Lumber City Baptist Church

09/13/2026

Sunday’s sermon, “Live Wisely till Jesus Comes”.

09/09/2026

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09/09/2026

What I Still Do
September 9, 2026

If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
1 John 3:20 (NIV)

Craig is an amazing man in our congregation. Lou Gehrig’s disease has taken most of what used to fill his days, but he recently sent me an email I haven’t forgotten. In it, he described a battle he’d just been through.

During one of my sermons, an old, familiar voice showed up and started talking. He calls that voice FUD, which is his name for fear, uncertainty, and doubt. That day, FUD told him he was useless now and that everything valuable about him was gone along with his strength. He almost believed it.

Then he remembered what was still true. He still gives as God provides. He still prays for his church’s leaders, the youth, and young families trying to stay strong. He still seeks to be obedient and faithful every moment of every day.

Craig’s heart told him one story, but God’s Word told him another. John already warned you this would happen. “If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” (1 John 3:20, NIV).

I’ve heard people say, “Follow your heart.” That’s a terrible idea. Hi**er followed his heart into the murder of six million people. Your heart is not a reliable compass, and neither is mine.

Let me remind you of two great dangers we fall into in our hearts. First, don’t be harder on others than God is. People say, “I’ll never forgive them for what they did to me.” Well, you are being harder on that person than God is because God will forgive anyone if they’ll sincerely come to Him, repent, and believe.

On the other hand, don’t be harder on you than God is. Don’t judge yourself by what you feel, but by what God’s Word says and what God says to you.

Why don’t you take a look at how God was using Craig and think about one thing you give, one person you pray for, one way you still show up today.

Craig didn’t need his old strength back to matter to God. He just needed to remind himself of what was still true. So do you.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that Your voice is stronger than any uncertainty or doubt. When fear tries to tell me I’m finished, remind me of what You’ve never taken away. Thank You for what I get to give, get to pray, and get to be for someone else today. I praise You for it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
James Merritt

09/07/2026

The Unseen Power Source
September 7, 2026
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
The word “heart” is one of the most important words in the Bible.
It shows up more than 800 times. It means the center of your life, your thoughts, your will, and your spiritual health. Your heart is running everything in your life. It’s the power source.
Now, imagine being wheeled into the Cleveland Clinic, which is ranked the second-best cardiac hospital in the world. It’s home to brilliant surgeons, skilled nurses, and imaging machines your grandparents never dreamed of. Everything you could need for your heart is here.
But the part that matters most, you never see. It’s the power plant humming below the floor. If it fails, nothing else matters. Without it, that hospital becomes no better than a cabin in the woods.
Your heart runs your body the same way. It drives oxygen to your brain, your kidneys, and every cell keeping you alive. And your spiritual heart has a similar impact, running your life from the inside and determining your eternity. So today’s verse instructs us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
You can get the promotion, accumulate wealth, and present an image polished for everyone watching and still be running on a heart that isn’t connected to God at all.
When was the last time you took a spiritual EKG? Is your heart running on Him, or is it running on empty? Is your obedience steady, or is the signal breaking up? Are you actually listening to Him today?
A heart that’s healthy before God doesn’t get accolades. But it’s the part running everything else. Take care of it first, and everything else will finally have the power it needs to run.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for always looking on the inside to examine me. Search me, O God, test my desires, my innermost thoughts. Let my every inclination be obedience to You, Lord, not fulfilling the desires of my flesh. I want my heart’s energy and direction to come from Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
James Merritt

09/06/2026

Sunday’s Sermon

09/03/2026

Found the Remote
September 3, 2026
His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.
Song of Songs 2:6 (NIV)
A wife lies in bed one night when she feels her husband’s hand caressing her neck. It slides down her side and stops at her knee, as far as he can reach without moving. He scoots closer and does the same on the other side, then stops just as suddenly and pulls away. Delighted, she says, “Honey, that was wonderful. Why did you stop?” He says, “I found the remote.”
King Solomon’s bride describes a very different kind of touch in today’s verse: “His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me” (Song of Songs 2:6, NIV). He’s not reaching past her for something else. This husband is holding her, completely undistracted in the moment.
Most men and women aren’t wired the same way here. A husband’s desire for physical closeness and a wife’s need for simple affection can seem to run on parallel tracks without crossing. She wants to be held and heard. She wants a hand on her shoulder that isn’t asking for anything else.
He wants sexual affection on all days that start with a T: Thursday, Today and Tomorrow, and Tatterday and Tunday. Wives, I fully understand that sometimes you’re just not in the mood. You also must be sensitive in those times. Ladies, don’t have a headache every night, or if you do, see a neurologist.
Men, before the television goes on this evening or the phone comes out, put your hand on your wife’s back for no reason at all. Hold her hand as you walk to the car. Sit close on the couch and stay close, even after the show ends.
The best touch in a marriage never reaches past the person to grab something else. It reaches for them and touches their heart in the process.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for the gift of touch. Thank you for my arms that can comfort, encourage, and care for my spouse. I confess, I want them to change and reach for me. I feel weary of trying and trying again. But, Lord, You reach for me again and again. Teach me to love with that kind of compassion. Give me Your heart for my spouse. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
James Merritt

09/02/2026

Arise, Come Away
September 2, 2026
My beloved spoke and said to me, “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.”
Song of Songs 2:10-11 (NIV)
When was the last time you gave your spouse the one gift you can never buy back?
In today’s verse, King Solomon invites his bride to spend time with him. “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land” (Song of Songs 2:10-12). This is not just a suggestion to go bird watching or flower gazing. He’s asking for some quality time together.
One of the greatest ways you spell love in a relationship is T-I-M-E. There’s no greater way to communicate to your spouse that they’re the number one priority over all other relationships than to give them the most valuable thing you possibly can, your time.
A marriage is a lot like a plant. It can look green and steady for a while, but without water it slowly dries out from the inside. Time is the water, and not the leftover kind where everything else gets fed first, but the time you choose on purpose, again and again.
Every October, my wife and I carve out a few days to drive up into the mountains, just the two of us. We started the habit back when our boys still needed a sitter. I let her know up front the days are hers to plan, whether that means a picnic blanket, a slow walk through town, or just talking until we run out of things to say.
There are a lot of ways you can connect without being in the mountains. Run an errand, take a walk, or sit on the back porch together without your phones. The point is that both of you need to communicate that the most important thing is making time for the other.
The winter doesn’t have to last. Arise and come away.
Prayer: Lord, forgive me for handing my spouse only the leftovers of my time. Thank You for the years we’ve had together, and for whatever time You give us. Help me choose my spouse on purpose today. Teach me to treasure them in the everyday, not only on special occasions. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
James Merritt

09/01/2026

There is much at stake! Gather some men from your local community or workplace and join the Beasley Group, Lumber City Baptist Church, and REAL MOMENTUM for an empowering steak dinner and challenge focused on Helping Men Win.

Our speaker this month is Bryan Herrington. Lead Pastor for 29 years in Port St Lucie, Florida, at Family Church. Began as Lead Pastor at Southside Baptist Church in Hazelhurst, Ga in August 2023. Bryan has a passion for teaching the truths of God’s Word, shepherding the local church, and discipling men to be the pastors of their homes.

Register here, https://subsplash.com/realmomentum/lb/ev/+hdxj4yx/register