First Baptist Church Somerville TX

05/09/2026

Join us in celebration of our 125 years as a church. We will have a special commemorative service 10/11/26 with the day’s events beginning at 10 AM. If you have photos of FBC Somerville’s days gone by we invite you to share them with us at [email protected].

05/03/2026

05/02/2026

1 Samuel 30:21-25 “When David came to the two hundred men who were too exhausted to follow David, who had also been left at the brook Besor, and they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him, then David approached the people and greeted them. Then all the wicked and worthless men among those who went with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away and depart.” Then David said, “You must not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us, who has kept us and delivered into our hand the band that came against us. And who will listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage; they shall share alike.” So it has been from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.” (NASB95)

All of God’s word is profitable for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. In these verses, David recognizes a spiritual truth concerning God’s kingdom and citizenship there in. David was soon to be God’s anointed king over God’s people Israel and would have to maintain the standard of righteousness for God’s people to follow. For belonging to God’s people doesn’t always equate to adhering to His standard of righteousness, because we’re all capable of sin and selfishly seeking our own way at times.

Belonging to God’s kingdom is to belong to something and to someone greater than yourself. And if you desire to please your Lord and to be blessed of Him, His greatness is to be served above self. Always, we’re to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and His purpose in our lives and the lives of others. Everything good in living is experienced with God in righteousness with righteousness being all that keeps us in a right fellowship with God. God’s righteous way is always what’s in our best interests.

The two greatest commandments we have from God is that we should love Him with all our being and then our neighbors as we love ourselves. Loving their neighbor as they loved themselves was abandoned by many of David’s men given the wealth they had captured in defeating their enemies. Self was asserted in their unwillingness to share that wealth with all of David’s men who had not gone to battle. A portion of David’s band stayed behind to guard the band’s holdings so the rest could go to the battle with all haste for time was of the essence if David’s band was to overtake their enemies.

To put this story in its context, David and his men, had fled from the murderous intent of the unrighteous King Saul of Israel who saw David as a rival to his throne. They had become refugees in the land of the Philistines allied with King Achish of Gath. Ironically, the giant Goliath who David killed in battle as a youth had been a citizen of Gath. But David entered into an alliance with Achish agreeing to serve him, including military service. David was given the fortress of Zicklag as his place in Achish’s dominion. But then, Achish summoned David and his men to go to war against Israel. And David went to war with Achish but the other Philistine commanders didn’t trust David to go to war with them since he was a Jew, fearing his defection to Israel. David was given leave from his military service, and Achish sent him back to Zicklag. In David’s absence, the Amalekites captured and looted Zicklag taking all of its residents captive including the wives and children of David and his men. The Amalekite raiders were taking advantage of the Philistines having gone to war as an opportunity to plunder their cities.

The attack on Zicklag having just occurred made the pursuit of the Amalekites urgent if their captives were to be rescued. But David had just completed a long journey to arrive at Zicklag only to find it looted and burned and its people captured. In their immediate pursuit of the Amalekites, some of David’s men became so exhausted they couldn’t continue the pursuit, but all who were fit continued, leaving behind all unnecessary baggage and possessions in the care of those staying behind. This was so they could make haste and overtake the Amalekites and save their families which they did.

Not only did they defeat the Amalekites and save their families so that none were lost or harmed but they also captured all the loot the Amalekites had amassed in raiding the cities of the Philistines who had gone to war with Israel. Greed over this great hoard led many of David’s men who had gone onto the battle to abandon their obedience to God by failing to love Him and their neighbors. In greed, they overlooked how those who had stayed behind had contributed to the victory over the Amalekites. Without those who guarded the baggage of David’s band, all who went on to the fight may’ve never overtake their enemies to rescue their families.

