Upper Room Baptist Church

10/20/2026

Good morning URBC! Let us come before the Lord with PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING IN OUR HEARTS! HALLELUJAH! Today is Tuesday and here’s Tuesday’s Treasure!

The world teaches us to protect our comfort, advance our interests, and look away when another persons need becomes inconvenient. Jesus calls us higher. He calls us to a love that notices, a compassion that moves, and a faith that reaches out its hand. God‘s love is never passive. When His love truly lives within us, it changes what we see, what we value, and how we respond to every situation. We can no longer walk past suffering untouched. We begin to recognize every burden as an opportunity to reveal the heart of Christ. Do we add to burdens or do we help carry them? STOP 🛑 AND READ: Luke 11:42-46.

In these verses Jesus confronts religious leaders who placed heavy demands on others, but would not lift even one finger to help. His words expose a dangerous, kind of faith: one that speaks about righteousness, but yet withholds mercy. Truth without compassion, can become another burden. God‘s commands are holy, but those who proclaim them must also embody His grace. We are not called merely to point out the road; we are called to walk beside the weary. We are not called merely to identify wounds; we are called to bind them. We are not called to stand over people in judgment; we are called to kneel beside them in love and prayer. 1 John 3:17 says: if anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? John asks a piercing question: How can God’s love remain in us if we see a need and close our hearts? Compassion is more than feeling sorry! It is love taking action! Kind words matter, but when we have the ability to help, words alone are not enough.

Meeting needs may mean sharing food, clothing, shelter, time, and yes, even money! It may also mean listening without judgment, praying with and for someone in pain, visiting the sick and lonely, encouraging the discouraged, defending the marginalized, or helping a wounded person find their way back to life! Every act of mercy becomes worship when it is offered to Christ through another person. Jesus did not love from a distance. He touched the rejected, welcomed the forgotten, healed the broken, and carried the weight of humanity all the way to the cross! To follow Him is to become available—to let our schedules be interrupted, our resources be shared, and our hearts be moved. When did Christ meet you in your own place of need? WHEN DID YOU FEEL REJECTED, ASHAMED, FORGOTTEN, OR UNWORTHY—AND EXPERIENCED JESUS HEALING TOUCH THROUGH THE MERCY OF SOMEONE? Remember the person who listened to you, the hand that reached for you, the prayer that held you up, or the community that welcomed you home! Do not keep that testimony buried! Let the mercy you received become the mercy you give! The grace that restored you can become the grace that reaches someone else through YOU!

Ask God to show you one burden you can help carry today! Then act! Make the call. Share the meal! Offer the ride without price! Give GENEROUSLY! Sit with the hurting! Pray with the weary and offer support to the broken! Do not wait for a more convenient moment—BE THE ANSWER TO SOMEONE’S PRAYER NOW AND SHARE THE SAME MERCY THAT WAS SHARED WITH YOU! The choice is yours! Grace and Peace, Pastor Bivens

10/18/2026

Come Praise and Worship with us on this 3rd Sunday.

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10/13/2026

GOOD MORNING URBC! Let’s give God one more PRAISE! Today is Tuesday and here is Tuesday’s Treasure! Have you ever opened your mailbox and discovered an invitation, tucked among the ordinary mail? And not just any invitation, a wedding invitation! What a joyful surprise! It brings a sense of excitement, warmth, and celebration as you realize that someone has chosen you to share in their special day. You feel honored to be included, grateful for the invitation, and excited to be included in the celebration. I am reminded today of God‘s gracious invitation to draw near and share in the celebration of His Love. 🛑 AND READ: Matthew 22:1-14.

Jesus pictures the kingdom of God as a wedding feast— a table, overflowing with joy, welcome, and belonging. Jesus does not reserve a place only for those who seem worthy or have everything together. His invitation reaches to the faithful and the wandering, the strong and the weary, the celebrated and the forgotten. There’s a seat for you, as there is a seat for me. You do not have to earn it, prove yourself, or hide your wounds. You are welcomed because the HEART OF JESUS is full of grace. And this tender welcome is not meant to leave us where it finds us. This invitation reminds us that Grace gently changes the heart. When we truly receive God‘s love, we begin to wear that love into the world—in the forgiveness we offer, the peace we choose, the compassion we extend, and the love that we freely give. God’s grace asks nothing of us before we come, yet once it holds us, we cannot remain the same.

