2025-05-18 Stand Firm By Agreement

2025-05-18 Stand Firm By Agreement
by Pastor Chris Berg

Scripture Reference: Philippians 4:1-3
1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!
2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.
3 Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

2025-05-11 Mother’s Day Encouragement

2025-05-11 Mother’s Day Encouragement
by Pastor Chris Berg

Scripture Reference: Psalm 145 (Berean Standard Bible)

I Will Exalt You, My God and King
A Psalm of praise. Of David.

1 I will exalt You, my God and King;
I will bless Your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless You,
and I will praise Your name forever and
ever.
3 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised;
His greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation will commend Your works to
the next,
and will proclaim Your mighty acts—
5 the glorious splendor of Your majesty.
And I will meditate on Your wondrous
works.
6 They will proclaim the power of Your
awesome deeds,
and I will declare Your greatness.
7 They will extol the fame of Your abundant
goodness
and sing joyfully of Your righteousness.
8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in loving
devotion.
9 The LORD is good to all;
His compassion rests on all He has made.
10 All You have made will give You thanks,
O LORD,
and Your saints will bless You.
11 They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom
and speak of Your might,
12 to make known to men Your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of Your
kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and Your dominion endures through all
generations.
 The LORD is faithful in all His words
and kind in all His actions.
14 The LORD upholds all who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to You,
and You give them their food in season.
16 You open Your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The LORD is righteous in all His ways
and kind in all His deeds.
18 The LORD is near to all who call on Him,
to all who call out to Him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him;
He hears their cry and saves them.
20 The LORD preserves all who love Him,
but all the wicked He will destroy.
21 My mouth will declare the praise of the LORD;
let every creature bless His holy name forever and ever.

2025-05-04 Avoiding Discouragement with Eye Discipline

2025-05-04 Avoiding Discouragement with Eye Discipline
by Pastor Chris Berg

Scripture Reference: Philippians 3:17-4:1
17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.
4:1 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.

2025-04-27 Avoiding Discouragement By Pressing On

2025-04-27 Avoiding Discouragement By Pressing On
by Pastor Chris Berg

Scripture Reference: Philippians 3:12-16
12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

15 Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. 16 But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.

2025-04-20 Things Jesus Said

2025-04-20 Things Jesus Said

by Pastor Chris Berg

Scripture Reference: John 20:11-29

20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, I also send you.” 22 And after he said this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained.”

24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the wounds from the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the wounds from the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it!”

26 Eight days later the disciples were again together in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and examine my hands. Extend your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue in your unbelief, but believe.” 28 Thomas replied to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are the people who have not seen and yet have believed.”

2025-04-13 Avoiding Discouragement with Proper Accounting

2025-04-13 Avoiding Discouragement with Proper Accounting
by Pastor Chris Berg
Scripture Reference: Philippians 3:1-11

1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. 2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.
3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—  4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;
6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

2025-04-06 Further Examples of Humility

2025-04-06 Further Examples of Humility
by Pastor Chris Berg

Scripture Reference: Philippians 2:19-30
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.