Church guide

Christian, if you aren’t now as you were in months or years past, don’t be satisfied to wish for a return to your former happiness, but go at once to seek your Master, and tell Him your sad state. Humble yourself before Him, and He will lift you up again to enjoy the light of His countenance. Don’t despair; while the beloved Physician lives, there is hope; no, more than that! There is certainty of recovery for even the worst cases. —Charles Spurgeon

Why is praising God so important? Our prayers will end because in Heaven they’ll be answered. Faith will cease because we will see God face to face. But our praises will continue forever and ever. This Psalm praises God because he is great, because he’s good, because he’s glorious and because he’s gracious.

Why is praising God so important? Our prayers will end because in Heaven they’ll be answered. Faith will cease because we will see God face to face. But our praises will continue forever and ever. This Psalm praises God because he is great, because he’s good, because he’s glorious and because he’s gracious.

Vacation Bible School at Community Church of the Hills! July 23-26, 6:30-8:30PM. Dinner included! Ages 4-11 Horses! Trick roper and more!!! Please come register your kiddos on July 23rd starting at 6pm! Call or text Kasey Smith with any questions(409) 594-5915 212 Klett Ranch Road, Johnson City, TX ***Please spread the word***

The Bible commands us to shout to the Lord! If that's the case, why are so many not very enthusiastic about Him? This is a lively message. Buckle up! (I noticed some microphone issues. If this bothers you, please watch the version from Hope Chapel, Hermosa Beach, Ca., where I preached the week before: http://hopechapel.org/media_post/summer-psalms-psalm-100/ )

We will be taking a break from the book of Mark for the summer. Psalm 100 will be our first Psalm! Praise and thank him, y'all!!!

It’s wonderful to love Jesus because of all he’s done for us, but it’s even greater to love him for who he is. The woman who "wasted" the expensive perfume on Jesus demonstrates what it means to love and worship extravagantly and sacrificially for our Savior. Do you have the same love?

HEY, FATHERS! DO YOUR KIDS KNOW THE LORD? Do you have the assurance that they will stand for Jesus in this crazy world that calls evil good, and good evil; that puts darkness for light, and light for darkness? More importantly, do you have the assurance that they will go to Heaven and not to Hell, should they—God forbid—die prematurely? Many parents expect their church to do the work of training up their children in the way they should go, and that it’s the pastor’s responsibility to make sure that every kid knows and obeys Christ. Not true! Dad, you as the leader of your household are responsible for discipling your children, not the Youth Group, or Sunday school, not even ministries like YoungLife that have kids as their focus. Are you even familiar with the word “Discipling”? It comes from what’s commonly referred to as “The Great Commission,” the final words Jesus pronounced before he left this earth at the end of Matthew 28. He said, “…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” A disciple is simply a learner, someone who learns about Jesus Christ and closely follows him. God commands Christian parents to bring their children up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). He gave fathers the chief responsibility to ensure that it is done. If you are not reading your Bible to your kids, start now. It’s never too late. And pray with your kids. Do you talk of the things of God? Please don’t let your Christian life consist of Sundays only, because they will think that’s all there is to being a Christian. Also, teach them a Christian worldview. Before the Israelites entered into the Promised Land, God commanded the fathers to “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.” (Deuteronomy 11:18-21) Why is it so important to teach kids about the Lord while they are young? A survey from the National Association of Evangelicals found that 63% of individuals become Christians between the age of 4-14, and 34% become Christians between the age of 15-29. 97% become Christians before the age of 30. D.L. Moody (1837-1899), considered the greatest American evangelist, once said, “If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry to reaching children for God.” Parents foolishly wait for the “Age of Accountability,” a magic time when children suddenly become accountable to God for their sin. One problem: It’s not in the Bible. A better term would be “Age of Decision,” the time a young person understands the nature of their sin and its consequences and their need of a Savior. Parents, don’t assume your children don’t need to be saved. Today is the day of salvation! America’s greatest theologian, Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), was pretty tough in his assessment of children and their need to be saved as young as possible according to biographer John H. Gerstner: “If the best doctrine to present to sinners is Hell, the best time is childhood. Edwards’ approach to the children was basically the same as the approach to their parents. They too were in danger of judgment and must learn to flee the wrath that is to come upon them as well as upon older sinners. They were ‘young serpents’ who had not yet learned to bite, but were full of poison. They were no different in nature from their parents. They too were ‘children of the devil.’ Edwards exhorted, “‘Supposing children could now hear the cries of other wicked children that are gone to hell—Come therefore hearken to me—if you won’t hearken but will go to hell." He then warns the young people: "Many people never get rid of the guilt of the sins of their youth, but it attends them to their graves and goes with them into eternity.” This is a whole different message than having kids ask Jesus into their hearts, the untruth that most churches teach. The reality of Hell and the need of Jesus for salvation is the truth a lost generation needs to hear because their fathers have swallowed the message. Fathers, do not neglect your most sacred duty: teach your children the things of God. Eternity is at stake.

