To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, making disciples to advance the Kingdom of God

Month: July 2025

1 Thessalonians Session 1 – Pastor Chris Black

: It was written by the Apostle Paul in 50-51 AD. It’s one of the earliest writings of the New Testament being within 20 years of Christ’s resurrection. Thessalonica is in Greece (called Macedonia in scripture). Paul visited there during his second missionary journey and was the founder of the church there. He had a great love for these people that he expresses in the letter. He wrote the letter to encourage these people because they were suffering afflictions from the people around them, as well as instruct them about the second coming of Christ. Most of his epistles start out doctrinal then move to practical teaching, this letter starts out personal then moves on to practical instructions.

Colossians Chapter 4 – Final Session – Pastor Chris Black

Last week we went through chapter 3 which began the practical part of the letter. The first two chapters were doctrinal and the last two chapters are the instructions for putting it into practical living. Paul talked about a different point of view Colossians 3:1-2 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. He gave instructions about mortifying the deeds of the flesh and how to live as a new creature in Christ. He gave the order of the Christian home as well as for servants and masters.

Colossians Chapter 3 – Pastor Chris Black

Last week we studied chapter 2 which ends the doctrinal part of the letter. Paul warns them of being robbed by worldly philosophers and religious occultists. He then goes
through what believing the gospel really does for a person, circumcision made without hands, buried and raised with Christ in baptism, having all trespasses forgiven and the handwriting of ordinances blotted out and nailed to his cross. We are now not of this world so we don’t need to be subject to the regulations of the world. We now enter into the practical part of the letter – how do we apply what we’ve learned?

Charity – Pastor Chris Black

Most of the modern Bible translations use the word “love” in place of charity because it is believed to mean the same thing, but it doesn’t. The word charity means “love in action”. The Greek word translated as charity is agape which is used for a selfless, unconditional, and sacrificial love that is not based on emotion or attraction, but rather on a deliberate choice to seek the well-being of others, even to the point of sacrifice. This word is often used to describe God’s love for humanity. Agape love is not dependent on the worthiness of the recipient or any expectation of return. It’s love that gives freely and completely, even to those who may not be deserving or responsive. Agape love is characterized by a deep desire for the other person’s best interests. It seeks to bless and benefit the other person, regardless of their actions or character. While agape love can be accompanied by feelings, it is fundamentally a choice and an act of the will, rather than a spontaneous emotion.

Colossians Chapter 2 – Pastor Chris Black

Last week we went through an introduction to the epistle to the Colossians. We went through why this letter was written and the reasons for Paul writing it. The Colossians were converted to Christ through the ministry of Epaphras and Paul had never seen these people before, yet he prayed consistently for them. The Colossians had been exposed to the Gnostics which were people that believed in Jewish rituals and mysticism, as well as Greek philosophy. They believed Jesus Christ to be an emanation that appeared from time to time to his followers like a spirit guide and not the Son of God in flesh. They worshiped and sought the direction of angels as well as hidden wisdom. Paul exalts the deity of and the eternality of Jesus Christ in this letter more than any of his other writings.

God’s Purpose for Our Wilderness – Pastor Chris Black

To give you the setting of this scripture, this is Moses speaking at the close of the 40 years they walked through the wilderness. He is retelling the experiences of the journey to a new generation that was little or not even born yet when they walked through the Red Sea and began their time in this wilderness. This generation is preparing to cross the Jordan into the land that God promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Moses is revealing why they were led there and why they spent so much time there.

Colossians Chapter 1 – Pastor Chris Black

…Paul wrote this letter both to encourage these people that are young in faith and to instruct them against heresies that had been introduced to them by Gnostics. The Gnostics were a mixture of Jewish legalism and Greek hidden knowledge seekers with a dab of Christianity on top. They majored in hidden knowledge for salvation that was only made known to a few. They didn’t believe that Jesus had a physical body but was an emanation that appeared to his disciples to reveal hidden knowledge. They also did not believe in the physical resurrection of Christ but saw it as a spiritual event.