Pine Mountain Christian Community Church

09/05/2026

Dear friend of Pine Mountain Christian Community Church,

What a blessed time of worship, hearing from God’s Word and fellowship we had last Sunday! Actually, we have a blessed time every week! Sunday is a special time when we can focus on God, remember His greatness and mercy toward us, and hang out with other people who are interested in following the Lord Jesus. This Sunday, September 6th, we will gather again and hear what Jesus has to say about our eyes, what we look at, and who our master is. We all have a master. Jesus wants to keep us on track and keep God as our master. It is so easy to be tempted by other masters: money, our feelings, our friends, the culture, alcohol, pleasure, and a host of other enticements that yell at us to follow. But Jesus says we cannot serve two masters. Either we will hate the one and love the other, or we will be devoted to one and despise the other. Jesus wants us to be devoted to Him. He wants us to be steadfast in our attention to Him. Jesus wants that for us because He knows what’s out there. He knows that every other master will only rob us of the joy of walking in the power of His Spirit.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THESE COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

* In the past, you have heard me mention the Family Life Marriage Conference, which is referred to as “Weekend to Remember.” It is a Christian conference designed to strengthen marriages. Linda and I have been 3 times in our 49 years of marriage. We recommend it for every married couple, and we have given a trip to the conference to our married sons and daughters. We support a missionary with CRU, Ken Borgert, who has worked with Family Life ministries both in South Africa and here in the United States. He will be here with us this Sunday! He will lead us in prayer for this very important ministry.

* UPCOMING EVENT: Sep 20, Sun: “All American Chili Cookoff” – 12-2pm in Activity Center

THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR:

* Sunday, September 6th at 9:30 am: All Church Prayer Time in the sanctuary

* Sunday, September 6th at 10 a.m.: Worship Service in the sanctuary. Sermon: “Only One Master” Matthew 6:22-24. Live-streamed (Lord willing) on pmccc.org, YouTube.com, and Facebook

* Wednesday, September 9th at 10 am: Women’s Bible Study in the Activities Center

* Wednesday, September 9th at 10 am: Men’s Bible Study in the Church Library: Study: The Book of John

* Thursday, September 10th at 6 pm: High School student gathering in the Activities Center

Sticking to my master, the Lord Jesus,

Pastor Rick

08/29/2026

Dear friend of Pine Mountain Christian Community Church,

Where is your treasure? We all have treasures. Our treasures consist of everything God has given us: our time, money, talents, possessions, and even our opportunities – anything that could be destroyed or stolen. Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourself in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21). So how do we transfer our treasures to heaven? Or, how do we invest in heaven? That will be the subject of the sermon this Sunday, August 30th. I pray you will be able to join us for this important message.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THESE COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

* The new Our Daily Bread devotional booklets for September/October/November will be available by the front door this Sunday.

* UPCOMING EVENT: Sep 20, Sun: “All American Chili Cookoff” – 12-2pm in Activity Center

THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR:

* Sunday, August 3oth at 9:30 am: All Church Prayer Time in the sanctuary

* Sunday, August 30th at 10 a.m.: Worship Service in the sanctuary. Sermon: “How to Invest in Heaven” Matthew 6:19-21. Live-streamed (Lord willing) on pmccc.org, YouTube.com, and Facebook

* Wednesday, September 2nd at 10 am: Women’s Bible Study in the Activities Center

* Wednesday, September 2nd at 10 am: Men’s Bible Study in the Church Library: Study: The Book of John

* Thursday, September 3rd at 6 pm: High School student gathering in the Activities Center

Investing in Heaven,

Pastor Rick

08/21/2026

Dear friend of Pine Mountain Christian Community Church,

What do you do when you read a passage of the Bible that you consider is totally unrelated to your life? Like for example, Jesus talked about fasting. I’m not talking about moving quickly – I’m talking about not eating. You might think that has nothing to do with you. But everything in the Bible is there to teach us something about God. God wants us to know Him and know about Him. Jesus said, “When you fast, don’t be a hypocrite. So we learn that God doesn’t want us to be hypocrites. That’s important to know. God wants us to be real. He doesn’t want us to put on a religious show. But Jesus gives us some good comments on fasting, and I’m sure we will learn even more about God and about ourselves as we hear what Jesus has to say on this subject. Come join us this Sunday as we hear what Jesus has to say about this very rarely talked about subject.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THESE COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

* This Sunday, August 23rd, there will be a Church Council Meeting at 12 noon in the church library.