I USED TO BE THE WORST NEIGHBOR IN THE WORLD in a state of bad neighbors. But before I was a bad neighbor, I was a bad son which got me kicked out of my home at nineteen. On my own, nobody mattered but me: my place, my comfort, my peace. One night I threw all the patio furniture into the swimming pool after the apartment manager told me to get rid of my waterbed (which wasn’t allowed in the first place). My next-door neighbor ratted me out, so I bent all her BBQ utensils into U-shapes. No one ever figured it was me, but surely, they suspected. Instead of getting rid of the waterbed, by the way, I hooked a garden hose to my kitchen faucet, turned it on, and let the water “drain” out my bedroom window onto the driveway below for eight hours. I still slept soundly that night. Another neighbor accidentally parked in my appointed space, so I took the Subway sandwich sitting on his passenger seat…and ate it. Still another parked in the verboten zone reserved for my vehicle, so I put Vaseline under his door handles AND on his front windshield. He figured out who it was though and knocked very loudly on my door one evening. When I opened it, POW! Right in the kisser. Having no concept of friendliness and not caring if I treated anyone neighborly, my sentiments were the same as Leonardo DiCaprio on the bow of Titanic shortly before disaster struck: “I’m the king of the world!” Dostoevsky said, “I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea.” The Beatles’ summed up my life perfectly: “All through the day I me mine, I me mine, I me mine. All through the night I me mine, I me mine, I me mine.” Years later I became a born-again follower of Jesus Christ and my perspective changed, learning that the second greatest Commandment according to Jesus was to “love my neighbor as myself.” This comes after the Greatest Commandment which is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:31-32) In other words, to love God IS to love our neighbor with as much love and time and effort as we love our own persons. The first four of the Ten Commandments are directed on how we are to love God; the next six, how we are to love our neighbor. But it’s so much simpler than that! Everything written in the Bible is summed up with these words from our Savior: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12) I’m learning to do that more and more. In fact, I’m selling my property in the country to live in town so that I can love on my neighbors more effectively for Christ’s sake. But who is my neighbor? Who is your neighbor? How can we love on our neighbors if we don’t know who they are or what they need? I’ve got a solution: Come to our first Johnson City Community Potluck on June 15, from 4PM to 6PM at the LBJ High School. Why should you come? Because connection is protection! When was the last time you sat out on your front porch and spoke with your neighbors as they took a stroll past your house? Heck, many homes today don’t even have a porch! What if you noticed that your neighbor hasn’t been cutting his grass or taking in his trash can? “What a slug,” you say! What if you knew that your neighbor Joe was the primary care giver to his mother with Alzheimer’s Disease? Instead of grumbling about his yard, might you be more inclined to help with the grass or his trash can or even ask if he needed something from the store? If you knew him, had a connection with him, yes, you probably would. So, come and meet your neighbor to establish or renew a connection! • Bring a potluck dish to share (please come, even if you don’t have an item to share) • Bring a folding chair in case we run out of room inside • Paper plates, water, plastic ware, napkins provided • Bring a smile and a happy heart - meet new neighbors - reconnect with those you haven’t seen lately!

We have been here in the Johnson City Community for 36 years, celebrated on this day. As I began an introduction on the End Times as written about in Mark 13, I wondered how the next 36 years would look for our church, America and the world. Though Jesus' prohesies were bleak, there is some really good news that is happening in the world in regard to the Christian church. Stay Awake!

