Faith Community Church

05/28/2026

Faith Community Church – Sunday Recap | May 24, 2026

This past Sunday at Faith Community Church, we gathered together to worship, reflect, and be reminded that God alone is worthy of our worship, trust, and devotion.

We also announced that Pastor Dave Jackson will be leading a Membership Class on Sunday, June 7, 2026, at 9:45am in the Conference Room for anyone interested in learning more about Faith Community Church and church membership.

Our church family worshipped together through music, singing:
• From the Day
• 10,000 Reasons
• Jesus Paid It All
• Amazing Grace

Pastor Josh Nelson opened the service in prayer, reflecting on Psalm 19:14:

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.”

He also encouraged the church with 1 Peter 5:7:

“…casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

As Memorial Day approaches, we paused to Remember and Honor those who gave their lives in service to our nation.

Pastor Josh continued our series through “The Ten Words” with a sermon titled:

“The Second Word” based on Exodus 20:4-6

Standing at Mt. Sinai, God gave His people His Law — not to burden them, but to reveal His holiness, His goodness, and the way His people were to live. Last week we were reminded from Exodus 20:1-3:

“You shall have no other gods before me.”

This week Pastor Josh focused on the second commandment:

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath…”
— Exodus 20:4

A major emphasis of the sermon was the danger of idolatry.

God is the giver of every good gift. Salvation itself is a gift of grace to all who place their trust in Him. Beyond salvation, we were reminded of the countless gifts we often take for granted — breath in our lungs, another day of life, family, lakes, trees, animals, friendships, and our church family.

From the very beginning, God breathed life into mankind. Genesis tells us:

“…then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life…”
— Genesis 2:7

Psalm 139 reminds us of God’s intimate care in creation:

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.”
— Psalm 139:13

Pastor Josh reminded us that God uniquely created each of us with personality, purpose, and will.

Yet Romans 1 reminds us that humanity has a sinful tendency by both nature and choice to push the Creator away in favor of created things:

“…they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator…”
— Romans 1:25

The warning was clear:
We push the Creator away in favor of creation.

Idolatry happens whenever we attempt to replace God with something else — even good things. The commandment warns us not to carve out substitutes for what God Himself has already provided.

The challenge from Deuteronomy 30 was powerful:

“I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life…”
— Deuteronomy 30:19

And then this reminder:

“…for he is your life…”
— Deuteronomy 30:20

Pastor Josh emphasized:
Choose life… He is your life.

We also reflected on Genesis 1:26-27:

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…’”

“So God created man in his own image…”

We are His workmanship, His craftsmanship, created in His likeness. Yet sinful humanity constantly tries to create images, identities, and idols of our own making.

One of the key truths from the sermon was this:

What Does The Second Word Teach Me About God?

• He Cannot Be Replaced
• He Cannot Be Reduced
• He Cannot Be Restrained

From Exodus 3, when God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, Moses asked God His name, and God responded:

“I AM WHO I AM.”
— Exodus 3:14

God alone is eternal, sovereign, and self-sufficient. He cannot be controlled, reshaped, or confined by human hands or human understanding.

Deuteronomy 4 reinforced this truth:

“Take care… lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves…”
— Deuteronomy 4:15-16

Pastor Josh also challenged us with an honest truth:
We like to be in control.

We often want others to think like us, act like us, and do what we want. Deep within us is a desire for power, comfort, and control. In the Old Testament, Israel fashioned a golden calf. Today, our idols may look different — careers, family, pride, possessions, hobbies, success, or even ourselves.

But instead of trying to control life ourselves, we were encouraged to:
“Hitch your wagon to Him who is in control.”

The sermon then shifted to the hope of the Gospel and the question:

What Do I Need To Do?

Be conformed to His image.

Romans 8 reminds believers:

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
— Romans 8:1

John 1 points us to Jesus:

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…”
— John 1:14

Jesus stepped down into creation to redeem it.

Colossians 1 declares:

“He is the image of the invisible God…”
— Colossians 1:15

Hebrews 1 reminds us:

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature…”
— Hebrews 1:3

There was also a powerful connection to John 8 where Jesus declared:

“Before Abraham was, I am.”
— John 8:58

A direct reminder that Jesus is not merely a teacher or prophet, but God Himself in the flesh.

The closing encouragement was both challenging and encouraging:

What Do I Need To Hold On To?