Today you may feel unworthy of the invitation, or you have grown comfortable at the table without letting Grace reach the guarded places within you. Perhaps you simply reject the invitation. But know this, God‘s invitation to grace is always open to all. Wherever you are, the invitation is free, without cost or requirement of perfection. And hear this: GOD IS NOT TURNING ANYONE AWAY! He is drawing you closer! His invitation is not based on skill, performance, or competition. God’s selection process welcomes all who have willing hearts! In a world filled with competing choices, it is easy to miss God‘s gracious invitation. Some draw with curiosity, glimpse only the surface, and turn away when the journey seems costly. Others begin the dance of faith, but leave the celebration when Christ lovingly reveals the habits and hidden burdens that must be surrendered. Yet the joy of His feast is worth the journey. As we practice forgiveness, prepare our hearts, and endure in faith, let go of what hinders us, give thanks, and receive His grace, we become ready for the celebration! To wear Christ’s wedding garments is to choose HIM above all else and to let HIS virtue shape the way we live each day! Bring Him your fear, your resistance, and the parts of your life that still need healing! And when you accept He will clothe you in whatever you need! But the choice is yours!

Today: Take a quiet moment and imagine God saving a place for you at HIS TABLE ! Receive His welcome without trying to earn it! Then choose one person who may need to experience that same GRACE today and offer it through a sincere word, a patient response, a listening ear, an act of forgiveness, a simple gesture of kindness or a hug! Ask God to clothe you with compassion when it is easier to judge! Forgiveness when you want to hold onto pain! Peace when anger arises and courage when love feels costly! Grace and Peace be with you always, Pastor Bivens

10/11/2026

Come Worship with us.

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10/06/2026

Good morning URBC! Today is Tuesday and here is Tuesday’s Treasure! LET’S GIVE GOD GLORY! No for REAL! LET’S GIVE GOD GLORY! Not casually! Not quietly! STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING, TAKE A BREATH, AND TURN YOUR FULL ATTENTION TOWARD THE LORD AND JUST GIVE HIM GLORY! Before you ask Him for anything, honor Him for everything. He is HOLY! He is FAITHFUL! AND HE IS WORTHY! STOP AND READ: Psalm 29:2.

We do not give GLORY TO GOD BECAUSE HE LACKS ANYTHING! We cannot add to His greatness, improve His character, or make Him more glorious than He already is. To Glorify God is to recognize His infinite worth, honor His holy name, and reflect His loving character through our thoughts, words, choices, and actions. God is worthy of all glory, honor, and praise! Every good gift bears the mark of His hand. Even when He works through our talents, resources, or obedience; the credit still belongs to Him! We are vessels; He is the SOURCE! We are His servants; He is the KING! We are the work of His hands, He alone is the CREATOR! Isaiah 43:7 declares that we were created for God’s Glory! That truth gives our lives both identity and purpose. You, We matter to God! He made us, saved us, sustains us, protects us, keeps us and will never abandon us! Because He has been faithful to us, we can trust Him with every part of our lives! GIVE GOD SOME GLORY!

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:3, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the GLORY OF GOD! God is not asking for one hour on Sunday while the rest of our lives remain untouched. He wants our whole lives—our homes, our work, relationships, ambitions, conversations, private decisions, and public witness. Let your life speak TO THE GLORY OF GOD! Glorifying God requires humility. The world urges us to build our own name, seek applause for self and live for recognition. But the surrendered heart prays: LORD LET MY LIFE POINT BEYOND ME TO YOU! When praise comes, return it to God! When success comes, use it for the Glory of God! When difficulty comes, trust God in it! Whether you stand on a platform or serve where no one sees you, let God receive the honor. Give God GLORY WITH YOUR ACTIONS, because a life of worship speaks louder than words!

Before this day ends, choose one intentional act that directs attention to God! Encourage someone without seeking credit! Serve where there is a need without asking for anything in return! Surrender unto God a hidden area of your life! Tell someone what the Lord has done for you! Choose kindness over criticism. Speak truth in LOVE! Encourage the weary! Show mercy to the undeserving! Forgive when pride tells you to hold on! Forgiveness is for you and your heart! Do what is right even when it costs you! Ask yourself before every decision: WILL THIS BRING GLORY TO GOD? Every act of obedience becomes a declaration: GOD, YOU ARE GREATER THAN MY COMFORT, MY REPUTATION, AND MY WILL! LET ALL I SAY AND DO ALWAYS BRING YOU GLORY! The choice is yours! Grace and Peace, Pastor Bivens

