Never Before Project, 1055 N. Main Street, Madisonville, KY (2026)

05/23/2026

How Will They Hear?

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?”
Romans 10:14 (ESV)

Romans 10:14 presses a question on the conscience of the church. It does not allow us to treat gospel ministry as optional, casual, or secondary. Paul is reminding us that people cannot call on the Lord if they have not believed in Him, and they cannot believe in Him if they have never heard of Him.

That means someone must tell them.

The gospel is not good advice for people who want to improve their lives. It is the good news of what God has done in Christ to save sinners. We are not sent into the world with vague encouragement or religious clichés. We are sent with a message.

Christ has come.
Christ has died.
Christ has risen.
Christ saves sinners.

That message must be heard.

Paul’s question humbles us because it reminds us that salvation belongs to God, but God uses means. He opens blind eyes. He raises dead hearts. He grants repentance and faith. But He has chosen to send His people with His Word. We do not save anyone, but we are commanded to speak of the One who does.

This should remove both pride and passivity.

It removes pride because we cannot convert a soul by our cleverness, personality, emotion, or effort. Only God can bring the dead to life. The power is not in the messenger. The power is in the gospel.

But it also removes passivity because God has appointed the preaching, teaching, and sharing of the gospel as the ordinary means by which sinners hear and believe. We do not get to say, “If God wants to save them, He will do it without me.” That sounds spiritual, but it is disobedience dressed up as theology.

The sovereignty of God never cancels the mission of the church. It fuels it.

Because God saves, we speak. Because Christ has sheep who will hear His voice, we proclaim His Word. Because the gospel is the power of God for salvation, we do not need to manipulate, entertain, or water it down. We simply need to be faithful.

This matters in our homes, our churches, our workplaces, and our communities. There are people around us who are religious but lost, moral but dead, hurting but hopeless, and busy but empty. They do not simply need a better week. They need Christ. They need to hear of His holiness, His mercy, His cross, His resurrection, His grace, and His call to repent and believe.

And the question remains: how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard?

Maybe the Lord has placed someone in your life who needs to hear. Maybe you have been praying for them but avoiding the conversation. Maybe fear has kept you quiet. Maybe you have assumed someone else would say what God has burdened you to say.

Do not let fear silence faithfulness.

Speak with humility. Speak with love. Speak with patience. Speak with Scripture. But speak. Tell them that sin is real, judgment is coming, Christ is sufficient, grace is available, and salvation is found in Him alone.

The results belong to God.
The message belongs to God.
The mission has been given to us.

So let the church be bold again. Let ministry be more than activity. Let compassion move beyond good intentions. Let us love people enough to tell them the truth.

How will they hear?

The Bearded Pastor

05/21/2026

Fear God, Not Man

“The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.”
Proverbs 29:25 (ESV)

In this verse, Solomon puts a mirror in front of the heart. It reminds us that one of the greatest dangers to faithful ministry, gospel witness, and obedience to God is not always open persecution. Sometimes it is the quiet fear of what people will think.

“The fear of man lays a snare.”

A snare is a trap. It catches, restricts, and holds back. That is exactly what the fear of man does. It keeps us silent when we should speak. It makes us soften truth when we should be clear. It makes us chase approval when we should be faithful. It tempts us to measure obedience by how well it is received.

And if we are honest, we have all felt that pull.

We know someone needs the gospel, but we hesitate. We sense the Lord calling us to encourage, confront, pray, serve, or speak truth, but we start thinking about how they might respond. What if they reject me? What if they think I am strange? What if I say it wrong? What if this changes the relationship?

Those questions can sound wise, but often they are fear wearing a mask.

The fear of man is dangerous because it shifts our eyes from God to people. It makes their opinion feel heavier than God’s command. It makes their approval feel safer than God’s pleasure. But Scripture says that is a snare.

The gospel frees us from that trap.

If we are in Christ, our identity is not built on applause. We have already been accepted by God through the finished work of Jesus. Christ bore our sin, took our shame, satisfied the justice of God, and brought us near by grace. We do not need to be ruled by the fear of rejection because our deepest acceptance has already been secured in Him.

That does not make us harsh. Gospel boldness is not arrogance. It is not rudeness. It is not speaking truth without love. The same Christ who sends us with the message of salvation also teaches us humility, compassion, patience, and gentleness.

