St Paul's Reformed Church

St Paul's Reformed Church We meet every Sunday at 11am for our weekly service, which is a mix of traditional and contemporary worship with practical Bible teaching.

We worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00am. Our Sunday School begins at 9:45.

06/03/2026

Good morning:

We are in the Beatitudes today. This is from Jesus's Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5, 6, 7). Beatitude is from a Latin word that means "blessed". In the Greek, blessed means "happy". The whole series of Beatitudes is found in v. 3-12. Each statement of blessedness states within it the reason why or how it is so.

Our Key Verse:

"Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called sons
of God" (Matthew 5:9).

Peacemakers actively work on reconciling persons or parties in conflict with each other. How is that done? Often it is just a matter of unfiltered listening. By "unfiltered' I mean get yourself out of the way of the conversation. We all have filters; our past experiences, education, personal prejudices and preferences, and hot buttons.

You don't "identify with" one or the other in a matter; you identify with Christ (see 2nd Corinthians 5:18-19).

The peacemakers rise above themselves, listen objectively, and observe what's really going on; quietly asking the Holy Spirit to help them discern the matter at hand, to understand those who feel alienated, and to be able to find the bridge that will lead toward reconciliation. Peacemakers shall be called "sons of God"; meaning they are like God in nature and character.

How do you do that? Jesus says:

".. love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?... Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:44-46, 48). Perfect is to be spiritually mature, complete.

Paul describes the character of the elect of God, whose model is Jesus.

"Therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Colossians 3:12-16).

Those who bring peace among others find that peace within themselves.

Have a blessed day!

Pastor Dennis

06/01/2026

Good morning:

"Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them" (Psalm 119:129).

The Key verse of peace for today:

"Great peace have those who love
Your law,
And nothing causes them to
stumble" (v.165).

When you have a regular time with the scriptures (be it little or much), there is a stabilizing effect it has on you.

During the last two years of my mother's life, I had many pressures; sometimes needing to drive 180 miles round trip more than once per week to see to her needs and to deal with other stressful matters. On the way there, I would pull over and sit with my Bible in a coffee shop, just to spend time with God for 20 minutes. It didn't matter what part of the Bible I read; it was God's word speaking into my spirit the calm and encouragement I needed for that day.

When facing adversity or the overwhelming pressure to compromise your integrity, or to give up; be strengthened by your commitment to His word The Lord will enable you to stand. Some adversaries are bigger than you; however, the Lord is bigger than them. {Also read Jude 24-25}

"Now to Him who is able to keep
you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His
glory with exceeding
joy,
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen" (Jude 24-25).

Have a blessed day!

Pastor Dennis

05/30/2026

Good morning:

"Lord, what is man, that You take
knowledge of him?
Or the son of man, that you are mindful
of him?
Man is like a breath;
His days are like a passing shadow" (Psalm 144:3-4).

Have you given much thought to how brief life is here on earth? Is that a depressing thought?

Why? (This is not a rhetorical question).

David is mindful that the Eternal God has us in His thoughts. Though we all come and go so quickly on the earth, God is personally interested in each of us. He cares about YOU. Isn't that intriguing?

David ponders before the Lord: What is a human being, that you know them and are mindful of them? To me, this implies that though your life may seem insignificant to you, it is not so with God. You came from Him and your spirit will return to him. But for now, while you're here, what matters to you matters to Him.

That should cause you to pause and consider that since the Eternal One is mindful of you and your brief life; are you equally as mindful of what matters to Him? What would please the Lord, your Creator? In Christ, He is your Father, you are His child.

As James points out, you don't know what will happen tomorrow. So where do you find God's hand in your life today?

"For what is your life? It is even a v***r that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14). That's not a depressing thought. It's a fact that, when properly considered, can help you center your life in Christ. If you see things more as He sees them, you will grow to be more like Him.

Therefore, as you consider your plans and goals, keep the eternal perspective; He knows the beginning from the end, and the distance between those two points is relatively short. "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that" (James 4:15).

Be blessed in knowing that the Lord is mindful of you.

Pastor Dennis

05/29/2026

Good morning:

Paul writes from prison to a church he'd never visited. One of his converts, Epaphras, had come from there to visit Paul and tell him of their faith. They also had been plagued with false teachers who were diverting them from the gospel they had come to believe. But rather than attack the false teachings to which they'd been exposed, Paul emphasized the truth they already knew. In his opening words, he lifts up a prayer that you could adopt for yourself, or someone else who wants to grow in the Lord:

"...(We) do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light" (Colossians 1:9-12).

Turn this verse into a personal prayer for yourself or someone else.

I pray that:

* you (I) may know God's will, with wisdom and understanding as to how to apply it in your life;
* you (I) may walk according to God's word, that as your good works prosper, you know God more deeply as you go with Him in it;
* you (I) grow spiritually strong and mature, empowered with patience and longsuffering for every trial, while always filled with joy in the Lord;
* you (I am) are always mindful of our Heavenly Father, constantly thankful, being aware that your life is in Him and that your inheritance in heaven awaits.

"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" (v.13-14).

You are walking in that kingdom NOW. You have access to all that is contained in the above prayer. Don't wish for it. Claim it as your own. Your Father gives it freely to you.

