Chestnut Grove Church, Dillsburg

06/10/2026

Wednesdays in the Word - Got Fruit?

Galatians 5:22-23

Perhaps you remember those ‘Got Milk’ advertisements from a number of years ago. They were humorous as maybe you think of the milk mustaches that were shown. But the point was still made – milk matters. The argument is that milk is good for your body and so you should be including milk as part of your diet.

When I think of Paul’s letter to the Galatians, one main point that Paul is making could be summarized by the phrase ‘Got Fruit?’ This, of course, does not refer to apples and bananas, but the fruit of the Spirit. Paul writes these words in Galatians 5:22-23:

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Perhaps more than anything, these fruit of the Holy Spirit are signs or indicators that someone is a true believer in Jesus Christ. For it is only in Him that these fruit, in their true and ultimate and pure form, are found.

We cannot force these fruits to grow, but we can trust that they will if we are staying close to Jesus and seeking to keep in step with the Holy Spirit as He leads us. These fruits are signs that we are becoming more and more like Jesus. May we pray regularly that these fruits grow in us and that these fruits grow in other believers. Not only does experiencing these fruits reveal that we are living the abundant life that Jesus desires for us, but they are also one of the ways that the Lord draws others to know Him as well. We want others to see the Spirit’s fruit in us so that we can point them to Him.

06/05/2026

Register today at: https://www.myvbs.org/chestnut-grove-vbs-2026

06/03/2026

Wednesdays in the Word - The True Gospel

Galatians 1:8-9
8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!

You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘fake news’ sometime in recent years. The reality, however, is that fake news has been around a very long time. In fact, there is even fake good news. The word ‘gospel’ literally means ‘good news.’ Sadly, there were certain individuals in the early days of the church that had spread fake news about the good news of Jesus. They were teaching that belief in Jesus for salvation was not sufficient. They teach that people needed to also put themselves under the law of Moses.

In this passage Paul adamantly tells the church that this must not be accepted. Those proclaiming this fake news gospel needed to repent or they would be under God’s judgment for preaching a false message about Jesus.

This passage is a clear reminder that Christians are called to understand the good news of Jesus. And this good news is that it is by grace alone through faith alone through Christ alone that people are saved. Paul understood this very clearly and he recognized the danger. We must do so as well. We must not turn the gospel of grace into a fake news gospel of works. This false gospel is not only untrue, but it is also spiritually dangerous, as it leads to pride and striving and self-justification, rather than trust in the full sufficiency of Jesus and His saving work for humanity. Our role, rather, is to believe in Him and to live all-in for our King. Let us do so with everything we have.

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05/08/2026

05/06/2026

Wednesdays in the Word - God’s House

2 Samuel 7:1-2
1 After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”

King David deeply loved God. One day, however, David had the thought that God should have a beautiful Temple to dwell in, rather than a small tent. When the prophet Nathan sought the LORD’s response on David’s desire, God made it clear to David that God is not in need of any solid building for which to dwell. Nevertheless, God honored David’s idea and told David that his son would build a Temple for Him.

But the fact that David wanted to bless God and honor God was very meaningful to the LORD. God honored David by promising him an eternal house. This meant that David’s kingly line would endure forever. This was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who is both son of David and King forever.

The story of David and seeking to bless God with a temple also foreshadows important spiritual truths for Christians. We are now the temple of the Holy Spirit. God lives within the believer. And we are to be focused on God’s house, in the way that we honor God with our bodies and minds. Moreover, more important than building our physical homes is tending to our relationship with God and allowing Him to have His way in and through us each day.

04/29/2026

Our WITW comes to you today from Butch Miller, a member of Chestnut Grove Church:

The Thermostat, Salt, and Light

18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV

I’ll always remember the children’s Bible school song, “Bullfrogs and Butterflies.” The lyrics speak to the transformation of a tadpole to a bull frog, and also of a caterpillar to a butterfly. The refrain then highlights the point of it, with the words:

Bullfrogs and butterflies
We've both been born again
Bullfrogs and butterflies
We've both been born again
We've both been born again
We've both been born again.

It’s a really cute song, that the kids always loved to sing, and it especially illustrates the principle of increasing glory, and transformation, for those who have placed their faith in Christ. At the moment of our salvation, we are given the deposit of the indwelling Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit immediately begins revealing Jesus Christ to us, causing us to grow increasingly into His image, as we study His word, pray, and as He renews our minds with His thoughts.

At salvation, the glory of God comes within us! God’s plan for us is that just like the tadpole becomes a bullfrog, and the caterpillar becomes a butterfly, you and I might become the image of Jesus Christ! In Jeremiah 29:11, God promises the following: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” A part of God’s plan for everyone who places faith in Christ, is to transform them into His image. He does not plan for us to remain unchanged following our salvation. He imparts His very own glory as a seed within us, to germinate, and make His own glory increase within us so that every day is a journey into increasing Christlikeness.

I once heard of a pastor who said that as Christians, we are the thermostat in a room! Because of Christ within us, we set the temperature in a room, everywhere we go! Through the presence of Christ in us, the culture, and the atmosphere around us should change! The glory of Christ within us, should infect everything, and everyone near us! Jesus said the same thing, except He didn’t use the word thermostat, He used the words salt and light. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. You and I are the temples of the Holy Spirit! We are commissioned to infect this hate-filled world with the glory of God! We are the church, the body of Christ! We are His ambassadors to declare Jesus Christ as God’s solution to a sin-sick world. By Christ within us, we are to set the temperature in every room we enter, as His glory increases in us! That is His plan for each one of us!

04/22/2026

Wednesdays in the Word - The Call to Holiness

2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1
17 Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 18 And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
7: Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

While the Christian is called to be light and salt in the world, the believer is called to live as someone set apart to live for God. The LORD desires for us to honor Him with everything we have, including what we do with our bodies and what we put into our minds. Everything is meant to be holy unto the LORD. Everything we do is meant to be an expression of worship. Everything is meant to be done as holy unto the LORD.

We live in a world where there is so much that can pollute our minds and our bodies. We are inundated with media, where godliness is often not the focus. We hear profanities and vulgarities around us. Sensual thinking and living are pushed on us through advertisements. As we say “Yes” to Jesus, we must say “No” to these temptations. Let us seek to live as sons and daughters of God that strive to walk in holiness before our Father in heaven. Let us purify ourselves out of reverence for God. We God as our help, let us live lives of joyful holiness.

04/01/2026

As Easter approaches, we wanted to extend an invitation to you to join us for our Easter services at Chestnut Grove Church, 450 Chestnut Grove Road, Dillsburg. We will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ at a sunrise service at 6:30AM followed by breakfast in our Fellowship Hall; and then we will continue the celebration at our traditional worship service at 10:10AM. We would love for you to join us on Sunday, April 5, for a joyous morning of worship, fellowship, and celebration. We look forward to celebrating Easter together!

03/30/2026

Good Friday (April 3) 7:00PM Service at Chestnut Grove Church (450 Chestnut Grove Road, Dillsburg) - The message for this service will be God of Justice. All of us need the blood of Christ to wash us clean from our sins. It is not about our performance in life, but about our trust that God’s justice to atone for humanity’s sin was satisfied in the Passion of Jesus. All are welcome to join us!