Berkshire county church of Christ, 112 Elm Street, Pittsfield, MA (2026)

06/14/2026

Imperfect People, Faithful God

06/07/2026

“You Will Recognize Them by Their Fruits”

05/31/2026

The Path to True Success

05/24/2026

Greater Love Has No One Than This

05/17/2026

The Danger of Rejecting God as King

01/01/2026

Waking Up in the Mercy of God

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22–23). It is the first day of 2026, and the world is waking up full of hope for a year filled with many blessings. For many people, the fresh page in the calendar feels like a fresh start; the coffee is fresh and tastes a little more sacred than usual. There is a sense of leaving the bad things that happened in the rearview mirror and speeding forward to a more peaceful, productive, and safe year ahead.

In today’s selection, you will notice, however, that God’s mercies are not reserved for the first day of the year—it says that they are new “every morning.” What that means is that when your feet hit the floor, no matter the date, God’s blessings are already waiting for you. While you were sleeping, the Almighty was already preparing enough mercy to get you through this day, and every other day in 2026. The writer of Lamentations wasn’t having a peaceful morning when he penned those words. Far from it. He was standing in the rubble of Jerusalem, surrounded by grief and ruin.

But instead of turning bitter, his heart turned upward. He remembered something: God’s love hadn’t gone anywhere. His mercy still showed up. Not in bulk. Not in one huge lump sum. But in daily portions. Our all-knowing God does not expect us to take on the whole year at once, but instead gives us the strength and courage to tackle one day at a time. This is important to remember as we prepare to navigate the challenges 2026 is sure to present. You see, even with all the excitement, congratulations, and exuberant hope we rang the new year in with, the problems that were there yesterday have not magically vanished today.

Our anxieties will catch up with us sooner rather than later. Sadness may have been masked by partying last night, but it is still there and will remind us of its reasons very soon. The bills that were waiting to be paid yesterday still need to be paid today. Fears that we had yesterday, we still have today. Essentially, nothing has changed. Our baggage did not know today was a new year and came with us into 2026, but thankfully, so did God’s love, mercy, and courage.

I’ve learned that the way to walk into a new season isn’t by trying to fix everything or figure it all out. It’s by fixing my eyes on the faithfulness of God. “Great is your faithfulness,” the writer says. Not great is my strength. Not great are my plans. But great is “His faithfulness”. And that realization should change how we start this day, and every day hereafter. God is with me, and so I can slow down, breathe, and take one step at a time. I know in my heart that the Lord’s steadfast love hasn’t ceased because of a date on a calendar, and it never will.

I think about the Israelites gathering manna in the wilderness and remember that God didn’t let them stockpile it. He gave them just enough for each day. Anything more would spoil. But each morning, there it was: bread from heaven, fresh and waiting. That’s how His mercy works. You can’t store it. You can’t hoard it, but you’ll never run out of it either. The world tries to sell us a thousand ways to start the year strong: new habits, bold goals, fresh routines, and countless other strategies. And while there’s nothing wrong with planning ahead, let’s not miss the one thing we can’t live without: His mercy. Everything else can wait, but seeking the face of God and leaning into His faithfulness is the first and most important act of the day.

So what do you need from Him today? Not for the whole year. Just for this one day. Do you need a new direction, peace, strength, wisdom, or comfort? Get down on your knees and acknowledge Him; acknowledge His everlasting love and mercy, new every day. Ask for the blessings He has for you this morning, and you will surely receive them. Remember, just as the concerns of 2025 have not magically disappeared this morning, neither has His love and mercy.

12/31/2025

The Resolution That Matters Most

The end of the year has a way of sneaking up on us. One minute it’s summer, and the next we’re staring down another New Year’s Eve, wondering where the time went. For many, it’s a time of lists: goals, diets, budgets, projects, and the ever-popular New Year’s resolutions. Most of these are about worldly things: eat better, lose weight, save money, and get organized. While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to live a healthier, more productive, and more organized life, there’s something far more important we often forget—our soul.

Most people are focused on the temporal while completely overlooking the eternal. As committed followers of Christ, shouldn’t this season be a time of deep personal reflection? Shouldn’t it be a time of introspection and a determination of how we are living out our faith? Shouldn’t it be a time when we commit to letting go of that which is holding us back and embracing that which guarantees our spiritual success?

When I read Paul’s words in 2Co. 13:5, I feel a sense of urgency rise in me: “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” Those penetrating words of the apostle are an urgent call to look in the mirror, not just at our physical appearance, but at our hearts. Are we truly walking in the faith in a way that matures us and glorifies the Father? Are we growing closer to Christ or just coasting along, or maybe slowly drifting further and further from the safety of His arms?

Picture the following scene. A man stands before a mirror, shaving cream on his face, thinking about next year’s gym membership. But behind him, in the reflection he rarely notices, is a dusty Bible on the nightstand. He is so focused on the present that he forgets his future. The problem isn’t just time; it’s attention. We give our best thoughts to things that will pass away and leave the eternal untouched. So this year, what if we made just one resolution—and made it count?

