Pleasant Valley Baptist Church

Directions

Pleasant Valley Baptist Church We are a body of believers who profess Christ and strive to do His will by reaching, teaching, and s Sunday School: 10:00 a.m. Worship Service: 11:00 a.m.

We are a body of believers who profess Christ and strive to do His will by reaching, teaching, and sharing His love. County Road 301 Jonesboro, TX 76538

10/05/2026

Ready or not, October is here. Thank you Lord for the wonderful rain you sent us! Psalm 28 began our service, then we sang hymns Break out o church, The solid rock, Tis so sweet, and My faith looks up. In our time of prayer we lifted up the Long, Guresky, and Ensor families, we are thankful for the rain, Wallace is improving, Anette and Michael are ill, for the China Springs girls, for the lost, our nation, our military, and peace in the world. We celebrated the Lord's Supper together, a time to look back at the sacrifice of Jesus and a time to look forward to His next coming. Loius XII was king of france in the early 1500's. In his youth, he was falsely imprisoned. When he later became king, his diary was found, and it showed the names of those responsible for his imprisonment followed by a red cross. Many on the list were terrified, some killed themselves, others fled the country. Louis took no action. When asked about the diary, he replied that he had forgiven the men responsible, just as Jesus forgave Louis of his sins. This and other acts led to him being called St. Louis, the man that many of our US cities are named after. Louis knew how important forgiveness is, and he practiced it. Sin is everywhere, it has infected our world. What happens if one person tempts or leads another person into sin? Jesus uses the words woe and skandala, which is where our word scandal comes from. There are many ways we can be a bad influence, especially with the internet. It would be better to have a stone tied around our neck and drowned rather than lead others astray. It is also important that we be slow to take offense if someone does wrong against us. Jesus said to do this 7 times in a day, and that is hard to do. Jesus set the example on the cross when He forgave those who were killing Him. This was too much for the 12, they stopped and asked Jesus for help, they wanted more faith so they could forgive. When we have faith in God, we are trusting Him to do the hard things we can't do ourselves. Our natural response to being hurt is revenge, not forgiveness. If we believe God forgives us for the bad things we do, we can forgive those who hurt us. Jesus can help us, He will give us more faith if we ask. Let us strive to be like the 12 and ask God to increase our faith.
Normal schedule next week, Sunday school at 10 and worship at 11.

09/28/2026

Psalm 28 began our last September worship service, fall must be close. We worshipped our King with the words of hymns Tell it to Jesus, I need thee every hour, Trust and obey, and Precious Lord. In our prayer time we remembered Rebekah and family, the family of Marilyn Guresky, Betty Helen and Linda are improving, Naomi, rain, Johnny's eyesight, for all in nursing homes and hospitals as well as caregivers, for the lost, for world peace, and for revival in our nation. The sermon concluded Luke 16, the teaching of Lazarus and the rich man. The attitude towards smoking in the US has changed drastically in the last 40 years. Kids used to buy ci******es from machines outside stores, every home had ashtrays, and kids made ashtrays for Father's Day. Ci******es are now seen as bad, they can cause cancer. Some people still start smoking, but they know the dangers. They are similar to those who know about God but choose to ignore Him. Jesus taught about hell, it is a real place where real people go every day. This passage in Luke is the least preached on today, people don't like hearing about hell anymore. This passage is often called a parable, but parables don't usually give the name of an individual, this does. The rich man in the story wasn't a little rich, he was very rich, he could wear purple. Lazarus lived on the streets, he begged and longed for the table scraps of the rich man, but he got nothing. The rich man had many chances to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and heal the sick, but he ignored Lazarus constantly. The 2 men were seperat5ed by a gate on earth, but when they died, a huge gulf kept them apart. Earth may have forgotten about Lazarus, but heaven didn't. Lazarus went to heaven, while the rich man went to Hades, which is a place of torment, agony, heat, and pain. The rich man asked Abraham to have Lazarus bring him a drop of water, but he was refused. That is because there will be no mercy in hell. Let that sink in. Those who live for the things of this world will get their reward here and suffer later. When the rich man was rejected in his first request, he then thought of his family. He asked if Lazarus could be sent back from the dead to teach his brothers about hell. We know from the near future that a different Lazarus was raised from death and people still refused to believe. There is a real problem in the world today, people are going to hell. It isn't because God hasn't given them chance after chance, most people have Bibles in their home. The Bible can teach us salvation if we read it. Ultimately, there are 2 eternal destinations. Jesus said whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. What about you? Where do you want to end up? Where will you spend eternity, in the smoking or non-smoking section?
Regular schedule next week, Sunday school at 10 and worship at 11. We will also celebrate the Lord's Supper.

