# Sunday Evening Service

April 20, 2026

And we’re honored to have the Wells family with us tonight. They help churches many times when they are coming in and going, or maybe they are in between and need a pastor to fill in the pulpit. That’s awesome. That’s such a need in our country. Brother Wells mentioned that America is the mission field, and America is so strategic.

And if we lose America, I’ve said this often over the years, and I’ve checked with a couple different people on this, but I’ve heard this said that America finances 90% of the missions of the world. Imagine how vital America is. Praise the Lord for those that are doing their part just to reach America and keep it strong for the Lord. So good to have the family with us.

I would try the names. I have some of them down, but I was already embarrassed wearing a pink shirt this morning because of that yard sale, so I don’t want to do it again now. Good to have them with us. And then we’ve got a guest, Brother David’s friend, and we’re honored to have him with us tonight. Thank you for being with us, and we appreciate other guests that haven’t been seen in a while. That’s great.

Good to see everyone here tonight. The Lord gave us a good weekend, just a good, good weekend. On Saturday, a lot of different people were here and there. Our ladies went down to the Women of the Word conference, and praise the Lord for that.

Some of our men were over at car shows, passing out tracts and literature with the radio station and whatnot. Folks were out soul-winning, and two people yesterday asked the Lord to be their savor. We praise the Lord for that young lady this morning. God is blessing and using our people all over the place. Praise the Lord for them doing their part. It’s just awesome. Glad to be a part of His team. Amen. And it’s a privilege.

I mentioned these this morning; let me mention them again. May the 7th is the National Day of Prayer, prayer on the square. Anyone need a flyer about that? Good. We’ve got flyers down here. Let’s get these flyers put out. It’ll be in the Murphysboro Square. Help me out, what time does it start?

6:30. 6:30. The Heart family seems to be there at 6:30, and then the service starts at 7. It will be a prayer service. I want you to be there. Invite someone to come with you. I love it that we pray for our young folks—some young folks are ushering for us tonight. But I like that.

I love to pray out in the open for our country. Our country needs it. This year is a crucial year with midterm elections, and we need spiritual awakening—that’s the main thing. We mentioned that this morning. We get right with the Lord, and God takes care of the rest of that. So come and be a part of that. Invite somebody to come with you.

Then, two weeks from today, May the 3rd, we’ll have service here in the morning. Soon as the service is over, we’ll head over there with the new property. That’s going to be a special time.

I mentioned this morning, but we’ll have some heavy equipment out there. I was thinking this morning about burying—since it’s all about people—maybe burying someone in a hole, I don’t know. Maybe we’ll hang someone up by one of them. Maybe get that tractor to pick somebody up. I don’t know. We’ll do something special. It will be a day you’ll remember: I was there when they actually started that building.

Let’s pray for that offering. We’ve mentioned it many times, but to keep us from taking from the loan, we’ll need about $90,000 to come in that day. We’ve never had that, but God can do that. Let’s pray in faith. Let’s be obedient.

Yes, we have the loan process ready to go, but we don’t want to draw from that until we have to and start that interest up. Let’s pray God will bless everything that comes in that day, and unless it is designated otherwise, it goes towards the building. Pray that God blesses the sale of this property also.

Ushers, would you come at this time? I mentioned changes this morning: Brother McCord, our newest deacon; Brother Chip, the incident reports; Ms. Teresa over primary church; Brother Patrick Media; and then the chairman of the deacon board this year will be Brother Marlin, and benevolence—he’ll be the go-to man on that. Just trying to get those things designated out, so don’t forget about those things. And be great, Almas Ramey, pray for the family.

I mentioned this morning, but she took care of her dad for over 30 years. He moved in with her, and she really took good care of him. When someone you love who you have been caretaking for passes, you’re going to go through a stage of, “Well, I wish I did this. What if I did that?” I told her she would go through that, but the fact that he lived 101 years old is proof that you did a good job. That’s pretty amazing. Pray for her; she’s going to go through it after over 30 years of taking care of her dad. Pray for Sandra Beard. Pray God will comfort her and give her identity beyond this point.