What if we resolved to be more faithful children of God? Not out of guilt or fear, but out of love for a God who loved us so much that He gave His only Son to save us from Satan’s grip. What if we resolved to display the kind of love that pushes us to pray more, give more, serve more, forgive quicker, and repent faster? Not a half-hearted promise we’ll forget by February, but a steady, daily decision to pursue God more deeply, not just for this coming year, but for the rest of our natural lives.

David understood this yearning. In Psa. 139:23-24, he prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” That’s the prayer of someone who’s not just checking off religious boxes but someone desperate for personal, spiritual revival. And isn’t that what we all need? Revival doesn’t always come in the form of a packed church or a week-long gospel meeting. Sometimes it begins quietly, in the soul of one person who’s just tired of being lukewarm. One person who finally admits, “I’ve drifted. I’ve let the world distract me, but I want to come back.”

Let’s be honest. It’s easy to go through the motions. It’s easy to be at every service and still be miles away from God in our hearts. But what if we made this the year we stopped pretending? What if we returned to our first love, the way Jesus pleaded with the church at Ephesus in Rev. 2:4-5: “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.”Remember. Repent. Return.

Let’s resolve not “lose ten pounds” or “cut back on carbs,” but “draw near to God.” Because the promise still stands: Jam. 4:8, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

12/30/2025

It would be in the interest of everyone who requires church to be entertaining to remember the following: God is not interested in spectators. He is not honored by emotional highs that disappear by Monday morning and remain hidden until some band or light show raises them again the following week. He is not glorified when His people gather to be impressed rather than humbled. When He is not the sole focus, worship is empty and misdirected. If your idea of church is that it must earn your attention, your loyalty, or your praise, then your worship is not of God but of self.

In Mat. 16:24, Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Those words are not a slogan but a summons to die. Not to die physically, of course, but to die to comfort, to die to preferences, to die to the idea that the church is supposed to impress you, and to die to the idea that God exists to fulfill your desires. Unfortunately, far too many are demanding exactly that. They want worship services that entertain them, preaching that never convicts them, and ministries that center around their schedules and needs. They want their kids to have fun, their emotions to be stirred, and their week to feel lighter due to motivational speeches.

But they do not want to change. They do not want to repent. They do not want to carry their cross. Yet God is not fooled by their egocentric worship. In Joh. 4:23, Jesus said, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” We do not decide what true worship is—God does. The Creator is not seeking passive attenders or demanding consumers. He is seeking true worshippers who gather humbly and lift Him up in praise and worship. In other words, He seeks those who come before Him with reverence, repentance, and obedience.

If we think we can mold God into a version we like better, one that fits our comfort zones, we are deceived. The God of heaven does not conform to culture, and He does not bend to opinion polls. He demands that we conform to Him. So let me ask you again, with urgency: why do you go to church? To be inspired? To be seen? To feel better about yourself? That’s not worship; that’s theater. God is not watching the light show, the band, the choir, the performers, or speeches devoid of any scripture or doctrinal soundness. He is watching the hearts of His children.

If your purpose is to find a place that is supposed to satisfy your needs and desires of God, you are heading down a dangerous path. If you come to church with no desire to submit, no hunger for the life-giving truth, and no intention of being shaped by the Word, then you are not worshiping; you are pretending. God expects more than lip service. He demands a life laid down in obedient reverence. He is not pleased by noise, emotion, or effort that never leads to holiness. And one day, we will give an account—not for how moved we were, but for how obedient we became. So if the answer to today’s questions is anything other than “To glorify the God who gave His Son and demands your soul, your life, your all—then you need to repent before it is too late.”

12/29/2025

Why Do You Go to Church? (Part 1)

