Berea Update for May 30, 2025
Happy Friday! It's dreary outside today (which it's been for most of the week), but these dreary days cause me to long for the day ahead where we'll be spending eternity on streets of gold, and the radiance of the glory of God will be our light. What a hopeful thing to anticipate for those who know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
This week, a dear member of our church family is moving, and as I think about it, I was reminded of how Scripture speaks to the deeper truth behind every earthly move. Just as our sister in Christ is packing up and preparing to leave one home for another, we are all, in a sense, living as pilgrims in this world. Earth is not our permanent home; God has prepared something better for His people. This week’s devotion (below) is inspired by Hebrews 11:8-16, where Abraham’s faith points us forward to the heavenly home God has promised. Let’s reflect on what it means to live as travelers here on earth, holding lightly to the temporary while longing for the eternal.
Upcoming Events
1. Sunday, we'll be hearing the final message entitled "The Pearl's Protective Cover" from the series on the book of Ephesians by Pastor Miller during the morning worship service. We'll also take the Lord's Supper together as a church family.
2. As mentioned above, Susan Kirby is moving tomorrow and we'd like to help her! If you're available, we'll start at her old house (1143 Foxboro Rd., Springfield) at 8:00 AM, and will move items to her new home. We'd love to have a large group come help to encourage her! If you have a truck, trailer, or other moving supplies, such as blankets or a dolly, it would be great if you could bring those as well! If you have not already let me know that you can come, please reply to this email so I have an idea of who is planning on helping.
3.
We are up to 47 kids registered for Adventure Camp VBS! Adventure Camp is open to all boys and girls, ages 7-13 from 9:30-2:00 each of those days. Participants will hear from God's Word daily while they also learn how to canoe, fish, do archery, set up campsites, and and read maps. They'll also do crafts, sing songs, and play games each day!
Registration CLOSES TODAY AT 11:59 PM! The cost is $25 per camper, and includes lunch each day, as well as a t-shirt and other fun things! To register, please click here:
Adventure Camp VBS Registration
4. This Sunday a new quarter for Sunday School begins. We would love to have you join one of the two adult offerings for this quarter:
A Study of the Sermon on the Mount (Meeting Location: Family Life Center)
Teacher: Pastor Mark Gainer
This 13-week class on the Sermon on the Mount, will explore Jesus’ transformative teachings in Matthew 5–7 diving into themes of kingdom living, righteousness, and discipleship. Discover how these timeless principles challenge and inspire us to live faithfully in today’s world. This sermon is as relevant today as it was back then! Participants will be encouraged to apply Jesus’ teachings to their own lives in very practical ways throughout the course.
Christian Life & Witness (Meeting Location: Front Left Room off Family Life Center)
Teachers: Pastor Brian Miller and Pastor Tom Wolverton
This course will work through "Christian Life & Witness," written by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The study is designed to help Christians revitalize their own faith and share it with others. The hope is that this class will inspire you to deepen your personal faith and confidently share the Gospel. Explore practical ways to grow spiritually and impact others through this transformative study.
If you have not done so already, please register by clicking here:
Summer 2025 Sunday School Registration (Kids do not need to be registered--they will continue in their same classes through the summer.)
5. Grief Share's "Loss of a Spouse" is a 2-hour seminar for people grieving a spouse’s death. It will be held Sunday, June 8 from 3-5 PM at the church. There is no cost. The seminar features video interviews with counselors, grief experts, and widowed men and women. They offer helpful insights on:
-What to expect in the days to come
-How to deal with loneliness
-What to do with your spouse’s belongings
-Why it won’t always hurt this much
-And other practical help for dealing with the challenges of widowhood
Everyone who attends will receive a booklet with over thirty short readings on how to live with grief and eventually rebuild your life. This event is open to both Berea attendees and those who do not regularly attend our church. To register, click here:
Grief Share Loss of a Spouse Registration
6. Berea's Youth Group will be hosting a Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser on Saturday, June 21 from 8:30-11:30 AM here at the church. Mark your calendars now so that you don't miss this event to help support their upcoming mission trip to Cleveland in July!
7. WHOLLY SMOKED! Save the Date! This year, we are moving Wholly Smoked to the weekend of September 13 and 14! This will hopefully allow for slightly cooler days to enjoy time together as a church family. Our band for this year was booked this past week, and you're not going to want to miss them! Keep on the lookout for the big reveal, and more details about the weekend together!
Ways You Can Pray This Week
1. Pray for our church's missionaries around the world. As they continue to labor on for the Gospel, there will be many ups and downs. Pray for strength, protection, and much fruit that comes from their work!
2. Pray for the new quarter of Sunday School. Pray for the teachers, that they might have the right words to say, as they are lead by the Holy Spirit, but also pray for all the participants that they might grow into Christlikeness.
3. Pray for our church's JOY Club. They will enjoy time together on Sunday at the Dragons game, but pray for them collectively as a group as they navigate the day-to-day challenges that come with getting older. We are so thankful for their faithful testimony to the Lord! What a blessing it is to have young and old gather together as a church family each week!
***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: Obediently Moving Forward
Hebrews 11:8 (ESV): "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going."
Abraham trusted God’s call, even without knowing the destination. Moving forward in obedience, whether geographically or spiritually, means trusting God’s plan, even when it’s unclear.
Reflection Question: Where might God be calling you to trust Him and step forward in faith today, even if you don’t know what’s next?
Day 2: Living as Pilgrims
Hebrews 11:9 (ESV): "By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise."
Abraham lived as a sojourner, with temporary homes along the way. As believers, we’re reminded that we’re also pilgrims in this world, waiting for our true, eternal home.
Reflection Question: How can you cultivate a mindset of being a pilgrim in this world, living for eternity rather than temporary comforts?
Day 3: Longing for a Heavenly City
Hebrews 11:10 (ESV): "For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God."
Abraham’s hope wasn’t rooted in earthly things but in the heavenly city God was preparing. Our earthly “moves” remind us that nothing here is permanent; our hearts are made for eternity.
Reflection Question: How does the hope of your eternal home impact the way you live and make decisions today?
Day 4: Trusting the Promises of God
Hebrews 11:11 (ESV): "By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised."
Sarah and Abraham’s faith in God’s promises carried them through uncertainties. Trusting God’s faithfulness helps us through life’s transitions and reminds us of the ultimate promise of heaven.
Reflection Question: What specific promise of God do you need to cling to today as you face change?
Day 5: Embracing Our Temporary Status
Hebrews 11:13 (ESV): "These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth."
Abraham and the patriarchs embraced the reality that they were temporary residents. We, too, are “strangers and exiles,” longing for our eternal home.
Reflection Question: How can you practically remind yourself today that this world is not your permanent home?
Day 6: Declaring Our True Homeland
Hebrews 11:14-15 (ESV): "For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return."
Instead of clinging to what they left behind, the faithful declared their desire for God’s promised homeland. We’re called to boldly declare our allegiance to God’s kingdom, not this world.
Reflection Question: What worldly attachment might you need to let go of today to more fully declare your citizenship in God’s kingdom?
Day 7: Trusting God’s Prepared Place
Hebrews 11:16 (ESV): "But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city."
God delights in our longing for Him and His heavenly city. He’s preparing a place for us—our true home. Earthly moves, no matter how big, are temporary compared to the eternal dwelling He’s preparing.
Reflection Question: How can you live today with the confidence that God has prepared a better, eternal home for you?
Kids (and Kids At Heart) Korner
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Armor.
Armor who?
Armor you going to put on the full armor of God today? (Ephesians 6:11)
Let us know if there's something we can do for you this week! See you all Sunday!
Take care,
Mark