Pray for Ms. Donna Russ. Russ and Donna—excuse me, I’m missing that name—but Donna fell, I think Thursday or Friday, and broke her arm. We texted a little bit this week. Pray for her; she’s in a temporary cast and gets the hard cast on Monday, if I remember right. Russ and Donna just came back; they leave when some of those winter birds are gone. Pray for them. If you want the number or just text me, I’ll get you the number so you can call or text her; that will be a blessing to her.

Praise the Lord for these young men. Most of them ride the bus now. Old James’s mom comes often, but they still ride the bus. Scott Nash sometimes comes, too. London’s dad came a time or two. They ride the bus to church, and they’re involved, ushering tonight. All of them have suits and ties on. My goodness, I told them we’re going to get you to preach tonight! They are looking sharp.

And then Brother Josh—these are looking sharp over here now. That’s true. Praise the Lord for Brother Josh. The Nileys did a great job with the bus ministry. They do a wonderful job, and it’s a lot of work. We appreciate all the work in it; it’s a great blessing. I don’t know that London’s…

I know James has led in prayer. London says he has. So you’re used to it? Twice? So he’s used to it. Bentley—is it Bentley? It is. He’s got that selective hearing going on. He’s getting ready for marriage, I think. Bentley, can you lead us in prayer tonight?

Remain seated for this one. We’re going to turn to number six, “I Sing the Mighty Power of God.” We’ll sing all three of those verses. Number six.

Take your Bibles, if you would, and turn to 1 Corinthians chapter number 16. First Corinthians chapter number 16 in God’s Word tonight. God is pleased with you being in His house on a Sunday night. He really is. You are right where He wants you to be, and He is very happy about that. We are happy about it too. First Corinthians 16.

We’re going to read just two verses. Paul is ending his missionary journey here and heading back over to Jerusalem. We want to focus on just one statement tonight, what the Lord has us focus on tonight. In 1 Corinthians 16, if you are there, would you say amen? Amen.

Good deal. Would you please stand, if you are able, as we read the Word of God, just to show it respect tonight? 1 Corinthians 16. We’ll start in verse number 8. 1 Corinthians 16 and verse number 8. He says there, “But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.” And here is really the verse we’re going to focus on: “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me; and there are many adversaries.” Just that verse number nine. Would you read that with me out loud again tonight? Here we go: “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me; and there are many adversaries.” Good.

Let’s pray together that the Lord would speak to our hearts about that. Pray with me, would you please. Father Lord, I believe You have led to this verse. Lord, help me to write it. And then, Lord, I pray that You would take Your Spirit, Your finger, if You would, Lord, and apply it to every single person here. Lord, give us what we need from Your Word tonight. Lord, we’ll thank You for what You do. It’s in the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.

How many have ever locked yourself out of your house? Come on now. How many have ever locked yourself out of a car? How many of you used a coat hanger to get into a car before? How many of you ever scratched a car door before? Yeah, yeah, yeah. How many of you found that car door didn’t close right after you got done? No, I don’t. But a door—a great door. Typically, that door is a passage into a room, into a house, into a car. Now He is saying there, “A great door is open unto me.” Maybe Paul was saying it’s a room, it’s a ministry, it’s somewhere we’ve been trying to get to for a while, but that door—and Paul is saying, praise the Lord, the door is open.

I want you to apply it to yourself a little bit. I think sometimes there may be a level of Christianity you’ve been wanting to get to for a while, and there’s a door you can’t get through. God is the one that grows us; we can’t grow ourselves. We can do all the proper things, but God grows us. Maybe for Paul, this door being open meant he could enter a place he had been wanting to go to for a while.

Let me apply it to our church a little bit. It’s an exciting stage that God has our church at. We are two weeks away from starting the building over on the new property. We bought that property at the end of 2019. We were trying to build here for about a year, a year and a half before that.

We’ve been trying for a while, and God has opened it. It’s an exciting stage. It’s a wonderful thing to look out on Sunday morning and see the lives that God has changed inside this building. It’s all the Lord; He is the one that changes lives.

I love to just see that, but then I think about over there in a much better location with much more visibility—you get that right?—and people can see it, room for growth, and restrooms for growth. Somebody say amen right here! Brother Chip says he just wants a new building just for restrooms, nothing else, between such school and church.