10/04/2026

come worship with us

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09/29/2026

Good morning URBC! And as Apostle Paul says: MAY LOVE BE WITH YOU ALL IN CHRIST JESUS! Today is Tuesday and here is Tuesday’s Treasure! Each day God calls us to work in His vineyard and to bear fruit that lasts. To live the good life is not a matter of independence but of obeying God’s commandments. God desires sincere obedience, not empty words or promises. True righteousness is not found in appearance or status but in repentance that leads to action. True obedience is; doing, not merely saying, what God commands. The obedience that Jesus desires is a surrender to the one who wants what’s best for the one who surrenders. STOP AND READ: Matthew 21:28-32.

This Gospel is a parable of two sons, a story about obedience to God. The parable of these two sons teaches that true obedience is not in words but in deeds. Simply saying “YES” to God means nothing if it does not lead to action. Talking about it and being about it is two different things! As well as knowing it and not doing it! Jesus teaches that what pleases the Father is not appearance, but authentic conversion expressed through works of LOVE! This parable exposes the danger of spiritual complacency and invites every believer to integrity of faith—to live what we PROFESS! Ask yourself: Do my words of faith correspond with my actions in my daily life? Have I ever said “yes” to God in prayer but failed to follow through in obedience? How can I grow in sincerity, ensuring that my “YES” becomes a living and active service to God?

This parable calls every believer to humility, sincerity, and repentance—TO MOVE FROM JUST LIP SERVICE TO HEARTFELT OBEDIENCE! In God’s eyes, it is never too late to turn around, for His vineyard always welcomes those who return with sincere contrite hearts. God welcomes all who repent and turn back to HIM, REGARDLESS OF HOW BAD WE’VE MESSED UP OR FALLEN! Empty promises and outward religiosity are meaningless before God, who desires a heart that obeys in LOVE! The kingdom of God belongs to those who, though once disobedient, respond to GRACE WITH HUMILITY AND ACTION! Which son are you—the one who speaks obedience or the one who lives it? God is more pleased with honest repentance than with empty piety. To obey is better than sacrifice! The measure of discipleship is not in promises made, but in obedience lived! But the choice is YOURS! Grace and Peace, Pastor Bivens

09/22/2026

09/22/2026

Good morning URBC! PRAISE THE LORD AND GIVE HIM ALL THE GLORY! HALLELUJAH! STOP what you are doing and read: Matthew 20:1-16a.

In this parable Jesus tells of a landowner who hires workers throughout the day. When evening comes, he gives every worker the same wage. Those who labored the longest protest, but the landowner asks: ARE YOU ENVIOUS BECAUSE I AM GENEROUS? The story unsettles us because “GOD’S GRACE” refuses to fit the calculations we use to measure fairness, effort, and worth. God’s justice is shaped by goodness, and His compassion toward us is deeper than we can comprehend. How easily we compare our faithfulness with someone else’s. We may quietly believe that our years of service, sacrifice, or love should earn us more, while another person deserves less. Yet Jesus releases us from the exhausting need to earn God’s favor. His love is abundant and freely given to all! God’s love is not earned by our actions but is a complete, unmerited gift from Him, poured out through Jesus. NO CONDITIONS OR PRICE! Every one of us receives more mercy, forgiveness, holiness, salvation, love, grace, and life than we can ever deserve.

There are two ways to live: By keeping score or by trusting grace. Keeping score makes us anxious about what we deserve and resentful of what others receive. Grace invites us to rest in the character of God. He gives mercy not because we have earned it, but because He is God and He is Good! God’s generosity is greater than your merit—and that is the best news! The workers in the parable entered the vineyard at different hours, just as people respond to God in different seasons of life. Some walk with Christ for many years; while others turn to Him much later. Still, salvation is never a wage we earn, it is freely given. It is the gift of a generous and loving God! Instead of comparing your journey with someone else’s, receive God’s goodness with gratitude and celebrate when others receive it too! The invitation is open even now to all! Christ is calling you to come, receive His grace, and belong! Will you trust His generosity and grace today? The choice is yours!

Pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me grace I could never earn. Forgive me when I compare myself with others or resent the blessings you give them. Teach me to trust your goodness, rejoice in your mercy, and extend your grace freely. In Jesus name, AMEN! Grace and Peace, Pastor Bivens