But love cannot stay silent while people remain lost.

If the gospel is true, then people do not merely need encouragement. They need Christ. They need forgiveness. They need repentance and faith. They need to know that sin is real, judgment is coming, grace is available, and Jesus saves sinners.

The fear of man says, “Stay quiet. Keep it comfortable. Do not risk the relationship.”
Trust in the Lord says, “Speak the truth in love. Be faithful. God is able.”

Proverbs says, “but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.” Safety here is not the promise that everyone will like us, understand us, or respond well. Faithfulness may cost us something. But trusting the Lord places us where we truly belong: under His authority, in His care, and within His will.

Ministry requires this kind of trust. Helping people requires this kind of trust. Sharing the gospel requires this kind of trust. We cannot control outcomes. We cannot open blind eyes. We cannot raise dead hearts. Only God can do that. But we can be faithful with the message He has given us.

So today, ask the Lord to free you from the snare of fearing people more than you trust Him. Ask Him for boldness that is humble, courage that is loving, and faithfulness that is rooted in the gospel.

There is someone who needs truth.
There is someone who needs prayer.
There is someone who needs help.
There is someone who needs Christ.

Do not let fear keep you silent.

Trust the Lord. Speak the gospel. Love people enough to point them to Jesus.

The Bearded Pastor

05/20/2026

Saved by Grace

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Ephesians 2:8–9 (ESV)

Ephesians 2:8–9 is one of the clearest statements in Scripture about how sinners are saved. Paul does not leave room for pride, performance, or self-congratulation. He puts the spotlight on God.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith.”

Grace means God saves the undeserving. Salvation does not begin with our goodness, our effort, our morality, or our religious activity. It begins with God’s mercy. Grace is not God rewarding the worthy. Grace is God rescuing the guilty.

That matters because Ephesians 2 does not describe humanity as spiritually weak but basically alive. Paul says we were dead in trespasses and sins. Dead people do not raise themselves. If we are saved, it is because God acted first. He made us alive together with Christ.

Then Paul says this salvation comes “through faith.” Faith is not a work that earns salvation. Faith is the empty hand that receives what God freely gives. We are not saved because faith is impressive. We are saved because Christ is sufficient. Faith looks away from self and rests entirely on the finished work of Jesus.

And Paul makes it even clearer: “And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

Salvation is God’s gift from beginning to end. The grace that saves us is from God. The Christ who redeems us is from God. The faith by which we receive Him is not a reason to boast.

That is why Paul says salvation is “not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

The cross silences boasting. We do not stand before God with a résumé. We come with empty hands, confessing that Christ alone is our righteousness. Our prayers, church attendance, giving, serving, preaching, teaching, and trying harder do not save us. Good works matter, but they are the fruit of salvation, not the root of salvation.

If works could save us, Christ died for no purpose. If we could make ourselves right with God, Calvary would be unnecessary. But the gospel tells the truth. We were guilty, helpless, and unable to save ourselves. So God sent His Son. Jesus lived the righteous life we failed to live. He died the death our sins deserved. He rose again in victory. By grace, through faith, sinners are saved.

This is humbling, but it is also freeing.

You do not have to pretend you are stronger than you are. You do not have to build your assurance on your own performance. You do not have to wonder if you have done enough to make God accept you. If you are in Christ, your hope is not in what you have done for God, but in what Christ has done for you.

So let this verse crush your pride and comfort your soul.

You were not saved by grace so you could boast in yourself. You were saved by grace so you could boast in the Lord.

The Bearded Pastor

05/18/2026

The Spirit of Truth

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”
John 16:13 (ESV)

Jesus calls the Holy Spirit “the Spirit of truth.” That matters because we live in a world that is drowning in opinions but starving for truth.

Everybody has a platform. Everybody has a feeling. Everybody has a version of reality. But truth is not created by culture, defined by preference, or discovered by looking deeper into ourselves. Truth comes from God because God Himself is truth. He cannot lie. He cannot be mistaken. He does not change His mind with the times.

