Harlan Christian Church

05/11/2026

HCC invites you to join churches across the country in praying for our nation daily from May 15 - July 4. Under the leadership of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, a different pastor from a different state will lead others in prayer for our country over the 50 days leading up to the 250th birthday of the United States. You can register and participate online at https://billygraham.org/one-nation-under-god . Let's join together in praying for our nation!

05/11/2026

My family has four birthdays within a few weeks of Christmas. In the midst of recovering from all of the holiday hustle and bustle, birthday celebrations can get lost, overlooked, or even forgotten. (That happened to me when Josh was born but that was more out of exhaustion than neglect.)
All of that to say that our group of four has no reason to feel sorry for ourselves compared to my son-in-law. You see, Jeff’s birthday is on December 25. That’s right. Jeff’s birthday is on Christmas, the most celebrated day of the year when most everyone gets gifts and eats special foods. But, I must say, that Jeff handles it very well. We celebrate his birthday with a special lunch of whatever he wants to eat followed by the big family Christmas meal later in the day. I hope he doesn’t feel forgotten on his birthday.
This week, we’re going to celebrate one of the most forgotten holidays in the Christian calendar. Everybody remembers Christmas and Easter and we make sure to celebrate Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Pentecost. But, we often forget Ascension Day commemorating the day that Jesus ascended into heaven. Like Jesus’ birth, crucifixion, and resurrection, His ascension is critical to our faith. We’ll take a close look at this important event as we close out the gospel of Luke this Sunday, looking at Luke 24:50-53.
I encourage you to read and pray over these verses, especially on Thursday, May 14, this year’s Ascension Day. This will be an exciting Sunday as we gather for our outdoor worship service, weather permitting, and our graduate luncheon after the service. Let’s prepare ourselves to lift Jesus up in our worship this Sunday. Have a great week and bring a friend!

In Christ,
David

05/06/2026

Join us at HCC to pray for our nation and community during our National Day of Prayer service on Thursday, May 7 at 6:30 PM. We hope to see you there!

05/04/2026

Imagine having great news that would bless and help others but keeping it to yourself. Imagine knowing that World War II was over and the Allies had won but not telling anyone else. Or, imagine having the cure for cancer but not sharing it. Or, what if someone knew something tragic or devastating but preventable was going to happen but not telling anyone else? They kept the information to themselves so they would be saved but told no one else. What would we think of someone who did something like that?
Well-known magician and entertainer Jillette Penn is also known for his outspoken atheism. But, interestingly, Penn has publicly criticized Christians who don’t share their faith with others. He’s quoted as saying, “If you believe that there’s a heaven and a hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life, and you think that it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward, ...how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? I mean, if I believed, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that a truck was coming at you, and you didn’t believe that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that.”
I think Jesus would agree with Penn. We have the best news ever and Jesus tells us to share it. This week, we’re going to look at Luke 24:46-49. I encourage you to read and pray over these verses as we prepare to come together for worship this Sunday. Have a great week and bring a friend. We’ll be sharing the best news ever!

In Christ,
David

04/27/2026

Each year, we take a few weeks at HCC to review our mission, our purpose, our reason for existing. But, this year, we’re going to look at it within the context of the final verses of the gospel of Luke as we finish out our sermon series in May.
At HCC, we explain our mission with “E3” which represents Elevate, Engage, and Equip. This year, we’re going to look at those elements in a different order. We’ll begin by looking at Equip considering how we go about helping and preparing each other to do what God wants us to do.
Each week, we declare that HCC is God’s church which means then that we look to Him for our purpose and mission. We don’t make it up. We follow what He says. It’s His church. So, the place we go to first is the Scripture. That’s a big part of equipping one another—teaching each other to understand and apply the Scripture to our daily lives. One thing that’s become very clear as we’ve studied the life of Jesus in Luke’s gospel is that Scripture was and is very important to the Lord. He quoted and He prayed it often which means that He studied and understood it. And, when we look at the last chapter of Luke, we see that He taught it so His followers could understand it like never before. So, if Scripture was that important to Jesus, it should be that important to us. Knowing and applying God’s Word is a big part of equipping one another to fulfill God’s mission for us as individuals and as a church.
This week, we’re going to look at just a couple of verses. I encourage you to read Luke 24:44-45 and pray over the passage as we prepare to come together for worship this Sunday. We look forward to seeing you again. Have a great week and bring a friend!

In Christ,
David

04/20/2026

We apologize that yesterday's worship service was not available online due to technical problems. The problem has been fixed and next Sunday's worship service will be online at our regular time of 10:30 AM. Thank you for your understanding and have a great week!

