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Pastor Dell continued our series, In The Fire, this morning as he walked through Daniel 7. Earthly kingdoms rise and fall, but God's kingdom is eternal. Daniel 7 gives us a vivid picture of four powerful empires represented as terrifying beasts, each one ultimately subject to the authority of the Ancient of Days. In the climax of the vision, Jesus Christ appears as the Son of Man, receiving everlasting dominion from the Father. This is not a promise that God's people will be spared from suffering, but it is a guarantee that their inheritance is secure. The same spiritual forces that drove ancient empires to oppress believers are still at work today, which makes this passage deeply relevant. Our hope does not rest in politics, earthly leaders, or cultural influence. It rests in Jesus Christ alone. Live as a citizen of His kingdom now, not just in anticipation of eternity.

This week our Missions Coordinator, Kenzie MacKillop, shared a message from a familiar passage found in Daniel 6, Daniel and the lion's den. Daniel was not shaken by the threat of the lion's den because his faith had been built over a lifetime of watching God prove Himself faithful. When an edict made prayer illegal, he did not panic or hide. He went home, opened his windows, and gave thanks, just as he always had. That kind of steadiness does not appear in a crisis. It is formed in the ordinary, daily rhythms of prayer, community, and service long before the pressure arrives. Persecution is not a sign that something has gone wrong. Scripture frames it as part of the calling for anyone who carries the name of Christ into a world that rejected Him. The foundation beneath all of it is the resurrection. The world can take much from us, but it cannot take what has already been given back through Jesus rising from the dead.

Pastor Dell walked through Daniel Chapter 5 as he continued our series, In The Fire this morning. God's patience is real, but it is not the same as His permission. In Daniel 5, King Belshazzar throws a lavish feast and uses sacred vessels from God's temple to toast false gods, openly defying what he already knew about God's power. A mysterious hand appears and writes a verdict on the wall, and that very night, Belshazzar's kingdom comes to an end. His downfall was not ignorance but resistance. He knew the truth and chose pride anyway. The same warning applies today. Every day we are given is an invitation to repent, not a signal that our rebellion is acceptable. God's patience has a purpose, and that purpose is to lead us back to Him.

Pastor Dell walked through chapter 4 of Daniel as he continued our series, "In The Fire". Pride is one of the most dangerous forces in a person's life, and Daniel chapter 4 shows us exactly what God does when He decides to deal with it directly. Through the story of King Nebuchadnezzar, we see three powerful movements: God warns, God humbles, and God restores. Nebuchadnezzar had witnessed miracles firsthand, yet he continued to rule his own life and take credit for everything around him. God gave him a full year to respond to a clear warning, and he wasted every day of it. The judgment that followed was severe, but it was not the end of the story. After seven years in the wilderness, Nebuchadnezzar looked up to heaven, and everything changed. God does not humble us to destroy us. He humbles us so that He can restore us to something far better than what pride could ever build.

Our Elder, Adam West, continued our series on Daniel by looking at a familiar account found in chapter 3. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow to a ninety-foot golden statue, even when it meant being thrown into a blazing furnace. Their response to the king was not a negotiation but a declaration of unconditional trust in God. When they were thrown in, a fourth figure appeared walking with them in the fire, and they came out completely unharmed. The furnace meant to destroy them became the very place where God's glory was put on display. Modern idols may not look like golden statues, but anything that occupies our thoughts, shapes our decisions, and pulls our focus from God can quietly take that place. True faithfulness does not wait for a guaranteed outcome before stepping forward in obedience. If you are in a hard season right now, you are not alone. God meets His people in the fire, and the trial you survive can become someone else's lifeline.

Pastor Dell walked through Chapter 2 of Daniel as he continued our series, In The Fire. Uncertainty has a way of paralyzing us, but Daniel chapter 2 shows us how to respond when life feels out of control. King Nebuchadnezzar, the most powerful ruler on earth, was haunted by a dream no human wisdom could explain. Daniel responded not with panic, but with humility, community, and worship. He gathered his friends to pray, received revelation from God, and gave all the glory back to Him. The dream itself revealed that every human kingdom is temporary, but God's kingdom is eternal and unshakable. Jesus arrived without the spectacle of empire, was crucified, and rose victoriously, and His kingdom continues to advance. When fear grips us, it is often because we have placed our trust in something that was never meant to hold it. The anchor for every uncertainty we face is the truth that God's kingdom cannot be destroyed.

Pastor Dell kicked off our new series on the book of Daniel titled "In The Fire". We live in a world that constantly pressures us to conform, and the first chapter of Daniel shows us what it looks like to hold our ground without losing who we are in God. Daniel and his friends were taken into Babylon, renamed, educated in its ways, and surrounded by its culture, yet Babylon never owned them. The fire of assimilation is not a dramatic attack but a slow, quiet erosion of identity and values that happens when we stop paying attention. Like Daniel, we are called to be in the world without being formed by it. Holiness does not mean withdrawing from culture or becoming harsh toward those who think differently. It means belonging wholly to God while living faithfully among those who do not. Daniel settled his commitment to God in private long before any public moment of testing arrived, and that private faithfulness is what made him immovable. The same determination is available to us today.

Pastor Rob shared a message encouraging our families to choose to live out Joshua 24:15, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Faith is not something that gets passed down through family traditions or church attendance. It has to be personally chosen. In Joshua 24, Joshua gathers all of Israel before his death and calls them to make a deliberate decision about who they will serve. He first reminds them of everything God has already done, because you cannot choose what you do not know. Then he issues a clear challenge: choose this day whom you will serve. His own answer was bold and public: as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. That declaration was not just words for a single moment. It was a commitment to live differently every day after.