Like an army, the body of Christ needs every member to fulfill their function if they’re to succeed in their shared mission. It’s such cooperation that fosters success but also provides for every member to be cared for, protected, and trained for success in their mission. In John 13:34-35, Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment saying, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (NASB95)

Jesus loved His disciples and church so much He laid down His life to save them. But Jesus also showed this same love to His neighbors as we see at the cross. Consider Luke 23:33-34, “When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.” (NASB95) Jesus demonstrated God’s love to the whole world by His death on the cross and His new commandment to the church is that we as its members should love one another as He loved us giving His life to save us. In Philippians 2, Paul calls us to follow Christ’s selfless example explaining what loving our brothers and sisters in Christ should look like. Hear Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (NASB95) And what’s in everyone’s best interest is to walk with the Lord in righteous knowing Him as your Lord and Savior for it’s in this relationship that you truly live.

So in the body of Christ, we become servants to one another in our service to Christ, encouraging and enabling one another to grow in Christ likeness and to succeed in the shared effort of making disciples of all nations. As Ephesians 5:17-21 says, “So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.” (NASB95) We should always be seeking to build up one another in Christ so that one’s rising tide raises everyone’s boat because all believers are on the same boat that is the body of Christ - His church. For whenever our Lord’s kingdom is increased we all benefit.

In 1 Corinthians 12:21-26, Paul reminds us that in a body every member is needed if the body is to function as it should. This is what Paul said, “And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” (NASB95) So one plants and another waters and the Lord causes the growth but all share in the harvest. As Jesus says in John 4:36 “Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.” (NASB95) As believers, we’re all on the same team sharing the same mission and serving the same kingdom and the same king who will reward our faithfulness by letting us share in the same reward. All who believe will be saved from sin and death and all will receive eternal life and a home in heaven to live with God as His child. So when we helped our fellow church members succeed in their service to Christ, we’ve also helped ourselves. When our fellow church members help us succeed in our service to Christ they’ll be blessed with us. This is because we belong to the same body. This is why in speaking of the church in 1 Corinthians 12:26 Paul says, “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”

David and His men were surrounded by enemies. They were sought by King Saul who wanted David and his supporters dead. They had to seek refuge among those who had been their enemies. And even in that refuge they were assailed by still other enemies. If they were to survive they had to function as a unified body there was no place for selfishness or self exaltation.
So don’t become a proud and self important eye so that you say to hand I have no need of you. For an eye without the body wouldn’t only cease to see but be severed from that which gives it life. And a proud eye that exalts itself over the body will humble itself quickly when a bit of grit gets in that eye and the eye remembers its need of the hand. A body only thrives when every member fulfills its function supporting the body as a whole. So in the fear of and obedience to Christ that’s the head of our body, let us submit to one another and serve one another helping each other to fulfill our calling in Christ and in His body, the church.

04/25/2026

View Estell Baker Van Dorn's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

04/19/2026

Isaiah 55:1-7 “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David. Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples, A leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you will call a nation you do not know, And a nation which knows you not will run to you, Because of the LORD your God, even the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you. Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.” (NASB95)

Isaiah pictures a street vendor selling his wares in these verses. In his description, we see a truism of mankind’s willingness to pay for convenience. Scholars identify the vendor as a water seller which was common in the ancient near east. Such a vendor marketed convenience, saving patrons the time it took to go to the well to draw water for themselves and the arduous effort of carrying it home.

In the not so distant past before there was refrigeration, there were vendors who went door to door selling blocks of ice for their customers’ icebox so they could keep perishables cool. In Somerville, that was likely Buck Giesenschlag who’d enter your house with a famous “WHOOP!” to let you know he was coming in with your ice, since nobody locked their doors in those days. But looking at Isaiah’s vendor, you see he also offers wine, milk, and food, so he’s a little more than a mere water vendor. In my families past, we operated a grist mill and a general store in a little community called Gabriel Mills outside of Burnet and Bertram, Texas. As a part of the store’s operations, one of my relatives made the rounds on what they called their peddle wagon which went out from the store to peddle their goods to the community. Kind of like a honest version of Mr. Haney on the Green Acres show. For those who remember that. But the interesting thing with Isaiah’s vendor is that He’s offering his goods for free and you have to ask how he’s able to do that.

