Crown of Life

06/10/2026

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13

“Bearing with each other” means that as we each struggle with our own temptations, we understand the struggles of others.

“Forgive one another” echoes the Fifth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer (“forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”). Forgiving others shows that we truly believe God has forgiven us. A forgiving spirit is an essential characteristic for one who has been forgiven by Christ.

God’s blessings on your day…

06/09/2026

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

“Wide … broad” indicates the vast majority of people in the world have the same attitude as the scribes and Pharisees, in that they simplistically believe that their external works are what count. Jesus gives a much different interpretation to the Law, which is the rule of life for His followers. He takes it to the heart and, in so doing, eliminates many from kingdom reign.

“Narrow … few” are those who put their trust simply in God’s promises. Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount show us our sins and describe the path on which we, as disciples, seek to walk.

Martin Luther once said, “The true disciples remain on the hard path or enter through the narrow gate, namely, the Word of God, saying: ‘I am helpless. May God help me. It all rests in His hands. He promised and said: “Just cling to the Word, and I will uphold you. When you find yourself in any extremity or distress, you will learn to continue in God’s Word. This will liberate you and make you a true disciple.’”

God’s blessings on your day…

06/08/2026

“The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.” Habakkuk 3:19

“The Sovereign Lord” … here the divine name Yahweh is tied to the term Adonai, which means “Lord.”

“Strength” is a word with military connotations and in many passages means “army.” Since believers know God is their strength, they are able to deal with life’s difficulties and setbacks.

“On the heights” means believers only need to look to the nimble and sure-footed deer and the fortified high places for examples of the kind of security found in God.

“Director of music” is probably a liturgical notation, indicating either that the director of music should collect the psalm for Israel’s worship services, or that the leader of the Levitical choir should speak this psalm.

“Instruments” … the Jewish Talmud records that the Levites usually played cymbals for beating time, nine soprano harps for melody, and two bass harps. Hebrew has a variety of words for stringed instruments, but harps seem to be the basic instruments of worship. Large orchestras were formed for special services.

The Book that begins with a complaint ends with an expression of joyful confidence in the God of salvation. When we look to ourselves and our own strength, we have reason only to despair. But when we are stressed and depressed, we say, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation”.

Blessings on your day…

06/07/2026

Camp Perkins still has some openings. Ridges looks like a fun adventure.

Fill your summer with adventure by going to a week of Ridges backpacking camp! We have a few spots still available, so sign up now!! campperkins.org/ridges-backpacking

06/07/2026

06/07/2026

“Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.” Psalm 90:2,4

The phrase “mountains … world” is a description using repetition to emphasize that the everlasting God made all things. Everlasting (or eternity) is defined as having no beginning and no end.

The term “thousand years” is simply a recognition that God is beyond time. The Psalmist is merely contrasting God’s permanence with human life. From God’s perspective, a thousand years is fleeting.

Some rabbis later concluded that God had a “day” that lasted a thousand years. This conclusion led to speculation and computation about the ages of the earth and God’s timing for Judgment Day. However, such speculation cannot be based on this text. An early church author put it this way, “No one may imagine a thousand years are reckoned by God as one day, as if with God days were so long, when this is only said in contempt of the extent of time: he adds, ‘and as a watch in the night:’ which only lasts three hours”.

The repetitious description “watch in the night” suggests sleep, where there is no sense of time passing.

God’s blessings on your day…

06/06/2026

Following tomorrow's worship service, we will be hosting a potluck. We encourage you to bring your favorite spring-inspired dish to share with the group.

06/06/2026

“…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19

Since baptized Christians are in Christ, Christ dwells by the Spirit in them. Here Paul is speaking of that Christian experience where the Holy Spirit cleanses and empowers the heart daily. To be strengthened by the Spirit, to have the indwelling Christ, and to be established in love are basic to Christian growth. The word “dwell” is from the Greek word used for permanent residence. We are to be rooted like a tree and grounded in the love that God has for us and gives to us.

“Wide and long and high and deep and … surpasses knowledge” are descriptions of the immeasurability of God’s wisdom and Christ’s love. We know that the human mind cannot fully comprehend Him.

“Fullness of God” means that as true God, Christ fills and governs the whole universe. Yet in His plan, God has graciously chosen that the Church should make Him complete, and likewise be filled by Him. You could say that the “fullness of God” is the abundance of gifts that flows from Him.

God’s blessings on your day…

06/05/2026

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

“Therefore” transitions the reader to this summary verse of Paul’s teaching concerning the future glory of those who have died in Christ. Paul then proceeds to tell the Thessalonians about the coming Day of Judgment (Jesus Christ’s Second Coming) in which the Lord will give His final verdict.

Freedom from this Day of Judgment should be a constant encouragement to build one another up. Teaching on future events (i.e., Christ’s Second Coming) is designed by God to produce present results in the form of godly living. Doctrinal truth is not intended just to satisfy our curiosity, but to change our lives.

Paul’s encouragement is for each of you to walk in holiness and righteousness so that you may not be ashamed when our Lord appears to judge your work. The Lord, who has gifted us with salvation through His grace, will be on our side on the final Day of Judgment.

“Build each other up” is simply part of Paul’s words of encouragement to the Thessalonians so that we can help one another grow spiritually and believe and live by the very words of Jesus Christ.

God’s blessings on your day as you believe and live by Jesus’ Words…

06/04/2026

“Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.” 1 Chronicles 29:11

The purpose of the temple was to exalt the Lord and to acknowledge the universality of His kingdom. David modeled before the people the worship of the living God. It typically starts with praise for God’s eternity, His complete control over the universe, and His great power. He is the glorious Master over all as it says in Psalm 134:3, “He who is the Maker of heaven and earth.”

This verse is part of David’s prayer before the assembly of Israel when David praises God’s “glorious name”. At the close of a remarkable life, David gives all the glory to the Lord of Israel alone and commits his people to the Lord’s care.

God’s blessings on your day…