Cape Fear Lillington Presbyterian Church

Cape Fear Lillington Presbyterian Church WELCOME TO OUR CHURCH
We offer a welcoming and friendly gathering place to celebrate and praise God,

09/11/2026

Follow Me
By Kevin DeRaaf — Friday, September 11, 2026

Scripture Reading — Matthew 9:9-13

“Follow me,” [Jesus] told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
— Matthew 9:9

Where I grew up in Canada, the church youth groups in the area would host an annual play competition. We wrote and performed our own plays, and the winning group received a trophy. To be clear, these were not Shakespearean masterpieces. The plays were often silly, with winding and unrealistic plots performed by teenagers who had little in the way of acting skills. But it was tremendously fun.

When I was 18 years old, I found myself immersed in another play contest in a high school gym. The place was loud and chaotic, filled with hyper teens. Between two of the performances, a young guy stood up and invited people to sign up for a summer ministry program. Anyone could join, he said. In that noisy gymnasium, no one seemed to be listening to him. Except me. In that moment, in the midst of the chaos around me, it was as if the Holy Spirit grabbed hold of my heart and said, “You need to sign up for this ministry.” Like Matthew, I heard the words of Jesus speaking: “Follow me.” My experience that summer was transformative, and I was soon on the path toward becoming a minister.

Is Jesus speaking to you today? Despite the noise around you, can you hear his voice resonating with your spirit and inviting you to follow?

Lord Jesus, thank you for calling young people and adults to follow and serve you in all kinds of ways. Open our ears and still our hearts to hear your voice today. Amen.

09/10/2026

The Living Spirit
By Kevin DeRaaf — Thursday, September 10, 2026

Scripture Reading — Acts 2:29-41

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said . . . “Brothers, what shall we do?’’
— Acts 2:37

After Jesus ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9-11), he did exactly as he had promised his disciples. He had said, “I am going away, but then I will send you the Holy Spirit, who will guide you and be with you” (see John 16:1-15).

And as we read in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came dramatically on the disciples, and a huge crowd gathered in response. In the commotion, Peter stood up and preached his first sermon as an apostle. Notice that, just as Jesus did on the road to Emmaus, Peter explains the teachings of the Old Testament Scriptures about Jesus, the Messiah.

And when the people heard the gospel message about Jesus, they were cut to the heart and asked, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

“Cut to the heart”—the listeners resonated deeply with all that Peter was telling them— not because of Peter’s eloquence but because of God’s Spirit working through Peter as he pointed people to the living Jesus. Three thousand people repented that day and began to follow Christ.

Jesus lives and continues to work among us in the world today. I wonder if you have had the experience of meeting Jesus, being cut to the heart, and committing yourself to follow him. Jesus welcomes you to embrace him as your Lord and Savior.

Lord Jesus, move our hearts today with the joyful announcement of a new beginning with you. Lead us into genuine repentance and trust in you. Amen.

YOU ARE INVITED! September 9th - 6 pm - Cape Fear Presbyterian Church is hosting a film featuring the series The Chos...
09/09/2026

YOU ARE INVITED!

September 9th - 6 pm -

Cape Fear Presbyterian Church is hosting a film featuring the series The Chosen.
Season 2, Episode 5 - "Spirit " In this episode, John the Baptist visits Jesus and shares details regarding a dangerous upcoming mission.

We will meet each Wednesday evening in the Fellowship Hall to watch the show, After the show we will have a small discussion and prayer.

09/09/2026

The Living Jesus
By Kevin DeRaaf — Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Scripture Reading — Colossians 1:15-20

[Jesus] explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
— Luke 24:27

Our theme verse today is from the Emmaus road story once again. We have seen that the two disciples’ hearts burned within them because of their encounter with Jesus, the living Word. Today we see that their hearts resonated with the teaching of the living Jesus.

Luke shows that as Jesus explained the Scriptures to them, he had a clear plan. He was reminding the disciples of Old Testament texts and stories that pointed to the Messiah. These disciples were listening to the living Jesus teaching them all that they needed to know about him!

We have acknowledged that we live in an age in which focus on the self is a high ideal. Everything in life is about “me, me, me”—what I want and what I need. Although the good news of Jesus is deeply personal, it is vital to remind ourselves that the Bible is not a self-help book or just about what matters to “me.”

I love what theologian and pastor Tim Keller said about this. He said that there are only two ways to read the Bible. You can read it as if it is all about you and what you must do to be blessed. Or you can read every part of the Bible as if it’s about Jesus and what he has done for you.

Everything in our Christian faith centers on the resurrected, reigning Jesus. May our hearts burn with our love for him, the living Word.

Living Jesus, meet us today wherever we are. May you find us receptive to your Word and your voice. Help us to respond in faith and obedience. Amen.

09/08/2026

Prelude- Sunday September 6, 2026. Susan Wester and Wanda Brown
“I Will Glory in the Cross with Near the Cross “

09/08/2026

“Jesus, ay Yout Holy Table”

09/07/2026

Hearts Burning Within Us
By Kevin DeRaaf — Monday, September 7, 2026

Scripture Reading — Luke 24:13-35

They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us . . . ?”
— Luke 24:32

One of the ways we can speak of “resonance” is in terms of human connection. When a person says something that connects with us deeply, we might say, “Yes, that resonates with me,” or maybe, “I feel the same way. I’m totally in sync with you on that.”

