250th Anniversary of Independence
SUNDAY – July 5, 2026
“But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little,
but godliness is profitable for all things, having promises of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” I Timothy 4:7, 8
I was very moved by what Mr. Aiden Wilson Tozer wrote about “The Habits of a Holy Life” on pages 25 and 26 in Who Put Jesus on the Cross.
“Let me return to the root of this whole matter – are we Christians willing to be regular in the habits of a holy life, thus learning from the Holy Spirit how to be dependable and faithful, unselfish and Christlike?
“The crops in the field are regular, and the birds and the animals have a regularity of life. We see it in the rising and the setting of the sun, and in the regularity of the phases of the moon.
“The Old Testament revelation itself was built around regularity. It is said of the old man of God that he went into the temple of God in the order of his course, and everything in the temple was laid out in order.
“God has ordained, as well, that order and regularity may be of immense value to the Christian life. Learn to be regular in your prayer life, in your giving to God and His work, and in your church attendance.”
The hymn that expresses these ideas is Take Time to Be Holy.
Take time to be holy, Speak oft with thy Lord; Abide in Him always And feed on His Word.
Make friends with God’s children, Help those who are weak; Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.
Take time to be holy, The world rushes on; Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus, Like Him thou shalt be; Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.
Take time to be holy, Let Him be thy Guide, And run not before Him, Whatever betide.
In joy or in sorrow Still follow thy Lord, And, looking to Jesus, Still trust in His Word.
Take time to be holy, Be calm in thy soul – Each tho’t and each motive Beneath His control.
Thus led by His Spirit To fountains of love, Thou soon shall be fitted For service above.
JUNE 28, 2026
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” John 6:37
Probably for more than 40 of my fifty-plus years of preaching and closing worship services, we have sung a “closing” hymn, usually, specifically a hymn of “invitation.” It has certainly been a familiar (and good) tradition in the evangelical church. Many of us can remember the hymn of invitation that we were singing when we finally decided to follow Jesus. One of the most well-known invitational hymns is “Just As I Am.” I read Vance Havner’s Day By Day devotional that was about that very hymn. After sharing the first verse, he wrote the following commentary.
“We do not come on the ground of His teaching, His character, His life, but rather on the ground of His death.
“The problem of our sin was not taken care of until Calvary. There is a salvation offered today on the ground of Christ the Example, Christ the Teacher, Christ the Ideal, but the sinner does not come on the plea that ‘Thy life was lived for me,’ or ‘Thy example was revealed for me.’ Christ’s life and example and teaching have their place, and a great and glorious place it is, but I come in my sins because His blood was shed for me.
“And then His Bidding. He invited me. He bids me to come, just as I am. I don’t have to dress up. He will dress me up after I come. My righteousness – the best I am and can do – are but filthy rags (see Isaiah 64:6), rags because they do not cover me and filthy because they only defile me.
Just as I am, without one plea but that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
Just as I am and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
Just as I am, though tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
Just as I am – Thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve.
Because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
FATHER’S DAY
JUNE 21, 2026
“The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him.” Proverbs 20:7
It is possible for everyone in a house to be a Christian believer yet not really live together as a Christian family. It is possible to be a family of Christians and not be a Christian family! A family must follow the order and design that God has ordained so that it can truly be called a Christian home. Paul has written an outline for us in order to live as Spirit-led Christians, thus creating a Christian home.
“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.” (Colossians 3:18-21)
These instructions may seem simple, but they are very profound and challenging. Each member of the family should seek God’s will for their individual behavior and then follow it in the power of God’s Spirit. Families must learn to practice faith together in order to become the godly home that they are meant to be.
The following hymn is actually a prayer which expresses what makes a “Christian” home. We all should ask God, Give Us Christian Homes.
God, give us Christian homes!
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught,
Homes where the Master’s will is sought,
Homes crowned with beauty Your love has wrought;
God, give us Christian homes; God give us Christian homes!
God, give us Christian homes!
Homes where the father is true and strong,
Homes that are free from the blight of wrong,
Homes that are joyous with love and song;
God, give us Christian homes; God, give us Christian homes!
God, give us Christian homes!
Homes where the mother, in caring quest,
Strives to show others Your way is best,
Homes where the Lord is an honored guest;
God, give us Christian homes; God, give us Christian homes!
God, give us Christian homes!
Homes where the children are led to know
Christ in His beauty who loves them so,
Homes where the altar fires burn and glow;
God, give us Christian homes; God, give us Christian homes!