We have been here in the Johnson City Community for 36 years, celebrated on this day. As I began an introduction on the End Times as written about in Mark 13, I wondered how the next 36 years would look for our church, America and the world. Though Jesus' prohesies were bleak, there is some really good news that is happening in the world in regard to the Christian church. Stay Awake!

There's an iconic image that has been on social media for awhile of a man standing in the midst of Nazis giving the full-on Hitler salute, but he has his arms crossed. The woman you will hear about today is a lot like that man when she went against the culture of the leader's false, hypocritical religion. Be inspired. Be that girl!

There's an iconic image that has been on social media for awhile of a man standing in the midst of Nazis giving the full-on Hitler salute, but he has his arms crossed. The woman you will hear about today is a lot like that man when she went against the culture of the leader's false, hypocritical religion. Be inspired. Be that girl!

YOU’RE INVITED, JOHNSON CITY, to our Baccalaureate Service honoring the 2019 grads of LBJ High School. A Baccalaureate service is a Christian ceremony that honors seniors who are ready to graduate. It is non-denominational in content and can be held on campus as a private event or in a church where there are prayers for the future, thanks given for accomplishments attained, songs of worship, readings and a biblical encouragement given by a pastor. A Baccalaureate service differs from a graduation ceremony in that it is a smaller, quiet, more reflective spiritual event. Attendance to this service is voluntary for the graduates, and friends and family are encouraged to attend. The service typically lasts less than an hour. Before arriving in Johnson City, I never, ever heard of a Baccalaureate service, much less participated in one, so I was pleasantly surprised when I heard that this has been an-end-of the-school-year tradition for graduating seniors of LBJ High for many years. But since it has a particularly Christian component, I was wondering how it could even be legal, since I came from a state that outlawed Jesus decades ago. I looked into this grand Western tradition and found out a little about this very significant event for those who still believe that God rules the universe. Oxford University is believed to have been where the first Baccalaureate service originated in 1432, where each graduate had to deliver a sermon in Latin as a part of their academic exercises. The earliest known American Baccalaureate service was performed at the College of New Jersey, now known as Princeton. Since the earliest universities were founded by Christians to educate ministers, this was common practice. The good news, apart from that delivered at this ceremony, is that a Baccalaureate service is perfectly legal and constitutional. According to the Alliance Defending Freedom: “A school may certainly permit a baccalaureate ceremony with religious content on its property when the event is sponsored and organized solely by private parties. A private event that happens to be graduation-related simply does not pose a constitutional problem, as long as it is clearly private. As the Supreme Court held in Santa Fe, a key question in deciding the constitutionality of prayer at a school event is whether an objective observer would view it as a ‘state endorsement of prayer in public schools’ (530 U.S. at 308). The same holds true for baccalaureate ceremonies. Now that you know a bit of its history and that it is perfectly legal and constitutional, I encourage you to attend the Baccalaureate Service this Sunday, May 19 at 7PM at Community Church of the Hills (CCH), 212 Klett Ranch Rd., Johnson City. Refreshments will be served afterward. See ya there!

What does the tetragramaton, the hypostatic union, Mayor Pete Buttigeig, Jesus Matayoshi and Joel Osteen have in common? I used all of them in this one sermon. Find out why.

