Saturday, May 8th
1:00pm-10:00pm
Sedalia Center

space

(Hwy 122 halfway between Big Island and Bedford)

Admission = $10/person (12 and under free)

GREAT FOOD

Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, etc. will be available all day

A BODACIOUS BBQ with all the fixins’ available beginning at 4:30

LIVE MUSIC

Bluegrass, Classic Folk, and more…on stage…live!

LIVE AUCTION

Begins at 5:00pm…don’t be late!

MOTORCYCLE POKER RUN

Covering much of Central and Southside Virginia

~~~~~~~~~~

Camping will be available Friday and Saturday nights.  Those with campers can set up with full hook ups for $20 for one night or $30 for both nights.  Tent camping w/electricity is also open for $5/night.

For more information, call 434-299-5080 or email Rev. Bryon LePere.

Friends,

Fall is here, and the leaves are changing!  It was a great day in worship today.  We certainly rejoiced as we baptized one of our young people.  I am excited about what God is doing in Tyler’s life.

As you listen to the sermon, I want you to think about the grace that God has offered you in Jesus Christ.  More than once I have heard someone say that they didn’t believe God could forgive them, that their sins were too many and too bad for God to forgive.  Scripture is very clear that the grace of God is open to everyone, including you!

In addition, we need to be careful how we judge others and their ability to gain this grace.  As much as we are unworthy of God’s gift, so is everyone else, and yet the same potential for salvation lies with everyone.  We as Christians need to be cautious that we don’t put man-made obstacles in front of those seeking a deeper relationship with God.

Thanks for checking in, and I pray this message blesses you!

Download the message here:  No Camels Allowed – Rev. Bryon LePere

Scriptures Referenced:

• Acts 10:9-23
• Hebrews 9:22-23, 10:2, 10
• Acts 10:43
• Titus 3:3-8, 1 John 1:9, 1 Corinthians 10:13
• John 1:29, 3:16, 8:12, Acts 1:8, 2 Corinthians 5:19, 1 John 2:2
• Romans 14:13, Titus 3:9-11
• Acts 2:1, 46, 9:31

Friends,

What another glorious day to be in God’s house today!  We were blessed to have 3 of our young people baptized during the service.  Taking a cue from the meaning of baptism, I challenged us to rethink how we approach our marriages.

Just as in baptism we are to die to self and live for Christ, in marriage we should die to self in order to live for the “one flesh” that we become when we are married.  In addition, where Christ says that “what God has joined together, let no one separate”, I believe this is not simply a reference to divorce, but that anytime we reject or neglect our spouse we are acting in a way that separates us from that which God has joined together.  I pray this message will bless you and your relationships.

Listen to the message here:  Wearing Your Neighbor’s Ring – Rev. Bryon LePere

Scriptures Referenced:

• Mark 10:2-9
• Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 6:1-4
• Ephesians 5:28
• Leviticus 19:18
• Genesis 2:24
• Jeremiah 1:16
• Deuteronomy 10:20, Joshua 23:8
• Galatians 5:14-15

Friends,

We started last week looking at the parable of the Good Samaritan and the important question – who is my neighbor?  I wanted today to challenge us to look at the neighbors we live with.  What I mean is – before we can love our neighbor next door and around town, we need to do the best we can to love our immediate family under one roof.  How we treat our spouses, children, etc. is more important than how we treat others if we look at the direct language of 1 Timothy 5:8.

This morning I challenged the congregation…and I want to challenge you…each day this week (Sunday thru Saturday) I want you to take a moment and hug each member of your household and then tell them that you love them.  That’s right, every person and every day, hug them and tell them you love them.  Blessings…Pastor Bryon.

Listen to the sermon here:  Living With Your Neighbors – Rev. Bryon LePere

***The sermon begins at the 15 minute mark of the file.***

Scriptures Referenced:

• 1 Timothy 5:3-8
• Matthew 15:3-6
• Psalm 15:3, Romans 13:10
• Hebrews 13:4, Ephesians 5:22-33, Mark 10:9
• Proverbs 13:1, 15:5, 19:26, 20:11, 22:6, 31:15, Ephesians 6:1-4
• 1 Timothy 6:17

Friends,

Another beautiful day today!   God’s Creation has certainly been on full display here recently as fall is approaching.  Yesterday my sermon came from the parable of the Good Samaritan.  My hope was that as we studied and thought about the idea of loving God and loving neighbor that we would be reminded that the reason we are asked to show mercy to others is because God first showed mercy to us through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Over the coming weeks, I plan on discussing more about what it means to love our neighbor, and why it is so needed and important in our world today.  I pray this message blesses you!

You can listen to the message here:  Neighbors Place – Rev. Bryon LePere

Scriptures Referenced:

• Luke 10:25-37
• Deuteronomy 6:5
• Leviticus 19:18
• Romans 13:10, 1 John 4:11-12
• Isaiah 53:1-7
• 1 Peter 2:24, 1 John 2:2
• John 19:23, John 19:1

Friends,

Today is Grandparents Day, and as I considered this I looked at Jesus’ family tree.  As I looked at the story that is written within Christ’s lineage, I noticed that it was not a story of perfection, but a story of faith and perseverance.

We need our grandparents/seniors today as much as ever.  We need them to teach us about prayer, about tithing, about marriage, and about faithfulness in general.

I hope this message blesses you, and I hope you’ll take time to call your grandparents (or another significant senior in your life) and tell them how much you love and appreciate them!