Have a blessed day.

Pastor Dennis

05/28/2026

Good morning:

"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him" (2nd Chronicles 16:9).

This is a great line, suitable for framing, or to wear boldly on a tee shirt. This is an encouraging message. But wait... There's more to it!

Hanani the seer said this to admonish King Asa for his own disloyalty to the Lord. Asa had taken silver and gold out of the temple treasury to buy an alliance with Syria to save Judah from attack (v.1-6). Hanani reminded the king that previously, when the odds were great against him, Asa turned to the Lord and He delivered the nation from its adversaries. Thus Hanai chastised him:

"Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand" (2nd Chronicles 16:7b).

Has this ever happened to you? You have enjoyed great success or miraculous victories by the intervention of the Lord. But then when the next great challenge arises, you devise your own strategy. You don't even think to pray about it. Success can cause you to spiritually relax. When you are greatly blessed by the Lord who loves you and has been with you through so much, you can get used to being blessed. Your loyalties drift from a diligent dependence on Christ; embracing the blessings, but neglecting the Blesser.

"The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the earth." As heaven is running reconnaissance, does the eye of the Lord bypass those whose loyalty has turned away? The eye of the Lord is sweeping by and catching you in the midst of your struggle. A prayer has gone up; a testimony of His faithfulness is shared; a desperate sense of surrender from a broken and contrite heart stops the eye of the Lord and He looks upon you.

The strength comes as you need it, right on time.
A prayer is answered;
The peace that surpasses understanding calms your soul (Philippians 4:7).

The Lord shows Himself strong on your behalf. Isn't it comforting to know that it doesn't depend on you to be strong; especially when your strength is spent?

"... for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).

Watch today how the Lord shows Himself strong for you.

Have a blessed day.

Pastor Dennis

Congratulations!! To the Clear Spring Tennis Team Brady Ernst - 2nd Place Singles Blake Crampton and Wyatt Albowicz Grea...
05/27/2026

Congratulations!! To the Clear Spring Tennis Team
Brady Ernst - 2nd Place Singles
Blake Crampton and Wyatt Albowicz
Great Job - Kaisy Custer and Sophia Lesher

05/27/2026

Congratulations to our graduates Brady and Jace from High School and Hailey from College! May God guide you in your next chapter!

Yesterday was Pentacost ,50 days after Easter. It is known as the birthday of the church. It recalls when the Holy Spiri...
05/26/2026

Yesterday was Pentacost ,50 days after Easter. It is known as the birthday of the church. It recalls when the Holy Spirit came and empowered Jesus’ disciples. A sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house-They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

Thanks to Donna and Denise for providing special music yesterday with the handbells, accompanied by Ruth on the piano
05/26/2026

Thanks to Donna and Denise for providing special music yesterday with the handbells, accompanied by Ruth on the piano

05/26/2026

Good morning:

During the Covid pandemic, many people wore masks in public. Some still do. Does the mask cause you to look at people differently? Some have designer masks that are cute or stylish. Some are the plain white N-95 variety. And some are just kerchiefs that have been spread across the wearer's face. Some people put a lot of thought into what kind of mask they wear; perhaps to be amusing or to convey a message. Others wear the necessary piece, as required by the CDC and the establishments they want to enter.

Before the pandemic forced the mask requirement upon us, people were already wearing masks. It's what we call our "game face". Keeping a stiff upper lip, smiling in the rain, etc. Nowadays the physical masks have made it somewhat easier to hide oneself.

Do you look at people differently now because of these masks? I tend to look at the eyes of people I greet, do business with, or pass while entering a store. What do the eyes say? Do you see smiling eyes? Or maybe stress lines, fear, or pain? Do you engage a stranger with a greeting or small talk because the look in their eyes invites you?

Think about that the next time you go out and pass people. There is so much going on behind the mask.

If you are in Christ and you engage His word daily, you will find that you are surprisingly perceptive as you initiate a conversation with someone. It really makes sense when you think about it.

God so loved the world (John 3:16). You are in the world. The people you encounter are in the world. But as a believer in Christ, you are not of the world. The Lord who redeemed your soul has "overcome the world" (John 16:33), and has equipped you to understand spiritual things. In Christ you are equipped to be where so many masked souls dwell.

Read 1st Corinthians 2:9-16. But especially consider the last two verses. Paul explains why you can understand things on a spiritually deeper level; and why some people don't see what you do.

"But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For 'who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?'
But we have the mind of Christ" (v.15-16). The spirit-led person can see things from Christ's perspective.

Jesus tells His disciples that they are more than mere servants, "But I have called you friends" (implying a relationship of familiarity), "for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you" (John 15:15).

Those "things" may not always be pieces of information. It sometimes can mean that He is showing you how to perceive the information you already have; to see behind the mask.

Just be sure you are in the word regularly, so that you know you're hearing His voice and not your own.

Be blessed today.

Pastor Dennis

Address

14106 National Pike
Clear Spring, MD
21722

Opening Hours

9am - 12pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when St Paul's Reformed Church posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Place Of Worship

Send a message to St Paul's Reformed Church:

Shortcuts

Share

Category