Here is the sermon from last Sunday. The Scripture passage was Philippians 4:1-3. The sermon is, “Solving Conflict God’s Way.” I hope you’re blessed by it.

Download the sermon by clicking here.

Or, listen online by clicking the “Play” button below:

Hope you are blessed by the sermon from last Sunday. It’s based on Philippians 3:15-21, where Paul talks about some of the things God uses to make us more like Jesus.

You can download the sermon by clicking here.

Or, you can listen to the sermon online by clicking on the arrow below:

We had a great Sunday morning service this week. We were blessed to have a special guest, Dr. Fermin Whittaker. Dr. Whittaker is the Executive Director of the California Southern Baptist Convention. He encouraged us with a few words, reminding us that God is still at work in our home state.

Dr. Whittaker is a real treasure for all Christians in California. He has had an impact on lives all over the world.

Unfortunately, in all the excitement, I forgot to record Dr. Whittaker’s message. So I have no audio to share with you this week. I will have other tidbits for you this week, so check back here soon!

Just a reminder: We are having our monthly all-church fellowship this Friday, October 2, at 6 p.m. We’ll meet at the church. This month we’re having spaghetti, and all the stuff that goes with it.

Everyone is invited! Bring your appetite, and have a good time getting together with your brothers and sisters in Christ!

Listen again (or maybe for the first time!) to the sermon from September 20, 2009. The sermon is called, ‘Trusting Jesus Alone.”

Click here to download the sermon.

Or, listen online by clicking on the “Play” button below:

This summer, our youth went on a great camping trip. Youth group leaders, the Cumpians, led a group up into northern California. Most of us couldn’t go with them, but now we can enjoy a little of the trip through the pictures taken on the trip.

Click below to see all the pictures:

Youth Camping Trip

Here’s the audio from the sermon on September 13, 2009. The title is “Working Together to Advance God’s Kingdom” based on Philippians 2:19-30.

The audio is still a little messed up, but at least we know now what the problem is. We should have it fixed by next week.

You can download the sermon by clicking here.

Or, you can listen to the sermon by clicking the “Play” button below:

Sorry about getting this out so late. It’s been a hectic week. The sermon is “Shining Lights in an Evil World” based on Philippians 2:14-18. The audio is a bit sketchy; it seems we were having some sound problems.

You can download the sermon by clicking here.

Or, you can listen online here:

(This is a post from Lifeway’s Truth Connections series. I hope you enjoy!)

What do we do when bad things happen?

“My soul, praise the Lord,

and all that is within me, praise His holy name.

My soul, praise the Lord,

and do not forget all His benefits.

He forgives all your sin;

He heals all your diseases.

He redeems your life from the Pit;

He crowns you with faithful love and compassion.

He satisfies you with goodness;

your youth is renewed like the eagle”

(Psalm 103:1-5, HCSB).

Bad things happen to good people. It is a part of life, but it is not the end of the story. Many times when faced with the pain of human suffering, we begin to ask, “Why?” If we serve and devote our lives to a loving God, is this the thanks we get?

What we have to understand, though, is that pain and suffering, while not part of God’s original plan for the world, has accompanied the sinful nature of our human race since Adam’s decision to be disobedient to God in the Garden of Eden. Like all loving, compassionate parents, God is there to comfort us in times of hurting.

Take note of David’s words in Psalm 103—God forgives our sin, heals our diseases, redeems our lives from death, crowns us with love and compassion, and satisfies us with goodness. Isaiah 40:31 echoes these same thoughts in perhaps a more famous verse:

“but those who trust in the Lord

will renew their strength;

they will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary;

they will walk and not faint.”

In spite of living in a world where sin is rampant in us and around us, we serve a God who is very present, uplifting, and renewing. God is in the business of restoring His people, and when we are restored, He fills us new and fresh again.

So, pain? It’s part of the human story. But is it the end? Are the rewards worth the endurance of suffering? How do we draw close to God when we suffer? The answers to these questions help move us to a new place in our faith and trust in the One who saves.

Sunday evening, September 13, we will be having a time of encouragement and fun at the beach!

Summer is leaving us, and we want to get out to enjoy God’s creation. We’ll have a fire going to cook hot dogs and smores. Bring food enough for your family, plus a little more–we should have enough for everybody.

We’ll set up in the afternoon, eat, and play, then end our time with a worship time. We will be at Huntington City Beach (exact location coming soon).

We are going to have a great time together! Plan to be a part of it.

We’ll be posting full details very soon…