The children of Israel heard say (September 8, 2019) – Elder Bryce Lowrance begins by considering the command of the Lord to forgive one another before turning to Joshua chapter 22 and the account of the altar. He looks at how the children of Israel were ready to go to battle and destroy the children of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh based on a rumor and assumption. He looks at what happened when the two sides talked with one another. Brother Bryce ultimately exhorts us to talk to our brothers and sisters in Christ and not act solely upon a rumor. He ends with considering the proper way to handle private offenses according to Matthew 18 and revisiting the subject of forgiveness by noting that when we forget to forgive, we tend to forget that we’re forgiven in Jesus Christ.
Joshua Series: Golan and Revealed (September 1, 2019) – Elder Bryce Lowrance finishes a series of messages concerning the six cities of refuge in Joshua chapter 20, noting that the sixth city of Golan means revealed. In continuing to look at the cities being like unto the character of Jesus Christ, Brother Bryce turns to Hebrews chapter two. He begins by considering the exhortation to not let the things of the Lord, the gospel, slip from our minds. Brother Bryce continues thru the chapter to establish how the Lord was revealed and manifested in this world, ultimately asking and answering the question “What’s the gospel for?”
Joshua series: Ramoth in Gilead (August 18, 2019) – Elder Bryce Lowrance continues a series of messages concerning the six cities of refuge in Joshua chapter 20, noting that the fifth city of Ramoth in Gilead means viewed quite highly. In continuing to look at the cities being like unto the character of Jesus Christ, Brother Bryce preaches from Hebrews chapter one and the latter part of Ephesians to establish just how high and lifted up our Savior is in Jesus Christ. He exhorts us to understand the ramifications of knowing that Jesus Christ is exalted far above us, that we’re bought with a price, and that Jesus is the head of every church, even today. Knowing that, Brother Bryce asks whether Jesus is our refuge. Does he deserve our praise and our time? Do our actions and service show forth our love for Him and one another? Do we see truly see how High and lifted up he really is?
2019 Annual Meeting – Sunday – The Cross of Christ (August 25, 2019) – Elder Joe Nettles begins in 1st Corinthians 1:17-18 and preaches concerning the cross of Christ, exhorting us to not be ashamed of the cross and to live in assured anticipation of Jesus taking us home. He goes through the assurance we derive from the fulfillment of prophecy concerning the cross and Jesus’ crucifixion, focusing on Psalm 22. He considers how Jesus was the perfect passover lamb, how the crucifixion unfolded relative to prophecy, how Jesus endured the eternal sufferings of billions of His people, and how we should take great comfort in the knowledge of the reconciliation and redemption that Jesus obtained on the cross.
2019 Annual Meeting – Saturday – Heaven is right (August 24, 2019) – Elder Joe Nettles begins preaching in 2nd Peter 3:13-14 concerning heaven being right and some things the scriptures teach us about heaven. He disproves the notion that heaven will be here on this earth before moving on to teach that we should take great comfort in knowing that righteousness dwells there and that there is no variableness or shadow or turning in heaven. He goes through what it means and the comfort we have in knowing that our citizenship is there, our possession is there, our name is written there, our charged servants in the angels are there, and, most of all, that our intercessor and high priest is there.
August 23, 2019 Friday night – Elder Branan Hooven introduces services by turning to Mark 7:37 and preaches concerning the comfort derived by knowing “He hath done all things well.” Elder Joe Nettles then preaches a message beginning in Isaiah 45:17-18 about how our God is a God of order. He shows us many examples of how the Lord has fine-tuned the universe so that we could dwell here on Earth, that his covenant of everlasting salvation stands sure by His own power. He looks at many scientific statements and theories to further affirm how science itself attests that a God of order created the heavens and the earth as scripture says He did.
Joshua series: Bezer in the wilderness (August 11, 2019) – Elder Bryce Lowrance continues a series of messages concerning the six cities of refuge in Joshua chapter 20, noting that the fourth city of Bezer is an inaccessible spot, a fortified place, in the wilderness of the plain. Brother Bryce considers what happens when Jesus comes as a fortified place in the wilderness to His church. He then turns to Isaiah 35, explaining the multi-step prophesies contained in it while emphasizing that much of the chapter concerns the gospel church of today established during the time of Jesus Christ. Brother Bryce notes that Jesus’s fortified place is not pleasing to men’s eyes, nor does it show forth what men consider beauty. He then reminds us that the place of refuge, and the joy and love thereof, is found in the fortified place that is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ and to always remember that the only true source of strength in this world is found in Him.
