Pleasant Valley Baptist Church

Pleasant Valley Baptist Church An independent, fundamental Baptist church, located in the beautiful wooded country of northwest Davis county, Iowa

09/05/2026

WHEN DEAD MEN WALK: Ephesians 2:1-10

I WAS DEAD: 1-2
1. But I walked; living and breathing, but dead
2. According to the course of this world; it was all I knew
3. According to the prince of the power of the air; the devil was in control of my life
4. That’s what dead men do. Understand that

I WAS DEAD IN SINS: 3
1. In all my life; among them all.
2. In the lusts of the flesh and the mind; feelings and fantasies
3. By nature: Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
4. By default: a child of wrath; John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

BUT GOD LOVED ME: 4-6
1. It took rich mercy to save me; Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
2. It took great love to love me; Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
3. It took mighty power to quicken me: 5; 1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4. It took Christ to give me life; Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5. It took grace to finish the job; Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
6. It took it all to give me a home: 6; John 14:2-3 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
**1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

HE GAVE ME A HOME: 7-
1. He gave me a future: 7; 1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

HE GAVE ME FAITH: 8-9
1. It was His gift to me
2. It was the manifestation of grace; Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3. It was not possible for me. I cannot generate faith; Ephesians 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP: 10
1. We are created in Christ
2. We are taken from disobedience to good works
3. We are in the will of God instead of the will of the world and the flesh.
4. We are children of God instead of the children of wrath.
5. Compare verse 2 to verse 10

PLEASANT VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH

SEPTEMBER 6, 2026

09/05/2026

IN THE WORD: Mark 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

I wonder what would happen in our country if we could begin to see things as Jesus saw the nation of Israel in His time. They were a failed people, though they did not realize it. They were in captivity to their own excesses and failures. They were much like our America.
They had a long history and tradition. They could name the names and times of the fathers and heroes, but they failed to realize the real scope and meaning of the lives of those people.
They had many places of worship. The giant temple of Herod stood on the eastern precipice of Jerusalem. There were hundreds of synagogues of all types.
They had a stirring. A strange preacher was preaching in the wilderness and baptizing all those who would come. An expectation had the whole nation abuzz.
They had a large population of outcasts, the hopeless and castaways, people who lived in poverty and in sin. No one wanted to approach them
They had become desensitized to the hope for which their nation had been created. Everything had descended to the physical level, even the way in which they pretended to worship God.
Yet among them, God had sent hope and renewal. The old was going to have to die, but something new was about to be born. Instead of depending on the government and religious leaders something new and living had arrived.
What sprung from Jesus of Nazareth was a faith, not just a religion. The new temple would be the body of the believer. The new people of God would come from all races and nations. The new hope would lie in a New Jerusalem. Here lies the possibility of a renewed America.

LABOR DAY: Observed the first Monday in September, Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being.
American labor has raised the nation’s standard of living and contributed to the greatest production the world has ever known, and the labor movement has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pays tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership – the American worker.

—Various sources

08/29/2026

TREATING THE SYMPTOMS: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

THE MAN AT THE DOOR;
1. A young man at the door at Wal-Mart, talking with people as they came and went.
2. Very sincere and articulate
3. He told me he was telling people the gospel of Jesus Christ
4. When I asked him what the gospel was he told me it was the ‘love of God’.
5. I asked him how God showed His love.
6. He could not readily tell me.
7. He was a former drug addict working for a recovery ministry in another state.
8. Nothing is wrong with helping people recover from addictions, to anything.
9. Misstating the gospel can be fatal.
10. It can be like a doctor, who can only treat symptoms, but who cannot deal with the disease.
11. Many people in this world are seeking love,
12. The problem lies in what they call ‘love’
13. Love is what God did first
14. Real love doesn’t just act, it stays: Romans 8:31-39; nothing can separate us from His love
15. Love is what we experience after we know God
16; Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
*1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
WHY DID CHRIST HAVE TO DIE?
*John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
*Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

WHY WAS HE BURIED?
*Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

WHY DID HE HAVE TO RISE FROM THE DEAD?
*Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
*Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.; new life

WHAT DOES HE DO NOW?
*Romans 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
*Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

PLEASANT VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH

AUGUST 30, 2026

08/29/2026

IN THE WORD: Ruth 3:1 Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?

