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Events & Postings

Expositor Digest, Week 16

4/15/2021

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Expositor Digest, Week 15

4/8/2021

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Expositor Digest, Week 14

3/30/2021

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2021 Update

2/8/2021

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Continuing in 2021

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Preaching expository sermons through entire books of the Bible is truly a gift to the church from God himself through great men like the Apostle Paul, Saint Augustine, and John Calvin (to name just a few). Working our way through the Gospel of Mark is a rewarding process. As we dive deeper into the text, we’re learning more and more about what it means to be a Christian and what the experience was like of the first believers. During this time of unfolding and unpacking the teachings in Mark, keep an eye open for these various themes: insiders and outsiders, the authority and identity of Christ, the ultimate mission to the Gentiles, and many others! The more we study and apply the teachings of Scripture, the better, more faithful Christians we’ll become.
​Expository teaching isn’t limited to Scripture. One form of expository teaching is thematic, and that is what you will experience in Bible study this year. I am taking a systematic, article by article examination of the Westminster Confession of Faith. It is a heavy and lengthy summary of the doctrines of Scripture (though it’s length and breadth are but a glimpse when compared to Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion or Hodge’s Systematic Theology). Yet, it remains a paramount document for Reformed theology. In my examination of the Confession, I will show where it is grounded in Scripture and how it relates to us in the 21st Century. I am deeply indebted to Dr. R.C. Sproul, whose book Truths We Confess, is my roadmap through this study series. His book and many other resources can be found online at Ligonier.org.
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New to 2021

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​Our youth group is no stranger to expository teaching! This year we continue with in-depth Bible study with weekly meetings, so that I can walk our youth through the details of Scripture. In our study of Paul’s Letter to the Romans, the youth’s interests were peaked with some of his teachings on the end times. So much so, that this semester we will take a systematic look at John’s Revelation of Jesus Christ. This book has been and will continue to be a challenge for Christians to interpret, because much of its language is shrouded in symbols and many of the events described haven’t happened. Decoding Revelation with a focus on Reformed interpretation will be my goal as I prepare our youth not only for the coming of Christ but also for their life outside of high school, where many interpretations will attempt to twist or subvert the Word of God.
Bible101 is an in-depth reading group for new believers. This course is an introduction to Paul’s theology and where I survey the gospel of grace in Galatians, our relationship to Christ in Colossians, and the Christian life in Ephesians. Paul’s theology is truly the Bible’s theology. God used the Apostle to enumerate Old Testament truths in the New Testament context. Though that was two-thousand years ago, today’s context is unsurprisingly similar and therefore unsurprisingly relevant.
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​A new small group called the Men’s Bible Study is geared toward empowering men to live as Christ commands. The inaugural series is an in-depth look at the doctrines of biblical eldership through Paul’s First and Second Letters to Timothy and Titus. God designs the ordered ministry of the Church and outlines the qualifications and duties of elders throughout Scripture, but most poignantly in the Pastoral Epistles. As we strive to live biblically, we must likewise strive to worship and serve.
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One Week Update

9/28/2020

 

One week into the fall and things are going well!

Starting back with the Gospel of Mark has been quite fun and rewarding. As we dive deeper into the text, we’re going to come up against some teaching that strikes many to the core. As Paul told Timothy, Scripture is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” Whenever we come upon a text that is jarring, shattering, and offensive to us, that’s God’s way of getting our attention. The more we wrestle with and apply the teachings of Scripture, the better, more faithful Christians we’ll become. 
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10AM Sundays

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6PM Sundays
Our youth group is no stranger to expository teaching! We’ve started meeting weekly so that I can walk our youth through the details of Scripture, just like on Sunday mornings but at a smaller scale. When crossing a stream, we often look for big stones upon which to walk, so as to minimize getting too wet. That is what I am doing for youth group. We’re crossing the wide, deep, and swift waters of Paul’s Letter to the Romans by utilizing the stepping stones of his theology. This book provides much of the foundations for Christian thought and life and is necessary for our youth to grasp as they look toward the next chapter of life.

Bible Study went off on a good start. The Westminster Confession of Faith is a heavy and lengthy summary of Scripture and theology (though its length is but a blink when compared to Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion or Hodge’s Systematic Theology). Yet, it remains a vital document for Reformed theology. Using the expository style of preaching, I am taking a systematic, chapter-by-chapter look at the Confession, where it is grounded in Scripture, and how it relates to us in the 21st Century. I am deeply indebted to Dr. R. C. Sproul, whose book Truths We Confess is my road map throughout this study series. His book and many other resources can be found online at Ligonier.org. 
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10AM Tuesdays

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6:30PM Wednesdays
The new Wednesday evening prayer service was also a good success. This service is much more casual and contemporary. Because of the pandemic, we are not having regular prayer fellowship (which met Wednesday mornings in my study). This service will take the place of that fellowship. We offer up prayers of supplication on behalf of the church and the world. Like everything else, this service is not devoid of expository preaching. During the fall and winter seasons, I am taking us through 49 commands of Christ. These various commands are Jesus’ instructions and desires for our righteous living. It is important for us to know and understand what our Savior expects of us.