Jesus is the Image of God, the Radiance of His Glory, and the Exact Imprint of His Nature.

As followers of Christ, our goal is not to become more like the world or even more like ourselves — but to become more like Him.

“We need to look less like ourselves and more like Him.”

Here are links to scriptures referenced:

📖 Psalm 19:14 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+19%3A14&version=ESV

📖 1 Peter 5:7 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+5%3A7&version=ESV

📖 Exodus 20:1-6 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+20%3A1-6&version=ESV

📖 Genesis 2:7 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+2%3A7&version=ESV

📖 Psalm 139:13-16 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139%3A13-16&version=ESV

📖 Romans 1:18-25 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1%3A18-25&version=ESV

📖 Deuteronomy 30:11-20 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+30%3A11-20&version=ESV

📖 Genesis 1:26-27 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+1%3A26-27&version=ESV

📖 Exodus 3:13-15 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+3%3A13-15&version=ESV

📖 Deuteronomy 4:15-24 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+4%3A15-24&version=ESV

📖 Romans 8:1-11 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8%3A1-11&version=ESV

📖 John 1:1-14 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1%3A1-14&version=ESV

📖 Colossians 1:15-20 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+1%3A15-20&version=ESV

📖 Hebrews 1:1-4 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+1%3A1-4&version=ESV

📖 John 8:58 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+8%3A58&version=ESV

05/27/2026

"The Trail Life troop at Faith participated in the Friday, May 22, annual placement of flags at the Central Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery, King. The Woodlands Patrols were well represented along with their parents for this inspiring, patriotic event. "

05/12/2026

Got questions? Bring them. 👀

Join us for Ask the Pastors or more affectionately, “𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐩” — a fun and engaging opportunity to ask the Pastors your questions and join in meaningful discussion. Nothing is off limits!

📅 Wednesdays • May 13 & May 20
⏰ 6:00pm–7:30pm
📍 Faith Community Church

Whether your questions are deep, practical, challenging, or faith-related — all are welcome, and everyone is invited to be part of the conversation.

05/11/2026

As our 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗮𝗽𝗲𝘀𝘁 (𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟭–𝟭𝟵) and 𝗠𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗠𝗰𝗚𝗶𝗻𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 (𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟭–𝟮𝟯), we’re looking forward with anticipation and continuing to cover them in prayer every step of the way.

Our Faith Community Church pastors, elders, and church family lift them in prayer for God’s guidance, protection, strength, and provision as they travel and while they are serving abroad.

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿:
• 𝘚𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
• 𝘉𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘭
• 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴
• 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩, 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵
• 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺

As a church family and community, let’s continue lifting them up throughout their journeys and trust God to work in powerful ways through each of them. 🙏

05/11/2026

𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 | 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐩 | 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

Today at Faith Community Church we acknowledged every woman who lives out the heart of a Mom as we honor them this Mother's Day.

We then lifted our voices together in worship with 𝑀𝑎𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑃𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑌𝑜𝑢, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐾𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑅𝑜𝑜𝑚, 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡 𝑂𝑢𝑟 𝐻𝑜𝑝𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐿𝑖𝑓𝑒 & 𝐷𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐵𝑒 𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑢 𝑀𝑦 𝑉𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 — songs that beautifully prepared our hearts for a powerful reminder of who God is… and who we are apart from Him.

Before the message, Pastor Josh called forward the missions team headed to Budapest, Hungary (May 11–19), along with Molly McGinn as she prepares to serve in Thailand (May 11–23). Our pastors, elders, and congregation gathered around them in prayer — asking God to guide, protect, strengthen, and use them mightily for His glory. As a church family, let’s continue praying for them throughout their journeys.

Pastor Josh Nelson’s sermon, “𝑊ℎ𝑜 𝐶𝑎𝑛 𝐴𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝐺𝑜𝑑?” from Exodus 19, brought us face-to-face with one of the greatest realities in all of Scripture:

𝐀 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞.

Genesis 1–2 reminds us how everything began. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He spoke life into existence. Creation was good. He formed man from the dust and breathed life into him. From man, He created woman. Humanity was His crown creation.

Then sin entered the world.

- The curse came.
- Death came.
- Separation came.

And ever since, humanity has wrestled with this question:

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐆𝐨𝐝?

The answer to that question echoes throughout the entire Bible:

Everything points to Jesus.