04/20/2026

Due to a technical issue, we were unable to live stream the service Sunday Morning, so here is a link to our podcast of the sermon. The issue has been resolved and we look forward to being back this coming Sunday Morning.

Podcast Episode · Harlan CC Podcast · April 20 · 42m

04/20/2026

A few weeks ago on Easter Sunday, we talked about different kinds of evidence that can be used to prove that something is true or that it happened. There’s physical evidence or digital evidence. And, there’s circumstantial evidence. All can be used in a court of law to support someone’s case or a lawyer’s argument. But, one form of evidence has long been considered stronger than the others. Testimonial evidence from an eyewitness who was actually there and saw and heard what actually took place. It’s hard to argue with someone who actually witnessed something happen.
Jesus’ disciples were witnesses to all that He’d said and done. The life-changing teachings. The powerful miracles. His death on a cross and His resurrection. They saw and heard it all and He expected them to tell others what they had experienced.
Jesus also calls us to be His witnesses telling the world about what we’ve seen, heard and experienced in Him. A life changed by the resurrection power of God that brought us back to life through Christ. Even more than that, telling them the reason behind God’s working in our lives. He loves us. He wants to be with us. He made a way for us to be forgiven and restored to Him through Jesus. New life following God’s direction by faith in God’s Son. The gospel.
This week, we’re going to look at another appearance by resurrected Jesus, this time to His disciples along with His mission for them. I encourage you to read ahead in Luke 24:36-49 and pray over the passage as we prepare to come together for worship this Sunday. We look forward to seeing you again. Have a great week and bring a friend!

In Christ,
David

04/13/2026

Years ago, a number of HCC’s members were part of a ministry known as “Walk to Emmaus”. We joined along with other churches to hold weekend spiritual retreats for men and women separately. They were really a time of spiritual renewal as we grew to a deeper understanding of God’s grace shown to us. There was a set format that was followed at each retreat with time for lessons, sharing, worship, meditation, and lots of fun and food. Lots and lots of food! The goal of the weekend was to help each other fall deeper in love with Jesus and, in response, to serve others. And, then, after the weekend, small reunion groups met across the community to encourage each other to continue in our deeper walk with Christ and to hold one another accountable. People from a wide variety of denominations and churches participated. If you ask someone who was a part of one of those retreats, you’ll probably hear that it was one of the most meaningful spiritual experiences they’ve ever had.
We have two people in our congregation, Brad and Gail Hensley, who serve in a ministry known as “Grace Chistian Journey” with very similar experiences and lessons. I encourage you to talk with them if you’d be interested in participating in an upcoming weekend. I don’t think you’ll regret it.
This week, we’re going to return to our sermon series in the gospel of Luke with a look at the story of Jesus’ interaction with two disciples on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection. I encourage you to read ahead in Luke 24:13-35 and pray over the passage as we prepare to come together for worship this Sunday. We look forward to seeing you again. Have a great week and bring a friend!

In Christ,
David

04/06/2026

When I worked at the school in what seems like a lifetime ago, we planted dogwood trees all over the campus. I guess I’m just partial to the blossoms that announce Easter and springtime each year. It brings a smile to my face when I see those pink, white, or deep pink blooms at the school or in yards around town during one of my walks. I just hate that those beautiful flowers don’t last a little longer.
When I was a young boy, my grandmother told me a mountain legend about the dogwood tree and the blossoms. According to her, the dogwood tree grew to be much larger long ago. It was strong and rugged with large trunks and limbs. Perfect for building things. In fact, so goes the legend, the dogwood was used to make the cross on which Jesus was crucified. Realizing that one of their own had been used to do such a horrible thing, dogwood trees refused to grow large any more and produced a blossom as a symbol of Jesus’ crucifixion around Easter time each year. Each pedal on the blossom has a reddish spot as a reminder of the nails that pierced Jesus’ hands and feet and the crown of thorns forced on His head. And, in the middle of the blossom is a patch of tiny flowers that remind us of that crown of thorns. (That’s right. Those are the actual flowers.)
I know that’s only a legend but it’s a good reminder of the season and an excellent object lesson to share the good news of Jesus. I passed that story on to my grandchildren last year only to be pleasantly surprised when they asked me about it again this year. I hope you’ll consider passing it along, too.
I encourage you to join us for worship this Sunday and bring a friend. Have a great week!

In Christ,
David

04/05/2026

Sunday Service
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