Posts

Inheritance Pt. 2- Samuel Burger – July 24, 2016

Inheritance Pt. 1 – Samuel Burger – July 24, 2016

Steven Phillips – July 20, 2016

Restoring Reverence – Samuel Burger – July 17, 2016 Evening Service

Correction – Samuel Burger – July 17, 2016

Correction – Samuel Burger – July 17, 2016

7/17/16 – Devotional Standard – Elijah Phillips

DEVOTIONAL STANDARD

Way back when I was a young whipper-snapper and in school, every morning we had devotions. We had a small Christian school at our church. We would gather every morning and recite the pledges (to the American flag, The Christian flag, and the Bible), read our monthly Scripture passage, and pray. This is what we called devotions. It was time taken at the beginning of the day to exemplify our loyalty to our God, His word, and our country. I thank God for those moments! Although, we didn’t understand what was happening then, I definitely see it now. I have no doubt in my mind that the passages of scripture that I committed to memory during those moments have helped me keep up the fight when I thought about giving in. When I would think about calling it quits for good I would always remember Psalm 23, Psalm 1, Psalm 34 or Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
Webster’s dictionary defines devotion as a feeling of strong love or loyalty; the quality of being devoted; the use of time, money, energy, etc., for a particular purpose

When you devote something for a purpose or cause, that thing becomes useless for anything else. If Nascar called and said, “We want to use your car as the Pace Car for the Daytona 500.” How many people are going to get in that car and drive it anywhere? A BIG, FAT ZERO! You won’t drive it, your spouse won’t drive it, your kids won’t drive it, and as a matter of fact you wouldn’t let your own mamma drive it to pick up her medication from the drugstore! That car is parked for the duration of time leading up to the Daytona 500. That car gets washed more, waxed more, tires shined, motor cleaned and upgraded, and guarded like the National Armory of the United States, all because it is now devoted to being the Pace Car for the Daytona 500.

“WE GO TO CHURCH ONCE A WEEK ON SUNDAY AND CALL THAT DEVOTION. WE GET UP, SPEND 5 MINUTES SAYING A CANNED PRAYER AND READ A COUPLE OF PAGES OUT OF BOOK AND CALL THAT DEVOTION. “

If this is our idea of devotion we don’t have a clue, and I am preaching to the choir, the preachers, the worship leaders, the pew setters, the pew jumpers, the aisle runners and myself included! We have downgraded the devotional standard to better suit our lifestyles. When Jesus walks up to us and says, “Follow Me” we can’t lug around the net and follow Him. We have to lay aside every weight and sin that easily entangles us and run with patience the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Now, what I’m not saying is that you become a monk and run off to the Himalayas. You don’t have to quit your job, divorce your spouse, and live every day of the rest of your life in seclusion. God wants you in the world. He wants you planted dead smack in the middle of the different cultures of this world. He wants you there because He wants to use you to change those cultures. We have been given an unshakable Kingdom (Hebrews 12:28) and when the unshakable Kingdom shows up through us in the culture, the culture begins to to reveal its shakiness. All of the sudden every culture that can be shaken will be shaken all because God was able to plant His sons and daughters, who carry the unshakable Kingdom, in the middle of a jacked up culture.

But none of this happens without complete and total, sold-out devotion. Ellen G. White said, “We do not belong to Christ unless we are His wholly. It is by half-heartedness in the Christian life that men become feeble in purpose and changeable in desire.” If everything we do isn’t saturated with the presence of God from a place of deep devotion then we aren’t “His wholly.” We are trying to follow God from a distance and distant followers make poor listeners. Distant, halfhearted followers are feeble in purpose because they don’t spend enough time in the presence of Jesus, hearing His words, and being filled with the knowledge of His will (Colossians 1:9). They are changeable in desire because the desire of their heart isn’t Jesus. Jesus hasn’t become the “one thing” in their life. When there is a singleness of the eye there is the ability to focus. When Jesus becomes your focal point and single desire then you have an unshakable, unchangeable desire. So when the culture around you starts falling apart and shaking you have the assurance of being a house built on the Rock!

So don’t diminish the devotional standard because it conflicts with your lifestyle. Sit at the feet of Jesus, spend time with Him, let His words fill you and transform you. The culture wants to put you in a mold and force you to conform, but Jesus is offering you the opportunity to be uniquely transformed! He wants you to be set apart and different!

 

7/15/16 – Point Makers and Difference Makers – Samuel Burger

“Point Makers And Difference Makers”

There is a time for making a point but there’s also balance. I’ve found that making a point about an issue doesn’t really make a difference unless you’re willing to do something. With all social media outlets, there are a barrage of opinions but it seems those opinions never leave the digital into the real.