Jesus tells His disciples that the Spirit of truth would come and guide them “into all the truth.” This was a promise to the apostles, and through their Spirit-inspired witness, the church has received the truth of Christ in Scripture. We are not left guessing who Jesus is, what He accomplished, or how sinners are saved. The Spirit has given us the Word, and the Word points us to Christ.

That means the Holy Spirit does not lead us away from Scripture. He leads us deeper into the truth God has revealed.

There is a dangerous idea in the modern church that the Spirit’s work is mainly about impulses, impressions, emotions, or private revelations. But Jesus says the Spirit is the Spirit of truth. He does not glorify confusion. He does not contradict the Word He inspired. He does not excuse sin, flatter pride, or lead people into a Christless spirituality.

The Spirit of God points us to the Son of God through the Word of God.

Jesus also says, “he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak.” This shows us the beautiful unity within the Trinity. The Spirit does not compete with the Son. The Son does not compete with the Father. Father, Son, and Spirit work in perfect harmony to accomplish the salvation of God’s people and reveal the glory of God.

That should humble us.

We do not get to invent Christianity. We do not get to reshape truth to fit the age. We do not get to take the name of the Spirit and attach it to whatever we already wanted to believe. The Spirit of truth brings us under the authority of Christ. He convicts us of sin. He opens our eyes to the beauty of the gospel. He strengthens our faith. He sanctifies our hearts. He teaches us to love what God loves and hate what God hates.

And because He is the Spirit of truth, He gives the believer confidence. Not confidence in ourselves, but confidence in the Word of God. We do not have to be tossed around by every new trend, every clever argument, or every cultural demand. The Spirit has not left the church in darkness. He guides God’s people by the truth God has spoken.

So today, do not chase every voice. Do not build your life on feelings. Do not confuse emotional excitement with spiritual maturity.

Open the Word. Trust the Spirit. Look to Christ.

The Spirit of truth will never lead you away from Jesus. He will guide you into the truth, anchor you in the truth, and teach you to walk in the truth for the glory of God.

The Bearded Pastor

05/16/2026

God Is My Salvation

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”
Isaiah 12:2 (ESV)

This verse is not the language of a man who found confidence in himself. It is the confession of a soul that has learned where salvation truly comes from.

“Behold, God is my salvation.”

That word matters. Isaiah does not merely say God gives salvation, though He surely does. He says God is my salvation. The Lord Himself is the rescue, the refuge, the deliverer, and the hope of His people. Salvation is not found in religious effort, moral improvement, positive thinking, or human strength. Salvation belongs to the Lord.

That is the truth every weary heart needs.

We are often tempted to look for security in things that cannot hold us. We look to our own wisdom, our own control, our own plans, our own ability to keep life from falling apart. But life has a way of exposing the weakness of every false refuge. Strength fades. Money runs out. People disappoint. Circumstances change. Even our own hearts can betray us.

But God does not change.

Isaiah says, “I will trust, and will not be afraid.” Trust is not pretending there is nothing to fear. Trust is knowing that God is greater than everything we fear. Biblical faith does not deny trouble. It looks trouble in the face and says, “The Lord is my salvation.”

Fear loses its grip when God becomes our confidence.

This does not mean the believer never feels afraid. We do. There are valleys that shake us, burdens that press hard, and seasons where the darkness feels heavy. But faith teaches us not to build our lives on what we feel in the moment. Faith rests on who God is. He is sovereign. He is faithful. He is holy. He is merciful. He is mighty to save.

Then Isaiah says, “for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song.” That is a beautiful pairing. The Lord is not only the strength that carries us. He is also the song that rises from us. He upholds His people, and then He becomes the praise of His people.

God does not merely give enough strength to survive. He gives Himself. And when the soul sees Him rightly, worship begins to rise.

The Christian has even more reason to say this with confidence. We see the fullness of God’s salvation in Jesus Christ. At the cross, Christ bore the wrath our sins deserved. In His resurrection, He conquered sin, death, and the grave. By grace, through faith, sinners are brought near to God, not because we were strong, but because Christ was strong for us.

So when Isaiah says, “he has become my salvation,” the believer can look to Christ and say, “Yes, He has.” Jesus is not simply a helper for the morally struggling. He is the Savior of the spiritually dead. He is not a backup plan for the self-sufficient. He is the only hope for sinners.