The question I want us to consider today is not new. In fact, I have written about this previously, but because it is so important and we are at that “New Year’s Resolution” time, I thought it was worthy of another look. The question of why one goes to church is not harmless or something to be overlooked. In other words, it is not optional. It goes straight to the heart and exposes motives we would rather leave untouched. If we answer it honestly, some of us may discover that we have been standing in the presence of God while thinking almost entirely about ourselves.
Here’s what troubles me deeply about our time. Many no longer come to worship God; they come to be satisfied. They do not conform to God but expect God to conform to them. They demand that church leadership find ways to encourage them to come to church, not through doctrinally sound preaching but through soul-stirring entertainment. The church has become something to evaluate rather than something to revere. People weigh sermons like reviews, judge singing by how it makes them feel, and measure the value of worship by whether their children were entertained.
Think about how ludicrous that is. People expect songs that lift their spirits and move their emotions. They expect the latest and greatest songs, with all sorts of accompanying instruments and light shows, so they can feel engaged. No more boring “old-time, fuddy-duddy” psalms, and certainly none that are boringly slow. For them, it is less about sound preaching than motivating speeches that tell them how wonderful and perfect they are. For them, it is less about moving the heart of God than moving theirs, and their needs outweigh His desires.
When the service fails to please them, as proper worship devoid of crowd-pleasing tactics surely will, when they are not emotionally moved, and when their kids are not dutifully entertained, they complain and move on to a church that “makes them feel good.” That mindset should alarm us. Since when has worship ever been about the individual? Well, we can answer that question with the following – since leaders started trying to find worldly ways to motivate attendance, when the desire to have a large church outweighs the spiritual needs of the people, or when the holy calling to be a sound preacher is overlooked.
Read the words of the Apostle Paul in 1Co. 9:16, “For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” When spiritual necessity gives way to earthly desire, nothing good follows. When the words of Tit. 2:1 are forgotten because of personal agendas, numbers in the pews may grow, but numbers in God’s kingdom do not. When the church becomes about man rather than God, it is no longer a holy assembly trembling before the Lord but a crowd waiting to be impressed. That is not worship. That is self-centered religion, and God has never accepted that.
In Romans 12:1, Paul writes, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” A sacrifice does not ask to be amused. A sacrifice is placed on the altar. Worship, according to God, is costly. It demands surrender, not comfort. It demands obedience, not self-satisfaction. Here is the warning we must hear: when worship becomes about personal enjoyment, God is no longer at the center.
When the church adapts itself to our tastes instead of shaping us into Christ’s image, something sacred has been lost. We begin asking the wrong questions. Not, “Is God pleased?” but, “Am I pleased?” And that shift is deadly to the soul. There is a dangerous lie beneath all this—that God exists to serve us. But the God of Scripture is not a performer, not a product, and not a servant to our preferences. He is holy, sovereign, and demands reverence.

10/14/2025

When One Soul Listens

When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets” (Act. 28:23).

Paul had been through it all: beatings, shipwrecks, snakebites, betrayals, and imprisonments. And yet, here he is in Acts 28, under house arrest in Rome, still doing the one thing that had become his life’s heartbeat: telling people about Jesus. Even though he was worn from travel and hardship, his eyes still lit with fire as he unfolded the Scriptures, pointing to Jesus as the fulfillment of every promise.

All day long, he shared the truth of God’s Word. Not just handing out a quick gospel tract and a handshake, but instead conveying the life-giving message of the Gospel of Christ. Carefully and with great enthusiasm, he walked them through Moses and the prophets, aiming to help them see that Jesus was exactly who He claimed to be. However, continue to read Act. 8:24 and the harsh reality we who are dedicated to spreading the Gospel must face: “…And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved.” Even when the apostle Paul, arguably the greatest preacher of the gospel the world has known, laid it all out with clarity and passion, “some believed,” but “others didn’t.”

It’s not about how persuasive we are. It’s not about saying all the right things. It’s about whether hearts are receptive to the message of salvation. Some hearts will be open, but, unfortunately, most will be closed. We have to accept that, and understand that it’s not on us. I think about how often we hesitate to talk about Jesus because we’re afraid of rejection. Afraid we’ll be awkward. Afraid we won’t have answers. Or maybe even afraid that no one will care. But what if Paul had said, “You know, I’ve already been beaten enough. I’ve done my part. Let someone else talk this time”? What if he’d backed down because he knew only some would believe?

But he didn’t. He kept going, even knowing full well the numbers wouldn’t always be in his favor.

Paul’s determination and commitment should inspire us to do the same because “some” will believe. Some will study with us and walk to the life-giving waters of baptism. Yes, many won’t. Maybe even most won’t. But we must do it for the few who will. Remember, each one who does is a soul that will sit with us around the throne one day. One soul that avoids hell. One soul that joins the family of God. One soul that will worship Jesus forever. Is that not worth every awkward conversation? Every eye-roll? Every door closed in our face?

Jesus warned in Mat. 7:13-14 that evangelism will be challenging: “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” So, we shouldn’t be surprised when most people reject the message. But we should be motivated by the fact that “some” will listen, and eternity will be forever changed for them. Maybe it’s your coworker facing a tough time, your neighbor who always waves but never talks, or a family member who’s heard it all before but still hasn’t surrendered.

We face a choice every day. Leave them where they are. Watch them slip deeper and deeper into the darkness of sin and despair. Stand idly by and Satan stakes his claim another soul. Alternatively, we can fight for that soul. We can keep sharing, keep planting seeds, and keep watering seeds that have been planted. We can take comfort in knowing that even if 99 say no, the one who says yes will cause heaven to erupt in celebration. And when you feel tired, when the discouragement creeps in and you wonder if it’s even making a difference, go back to Paul’s house in Rome.

See him surrounded by listeners, some leaning in, even as others walk out. And yet, there he is, unshaken, because he knows this isn’t about numbers. It’s about faithfulness. It’s not about bragging rights either, but about one or two more souls who will join us in the everlasting presence of the Almighty.

So be bold. Be loyal. Be kind. Speak the name of Jesus, and remember, the next person you speak to me be the one of one hundred.

Berkshire county church of Christ

06/14/2026

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