WHY WE NEED A NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER MORE THAN EVER! Some potted plants went missing and a local East Main Street restaurateur noticed that things were changing in our small town. He used to put them outside on the sidewalk for decorations, but after this recent theft, not anymore. Awhile back, an online predator targeted Johnson City middle and high-schoolers using SnapChat as bait. About two years ago, an Airstream dealer next to the Pedernales River was busted for “theft by deception” and was wanted in Arizona for the kidnaping and sexual assault of a child. And, don’t forget about the just-passing-through people, like the knuckleheads from California who were busted with 103 pounds of marijuana in their car by Johnson City’s Finest! These were just some of the local incidents that have rocked our little town. Not to worry though. According to AreaVibes, a website that helps people find the best places to live in America, the overall crime rate in Johnson City is 88% lower than the national average. There are only 0.95 daily crimes that occur per 100,000 people, and the town that bears James Polk Johnson’s name is safer than 92% of the other cities in the U.S. You have a 1 in 289 chance of becoming a crime victim here and crime has actually decreased 40%! Still, Austin is getting ever-nearer from the East with Alamo City creeping in from the south. With big city growth comes big city problems. I know. I used to live in a big city. This little bit of Mayberry may not last forever but I do know how we can stave off the inevitable, for perhaps a few more years. But we must do our part. We all must pull together in this and does not involve building a wall on Highways 290 and 281, nor do we need to load our deer rifles with extra rounds. We certainly don’t have to panic either. The solution? “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott!” Martin Luther in 1529 penned those words in one of the most famous hymns ever: “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” “And though this world, with devils filled, Should threaten to undo us, We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us.” The triumph that comes through us will come in the power of prayer as we beseech God for His protection, not only for Johnson City, but for the Great State of Texas for America and for the world. On Thursday at 6:00pm, on the east side of the Courthouse in Johnson City, people will gather for the National Day of Prayer. President Eisenhower signed the proclamation in 1953, saying, “I request all of our people to turn to Him in humble supplication on that day, in their homes or in their respective places of worship. With contrite hearts, let us pray for God's help in solving the grave problems which confront us, and render thanks to Him for watching over our Nation throughout its history.” Every president since has signed a declaration designating a special day besides Sunday to pray. “In one voice, we will lift a single prayer request to God for America: ‘Lord, empower America to Love One Another!’ said the National Day of Prayer website. “We are living through a crucial time in our country’s history. Division rages, hate and vitriolic language are loud. If we do not find the resolve to come together and confront the issues fracturing our communities and dividing our country, we will not find the peace and healing we desperately need. In all this, one thing is crystal clear: politics will not heal us, and government will not fix us. We need a massive prayer movement that will lead us back to God and bring healing to our land. This is a moment in American history when the church must rise as one to cry to God and proclaim the gospel of Jesus. If love is to begin to take place across America, it must begin with us: Love One Another! Pray and participate with us. John 13:34: “Love one another. Just as I have loved you.” I’ll see you at the Courthouse! But, if not, you’ll know what to do.

We begin the New Testament tonight in our Bible survey study given by Dr. R. C. Sproul called “Dust to Glory.” No one packs more info into a 20 minute video than this great man of God. 6:30 PM at the home of Ryan and Molly Morlino, 705 Live Oak, Johnson City. https://babylonbee.com/news/church-small-group-looking-forward-deep-study-awkward-silence/

GOOGLE HONORED EASTER SUNDAY! The world-dominating search engine giant did something that it had not done in almost twenty years, since the year 2000, in fact. Christians around the world were incredulous at their spiritual magnanimity. I was also astonished! What did they do? If you are familiar with Google, (and who isn’t), they have different “Google Doodles” throughout the year which are “temporary changes to its homepage logo to commemorate certain days. As defined by Google, its homepage changes are meant to celebrate holidays, anniversaries, and the lives of famous artists, pioneers, and scientists,” according to A. J. Delgado. “[But] we don’t have Doodles for religious holidays, in line with our current Doodle guidelines,” a Google spokesman said when contacted by Fox News. “Doodles may appear for some non-religious celebrations that have grown out of religious holidays, such as Valentine’s Day, Holi’s Festival of Colors, Tu B’Av and the December holiday period, but we don’t include religious imagery or symbolism as part of these.” While this may be true, Google still celebrates Earth Day, Martin Luther King Day, Lunar New Year, Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Thanksgiving. That’s why it’s so amazing that after 17 years of ignoring the Easter holiday—Resurrection Sunday—they did this, according to The Babylon Bee: “Believers around the country were reportedly ecstatic to find that the search and advertising giant chose to honor the empty tomb of Jesus on Easter morning with an empty homepage. Jesus’s resurrection was given the highest honor, with a completely unaltered Google homepage. ‘Just as Christ left a completely empty tomb, so we decided to leave our Google Doodle empty and blank in honor of this significant historical event,’ Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in a special Easter address Sunday. ‘We didn’t want to do something cheesy or corny, but a mostly white search engine page seemed to communicate the proper level of reverence.’” It’s wonderful to see that the tech giant is finally giving the Christian faith the recognition it so rightly deserves. Not to be outdone, National Public Radio on Good Friday 2018 gave a very clear explanation about what the Easter Holy Day was all about on its website: “Easter — the day celebrating the idea that Jesus did not die and go to hell or purgatory or anywhere like that, but rather arose into heaven — is on Sunday.” (Author’s note: The Google and NPR accounts are entirely true. Google did not acknowledge Easter Sunday at all. The NPR reporter is biblically illiterate. Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. His ascension into Heaven was 40 days later.) —By Pastor Steve