So today, do not measure your peace by your circumstances. Do not measure your hope by your feelings. Do not measure your future by your strength.

Look to the Lord.

God is your salvation.
Trust Him, and do not be afraid.
He is your strength when you are weak.
He is your song when your heart is heavy.
He has become your salvation.

The Bearded Pastor

04/25/2026

Reconciled by God

“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;”
2 Corinthians 5:18 (ESV)

There are some verses that pull the pride right out from under us. 2 Corinthians 5:18 is one of them. Paul begins with these words: “All this is from God.” That means salvation is not ultimately from man, not from human effort, not from moral improvement, not from religious performance, and not from our ability to clean ourselves up enough to be acceptable.

It is from God.

That matters because sin did not merely make us confused. Sin made us guilty. Sin did not merely damage our feelings. Sin separated us from God. We were not spiritually neutral people who simply needed better advice. We were rebels in need of reconciliation.

And the wonder of the gospel is that the offended God is the One who makes peace.

Paul says God “through Christ reconciled us to himself.” Notice the direction. We did not reconcile God to us. God reconciled us to Himself. The problem was not that God needed to change. The problem was that we were alienated from Him because of sin. God is holy. We are sinful. God is righteous. We are guilty. God is just. We deserve judgment.

Yet in mercy, God acted.

He did not sweep sin under the rug. He did not pretend rebellion was harmless. He did not lower His standard of holiness. Instead, He sent His Son. Through Christ, God accomplished what we could never accomplish. Jesus stood in the place of sinners. He bore the wrath we deserved. He fulfilled the righteousness we lacked. He died for our sins and rose again in victory.

That is reconciliation.

It is not God saying, “Sin does not matter.” It is God saying, “Sin matters so much that only the blood of My Son can deal with it.”

This keeps us humble. If we are saved, it is because God moved first. Grace did not begin with our decision. It began in the eternal purpose of God. He sought us. He called us. He opened our eyes. He brought us from death to life. The Christian has no room to boast except in the cross of Christ.

But Paul does not stop there. He says God also “gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” The reconciled become ambassadors of reconciliation. The ones who have received mercy are sent to proclaim mercy. We do not invent the message. We do not improve the message. We announce what God has done in Christ.

This means the church does not exist merely to offer encouragement, build programs, or make people feel religious. We have been entrusted with the message that sinners can be made right with God through Jesus Christ. That is our calling. That is our mission. That is our privilege.

If God has reconciled you to Himself through Christ, then your life is not your own. You have been brought near by grace, and now you carry the good news to others who are still far off.

“All this is from God.”

So let gratitude replace pride. Let worship replace self-reliance. Let obedience replace complacency. And let the gospel be on our lips, because the God who reconciles sinners has given His people the ministry of reconciliation.

The Bearded Pastor

04/24/2026

The King Over All the Earth

“And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one.”
Zechariah 14:9 (ESV)

Zechariah 14:9 reminds us that history is not wandering aimlessly. The world may look divided, unstable, and rebellious, but God has not lost control. He is not reacting to human events as though heaven has been surprised. The Lord reigns now, and one day His reign will be openly seen by all.

This is where the sovereignty of God becomes more than a doctrine. It becomes an anchor.

The God of Scripture is not a passive observer. He is King. He rules over creation, nations, history, salvation, judgment, and redemption. Nothing escapes His authority. Nothing threatens His throne. Nothing can frustrate His eternal purpose.

Zechariah says the Lord will be King over all the earth. That means every false god will be exposed. Every proud kingdom will fall. Every rival loyalty will be silenced. His name alone will be honored. His glory alone will fill the earth.

For the believer, this is hope. The same Christ who was crucified for sinners, raised in victory, and exalted at the right hand of the Father will reign until every enemy is placed beneath His feet. The world may mock Him now, but it will not mock Him forever. Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

But this verse also confronts us. If the Lord will be King over all the earth, then He must not be treated as a small addition to our lives. He is not a religious accessory. He is King. He has the right to rule our thoughts, desires, homes, worship, and obedience.

The question is not whether He will reign. The question is whether we are gladly submitting to His reign now.

Take heart. The world is not out of control. Evil will not have the final word. Human pride will not sit on the throne forever. The Lord will be King over all the earth.