Naomi was an Israelite woman who lived in the days of the judges. She lived in the vicinity of Bethlehem. A time of famine drove herself and her husband and two sons to seek relief in the country of Moab. While they were there her two sons married local girls. In time, her husband and sons all died. She determined to go home.
One of her daughters-in-law remained in her home country, while Ruth loved her mother-in-law and accompanied her back to Bethlehem. Naomi came back with a discouraged faith, believing that God had dealt her a blow. Ruth went to work in the harvest fields to earn their living.
By seeming chance she came to glean in the fields of Boaz, a near relative of Naomi. This man was impressed by Ruth’s diligence and modesty. He sheltered her and blessed her as she labored.
When Naomi heard about this she remembered an Israelite law that a near relative of a widow was required to marry her and raise up a male heir in the name of the deceased.
She coached Ruth on how to approach Boaz and make the proposal of marriage to him. This had to be done in a very modest way, knowing that a man like Boaz would never respond to any thing improper.
The union was accomplished, and a child was born, whom they named Obed. His son would be called Jesse, and his son, David.
God always works through faith, and even a disappointed faith can return to bear fruit. Hopelessness turned to joy, and God was glorified many times over. God can give more than we could ever imagine: Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,. He will work through faith, and He will glorify His name. We will see it.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Summer is winding down. Thank God for His blessings.

IN OTHER WORDS: “Leave the broken, irreversible past in God's hands, and step out into the invincible future with Him”.—Oswald Chambers

“God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. It is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever.” —Vance Havner

08/22/2026

THE CHRISTIAN ARMOR: Ephesians 6:1–20

THE BATTLE: 10
1. Fought with spiritual weapons: 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
2. The devil does not fear what we have personally; Luke 22:31
3. He may back off, but he never quits: Luke 4:13
4. He will be cast out: Revelation 12:9

THE ENEMY: 11-12
1. The devil; wiles; deceit
2. His army and advocates:
3. He rules men and the world: Ephesians 2:2-3
4. Jesus rules the world: Colossians 1:16; Revelation 12:5

THE DAY: 13
1. The day will come
2. We will be attacked; 5. 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
3. It comes suddenly and unexpectedly; Psalm 91:5-6

THE BELT: 14
1. Attacks on the truth
2. The truth has all the answers
3. Confidence; Colossians 4:6

THE BREASTPLATE: 14
1 Thessalonians 5:8; faith and love
2. Faith covers all the questions
3. Love gives the motivation: Galatians 5:6

THE SHOES: 15
1. Can’t fight without feet
2. Can’t stand either
3. Our feet carry the fight

THE SHIELD: 16
1. Attacks on the emotions
2. Fiery darts: intended to wound and cause pain, to debilitate
3. Faith is a shield; 1 Peter 1:4-5 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
4. It covers it all; Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
5. Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

THE HELMET: 17
1 Thessalonians 5:8; hope; Hebrews 6:19
2. Hope gives all the directions; Hebrews 11:13
3. Hope is our great expectation: Romans 8:19-25
4. Attacks on the mind; Hebrews 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

THE SWORD: 17
1. Cuts to the spiritual realities: Hebrews 4:12
2. The sword reaches the unreachable
3. Where the battle is: 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
4. Attacking the fortifications

THE SUPPLY: 18-19
1. Keeping watch
2. Giving utterance; speaking out
3. The supply is endless

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES:
2 Timothy 2:26
Ephesians 2:1-3
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
Psalm 91:1-8

