This week, as part of our sermon series on the Foundations of the Church, Pastor Alex preached a message centered on Acts 6:1-7, in which he explained the important role that Deacons play both in supporting the Elders and in helping to serve the local church.

The best part of church happens when we gather together! The Christian life was never meant to be lived alone. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, he has brought us near to God, and now as he gathers us together, we must help encourage one another to endure as the day of his glorious return approaches!

A church cannot be healthy without sound doctrine! Church unity and Christ-like love are dependent on it, and the church is protected by the dangers of false teachers by holding fast to the truth of scripture. We must never separate what God has joined together – biblical love flows from biblical truth. There is joy to be had by those who have built the foundation of their faith on the sound doctrine of God’s word.

The Lord's Table is a vital part of the life and worship of a healthy church. It is at the Lord’s Table, that Christ’s church gathers to remember Christ’s sacrifice, proclaim his saving death, and anticipate his coming kingdom. Therefore, we should receive the bread and cup with sincere hearts and deep gratitude for all that Christ has done! The Lord’s Supper is not a funeral for a defeated Savior. It is a covenant meal prepared for us by our Risen King!

What does it look like to be a member of Christ’s church? What are the benefits of church membership? How does church membership relate to faithful discipleship? In his message, “The Keys & The Kingdom” centered on Matthew 16:13-19, Pastor Alex answers these questions and more as he shares how Christ has given the Keys of the Kingdom to His church.

What role does baptism play in the life of a new believer and what does it signify? How many times does someone have to be baptized? Are we required to be baptized before we can partake in the Lord’s Supper? In his sermon, “United In Death, United In Life: Baptism As the Sign of Union With Christ” centered on Romans 6:1-5, Pastor Alex Trotter answers these questions and more as he shows how baptism is one of the two ordinances of the church, and he explains how believer’s baptism is one of the first commandments required of every new follower of Christ.

As we continue in our new series on the Foundations of the Church, Pastor Josiah built on what we looked at last week, as he examined the supernatural change that comes from the proclamation of God’s word. No matter who you are or where you’ve come from, we all must be born again in order to be part of God’s family and gain access into his Kingdom. In his exposition of John 3:1-21, Pastor Josiah showed us how Christ’s church is made up of sinful people who have been born from above and are being made new by the power of the Holy Spirit!

This week, Pastor Josiah kicked off our new series “Foundations of the Church” with a sermon entitled, “A Firm Foundation,” centered on 2 Timothy 4:1-8. In his message, Pastor Josiah shares how a faithful church is built on the Word of God, guarded by his Word, and sent out with his Word to reach the nations with the hope of the Gospel. The only way for a church to persevere until Christ’s return is to be built on the firm foundation of God’s word.

James tells us that “Faith without works is dead,” and in the conclusion of Paul’s letter to Titus we see that God’s people must devote themselves to fruitful good works that meet real needs and serve the gospel mission. In his sermon, “Grace In Action” Pastor Josiah shows us how the church is not simply an organization of useful workers, but a family of grace. Christian good works flow from the grace that we’ve received from Christ and move us toward his love. It is the grace and love that we have for Christ first and foremost and then for each other that binds us together and builds us up for the work that God has prepared for us to while we await his glorious return.

How should we handle disputes in the church? How do we properly respond to people in the church who are arguing with one another over secondary issues? In his sermon, “Divide to Unify” centered on Titus 3:9-11, Pastor Alex shares how sometimes the church needs to divide over certain areas in order to unify around the gospel. Listen to this week’s message to see why Biblical unity is not the absence of conflict, but shared submission to Christ.

In his sermon, “The Mercy That Makes Us Useful” centered on Titus 3:1-8, Pastor Josiah shared how we as believers should live in light of God’s incredible mercy. Since God has saved us by his mercy, believers must devote themselves to good works before all people so that God can use us to advance the gospel and bring him glory!