Exodus 19 brings Israel to Mount Sinai — a barren, rugged, thorn-covered wilderness mountain. And yet… God chose to reveal Himself there.

𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠.

Because thorns are a reminder of the curse from Genesis. Sin infected the world. Creation groans under it. Yet right in the middle of the curse… 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐮𝐩.

Just like He did with Moses at the burning bush surrounded by wilderness and thorns.

𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐇𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬.

That’s good news for us, because some of us know what barren places feel like.

And then comes one of the most beautiful pictures in Exodus:

“𝐼 𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑜𝑛 𝑒𝑎𝑔𝑙𝑒𝑠’ 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑦𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓.” (Exodus 19:4)

God didn’t say Israel climbed their way to Him.
𝐇𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.

That’s the Gospel.

Humanity has always tried building towers to God — like Babel — trying to earn righteousness, trying to achieve holiness on our own. But Scripture reminds us over and over:

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐝.
𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

But Exodus 19 also confronts us with something terrifying and necessary to understand:

𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲.

The people were warned not to touch the mountain. Boundaries were placed around it. The warning was severe:

“𝐼𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛, 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑒.”

Why?

Because our sin is not small.
Our rebellion is not minor.
A perfectly holy God cannot simply ignore sin.

That tension runs through all of Scripture.

And yet, the same God who is holy also gives His law as a gift to His people.

Psalm 119 celebrates the beauty, wisdom, goodness, and life found in God’s Word:

“𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑎 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑝𝑢𝑟𝑒? 𝐵𝑦 𝑔𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑡 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑.”

His commands are not meant to crush His people.
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞.

Then Pastor Josh brought us to the true King of Glory.

Psalm 24 asks:

“𝑊ℎ𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑎𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑?”

Not us on our own.
Not sinful people trying harder.

𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧.

𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬.

- The One who wore the crown of thorns.
- The One who bore the wrath of God.
- The One who carried the weight of sin to the cross.
- The One who ascended the hill so we could be made clean.

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐬.

The thorns meant for us were placed on Him.

And because of that, we are no longer called to live casually with sin. We are called to live like redeemed people. The way we live matters. The words we speak matter. The lives we lead matter.

We are called to hide His Word in our hearts.
To follow Him.
To become more like Him.

Sin separates us from the God who created us and breathed life into us.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤.

What a reminder today:

The holy God who descended onto Sinai is the same Savior who descended into our brokenness 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐔𝐬 𝐓𝐨 𝐇𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.

𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐽𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑏𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑢𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒.

📖 Links to Scriptures Referenced:

📘 Genesis 1–2
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+1-2&version=ESV

📘 Exodus 19:1-6
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+19%3A1-6&version=ESV

📘 Exodus 19:4
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+19%3A4&version=ESV

📘 Exodus 19:10-13
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+19%3A10-13&version=ESV

📘 Psalm 119
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+119&version=ESV

📘 Psalm 119:9-11
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+119%3A9-11&version=ESV

📘 Psalm 24
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+24&version=ESV

05/09/2026

To God alone be the glory — we’re grateful that our very own 𝗠𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗠𝗰𝗚𝗶𝗻𝗻 was able to serve at the Love Ghana Festival in Cape Coast, held March 26–29, 2026.

Led by the Global Network of Evangelists (a ministry of the Palau team), this outreach touched lives through music, youth programs, and compassionate community ministry.

Check out this wrap-up video:

From March 26-29, 2026 GNE hosted a collaborative campaign together with GNE evangelists, Kubamba, African Enterprise, WILD, One Hope, Alpha, and local churc...

05/05/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝗼 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝘃𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂 - Sunday, May 3, 2026 Recap

Yesterday at Faith Community Church, we stepped into worship together—voices lifted through 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴, 𝘖 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘏𝘰𝘱𝘦, and 𝘔𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘴. Songs that don’t just fill a room… they center a heart.

We then moved into communion, led by Elder Tim Lencki. A moment to pause and remember what everything rests on:
𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻. 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀—𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳.

In 1 Corinthians 11:23–24, we’re reminded that Jesus knew exactly what was coming… and He didn’t run from it—He ran to it.
He prayed, “𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴...”

And Isaiah 53 brings it into focus—𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥, 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥… 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘥.

Then the reminder in 1 Corinthians 11:25–26 and Ephesians 1:7:
We take the bread. We take the cup.
We remember.
And we proclaim… 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗛𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻.

Pastor Josh Nelson brought us into Exodus 18 with a message titled: “𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝗼 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝘃𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂.”

