Open Door Community Church

06/23/2026

Are you traveling this summer?

Is your schedule in a season of chaos?

Do you not have a car or are those gas prices still getting you down?

Is leaving the house a struggle but you recognize you need connection?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, then I have one more question for you: Do you have a device with a camera and an internet connection?

This summer, we’re launching some virtual groups in order to allow us to gather from whatever corner of the city, state, or country that we’re currently in!

We have a variety of options available in order to meet a variety of interests and needs, but they all have the focus of going deeper in faith and building connections and community!

Group options will include:
• Recovery Alive 12-step process groups
• The Emotionally Healthy Relationships course
• An online prayer group
• A sermon deep-dive group (which will go deeper into exploring the Scripture, history, and context behind each week's message)

Dates and times will be based on the availability of those interested, so whether you're looking to grow, connect, or pray with others, leave a comment or sign up on the sheet in the foyer this Sunday and let us know which group you'd like to join!

06/22/2026

Even when things are going well, we have a tendency to focus on what's wrong. What could be better? What's missing? What isn't happening the way we hoped? We often find something to complain about.

The Israelites in the wilderness were experts at this. Even after God rescued them from slavery in Egypt, they constantly focused on what was going wrong instead of what God was doing right in front of them. Their negativity kept them from seeing God's faithfulness.

The wilderness was difficult, but their negativity made it even harder.

Negativity told them that God didn't care about their needs and that He had abandoned them. We hear those same lies today. Yet over and over again, God provided for His people. He sent manna and quail when they were hungry. He brought water from a rock when they were thirsty. God consistently provides to show that He cares, and He patiently reveals Himself again and again even when we doubt Him.

Negativity also tells us that obeying God won't make a difference. The Israelites repeatedly ignored God's instructions because they didn't trust Him. But God wasn't simply giving them rules to follow. He was shaping their identity. After generations of slavery, God was teaching them what it meant to be His people. In the same way, God uses obedience to form our identity in Him. Our identity is not found in our performance, accomplishments, or productivity. It is found in Him.

When life gets hard, negativity tells us we can't endure. It tells us the burden is too heavy and that we're on our own. It also tells us we have to do everything ourselves. But God often provides people to help carry the weight. Just as Aaron and Hur helped Moses hold up his arms and Jethro helped Moses share leadership responsibilities, God surrounds us with people who can support us if we're willing to ask for help.

Finally, negativity tells us to focus on the bad. The Israelites constantly focused on what they lacked. Moses, however, told the story differently. He acknowledged the hardships, but he emphasized God's faithfulness and rescue. We don't have to pretend everything is fine, nor do we have to fixate on what's wrong. Instead, we can intentionally focus on the ways God is working, providing, and saving. When we do, everyone's spirits (including our own) are lifted.

Negativity wants to keep us enslaved. But God is an abundantly generous God who provides, reveals Himself, shapes our identity, and surrounds us with support. He wants us to live with hope and freedom rather than complaint and despair.

So What?
1. What is negativity telling you right now?
2. How is God counteracting that negativity?
3. What action is God inviting you to take against negativity?

06/21/2026

Happy Father's Day!

(The answer is obviously "yes" - everyone knows tongs don't work unless you click them.)

06/21/2026

It's a good day to worship together!

We hope you’ll join us today! If you can’t join us in person, you can always join us live (or watch the replay) at the link below!

Services starts at 10:10, followed by After Half from 11:15-11:45, which is our age-level classes that dive deeper into God's word. There are classes for Elementary School, Middle/High School, and adults!

Welcome to Open Door Community Church in Sterling, IL! Join us live...

06/19/2026

We gather in worship again and again in part because our memories are short.

We forget our need for God.

We forget our need for community.

We forget the magnitude of Christ’s love for us.

We forget that the voice of the Spirit can be easily drowned out when we hop from distraction to distraction.

We forget that we are not alone.

We gather in worship to remember. We remember God’s great love for us. We remember the One who is worthy of all our praise and our focus. We remember our king who should sit on the throne of our hearts. We remember that others love us and care for us and want to come alongside us. We remember that the treasures of this world fade, but the God we worship offers life abundant. We remember that even when we stray, our God never does.