The Bearded Pastor

04/03/2026

It’s Friday.
Jesus is praying.
Peter is sleeping.
Judas is betraying.
But Sunday is coming.

It’s Friday.
Pilate is wavering.
The council is plotting.
The crowd is shouting.
They have no idea… Sunday is coming.

It’s Friday.
The disciples are scattered.
Fear has taken hold.
Mary is weeping.
Peter is denying.
But they don’t see it yet… Sunday is coming.

It’s Friday.
The Romans beat Him.
They mock Him.
They wrap Him in scarlet.
They press a crown of thorns into His brow.
But they don’t understand… Sunday is coming.

It’s Friday.
Jesus is walking toward Calvary.
Every step is heavy.
Every drop of blood tells a story.
The weight of sin is on Him.
But this is not the end… Sunday is coming.

It’s Friday.
The world thinks it’s winning.
Sin looks strong.
Evil seems loud.
Darkness feels like it has the final word.

It’s Friday.
They drive nails through His hands.
They pierce His feet.
They lift Him up between criminals.
The Son of God hanging in our place.

It’s Friday.
The disciples are confused.
The religious leaders are satisfied.
Everything looks finished.
But they are wrong… Sunday is coming.

It’s Friday.
He cries out in anguish.
He bears the weight alone.
The sky grows dark.
The earth trembles.
The Lamb gives up His spirit.

It’s Friday.
Hope feels buried.
Death looks victorious.
Sin appears to have conquered.
And hell thinks it has won.

It’s Friday.
Jesus is laid in a tomb.
The stone is sealed.
The guards are watching.
Silence fills the air.

But it’s only Friday.

Sunday is coming.

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 1:18 (ESV)

04/01/2026

Come, join us tonight for a time of worship, celebration and communion!

03/28/2026

United by the God of Endurance and Encouragement

“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus.” Romans 15:5 (ESV)

Romans 15:5 gives us a beautiful reminder of both who God is and what He desires to produce in His people. Paul calls Him “the God of endurance and encouragement.” That title matters. It tells us that the strength to keep going and the comfort we need along the way do not begin in us. They begin in God.

There are seasons when endurance is needed because life is heavy. Trials wear on us. Relationships stretch us. Ministry can exhaust us. Even doing the right thing over a long period of time can become difficult. In those moments, we need more than willpower. We need the God of endurance. He is the One who sustains His people when they are weak, steadies them when they are tired, and keeps them from giving up when the road is long.

Paul also calls Him the God of encouragement. That means the Lord does not merely command us to press on, but He also comforts us as we do. He strengthens the weary heart. He lifts the discouraged soul. He reminds us of His promises when our minds are clouded by frustration and fatigue. God is not distant from our struggles. He meets us in them with grace.

But this verse does not stop with what God gives to us personally. Paul says that this God grants us “to live in such harmony with one another.” That is important because Christian endurance and encouragement are not only individual blessings. They are meant to shape the life of the church. God strengthens us so that we can walk together rightly. He encourages us so that we can love one another faithfully.

Harmony does not mean sameness. It does not mean every believer has the same personality, background, preference, or maturity level. It means that in Christ, we are brought into a unity that is greater than our differences. The church is made up of many members, but we are called to live with one heart and one mind in the things that matter most. That kind of harmony does not happen naturally. It must be granted by God.

Notice also that this harmony is “in accord with Christ Jesus.” Christ is both the source and the standard of our unity. We do not pursue peace by lowering truth, ignoring sin, or pretending differences do not exist. We pursue harmony by being brought into alignment with Jesus Himself. The closer we are to Christ, the closer we will be to one another.

This verse is especially needed in a divided world. Everywhere we look, people are quick to argue, separate, and devour one another. Yet the church is called to be different. We are called to reflect the character of our God by showing endurance with each other and extending encouragement to each other. We are called to pursue harmony, not because it is easy, but because it honors Christ.

Today, remember that God is not only asking something from you. He is supplying what He commands. If you need endurance, He has it. If you need encouragement, He gives it. If your relationships need harmony, He can produce it. So ask Him to make your heart steady, your words gracious, and your life aligned with Christ.

The Bearded Pastor

Never Before Project

05/23/2026

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