Jethro—Moses’ father-in-law—reminded us of something simple:
Moses wasn’t Superman. He was a man. He needed the help of others (especially God).

In Exodus 18:1–12, we see a beautiful picture of shared faith—different backgrounds, different journeys… yet united in who God is and what He has done.

And that led us straight into a truth we can’t afford to miss:

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲… 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀.
A mutual love and respect for those who follow Him.

But then comes the turning point.

In Exodus 18:13–23, Jethro watches Moses trying to carry everything alone and says in verse 17:
"𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥."

That phrase should sound familiar.

Back in Genesis 2, God said it plainly:
“𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦.”

And that truth still stands.

It is not good to:
- 𝐿𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒
- 𝐿𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒
- 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒
- 𝐵𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒

Because at some point… it all becomes too heavy for you.

We weren’t created for isolation.
We were created for connection.

And part of that design—something Pastor Josh pointed out—is the idea of plurality. Not one person carrying everything, but shared leadership, shared responsibility, and shared care. The weight is meant to be distributed… not stacked onto one set of shoulders.

As we moved through Exodus 18:24–27, we saw that if we’re meant to live together, we also need structure.

God doesn’t leave that vague. He builds it through:
- 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴
- 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦
- 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺
- 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩

And within the church, He gives specific roles and responsibilities—again, not centered on one individual, but on plurality in leadership.

Ephesians 4 reminds us that 𝘏𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴, 𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺.

In Acts 20:26–28, 31, 𝘗𝘢𝘶𝘭 𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯—𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬.

In 1 Peter 5:1–4, 𝘗𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺, 𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺.

So what should we look for in our leaders… and hold them accountable to?

They should:
- 𝘍𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘎𝘰𝘥
- 𝘉𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘺
- 𝘉𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭

And within that, we see the strength of plurality—leaders walking together, sharpening one another, and helping ensure no one drifts, no one dominates, and no one carries what was never meant to be carried alone.

And here’s where it turns back on all of us:

We don’t just benefit from leadership…
We’re responsible for it too.

We are called to:

Hold our pastors, elders, and staff accountable
Pray for them consistently
Support them faithfully

Because this isn’t a one-person effort.

𝗪𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿.

Not occasionally. Not when it’s convenient.
𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

He has knit us together—intentionally, purposefully.

So if you’ve been trying to carry something on your own…
If life, leadership, work, or even just “being” feels heavy…

Maybe the answer isn’t to push harder.

Maybe it’s to lean in—
to God…
and to the people He’s placed around you.

𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲.

Here are links to Bible verses referenced in this post:

📖 1 Corinthians 11:23–24
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+11%3A23-24&version=ESV

📖 Isaiah 53
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+53&version=ESV

📖 1 Corinthians 11:25–26
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+11%3A25-26&version=ESV

📖 Ephesians 1:7
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+1%3A7&version=ESV

📖 Exodus 18:1–12
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+18%3A1-12&version=ESV

📖 Exodus 18:13–23
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+18%3A13-23&version=ESV

📖 Exodus 18:17
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+18%3A17&version=ESV

📖 Genesis 2
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+2&version=ESV

📖 Exodus 18:24–27
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+18%3A24-27&version=ESV

📖 Ephesians 4
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+4&version=ESV

📖 Acts 20:26–28
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+20%3A26-28&version=ESV

📖 Acts 20:31
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+20%3A31&version=ESV

📖 1 Peter 5:1–4
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+5%3A1-4&version=ESV

04/29/2026

Hey Faith Family—

As Rick Voss heads to Kenya with Training Leaders International, we don’t just pray once—we commit to praying continually in the days ahead.

Pray for him in the moments you think of him—
as he travels, teaches, encourages, and serves.

Pray that the Lord would go before him,
sustain him each day,
and bear lasting fruit through every conversation and every lesson.

Let’s be a church that doesn’t stop lifting him up.

“𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:17 🙏

04/26/2026

𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 – 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐩

What a full and meaningful morning together at Faith Community Church!

We opened in worship, lifting our voices to “𝑯𝒆 𝑹𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒔,” “𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅,” “𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆,” and “𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝑫𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓’𝒔 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑼𝒔.” Songs that anchored us in truth—Christ reigns, His blood redeems, His love holds us, and His victory steadies us.

