Berea Update for September 11, 2026
Today marks a sobering, surreal milestone—the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001. Depending on who you talk to, saying "25 years ago" makes a person seem either quite young or suddenly very old! Twenty-five years ago today, I was sitting in my high school English class. I still vividly remember the shift in the room, the confusion, and then watching the news on the classroom television screens all day long. I remember the overwhelming shock, the heartbreak, and the deep weight that settled over the entire country.
Yet alongside the grief, I also remember what happened next. In the days and weeks that followed, our nation rallied together. People put aside petty differences, packed into churches, sat on front porches together, and checked on their neighbors. The landscape of America changed forever that day, exposing just how fragile our sense of security truly is. Catastrophes have a way of stripping away our illusions. We like to imagine that if we plan carefully, work hard, and make wise choices, we can insulate our lives from tragedy. But when the unthinkable occurs—whether on a national scale like 9/11, or in the quiet, personal room of an unexpected diagnosis, a shattered relationship, or a sudden loss—we are confronted with our human finitude. We realize that our best effort, technology, and planning cannot guarantee safety.
Real hope does not begin when we finally get our circumstances under control; it begins on the day we recognize our limits and are forced to look upward. On an anniversary like this, many people naturally long for a revival of patriotism—a return to that temporary feeling of national unity. But as believers, our heart's longing must run much deeper. My earnest prayer for our country is not merely for a resurgence of civic pride or national sentiment, but for a true, Holy Spirit-sent revival toward the things of the Lord! We don't just need America to rally together around a flag; we need hearts across our land to bow before the cross, to awaken to the holiness of God, to repent of sin, and to find eternal life in Jesus Christ.
This Sunday, as we kick off our brand-new sermon series, Blueprint: God's Vision for the Church, we are stepping into a foundational question: Who built the church, and who truly owns it? When human structures tremble and worldly guarantees fail, Christ’s Church stands anchored to an unshakeable Foundation. To help us dig deeper this week, I’ve prepared a 7-day devotional below. This devotional doesn't rehash our upcoming sermon outline or primary passage; instead, it is designed to take you deeper—reflecting on God’s sovereignty, our human frailty, and the eternal security found in Him when the world around us shakes. Open your Bible, take time to pray through these passages this week, and let’s prepare our hearts to gather together this Sunday morning. See you at Berea!
Keep pressing on!
Upcoming Events
1. This Sunday, I am pressing pause on the Mark sermon series to spend the next 12 weeks in a new series called: "Blueprint: God's Vision for the Church." We'll cover a variety of topics related to the church over the course of our series, using God's Word as the basis for each week's message. This week's message is called "The Owner & Foundation: Who Built the Church?" We'll be in Matthew 16:13-19 and other various portions of Scripture.
2. A new quarter of Sunday School began last Sunday! For adults, there is just one class, covering "Old Testament Character Sketches." Through the series, we won't just skim the surface of famous Sunday school stories. Instead, we'll dive beneath the surface to examine how leaders, dreamers, and everyday believers like Abraham, Sarah, Moses, David, and Elijah navigated real-life struggles--from anxiety, doubt, and family conflict to waiting on God's promises and processing grief. This week, we'll be discussing Hannah. We continue to have just two children's classes this fall. One is for kids ages 2 through 2nd grade, and the other is for kids in third through sixth grade. If your child turned 2, or moved into third grade at the start of this school year, they should join in with the new class on Sunday, September 6!
3. Our ROCK directory needs updating! During the month of September, we'll be asking that each of you confirm the information we have on file for you, and get a new photograph taken for our online ROCK directory. Pictures will be taken each Sunday after the morning worship service, in the front right room off the Family Life Center. This is for ALL Berea members, attendees, college students, and children. Please plan accordingly to have your picture taken one of the weeks during the month! As you get your picture taken, we'll also verify that your contact information is up to date in ROCK.
4. Mark your calendars! We have several "Family Fun Events" planned for the fall! More details will be coming, but you're not going to want to miss these:
September 25: Golf Scramble, Games, and Food at Locust Hills Golf Course (Nine-hole scramble will tee off at 3:00 PM; non golfers arrive between 5-6; dinner at 6, followed by games!)