But all that—it was just so exciting, a parking lot, you know, with room. It’s just an exciting stage; it’s a door open that God has given to us. I think about our school. We had a school tour Friday afternoon. It was a blessing to see a family come—mom and dad both and the little girl. The dad asked me, “What are your struggles?” I said, “One of our major struggles is we’re having a school in a mobile home.” I briefly told him the Fire Marshal won’t let us meet in the main building for the school and all those things.

I didn’t tell him this, but sometimes someone will pull up in a nice vehicle for a school tour, and they pull up in their Cadillac Escalade and see that our school is in a trailer. I thought, “They’re not coming to our school.” Even they said, “Well, when you move over there, things are going to change.”

Our school has its first yearbook, and they are just coming in. You can see Miss Chisgar, Miss Tammy Chisgar, if you want to get one. You can buy one. Let’s see, Zoe’s got—hold that up, Zoe right there. She’s showing our commercial. You’re buying the yearbook to see Zoe in it; that’s the reason why you buy it now. Brother Robert said he did.

It’s just exciting days. It’s an open door. The Lord has done all these things. The radio station, praise the Lord, I feel like it is starting to gain some traction in its influence around here. It’s a low-powered FM, so we don’t reach up into Hendersonville quite yet.

But it’s an exciting stage, and God has opened the door. As a church family, I feel like there’s an open door for us. By the way, talking about that new building and all that, it’s not about the building; it’s about people.

God can use that new building to influence children for the Lord and families for the Lord, to get people saved and lives changed. And that radio station can make a difference in people’s lives and get them listening to good music, amen. Get them off the junk music, amen. There’s junk worldly music, you know, and there’s junk Christian music out there too. Get them off all that. Get them on some good music. But it’s about people.

We’re in the midst of moving, and we’ve got a contract on our house, and we’re looking for another one. We haven’t moved in 23 years, so pray for us is what I’m trying to say. I was cleaning out my shed the other day, trying to get it ready for that. It’s like junk, junk, junk.

You know where all this junk came from? I found up in the little loft of our shed two little cases with stuff from years and years ago—I’m talking about from like 1913? No, I’m not that old.

Feel like that old, you know. But from when we were youth pastors in Alabama years ago, there were notes, and we had a little newspaper for the teenagers and all. It just brought back a lot of memories, and there were some keepsakes in there. The keepsake was a little bitty dartboard type thing you can spin and throw darts at. It’s a cool little thing. But you know that little keepsake, I threw it away. It’s nothing.

It’s all about those people. It hit me so strong that day, and I thought about all those teenagers in the ministry. Friend, things and possessions and buildings—they’re all going to burn up one day. They’re really no big deal. It’s all about people. My mind was just filled with memories of those teenagers, of the people that God gave us the privilege of influencing.

This new building, this new door that God has opened up, it’s just about people. It’s about reaching, influencing more people for the Lord. It’s an exciting thing. Paul here says, “A door”—what exactly does it say? Look back there at verse number nine. He doesn’t just say a door; he says, “For a what?”

That great door makes me think of a huge, massive door. You ever get a door that you have to push hard to open? You think, “No problem, I can knock that door open,” and you start hitting it, and it hits back on you. You’re like, “Well, he ain’t opening that door.” That’s a great door.

A great door. If God doesn’t open it, it’s not going to open.

That’s so true of us. Ministries here, growth in your Christian life—God is the one that grows you. Then he says this: “For a great door and, what’s the next word? And effectual.” It has to do with an effective ministry. Things are happening there. It’s effectual. God was doing a great work at Ephesus. Remember when he started over there in Acts 19? Remember they had people getting saved and such a revival? Remember they had that bonfire and burned all the witchcraft books and everything?

Thousands and thousands of dollars of work they just burned it all, and God was changing lives. It was the temple of Diana, very satanic in that region, and God was bringing an effective ministry work at Ephesus.

Ephesus ends up being one of the seven churches of Asia Minor mentioned in Revelation 2 and 3. It was effective ministry and work, and Paul said, “God has opened a great door, and it’s effectual. Things are happening.” Praise the Lord. Someone told me this morning, “Pastor, I think I’ve led two people to the Lord this week on the internet.” That’s the best I can tell. Praise the Lord. Saturday, out soul-winning, two people said that, that I know of.