* Want to help out with Operation Christmas Child? Linda Miller will be going to Bakersfield on Saturday, August 29th for an orientation and to pick up materials. If you would like to go with her, text her at 818-324-2132

THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR:

* Sunday, August 23rd at 9:30 am: All Church Prayer Time in the sanctuary

* Sunday, August 23rd at 10 a.m.: Worship Service in the sanctuary. Sermon: “When You Fast” Matthew 6:16-18. Live-streamed (Lord willing) on pmccc.org, YouTube.com, and Facebook

* Sunday, August 23rd at 12 noon: Church Council Meeting

* Wednesday, August 26th at 10 am: Women’s Bible Study in the Activities Center

* Wednesday, August 26th at 10 am: Men’s Bible Study in the Church Library: Study: The Book of John

* Thursday, August 27th at 6 pm: High School student gathering in the Activities Center

Eager to learn from Jesus,

Pastor Rick

08/14/2026

Dear friend of Pine Mountain Christian Community Church,

Why Pray? If God knows what we want before we ask, why pray? If God has already planned the future, why pray? If God is sovereign, why pray?
Here’s the answer: God is interested in developing a personal relationship with us. He wants us to know Him and experience His power and mercy.
It is only as we talk with God and He talks to us through His Word that we come to know Him and experience His love and plan for our lives.
And much of the time, although God knows what we need, we don’t know what we need! Prayer is not about informing an ignorant god about what we want – it’s about getting to know our Heavenly Father and coming to understand His perfect will. This Sunday, August 16th, we will continue our look at the Lord’s prayer. I’m sure God has much for us to learn as we follow the teachings of Jesus on how to pray.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THESE COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

* This Sunday, August 16th, there will be a Church Council Meeting at 12 noon in the church library.

* I want to remind everyone that we have a library with some great books: resource books, new releases, fiction, and classics. There is also a lot of books for children available to take out and read to your kids or grandkids.

* Please pray for our students, as they will be starting school this week. Pray that they will trust Jesus in every situation and learn to depend on Him as they work on their assignments.

THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR:

* Sunday, August 16th at 9:30 am: All Church Prayer Time in the sanctuary

* Sunday, August 16th at 10 a.m.: Worship Service in the sanctuary. Sermon: “The Lord’s Prayer Part 2” Matthew 6:9-11. Live-streamed (Lord willing) on pmccc.org, YouTube.com, and Facebook

* Wednesday, August 19th at 10 am: Women’s Bible Study in the Activities Center

* Wednesday, August 19th at 10 am: Men’s Bible Study in the Church Library: Study: The Book of John

* Thursday, August 20th at 6 pm: High School student gathering in the Activities Center

Rejoicing in the privilege of talking with God,

Pastor Rick

08/07/2026

Dear friend of Pine Mountain Christian Community Church,

What should we say when we talk to God? We often just blurt out the first thing that comes to our brain, which is usually the most pressing need on our mind. Jesus knew we needed some words to help us focus on God, so He said, “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…’(NASB). I think Jesus wanted us to first focus on God, our heavenly Father, so that we would remember Who we are talking to and trust Him for the things on our heart. As you most likely know, there is more that Jesus said. And we will look at the whole prayer this Sunday, August 9th. I hope you will join us as we hear and talk about this powerful prayer that Jesus taught us.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THESE COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

* This Saturday, August 8th, there will be a Memorial Service for Mike King, the husband of Mina King and the father of Michelle King. The church family is invited, and it will take place at 11:30 a.m. in the Activities Center. If you like, you can bring dish of food, which will be enjoyed after the service.

* This Sunday is Communion Sunday. We will remember Jesus as we take the bread and the cup together and contemplate His suffering, death, and resurrection. We will also take a retiring offering to help meet the needs of people in our community.

