Posts by Michael Nelson (Page 13)

Weekly Update – February 17th, 2022 Last week, we considered 1 Timothy 5:1-2 in our church gathering.  The emphasis on the church being the family of God especially came to the forefront of this passage.  Consider these short two verses again, “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.”  Through our common redemption in Jesus Christ, we are not…

Weekly Update – February 10th, 2022 On Sunday evenings, we have been going through a study called The Explicit Gospel.  As the study explains, and as many of you have surely noticed, is that there are a lot of people out there, some of whom claim to be Christians, who have no idea what the gospel actually is.  On a regular basis I will have conversations with people who confirm this claim.  One conversation may be a man telling me…

Weekly Update – February 3rd, 2022 Last week I explained why it is we pray the way we do in our morning services.  I said that we pray together as a church with intentionality, as we come before the Lord unified as one, following the pattern given to us in the scriptures.  As we pray, we have four prayers during our service.  These prayers are meant to give us the full breadth of what prayer is, as we come before…

Weekly Update – January 27th, 2022 Is there value in praying together?  Hopefully you would respond with a resounding, YES! That is why we keep our prayer list up to date, or we take prayer requests during Sunday school, right?  We pray before meals together, before meetings at church, and before various other events as well.  Therefore it should be a given that we would also pray together during our Sunday morning services.  But praying multiple times in our service? …

Weekly Update – January 20th, 2022 After two years, we are going to pick back up in our study through 1st and 2nd Timothy.  As we do, what we will once again see is that there is a foundational truth that we must be crystal clear on.  That truth is the gospel message. The problem that the apostle Paul is addressing as he writes to his “child in the faith” (1:2) is that a distraction away from truth, leads to…

Weekly Update – January 13th, 2022 Last week we looked at 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13 in our worship service.  In this passage, verse 6-7 says this: “But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you – for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted…

Weekly Update – January 6th, 2022 One of the things that has encouraged me over the course of my Christian life is reading biographies of Christians who have gone before us. Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Though this passage is referring back to Hebrews…

Weekly Update – December 30th, 2021 A common aspect of beginning a new year is set resolutions.  Many will determine to exercise, eat better, spend less or save more.  But instead of merely setting physical or financial goals this year, why not determine to set spiritual goals as well. With the effects of Covid over the last few years, combined with the hesitancy of many to engage closely with others, it will be helpful to make spiritual goals that consider…

Weekly Update – December 23rd, 2021 Christmas is almost here.  Some already have family who have come into town, others will connect with family over the weekend and in the few days that follow.  Either way, many of us will have some sort of contact with friends and family members as we get together to share a meal, celebrate the holiday and remember the birth of Christ.  The question that should come to mind is, “How can we make the…

Weekly Update – December 16th, 2021 Typically when the month of December comes around, not only do we think of Christmas, family gatherings and friendships, but if you are anything like me, you also tend to reflect on the year that has just gone by.  The common slogan that you will likely hear at some point during this month is something to the degree of, “How did it get to be December already?” or “Can you believe that it is…

Weekly Update – December 9th, 2021 The Christmas offering that we as Southern Baptists participate in every year is named in honor of a woman named Lottie Moon.  On July 7, 1873, the Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board) of the Southern Baptist Convention appointed her a missionary to China. Lottie spent most of her missionary years in Tengchow and P’ingtu, China where she taught at mission schools and ministered to women. Through having immersed herself in Chinese culture,…

Weekly Update – December 2nd, 2021 Last week we began the first week of Advent. Traditionally, Christians will remember four weeks of Advent as we look forward to the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Advent means “longing” or “anticipation” for the coming of the Messiah.  It reminds us to look back in joy to the first coming of Christ, but to also look ahead in expectation to his return.  It is a nice contrast to the hustle and…