This morning someone was saved. The ministry that God is using is changing lives—that’s eternal. These things are just temporary. That’s someone’s soul that’s going to live somewhere forever, either in hell or in heaven forever. It’s an effectual ministry; things are happening, lives are getting changed, and God is working in hearts and lives. It’s a wonderful thing.

I want to mention a couple of things as an introduction. Notice what he says in that verse. He says, “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me; there are not one or two, many adversaries.” An effective ministry and many adversaries—that’s pretty typical.

Look over in Proverbs, chapter number 14. Look in verse number four. I often think of the bus ministry when I read this verse. It’s not just the bus; it’s across the board, but it’s an amazing verse. He says, “Where no oxen are, the crib is clean.” If you don’t have any oxen, you’re not going to plow much. If you don’t plow much, you’re not going to get a very good garden.

If you don’t have a good garden, you’re not going to harvest very well. You’ll have a clean crib, but not much increase. Where no oxen are, the crib is clean. But much increase is by the strength of the ox. But you know what? If you have an ox, you have to feed it.

Oxen make fertilizer. You have to go into those stalls. Has anyone ever shoveled fertilizer?

Can you smell that smell a little bit right now? Miss Melissa helped her dad a lot on their farm ranch, and she said, “Oh yeah, I can smell it right now.” It’s not because Brother Adam didn’t wear deodorant. Brother Jim, would you keep your wife in line, please? Maybe that was the Women of the Word. I’m not sure about that.

That’s a lot of work. Oxen can be very stinky. They make that stuff that doesn’t smell good, and they typically stink themselves. Boy, they can get the work done. It’s kind of like over here in Corinthians. He said, “A great door and effectual is open,” and boy, there are a lot of adversaries.

Here’s the thing, friend: We sometimes hear about great works, and that’s exciting, but we typically don’t hear about all the problems. I guarantee you there are problems. We don’t hear about all the work. Fantasies are great, but in reality, there are problems.

He said there are adversaries. Friend, I’m telling you, there are going to be adversaries. If you feel like you are struggling, it might be because you are doing a work for the Lord, and that’s part of it. Why is there such a struggle? Well, there’s this fellow called Satan. You heard about the lady who never had a bad word to say about anybody?

She’d never say anything bad about anybody, so finally somebody asked her, “What do you have to say about the devil?” And she said, “He sure is a persistent fellow.”

We have an adversary, the devil. And then there’s the world. We are in enemy territory. This is God’s operating base here in enemy territory, but Satan has some control. He’s called the God of this world, the Prince of this world.

So, friend, we are struggling upstream in this whole world. There’s going to be a struggle; there are going to be adversaries. It’s part of it. You have the devil, you have the world, and then you have our own flesh.

The devil’s biggest ploy with a church or Christians is to get us fighting with each other. He would love that. I guarantee he works every angle he can. He hits Brother Chip on the back of the head and says, “Brother Patterson did it.”

I think it was Miss Amy Patterson; they hit Brother Patterson on the back of the head, and he thought Brother Chip did it. The devil will do his best to get them fighting. He’ll do anything he can just to get fussing and fighting and victory with each other.

We have the devil, we have the world, and we have our own flesh. Our own flesh tries every angle to get us mad and talk about each other.

I was at a conference where the tone was changing, going a little bit south, as many people thought. An older, great pastor, Clarence Sexton, who is in heaven now, was there. Brother Sexton was going to speak, and I wondered what he would do. Brother Clarence Sexton got up, was so wise, and about the first thing he addressed was, “My biggest battle is with Clarence Sexton.”

I said, man, that’s so right. He said, “Fellas, the biggest battle you’re going to have in the ministry is with your own self.” He’s so right.

You are going to have a struggle; it’s just common. If God is working, and there’s an open door, it shouldn’t be easy. No, there are still many adversaries. If God is doing a work, there are going to be struggles. Do you like them? No. But friend, just buckle up; it’s part of it.

Every great work of God—if you raise godly children, there’s going to be a struggle. If you have a good marriage, there are going to be struggles. It’s part of it. Every great work of God involves many adversaries.

