Come Sojourn with Us
This is where you will find sermons and updates for our church. Our mission is to preach expository sermons focusing on the gospel of Christ. We are a church that is tied to the reformed tradition and seeks to submit to the scriptures so we walk in the Lord’s wisdom rather than our own.
We would love to have you join us on our Christian sojourn if you are in the Belgrade, MT area. If you are not in area then join us by listening to our bi weekly free sermon podcast.
Stay informed by following us on Facebook, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or through our RSS feed. We would love for you to join us for worship every Sunday at 10 am and 6 pm. If you cannot join us in person then tune into our YouTube livestream.
Timothy is facing a challenging time in the Ephesian church. People are bringing in teaching that is not pure or teaching that is not correct. So, what is the solution to this? What is Timothy to do in this whole process? How is Timothy to right this ship?
If we are redeemed and united to Christ then how can we discipline ourselves? It sounds as if Paul is saying that on the one level salvation is by grace, but now it is up to you to complete the work that has been started. Is that what Paul is saying? Is this how we go through life with this confidence that the Lord gives us enough grace to make it? Or is Paul telling us something different that we need to heed?
Christ commands us to pray, “Our Father who art in heaven.” This is not something that initially seems comforting to us earth dwelling Christians. If God is in heaven while we are here on earth how can His heavenly dwelling be a benefit to us? However, Christ is teaching us to pray this prayer so this is something good. So, what we are we missing? What is the bigger picture that we so often fail to see as struggling humans? How is our praying to our Father in Heaven far more comforting than we could imagine?
Paul tells us that Godliness is a mystery in 1 Timothy 3:16. Saying that Godliness is a mysteryis a pretty profound statement because Paul is encouraging Timothy to stand against agitators in Ephesus. How can such a statement encourage Timothy? How can such a statement help Timothy refute the false teaching that is entering the church? So, what happens if we lose sight of Christ being our life blood and nourishing us in our redemption? What happens if we fail to see that Godliness is a mystery?
Our catechism moves from the law of God that we obey out of gratitude to teaching us about prayer. It does seem a bit strange that as Calvinists we would pray and that our confessional documents would have strong language regarding the necessity of prayer. Why pray if everything is determined? What can prayer do for us in our Christian life? Do we pray to change the will of God or do we pray for another reason?
The apostle Paul has exhorted the church to use the law of God in a lawful manner. How do we know if we are using the law of God lawfully? How do we grow in our Christian life if Paul himself states that Godliness is a mystery? If it is a mystery how do we know if we are growing?
Please be edified by this message as Mr. Paul Freswick opens the Word of God and exhorts us from John's second letter.
Please enjoy this exhortation from Mr. Paul Freswick as he fills our pulpit.
The Christian life is something that ebbs and flows with ups and downs. There are times when we face tests and struggle to persevere through those tests. There are also times when we face temptations in the weakness of our flesh making it challenging to persevere through this life. How do we keep a proper perspective on heaven? How do we keep our focus on the goal of heaven and glory? Where do we find our strength and power? What can we learn from Christ interacting with his disciples?
What is the office of deacon? How are we to view this office, and who is qualified to serve in this office? Is this an office that is for women, men, men and women, or just men? How does Paul prescribe the duties for this office?
In our day and age we do not esteem truth. This is not to say that our days are worse than other days in history, but philosophically there are those who do not believe we can understand truth. In fact, people have appealed to history showing that the winner of a battle is the one who controls the narrative of the battle. So, if this is true then what about the Bible? What do we do with people having different understandings of the Word of God? Is there truth and can we know truth?
The leaders of the church should desire to rule their lives and the church by the Lord’s standard. If the Lord’s standard is perfection then how can we be qualified to lead if we are struggling sinners? If Timothy is serving a church that has struggles then how can Timothy ordain leaders? What qualifications should he look for in a leader? How do we know if we should aspire to hold leadership in a church?
There is a certain wisdom in cheating people out of money in terms of worldly wisdom. It would seem that we would get ahead and increase our earnings. We want to believe that if we cheat to get ahead it will not really cost us anything and it will make our business ventures all that much more profitable. This is not what the Lord would have us do. The Lord does not see such deceptive practices as honorable to HIm. In fact, we find that Moses makes explicit that we are not to have two different kinds of weights in our house. Why is Moses concerned about the Israelites having two sets of weights? What is the problem of us having a different weight in a bag and a different weight in the house? How can we use this old standard to learn how to live a pleasing life to the Lord today.
When people hear about Christianity and gender distinctions they tend to dismiss the Bible thinking that it is just some archaic book that does not understand our contemporary times. Is this really fair or the intention of the Word of God? So, how do we know that men and women are different? How do we know that this distinction was intentional from the creation? How do we know that this distinction is respectable and is something that we can celebrate as we celebrate the distinctive gifts of man and woman?
The reality is that Christians are a people set apart unto the Lord and called to honor the Lord as His redeemed people. This notion of living for another being is something that just is so contrary to worldly wisdom. The world desires that we live out and have our best life right now. So, why would we seek to honor the Lord and live for Him instead of self? How is living for the Lord something is actually a way more gratifying way to live than living for self?
Balak has been paying Balaam to manipulate and to change the promises of the Lord. They have offered the Lord the highest and greatest offerings to win the favor of God. The Lord has responded to the sacrifices, but not in the way that Balak had hoped. The Lord has continued to restate His promises to this man. Now, in this fourth oracle something that changed. There are no sacrifices, but the Lord reminds these men, and us today that his battle plan is fixed. What is the significance of this oracle? What does this tell us about the Christmas story?
Balak is beginning to realize that he cannot control the Lord. However, he still tries by bringing Balaam to the Lord’s enemy territory. The diviner follows Balak’s lead by going to the enemy territory. Is Balaam able to curse the people of God even as they are camping in the wildness? Is Baal able to overpower our God? How does our God make clear that the Lord will establish the true Christmas day?
Christ teaches from the sermon on the mount that murder is far deeper than just taking a human life. Christ teaches that if we desire to harm, avenge, or even hate then we are guilty of murder. What is the opposite of murder? How do we discover a Christian ethic as we consider the opposite of murder? How does the Christian ethic make us realize our glorious placement in this kingdom?
The Lord has made a promise to his people that he will bring them to glory. His people have messed up really bad, and so does the Lord really desire to establish His people? How do we know that the Lord can and will do this? How strong is the Lord? Is there a god, a prophet, or another power that can derail the Lord’s promises? Balaam and Balak think they can, but can they?
The Lord has made a promise to his people that he will bring them to glory. Is the Lord really able to do this? How do we know that the Lord can and will do this? How strong is the Lord? Is there a god, a prophet, or another power that can derail the Lord’s promises? Balaam and Balak think they can, but can they?
We are a bible believing church in the Belgrade, MT. We are a Reformed Protestant church who desire to build one another up in love as we sojourn under the sun.
