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Instead of worrying, think about these things
What’s on your mind these days? If you’re like me, there’s probably at least one thing that has you worried, at least a little. But over and over in the Bible, we get the message, though, that we should not fear, that we should not worry. But how? In Mindscape: What...
Blog Archive
5 books that can help deepen your love for Jesus in 2022
The leaders of First Pres read a lot of varied books in 2021, so we wondered what some of the best were. Here's what they told us. "Pursuing a Heart of Wisdom" (John C. Kwasny) Associate Pastor Billy Craig: This book was about counseling teenagers biblically and by...
COVID reminders & updates
During the past few weeks, we, like everyone else, have noticed an uptick in positive cases of COVID and potential exposure to the virus. A number of our staff have had COVID, as have a number of our covenant partners. In light of this uptick, we want to continue to...
Music that inspired us in 2021
We asked our worship team what music drew them closer to Jesus in 2021. Here's what some of them told us. Take a listen and let this worship music propel you into 2022. "House of the Lord" (Phil Wickham) One of my favorite praise songs from the past year was “House of...
Learning to number our days
I received a new smart/fitness watch for Christmas which meant I had to register and name the device. So, in honor of Psalm 90:12 I named it “Number Our Days.” I commend all of Psalm 90 to you but verse 12 asks the Lord to “teach us to number our days that we might...
Come and see Jesus in 2022
After the trek to Bethlehem. After the birth in the humble manger. After the shepherds and the wise men and the angels. After. What then? Jesus grew. And after several decades, he began to do things that would turn the world upside down. Miracles. Healings....
How to take on a Bible-reading habit in the new year
As the new year begins, many people use the opportunity to begin a Bible-reading plan. We asked Associate Pastor Billy Craig about his experiences with his Bible-reading plan and to offer some advice for anyone looking to jump in this year. He has been using the same...
Praying … that we grow in prayer
Recently, I wrote about why the Church needs to be “Reformed and always reforming according to the Word of God and the call of the Spirit.” Prayer is one of those places we need to be growing. Every week, leading off the prayer part of our Friday email, we include the...
We’ve been blessed, and we want to bless others
Jim Stiefvater was recently part of a team that helped with repairs to the sanctuary at a Kentucky church damaged by a mudslide. He reflects on what it means to give back and wants to invite you into the project. The door was old. Probably opened and closed for...
Hurricane Ida did its damage. Now, we’re partnering to rebuild.
Being part of a connected church means helping when others are in need. We did that recently when we sent a team to help Shepard Memorial Church in Stopover, Kentucky, one of the churches in our regional body that suffered major damage from a mudslide in the rains...
It’s harvest season. What are you doing?
Fall, or “harvest season,” is my favorite time of year, so I’ve been thinking a lot about the harvest these days. Jesus thought about the harvest, too. In John 4:35, Jesus tells us the “fields are ripe for harvest.” Similarly, in Matthew 9:37-38 Jesus tells us “the...