09/14/2026

Sunday was an extra special day for us at Pleasant Valley, we celebrated 150 years of God's goodness and faithfulness! The church was packed with friends, former members, and special guests. Psalm 27 opened the service, then we sang hymns Joy to the world, Amazing grace, Victory in Jesus, and Great is they faithfulness. Special thanks to Josh Sanders, Curt Voss, and Richard Ray for helping lead the singing. Granger tuned 6 this week, so he got serenaded. We heard a short history of the church, which started meeting outside in 1873 under some oak trees. On Sept. 10, 1876, Pleasant Valley was founded. For over 70 years it served as both church and school house. Other events in 1876 were the centennial of the US, the invention of the phone, the battle of the Little Bighorn, and the first year for Texas A&M. The church was largely unchanged from the 1800's until 1980. In the 80's we installed indoor plumbing and restrooms, a kitchen, and AC. In the 90's we put on the metal roof, got a sound system, and the stained glass windows. For most of the history of the church, our mission was a teaching/training church for seminarians from Ft. Worth. The typical stay was 1-2 years. In the last 14 years we installed new carpet and flooring, re-painted, put in a new fence, new septic, new wiring, new siding, and some other improvements. God has blessed this congregation indeed. Several people spoke about their experiences with the church, then it was time for the message. In 1965, Pastor Bob Ray came out to Pleasant Valley to preach one Sunday, that was before he became pastor at Fairy, where he has been ever since. Pastor Bob told us of his first experience and the changes in the building. His message was from Zechariah 12 and was about persistence. The name Zechariah means "God remembers". Zechariah was sent to encourage the people to continue to rebuild the Temple, to be persistent. A church doesn't last for 150 years without being persistent. The Jews had come back from captivity and started the Temple, but then quit. Zechariah told them to be persistent. Pastor Ray applied that to us in 4 ways, that we be persistent in our love for God, in our obedience to God, in our faithfulness to God, and that we tell others about God. Pastor Bob gave several examples and stories of how we can do each of these, but the key to anything that lasts is being persistent, in not giving up. Persistence is often an overlooked virtue and quality for Christians and others to have, especially today. Very few companies int he US have lasted 150 years, but the church continues due to the protection and providence of God. After the wonderful message we gathered for a time of food and fellowship and continued to celebrate together and proclaim that our God is a faithful and loving God. Thank you Pastor Bob Ray for the excellent and timely message.
Regular Sunday next week, Sunday school at 10 and worship at 11. Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate with us.

09/06/2026

So good to be back after a month long hiatus in cooler climes. After getting caught up on all the news, we went to worship together. Psalm 27 began our service, then we sang hymns For 1000 tongues, There is a fountain, Praise Him!, and Wonderful words. On the prayer list, Beth and Hollis have cancer, Wallace is having surgery, Justin got a new job, Chastity is having health concerns, for the kids back at school, for our nation and leaders, peace, and for revival. A special thanks to Butch Putnam, Ray Storms, and Miles Meairs for leading worship in August. An extra special thanks to Austin for helping each of them during the services. The sermon was from Luke 16, the parable of the dishonest manager. Money is an excellent servant but a poor master. Money itself isn't evil, it is a tool, like a hammer or wrench. The hand that holds it determines its use. In the parable, a money manager has been caught stealing. Before he gets fired, he cuts some deals with his masters debtors. Some got a 50% reduction. The manager knew he couldn't do manual labor or beg, so he bought favor with his masters money. Later, the manager would ask the people to stay with them and they would oblige due to the money he saved them. The master says that the manager acted shrewdly. Jesus isn't saying that dishonesty is ok, He gave an example of how the world works, and that honesty is a rare virtue. Jesus then taught to use money to buy friends, like the manager did. The friends we should buy are those who are spiritual friends, those we may see in heaven. They could be a neighbor in need, a person who read a Gideon Bible, a lady who went to the pregnancy center and was saved, or someone who attended a worship service and heard the gospel. In addition, those who are faithful with small amounts can be faithful with large amounts. When working for God, there are no small jobs. Any work done well pleases God. How we use our money speaks volumes about us. Those who invest in the kingdom are wise, those who invest in themselves are foolish. Jesus also taught that we can't have 2 masters, we either serve God or money. It is important that we give cheerfully and sacrificially. A good question to ask is this; would I buy this item if Jesus was standing next to me? Jesus paid everything to redeem you, how are you responding? One day all of us will give a report to Jesus. Will we be called a good and faithful servant or a dishonest one?
Next Sunday is our 150th anniversary! No Sunday school. We will have a meal after to celebrate. Please join us in celebrating God's faithfulness.