The answer is obvious. The price of his goods has already been paid for, so he can offer them for free. Who paid for them so all can partake of the waters of life, the living bread, and the fruit of the tree of life for free? The reason everyone can come and have all of God’s blessings for free is because Jesus has paid the price for us. For it’s Jesus who offers us God’s gift of forgiveness, salvation, eternal life, and the right to live as God’s child and to share in the blessings of His kingdom.

Hear our Lord’s invitations to come and partake of these blessing for free in Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (NASB95) And in Revelation 21:6-7 we find this, “Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.” (NASB95) Hear also Revelation 22:17 “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.” (NASB95)

Again, it’s Jesus who has paid the price so we may have God’s salvation as a free gift. But what price did He pay? Consider Revelation 5:9-10 “And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” (NASB95) And consider Galatians 3:13-14 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”-- in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (NASB95) And consider Ephesians 1:7-8 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight.” (NASB95) And Colossians 2 tells us how the Lord canceled our debt of sin by nailing it to the cross. So it’s Jesus who has paid the price for our forgiveness and salvation by His shed blood and His death on the cross.

Isaiah’s street vendor also ask us why we waste money on things that can’t quench our thirst or satisfy our hunger or sustain us in life. Jesus also confronts us with this in His teachings. Hear what He says to the Samaritan woman in John 4:13-14, “Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (NASB95) And hear what He says to the multitudes in John 6:27 “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.” (NASB95) And He also says this in John 6:35 “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” (NASB95) And in John 6:47-51, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” (NASB95)

Jesus told the multitude and us that His flesh was the true food and His blood was the true drink needed to sustain us in eternal life. This sounds a bit gruesome until you put it into its biblical context and see Jesus was asking us to trust in Him for our salvation by faith and to commit to His lordship in our lives. We were no longer to simply taste His blessings but to commit to the full meal believing in Jesus for our salvation and committing to Him as our Lord. The multitudes had enjoyed Jesus’ teachings, His signs, and His miracles. They came for healing. And here, they were looking for Him to provide their daily bread. But Jesus was now saying they had sampled His blessings long enough and He called them to commit their lives to Him in faith so He could share with them everything He had to give.

This thought brings us back to another curious aspect of the offer made by Isaiah’s street vendor in that he calls us to buy all his wares without any cost and without money. How do you buy what is being offered for free? How do you purchase something without any cost to yourself? The answer to this is that the blessings of God are given to you for free when you trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior by faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 helps us understand this saying, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (NASB95)

Faith is what’s required of us to accept the salvation Jesus has paid for and offers for free. Just because Jesus has paid the price so we can be saved doesn’t mean we’re saved. Salvation is offered as a gift but every gift must be accepted before you can be blessed by it. In the Bible’s assessment of faith, faith is more than mere belief. James 2:19-23 helps explain this saying, “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God.” (NASB95) The demonic forces believe in God but they refuse to commit to His lordship over them.

In the Bible, faith is belief that’s acted on and then lived out by the one who has believed. So when we look at all the Lord has done for us, what does faith in Him require? Remember, He’s the one who created you and gave you life because He wanted to love you as His child. Remember that you sinned against Him rejecting His love violating His law that punishes sin with death. Remember how He didn’t want to surrender you to the penalty of your sin. So, the Lord came to pay the penalty of your sin for you so He could offer you salvation for free. And the purchase price of salvation for you was His broken body and His shed blood and His death on the cross. He did all this so you could know God’s forgiveness and be reconciled to Him as His child and share eternal life with Him. Faith in response to this, requires us to confess our sins to the Lord who we’ve wronged and to ask Him for His forgiveness. Faith in Him requires us to repent of our sin forsaking them because we see how our Lord is holy and can never abide with us in sin. Faith requires us to acknowledge that our Lord is the God who created the heavens and the earth and that He is sovereign over all that exists so that we confess that He is Lord. But here is the crux of it. If we hold Him to be Lord and the sovereign over creation, we will commit to Him as our Lord and serve Him. Faith requires us to enter into a relationship with Jesus as our Lord but it cost us nothing because Jesus has made this possible for us by paying the price of our sins. But for all who will and for all who have taken these steps of faith, what will be gained is every blessing that God can and will bestow.