Guest Speaker, Scott Nary, joined us for worship this week, speaking on Encountering God through the Word as part of our Encounter Weekend. Where you place your attention shapes your desires, and your desires shape your life. Hebrews 12:1-2 calls us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Like a magnifying glass, whatever you focus on grows larger in your mind and heart. When you magnify God instead of your circumstances, your problems do not disappear, but they lose their grip on you. Worry is simply misdirected imagination, using a God-given gift to rehearse fear instead of faith. Paul's example in Philippians 3 gives every believer a clear path: forget what is behind, reach forward to what is ahead, and press aggressively toward the goal. Breakthrough is not truly breakthrough without follow through, and consistency in your walk with Jesus is what makes the difference. A genuine, passionate love relationship with Christ changes everything about how you face fear, discouragement, and uncertainty.

Pastor Dell wrapped up our series, "I Believe" looking at the last line of the Apostles Creed, "Resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting". Death is one of the most uncomfortable topics we face, but Scripture gives us clear and confident answers that change everything about how we live. Paul's image of a seed in 1 Corinthians 15 reminds us that what is buried is not the end. Something far greater emerges. Jesus declared in John 5 that all who are in the graves will one day hear His voice and come out, because death never has the final word when He is present. Our bodies will be transformed, raised in glory and power, no longer subject to corruption or weakness. We will recognize one another in eternity, still ourselves but fully renewed and bearing the image of the risen Christ. Revelation 21 promises that every tear, every loss, and every moment of grief will be wiped away by God Himself. Because Jesus defeated death, we are freed to live with boldness, purpose, and confidence. The grave does not get the last word. Christ does.

Pastor Rob looked at the phrase "the forgiveness of sins" from the Apostles' Creed as part of our series, "I Believe". Forgiveness is one of the most talked about concepts in Christianity, yet one of the hardest to truly receive. God is described as light, meaning there is no shadow, no hidden motive, and no darkness in Him at all. Because of that, a real relationship with Him requires stepping out of the darkness in our own lives. The difference is not between sinless people and sinful people. It is between those who hide their sin and those who bring it into the light. When we confess, we are simply agreeing with what God already knows, and His response is to forgive completely and cleanse fully. Jesus stands as our advocate, not arguing that we are innocent, but declaring that the debt has already been paid. Christian maturity is not about never struggling with sin. It is about running back to Jesus sooner when we do.

Pastor Dell continued our series through the Apostles' Creed, looking at the phrase, "The Holy Catholic Church, The Communion of Saints" and walking through Acts 2:41-47. Becoming a Christian means being welcomed into a global family, not just making a personal decision. The phrase 'holy catholic church' in the Apostles' Creed refers to the universal body of all true believers across every nation, culture, and generation. The early church in Acts 2 shows us what genuine Christian community looks like: devoted to God's Word, to fellowship, to shared meals, and to prayer. Biblical fellowship goes far deeper than attending the same service. It means being truly known, carrying one another's burdens, and living out the 'one another' commands of Scripture together. Communion also requires protecting the holiness of the community through loving, restorative discipline when necessary. Without holiness, fellowship becomes shallow. Without fellowship, holiness becomes cold and isolated. Jesus calls us into something far better: a worldwide family united by the Gospel, sharing life together right where we are.

Our Elder, Adam West, continued our series on the Apostles’ Creed looking at the phrase “I Believe In The Holy Spirit”. The Holy Spirit is often the least understood person of the Trinity, yet He has been present since the very beginning of creation. As a believer, He lives inside you, serving as your Counselor, Comforter, Convictor, and the giver of your spiritual gifts. Walking in step with the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, and the other fruit described in Galatians 5. Several things can separate us from fully experiencing His presence, including habitual sin, filling our minds with things of the world, and treating faith as a checklist rather than a living relationship. Sharing your faith does not require a perfect script. It simply requires obedience and trust that the Holy Spirit will take it from there. The same Spirit that hovered over the waters at creation and rushed in at Pentecost lives inside every believer today. Do not keep Him at arm's length.

Pastor Rob looked at the statement, “He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.” as he continued our series through the Apostles' Creed. A day of judgment is coming, and the Judge is not a distant, impartial stranger. He is Jesus Christ, the same One who died in our place and rose from the dead. For those who are in Christ, Romans 8:1 makes an extraordinary promise: there is no condemnation. None. The Judge and the One who intercedes on our behalf are the same person, and the debt has already been paid in full. That grace, however, is not automatic for everyone. It is received through faith by those who turn to Jesus. And because grace cost Him everything, it should never make us casual about how we live or indifferent toward those who have not yet received it.

Pastor Dell continued our series, I Believe, spending time looking at the phrase "He descended to hell." Most Christians know the story of the cross and the resurrection, but what happened in between? The Apostles' Creed includes the phrase 'He descended to hell,' and understanding it reveals the full scope of Christ's victory. After His death, Jesus proclaimed total defeat to the fallen angels held in spiritual prison, not as a suffering prisoner, but as a conquering champion. He also gathered the Old Testament believers who had been waiting in paradise, because the price for their redemption had finally been paid. The resurrection that followed was not an isolated miracle but the firstfruits of a coming harvest, the guarantee that all who belong to Him will one day rise as well. Because Jesus ascended, the Holy Spirit now lives inside every believer, and that same power that raised Christ from the dead is available to us today. The church, filled with the Holy Spirit, is actively holding back darkness in the world. The victory has already been won, and we are simply walking it out.