You can listen to the message here:  Generation to Generation – Rev. Bryon LePere

Scriptures referenced:

• Matthew 1:1-17
• 2 Timothy 1:5
• 1 Kings 16:30
• 2 Timothy 4:6-8
• Deuteronomy 6:4-7

Probably everyone reading this has been stung by a bee before.  Well, just a few days ago, as I was working in the backyard one got me…a yellow jacket…on the underneath of my arm.  Ouch!  Only one got me, but for those next few minutes it was hard to concentrate on anything else.

Know what I mean?  Thankfully, I’m not allergic to them, but still I was nursing my wound for a while.  By the time I went to bed, it was still irritating me.  The next day, it was an annoyance that itched a little.  On the second day, I could tell it was there, but only a couple of times.  Finally, today I can’t feel it at all.  The pain is gone, the itch is gone, the annoyance is gone.

As I was thinking about this, I was reminded of how we deal with being hurt by other people.  When someone wrongs you, hurts you, or sins against you, how does it feel?  How do you deal with it?  How long does the hurt linger?

Hebrews 12:14-15 reads, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy…See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

When someone hurts us, we should seek for it to be like a bee sting.  It may hurt initially, but within a short period of time, the pain should leave and eventually it should stop bothering us all together.  This happens best when we speak openly and honestly with the person who has hurt us, and we resolve the issue (Matthew 18).

I realize there are some pains out there that are harsher than others.  But let’s be honest, how often do we let a little hurt go a long way?  If we hold on to these things, they become a bitter root that grows and affects too much of our daily life.

I see too many relationships today being hurt by what I would call little things.  Sure, they hurt a lot at first in that moment, but in the big picture, how big of an issue is it?  Unfortunately, too many of our marriages, friendships, etc. are letting bitter roots grow and choke out the love that should be growing.

I’m over my bee sting, just a few days later.  What kind of stings are you holding on to that you need to let go of?  Why not start today?

Friends,

Forgiveness is such a precious word in our world today.  All of us will need to receive it and offer it at some point in our lives.  And it is essential to our spiritual growth.  The more I read in scripture and experience in life the more I see the need for grace and forgiveness to permeate our lives.

As I considered forgiveness in my own life and read the story of the Last Supper with Jesus and His disciples I was led to think about how personal this time was for them.  It is so easy in our world today to point fingers and look for the sin/wrong in others around us.  One of the true challenges and tests of our faith is to look inward and examine our own lives in relationship to God rather than focus on others.  What a world it could be if we only looked for the good in others!

As you listen, I hope Jesus and His grace and His forgiveness will become more personal for you.

You can listen to the sermon here:  Forgiveness – Rev. Bryon LePere

Scriptures Referenced:

• Matthew 26:26-29
• Isaiah 53:5
• Hebrews 9:22
• Joel 2:32
• 1 John1:9
• Matthew 7:1
• John 8:7
• Psalm 51:3
• Luke 18:13

Friends,

What a beautiful day in the Father’s House today!  God has blessed us tremendously with our new deacons for the upcoming year.  Pray for Jerry, Joses, and Lynn as they begin this new chapter in their lives.

In this one verse, 1 Samuel 17:15, we read that David is tending his father’s sheep, while still going back and forth to Saul and knowing that he has been anointed to be king.  My focus from this chapter was on the interesting thing that in between his anointing and kingship, David was humble and still dedicated to the work he was supposed to do.  Similarly, Jesus Christ kept about His work for His Father in between His anointing and His ascension into Heaven.

Being anointed and called is not something meant to just give us status, but instead in the church it should be something that leads us to be humbled and seek to serve where God puts us.  Both David and Jesus sought not to be served, but to serve others.  We all, like our deacons, should seek to do likewise.

You can listen to or download the sermon here:  Tending the Father’s Sheep – Rev. Bryon LePere

Scriptures Referenced:

• 1 Samuel 17:15
• 1 Samuel 16:13
• 2 Samuel
• Luke 4:21
• Mark 1:9-11
• John 4:24
• Matthew 5:17
• 1 Timothy 3:8

Friends,

Summer has certainly got the best of my schedule, so I apologize for the lack of posts.  But, I’m back, and let’s go from here!

Sunday was another great day to be in the house of God.  As the summer winded down, we were able to celebrate some of the great things God has done in our children’s ministry.

This summer we studied the passage about the full armor of God found in Ephesians.  My hope was not only that they would learn the scripture, but that it would find daily application for their lives as well.  One of the challenges for Christians today, in my opinion, is for us to live out the faith and doctrine that we profess.

The belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, and the others mean nothing if we do not let the light of Christ shine thru how we live these things out.  I hope that as you listen to this message, you will be challenged to consider your faith and witness.

You can listen to my message here:  The Armor of God – Rev. Bryon LePere

Scriptures Referenced:

• Ephesians 6:10-17
• John 14:6
• 1 John 3:7
• Romans 1:16
• Hebrews 11:1
• 2 Corinthians 7:10
• Matthew 7:1
• 1 Samuel 19:4