October 24: Bonfire at the home of Trent and Julie Nourse
November 14: Trivia Night at the Church 5:30 PM
6.
AWANA Registration is now live! If you plan to have your kids participate in AWANA this fall, you may now register them online here:
Berea AWANA Registration 2026 When registering, if your family regularly attends Berea, please use the discount code "Attend" to save on registration dues. The AWANA Open House will be held this upcoming Wednesday, September 16 between 6:30-8:00 PM and the first night of AWANA will be on September 23. We are looking forward to a great year ahead!
7. There will be a quarterly business meeting held on Sunday, September 20 immediately following the morning worship service. During this meeting, the deacons and I will be sharing updates on our church's finances, the building, and other ministry details! More details will be shared in the week leading up to the meeting. Our desire is for this meeting to take approximately 20-30 minutes.
8. We are excited to celebrate an upcoming Baptism Service on Sunday, September 27 during our morning worship service! Weather permitting, we will wrap up our indoor service and head down to the Resurrection Garden together as a church family for an outdoor baptism service. We are already up to five individuals who are planning to make their profession of faith public! If you are ready to publicly declare your faith in Jesus Christ, please contact me as soon as possible so we can meet and add you to the schedule for that Sunday.
Ways You Can Pray This Week
1. Pray for our AWANA ministry as it launches in a couple of weeks! We are excited to be able to offer this to families and their kids! Pray for our leaders and volunteers!
2. Pray for our nation and our leaders!
***Please know that there are many individuals who need prayer this week due to health concerns and other events going on in their lives. Out of sensitivity to each individual's situation, these requests may not appear in this weekly blog. We have a "Prayer Team" at the church who receives more detailed information, and commits to praying for individuals in our church family.
This Week's Devotions
Day 1: The Fragility of Human Security
Psalm 46:1–3 (ESV): "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling."
National tragedies and personal crises both remind us that the things we consider most stable—governments, economies, physical health, and human systems—can tremble in an instant. When the metaphoric "mountains" fall into the sea, human anxiety naturally spikes because our ultimate trust was quietly anchored in temporal things. God does not promise that the earth will never shake; He promises that He will remain unshakeable. When earthly structures crumble, God remains a "very present help," inviting us to find our true refuge in His unchangeable character rather than in fleeting earthly safety.
Reflection Question: What earthly security or routine have you been relying on to give you peace, and how can you intentionally transfer that trust to God today?
Day 2: The Numbered Days of Man
Psalm 90:12 (ESV): "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."
Events that abruptly alter history force us to confront a reality we often work hard to ignore: our earthly life is temporary. Psalm 90 reminds us that in light of God's eternity, human life is like grass that flourishes in the morning and fades by evening. Numbering our days does not mean living in morbid fear; rather, it produces true spiritual wisdom. It strips away trivial distractions and clarifies what actually matters—our standing before God, our commitment to His kingdom, and how we love the people He has placed in our lives.
Reflection Question: If you evaluated your daily schedule and priorities through the lens of eternity, what is one non-essential distraction you need to let go of this week?
Day 3: A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken
Hebrews 12:28–29 (ESV): "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."
When historical events shatter our national or personal sense of normalcy, it is easy to wonder if anything is permanent. The writer of Hebrews reminds believers that every earthly kingdom, institution, and power will eventually be shaken so that what cannot be shaken may remain. As citizens of heaven, Christians belong to an unshakeable Kingdom governed by the Sovereign King. Because our eternal destiny is secure in Christ, we can face a turbulent, changing world not with despair, but with deep gratitude, reverence, and steady worship.
Reflection Question: How does keeping your eyes fixed on the "unshakeable Kingdom" alter your perspective on current world events or personal anxieties?