PLEASANT VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH

AUGUST 23, 2026

08/22/2026

IN THE WORD: Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Jesus had a ministry that the religious authorities of the time did not even consider. They were more interested in keeping their position and power than in doing what God had appointed them to do. Their religion was more into rules and outward things while the people starved in their souls.
They hated Jesus because He did not play their game. They despised the hungry multitudes that had no shepherd.
Imagine the joy of their hearts when this humble stranger appeared to make the offer of Matthew 11:28-30. He brought them hope, while the religion of the day totally rejected them from the kingdom of God unless they could live to the satisfaction of the hierarchy.
He made no conditions. He said ‘come’. He did not call the well-doing. He called the weary and heavy laden. They had nothing to offer, but they were called and welcomed.
He offered them rest, but it was in the form of a yoke. He did not say ‘do’, he said ‘come’. He did not call them to earn it, He promised to give it.
The more of the people that came to Jesus, the less they would need the religious leaders. Their spirit was evident in their attitude toward those who needed them most, and in the fact that, when they could not silence their opponent, they murdered Him.
Never have we needed a Christlike spirit more than we do today. We live in a divided nation and a divided world. The day is coming when we will need Him, and each other. Their generation failed, and lost it all. That is exactly the choice that we have now.
Christians throughout the centuries have given it all up to gain something better. “Take my yoke upon you” is a pathway to victory.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

IN OTHER WORDS: “Our love to God is measured by our everyday fellowship with others and the love it displays.” —Andrew Murray

“The one who will be found in trial capable of great acts of love is ever the one who is always doing considerate small ones.” —Frederick W. Robertson

“Whatever a person may be like, we must still love them because we love God.” —John Calvin

“Love is an image of God, and not a lifeless image, but the living essence of the divine nature which beams full of all goodness.” —Martin Luther

“The two poles could sooner meet, than the love of Christ and the love of the world.” —Thomas Brooks

“The things that we love tell us what we are.” —Thomas Aquinas

“We may force our Lord to punish us, but we will never have to force Him to love us. That's His nature.” —Thomas Watson

08/15/2026

BLESSED IS THE MAN: Psalm 1:1-6

A SEPARATED MAN: 1
• In his walk: not in the words of the ungodly. WHAT THEY SAY
• In his way: not in the way of sinners; WHAT THEY DO
• In his position: he has made his choice, and is settled in it; WHAT THEY ARE
• Which man? ANY MAN THAT DOES THESE THINGS

A DIRECTED MAN: 2
• In his heart: what he delights in; DO WE HAVE PLEASURE IN THE WORD OF GOD?
• In his mind: where his mind is; what he strives to understand and practice; DO WE PRACTICE THE WORD OF GOD?
• In his life: where his position in life is. An established position that is consistent; DO WE REMAIN IN THE WORD OF GOD?.

A DEDICATED MAN: 3
• He is planted: he roots down, and remains; WHERE HE IS PLANTED
• He is fruitful: because of where he is planted; WHAT HE FEEDS ON
• He is consistent; not off and on; WHAT HE GROWS ON
• He is blessed; whatsoever he doeth; because he is separated, directed, and dedicated. WHAT HE THINKS ON
• He pleases God and lives in a way that God can bless. WHAT HE WORKS ON

THE UNGODLY IN THE EYES OF GOD: 4
• Are not separated, directed, or dedicated; they are self-willed
• Will not produce godly fruit

THE UNGODLY IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE RIGHTEOUS: 5
• They will not stand in the judgment
• They will not be gathered with the righteous
• They will be cast away

THE UNGODLY IN THEIR FINAL DESTINATION: 6
• God recognizes the way of the godly
• God rejects the way of the ungodly

DEFINITIONS:
• GODLY: those who choose and live in the ways of God
• UNGODLY: those who choose and practice wickedness
• BLESSED: favored,

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES:
• Proverbs 3:1-12
• Ephesians 4:13-16
• 2 Peter 1:1-11
• Hebrews 11:6

PLEASANT VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH

AUGUST 16, 2026

08/15/2026

IN THE WORD: Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

The religion of the New Testament consists of both faith and practice. The first without the second is not the way preached and practiced by Jesus and the Apostles.
The first church in Jerusalem first preached and came to faith, and then began to practice that faith. (Acts 2)
Paul, the great teacher of the New Testament, divided his epistles between the two, often very equally.
The Great Commission commands the church to do this very thing: Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: The Apostles followed this pattern in all their ministries. They found believers and then organized them into churches so that they could be taught and could practice Christianity together. No other way was ever contemplated.
The gifts of the Spirit are arranged in this manner: Ephesians 4:11-12 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
The New Testament never promotes numbers over personal growth and practice. We do not know how big some of these churches were, but we are told what they did. Jesus said this: Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
A happy and productive faith will follow this pattern.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Pray for our country before our pride destroys us.