JUNE 14, 2026
“And this is the record, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life;
and he who does not have the Son of God has not life.” I John 5:11, 12
I realize that there are so many wonderful and good “gifts” in our lives that seem to make it worth living. The beauty in nature, the enjoyment of delightful smells and tastes, the love and comfort of family and friends are all among those gifts we enjoy. But what if we are deprived of some of these “gifts?” Perhaps our bodies are diseased or broken and we can’t walk or talk, can we be convinced that we “are really living?” When Fanny Jane Crosby was just six weeks old, she caught a cold, and a country doctor prescribed a hot mustard poultice for her inflamed eyes. The result was total blindness for life. Shortly after that her father died, and neighbors had pity on the little girl. They raised money and sent her to a famous doctor in New York to be examined for possible treatment. But after the examination, Fanny Crosby heard the specialist say with a heavy heart, “Poor little blind girl.” Fanny never forgot those words throughout her lifetime, but she determined to not allow her blindness to stop her from “really living!” In fact, she turned her blindness into a blessing. She rejoiced that the face of Jesus would be the first thing she would ever see with her physical eyes! She wrote nearly a thousand poems and songs, among which were 600 hymns. God blessed her with “life” and fruitfulness on this earth and heaven too!
She was a devoted follower of Jesus Christ and wanted to “know” Him intimately. That desire motivated her to implore Jesus through song to draw near to her. She wrote Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior.
Pass me not, O gentle Savior; Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.
Let me at the throne of mercy Find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contrition, Help my unbelief.
Trusting only in Thy merit, Would I seek Thy face.
Heal my wounded, broken spirit; Save me by Thy grace.
Thou, the Spring of all my comfort, More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee? Whom in heav’n but Thee?
Refrain
Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.
June 7, 2026
“To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
And when He brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”
John 10:3, 4
Over the next several weeks, I will be sharing hymns that have been used as “invitation” hymns in churches all over the world. It has been a very common practice to end evangelical, Christian worship services with a “closing hymn.” Mostly these hymns encourage a response to the challenge of God’s Word that was presented through the sermon. They could be hymns about consecration and service, but very frequently they are hymns used to issue an “invitation” to people to come to Jesus. Evangelical Christians generally believe that individuals can and need to “meet” Jesus in a spiritually-alive experience. Mr. Tozer wrote about this real experience in Who Put Jesus on the Cross by writing “…there is a need for a definite spiritual experience of Jesus Christ in the human life. I cannot understand the activities of many churches – their futile exercise of trying to whip up love and concern for Jesus Christ when there is no teaching of the new birth, no teaching redemption through His blood, no dependence upon spiritual illumination by the Spirit of God!” He continued to write, “No one can love the Lord Jesus Christ unless the Spirit of God is given opportunity to reveal Him in the life. No one can say that Jesus is Lord except the Holy Spirit enables him through spiritual life and experience,” (WPJ, page 200). This is why I have always appreciated the hymn, Jesus, I Come.
Out of my bondage, sorrow and night, Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come.
Into Thy freedom, gladness and light, Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of my sickness into Thy health, Out of my want and into Thy wealth,
Out of my sin and into Thyself, Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of my shameful failure and loss, Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come.
Into the glorious gain of Thy cross, Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of earth’s sorrows into Thy balm, Out of life’s storms and into Thy calm,
Out of distress to jubilant psalm, Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of unrest and arrogant pride, Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come.
Into Thy blessed will to abide, Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of myself to dwell in Thy love, Out of despair into raptures above,
Upward for aye on wings like a dove, Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of the fear and dread of the tomb, Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come.
Into the joy and light of Thy home, Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of the depths of ruin untold, Into the peace of Thy sheltering fold,
Ever Thy glorious face to behold, Jesus, I come to Thee.
SUNDAY – MAY 31, 2026
Graduate Recognition Sunday
“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” Ephesians 1:17-18
This is the time of year when thousands of people are recognized for completing certain prescribed courses of study and they graduate from specific institutions of education. It is fitting that recognition be given and those graduating should experience a sense of accomplishment. In a larger view of life, however, the proper title for these “graduation programs” is rightly called “commencement services.” The official course of study is over, but on the other hand, the “real learning” has just begun. In many ways, “real living” and “real work” will now begin or commence.
There is only one “graduation” that will be final. At that graduation each person will come into “full” knowledge and understanding. Those who pass through this final graduation will actually be perfected. This graduation is the end of earthly life when death opens a door into eternal life. For multitudes this final graduation will not occur for many decades; for others it will happen much sooner. Every human being faces this final graduation beyond which there will be no more courses to complete.
When Paul wrote to Timothy, he described people who were “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (II Timothy 3:7) For these who never come to know “the truth,” “they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifested to all.” (II Timothy 3:9) When they face the final graduation, they will fail. They will enter into an eternal existence of darkness and death. They will exist forever without ever “living” as God intends for all of us to live.
