This Sunday, Pastor David preached from 1 Corinthians 2, a chapter which emphasizes God’s secret wisdom and the role his Spirit plays in revealing that wisdom to the people of God. What kinds of mysteries do we encounter in our faith, and how can they change our lives? Listen in to this week’s sermon, and join the conversation!
Let Them Come Up Here
Today, Tara and I sang in a choral concert at Memorial Presbyterian Church in Midland. The concert featured a 45-minute piece of music entitled “Requiem,” written by the 20th Century French composer Maurice Durufle. It’s a beautiful piece that is very familiar to me, since I sang it with a different choir a decade ago. Singing along with a hundred other singers, a small orchestra, and a recently installed pipe organ was a tremendous experience. There’s something about religious choral music that speaks to my heart in powerful ways.
Saved By God’s Power
After two weeks away from the pulpit, Pastor David returns to continue our study of 1 Corinthians. In the final section of this letter’s first chapter, Paul gives the fundamental reason for our unity and humility in the church, a reason that is summarized by the two words that we preach: Christ crucified.
Why I Can’t Read Matthew Henry Anymore
Matthew Henry, an English Presbyterian minister who died 300 years ago, is well-known for writing lengthy commentaries on every chapter of the Old and New Testaments. His thoughts are often very helpful to Bible students; he provides background information and insights on any passage of scripture you might choose. His commentaries are in the public domain and are free to read electronically; I have downloaded them as part of the Bible study software that I use on a regular basis. Occasionally, but not often, I have read Henry’s thoughts while studying a particular passage.
I’m going to have a much harder time doing that now.
Commissioning Our Guatemala Team
On Sunday, February 2, Pastor Jerry preached on Philippians 2 and spoke about our church’s upcoming mission trip to Guatemala, the recent death of his father, and our call to Christian living in our everyday lives. Listen in to this powerful message! And remember to pray for our Guatemala Team, which leaves this Thursday (February 6) and returns next Thursday (February 13)!
February Youth Update
Brrrrrrr…..It’s COLD outside! But the Word of God warms our hearts as we count our blessings. It’s a big week for Connie and me as we lead our 7th Shack Attack Mission to Guatemala. The Guatemalan Team departs on Thursday, February 6 and returns to the US on Thursday, March 13th. We will NOT be having Youth Meetings during this week due to our mission, because we will be working with the hundreds of children in the community of the “Tracks” in Guatemala City. We will also be working on their Christian school, installing a school library, remodeling the pastor’s apartment and perhaps helping to install a new roof. PRAY for our team and we hope to bring fantastic stories of God’s blessings to share.
United in Christ
In 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Paul addresses the first major problem in the Corinthian church: favoritism. Could it be that modern-day churches face the same basic issues as our ancient predecessors? What relevance does this passage have for our church life today? And what does this all have to do with a basketball net? Listen in to Pastor David’s message on this topic:
Called to Be Holy
This week, Pastor David begins a series on the first few chapters of 1 Corinthians, a letter written to an ancient church with modern-day problems. Despite all the issues at Corinth, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 that the believers there are called to be holy, and that God will keep them blameless until the day of Jesus’s return. How does this passage reveal that “Jesus is the subject”? (And what does that phrase mean?) Click below to listen in to this week’s sermon!
The Belong Blog
Today I would like to let you in on a little project that is growing among some friends of mine. Several of us went to seminary together and have remained in contact even though we are serving in different parts of the country (and world). You may recall that two of these friends pastor the churches with whom we sponsored Sudipta Nanda to attend last year’s Global Gathering in Anderson. We all care deeply about the Church of God, and we believe in what it stands for. And this year, we are starting with a new series of blog posts: each of us will take a turn explaining how we came to the Church of God and why we are committed to its future.
This blog is found online at www.mthaley.org/belong – it is hosted on our church’s website but is completely separate from our church’s online presence. Please take a few minutes to read the initial post of this series (written by my friend Gwynne Watkins from Dayton, Ohio) and my contribution to the series. And check back in regularly, because more stories will be posted in the coming weeks! Please do leave comments to let us know what you think, as well. We believe this conversation is important!
Pastor David
The Message is For You
Enter into the world of Theophilus, the addressee and recipient of a two-volume document known as Luke and Acts. In the midst of the story of Acts, Theophilus reads about a man who sounds very familiar to him: a centurion named Cornelius. Listen in as Pastor David preaches on Peter’s speech to Cornelius in Acts 10:34-43.