Woodland Baptist Church

09/04/2026

09/04/2026

John 1:45-46

Today, I urge you to look past what is artificial and seeing Jesus clearly.

—Philip tells Nathanael they have found Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

—Nathanael asks if anything good can come out of Nazareth.

—Philip answers simply: "Come and see".

—In a world full of artificial images and uncertain things, it is hard to know what is real.

—We are invited to look past doubts and see the truth of Christ in our daily lives.

“Dear Father, thank You for sending Jesus to be Your witness, and to make us His. Amen. “

09/03/2026

The gospel account of John opens with an astonishing declaration: the Word, who is Jesus, the Son of God, has broken into our world. As verse 14 beautifully proclaims, the Word “made his dwelling among us.” If ever there was a moment when the earth could resound with joy and song, it was when the Son of God took on flesh and entered our human story.

No wonder the skies were filled with the sound of a heavenly choir: “Hark! The herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the newborn King!’” (see Luke 2:13-14).

John 1:1-14 reveals the fulfillment of Isaiah 55:11—the Word went out and did not return empty.

Jesus accomplished his mission as the Father had intended. He took on the debt of our sin and rebellion in this world and paid its terrible price through his death on the cross.

He was buried in a tomb, and then he rose from the grave as the Lord of life and salvation. Later he also returned in victory by ascending to his rightful place in heaven. Isaiah had prophesied truly about the Word of God, Jesus, who achieved all that God had sent him to do.

Across the centuries, the power of Christ’s work has echoed to every corner of the earth. Salvation is here. Forgiveness is possible. There is a God who loves you, and in Christ you have an eternal future.

“Jesus, thank you for bringing salvation and new life into our broken lives and our broken world. May your good news echo everywhere. We surrender our hearts to you again today. Amen.”

09/02/2026

You are invited to come and worship with us at our revival meeting September 20-23. The speaker for this meeting will be Clayton Caldwell.
Service times are:

Sunday morning: 11:00 am
Sunday night through Wednesday : 7:00 pm

Come and be a part of these services!

Pray for revival in our county, state, and country!
“If My people…” 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Pray that people will repent and be saved!

If you were to die today, where would you spend eternity?

09/02/2026

Isaiah 55 captures the deep, joyful relationship between God and the world he has made. This chapter overflows with delight in the connection between Creator and creation. What Isaiah describes is resonance— the voice of God and the voice of the world echoing back and forth in harmony.

Isaiah points to the remarkable life cycle of the earth: the seasons for planting and harvesting, and the gifts of rain and snow that water the ground. We may not see the immediate effects of a rainfall; seeds planted in the soil respond to the moisture and begin to sprout. Those sprouts grow into crops, and the crops provide food. What begins quietly ends in abundance.

This imagery carried deep meaning for God’s people. Even if they had a river or a spring for water, they knew they could not survive without the gift of rain or snow. In periods of drought, some of the people turned to worship the gods of other nations, as if maybe those gods could bring rain for their crops. But those ideas yielded only false hope. Through Isaiah, God called the people back to trust and celebrate the only One who truly rules the world and everything in it.

Take some time today to reflect on the beauty of creation and hear the invitation to seek and trust in the one, true, faithful God, who provides for all our needs. Hallelujah!

“Dear Lord, we honor you as the King of creation. Help us to see that you always provide for us, and may we deepen our trust in you alone. In Jesus, Amen.”

08/29/2026

Have you ever received gifts that you opened but never used? Sometimes the gifts we receive don’t have any practical use.

God has given us the greatest gift of all that we can use every day. Are we using it?

In his second letter to Christians scattered across Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), the apostle Peter reminds his readers that the faith that God has given them in Jesus Christ is their most precious gift of all. Moreover, to all who have been called by God’s goodness for his glory, we have been given everything we need to live godly lives. The gift of faith has been given to us, and we are called to use it in living to please God.

How do we grow in pleasing God in our lives? Just as our bodies become fit through exercise, so our righteousness grows through practical use and exertion.

In our reading for today, Peter outlines a practical approach to growing in godliness (2 Peter 1:5-7). Without a doubt, Peter’s spiritual-fitness program can look daunting. But the good news, once again, is that the gift of faith for spiritual growth has already been given to us. We just need to exercise it.

Moreover, Peter notes, the reward for living godly lives includes the promise of abundantly fruitful service for Jesus Christ.

“Dear Lord, Our faith in you, has come as a gift through the Holy Spirit. Help us to exercise our faith by growing in righteousness, for your sake. Amen.”

08/28/2026

I think many people are not comfortable in an intimate relationship with God. They may approach Him as one who is far away in heaven, and they may not feel they are worthy of intimacy with Him.

God referred to Abraham as His friend (Isaiah 41:8), and He spoke to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend (Exodus 33:11). These people were not perfect. They made mistakes just as you and I do, but they had an intimate relationship with God.

I encourage you to be comfortable talking with God about anything. After all, He already knows everything about you, and He loves and accepts you unconditionally.

The more open you are with God concerning everything in your life, the closer to Him you will feel. I believe God is calling you closer, and I pray that you will enter into His presence knowing that you are welcome there.

“Heavenly Father, I want to be as close to You as I can be. Help me not to be ashamed or to feel uncomfortable in any way in Your presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

08/27/2026

When our relationship with Jesus is new, it is often filled with passion and enthusiasm, but it is possible as time goes by to let it become commonplace and dull. That is a serious mistake!

We should keep ourselves stirred up and not allow ourselves to become so familiar with the amazing things that God does for us that we are no longer enthusiastic about them.

Once I recall asking God, “Why don’t You do the exciting things in my life that You once did?” and He said, “I still do the same things, but you have become accustomed to them and are no longer amazed!”

Let’s not be lukewarm but instead let’s keep our passion for Jesus.

“Dear Lord, please don't let familiarity steal my passion for You, because I definitely want to be intimately familiar with You. Help me stay amazed by the amazing work You are doing in my life and keep my enthusiasm for You burning bright. Amen”

08/26/2026

Sometimes hard conversations are necessary. Perhaps you need to discuss a painfully difficult situation with a family member, a neighbor, or a colleague. Maybe you are dreading it, but you know you must do it.

The hardest part of a difficult conversation is to strike the right balance between speaking honestly and speaking with compassion. Speaking without honesty and truth risks misunderstanding, and speaking without compassion risks destroying the relationship.

When we need help with hard conversations, the apostle Paul provides some sound spiritual wisdom. After laying out the rock-solid foundation of Jesus Christ in the life of the church, Paul provides practical advice in Ephesians 4 for living together in maturity and unity.

According to Paul, though Christ has given some members in the church gifts for teaching and leadership, he calls every member to grow in maturity and to strive for unity in the church. Then we will not be blown around “by every wind of teaching” and “deceitful scheming,” he says. Instead, we will grow mature as we speak the truth in love.

With the Holy Spirit’s guidance and blessing, when we keep truth and love in balance, we can expect that growth and maturity will take place in the body of Christ. Truth and love should guide all of our conversations, whether they are easy or difficult.

“Dear Lord, you speak to us with truth and love wherever we are. Help us also to speak with others in all situations with truth and love. Amen.”