The good news is that Jesus declared that you and I can know “the truth.” He is the truth. The gospel of salvation is the truth. The gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ is the truth. Jesus said that knowing this truth would “set us free.” Those who know this truth will be set free from folly, eternal darkness, and eternal death.
SUNDAY – MAY 24, 2026
Memorial Day Weekend
“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself
with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him who enlisted him as a soldier.” II Timothy 2:3-4
The Church is not made up of volunteers! There are many church leaders who refer to the church as the most volunteer-intensive organization in the world, but that is incorrect. Those who serve the Lord are NOT volunteers; each one is called, “drafted,” and enlisted by our Lord, Master, great Captain Jesus Christ! It doesn’t take much thinking to realize that the one who follows and serves the Lord Jesus Christ does have demands on their life. The most obvious should be that we become engaged in the spiritual conflict that is raging everywhere. Jesus Christ does draft and enlist us in His army and instructs us through His Word how to fight the battle.
Onward, Christian soldiers, Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle, See His banners go!
At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee;
On, then, Christian soldiers, On to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver At the shout of praise;
Christians, lift your voices, Loud your anthems raise!
Like a mighty army Moves the Church of God;
Christians, we are treading Where the saints have trod.
We are not divided; All one body, we:
One in hope and doctrine, One in charity.
Onward, then, ye people, Join our happy throng;
Blend with ours your voices In the triumph song.
Glory, laud, and honor Unto Christ, the King;
This thro’ Countless ages Men and angels sing.
Refrain
Onward, Christian soldiers, Marching as to war,
SUNDAY – May 17, 2026
“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13
Many of us in Sunday school and Women’s Bible study have recently spent several weeks studying the subject of spiritual warfare. Every Christian should be keenly aware that we are currently engaged in a great spiritual conflict, a world-wide battle that sets the servants of God against Satan and all of his cohorts. The Devil is trying to take control of our Father’s world, and we must fight against his plan. We are ordered to “not give place to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:27) The Greek word for place is “topon” from which we get our English word topography. It means to stop the enemy of our God from gaining claim to any territory in this world! Mr. Tozer wrote the following.
“Perhaps worst of all is the fact that our failures in prayer leave the enemy in possession of the field. The worst part about the failure of a military drive is not the loss of men or the loss of face but the fact that the enemy is left in possession of the field. In the spiritual sense, this is both a tragedy and a disaster. The devil ought to be on the run, always fighting a rear-guard action. Instead, this blasphemous enemy smugly and scornfully holds his position, and the people of God let him have it. No wonder the work of the Lord is greatly retarded. Little wonder the work of God stands still!” (Tozer on Christian Leadership, April 29th reading)
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, Ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner, It must not suffer loss.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey,
Forth to the mighty conflict, in this His glorious day.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long,
this day the noise of battle, the next, the victor’s song.
MOTHER’S DAY
MAY 10, 2026
“When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table.
Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.” Psalm 128:2-4
This Sunday, we celebrate the blessed role of mothers around the world. What a wonderful plan God put together when He created man and woman in the Garden of Eden, instituted marriage and family, then told them to be “fruitful and multiply.” Since that original act of God, that beautiful design for our lives has continued throughout all history. The plan and design of God have not been altered or changed! They remain intact today! We all participate in them and celebrate them! We praise God for what He has brought forth for our good pleasure.
The hymn entitled For the Beauty of the Earth was written by Folliott Pierpoint in 1864. He lived in England and was an educator in the Anglican Church. It is told that he wandered around the English countryside observing the beauty of nature that was surrounding him. He began to view that beauty in relation to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, so he wrote the hymn to be sung as a Eucharistic (The Lord’s Supper) hymn. It is designed to express our thanksgiving for all the “graces” that God has blessed us with. The original refrain of the song was “Christ, our God, to thee we raise; this our sacrifice of praise.” Over the years, those words have been changed to what we sing today.
For the beauty of the earth, For the glory of the skies, For the love which from our birth Over and around us lies:
Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the wonder of each hour Of the day and of the night, Hill and vale and tree and flower, Sun and moon and stars of light: Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love, Brother, sister, parent, child, Friends on earth and friends above; For all gentle thoughts and mild: Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.
For Thy Church that evermore Lifteth holy hands above, Offering up on every shore Her pure sacrifice of love:
Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.
For Thyself, best gift divine, To our race so freely given; For that great, great love of Thine,
Peace on earth and joy in heaven:
Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.
SUNDAY – MAY 3, 2026
Celebrating Commitment to God
“From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
Then Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also want to go away?’” John 6:66-67
During His ministry, Jesus often spoke words that sounded harsh to His listeners. Sometimes it was because He pointed out the sin in their lives, and sometimes it was the challenge to “leave” or give up certain things that His listeners thought were important. Eric Metaxas wrote about this fact in his book, Letter to the American Church. On page 79 you can read, “They forget that God gives them other duties, including loving our neighbors by sometimes speaking the truth. We become so desperate to show those listening to us that we are exactly like them – and that we do not judge them – that we forget these are not the only things worth being concerned with.