Among these blessings, the one Isaiah 55 emphasizes is the believers being granted citizenship in the Lord’s eternal kingdom as the place where they’ll share in all of God’s blessings to full. Isaiah 55:12-13 describes it this way saying, “For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up, And instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up, And it will be a memorial to the LORD, For an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.” (NASB95) No more thorn bushes and no more nettles for the curse of sin will be no more so that all that remains will be the experience of joy, peace, and celebrating our salvation in the Lord.

So the Lord calls you to come and partake of His salvation for free but His offer of salvation without any cost is a limited time offer. This is why we’re told to call upon the Lord while He may be found. And all who have believed need to understand that they’ve bought into our Lord’s franchise when they committed to Him as their Lord by faith. Which means we’re to go to this world calling all to come buy without cost our Lord’s living water and living bread so they may share in the eternal life the Lord wants them to share with Him. So let the Lord hear you in the streets crying, “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters of life; And you who have no money come, buy living bread and eat. Come, for the Lord is offering salvation for free today! Come while the offer lasts.”

04/16/2026

Hope to see you there!

04/10/2026

Psalms 116:16-19 (NASB95) “O LORD, surely I am Your servant, I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid, You have loosed my bonds. To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, And call upon the name of the LORD. I shall pay my vows to the LORD, Oh may it be in the presence of all His people, In the courts of the LORD’S house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!”

What moved the psalmist to such praise and thanksgiving to the Lord so that he wants all God’s people to know what the Lord has done for him? Consider Psalms 116:3-6 where we see his reason for thanksgiving, “The cords of death encompassed me And the terrors of Sheol came upon me; I found distress and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I beseech You, save my life!” Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate. The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me.” (NASB95) The Lord had saved him from certain death earning his heartfelt praise. But remember, our God is a God of deliverances who seeks to save us from sin and death, and indeed, He saves all who call upon His name in faith.

Noah and his family were saved from the flood. Isaac was saved from the altar of sacrifice by the ram God provided. Jacob was saved from Esau, his vengeful brother. Joseph was saved from his brothers’ jealousy and from slavery, prison, and famine so God could save Israel through him. Israel was saved from Pharaoh’s army and death when the waters of the sea parted for them. Ruth and Naomi were saved from poverty. David was saved from Goliath and the hand of King Saul. Elijah was saved from a murderous Queen Jezebel. Jonah was saved from the belly of the fish and the gates of hell when he cried and the Lord heard him. Esther and Israel were saved from genocide. Daniel was saved from the lions and Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego from the fiery furnace. Lazarus was saved from the grave. Jesus lifted Peter from the turbulent waves of the Sea of Galilee, and he was saved. Indeed, Jesus came to save us from sin, death, and hell. So it’s no wonder that when God chose a name for His only begotten Son that it was “Jesus,” meaning Savior.

Our Lord God is a God of deliverances; And to him belong escapes from death. Death is the unavoidable enemy of mankind and the wage and penalty of our sins. And all of us sin, earning the wage of our sins. But we weren’t meant to sacrifice ourselves to sin or to be held captive in its death. This was never God desire for us, nor is it what He wants for you today. God always wants for you to know Him as your Heavenly Father and to live with Him as His child, and what He wants for humanity is that they should know Him as their Father and live with Him as His family. When we chose sin over knowing God as our Father, we’re choosing death over life and all the blessing of His love.

Again, the wage and penalty for our sins in God’s law, is death. But God our loving Heavenly Father didn’t want to abandon those He created to be His children to death even if they had chosen it over Him. So He gave us a Savior in His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus was sent to do for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves and that was to save us from death. For God wrote into His law the means by which we could be redeemed, acquitted, and saved from our sin and its death.