The Koran says that Jesus never died. “And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them.” (Surah 4:157) Some have explained away his death and resurrection with “The Swoon Theory,” saying that he fainted, or was given a drug that made him appear to die and he later revived due to the cool damp air of the tomb. Others have said that his disciples came back and stole the body. Why all these attempts to disprove the resurrection of Jesus? Because if it could be proved that Jesus did not rise from the dead, the Christian faith is a hoax, and all who have called on the name of the Lord are still dead in their sins and headed for Hell. But there were witnesses to this fact....

Why is praising God so important? Our prayers will end because in Heaven they’ll be answered. Faith will cease because we will see God face to face. But our praises will continue forever and ever. This Psalm praises God because he is great, because he’s good, because he’s glorious and because he’s gracious.

The Bible commands us to shout to the Lord! If that's the case, why are so many not very enthusiastic about Him? This is a lively message. Buckle up! (I noticed some microphone issues. If this bothers you, please watch the version from Hope Chapel, Hermosa Beach, Ca., where I preached the week before: http://hopechapel.org/media_post/summer-psalms-psalm-100/ )

It’s wonderful to love Jesus because of all he’s done for us, but it’s even greater to love him for who he is. The woman who "wasted" the expensive perfume on Jesus demonstrates what it means to love and worship extravagantly and sacrificially for our Savior. Do you have the same love?

We have been here in the Johnson City Community for 36 years, celebrated on this day. As I began an introduction on the End Times as written about in Mark 13, I wondered how the next 36 years would look for our church, America and the world. Though Jesus' prohesies were bleak, there is some really good news that is happening in the world in regard to the Christian church. Stay Awake!

There's an iconic image that has been on social media for awhile of a man standing in the midst of Nazis giving the full-on Hitler salute, but he has his arms crossed. The woman you will hear about today is a lot like that man when she went against the culture of the leader's false, hypocritical religion. Be inspired. Be that girl!

What does the tetragramaton, the hypostatic union, Mayor Pete Buttigeig, Jesus Matayoshi and Joel Osteen have in common? I used all of them in this one sermon. Find out why.

The Koran says that Jesus never died. “And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them.” (Surah 4:157) Some have explained away his death and resurrection with “The Swoon Theory,” saying that he fainted, or was given a drug that made him appear to die and he later revived due to the cool damp air of the tomb. Others have said that his disciples came back and stole the body. Why all these attempts to disprove the resurrection of Jesus? Because if it could be proved that Jesus did not rise from the dead, the Christian faith is a hoax, and all who have called on the name of the Lord are still dead in their sins and headed for Hell. But there were witnesses to this fact....

Why was the Good Friday earthquake more significant than all the California earthquakes combined? And why did this earthquake point to a time where there will be no more snakes or scorpions in Texas? This 10 minute mini-message will explain it all for you....

What does it mean to love God? How is our love to be expressed toward the Lord of the universe? Many Christians claim to love God, but they deny him by their actions. As a Christian, do you think it is an easy thing to love God? What does one have to do in order to express that type of love? This message will clearly explain that it takes all of our being to love him properly.

If America became a Socialist nation, would it be okay for a Christian to rebel? What did Jesus say about the "Green New Deal" and all the extra taxes we will have to pay (approx. $65,000.00 per family)? And what if China should call in their debt and force a tax on Americans? Would you consider yourself free or under the boot-heel of a dictatorial nation? Would it be okay then for a Christian to not pay those taxes? Or protest? Or start a revolution? In this message, Jesus provides all the answers to those disturbing questions.