“We hear over and over of pastors who have taken this tack with tragic results. The tats and skinny jeans and smoke machines and celebrities in the green room – and all of our professions of ‘non-judgmentalism – are not quite enough to bring people to Jesus. At some point we may be required to say something that causes people to stop nodding along, and might even cause them to walk away. When Jesus spoke of the necessity of us ‘eating His body’ and ‘drinking His blood,’ He knew that many would turn away, would say ‘enough’ and go back to their lives without Him. But He said it anyway. We know it was not a miscalculation on His part. When we wore our bright bracelets that cavalierly asked ‘What would Jesus do?’ we might have remembered that at a certain juncture, that is precisely what He did. And that people walked away when He did it.”
There are demands in answering His call to follow Him! Are you willing to “take up your cross and follow Him daily?” I hope all of us can say, I Have Decided to Follow Jesus!
I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus,
I have decided to follow Jesus; No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me; The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me; No turning back, no turning back.
Tho’ none go with me, still I will follow; Tho’ none go with me, still I will follow,
Tho’ none go with me, still I will follow; No turning back, no turning back.
Will you decide now to follow Jesus? Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus? No turning back, no turning back.
APRIL 26, 2026
Celebrating Surrender to God
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable to God, your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1
God is so amazing! Because He loves perfectly, it is always His desire to give “good gifts” to people. He takes no delight in being mean-spirited, rude, or hurtful to the sons and daughters of men. Perhaps the simplest statement of Jesus that makes this clear is Matthew 7:11, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
The amazing reality is that God wants to use us to help give those “good gifts” to the sons and daughters of men. Out of His blessings in our lives, He plans for us to “pass along” that same goodness to others! That is the reason for us to sing Make Me a Blessing as a prayer request to our Father in heaven.
Out in the highways and byways of life, Many are weary and sad,
Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife, Making the sorrowing glad.
Tell the sweet story of Christ and His love; Tell of His pow’r to forgive.
Others will trust Him if only you prove True every moment you live.
Give as ‘twas given to you in your need; Love as the Master loved you.
Be to the helpless a helper indeed; Unto your mission be true.
Refrain
Make me a blessing; make me a blessing. Out of my life may Jesus shine.
Make me a blessing, O Savior, I pray. Make me a blessing to someone today.
APRIL 19, 2026
Celebrating the Word of God
“For this reason we also thank God without ceasing,
because when you received the Word of God which you heard from us,
you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth,
the Word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.” I Thessalonians 2:13
That verse is one of the strangest verses in the Bible. When you and I “sit under the preaching” of an anointed evangelist, pastor or missionary, we are actually going to hear from God Himself. I know that many people have great difficulty accepting this idea. There are large numbers of people who just can’t believe that a mere flesh-and-blood person could possibly be speaking on God’s behalf. Multitudes reject the notion that God still speaks to people in this world, and especially that God ever does it through “preachers.” The Bible is the living word of God! God has chosen individual people to proclaim His Word to others in this world.
Break Thou the bread of life, Dear Lord, to me, As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea;
Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord; My spirit pants for Thee, O Living Word.
Break Thou the bread of life, O Lord, to me, That hid within my heart Thy Word may be;
Mold Thou each inward thought, from self set free, And let my steps be all controlled by Thee.
Open Thy Word of Truth that I may see Thy message written clear and plain for me;
Then in sweet fellowship, walking with Thee, Thine image on my life engraved will be.
Bless Thou the truth, dear Lord, to me, to me As Thou didst bless the bread by Galilee;
Then shall all bondage cease, all fetters fall, And I shall find my peace, my All in All.
O send Thy Spirit, Lord, now unto me, That He may touch my eyes and make me see;
Show me the truth concealed within Thy Word, And in Thy Book revealed I see the Lord.
APRIL 12, 2026
Celebrating the Goodness of God
“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.’ The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I hope in Him!’” Lamentations 3:22-24
One of the loudest proclamations of the Bible is that God is good! We are not talking about the quality of His being, but rather the nature of His heart. He is filled with compassion and a desire to be good to mankind. He never indiscriminately hurts people or withholds what can help people in this world! God is good, all the time! All the time, God is good! This is not just some quaint saying that we can repeat in order to bolster God’s reputation; it is a fact! God is good! The good news is that He never changes. As good as He has ever been to mankind, He always will be good to mankind! You can count on His loving heart and never be disappointed! His goodness to us is faithful! That’s the reason that we sing the old hymn, Great Is Thy Faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not; Thy compassions, they fail not. As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness to Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thy own dear Presence to cheer and to guide.