Many people are guilty of this but I’d like to confess I’ve been guilty of this before. I would tell others what to do and how they should do it but I really didn’t take any action. I convinced myself that I was taking action but in reality I wasn’t. It’s kind of like the fans in the stands who criticizes the coach. The fans have never coached a day in their life yet they are experts. I have sorely fell short of this in my life. So how can we make a difference instead of being obsessive about making our point?

  1. Take Action. Do something. Too much analysis leads to paralysis. A minister never ministered unless he or she did something to obey the Lord. God moves through people who move.
  2. Become The Solution Of Your Point. Alright, you’ve made your point many times on FaceBook and to your friends. Have you done anything about it? I preached a message recently on “Being the Church.” I mentioned that we can state the problem repeatedly or we can be the church. You only get what you put into it. If you’re tired of the church not being the church then be the church. It’s very simple. Nobody else will be the solution to your point unless you put the energy in being the solution also.
  3. Your Idea Needs Implementation. You’ve got a bunch of ideas but for some reason they are never implemented. It’s either you don’t have time or you just have fear. Regardless of the reason, you will have to learn how to utilize the idea into something that’s practical.

Have you ever met people that talked a really long time? Have you seen people that was ready to pour out their problems to you only to have you listen to them while they have no desire to do anything about it? It’s amazing what happens when you decide to stop talking about it and do it. That’s what you call results. It’s good to plan and be deliberate before making life-changing decisions but don’t put off what God is telling you to do today. Be daring. Be bold. Be obedient.

Let your life make God’s point through the Spirit!

Elijah Phillips 7/13/16

Evening Service 7/10/2016

See, Seed, Sow – Samuel Burger – July 10, 2016

7/6/16 – Shine-Share-Shape – Samuel Burger

Witness

Shine-Share-Shape

God has called us to shine His light and to share His word that will shape others into the character of Jesus Christ. How we live and how we share His message will be proportionate in molding others to be like Christ.

God is actually making His appeal through us. His appeal is to restore people back to Himself. He saw fit to have human instruments be His ambassadors. God gives His urgent request through us to reach others. God isn’t looking for someone to make the appeal for Him but to allow Him to make the appeal through us. How exactly is God making His appeal?

1. Through the Bible which is God’s revelation to humanity. All 66 books work in harmony with a reaching overall theme: Redemption. It was written over a period of 1,500 years by a number of authors who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. God worked through human instruments to deliver His written word. Although believers bear witness of its validity by God’s Spirit, there is physical evidence, archeological evidence and internal consistency. The Bible is the key to understanding God’s eternal plan for everything. Without it, there’s no way we can know God’s appeal.
2. Through proclamation and teaching God’s word. Father God works in us and then through us. God has given the universal church with His gifts. Through these gifts, people are drawn to Father God by the Holy Spirit. We proclaim the Good News and we teach others how to speak and demonstrate the Good News. From evangelistic media to church meetings, God is constantly making His appeal everyday through human instruments. There’s not a day that goes by that He isn’t making His appeal.

Who will go? Who will be God’s ambassador? Who will stand in the gap? Why not you? Why not now?

Kaitlyn Baker 6-29-2016

6/28/16 – Getting Over The Hurt – Samuel Burger

“Getting Over The Hurt”

We, as the church, often deal with spiritual health and rarely on emotional health. This is why it’s possible to see very spiritual people with poor emotional health. Have you ever wondered why people “act that way?” I’m assuming you said yes. This is what I’ve learned when it comes to emotional hurt.

1. Hurt people often harbor a victim mentality or a victim spirit.

2. Hurt people perceive every word and action directed toward them through their area of pain.  This is why it can be difficult to discuss things with them.

3. Hurt people are enormously sensitive.

4. Hurt people often overreact with outrageous emotion.

5. Hurt people only see their pain and have no idea that they are hurting others.

6. Hurt people open the door to demonic activity such as a controlling spirit or a controlling

7. Hurt people aren’t aware that the same thing they’ve been hurt with is the same thing they are

8. Hurt people usually don’t have healthy relationships.

We cannot use the actions of others as an excuse for ungodly behavior. Anyone with poor emotional health use their hurt to determine all their decisions and how they treat others.

I remember as a kid I scraped my knee riding a bicycle. Well, my Mother put Hydrogen Peroxide on the wound. As the wound began to heal and scab within a few days, I began picking at the wound until it started bleeding again. I was interrupting the healing process because I wouldn’t let my body heal the wound! Hurt people stay hurt because they won’t let the wounds heal. They pick at the wound with bitterness, unforgiveness and rage. A wound that doesn’t heal will eventually infect and spread to other parts of the body. So the longer you stay wounded the more susceptible you are to get emotional infection. You need to stop picking at your wounds and let them heal. You can bleed to death.