07/26/2026

The wonderful verses of Psalm 25 again opened our service, then we sang hymns Blest be the tie, Heavenly sunlight, Rock of ages, and Jesus loves me together. In our time of prayer we remembered Amy Dahl with cancer, Jack had a successful surgery, Buster's surgery went well, Teresa has cancer, Martha isn't doing well after her surgery, for the family of Ronny Laradon, for the 4 families of killed soldiers, for our nation, our leaders, peace, and wisdom as citizens and voters. Ther sermon finished up the Prodigal Son mini-series, today we looked at the oldest son. In this parable, we have to ask ourselves if we are more like the youngest or the oldest son. We should strive to be more like the dad. The crowd who listened to Jesus would have been angry at the younger son for how he treated his dad. The older son seems like the model son, he did what he was told, worked hard, and kept the family honor. Sometimes being the good one, the responsible one, means being overlooked and under appreciated. The older brother was out working, no one bothered to tell him his brother was home. He was mad about this, he was mad the brother was home, and he was mad the brother was getting a party. The father heard about the older son and left the party to talk to him. The son finally vented, he had been good, quiet, and loyal, and he never got a party. This rascal comes home and he gets special treatment, it doesn't seem fair. The older son didn't want to reconcile with his brother, he resented him. By not attending the party, the older son broke protocol, he should have been the host. By not attending, he dishonored his father, which the guests would have noticed. The older son didn't understand the unconditional love his father had for both sons. Many people today see "church people" like the Pharisees or older brother. They act one way on Sunday and differently the rest of the week. They look down on others and are judgmental. In many ways, the younger son represents the gentiles and the older son the Jews. The older son had a rules based relationship, not a love based one. Jesus was a threat to them because He taught a new way, the way of love. Both sons needed forgiveness, but the older son didn't see that. Too often we find ourselves int he shoes of the older brother. A very unique feature of this parable is that it is open-ended. We don't know what the older son did. The big question is what will we do when God invites us to His party? Will you accept willingly, like the younger son, or be sulking like the older brother?
No Sunday school this week. Butch Putnam of the Gideon's will lead worship next week at 11. On Sept. 13 is the church's 150th anniversary.

07/19/2026

What a blessing we had this week in the cooler weather and rains! Thank you Lord! Psalm 25 began our worship, then we sang All creatures, Great is the faithfulness, How great thou art, and I heard the bells. Short prayer list. Maggie had neck surgery, Jack had heart surgery, we are thankful for rain and all other blessings. We ask for blessings on our nation, our leaders, our military, and that peace comes quickly in Ukraine and Iran. The sermon was from Luke, and today we looked closer at the father in the parable of the prodigal son. The youngest son was incredibly rude and disrespectful towards his father by asking for his share of the estate, yet, the father granted his request. This hurt the family business and affected the entire family. Undoubtedly, this caused the father to be the punchline of jokes and much ridicule in the village. When the son finally returned, he was empty handed, he was broke. Normally, gifts were given to assuage any hard feelings, but the son had nothing. The father saw the son a great distance away and ran to him. This meant hiking up his fancy robe and exposing his legs, this was something respectable older gentlemen never did. If anyone saw this, he would have been mocked and taunted. The father wanted to reach the son before anyone in the village saw him to avoid the son being ostracized in a ceremony called a Kezasah. Even today, most parents probably wouldn't act like the father in the parable. The father forgave the son before the son uttered a word, this reminds us that if we repent and return to God, He will receive us and forgive us. The father gave instructions to bring gifts to this son, a robe, ring, and shoes. The robe was one worn by the father, it symbolized restoration. The ring was the signet ring, it gave this son control over the financial and legal matters. The shoes were only worn by the wealthy, anyone seeing the son dressed this way would know he was a part of the father's family again. In like manner, we come to God with nothing but filthy rags. God sent us Jesus to redeem us and make salvation possible. The gifts given by the father are symbols of what God gives us. We are now robed in the righteousness of Christ instead of our filthy rags. We are given the Holy Spirit as a sign that God has put a down payment on us. The shoes represent the peace we have with God. The wondrous love of God is shown to us in these gifts, leaving no doubt that He accepts us as His children and heirs, thru the blood of Christ. If you are still a prodigal, on the run from God, why not stop, turn back, and return to the God who loves you enough to sacrifice His only son? Come to God now, in humility, and you can experience His unexpected love.
No Sunday school next week. Worship at 11. On Sept. 13 we are having the church's 150th anniversary, all are invited to join us.

