By Don Brown (Elder)

What do we believe?

We believe that salvation is the free gift of God, whereby God, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies an individual. That, in order to be saved, individuals must respond by faith to the call of God by repenting of their sin, believing in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and committing themselves to follow Christ. We believe that those whom God has redeemed in Christ and sanctified by the Spirit will persevere to the end and can never lose their salvation.

Why do we believe?

Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Why does it matter?

Our eternal security rests on the biblical teaching that those whom God justifies, He will also glorify (Romans 8:29-30). Those who are saved will indeed be conformed to the image of Christ through the process of sanctification (1 Corinthians 6:11). When a person is saved, the Holy Spirit breaks the bondage of sin and gives the believer a new heart and a desire to seek holiness. Therefore a true Christian will desire to be obedient to God and will be convicted by the Holy Spirit when he sins. True Christians will never “live any way they want” because such behavior is impossible for someone who has been given a new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17).

If someone is truly saved, he has been made alive by the Holy Spirit and has a new heart with new desires. There is no way that one that has been “born again” can later be “unborn.” Because of His unique love for His children, God will keep all of His children safe from harm, and Jesus has promised that He would lose none of His sheep. The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints recognizes that true Christians will always persevere and are eternally secure because God keeps them that way. It is based on the fact that Jesus, the “author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2), is able to completely save those whom the Father has given Him (Hebrews 7:25) and to keep them saved through all eternity.


Be in prayer as Pastor Jason continues in the Renew Your Belief Series.  Your prayers are being seen.  Last week, Pastor Jason brought a powerful message.

These prayers come from our requests cards on Sunday morning.  Please lift these prayer requests up to the Lord.

Pray for Sharon as she is in the hospital with Parkinsons.  May she feel God’s love and presence.

Betty suffered a stroke and is in Sky Rehab.  Pray for her health and for those who take care of her.

Albert has been diagnosed with an aggressive bladder cancer.  Pray for his salvation.

A husband of of member, doesn’t believe and support the wife and kids going to church.  Pray for his salvation.

Terry has brain cancer.  Pray for healing and that the family feels God’s strength.

Salvation for Steve, Barry, Michael, Bob, Steve, Ron, Tyler, Missy, Joe, Meadow, Lenny, Frank, Dennis, Jason, and Aleesha.

Terry and his wife having troubles in their relationship.  Pray that God can heal the relationship and His name is glorified through the process.

Pray for the safe return of SSG. Jesse from Afghanistan.

Pray for a husband and family that lost a wife/mother.

Pray for a wife and family that lost a husband/father.

Hiep is very weary dealing with problems.  He is interested in Jesus.

Mike’s wife has cancer.  He is having a hard time.  Pray for the family to feel the Lord’s strength and direction.

Pray for a broken marriage.  The husband is struggling with drug addiction.

Pray for Dan who has bladder cancer and heart problems.

Pray for Don who has hip and leg pain.

Pray that a family embraces their faith as they deal with a loved one with cancer.

Pray for a young teen that is dealing with the effects of being bullied last year.

Pray for a man who has two family members with cancer.

Pray for Brian’s treatment for a cardial arrhythmia.

Pray for Harley as he has follow-up medical appointments.

Rebecca has breast cancer, pray that through this trial her son-in-law and daughter, along with their sons, will return to God and rededicate their lives to Him.

Pray for a members Granny who is really sick.

By Will Burnham

What do we believe?

These realities bring them under the just condemnation of God.

Why do we believe this?

Hebrews 9:27 – And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment

Why does it matter?

If God did not judge and condemn then He would not be the Holy One. In order for God to show His divine holiness He must point out that which is not holy. And upon that separation, He must hold His people accountable to living according to His perfect ways.

We all believe in justice. We believe in a just and right legal system and government that creates and maintains rules and laws to protect its people. How much more then should we as Christians understand the need for our Holy God to be just in His condemnation of our sins? For God to not hold us accountable to our sins would erase the very need for Jesus to have come and died for our sins. The beauty of our coming judgment as followers of Jesus is that our right standing with God is already decided…we are His sons and daughters! Our judgment then focuses on what we have done for His glory in this life. This should spur us into action to live lives which exalt His holiness.

By Cindy Starr

What do we believe?

As a result, all human beings are born with a sinful nature and also willfully choose to sin.