The means of our salvation was one of atoning sacrifice, but not just anyone could make this sacrifice. For the one laying down their life taking our punishment on themselves had to be without sin so as to be the flawless sacrifice acceptable to God. Jesus came to be this spotless Lamb of God. Jesus being both the Son of God and the Son of Man was the perfect mediator between God and humanity, for He was both fully God and man. As God, all things were possible for Him. As man, He could be tempted in every way we are and remain without sin. He went to the cross and there laid down His sinless life for us suffering the punishment of our sins dying in our place. In doing this, He satisfied the penalty of God’s law in regard to our sins as mankind’s representative. He went on to defeat sin’s power over us by means of His resurrection, for sin’s power was to hold us captive in death. But since Jesus never sinned, death couldn’t hold Him captive. For three days, death held Jesus but on that third day He rose from the grave gaining a victory over death itself, securing an eternal life He could share with us. It was Jesus life, sacrificial death, and resurrection that freed God to forgive our sins. For by these three things, Jesus had satisfied all that was in God’s Law.

It’s this forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God Jesus grants to all who trust in Him for their salvation by faith committing to Him as their Lord. As the Savior and the Lord who delivers, Jesus brings all who call on His name in faith out of death’s prison reconciling them to God forevermore. We see this in John 5:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” (NASB95) And in Colossians 1:13-14 we see this “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (NASB95) So when we trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He saves us from sin and death, restoring us to all we were created to share with Him; namely eternal life with Him as His children.

As one saved from sin and death, you’ve no greater reason for the giving of thanks and praising your Savior. But our Savior is worthy of so much more than our word of thanks. He’s worthy of our love being given to Him in kind. He gave His life for us so we might live and live eternally one day, but will we give our life to Him in faith? In John 14:15 Jesus says this, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (NASB95) And He says this in John 14:21, “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” (NASB95) And in John 14:23 we find this, “Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” (NASB95) And Psalm 25:14 says, “The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant.” (NASB95)

The Lord expects us to give our whole self to Him in faithful obedience. He saved us to share in a relationship with Him and it’s in this relationship we truly experience the eternal life He shares with us. He promises His faithful followers an abundant life but as He says in John 17:3 that life is in knowing God the Father and Him. So we can know Him better and experience more of Him, He calls us to join Him in His work. His great commission is found in Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (NASB95) So the Lord hasn’t only saved us from death to know an eternal and abundant life with Him but to live with significance as we seek to save the world from sin and death by joining in His work of making disciples.

So the highest praise and our truest expression of thanks aren’t found in eloquent words even though God’s praise is to always be on our lips. The highest praise we can afford our Lord is our lives being lived for Him in the service of His kingdom. Paul speaks to this as the truest expression of worship declaring what our Lord is truly worthy of in Romans 12:1-2 saying, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (NASB95) So we’re to always be showing forth what the will of God is in how we live and what we invest our lives in.

In John 6:40, Jesus tells us what the will of God is saying, “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (NASB95) Jesus served God’s will by making our forgiveness and salvation possible by His life, death, and resurrection. As Jesus’ disciples, He calls us to serve His will by going to make disciples of all nations by proclaiming the gospel, teaching all who believe how they’re to live in obedience to His word. So in showing our gratitude for how He has saved us from sin and death, we’re not only to praise Him with our lips but with deeds that prove Him worthy of faith as we see in 1 John 3:16-18 “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” (NASB95) Does your thanksgiving to the Lord go beyond mere words? Is your thanksgiving expressed in how you live your life for Him? For it’s our lives lived for Him that is our truest worship making the praise from our lips sincere and genuine. Live, your thanksgiving to the Lord!

Our Lord is still a God of deliverances saving all from sin and death who’ll come to Him in faith. And if you’re still lost and dying in your sin bound to be eternally separated from God and the life you’re meant to share with Him, then know that the Lord wants to save you today for He’s still a God of deliverances. The only thing separating you from the life you’re meant to be living is your sin and rejection of God but God has given you a Savior to bring you back to Him and to eternal life. So if you’d come to Jesus in faith committing to Him as your Lord, repenting of your sin, and asking Him for His forgiveness then today you’ll be saved from death to gain eternal life through the grace of God. So turn to Jesus now and see how He’s the one who delivers to save you from death.