My heart is heavy today as I reflect on the challenges facing our nation. While I don’t typically provide political commentary, recent events compel me to address the growing darkness in our country. Whether or not you agree with everything he believed, Charlie Kirk's assassination yesterday was a tragic event. We should all mourn what happened to this young man, husband, father of two young children, and fellow believer. Recently we’ve witnessed numerous school shootings, acts of senseless violence, and today we remember the tragedy of 9/11. Division, hatred, and violence seem increasingly common in our land.

The polarization in our culture has reached dangerous levels. In recent years, speech that challenges our worldview has been viewed as violence. The problem with this thinking is that if you think speech is violence, then, in a twisted way, you may think that retaliating with physical violence is justified. We must view even those we disagree with as fellow human beings created in God’s image. When we lose sight of each other’s humanity, we open the door to darkness that can lead to terrible consequences.

May these terrible tragedies wake us from our slumber! Our nation needs Jesus, and He has called us to boldly share the gospel with those who don’t know Him. While our nation has changed dramatically over the past decades and darkness seems to be spreading rapidly, we must remember that light shines brightest in the darkness. May we be that light!

These events remind me of the chaos in the nation of Israel described in the book of Judges: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6). This is what we see in our land. The lines between right and wrong are being blurred. God's Word is disregarded. Instead, everyone simply does what is right in their own eyes. What Israel needed then, and what we need now, is to return to our biblical foundations.

I encourage you to join our Wednesday night Bible study if possible. We’re currently studying the Ten Commandments, and I’m convinced these moral foundations must be rehearsed and lived out. Commands like “Thou shalt not kill” seem to be fading from our national consciousness. We’ll never see morality flourish in our land if it isn’t first firmly established in the hearts of God’s people. You may be familiar with the Ten Commandments, but we need these reminders to so that we may continue to be the salt and light that Jesus has called us to be (Matt. 5:13-16).

Sunday Worship Guide

Sunday morning worship is a Saturday night decision! One of the best ways to get the most out of our time together in corporate worship is to come prepared, going to bed early on Saturday night, and by reviewing the sermon text, our song list, and our responsive readings. To help you prepare for Sunday worship, I've provided each element of our worship below for your review prior to Sunday.

 

In Christ,