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow – Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside!
REFRAIN
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
EASTER SUNDAY
APRIL 5, 2026
Celebrating the Resurrection
“A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.” John 14:19
Jesus spoke those words recorded in the Gospel of John the night before He was crucified. He clearly told His disciples that He was leaving His earthly, physical life, and was going to His Father in heaven. But He promised them that they would “see” Him even after He left the physical world behind. He told them that the world would not be able to see Him anymore, but He told them that they would “see” Him. In the same conversation, Jesus said, “And he who loves Me will be loved by the Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” (John 14:21b) Jesus then explained that He and the Father “…will come to him (i.e. the believer) and make Our home with him.” (John 14:23b) Jesus made it plain to His listeners that His manifestation and His dwelling with them would occur when the Holy Spirit came upon them. The Presence of The Holy Spirit in our lives is one of the greatest proofs that Jesus Christ rose from the grave, and He is alive!
That’s the reason that we sing the old hymn He Lives!
I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today; I know that He is living, whatever men may say.
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer, And just the time I need Him, He’s always near.
In all the world around me I see His loving care; And tho’ my heart grows weary, I never will despair.
I know that He is leading thro’ all the stormy blast; The day of His appearing will come at last.
Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The Hope of all who seek Him, the Help of all who find, None other is so loving, so good and kind.
REFRAIN
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way. He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart!
PALM SUNDAY
MARCH 29, 2026
6th Sunday in Lent
“Lift up your heads, O ye gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory.” Psalm 24:9-10
The Jews understood the titles of messiah and Christ, the anointed One. They had no doubt those titles belonged to the one King that God had promised to provide for them. Actually God never wanted Israel to have a king, but the people cried out for a king because all the other nations had kings to lead and govern them. In their minds, David was the greatest king, so God promised that He would establish a throne with a king from David’s descendants who would rule over them perfectly and eternally. (See II Samuel 7:25-27) That King is Jesus Christ, the Messiah! He was “born the King of the Jews” as that promised “seed of David” to rule and reign forever. He has already come and established His Kingdom by His death and resurrection! He is coming again to establish His Kingdom all over the earth! One day “every knee will bow, and every tongue confess” that Jesus Christ is the KING OF KINGS! We must all declare Him as our KING now!
That’s the reason that we sing the old hymn, O Worship the King!
O worship the King, all glorious above, And gratefully sing His wonderful love;
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days, Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise
O tell of His might, and sing of His grace, Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space.
His chariots of wrath the deep thunder-clouds form, And dark is His path on the wings of the storm.
Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite? It breathes in the air; it shines in the light.
It streams from the hills; it descends to the plain And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.
Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail, In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail.
Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end! Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!
All hail to the King! In splendor enthroned; Glad praises we bring, Thy wonders make known.
Returning victorious, great conqueror of sin, King Jesus, all glorious, our vic-t’ry will win.
MARCH 22, 2026
5th Sunday in Lent
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind,
and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…” Acts 2:1, 2, 4a
Many of us have been reading messages that A. W. Tozer has written about the Holy Spirit. The following was originally published in This World: Playground or Battleground? on page 91. “Pentecost did not come and go – Pentecost came and stayed. Chronologically, the day may be found on the historic calendar; dynamically, it remains with us in all its fullness of power.
“Today is the day of Pentecost. With the blessed Holy Spirit there is no Yesterday or Tomorrow – there is only the everlasting Now. And since He is altogether God, enjoying all the attributes of the Godhead, there is with Him no Elsewhere; He inhabits an eternal Here. His center is Everywhere; His boundary is Nowhere. It is impossible to leave His presence, though it is possible to have Him withdraw the manifestation of that Presence.
“Our insensibility to the presence of the Spirit is one of the greatest losses that our unbelief and preoccupation have cost us. We have made Him a tenet of our creed; we have enclosed Him in a religious word, but we have known Him little in personal experience.” That’s the reason that we used to sing the old hymn, Pentecostal Power!
Lord, as of old at Pentecost Thou didst Thy power display,
With cleansing, purifying flame descend on us today.
For mighty works for Thee, prepare and strengthen every heart;
Come, take possession of Thine own, and nevermore depart.
All self consume, all sin destroy! With earnest zeal endue
Each waiting heart to work for Thee; O Lord, our faith renew!
Speak, Lord, before Thy throne we wait, Thy promise we believe,
And will not let Thee go until the blessing we receive.
REFRAIN
Lord, send the oldtime power, the Pentecostal power!
Thy floodgates of blessing on us throw open wide!
Lord, send the oldtime power, the Pentecostal power,
that sinners be converted and Thy name glorified!