We invite you to join us. Come worship. Come connect. Come remember.

Service begins at 10:10. You are welcome here.

06/18/2026

I’m full of life, yet many have never seen me.
I echo with songs, chirps, and calls, but I never speak.
Towering giants stretch toward the sky while tiny creatures hide below.
I’m warm, wet, and bursting with color.
I help the world breathe, and I remind us of the creativity and power of our Creator.

What am I?
The Rainforest!

Want to explore the wonders of the rainforest while discovering more about the nature of God? Register now for CommUNITY VBS: Rainforest Falls! If you’re wanting to volunteer, you need register by TOMORROW (Friday, June 19) in order to ensure you receive a t-shirt!

Here are all the details and the link to register:
📆 July 12-16, 2026
📍 Bethel Reformed Church (230 E 23rd St. Sterling)
🍽️ 5:30-6:00 Free Dinner
🕰️ 6:00-8:00 Program
🐒 For Pre-K (4&5 yrs., potty-trained) through completed 5th grade, Volunteers welcome from 6th grade and up!

📋 Register here: https://forms.gle/6KRhWd2pTouDSk5e6

06/17/2026

God calls his people to remember his saving power because he wants to free us.

He wants us to live in the freedom that he has given us in Christ.

In order to be free, we have to fight against forgetfulness and a short memory and learn to have long memories of God's goodness and faithfulness.

06/17/2026

Ladies, you're invited!

Whether you're 9 or 99, we'd love for you to join us for our Summer Luncheon Potluck, to be held Tuesday, July 14 at 11:30 at the church. It's a wonderful opportunity to enjoy great food, meaningful conversation, and time together with women from across generations.

To help us plan and make sure we have plenty of food for everyone, please leave a comment or send us a message if you plan to attend. When you RSVP, we can also coordinate what dish you'd like to bring.

We hope you'll pull up a chair, bring a friend, and spend some time with us this summer. We can't wait to see you there!

06/16/2026

Join us in participating in the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering this month!

This offering provides the opportunity to show up around the world in tangible acts of love, compassion, and care.

Funds given to One Great Hour of Sharing provide assistance after natural disasters, relief to victims of war, tools to create sustainable access to food and fresh water, and advocating for the marginalized.

If you’re able to give, you can do so through designating an amount on your regular offering envelope, using a special giving envelope, or through our church app. Or, if you’d like to give directly to OGHS, you can do so at abc-oghs.org. Thank you for helping love our neighbors in every corner of the earth!

06/15/2026

How many times have you said, “I don’t need to write this down. I’ll remember it later,” only to (almost immediately) forget whatever it was you were supposed to remember?

We suffer from short memories. And our forgetfulness? It keeps us enslaved.

In Exodus 13-15, God repeatedly calls His people to remember His saving power. He knows there will be moments when fear, hardship, and uncertainty tempt them to forget what He has already done. So He gives them reminders, traditions, stories, and songs to help them remember.

We are capable of remembering when we are intentional about it. The Israelites carried Joseph’s bones out of Egypt because they remembered a promise made more than 400 years earlier. The challenge isn’t our ability to remember, it’s our willingness to be intentional about it.

When we aren't intentional to remember, we forget.

We forget God's consequences. We repeat the same destructive patterns because we fail to remember where those choices led us before.

We forget God is on our side. When life becomes difficult, we convince ourselves that God has abandoned us, even though He has proven His faithfulness time and time again.

We forget God keeps His promises. The longer we wait, the easier it becomes to doubt that He will do what He said He would do.

And we forget that God is our provider. Just days after watching God part the Red Sea, the Israelites doubted that He could provide water in the wilderness. We often do the same thing when a new crisis appears.

That's why God gives us reminders. Scripture reminds us of His character and faithfulness. Art and music help us remember His goodness and saving power. These practices help us develop longer memories than our current circumstances.

So what?
1. When do you tend to forget what God has done?
2. How can you ensure you remember God's goodness and faithfulness?
3. Try journaling a list of how you've seen God's power at work in your life.

Let's fight against the slavery of a short memory by intentionally remembering God's goodness, faithfulness, and saving power. When we remember what God has done, we are better able to trust Him with what lies ahead.