* I want to remind everyone that we plan to participate in Operation Christmas Child this coming October. If you want to help fill a shoe box of gifts for a child in a third world country, begin now looking for toys you would like to put in your box.

THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR:

* Saturday, August 8, at 11:30 a.m. in the Activities Center: Memorial Service for Mike King

* Sunday, August 9th at 9:30 am: All Church Prayer Time in the sanctuary

* Sunday, August 9th at 10 a.m.: Worship Service in the sanctuary. Sermon: “The Lord’s Prayer” Matthew 6:9-11. Live-streamed (Lord willing) on pmccc.org, YouTube.com, and Facebook

* Wednesday, August 12th at 10 am: Women’s Bible Study in the Activities Center

* Wednesday, August 12th at 10 am: Men’s Bible Study in the Church Library: Study: The Book of John

* Thursday, August 13th at 6 pm: High School student gathering in the Activities Center

Learning to talk with God,

Pastor Rick

08/07/2026

07/31/2026

Dear friend of Pine Mountain Christian Community Church,

Do you pray? And by that, I mean, “Do you have a time and place where you actively pray without being disturbed?”. I have a confession to make: In my first few years of ministry, I didn’t think I needed to pray. I thought prayer was greatly overrated. As I thought of the great people in the Bible (Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Ruth, Ester, Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Peter, John the disciple, and Paul), it didn’t seem to me that that they prayed much. They were people who did great things. That’s what I wanted to do – I wanted to do great things. I was wrong. Although they did great things, they also prayed. In fact, as I read of their lives, I found that they prayed a lot! In fact, I now believe that prayer is an integral part of any endeavor. And more importantly, prayer is an integral part of growing in Christ.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THESE COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

* Linda and I had a blessed vacation time! We had a blessed time at home and blessed time at our family reunion. It was great to see all our kids and grandkids. We are back one week early and will take a week off in October.

* I want to thank David Oertel for preparing and delivering three very clear and important messages from the Word of God. I watched the services online, and I am glad we have someone like David who can step up and share the Scriptures in such a way to both inform and help us.

* This Sunday, August 2nd, we will return to our study of the book of Matthew as we look at a few things that Jesus had to say about prayer.

THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR:

* Sunday, August 2nd at 9:30 am: All Church Prayer Time in the sanctuary

* Sunday, August 2nd at 10 a.m.: Worship Service in the sanctuary. Sermon: “When You Pray” Matthew 6: 5-8. Live-streamed (Lord willing) on pmccc.org, YouTube.com, and Facebook

* Wednesday, August 5th at 10 am: Women’s Bible Study in the Activities Center

* Wednesday, August 5th at 10 am: Men’s Bible Study in the Church Library: Study: The Book of John

* Thursday, August 6th at 6 pm: High School student gathering in the Activities Center

Growing in prayer,

Pastor Rick

07/03/2026

Dear friend of Pine Mountain Christian Community Church,

What will you celebrate on the fourth of July? I pray you will celebrate freedom and God’s blessings on our country. As you know, it was July 4, 1776 that the founding fathers of the United States signed the Declaration of Independence (although technically, all the signatures were not gathered until later). In that document, the original thirteen colonies declared their independence from the British Empire. It was a brave, ambitious, step of faith. Those who were present at the first reading of that declaration tell us that there was a somber silence after the reading. They realized that if England rejected their declaration, it would mean war with the most powerful empire on earth. They would be considered traitors to the British crown. They would be hunted, and if caught, they would lose everything. How could they take such a stand? They took such a stand because they believed their cause was just, and they believed God would enable them to succeed. The Bible tells us, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.” (Psalm 35:12). What does that mean? We will answer that question this Sunday, as we look at that verse and see that those founders had a deep trust in the God of the Bible. I pray you will join us for what will be a patriotic church service that will encourage us to trust God as our founding fathers trusted God.

* This Sunday, July 5th, will be a “Patriotic Sunday!” Plan to come and bring a guest as we hear God’s Word, rejoice in God’s blessings on this country, and remember the Christian people that shaped its founding.

* Beginning July 6th, I will take a 4-week vacation. I am allowed 4 weeks each year, and I very rarely have taken all 4 weeks. But this year I decided to take this time all at once to be refreshed, do some extra reading, grow in the Lord, take care of needs around the house, go to a family reunion, and spend time with Linda and our family. Please pray that this time will be a time of great blessing and spiritual renewal.

