Bulletin for May 17, 2026

Bulletin for May 10, 2026

Bulletin for May 3, 2026

The Lord’s Prayer

This week, I’m going to begin preaching through the Lord’s Prayer. I’m thinking of it as a kind of mini-series within our exposition of the whole Gospel of Matthew. We’re going to spend a few weeks going line-by-line through the prayer as it is recorded in Matthew. As part of that, I want to encourage you to take a look at Shorter Catechism 98-107. These are the last ten questions of the catechism. There’s also a slightly simplified version of these questions in the Children’s Catechism questions 105-121.

The Lord’s Prayer is Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ request: “Teach us to pray.” So if you’ve ever struggled with prayer, then studying the Lord’s Prayer is an opportunity to learn from Jesus himself how to do it!

Thomas Watson on the Lord’s Supper

Thomas Watson was a Puritan preacher in 17th century England. Though he can sound a a bit archaic now, he is known as one of the most simple and helpful Puritans. Below is a quote from his work on the Lord’s Supper. It comes from a chapter where he deals with several objections a believer might have to coming to the Lord’s Table. I pray this is helpful to some of you as we prepare for the Lord’s Supper this Sunday.

Object. 2. But I have sinned presumptuously against mercy? I have contracted guilt after I have been at the Lord’s Table, and sure Christ’s Blood is not for me?

Resp. It is indeed grievous to abuse mercy. It was the aggravation of Solomon’s sin; his heart was turned from the Lord, which had appeared unto him twice (1 Kings 11:9). Presumptuous sins open the mouth of Conscience to accuse, and shut the mouth of God’s Spirit, which should speak Peace: yet cast not away your Anchor, look up to the blood of Christ; it can forgive sins against mercy.

Did not Noah sin against mercy? who, though he had been so miraculously preserved in the Flood, yet soon after he came out of the Ark, he was drunk. Did not David sin against mercy, when after God had made him King, he stained his soul with lust, and his robe with blood? Yet both these sins were washed away in that Fountain which is set open for Judah to wash in (Zech. 12:4).

Did not the Disciples deal unkindly with Christ in the time of his suffering? Peter denied him, and all the rest fled from his colours (Matt. 26:56): Then all the Disciples forsook him, and fled. Yet Christ did not take advantage of their weakness, nor did he cast them off, but sends the joyful news of his Resurrection to them (Matt. 27:7) and of his Ascension (John 20:17): Go to my Brethren, and say unto them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father. And lest Peter should think, he was none of the number that should be interested in Christ’s love, therefore Christ dispatches away a special Message to Peter to comfort him (Mark 16:7): Go tell the Disciples and Peter, that he goes before you into Galilee — there shall you see him.

So that where our hearts are sincere, and our turnings aside are rather from a defect in our power, than our will, the Lord Jesus will not take advantage of every failing, but will drop his blood upon us, which hath a voice in it, which speaks better things than the blood of Abel (Heb. 12:14).

You can read the whole book for free here. And if you’re interested in a print copy, this is probably the best one.

Updates

1. We are having the Lord’s Supper this week, so please be in preparation.
2. Midweek studies continue on Wednesday at 5:30.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletin for April 26, 2026

Updates

1. Remember the Ladies’ Tea is this Sunday from 3 to 5!
2. Next week, we’ll be celebrating the Lord’s Supper. Please be in spiritual preparation as we come to the Lord’s Table together.
3. Please be in prayer as presbytery meets today and tomorrow in Diamondhead.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletin for April 19, 2026

Bulletin for April 12, 2026

Bulletins for Good Friday and Easter

Bulletin for March 29, 2026

Updates

1. Holy Week is here! Be sure to check out the schedule on the bulletin for all of our services, and invite your friends and neighbors.
2. Communion will be served on Good Friday, so take the opportunity to prepare your hearts this week.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletin for March 22, 2026

Bulletin March 15, 2026

Deacons

I’ll have much more to say about this over the next few weeks, but at our last meeting, the Session approved a plan to begin the process of electing, training, and ordaining deacons. According to the proposed plan (which requires congregational approval), we would have three deacons serving three-year terms. Once we’ve selected our first three, they will be on a rotating system so that, each year (starting in 2027), we will elect one elder and one deacon.

For some time, our church has functioned without deacons, but as time goes on and the congregation grows, it is becoming more and more difficult for the elders to manage both the spiritual and temporal matters of the church. But in God’s wisdom, that is exactly why he gave us the office of deacon. In Acts 6, as the church was growing, the apostles found that they were unable to focus on their primary duties of spiritual leadership because the physical needs of the church were growing as well. In response, seven men were appointed to care for those needs. This was the beginning of the diaconal office, and the effect was that the church was able to better fulfill her call to evangelism and discipleship. That is our goal as well.

Again, I’ll talk more about this in the coming weeks, but this is what we would like you to do. In 1 Timothy 3:8-13, Paul gives the qualifications for deacons. Consider that passage, and pray about who you think could meet those qualifications to serve in the office of deacon. Then, pass those names along to the elders so that we can make official nominations at a congregational meeting. (As always, there will be the opportunity to make nominations from the floor at the congregational meeting as well.) And finally, pray for your elders and for our church as we move into this next stage of ministry.

One additional note: if you have been attending church with us for a while, but you haven’t formally joined in membership, now is a great time to consider it. Membership benefits you by giving you a variety of privileges in the courts of the church, but it also opens up opportunities to you for service in Christ’s kingdom, like church office. If that’s something you’re interested in, I’d love to talk about it with you.

If you have any questions about this process, feel free to ask me or another elder, and we’d be happy to discuss it further.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

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