Hays Christian Church

Our new pastor Dana Glover begins with Luke 21:5-19, where Jesus teaches the disciples how to act when they face destruction, and 2 Thessalonians 3, where Paul writes encouragement to the church to continue to do good, even when it’s tiring. Both Jesus and Paul call on us to live in ways that reveal the life of God in our perseverance, integrity, and goodness.

Betty Rupp takes inspiration from Psalm 51:10 and Ezekiel 26-27, which express that God changes our hearts and gives us the Spirit to remain faithful to His will. Change is an inevitable truth that we will experience many times in our lives, but we can be prepared for it when we pray and turn to God’s Word for guidance.

Jennie Straight shares a collection of scripture and theological writings to express how God, deeper than any happiness we can find on earth, is the source of an unspeakable joy that roots in our very soul.

Steve Tramel dives into a few Biblical passages (Matthew 7:1-5, John 8:7, and Romans 14:4, 10, and 12-13) to bring us the truth that tolerance is our Christian duty. Tolerance is not the same as agreement, but we must avoid dehumanizing and persecuting those with whom we disagree. Every human being, even those who hate and abuse us, is a child of God that Christ died to save.

Joanne Tramel explains how, in this society of self-elevation, we can lead lives in humility, as directed by God. We can respect ourselves and take pride in our work and loved ones, but ego has no place when God deserves the glory.

Former pastor Cana Moore digs into Jeremiah 29:4-14, where Jeremiah writes to the Jewish exiles in Babylon, encouraging them to settle into their new land and not treat it as a temporary disturbance. We are at times tempted to not take our earthly life seriously, in favor of our heavenly home to come, but God tells us that our mortal existence is also our home. We are challenged to live meaningfully now.

Former pastor Cana Moore digs into Jeremiah 2:4-13, where the prophet Jeremiah acts as God’s lawyer against the people of Israel, who had forsaken God and turned to themselves for their needs. The example we are blessed with teaches us that we can trust in God’s power to provide for us and that provision is guaranteed to surpass anything from our own abilities.

Vicki Albrecht takes us to 2 Corinthians 5 to convey that surface-level changes that we try to make in ourselves rarely last, but changes that begin in our hearts on a deeper level are the ones that truly transform who we are. That kind of change is what God offers us. Our lives on earth are temporary, but God grants us the Spirit to prepare us for eternity. We must remember that real lasting change is not behavior modification but reorientation of our purpose.

Jennie Straight takes us to the Parable of the Weeds in Matthew 13:23-43, which illustrates people as seeds. God’s people are the wheat and people of evil are weeds. They grow together, but angels will harvest them at the end of the age, with weeds being destroyed and wheat will enter the Kingdom.

Betty Rupp guides us through Psalm 23, which describes how God, the God Shepherd, spares no pains for the welfare of His sheep (us). Reading this familiar Psalm helps us understand our reliance on God as our Shepherd and catch a glimpse of His wonderful care.

Pastoral candidate Dana Spivy Glover comes to us with Luke 14:25-33, in which Jesus lays out what it takes to become His disciple. True discipleship requires preparing for and following through with sacrifice. Let us permit nothing to hinder our commitment to following Christ’s example and loving Him above all else.

Former pastor of Hays Christian Church, Steve Culver, returns to deliver a timely message. Ephesians 4:14-16 expresses that speaking the truth in love matures us spiritually and allows us to become more like Christ. We learn the importance of speaking truth in love, especially to those whose actions reflect unloving qualities.

Mike Schrage from GNPI and Schrage Christian Mission declares that our earthly purpose is to testify to the existence of God, the saving grace of Jesus, and the activity of the Holy Spirit. The Bible’s message is clear that God wants people of all nations to be present at His throne. We can help achieve this through missions when we Proclaim for God, Listen to God, Obey God, and Work with God.

Matthew 5:14-16 tells us to let our light shine so others can praise God. In this message, Steve Tramel shares things that dim our light for the world and advises how we can improve shining our light in ways that glorify God and lead others to worship Him.

Pastor Cana’s summer sermon series comes to a close in 1 John 4:7-12, 16-19. It offers teaching and guidance to the church, on who God is and how God works in the world. Love is from God, God is love, and those without love cannot claim to know God. Because of God’s love, our true priority as people of Christ is to love one another.

Pastor Cana’s summer sermon series continues with Acts 18:24-27, which describes Apollos enthusiastically teaching of Jesus in the synagogue, though with inaccuracies. Priscilla and Aquila gently and privately correct him, and he goes on to Achaia. God gifts us with enthusiasm, and we can love our neighbors by encouraging each other’s passions.

Pastor Cana’s summer sermon series continues with Acts 17:10-15, which sees Paul and Silas stop at Beroea, after being driven from Thessalonica. Many Beroeans, receptive to the Word, become new followers of Christ. Loving our neighbors means using the measure of Jesus to curiously investigate the truth, so we should remain open to the wide work of God.

Pastor Cana’s summer sermon series continues with Acts 9:10-19, which sees Ananias be called by God to go to Saul, zealot enemy of Christians, and heal his vision. Saul then is baptized. Loving our neighbors like God looks like caring for our enemies.

Pastor Cana’s summer sermon series continues with Acts 6:1-7, which sees the early church prioritize care for Aramaic-speaking widows over Greek-speaking widows. The disciples call this injustice out and select leaders to oversee the task. Loving our neighbors can mean caring for those most in need while trusting God’s abundance.

Pastor Cana’s summer sermon series kicks off with Acts 4:23-41, which sees Peter and John arrested and challenged, but knowing what mattered, they face their trials with the confidence of the Holy Spirit and teach us what to do in suffering and isolation. Our holy directive to love our neighbors as God wants can mean focusing on God in prayer.