* Elder David Oertel will be preaching for the four Sundays I will be gone. Please pray that God will bless him with insights from God’s word to help encourage and strengthen us in the Lord.

THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR:

* Sunday, July 5th at 9:30 am: All Church Prayer Time in the sanctuary

* Sunday, July 5th at 10 a.m.: Worship Service in the sanctuary. Sermon: “God Desires to Bless Our Nation”, Psalm 33:12. Live-streamed (Lord willing) on pmccc.org, YouTube.com, and Facebook

* Wednesday, July 8th at 10 am: Women’s Bible Study in the Activities Center

* Wednesday, July 8th at 10 am: Men’s Bible Study in the Church Library: Study: The Book of John

* Thursday, July 8th at 6 pm: High School student gathering in the Activities Center

Trusting God to bless our nation,

Pastor Rick

06/26/2026

Dear Friend of Pine Mountain Christian Community Church,

Do you know how to give? Giving has become complicated. So many opportunities to give, yet so many false motives. Jesus made giving simple, exciting and rewarding. Here’s what Jesus said: give to the poor; stop trying to impress people; give without expecting anything in return; live for the rewards that come from heaven. This Sunday, June 28th, we will begin Matthew chapter 6 and hear the words of Jesus as He gives us practical guidelines for the Christian life. This Sunday we will look at the first four verses where He gives instructions in giving.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THESE COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

* There will be a Church Council Meeting this Sunday, June 28th at 12 noon in the church library.

* Sunday, July 5th, will be a “Patriotic Sunday!” Plan to come and bring a guest as we hear God’s Word, rejoice in God’s blessings on this country, and remember the Christian people that shaped its founding.

THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR:

* Sunday, June 28th at 9:30 am: All Church Prayer Time in the sanctuary

* Sunday, June 28th at 10 a.m.: Worship Service in the sanctuary. Sermon: “How to Give” Matthew 6: 1-4. Live-streamed (Lord willing) on pmccc.org, YouTube.com, and Facebook

* Wednesday, July 1st at 10 am: Women’s Bible Study in the Activities Center

* Wednesday, July 1st at 10 am: Men’s Bible Study in the Church Library: Study: The Book of John

* Thursday, June 2nd at 6 pm: High School student gathering in the Activities Center

Learning to give,

Pastor Rick

06/19/2026

Dear friend of Pine Mountain Christian Community Church,

Do you know that this Sunday is Father’s Day? Just thought I would send out a reminder just in case you were unaware. I would encourage you to send a text, or make a phone call to encourage your dad if he is still alive. For many, Father’s Day is a day of difficult memories. But all of us can celebrate that we have a heavenly Father who loves us perfectly, knows us intimately, who will never leave us, and who has prepared a wonderful future for us. This Sunday, January 21st, we will look at the parable that Jesus told about the prodigal son. Only, it is not really so much about the son as it is about the father who actually had two prodigal sons. We will see that Jesus tells this story of a father to give us a glimpse of our heavenly Father. So, he must be the ideal father to study! He is approachable, associated with heaven, affectionate, patient, and assuring. I pray that you will come join us as we see this great example of a father.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THESE COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

* We will thank God and pray for all the fathers who come to church this Sunday! We also have a gift for all the men, that we pray will be a blessing to each man.

* There will be a Church Council Meeting on Sunday, June 28th at 12 noon.

THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR:

* Sunday, June 21st at 9:30 am: All Church Prayer Time in the sanctuary

* Sunday, June 21st at 10 a.m.: Worship Service in the sanctuary. Sermon: “A Father with Two Prodigal Sons” Luke 15:11-32. Live-streamed (Lord willing) on pmccc.org, YouTube.com, and Facebook

* Wednesday, June 24th at 10 am: Women’s Bible Study in the Activities Center

* Wednesday, June 24th at 10 am: Men’s Bible Study in the Church Library: Study: The Book of John

* Thursday, June 24th at 6 pm: High School student gathering in the Activities Center

Rejoicing in our heavenly Father,

Pastor Rick