Center Point Missionary Baptist Church

09/05/2026

09/05/2026

Gathering to Grow in Christ
[The believers] devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Acts 2:42 (READ Acts 2:1-6, 36-7)

In Monterey Bay, California, a boat captain saw fifteen Pacific white-sided dolphins join a super pod of more than two thousand dolphins. Various types and ages of dolphins gather in pods to fend off predators, feed, and socialize. Still, the size and diversity of this super pod was a rare sight to behold.

The Bible records a rare gathering of diverse people that’s foundational in our faith history. As the disciples celebrated Pentecost in Jerusalem, “a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:2). They were “filled with the Holy Spirit,” who enabled them to speak in different languages (v. 4). People God created “from every nation under heaven” had also gathered for Pentecost (v. 5). When they investigated the loud noise, each person “heard their own language being spoken” by the disciples (v. 6). Then Peter proclaimed Jesus as “both Lord and Messiah” (v. 36). About three thousand believed and were baptized (v. 41). As God’s people lived in community like never before, He “added to their number daily those who were being saved” (v. 47).

By the power of the Holy Spirit, God’s people around the world still gather to grow in community and proclaim Jesus as Lord. Through us, He will continue expanding His kingdom.

By Xochitl Dixon

09/04/2026

Behind the Door

Do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing.
1 Samuel 12:21

In the 1940s, radio listeners tuned into a suspenseful new dramatic episode of Quiet Please entitled, “Nothing Behind the Door.” Three men climbed to the top of a mountain to break into a mysterious little house near an observatory. Inside they found a sealed door, which they forced open with great foreboding. As it turned out, it led to nowhere. Behind it was nothing but emptiness. It was a psychological image that shocked listeners with the emptiness of human existence.

Recommended Reading:
1 Samuel 12:20-25

The prophet Jonah once mistook an available ship for an open door. But open doors are not always God’s doors, especially when we force them open. Some opportunities lead nowhere spiritually. Behind them we find only disappointment, regret, and hollowness.

As we go through life, we will see many doors, but unless God is leading us to them and through them, they will lead nowhere. Let God open the right doors for you. Do not turn aside to other doors or opportunities, for we do not want to go after empty things which cannot profit and which are nothing.

When God allows one door to close, it may be because he is preparing to open a more effective door.
Henry Blackaby

09/02/2026

Where God Reigns
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7 James 4:1-10 (READ James 4:1-10)

In 2018, a man checked into a room at New York hotel for a one-night stay. Remarkably, he used the room for five years without paying another cent—exploiting obscure rent laws to hold on to it. His refusal to leave, however, eventually led to potential prison time for him.

Like an unwelcome tenant who overstays, James warns us that the devil lingers in our lives when left unchecked. “Resist the devil,” James writes, “and he will flee from you” (4:7). The apostle emphasizes that our struggles often come from impure “desires” and “wrong motives” (vv. 1, 3)—things like pride, divided loyalties, and impure thoughts residing in our hearts. To counter such temptation, James offers two commands: “submit . . . to God” and “resist the devil” (v. 7). To submit means surrendering every part of our lives to God. Resisting the devil is equally active, requiring prayer, vigilance, and the wisdom of Scripture.

Like a landlord evicting an unlawful tenant, in God’s strength we can refuse to let the temptation of the devil overtake us. As we resist him, God promises victory as James asserts, “He will flee from you” (v. 7).

When we evict sin and the devil’s influence and “come near to God” (v. 8), we allow His peace, joy, and purpose to dwell more fully in us. The enemy can’t stay where God reigns!

By Marvin Williams

09/01/2026

Clear Windshields

But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:16

In the old movie Young at Heart, there’s a scene in which Barney Sloan (Frank Sinatra) is so discouraged he turns off his windshield wipers while driving in a snowstorm. He can no longer clearly see the road, and everything is blurred. It’s a frightening moment that illustrates how we often look at life. We can “turn off the wipers” in our own lives by neglecting truth and withdrawing from God’s Word.

Recommended Reading:
Romans 8:1-6

The only way to see clearly is by looking at things through the eyesight of Jesus. Paul twice spoke of “the mind of Christ.” He told the Philippians, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5), and he said to the Corinthians, “But we have the mind of Christ.”

Having the mind of Christ means having the Savior’s point of view. We learn to think as He does, not as the world thinks. Here is a verse to say aloud today and to turn into a prayer for this hour: “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires” (Romans 8:5, NIV).

Believers must regain the use of the mind for God’s glory.
Bill Muhlenberg

08/31/2026

Fives: Five Smooth Stones

Then [David] took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag, in a pouch which he had.
1 Samuel 17:40

Recommended Reading: 1 Samuel 17:40-47

The story of David—especially his epic face-off with Goliath—speaks to every generation. Even recently, a television series and a major animated feature film have brought the story of David to life for modern audiences. When we read the Bible story, we cannot help but notice the number five.

Why five stones? The Bible doesn’t say. Some suggest David anticipated more than one opponent since Goliath had relatives. Others point out that a skilled slinger would naturally carry several stones. Most simply, David was prepared. His faith in God didn’t eliminate wise action. Like an old Revolutionary War adage—“Trust in God, but keep your powder dry.” David trusted the Lord fully, but he was also well armed.

Here is an application for us. We face many giants in life. Some are problems that we must try to solve, and others are temptations that we must overcome. The Bible has more than 31,000 verses. So when a giant problem or temptation confronts you, gather into your mental pouch five smooth Bible verses. God’s Word is rock solid when it comes to our victory.

The Bible was given not to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.
D. L. Moody