What to Expect this Fall

9/2/2020

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After a brief hiatus because of the pandemic, I am returning to my expository series on the Gospel of Mark. Aside from a few special sermons here and there, and barring any further disruptions to worship, I intend for us to make it through ⅔ of the tenth chapter by the end of the year. Sunday services will be posted online Sunday evening.

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Tuesday morning Bible study will return September 22nd at 10:00 AM, only this time we will meet in the sanctuary — in order to better observe social distancing. This year, I plan to lead us through the foundational doctrines of the Reformed traditional. Chiefly, we will discuss those doctrines set forth in the Westminster Confession of Faith. Tuesday Bible studies will be posted online Friday morning.

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One new thing I’m adding is a Wednesday evening prayer service and Bible study. This will start September 23rd at 6:30 PM in the sanctuary and will be an opportunity for us to gather in fellowship, prayer, and study. I plan on taking us through a series I call “Jesus’ Rules.” It’s important to know what Jesus expects of us as his disciples so that we may better recognize and apply his teaching. Wednesday evening studies will be posted online on subsequent Wednesdays.


In case you missed them, you can find the following series, studies, and devotionals (and more!!) on this website.
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2018 Mission Trip

6/25/2018

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This year's mission trip was once again to the coal country of Southwest West Virginia. Though we partnered with the same organization, West Virginia Ministry of Advocacy and Workcamps, as last year, this year's trip took us to the towns of Colcord and Artie. We met some wonderful folks from the community and from the First Presbyterian Church of Colcord. This year we also partnered with some members from the Berry Hill Presbyterian Church. Check out the slideshow to get a snapshot of our adventures.
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Food Truck Round-Ups

4/30/2018

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A Conversation on the American Religious Experience

3/11/2018

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This month we have a very unusual and unique event. A dear friend of mine from seminary, Mr. Mortiz Emmelmann, is a doctoral student at the University of Göttingen, located in central Germany (about two and a half hours northwest of Frankfurt). His research is what brought him to Princeton Seminary back in 2011. While there he studied a local Quaker School and continued his research into American Practical Theology. Most all of us know that America and Europe do religion and Christianity very differently. What may come as a surprise is that Germany, once the center of the Holy Roman Empire and the birthplace of the Reformation, is largely an agnostic state. While many are still baptized into a Christian church, few attend worship, and even fewer still are involved in the regular life of the church. This is not so in the States.

Therefore, my friend will bring eleven of his students to the United States to experience first-hand the American expression of faith. They will interact with many great Christians and hear many powerful stories of life and faith from Boston to Atlanta. And we will have the unique opportunity to be part of that conversation.On Sunday, March 18, the twelve guests will join us for worship. I would like to encourage all of our members to interact with our guests, for they are here to experience faithful and active Christians. So don’t be afraid to let the love of Christ shine through you. Sunday evening, we will have a Koinonia dinner in their honor and for they benefit. This will be a perfect opportunity to share in wonderful table conversation. After dinner, I have asked our own Ron Coleman and Chip Roark, and pastor Brett Witcher of Lane Memorial, to be participants in a panel discussion about the American Religious Experience. There will be time after the presentations for questions from the audience, but I will give preference to the German students.

I hope you will be able to join us Sunday both in worship and in fellowship!

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Lenten Service and Luncheon

2/14/2018

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Every year during the Lenten season, the Altavista Area Ministerial Association (AAMA) presents a Lenten Service every Wednesday. In lieu of Second Helping, the community is invited to hear a brief message from one of Altavista's local ministers and a local church provides bagged lunches.​​​​

  • February 14: Rev. Mike Lee, First Baptist Church

  • February 21: Rev. Betsy Soto, Berry Hill Presbyterian Church

  • February 28: Rev. Ed Soto, Altavista Presbyterian Church
Due to technical difficulties, message was not recorded.

  • ​March 7: Rev. Ben Horrocks, Lane Memorial United Methodist Church

  • ​March 14: Rev. Wyatt Miles, Monte Vista Baptist Church

  • March 21: Pastor Sam Knaus, First Southern Baptist Church
Canceled due to snow.

  • March 28: Rev. Dr. Dawn Compton, Mt. Hermon United Methodist Church
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