth a King who would be King over all peoples. So, rightly, all will stand before Jesus at judgment.
During judgment there is a separation of people that Jesus compares to the separation of sheep and goats. Shepherding terminology is used much throughout the Bible, and sheep often stand as a metaphor for God’s people and goats as those who continue in their sin and rebellion against God. The sheep are blessed and welcomed into the joys of eternity; whereas later, the goats are cursed and sent “into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angles” (25:41). This showing the wrath of God that burns against sin.
So, what does Jesus say marks the difference between the sheep and goats? Of the sheep, he says, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me” (25:35-36).
This prompts the people to ask, “When did we do these things?” With the King replying, “Whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (25:37-40). The goats, however, are described as those who did not help take care of others.
Here we find an example of what James would label as faith and works. Faith without works is dead, James wrote. His point being that a true faith in God through Jesus, a faith that is trusting in him for the love of God and the forgiveness of sins, is a faith that also manifests itself in good works, specifically works that show a great love for others.
Love is at the heart of the Christian faith. We experience God’s love and that love compels us to love others. We still might do some socially good deeds like those described without faith, but the deeds themselves won’t save us. We need faith. (See: Isaiah 64:6 and Ephesians 2:8-10). But then, a person with faith will live out that faith in a way that makes a positive impact on others. Saving faith always leads to doing good. And as we do to others, it is as if we have done for Jesus.
So, as we long for Jesus’ return, let us live out our faith, seeking to meet people’s needs as we wait to enter the perfect joy of eternity.
