Pastor’s Page | January 15th, 2026
Sermon Prep (Read Phil 3:12-21)
When I was just a young whippersnapper of a preacher, I was visiting with some of my relatives telling them about my very first church I was being appointed to and how excited I was, and I was encouraging them to start going to church. One of my relatives, who shall remain anonymous, looked at me and said that he didn’t need to go to church. He said that he could get just as much about God from going out to his tree stand or by getting in his boat and catching fish. I understood where he was coming from with this, but it was what he said next that got me. He said, “What is some young preacher going to tell me that I don’t already know?” Boom. Right there, he told me everything I needed to know about his spirituality. First, I knew that it was a dig at me (Grrrrrrr. How dare he! Maybe the young preacher can teach you how to be nice…FYI, he wasn’t). Second, in his mind, he had already arrived. He had it all figured out and nobody was going to tell him anything different. He had no need for growth because he was a full-grown Christian (which to be honest, he didn’t have a clue what that meant, just that he was an American and just a good ‘Ol boy…never meaning no harm). I decided not to argue with him because he was my elder kin and plus, nothing I said was going to change his mind. I just told him and everyone else in the room that we all can benefit from going to church.
I often think about this whenever I think about discipleship. Many of us have been Christians longer than Methuselah was alive, and we think that we have read all there is to read about Jesus, we have heard all the same preacher jokes that have been recycled over the years, and there is nothing else left for us to learn. O contrare monfrair! There is always room for growth.
In our text for this week, the Apostle Paul who got to see the risen Christ, who went on 3 missionary journeys, and who even got to have a vision where he saw heaven says that he still had room to grow. As you read this text, think about where you are in your faith and be honest about it. Think about the exciting opportunities that lie ahead of us for growth. Are we humble enough to admit we need to grow and are we willing to place ourselves in a place where we can be discipled by another so that we can grow?
As you read this passage, think of some of the things that Paul had to do in order to facilitate this growth. What do we need to forget? What do we need to remember? How do we press ahead?
Here are some verses to help us prepare for Sunday’s message: 2 Peter 3:18, Colossians 1:10, Ephesians 4:15, Hebrews 5:12–14, 1 Peter 2:2, John 15:4–5, Colossians 2:6–7, 1 John 2:6, Philippians 3:8–10, Jeremiah 9:23–24, and John 17:3
Sermon Series
“Discipleship Together”
01/18 - Following Jesus Together (Philippians 3:12-21)
01/25 - Focused Together for The Gospel (Philippians 4:1-9)
Updates, Thoughts and More
I am so excited about our new discipleship ministry. We will be announcing more details on the specifics of this ministry in the coming weeks, but I want you to start praying about how you can get plugged in and pray that God would use this to really help us to become Christlike in leading Generations to be like Christ.
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. This is always such a fun time. I love to see the different tables and taste the different takes on chili. Let me just start a fight with what I am about to say….BEANS BELONG IN CHILI!!!
So my reading hasn’t been that great these first few weeks. I am rereading a book by David Platt called “Follow Me” that focuses on discipleship. It is a great call to do more than simply say you love Jesus and go to church. We are called to grow up and become Christlike. It goes so well with our sermon series right now and our focus on discipleship.
One clarification about last week’s Pastor’s Page. I spoke about my weight loss, and I meant to say that I am NOT going through a midlife crisis. I am just trying to be healthier.
These NFL playoffs have been great. I was wrong about the Bears (they are still not a good team, the Packers are just really flakey) but their 4th quarter comebacks end this week. The Rams have an experienced QB who won’t wilt under pressure. The Bills will have their hands full with the Broncos but I think the week off will actually hurt the Broncos. I’m still not sold on Bo Nix. The Patriots will defeat the Texans (Sorry, Houston fans) because Stroud is really struggling. The game to watch will be the Seahawks and the 49ers. The 49ers are beat up bad and I think the Seahawks have the better team. This will be a back alley brawl and I think that the Seahawks come out on top.
On Monday, I think Indiana runs all over Miami in the championship game. Indiana’s coach is a disciple of Nick Saban and he looks and acts just like him. I think Indiana is about to be turned into a powerhouse for years to come the way Alabama was in years past.
What’s Going On This Week
Sunday (01/18)
Worship Services - 9am & 10:30am
Monday (01/19)
Office Closed
Stitching Angels - 1:30pm
Church Council Meeting - 6:30pm
Tuesday (01/20)
Men’s Prayer Breakfast - 7:30am
Bassett Bible Study - 10:00am
Wednesday (01/21)
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 (01/22)
Davelyn Bible Study - 9:00am
Saturday (01/24)
Max Odle’s Memorial Service
Joke of the Week
“Same Christians treat spiritual growth like a New Year’s resolution — they’re excited in January, confused by February, and by March they’re asking Jesus to bless whatever they were already doing.”
Memory Verse of the Week
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”
~Philippians 3:12 (NIV84)
Quote of the Week
“The “Show Business,” which is so incorporated into our view of Christian work today, has caused us to drift far from Our Lord’s conception of discipleship. It is instilled in us to think that we have to do exceptional things for God; we have not. We have to be exceptional in ordinary things, to be holy in mean streets, among mean people, surrounded by sordid sinners. That is not learned in five minutes.”
~Oswald Chambers