It’s true that hurt people hurt people, but it’s also true that you can take that hurt to God in prayer. The Bible says to cast your cares upon God for He cares for you. You’ve got to release them and let it go. If you don’t, every area of your life, including relationships, will divide. Don’t let hurt become your identity.

The Bible teaches we are spirit, soul and body. Don’t neglect your emotional/soul well-being. We can be healed from all hurt in Jesus name.

Salt and Light – Samuel Burger – June 26, 2016

Brandon Myers 6/26/16 Evening service

Salt and Light – Samuel Burger – June 26, 2016

 

6/24/16 – Conquering Loneliness – Samuel Burger

“Conquering Loneliness”

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 reads, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

There are a number of things that can make us feel alone such as guilt and shame. Maybe you’re not happy with yourself or what you have done.

However, you can still be with people and be lonely. We must understand that accepting the love others offer to us is the way to knock down the walls of loneliness. You need:

1. Support
2. Friendship
3. Love
4. Community
5. Advice

As Solomon said, “If you fall alone you are in real trouble.” Your loneliness may be something you have become used to but it’s depriving you of the life God meant for you. As a result, misery sets in and you become angry and bitter. You can’t let how you’ve been mistreated lead you into ungodly behavior. You’ve got to start fresh. You have to believe in the love others have for you.

This “triple-braided cord” are your friends and God joining together to form a community that glorifies God. This community is not easily broken and will speed up the healing you need in your life.

Fatherhood and Family – Samuel Burger – June 19, 2016

Fatherhood and Family – Samuel Burger – June 19, 2016

6/17/16 – Doomsday Prepping – Samuel Burger

6/17/16 Doomsday Prepping

TheEndIsNear

Have you ever seen the TV show “Doomsday Preppers?” I’m sure you’ve probably at least heard of them. Perhaps you’ve heard of conspiracy theories? The list could go on and on when it comes to apocalyptic matters but I think there needs to be a balance. I think the focus can be too extreme or one-sided. Nevertheless, I think we should focus more on what God has to say about the end-times. Yes, I believe in the Book of Revelation because it is God’s history written in advance. It is the apocalypse or the unveiling of what’s to come. However, it’s my concern that we can be extreme talking about the kingdom of God that is to come instead of being the expression of the kingdom of God now.

We need to live as though He may come tomorrow but prepare as if He may not come back in 100 years. As a young teenager, I remember Y2K very well. Almost everyone I met was in a frenzy of how the world will never be the same. Granted, the world isn’t the same as it was before the year of 2000, but it still doesn’t negate the fact that there was fear in lots of people. I also remember how everyone of us held hands in a circle on New Year’s Eve and we made this statement in repeated unison, “Come Lord Jesus!” Obviously, the Lord didn’t come back and after we were done we all went back to our routine!

I said all that to say this. Let’s have a balance in our message. This balanced message conveys that Jesus is coming soon unexpectedly but He also wants us to continue building, preparing and planning until He comes again. It doesn’t do any good to prep for doomsday instead of prepping to meet our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I know, I know. There’s a lot of bad things happening out there. It’s terrible. Recently, there’s been a terrorist attack killing 50 people in Orlando. Last year, Chattanooga suffered a terrorist attack killing 4 marines and 1 sailor. There’s much unrest in this nation and the world. If there ever was a time for the church to shine, it’s now. Everything is a mess but look who has the message! For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. We know there will be a rapture of the church and there’s a Great Tribulation coming but let’s not forget this simple message of truth and love. I don’t know what will happen in the near future but I do know God is sovereign and I trust in that truth and in God the Creator and Redeemer.

Let’s face it. There could be way more years left here on earth which means there’s more time to reach people for Christ Jesus. We are looking for that great reunion which could take place tomorrow but we should also be seeking the lost at any cost. Let’s pray for the peace of Jerusalem (when you pray for the peace of Jerusalem you are actually praying for Jesus to come again because there can be no true peace without Him) but let’s also pray for more laborers and workers because the harvest is ready.

Nick Herron 6/12/2016

Card Ministry – Information Needed

We have begun a card ministry and will be sending out cards for birthdays, anniversaries, get well soon, etc. but first we need to gather some information from everyone.  Please fill out the form below so we can include you in this ministry.

D.I.E.T. – Samuel Burger – June 12, 2016