We can find resonance in spiritual experiences as well. This happens in our story for today, about two disciples on the road to Emmaus. As they walk along, a stranger joins them and engages with them in a long and meaningful conversation about Jesus, his death, and what the Scriptures taught about the promised Messiah.

Yet only after the stranger breaks bread with them and then disappears do the disciples realize that they were walking and talking with Jesus. They didn’t realize he had risen from the dead! Notice what they say to each other: “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” That description of burning hearts is a powerful description of resonance.

When we encounter Jesus in a true and meaningful way, we may sense that something is shifting within us. We are in the presence of life-changing truth.

Over the next few days, let’s explore more about this resonating experience. And, like those disciples, may we encounter the living Jesus as he breaks into our lives.

Jesus, may our hearts burn within us in response to your work in our lives. May your Word and Spirit enliven us today and make us more like you. Amen.

09/06/2026

Desperate for Worship
By Kevin DeRaaf — Sunday, September 6, 2026

Scripture Reading — Psalm 42:1-5

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
— Psalm 42:2

The Christian writer C. S. Lewis was a careful thinker. One day he was asked which of the world’s religions gave people the greatest happiness. He thought for a moment and answered, “While it lasts, the religion of worshiping oneself” would do that. He was pointing out that when we focus on our own needs and wants, it is indeed possible to find happiness in the short term—“while it lasts,” but not for long.

In the long term we discover that worship of self can never satisfy. Our appetite for more pleasure, more comfort, more possessions, and so on will lead us on an endlessly futile quest. Most troubling is that when we focus inward and only on ourselves, that cuts us off from the important voices around us, particularly God's voice.

Many of us live in cultural settings where the focus on self has become the norm. All around us, people search for happiness as they follow personal dreams and pursue personal desires apart from God’s invitation to find life in him alone—life that brings true flourishing. We live in a thirsty world.

In this challenging environment, we hear the Lord’s invitation in Psalm 42 to meet with him in worship. May our thirst lead us, like the psalmist, to the living God, who alone can meet our deepest needs.

Heavenly Father, many people around the world will seek you in worship today. Quench the thirst of your people, we pray, and move us to sing your praises and listen to your Word. Amen.

09/05/2026

The Heavens Resound with Praise
By Kevin DeRaaf — Saturday, September 5, 2026

Scripture Reading — Psalm 19:1-6

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
— Psalm 19:1

Psalm 19 asserts that the heavens declare the glory of God. I recently learned some things about the Hubble Space Telescope and what it reveals about the known universe. Astronomers describe it in a way like this:

Imagine holding up your finger with a grain of sand on it and looking at the patch of sky that the grain of sand blocks out. That’s the field of space the Hubble telescope can zoom into. There are tens of thousands of galaxies in a patch of sky the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length. If that tiny patch of sky is like every other, then we can estimate that the visible universe includes about 2 trillion galaxies. Each one of those galaxies contains about 100 billion stars. And this means the universe contains a number of stars that goes beyond any number we can even imagine. Astronomers say that there are easily more stars in the visible universe than there are grains of sand on the earth.

When I think of the unimaginable size of the universe, I can’t help thinking how true Psalm 19 is: “The skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.”

Creation resounds with praise for the Creator!

Dear Lord, although the heavens use no words, we join our voices with all creation to proclaim your praise. Thank you for making and redeeming us in love. Amen.

09/04/2026

Our Voices Resonate with Praise
By Kevin DeRaaf — Friday, September 4, 2026

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 54:1-8

“Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy. . . .”
— Isaiah 54:1

I grew up (and still serve) in a Christian tradition that tends to be reserved in worship. I remember inviting a pastor from a neighboring church to speak in our congregation. He came from a more expressive background, in which people often said “Amen!” and “Yes, Lord,” to statements he made while he was preaching. Before the worship service I said to him, “When you’re preaching, and the congregation gets really quiet, that’s when you know they are really listening.” He laughed and said he had never heard that before!

Bible commentaries are often fairly dry, yet I own one in which the author writes about Isaiah 54-55 with lots of enthusiasm. The writer highlights Isaiah 54:1, where God calls his people to sing with the joy of knowing they have been saved: “Burst into song, shout for joy.” The commentator rephrases that text vividly with these words: “Let joyful songs explode out of you!”

In some traditions, our sense of reverence and decorum can make us feel uncomfortable with statements like that. We can become shy about expressing our love for God with great enthusiasm. Yet throughout Isaiah we see that creation itself is not restrained in praising its Maker. Creation resounds with praise. The mountains sing, the trees clap their hands, and the heavens declare God’s glory. Because of Jesus, we are a forgiven, restored people, and that moves us to joyful praise!

Jesus, forgive us if we have been unenthusiastic in worship. Teach us to express heartfelt gratitude for all that you have done for us. Amen.

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2793 Highway 210 N./PO Box 1332
Lillington, NC
27546

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