MARCH 15, 2026
4th Sunday of Lent
“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.’” Acts 2:38-39
From pages 108 and 110 in God Tells the Man Who Cares, Mr. A. W. Tozer wrote the following. “The continued neglect of the Holy Spirit by evangelical Christians is too evident to deny and impossible to justify.
“Evangelical Christianity is Trinitarian: ‘Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost” is sung in almost every church every Sunday of the year; and whether the singer realizes it or not he is acknowledging that the Holy Spirit is God indeed with equal claim to be worshiped along with the Father and the Son. Yet after this claim is sung at or near the beginning of the service, little or nothing is heard of the Spirit again until the benediction…
“There can be no doubt that there is a huge disparity between the place given to the Spirit in the Holy Scriptures and the place He occupies in popular evangelical Christianity. In the Scriptures the Holy Spirit is necessary!”
We need the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. The Good News is that He is available at all times in all places! Let’s open our hearts and welcome His Presence by praying Come, Holy Spirit!
Come as wisdom to children; Come as new sight to the blind.
Come, Lord, as strength to my weakness; Take me: soul, body and mind.
Come as a rest to the weary; Come as a balm for the sore.
Come as a dew to my dryness; Fill me with joy evermore.
Come like a spring in the desert; Come to the withered of soul.
O let Your sweet healing power touch me and make me whole.
REFRAIN
Come, Holy Spirit, I need You; Come sweet Spirit, I pray.
Come in Your strength and Your power; Come in Your own gentle way.
MARCH 8, 2026
3rd Sunday of Lent
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
He will testify of Me… Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” John 15:26; 16:7
From pages 73 and 784 in The Counselor, Mr. A. W. Tozer wrote the following. “We desperately need a divine visitation – for our situation will never be cured by sermons! It will never be cured until the Church of Christ has suddenly been confronted with what one man called the mysterium tremendium – the fearful mystery that is God. The fearful majesty that is God. This is what the Holy Spirit does. He brings the wonderful mystery that is God to us and presents Him to the human spirit…
“We will never know more about God than the Spirit teaches us. We will never know any more about Jesus than the Spirit teaches us, because there is only the Spirit to do the teaching. Oh, Holy Spirit, how we have grieved You! How we have insulted You! How we have rejected You!
“He is our Teacher, and if He does not teach us, we can never know!”
We need the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. The Good News is that Jesus has ascended to the Father’s right hand, and His promise to send the Holy Spirit has been accomplished! Now we can sing confidently that The Comforter Has Come!
O spread the tidings ‘round, wherever man is found,
Wherever human hearts and Human woes abound.
Let every Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound:
The Comforter has come!
The long, long night is past; the morning breaks at last;
And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast,
As o’er the golden hills the day advances fast!
The Comforter has come!
Lo, the great King of kings, with healing in His wings,
To every captive soul a full deliv’rance brings;
And thro’ the vacant cells the song of triumph rings:
The Comforter has come!
O boundless love divine! How shall this tongue of mine
To wond’ring mortals tell the matchless grace divine –
That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine?
The Comforter has come!
REFRAIN
The Comforter has come! The Comforter has come!
The Holy Ghost from heav’n, The Father’s promise giv’n,
O spread the tidings ‘round, wherever man is found:
The Comforter has come!
MARCH 1, 2026
2nd Sunday of Lent
“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation (distraction); but be filled with the (Holy) Spirit, speaking to one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord…”
Ephesians 5:18-19
In Faith Beyond Reason on pages 153 and 154, A. W. Tozer wrote, “Too many want the Holy Spirit in order that they may have the gift of healing. Others want Him for the gift of tongues. Still others seek Him so that their testimony may become effective. All of these things, I will grant, are a part of the total pattern of the New Testament. But it is impossible for us to make God our servant. Let us never pray that we may be filled with the Spirit of God for secondary purposes.
“God wants to fill us with His Spirit in order that we should know Him first of all and be absorbed in Him. We should enter into the fullness of the Spirit so that God’s Son may be glorified in us.”
Hover o’er me, Holy Spirit; Bathe my trembling heart and brow.
Fill me with Thy hallowed presence; Come, O come and fill me now
Thou canst fill me, gracious Spirit, Tho’ I cannot tell Thee how.
But I need Thee, greatly need Thee; Come, O come and fill me now.
I am weakness, full of weakness; At Thy sacred feet I bow.
Blest, divine, eternal Spirit, Fill with pow’r and fill me now.
Cleanse and comfort, bless and save me; Bathe, O bathe my heart and brow.
Thou art comforting and saving; Thou art sweetly filling now.
REFRAIN
Fill me now, fill me now, Jesus, come and fill me now;
Fill me with Thy hallowed presence; Come, O come and fill me now.
