Pastor’s Page | January 8th, 2026
Sermon Prep (Read Phil 3:1-11)
Most of what I do as a pastor is that I simply remind people of things they already know. I am not supposed to come up with new and clever ideas, but rather I am supposed to point people to Jesus, remind them of the simplicity of the Gospel, and remind them who they are and how they are to live in Christ. When others come and try to get you to know something special, new, and trendy, my job is to remind you that the greatest thing for you to know is Christ. This was Paul’s highest ambition. Even after all that Paul had accomplished in life, they all were considered rubbish in comparison to knowing Jesus and the power of His resurrection.
But wait a minute…didn’t Paul already know Jesus? Didn’t he have that whole Damascus Road experience? Didn’t he preach and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus to the Gentile world? The answer is yes, but he wanted to know Him more. Part of being a disciple of Jesus is that we grow deeper in our relationship with Him. In fact, the more you know Him, the more you become like Him.
As you read this passage this week, think about who the “mutilators of the flesh” are in our culture who are trying to change or diminish the power of the Gospel. What are they trying to get you to “know” rather than knowing Christ? Also, think about all that Paul accomplished and yet how he saw all of this in connection to his relationship with Christ. I would encourage you to google the song, “I would rather have Jesus” (preferably by Alison Krauss and The Cox Family…it’s just my favorite version.) What is your highest ambition in life? What is it that you want to know or be known for the most? Go through and take note of all the various aspects that Paul is wanting to experience in Christ. Are these the things we long for when we seek Christ?
Here are some verses to help us be ready for Sunday: John 17:3, Jeremiah 9:23–24, 1 John 2:3, 2 Peter 3:18, Colossians 2:6–7, Ephesians 4:15, John 15:4–5, Psalm 1:2–3.
Sermon Series
“Discipleship Together”
01/11 - Knowing Jesus Together (Philippians 3:1-11)
01/18 - Following Jesus Together (Philippians 3:12-21)
01/25 - Focused Together for The Gospel (Philippians 4:1-9)
Updates, Thoughts and More
It is hard to believe that Christmas has already come and gone. It still feels like we should be getting ready for Thanksgiving. It has been a blur, but it is good to be back on our normal schedule. With that said, we have started a new series on Wednesday nights looking at the difficult questions or topics you would like to have addressed. This upcoming Wednesday, we are going to be looking at the issue of baptism. What is baptism, where did it start, why do some churches baptize only adults, why do some baptize babies? What does it represent? I hope you will come and join in our discussion this Wednesday at 5 pm in room E101.
We are starting to get ready for our annual chili cook off. We are going to have it on February 15th after our 10:30 service. Now, I have to say that I have perfected my recipe. This will be the best chili you have ever had in your life. This chili will taste so good that it will make you want to slap your momma. So, this is my challenge to all the Sunday school classes and to all our chili cookers, get your pots ready and bring the heat!
Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? My family and I were talking, and we have set the goal of reading between 30 and 60 books each this year. This includes both fiction and non-fiction books. So, in the Pastor’s Page, you will be hearing a bunch about the books that we are reading. Hopefully there will be some good books that I can recommend, and I am sure there will be some that I will suggest you steer clear from.
Okay, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Since October, I have been trying to lose weight. I am not sick, I am not on Ozempic, and I am having a midlife crisis. I realized that I was not in the best shape, that I was eating way more than I should, and that I felt sluggish and miserable. There was no secret to it, I just ate less and exercised more. I don’t weigh myself, but I am happy to say that I reached my goal of going from a size 38 waist (pushing 40) down to size 32.
Okay, the other thing we need to talk about is my Kentucky Wildcats. They stink!!!! These players need to have not only their NIL money returned, but they need their scholarships revoked, and they need to go to the grave of Adolph Rupp and personally apologize for the embarrassment they have brought upon the great legacy of Kentucky basketball. Lesson learned. You can’t just buy the best players and expect to have a great team. We are back to focusing on football again.
Speaking of football, the NFL playoffs start this week, and we have the college semi-finals. I think that we are going to have an Indiana and Ole Miss final. This will be the dream matchup because I can root for both teams. In the NFL, here is how I see the wildcard games going: The rams will run all over the Panthers, the Packers will win a close one against the Bears, Buffalo will get their heads on right finally and defeat Jacksonville, New England will beat the Chargers, and Houston will win a close one in Pittsburgh. The game to watch is San Fran and Philly. I think the 49ers are the better team, but they are banged up. It will be close, but I think they pull it off.
What’s Going On This Week
Saturday (01/10)
Church Leadership Meeting - 9am
Sunday (01/11)
Worship Services - 9am & 10:30am
Monday (01/12)
Stitching Angels - 1:30pm
Tuesday (01/13)
Men’s Prayer Breakfast - 7:30am
Bassett Bible Study - 10:00am
Wednesday (01/14)
Prayer Warriors - 9:00am
Sip And Share - 10:00am
Table Talk - 5:00pm
Youth and Kids - 5:00pm
Bell Choir - 6:00pm
Choir - 7:00pm
Thursday (01/15)
Psalm Bible Study - 9:00am
Joke of the Week
A preacher announced, “Next Sunday I’m preaching on lying.”
The following Sunday, he asked, “How many of you read Mark chapter 17 like I asked?”
Almost everyone raised their hand.
The preacher smiled and said.
”Great — because there is no Mark chapter 17. Today’s sermon is on Honesty.”
Memory Verse of the Week
“I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, become like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
~Philippians 3:10-11 (NIV84)
Quote of the Week
“The reason why many poor souls have so little heat of joy in their hearts is that they have so little light of Gospel knowledge in their mind. The further a soul stands from the light of truth, the further he must be from the heat of comfort.”
~William Gurnell