Years ago, I was struggling. I don’t remember anything specific. A good man, Dale Stover—by the way, pray for Ms. Stover; she’s going through cancer. She’s doing pretty good, but she just started chemo, I think, Thursday or Friday. We text every once in a while to make sure the cancer stays away.

Brother Stover told me, I think on the phone or text, “Pastor, if it was easy, everybody would be doing it.” I needed that at that moment. It reminded me of Paul: What are you thinking? There are going to be many adversaries.

That’s number one: It’s very common. Anytime there’s a great work going on, there are going to be many adversaries. Number two: We’re going to go home here in a bit. Excuse me, we’re going to go to McDonald’s and get a hot fudge sundae, amen. I didn’t hear any amens. How about caramel? Caramel sundae, come on now.

Come on, y’all are getting fancy on me now. You want to go to Dairy Queen or Andes or somewhere fancy? You’re getting highbrow. Forget McDonald’s, I get it. Let’s move on. It’s still good ice cream cones at McDonald’s. Point number two.

Point number two: Just because there are many adversaries, does it mean the door is not open?

“For a great door and effectual is opened unto me.” This is what the devil tells you: the door is closed. No, it’s not closed. It’s open. God opened it; no man can shut it (Revelation 3, the church in Philadelphia, which we’ve talked about regarding the new property). It’s open, but there will be struggles, there will be adversaries.

Just because there are adversaries does not mean the door—well, it must not be God’s will. It was an open door, but there is still a whole lot of struggle going on. A pastor might think, “It shouldn’t be this way.” We have good people; you are good about all this. But whatever it is, it may be there’s a great door open, but there are going to be some adversaries.

You can’t judge, “Well, that’s not God’s will.” God feeds the birds, but the birds have to get up early and go look for that worm. Friend, just because there are struggles and problems and adversaries, and the stalls have to be cleaned out once in a while, doesn’t mean it’s not the will of God. Doors are open; there are just a lot of adversaries. That’s part of it.

“I want to grow for the Lord, but there are so many struggles.” Friend, it doesn’t mean God doesn’t want to take you to the next room or the next level in your Christian life; it just means there are going to be problems. Just because you get opposition when you try to tell someone about Jesus Christ doesn’t mean it’s not the will of God for you to tell somebody about Jesus. It’s just part of it.

“Well, they threw that track down.” That’s all right, friend. It cost about half a cent to make it. That’s going to happen. “Well, they got mad when I went through the drive-thru.” That’s all right. The devil always gets his crowd stirred up. People are still going to get saved when you get the gospel to them. It’s part of it. So, no, it’s not the will of God—it may be the will of God. God has an open door, but there are just going to be some struggles.

I wonder how many people have walked away—there’s a great door effectual opened with all the struggle—because somebody said, “I’m just tired. It’s not the will of God.” Funny how we can use the will of God to justify just about anything. Well, you know, I’m just quitting, whatever. I wonder how many people never get into the next room just because they quit.

Dr. Lee Robertson, he’s in heaven now. Years ago, at Temple Highland Park Baptist Church, he used to say that the difference between a church and a preacher that God uses greatly, and a preacher and a church that just washes away, is that one quit and the other one didn’t. Friend, just because there are adversaries doesn’t mean God didn’t open the door.

Last thing. We’re moving along. Last point. Forty sub points, though. Amen. The open door with many adversaries did not cause Paul to leave, but to stay longer.

Did you notice that verse right there, verse number eight? He says, “But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.” I’m going to stay at Ephesus as long as I can. For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries. It didn’t make Paul say, “Well, I’m leaving.” It made Paul say, “Stay as long as I can. I’m going to stay.”

Old Lester Roloff used to sing this song. How many know Lester Roloff? He used to sing this song: “It’s a battlefield, brother, not a recreation room. It’s a fight and not a game. Run if you want to, run if you will, but I came here to stay.” It’s going to be a battle; there are just many adversaries. Some say there’s battle fatigue, and there is. You need rest.

There is also being battle-tested. You can’t get a great soldier that hasn’t been through some battles. God doesn’t walk us around; He walks us through the valley of the shadow of death.