We want to lift up Rick Voss, who will be traveling to Kenya with Training Leaders International to equip and train pastors. Let’s be faithful in praying for him—that the Lord would go before him, strengthen him, and bear much fruit through this work.

Pastor Josh Nelson brought us into Exodus 17:8–16 with the theme: “𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐈𝐬 𝐌𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫.”

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐈𝐬 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Right out of the gate, we were reminded: 𝑯𝒆 𝑯𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. Not what He gives—but who He is.
It presses the question—if everything else were stripped away, would the Lord still be enough?

“Joshua” (from Exodus 17:9) carries powerful meaning: “𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.” The Hebrew name Yehoshua points forward to Jesus Himself—the greater Joshua. As we see later fulfilled, “𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔, 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒔” (Matthew 1:21).

We are in a battle—but we must be clear:

𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐈𝐬

Israel fought Amalek, descendants of Esau (Deuteronomy 25:17–18), a people who attacked from behind—striking the weak and weary. This echoes all the way back to Genesis 3:15—the ongoing conflict between the seed of the woman and the serpent.

And the same is true for us today.

“𝑷𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝑮𝒐𝒅… 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒆 𝒅𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒘𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅…” (Ephesians 6:11–12)

Our enemy is real, and he is relentless:
“𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒍 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓” (1 Peter 5:8).

He nips at the heels. He looks for the tired, the distracted, the isolated.

So what is our posture?

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞. 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫.

Moses stood with the staff of God raised—Israel prevailed when his hands were lifted. When they dropped, the enemy gained ground (Exodus 17:11–12). Aaron and Hur came alongside him—holding his arms up until victory came.

Exodus 17:13 reminds us plainly: Joshua overwhelmed Amalek with the sword—but it was the Lord who secured the victory.

Everything we do must be given to Him. Every battle brought before Him. We don’t fight alone—and we don’t fight in our own strength.

Then Moses builds an altar and names it:

“𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗜𝘀 𝗠𝘆 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿” (𝗘𝘅𝗼𝗱𝘂𝘀 𝟭𝟳:𝟭𝟱)

A banner—a standard, a signal lifted high. A visible declaration of who leads us and who gives victory.

And this points us forward.

In Numbers 21:8, the bronze serpent is lifted on a pole—those who looked in faith lived. Jesus connects this directly to Himself:

“𝑨𝒔 𝑴𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒑 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑴𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒑, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆” (John 3:14–15; see also John 6:40).

The cross—once a symbol of death—becomes our banner of life.

Isaiah foretold it:
“𝑰𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆… 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒔—𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒈𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔” (Isaiah 11:10).

✝️ 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫.

So the call is clear:

𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐢𝐦. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐦.

The moment we take our eyes off Him—we drift, we stumble, we fall.

“𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝒖𝒔 𝒓𝒖𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒖𝒔, 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒉” (Hebrews 12:1–2).

We cannot afford to take our eyes off Jesus.
And we cannot afford to neglect prayer.

This was a morning that reminded us:
➡️ The battle is real.
➡️ The enemy is active.
➡️ But the victory belongs to the Lord.

⬆️ So we lift our eyes.
⬆️ We lift our hands.
❤️ And we fix our hearts on the One who saves.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑!

Here are links to scriptures referenced in this recap:

📖 Exodus 17:8–16 (ESV) – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+17%3A8-16&version=ESV

📖 Exodus 17:9 (ESV) – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+17%3A9&version=ESV

📖 Exodus 17:13 (ESV) – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+17%3A13&version=ESV

📖 Exodus 17:15 (ESV) – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+17%3A15&version=ESV

📖 Genesis 3:15 (ESV) – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3%3A15&version=ESV

📖 Deuteronomy 25:17–18 (ESV) – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+25%3A17-18&version=ESV

📖 Ephesians 6:10–12 (ESV) – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+6%3A10-12&version=ESV

📖 1 Peter 5:8 (ESV) – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+5%3A8&version=ESV

📖 Numbers 21:8 (ESV) – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+21%3A8&version=ESV

📖 Isaiah 11:10–12 (ESV) – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+11%3A10-12&version=ESV

📖 John 3:14–15 (ESV) – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+3%3A14-15&version=ESV

📖 John 6:40 (ESV) – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+6%3A40&version=ESV

📖 Matthew 1:21 (ESV) – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+1%3A21&version=ESV

📖 Hebrews 12:1–2 (ESV) – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+12%3A1-2&version=ESV

04/26/2026