Why do we believe this?

Romans 3:23 – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

 Why does it matter?

“Who am I?” At some point in your life, you have asked yourself that question – a question about your own identity, your worth, and your purpose in life. It could be that you still seek the answer. People who do not understand the answer to this question invent all kinds of crazy ideas to explain where humans came from, why they behave the way they do, why the world seems broken, is there really any hope for humanity, etc. Fortunately God has not left us in the dark as to the answer to this question.

Only man is the image bearer of God (Genesis 1:26-27; 5:1; I Corinthians 11:7). All creatures have life and are living beings but Adam was shaped from the dust of the earth and then infused with life by the Spirit of God and made in the likeness of his creator. Man and woman, Adam and Eve, were created in perfection without a sin nature. Left to their free will, they were equally capable of falling from their innocence by choosing to reject God’s ways or of setting a course for holy obedience. They were able to sin and not able to sin. When tempted, they rebelled against God their creator. The Bible tells us in Romans 5 that since Adam, all mankind is born with a sin nature – we are enemies of God and without God seeking after us, we would all be lost. Adam was our representative, our federal head and when he sinned, we all sinned. We also know from experience that we choose to rebel and disobey, that is, our hearts are inclined to rebellion. Read the first 3 chapters of Romans. Paul lays out the sin problem that plagues mankind. He asks the question, “Who has sinned?” By the end of chapter 3 you know the answer – ALL!

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden did they seek after God to make things right or did God go after Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:8-13)? Did Abraham seek after God or did God reach out to him in Genesis 12:1-2? Did Moses seek after God after he fled Egypt or did God go after Moses (Exodus 3:1-6)? Did David seek after God or did God call David through Samuel (I Samuel 16)? How about Gideon in Judges 6:11? Who initiated with Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5-8?  Did Jesus call the disciples or did they seek Him in Matthew 4:18-22? Did Lazarus walk out of the grave or did Jesus call him forth in John 11:43-44? How about Paul in Acts 9:1-9? Do you see the pattern? It is God who initiates and seeks us out. Apart from His grace and mercy we are rebels, bent as our Father Adam was on going our own way. We want to be King; we do not want to submit and yield to the True King of Kings.

God rules His creation whether the creation acknowledges that fact or not. Fallen man is under the wrath and curse of God because His holiness cannot abide sin. Mankind is spiritually dead, just like Lazarus, and needs a Savior. In Jesus, God has provided such a Savior, who has willingly taken the wrath of God upon Himself that we might be forgiven and our relationship with God restored as it was in the Garden of Eden. When you understand how lost you are, the grace of God is magnified as you realize Jesus willingly came to die for men who were His enemies. As you consider God’s holiness and our sinfulness, how can you respond in any other way but gratitude and service for the love the Father has shown us!

Understanding these things allowed a modern day martyr to answer as follows right before his execution. “I do not need to plead my own cause…I am a dead man already. My life is dead and hidden with Christ. It is your lives that in danger, you are dead in your sins. I will pray to God that after you have killed me, He will spare you from eternal destruction.”

– Kefa Sempangi facing 5 would be assassins in Idi Amin’s Uganda

By Todd Crosby (Deacon)

What do we believe?

That having been tempted by Satan, man chose to sin against God and thereby incurred physical and spiritual death, which is separation from God’s fellowship.

Why do we believe this?

Romans 5:12 – Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned

Why does it matter?

Are people generally good?  What does the Bible say about the condition of man? The Bible states that we are born in sin (Psalm 51:5), that all have sinned (Psalm 14:3; Romans 3:23), and that our hearts are desperately sick (Jeremiah 17:9). The Bible also states that no one seeks after God (Romans 3:10), and no one will unless the father draws them (John 6:44). The best one word statement that would describe the condition of man is simply DEAD (Ephesians 2:1-2). Because of our sin we are spiritually dead to a Holy God.

In John 11, Jesus was asked to come and see about his ill friend Lazarus. Jesus, ever so in tune with the Fathers schedule, did not get in a hurry in doing so (v6). So much so that when he arrived at Bethany, his friend Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. You may know the story quite well. After they had moved the stone our Lord said “Lazarus, come out” (v43). What’s interesting about this is that Jesus gave a command to a dead man. What are some characteristics of someone who is dead? They are unresponsive, without life, and decaying. If someone is spiritually dead then they are spiritually unresponsive. They are unable to respond to God and they are certainly unable to respond rightfully, which is with faith and repentance. Christ’s command, to Lazarus is analogous to the gospel call. The gospel commands dead people to respond. So how does a spiritually dead person respond? How is that possible? Next week we’ll look at the details of that. For today, consider the blessing of salvation. Though you were once dead, you are now “alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11).