Friend, there’s a great door effectual open. I don’t know what that means to you personally. It may be God wants you to grow in your prayer life. Maybe God wants you to grow in your Bible study. Maybe God wants you to grow in your relationships. Maybe God wants you to grow in your witnessing. I’m not sure what it might be for you. But that next door—excuse me, the next room—and the door is open.

There are going to be problems. There are going to be struggles. Don’t say, “Well, I’m not reading my Bible; I’m not getting anywhere.” No, hang on. There are going to be some adversaries. Just because you tried to make things right with that individual you’ve been at difference with for years, and God has been proud of you to go get things right with them, and you go and try to get it right, and it just turns back—that doesn’t mean that’s not the will of God.

Hang in there. Follow the leadership of God. He said, “Hey, there’s a great door effectual opened unto me,” and boy, there are a lot of adversaries. But Paul wasn’t leaving. Paul wouldn’t say, “Hang the back, I’m out of here.” He said, “No, I’m staying as long as I can because God’s doing something here.” It’s exciting, but there are battles.

Old David came to Goliath. I love what he said. He had learned this somewhere. He said, “The battle is the Lord’s.” He had already been battle-tested against the lion and the bear. Praise the Lord, he didn’t say, “Well, I’m leaving here; that’s a big old battle.” He said, “I’ve seen it. Been here before. God’s moving. I’m staying.” At the end of the day, the battle is the Lord’s anyway.

You go throughout the Bible. Paul had enough battles to know. He had battle after battle after battle after battle. If you ever start feeling sorry for yourself, just read Paul’s autobiography: beaten with rods, shipwrecked, left for dead in the city of Lystra after being stoned. You think, “Okay, I don’t have it so bad.”

Paul had been through enough battles that he said, “God’s doing something. A lot of problems, many adversaries. But God has opened the door up. I’m not leaving here until I have to. I’m staying as long as I can until God says it’s time to go.” A great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.

Would you bow your heads and close your eyes just for a bit? Heads bowed, eyes closed. I don’t know how God spoke to your heart—maybe it’s the church family, maybe the individual, maybe it’s a family. I’m not sure. But would you spend some time with Him about that? Would you say, “Lord, I don’t want to walk away. There are a lot of adversaries. I want to stay in there. I want to understand there are going to be some problems; it’s part of it.”

And we get flustered over the Lord. Would you spend some time with Him on those truths tonight? Would you please stand? We’ll have a word of prayer. Would you spend some time with the Lord? Father, thank You for Your Word. Lord, would You put Your finger on our individual lives where and what we need to be spoken to about this truth? Great truth, Lord. Lord, help us to do business with You in a real, sincere way now. Father, I will thank You for what You do. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Would you just spend some time with the Lord? Draw nigh to Him. Get close to Him. “Great door and effectual is open to me; many adversaries.” Would you talk to the Lord about that? Maybe it’s your marriage you’re struggling with. Help, old friend. Hang in there. I want to be the godly spouse God wants me to be. God will grow that marriage in His time. It’s God that grows marriages.

A couple years ago, she came tonight, and she said—by the way, she and her husband were in the ministry for over 40 years. She said, “Lord, I didn’t know this.” She said her dad was in the ministry, started churches, built buildings, and moved all that. She’s been involved in all that, and she wants to come and be a member at Rutherford County Baptist Church. What a blessing that is. Praise the Lord.

Dear saints like this, just been in faith with the Lord, they are amazing. They are just sweet and precious. Praise the Lord for them. I tell you one thing: I want them in our church. I want Ms. Hammond just for their prayers, amen. We need every prayer warrior we can get. What a blessing! Been saved, been baptized. I said, “I know the answer to these, but I’ve got to ask.” She said, “I know what you’re going to ask.”

Good thing. Yes, I’m saved and baptized by mercy, amen. Praise the Lord for that. If you are for Ms. Hammond coming and being a member of Rutherford County Baptist Church, would you say amen? Amen. Praise the Lord for that. That’s just a wonderful, wonderful thing, an exciting thing.

Now, I want everyone to come by and shake her hand, but we have one other order of business we’ve been doing here lately. We’ve been praying.