07/13/2026

July has not disappointed as far as heat is concerned, very thankful we have AC to make life more comfortable. Psalm 24 began our service, then we sang Majesty, Old rugged cross, In the garden, and Let us break bread together. It was nice to have Blake, kids, and Tori visiting. In our prayer time we are thankful that John and Wallace are both feeling much better, we are thankful for promotions, Jack has surgery this week, for families and marriage, safe travels, our nation, our military, our leaders, our freedoms, and most of all, for Jesus. We celebrated the Lord's Supper together in a time of unity. The sermon was the first in a 3 part Prodigal Son mini-series. This may be the most famous parable Jesus told, it is a literary masterpiece on its own. Most of us identify with this parable since we have run away from God at some time in our lives. When the younger son asked his father for his inheritance, he was being extremely rude and disrespectful, enough that in some villages he might have been stoned to death. The younger son would get 1/3 of the estate, and the oldest brother 2/3. By asking for his share now, he was telling his dad to drop dead, he didn't want to wait for the old man to die to get his share. Making this demand was treating his father with contempt. This thought had been building in the younger son, he was sick of his dad, his brother, and the farm. Not long after getting his share, the son set off for a foreign land. His selfishness would have been a setback to the family business. By going to a foreign land, the son was also leaving his customs, security, and community. We do the same thing if we run away from God and want to live under our rules instead of His. After several years of parties and mirth, the money ran out. Then, a famine struck, and the son was destitute. In desperation he took the only job he could, a pig herder. Leviticus 11 says anyone who raises swine is cursed. This was about as low as a good Jewish boy could sink. It is also what we look like spiritually before we repent and turn back to God. Alone and hungry with the pigs, the son remembered that the hired men at home were treated better, so he set off for home. He rehearsed an apology that he would give his dad. Forgiveness was his last hope, just as it is for us. The son still had problems, his biggest concern was filling his needs and not fixing relationships. The son still saw the dad as a way to get what he wanted, and he was still trying to manipulate him. While the son was still a distance away, the father saw him and forgave him. As much as this father loved his son, it is a pale comparison to the love our Father in heaven has for us. We were in a foreign land of sin, and God sent His son to find and redeem us. God stands ready to welcome all lost sinners who turn to Him in faith and repentance. God found us when we were lost, loved us even when we were not worthy, forgave us before we knew how to ask, and sent His son to pay our redemption price. When we come to God we never have to worry about being lost.
No Sunday school next week. Worship at 11. On September 13 we are having our 150th anniversary, all are welcome to join us.

07/06/2026

Hope everyone had a memorable Independence Day, we sure did. Psalm 23 began our service, then we sang hymns The star spangled banner, My Country, Glory glory hallelujah, and America the beautiful. In our prayer time we prayed for Than & Andrea, Houston got a good report, Jack is having surgery, for the Sherman and Oglesby families, for Jim's parents, Kendall Stroud was in an accident, Chelsea, Pat Adams, Carol McDowell, for safe travels, for our 250th birthday, for our freedoms, and for revival in our nation. The sermon was from Mark, when the Pharisees asked Jesus about paying taxes to Rome. 250 years as a free nation is a big deal, but compared to others like Egypt, China, and Rome, we have a long way to go. Unlike other nations, we were started as a planned revolt from our mother country. Our founding fathers were mainly theologians, all were believers, they used the Bible in their debates and quoted from it. The Declaration of Independence says that God gives us our rights, not the government. Paul lived and wrote under a dictatorship, and he urged us to live peaceably, obey just laws, and pray for those in authority. We get to vote for our leaders and laws. Many Christians don't vote. God wants us to be good stewards, and one way we can do that is by voting wisely. Issues like abortion, foreign policy, taxes, and technology are made by the party in power. Voting is one of the greatest freedoms we have, yet many don't participate. What does the Bible say about being a good citizen here on earth? First, we must remember that our citizenship in heaven supercedes our earthly citizenship. One command we are still under is to make disciples of all nations. This usually starts close to home. If we lose our freedom of religion, we may not be able to witness to others. We are to bring Biblical laws and ideas to society, as well as to make good public policy. Believers shouldn't be afraid to run for local office, if we don't then those who don't believe will be elected. It is ok to work with other groups in civil projects, it shows our love for others. We should obey just laws and leaders as much as possible, unless they go against what the Bible says. We may face civil penalties from not obeying a law, but we should be willing to do so. The church should stand against that which is prideful, immoral, or corrupt. All believers should be willing to work together in acts of mercy. In Hico, the area churches work together for the prayer walk before the start of the school year, for the back to school fair to give kids school supplies, and for the Baccalaureate service held in May in which every senior gets a Bible. We have more freedoms than any other nation in history, and we should use them wisely. Scripture says to be in the world but not of the world. God wants us to be involved politically, but not consumed by politics. We should pray for our leaders and our fellow citizens. We should do all the good we can, and we should fulfill the Great Commission. Jesus gave the best answer when He was confronted by the Pharisees, and we should remember to read our Bibles, pray for wisdom, then render unto Caesar what is his and to God what is Gods.
Sunday school at 10 and worship at 11. Sept. 13 will be the 150th anniversary for Pleasant Valley.