LISTEN LORD

O Lord, we come this morning
Knee- bowed and body- bent
Before Thy throne of grace.
O Lord—this morning----
Bow our hearts beneath our knees,
And our knees in some lonesome valley.
We come this morning–
Like empty pitchers to a full fountain,
With no merits of our own.
O Lord—open up a window of heaven,
And lean out far over the battlements of glory,
And listen this morning.

From: God’s Trombones
By: James Weldon Johnson

08/08/2026

A DAILY PRESENCE: Exodus 33:12-23

THE NEED:
• They had already come out of Egypt
• They had already been to Mount Sinai
• Moses did not ask for something for the far off future, but for the day

A DAILY PROMISE: 12
• Commission: a reason
• Promise

A DAILY GUIDANCE: 13
• Show me thy way
• That we are thy people

A DAILY PRESENCE: 14-15
• My presence shall go with thee
• If not

A DAILY WITNESS: 16-17
• God with us
• Separate us
• Know us by name

A DAILY GLORY: 18
• Show me

A DAILY HOPE: 19
• God’s goodness
• His name
• His grace

A DAILY ACCEPTANCE: 20-21
• Can’t see my face; yet
• There is a place by me

A DAILY SECURITY: 22-23
• In the cleft of the rock
• Covered with His hand
• Thou shalt see

PLEASANT VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH

AUGUST 9, 2026

And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:

Exodus 33:21

08/08/2026

IN THE WORD: Exodus 33:13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.

I do not believe there is one person in the Bible that did not need assurance, no matter what their previous experiences had been. Moses had faced up to Pharaoh, crossed the Red Sea, had seen God’s provision, and had been to Mount Sinai. But, things were still not going right. One victory only means another will be needed. The battle is constant.
David was exalted, and then despised. Nothing in life looked like the promises made upon him through the ministry of Samuel. The devil always has his advocates which will try to discourage the saints, even in the light of the most precious promises. He cannot cause that God will fail of those promises, but he can cause a discouraged saint to fail to pursue them.
The believers of Hebrews 11 had plenty of discouragement. They had to learn to persevere until they could see the overall scope of the things promised. God has provided believers with both microscopes and telescopes. One allows us to see the things near at hand, and the other to view the things afar off until we realize that those things are also real. The genius of the living Word is that it lights the path of our feet when we only need to take the next step; Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path., but it also lifts us to the mountaintop: Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. One step at a time makes the journey!

ANNOUNCEMENTS: As of 12:30 PM Wednesday my rain gauge is showing four inches! More coming.

FAITH IS THE VICTORY; John H. Yates, 1891

Encamped along the hills of light,
Ye Christian soldiers, rise,
And press the battle ere the night
Shall veil the glowing skies.
Against the foe in vales below
Let all our strength be hurled;
Faith is the victory, we know,
That overcomes the world.

Refrain:
Faith is the victory!
Faith is the victory!
Oh, glorious victory,
That overcomes the world.

His banner over us is love,
Our sword the Word of God;
We tread the road the saints above
With shouts of triumph trod.
By faith, they like a whirlwind’s breath,
Swept on o’er every field;
The faith by which they conquered death
Is still our shining shield.

On every hand the foe we find
Drawn up in dread array;
Let tents of ease be left behind,
And onward to the fray.
Salvation’s helmet on each head,
With truth all girt about,
The earth shall tremble ’neath our tread,
And echo with our shout.

To him that overcomes the foe,
White raiment shall be giv’n;
Before the angels he shall know
His name confessed in heav’n.
Then onward from the hills of light,
Our hearts with love aflame,
We’ll vanquish all the hosts of night,
In Jesus’ conqu’ring name.

Address

28158 IA-2
Bloomfield, IA
52537

Opening Hours

10:30am - 5pm

Telephone

(641) 675-3635

Website

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