Three or four weeks ago, we started asking everyone, wherever you are at 7 o’clock, to stop and pray. Our goal is for us to sell this property and put the proceeds on the new building before we have to draw from the loan. We also have this latest bill we’ve mentioned, and we’re going to have that special offering May 3rd. I want you to pray about all that packed together.

We’ve talked about how much we’ll save if we’re not drawing from that loan. We might have to draw from that loan at the very end of the build, but if we can save that, it will save us so much, and we want to be good stewards of what God has given us. I’m going to ask you tonight to pray about that. I’m going to ask you tonight to come on down to the altars. Miss Hammond, I hope you don’t mind. She said, “Yes,” but I want you to come down.

Even if you’re not members, you’re welcome to come down. We all can’t fit at the altar; we’d get on the first or second row there. But we ask everyone, even non-members, you’re welcome to come pray. We need all the prayers we can get. Everyone’s welcome. Let’s just come pray. There is something about God’s people when we come together in prayer asking God—that’s when God moves and works. You say it’s a little humbling to get underneath. Yes, you’re right; that’s a good thing.

Let’s just come humbly before the Lord, ask His blessing. Oh, we need God. We’ve got to have God, but God can meet the needs. He can work, and that’s what we’re asking for. Brother David McCord, have you led us for prayer in this yet? He hasn’t. I’m going to ask you to lead us in prayer over this.

We want to get—any of our men that have it—Brother Garrett, have you led in prayer over this? Come on up, Brother Garrett. Let’s get Brother Garrett and David McCord. Let these men lead us in prayer, but let’s all pray. Somebody’s alarm went off at 7 o’clock—we said, set an alarm to pray. All right, we got the alarm. Let’s all just pray. If it takes a year to postpone drawing from that loan, it will be over $100,000 we’d save.

By taking this loan out at the end, we can sell this. It’s up for sale for 2.5. You know all these details, but God can work. Let’s ask God in faith that He would bless His work. Brother Dave McCord and Brother Garrett will lead us in prayer about these things.

Father, we thank You and praise You for Your goodness to us. We thank You for the privilege to be in church tonight. Thank You, Lord, for all that You are. You are all-knowing and all-powerful, Lord. You are sovereign over all things, and that includes the finances for this new building, Lord. We pray, Lord, that we desire that we don’t have to borrow from this loan.

We pray that You would just send the right people at the right time, Lord, and that we would just find someone to purchase this property, Lord, so we can put that money on the new property. We don’t have to draw from this loan. But we desire most of all that our will aligns with Your will, Lord. We trust You, and we know that Your plan is perfect, Lord, and that You are working all things to Your glory.

We pray, Lord, that as the work on the new property begins, You would give safety to the workers, Lord. Watch over every step of the way, remove any obstacles, and let all the work go smoothly. Pray that as people drive by the new property, Lord, they would just be curious, have questions, and that they would contact us, Lord, and that we may share the gospel and souls will be saved even while work is being done.

We pray that You just continue to bless here, Lord. We pray further that You would bless our individual finances, Lord, that we might be able to give more towards this building, Lord. We pray that You just work in Your time, Lord, and that everything we’ve done is to Your glory, Lord. That’s just in Jesus’ name.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for this building that You have currently provided for us. We thank You for the lives that have been changed in this place. We thank You for the souls that have come to Christ, those that have been baptized, the families that have been brought to You, souls that have been rekindled. We pray that You just help us to reflect on the good things and be thankful for what we currently have.

But at the same time, we are also burdened for the sale of this property and the beginning of the construction and the continuance of the construction on the new place, Father. We know what we want, but You know what we need.

A lot of big numbers. We’ve seen You do it before; we know You can do it again. I pray You just help us to proceed with faith, with an open heart and open mind, proceed with caution. We thank You for a wise leader as our pastor that keeps us encouraged, that feeds us and provides hope. I pray You just help us to gather together in unity, Father.

I pray that You would just allow us as a church family to use this as an opportunity to grow closer together. I pray that You would just help us to not take for granted what we have currently and to continue to use it for You, and then to use the new property for You as well. I pray You just be with us as we go throughout this week, Father. I pray You just help us to be able to still continue to win others for You. Bless us as we go throughout. I pray, amen.

Original File: 2026-04-20 - Pastor Paul Chisgar - Sunday PM 04⧸19⧸2026