06/28/2026

The end of June is upon us, as is the heat. We are very thankful one days like this for working AC. Psalm 20 began our worship, then we sang A mighty fortress, Hark the herald angels, Count your blessings, and Fairest Lord Jesus. Then we sang Happy Birthday to Chris. On the prayer list we added Houston Lawrence, The Sherman family, Pat Adams, Kimberly, Valene, Benjamin, Doug is better, for wisdom, safety, and for peace on earth. The sermon was from Luke 15, the parable of the lost coin. The Pharisees criticized Jesus for hanging out with "sinners". In the ancient world, to receive people meant to invite them for a meal, to accept them, to introduce them to your friends, it was a big deal. The Pharisees thought eating with "sinners" was condoning their behavior. What the Pharisees saw as the problem was really the solution. No one can be saved unless they are first received by Jesus. The first thing about this parable people would have noticed was the main character was a woman. No other rabbi would have done that. Jesus was speaking to a crowd of thousands, including women and children. He valued women and treated them well, they even sat at His feet. This parable also shows how important we are to God. The lost coin was worth about $100 in modern money. We are as valuable as silver to God. Even if we are lost, we belong to Him. Coins were made with the image of Caesar on them, we are made in the image of God. Silver tarnishes if exposed to oxygen, we tarnish due to sin. No matter how tarnished, we still retain value, God still loves us. Some people are like the lost sheep, we wander away from God. Others are like the coin, they are lost by some sort of accident. Many kids today are being raised without any sort of religious training, they may not have a Bible at home. Some had a horrible childhood. Like the lost coin, sinners lie unseen and unused, they don't have the value for which they were made. Like the coin, we stay lost until we are found by Jesus. Jesus loves us enough to actively look for us, He does so in every corner of the world. Each person has their own unique story to tell, but no matter at what age you were saved, it caused rejoicing in heaven. For those who are saved, our job is to help search for others who are lost and bring them to Jesus, then they won't be lost anymore and there will be joy in heaven.
Sunday school at 10, worship at 11, Happy 4th of July America!

06/22/2026

Happy Father's Day to all the dad's and male role models who help and mentor young people. Psalm 19 opened our worship, followed by hymns Precious Lord, Nearer my God, Faith is the victory, and It is well. In our congregational prayer we are thankful for the rains, Doug is ill, Marcy is having surgery, we ask for peace in the world, we are thankful for fathers and our heavenly Father, for our nation, leaders, and our military. The sermon was from Luke 15 and the parable of the lost sheep. Sheep are not the brightest of farm animals, they need protection from predators. David was the first to write about the sheep-shepherd relationship. Spiritually, we are like sheep, we need protection from the devil. The leaders 2000 years ago were failing as under shepherds. They didn't see themselves as the problem or Jesus as the solution. Those who didn't follow all the rules were not worthy of being cared for or loved. The parable starts with a missing sheep. To have 100 sheep back then meant the shepherd was wealthy, that was a large flock. This shepherd cared for his flock, he didn't want to lose any of them. Unlike other animals, sheep don't have a homing instinct, they stay lost. Just like the shepherd went after his lost sheep, so Jesus is our good shepherd who seeks for us when we go astray. Jesus has His flock in every corner of the world, and He knows and cares for each of them. Once the sheep is found, the shepherd picks it up and carries it back. For Jesus, it wasn't enough that He found us, He had to take our punishment so we could be redeemed. For each lost sinner who repents and believes, a celebration breaks out in heaven. We don't know exactly who is celebrating, but we read there is rejoicing. Scripture tells us we have all sinned and gone astray, we need a good shepherd. The religious leaders should have been looking for lost sinners, but they considered "sinners" to be of little value. We are called to seek the lost as well. This includes having love instead of judgment, compassion instead of criticism, praying for them, and telling them about Jesus. Are we willing to help save just one more person? Are we doing all we can to save one more sheep?
Sunday school at 10, worship at 11. Plus, next Sunday is a birthday.

Address

County Road 301
Jonesboro, TX
76538

Website

Alerts

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

Shortcuts

Share

Category