Before coming to Christ would you describe yourself as sick and dead? Why do you think the Bible uses this terminology to describe mankind?

By Robert Duvall (Elder)

What do we believe?

 We believe that God created man in His own image, making men and women with distinct qualities and roles, yet equal in dignity.

Why do we believe this?

Psalm 8:3-9 – When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

 Why does it matter?

God has given us a huge responsibility to care for each other and to care for His creation. Being similar to God by being created in His image, we have a God-given desire to love and to be loved. We have the unique ability to stand in awe of a beautiful sunset, look in utter amazement at the breath-taking, snow-capped Rocky Mountains, or to get chills from a musical work of art. These are some of the wonderful gifts that make us uniquely human, yet similar to God. We should always demonstrate our appreciation and respect for His creation and for His Word. When we dig into His Word, we quickly learn that this awe, amazement, and chills that we receive from His creation pale in comparison to experiencing God Himself. We see that God has given men and women specific roles to fulfill while on earth, and His love is unwavering and equally distributed to both. We are equally important in God’s eyes! For any of us to be considered important to God is truly an honor, and this should give us chills more than anything else! Slow down today and thank God for the honor He has bestowed upon you as His unique creation. Thank Him also for giving us the ability to appreciate our beautiful planet, much the same way in which He does. We are charged with taking care of His creation and taking care of each other. Let’s not disappoint our Heavenly Father today.

By Robert Duvall (Elder)

What do we believe?

We believe that God created man in His own image, making men and women with distinct qualities and roles, yet equal in dignity.

 Why do we believe this?

 Genesis 1:27 – So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

 Why does it matter?

Have you ever spent time pondering what it means to be created in the image of God and in His likeness? There are many thoughts on exactly what this means. Some believe this means that we possess similar characteristics with God, like moral purity, spiritual nature, creativity, or the ability to love. Regardless of the specifics, this is an honor beyond comprehension. For God to love men and women so much to create them in His own image is truly amazing. We are more like Him than anything else in creation, so this comes with great responsibility on our part. Grudem tells us, “The Hebrew word for ‘image’ (tselem) and the Hebrew word for ‘likeness’ (demut) refer to something that is similar but not identical to the thing it represents.” Men and women share this honor equally with one another, which is all the more reason for us to treat one another with love and respect in all that we say and all that we do. When we believe this and live this out each day, this becomes one of our greatest opportunities to bring glory and honor to His holy name. Make it your goal today to see those around you as “created in the image of God”. (Yes, this even applies to those who make your day more challenging!)

Pray today for Pastor Jason as he continues in the series Renew Your Belief.  Pray that the Spirit will work mightily through him as he delivers the Lords message today.

These requests come from Living Hope’s prayer sheet:

Edna is having some cancer spots removed from her skin this week.

Salvation for Bob, Steve, Rob, Tyler, Missy, Ricky, Terry, Joe, Charles, Barry, Meadow, Frank, Kristen, Kyle, Lenna, and Dennis

The following will start living their faith: James, Brad, Todd, and Jennie

Carl and Julie with employment and the selling of their house

That Tedd will yield to God’s will and will trust in His provision

Hannah and her ankle to get better.

A member lost his job that he has had for 19 years.

Health, Safety, and Judgement for George as he goes to school and for an upcoming transfer of school.

Don has lung cancer and it has moved to his brain.  Pray for his family during this hard time.

Maria and the sell of her house so she can move to Kentucky

Baby Ashyton has tumors all throughout her body and she has become blind.

Inez lost her husband this week.

Safety and protection for Billy as he serves our country in Afghanistan.

Maggie participating in a food test to hopefully determine if she has severe allergies still

Dennis begins a very expensive Hep-C treatment.  Pray for success and finances.

Pray for North Warren Elementary

That Jessie can beat a bad bacteria in her body.

That Elsie’s mom’s house can sell.

Terry, Austin, and Derek to adjust to their Mom’s new schedule.