Salem Magley Church

06/02/2026

It's one of the most common objections to Christianity. That the Trinity was invented by church leaders to consolidate power. But the evidence tells a different story. The Trinity wasn't invented. It was discovered by faithful people who couldn't ignore what Scripture kept showing them about who God is.

06/01/2026

This is one of the central promises of Pentecost.

Following Jesus is not always easy. We are called to love, forgive, serve, tell the truth, show mercy, and live differently in a world that often pulls us in every other direction. At times, that can feel like more than we are equipped to do on our own.

But Jesus does not give his people a mission and then leave them to figure it out alone.

He gives the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit fills us for the work of the kingdom. The Spirit empowers us to continue the work of Jesus. The Spirit gives gifts for the good of others. The Spirit unites us as one body, even though we all have different parts to play.

So when faith feels bigger than what you can carry, remember this:

There is good news.

We’re not left alone.

05/30/2026

A note for summer: Our Sunday School is on summer break May 31 through the end of August. The worship service still starts at 10 AM each week. We’ll see ya then!

05/29/2026

05/28/2026

This past Sunday was Pentecost, and we had a little celebration.

The Day of Pentecost is the day when God sent his Holy Spirit upon his people. So here's a question to consider: What if following Jesus is supposed to be more than we can do on our own?

I think most of us know what it feels like to be handed something we do not feel ready to carry. A child. A responsibility. A hard conversation. A calling. A season of life that asks more of us than we think we have in us.

Faith can feel that way too.

Following Jesus is not just believing the right things in our heads. It means learning to love people who are hard to love. It means forgiving when bitterness feels easier. It means telling the truth when silence feels safer. It means serving when we are tired, hoping when we are discouraged, and living differently when blending in would be easier.

That is not small work.

And if we are honest, a lot of us feel unequipped for it.

But the good news of Pentecost is that Jesus does not give his people a mission and then say, “Good luck.”

He gives the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit fills us so we can continue the work of Jesus. The Spirit empowers us to tell the story and live the story. The Spirit gives different gifts to different people for the common good. The Spirit unites us as one body, even though we do not all have the same role.

That means you do not have to be everything.

You are not the whole body.

You do not have to carry every need, solve every problem, lead every ministry, or be responsible for everyone’s faithfulness.

But it also means you are not called to disappear.

You have a part to play. The Spirit has given you something for the good of others. Not for attention. Not for comparison. For love.

So maybe the question is not, “Do I feel equipped?”

Maybe the better question is, “Am I willing to depend on the Spirit for the work Jesus has given me?”

Because following Jesus was never meant to be done in our strength alone.

The Holy Spirit fills us for the work of the kingdom.

05/27/2026

Not everyone has the same job, but everyone has a part to play.

05/26/2026

Most of us drift toward one of two mistakes in the life of the church: carrying too much, or stepping back too far.

Some people try to carry everything. Every need. Every responsibility. Every problem. Every ministry. And eventually, they wear down because they were never meant to be the whole body by themselves.

Others look at the church and think, “I don’t really have anything to offer.” So they step back. They assume the work belongs to someone else.

But Scripture gives us a different picture.

The church is not one person doing everything. The church is a body. A body has many parts, different gifts, different roles, and different kinds of work. But there is one Spirit, one Lord, and one shared purpose.

That means you do not have to do everything. You are not called to be the whole body by yourself.

But it also means you do have a part to play. The Spirit has given you something for the good of others. Not for attention. Not for comparison. For love.

The church becomes healthier when we stop asking, “Why isn’t someone doing this?” and start asking, “What part has the Spirit given me to play?”

You’re not the whole body.

But you are part of it.

And your part matters.

05/25/2026

Some things can help. But only Jesus can solve what only Jesus can solve.

05/22/2026

Why did Jesus go?

That question is not only about something that happened a long time ago. It is a question about the world we are still living in.

We believe Jesus rose from the dead, but the world is still broken. We believe Jesus is King, but we still see suffering, confusion, evil, and death. We believe Jesus is with us, but we do not see Him standing in front of us the way His first followers did.

So why did He leave?

The answer is not that Jesus abandoned His followers. He left because His earthly work was complete, and the next part of the plan was beginning.

He returned to the Father, but He did not leave His people alone. He prayed for them. He entrusted them to the Father’s care. He promised the Holy Spirit. And He sent them into the world to bear witness to His story.

That means we are not living in an empty waiting room. We are living in the middle of the story.

We are held by the Father.
We are empowered by the Spirit.
We are sent by the Son.

Following Jesus now means trusting God when life is uncertain, standing firm when faith is difficult, resisting evil when temptation comes, casting our anxieties on the Father, and bearing witness to Jesus in everyday life.

Jesus went to the Father, but He has not forgotten us. He has not abandoned us. He has not left the story unfinished.

He had a plan.

And we are still part of it.

05/21/2026

We reach for all kinds of things to fix what feels broken in us. Some of them can help. But nothing can solve the problem that only Jesus can solve.