Pastor’s Page | Sept 3rd, 2026
Sermon Prep (Read Luke 7:18-30)
I went to seminary with a girl named Jill. Jill was a little bit older than me and she seemed to be the epitome of faith. Jill was always put together and seemed to have everything figured out. She was one of those older ladies who seemed to have the answer to every problem we discussed, and if you ever needed anything she typically had something in her purse that would help. She was what we like to say, “Solid as a Rock”. She knew her bible, she knew her theology, and she knew her faith. She was as solid as they came.
That’s why we were all shocked when she got up one day in class to speak and she shared her testimony. She shared how she had been raised in a Christian home and taught to revere God and His word. From the time she could remember, Jill had always been taught that God was good all the time and that all the time God was good, and she never had a reason to doubt that. She had a great upbringing, and everything always worked out for her. Even at her darkest moments, she never once thought that God wasn’t good, or that God wasn’t there. Jill would graduate from school, she got married, had her kids, and had the perfect life. God was good all the time, and all the time God was good.
But when she was in her early 30’s, Jill was now a stay-at-home mom. Her husband was the most wonderful man and provider, and they had 5 small children. Life was good, but then she received a phone call that she said tore her life upside down. Jill’s husband had been involved in a terrible accident, and he had lost his life. Jill, a stay-at-home mom who had not worked in years, was now left with the daunting task of raising her 5 kids alone. Yet somehow, she was confident that God was there. She had her faith that could not be shaken. Or so she thought. Not too long after her husband passed away, one of Jill’s kids got sick, and before she knew it, her child was fighting for her life, a battle she would eventually lose. In a period of less than two years, Jill lost not only her husband, but also her child. Jill, who had always been the obedient and faithful Christian, for the first time in her life, began to have doubts. The thought crossed her mind that maybe God wasn’t so good, or maybe, just maybe God wasn’t even there. And she said that it scared her to death.
I think we have all been there at some point in our lives. We have struggled with believing in what we believe. For some, this can be a terrifying experience. When this happens, we struggle wondering if we truly have faith. This week we will be starting our new sermon series “Help Me in My Struggle with…” and we will be looking at different ways we may struggle in our walk with Christ. This first week we will be dealing with the issue of doubt. If you have ever struggled with doubt, the story of John the Baptist will be something you can relate to and something that will bring you great comfort. This week we will look at what doubt and belief truly mean, some things that will cause doubt to creep into our lives, and how we can find comfort and hope even in our doubts.
Here are some verses for you to look over to help you prepare for this week’s message: Mark 9:17-24, Jude 1:22, Matthew 14:30-31. Psalm 42, Matthew 14:28-31, 2 Cor 5:7, Isa 55:8-9, Heb 11:1, 2 Cor 4:18, John 20:24-29, Hab 1:2-4, Psalm 73:1-3.
June Sermon Series
Help My Struggles With…
09/06 — My Struggle With Doubts — Luke 7:18-28
09/13 — My Struggle With Depression — 1 Kings 19:1-9
09/20 — My Struggle With Anxiety — Luke 8:22-25
09/27 — My Struggle With Fear — Psalm 46:1-11
Updates, Thoughts and More
C.S. Lewis Study. I am excited about our next series of studies in our Table Talk discussions. We will be looking at the life, theology, and writings of C.S. Lewis. C.S. Lewis has been one of my favorite authors (and it’s not just because of the Narnia series). He is a deep but very practical theologian, and his writings use a lot of metaphorical language. This upcoming Wednesday we will do an overview of his life and theology and then we will begin a study looking at “The Great Divorce”. The other books we will look at include, “Screwtape Letters”, “Letters to Malcolm”, The Narnia series, and “the Problem of Pain.”
Bible Study groups! We are so blessed to have many great bible studies that take place in this church throughout the week. As we start up things this fall, I want to encourage you to get connected in one of these studies. We have a men’s group on Tuesday mornings, Sip and Share on Wednesday mornings, Table Talk on Wednesday evenings, plus new bible studies on Tuesday and Thursdays. For more information, call the church office.
Celebrate Anderia Lopez. For most of you, you might have never seen her. She has stayed in her office and silently done her work faithfully. Much of what happens in this church goes through her office. After 20 plus years of service, Anderia is retiring. We are so grateful for the years of service she has given to not only this church but to the kingdom of God. On September 20th, we will be celebrating her with a meal after the 2nd worship service. Come help us celebrate Anderia. We are also taking up a love offering for her. If you would like to donate, you can bring your gift to the church office, donate via our website, or you can bring a card for her on September 20th.
Football picks. YAY!!!! College Football is back, Baby!!!! No matter how hot it may be outside, all is well in front of my TV. So, this year I am aiming for a perfect record with my picks. So, here are my first week picks. First, every SEC team will win and will win easily. This includes LSU, even with all their drama of lawsuits from the SEC, will handle Clemson very easily. Sadly, I think this might just be Dabo Sweeney’s last year at Clemson. This also includes Ole Miss beating up on those nasty dirty birds from Louisville. I hope they beat them so bad that all their fans have to cry themselves to sleep that night (of course, this is said in the most loving and pastoral way).
The other games to watch where it will be close is Georgia Tech and Colorado. Coach Sanders had a few good players, but I think his magic is gone and they will get blown out. The other game is SMU and Florida State. I think FSU will have the edge in this one. It will be close, but still FSU pulls it out by a field goal.
Oh, and let’s not forget that Kentucky will win its opening and we will be the next Indiana. Maybe not this year, but by year 3, we will be in the playoff picture.
What’s Going On This Week
Sunday (09/06)
Worship Services — 9:00am & 10:30am
Monday (09/07)
Office Closed for Labor Day
Alzheimer’s Support Group — 10:00am
Stitching Angels — 1:30pm
Tuesday (09/08)
Men’s Bible Study & Breakfast — 7:30am
Bassett Bible Study — 10:00am
Wednesday (09/09)
Prayer Warriors — 9:00am
Sip And Share — 10:00am
Table Talk (C.S. Lewis) — 5:00pm
JAM Youth — 5:00pm
Bell Choir Practice — 6:00pm
Choir Practice — 7:00pm
Important Upcoming Dates
09/20 — Anderia Lopez’s Retirement Celebration
10/10 — Mexican Fiesta
10/24 — Fall Festival
11/01 — All Saint’s Day
11/14 — Lord’s Acre
Joke of the Week
The head football coach asked the freshman walk-on hopeful if he could tackle.
The kid said, "Yes, sir coach, I can tackle."
The coach then asked, "Well, can you run?"
The kid said, "Yes, sir coach, I can run very fast."
The coach then said, "Can you pass a football?"
The kid thought for a second and said, "Well, coach, if I can swallow it, I can probably pass it."
Memory Verse of the Week
When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.
~Matthew 28:17 (NIV84)
Quote of the Week
“A faith without some doubts is like a human body without any antibodies in it.”
~ Tim Keller | The Reason for God