Day 4: Unity in the Midst of Heartbreak
Galatians 6:2 (ESV) "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
In the aftermath of catastrophic events, people naturally set aside secondary arguments and rally together to help those who suffer. The tragedy exposes our shared human need. Within the household of faith, this kind of burden-bearing is not merely an occasional response to a major emergency; it is meant to be the daily lifestyle of the Church. Carrying another person's grief, anxiety, or trial requires slowing down, leaning in with empathy, and practical sacrifice. When we carry one another's heavy weights, we reflect the heart of Christ, who carried our ultimate burden on the cross.
Reflection Question: Who in your church family or community is currently carrying a heavy burden, and what practical step can you take today to help carry it with them?
Day 5: Finding Peace in Sovereign Care
Isaiah 26:3–4 (ESV) "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock."
When sudden disasters strike, our minds naturally race to process the "what-ifs" and the uncertainty of tomorrow. Anxiety flourishes when the mind is fixed on human vulnerability and chaotic headlines. Yet Scripture promises "perfect peace"—not the absence of external trouble, but an internal tranquility given to those whose minds are anchored firmly in God. God is called an "everlasting rock" because He never shifts, weakens, or panics. Fixing our minds on Him requires an active, daily choice to meditate on His promises rather than feeding our fears.
Reflection Question: What thoughts or sources of information have been occupying your mind lately, and how can you shift your mental focus onto the truth of God’s character?
Day 6: The Ultimate Anchor for the Soul
Hebrews 6:19–20a (ESV) "We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf..."
In ancient seafaring, when a ship faced a violent storm near the shore, sailors would take a small boat and carry the ship’s anchor into the harbor, dropping it firmly into the bedrock behind the breakwater. The ship might be tossed by waves, but it would not drift onto the rocks because its anchor was secured beyond the storm. Jesus Christ is the anchor of our soul. He has entered into the heavenly holy places on our behalf, securing our salvation forever. Though storms of life rage around us, our souls remain secure because our anchor is held by Christ Himself.
Reflection Question: When emotional or circumstantial storms hit your life, do you react as one who is drifting, or as one whose soul is anchored in the finished work of Christ?
Day 7: Assembling as a Monument of Hope
1 Thessalonians 5:9–11 (ESV) "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."
As we gather with our church family each Sunday, we do so in a world that is still broken, hurting, and searching for security. The gathering of the local church is God's visible design to show the world where true hope lies. We don't assemble as people who have all the answers to earthly problems, but as a redeemed community that knows the Savior who has overcome the world. As you step into corporate worship, remember that your presence, your voice in praise, and your words of encouragement are tools God uses to build up fellow believers for the spiritual journey ahead.
Reflection Question: How can you prepare your heart Satruday night so that you enter corporate worship on Sunday ready to actively encourage and build up those around you?
Kids (and Kids at Heart) Korner
Memory Verse: "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge..."--Psalm 18:2 (ESV)
Object Lesson: The Sand Castle vs. The Big Rock
Have you ever built a sand castle at the beach or played with a tower made of plastic blocks? It is super fun to build things! But what happens when a big wave comes crashing onto the beach, or when someone accidentally bumps into your block tower? It falls over and collapses! The sand washes away because sand isn't strong enough to stand up to big waves. Twenty-five years ago, our country went through a very sad and hard day. It reminded everyone that human buildings, plans, and things of this world can fall down or change. But God’s Word tells us that Jesus is our Solid Rock! When storm clouds roll in or life feels scary and unpredictable, we don't have to be afraid. Sand washes away, but a big mountain rock never moves. When we trust Jesus, pray to Him, and obey His Word, we are building our lives on a Rock that can never be shaken!
Discussion Questions:
1. What is something in your life that makes you feel safe? Why is Jesus even stronger than those things?
2. How can we build our lives on Jesus this week?
Weekly Activity: The "Rock of Strength" Craft
Find a Rock: Go outside into your yard or park and find a smooth, flat rock. Paint the rock your favorite color. With a permanent marker (or a parent's help), write "JESUS IS MY ROCK" or "PSALM 18:2" on the front. Put your painted rock on your nightstand or desk to remind you every day that no matter what happens, Jesus is holding you safe and secure!
Have a great weekend! See you Sunday!
Mark