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Philippians 2:5-8 – Modeling Christ

Paul brings us an appeal for unity and selflessness. We should — in humility — consider others better than ourselves.

We are called to shape our lives in Christ’s image. Jesus lived by service, not domination. He was God, and could have — rightly — dominated over all men. But he did not. So, how did Jesus live?

As C. S. Lewis said: “Humility is not thinking of less of yourself, but thinking of yourself… less.”

Are we willing to humble ourselves and serve others, even when it is inconvenient? Let’s discuss how we can model the image of Christ; the humility he brought to model and the love he gave simply because it was right.

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Happy New Year!

I genuinely want to celebrate this new year with each of you. Thank you for making 2025 so incredibly welcoming. It has been a challenge in some areas, but this year has brought so much joy as well.

While some things seem uncertain in the world, Pleasantville Baptist Church has been a place of welcoming and comfort.

I don’t know what God has in store for us in the next year, and things are already beginning to shake. But I do know this: God is in control. And God has a plan. And we are trusting in that and continuing to love one another.

And a special thanks to Pastor Ben and Angie for your love and support, helping an outsider like me fit in, find a home and feel deeply loved.

Sincerely, THANK YOU ALL for being such a wonderful family of friends and faith. And from the guy that posts the posts… May god bring each of you a happy, healthy, prosperous new year.

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Isaiah 9:6-7 – More than a Story

We’ve read this verse earlier this season, but it bears going back and re-visiting it. We urge you to look beyond this birth, but to the life of Christ.

“The Government (dominion, rule, empire, kingdom) will be on His shoulders (burden, weight, bearing on his back).”

This isn’t about any earthly government, but the kingdom, authority and rule over humanity. Jesus entered our existence fully. He identifies with our humanity. God is not distant or indifferent to our struggles. So let’s look at how he intimately cares for us, and how his being born into our world proves his very deep, personal and absolute love for each of us.

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Matthew 2:7-11 – A Journey of Worship

The Magi — people of wisdom — travelled from several countries away. They came quite a distance just to see the baby they believed was born. They probably expected to find him in some royal palace. Some well-to-do place, and this was their act of faith, because no one had broght them word that God had come down. No one had given them a direct address to travel to. This was their faith journey because they saw something different in the sky and wanted to see the reality for themselves.

They were open to hearing the truth — even if that truth didn’t meet their expectations. Mary and Joseph were not people of influence or wealth. They weren’t people in well-to-do homes. They lived a simple life. And yet, the magi — having learned that this was the child they had seen in the stars above — gave Mary and Joseph the gifts they had brought. They took in the evidence presented and came to that conclusion, despite their pre-conceived notions.

How far do we go out of our way to see what God is doing around us? Maybe not in our back doorstep, but a few feet away? How willing are we to step across that few feet and see what God is doing, and celebrate it with those God is working in?

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Luke 2:8-14 – The Birth of Jesus

The arrival of Jesus was heralded — brought to the public — not by royal heralds, or people of honor, or by mayors or kings or bishops, rabbis or religious people.

This holy announcement was brought to the people by people who lived on the margins of society.

This is evidence and demonstration that God CARES about those that live on the outer edges of our society. He wanted them to be not just included, but honored in his arrival story.

The significance of this cannot be overstated. God desires to draw all people — ALL PEOPLE — into his redemption. Let’s look at this together!

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Isaiah 9:6 – The Promise of a Savior

As we approach the Christmas season, we are looking at Christ, our PROMISED savior.

Isaiah gives us hope — seven hundred years before his birth. He declares the birth of Jesus, reminding us that while we don’t see the full plan, there *is* a plan. Things may feel in despair and hurt, but God sees you. God knows you. God HAS a plan.

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Matthew 5:17-20 – Jesus and the Law

Christ tals directly about the law. Not Canadian laws, or US laws or worldly laws. God’s law — The old rabinical law of the Torah.

If Jesus is the Messiah, then he came to uphold the law, right? But so much of what Jesus did upturned the religious establishment of it’s day (and his teachings should continue to do that today!)

Let’s look at how Jesus directs us to adhere to the law, rules and God’s direction for our lives.

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Matthew 5:13-16 – Influencing the World

You *ARE* the light of the world. This is an amazing thing. Daunting, too. How do we infuse our world differently than the world itself?

God has chosen to use us to spread the good news of the Gospel of Jesus, the savior of the world. Let’s sit down and talk about what that looks like.

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Matthew 5:1-12 – The Beatitudes

Today we dive into Jesus teaching about blessings. In the past, “God’s blessing” was tied to prosperity, and in SOME places today, that’s still the perceived truth. If your finances stink, God is punishing you. But if you are wealthy, then God has “blessed” you.

But that’s not what Jesus taught.

He taught that blessed are the meek, poor in spirit, oppressed, etc. Let’s look at this in detail this morning.

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Genesis 18:10-15 : Abraham and Sarah

We all struggle with faith. But Sarah and Abraham show how God is still moving, even when we struggle. OUR struggle doesn’t LIMIT God. Read that again… The fact that you have a point of contention doesn’t limit the beauty and power that God has, even for you. Let’s talk about that.