FEBRUARY 22, 2026
Missions Sunday
“Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:10, 12
The hymn that I have chosen for this day of missions’ emphasis was written by a dedicated Christian lady who taught Sunday school classes for nearly 50 years of her life. She often wrote poems and songs for her students to learn. She wrote Jesus Saves! for her children in Sunday school when her church was having a service to challenge the believers to become involved in God’s great missionary endeavor to save all the lost people of the world. The Apostle Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (II Peter 3:9) The Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to pray for “all men” because “…this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.” (I Timothy 2:3, 4) We must join with the heart and Spirit of our Lord to share the message of salvation with as many people in the world that we can possibly share with! The one great message for us to declare to the world is Jesus Saves!
We have heard the joyful sound: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Spread the tidings all around: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Bear the news to every land; Climb the steeps and cross the waves.
Onward! ‘tis our Lord’s command. Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Waft it on the rolling tide: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Tell to sinners far and wide: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Sing, ye islands of the sea! Echo back, ye ocean caves!
Earth shall keep her jubilee. Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Sing above the battle strife: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
By His death and endless life, Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Sing it softly thro’ the gloom when the heart for mercy craves;
Sing in triumph o’er the tomb: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Give the winds a mighty voice: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Let the nations now rejoice: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Shout salvation full and free, highest hills and deepest caves;
This our song of victory: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
FEBRUARY 15, 2026
“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body,
so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free –
and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” I Corinthians 12:12-13
Throughout her history, the church has attempted to create a statement that would summarize the beliefs of the Christian faith in such a manner that congregations could recite them together. One of the most used creeds in the Protestant tradition is called The Apostles’ Creed. One line in the creed states, “I believe in the holy universal church, the communion of saints.” The church has long believed that there is a literal bond between believers that will last throughout all eternity which is called “the communion of saints.” The Bible declares that Christians are members of one another, and we live in a bond of peace. That is what this week’s hymn is about.
Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love!
The fellowship of kindred minds Is like to that above.
Before our Father’s throne We pour our ardent prayers;
Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, Our comforts and our cares.
We share our mutual woes, Our mutual burdens bear;
And often for each other flows The sympathizing tear.
When we asunder part, It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart, And hope to meet again.
FEBRUARY 8, 2026
“The one who loves me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” John 14:21
In his book, Echoes From Eden, on pages 12 and 13, A. W. Tozer wrote about the nature of God’s love. The following was read by many of us last Monday in our daily devotional reading.
“God, being Himself God, an uncreated being, deriving from no one, owing nothing to anybody, must necessarily be the fountain of all the love there is! That is why I say that as our God, He must love Himself forever with pure and perfect love.
“This kind of love, God’s love, holy and blameless – this is the love with which the three persons of the Godhead feel and hold for one another. The Father to the Son; the Son to the Father; the Father and Son to the Spirit; the Spirit to the Father and Son – the divine Trinity in perfect and blameless and proper love; loving one another with a holy, poured-out devotion! The Trinity’s three fountains, eternal, infinite, pouring without measure into each other from the bottomless, boundless, shoreless sea of perfect love and bliss…
“God being who and what He is, is Himself the only being that He can love directly. Everything else and everyone else that God loves, He loves for His own sake.”
This week’s hymn is a beautiful description of The Love of God.
The love of God is greater far Than tongue or pen can ever tell; It goes beyond
the highest star, And reaches to the lowest hell; The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win; His erring child He reconciled, And pardoned from his sin.
When years of time shall pass away And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall, When men who
here refuse to pray, On rocks and hills and mountains call, God’s love so sure shall still endure,
All measureless and strong; Redeeming grace to Adam’s race – The saints’ and angels’ song.
Could we with ink the ocean fill And were the skies of parchment made, Were every stalk
on earth a quill And every man a scribe by trade, To write the love of God above Would drain
the ocean dry; Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Tho’ stretched from sky to sky.
REFRAIN
O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure – The saints’ and angels’ song!
FEBRUARY 1, 2026
“But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,
to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” Colossians 3:14-15
The church is the most unique group of people in the world. Although men “organize” churches, they are not strictly organizations. They are in essence living “organisms” since they are “birthed” and kept “alive” by God’s Spirit. The church is the Lord’s doing as He declared in Matthew 16:18, “I will build My church.” In Acts 20:28 it is recorded that in addition to “building” the church, it was also “purchased with His (the Lord Jesus) own blood.” Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:25-27, “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” There is no other “group” or “club” or organization” in the world that has God’s interest and involvement like the church! He loves the church, and I do too! This week I have chosen two choruses as the Hymn/song of the week. They should be self-explanatory!
Bind Us Together
Bind us together, Lord; Bind us together with cords that cannot be broken.
Bind us together, Lord; Bind us together, Lord; Bind us together with love.
There is only one God; There is only one King; There is only one body;
That is why we can sing:
People of God
With our lips let us sing one confession, With our hearts hold to one truth alone;
For He has erased our transgressions, Claimed us and called us His own, His very own.
We’re the people of God, called by His name, Called from the dark and delivered from shame;
One holy race – saints every one, Because of the blood of Christ Jesus, the Son.
JANUARY 18, 2026
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
The final messages spoken in life by a person are often the ones most remembered. In fact, some of them become an expression of that individual’s life-theme, his or her purpose in life. It should be no exception in the life of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Although it could be argued that all of the words spoken by Jesus are important, we should ask what were the final messages that He spoke directly to His disciples? For any serious Bible reader, it would become clear that the Great Commission, His instruction to evangelize the world, was the heart of His “last words” to us. That Great Commission is recorded in at least five different accounts in the New Testament. Those final words are very, very important! But we must also note that the most intimate “final words” Jesus spoke were in the Upper Room as He shared the Passover meal with The Disciples. The “heart” of those final words was all about loving one another. He first demonstrated loving one another by washing The Disciples’ feet, then He told all His followers to do the same!
Again, this week I have chosen a relatively “new” hymn/song that is totally based on John 13:35. We must learn to celebrate and practice our Lord’s critical, important and final words so that… They’ll Know We Are Christians by the love we have for one another.
We are one in the Spirit; we are one in the Lord. We are one in the Spirit;
We are one in the Lord. And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.
We will walk with each other; we will walk hand in hand. We will walk with each other;
We will walk hand in hand. And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land.
We will work with each other; we will work side by side. We will work with each other;
We will work side by side. And we’ll guard each one’s dignity and save each one’s pride.
All praise to the Father, from whom all things come. And all praise to Christ Jesus,
His only Son. And all praise to the Spirit, who makes us one.
(Refrain)
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
JANUARY 11, 2026
“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners,
but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” Ephesians 2:19
There is within the nature of every human being a desire to belong. There are people who attempt to prove that they “don’t need anybody” to live in this world, but that attempt is always contrary to the real longing that has been put into the inner most being of every person. All of us are created in the image of God, and that means we all reflect in that most transparent place of our hearts the need to love and be loved. God is like that! He loves because of who He is and wants all of us to love Him. We are built for a relationship with Someone other than ourselves. Because God made us this way, He also provides for the possibility that every single one of us can belong! Jesus Christ came into the world “to seek and save that which is lost!” When we discover ourselves as being lost and alone, Jesus comes to find us and “take us home” where we belong. God wants you to be a part of His family!
The hymn/song that I have chosen for this week is certainly not very old. It was written by Bill and Gloria Gaither in 1970. The song is not even as old as many of the folks who come here to church. Some of us have been singing this song for as long as it has been written and hope that it will be sung until Jesus returns to take His Church home to heaven. Because we know what it means to belong to God’s family, it is a joy to sing The Family of God.
You will notice we say brother and sister ‘round here. It’s because we’re a fam’ly, And these folks are so near.
When one has a heart-ache we all share the tears, And rejoice in each vic-t’ry in this family so dear.
From the door of an orph-‘nage to the house of the King, No longer an out-cast, A new song I sing;
From rags unto riches, from the weak to the strong, I’m not worthy to be here, but praise God I belong!
(Refrain)
I’m so glad I’m a part of the fam-‘ly of God;
I’ve been washed in the fountain, Cleansed by His blood! Joint heirs with Je-sus as we travel this sod,
For I’m part of the fam-‘ly, the fam-‘ly of God.
1st Sunday in the New Year
JANUARY 4, 2026
“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.’ The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I hope in Him!’” Lamentations 3:22-24
It seems as if everything in this world keeps changing! For many of us, those changes are NOT for the better, they seem only to complicate things. This might reflect the old adage “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks!” I really don’t know if that is true, but it does appear to me that as a person becomes “older,” sudden deliberate changes are often difficult to adjust to. In two discussions during the holidays, others expressed this idea to me. My oldest brother said as we reminisced about our home when we were young children, “Life was much simpler then. Because we just had an old wood/coal furnace, we could lose electrical power, and the house was still warm.” Another businessman said to me, “So many people in our culture keep identifying ‘right and wrong’ according to what they want. Nothing stays the same. I couldn’t live without a fixed foundation of what is ‘right and wrong!’” It seems that the majority of us really do want stability!
Part of the best news I have ever heard is that God never changes! He is the same all the time! We can count on His character and trustworthiness! He is good, loving, and kind! Praise Him! All of this is declared in the wonderful hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not; Thy compassions, they fail not. As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above…
Join with all nature in manifest witness to Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide.
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow – Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside!
(Refrain)
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!