The gospel that the Apostle Paul taught everywhere he went in his missionary journeys was that salvation comes through grace by faith in Jesus Christ. Period. That doesn't mean there is nothing else asked of followers of Jesus once we are saved, only that our admittance into heaven is by faith alone in the atoning sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus. The problem then (and the problem now) is that other teachers came along after Paul and began teaching another gospel - one that includes Jesus, but you also have to keep works of the Old Testament Law. It was a mixture of Christianity and Judaism, and Paul vehemently opposes this teaching in this strong-worded letter, arguing that to accept any other gospel besides the gospel of grace is saying that Christ died for nothing. As we begin this study of Galatians, we see in the first couple chapters how Paul sets the stage to dismantle the false gospel of Grace+Law - arguing that he has divine authority and that his gospel is true.

Our world was completely changed when Jesus resurrected from the grave.

Tom Watson, Guest Minister

Dr. Pete Kunkle, guest minister

When we think of sheep, we don't usually think of too many positives. Sheep kind of get a baaaaad rap, and there are good reasons for that. The Bible often paints a picture of God's people (both the Old Testament Israelites and the New Testament Christians) as sheep and God as our Shepherd. It's a good analogy, even if it feels like a bit of a slam towards us. But there really are benefits to being sheep, and the greatest of which is that we have a good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep who went astray. We're going to spend a few weeks looking at five different sheep passages that teach us some really important truths about what it means to be part of God's flock.

Hope is something that we all hold onto. It’s what gets us through the darkest seasons of our lives. Hope is what renews our sense of purpose and calling—despite the things we experience in the present. In this 4-part series that is illustrated by short clips from an upcoming release of a true-story film called "Ordinary Angels," we will explore some very common areas where we (surprisingly) find the most fulfillment in our lives. We'll learn that when we live for something greater than ourselves, we find our true purpose as followers of Christ.

Ever felt like God is giving you the silent treatment? You ask for His help, cry out to Him, or beg and plead for Him to answer your prayer…or at least show you some indication that He's near. But He doesn't seem to be anywhere around. The Jews who lived in the intertestament period of about 400 years between the time of the prophet Malachi and the time when John the Baptist came on the scene may have felt the same way. If God spoke to His people, the Jews, through prophets during this time, we don't have any record of it. For four centuries, they waited in the silence for the promises of God to be fulfilled - namely, for Messiah to come. In this two-part series, we're going to look at a couple of important questions regarding the times when God seems silent in our lives, and we're going see how to best respond.

Joy, Hope, and Simplicity

E.B. Rawles, SFCC Elder

Christmas 2023

Tom Watson, Guest Minister

Ralph Heshelman, Lay Speaker

Scott Shipman, Guest Minister

E.B. Rawles, SFCC Elder

Adult & Teen Challenge provides Christian faith-based, residential care to young people and adults who struggle with life-controlling problems. The programs are typically 12-18 months and consist of Individual and group biblical studies, work projects, education (for adolescents), recreation and more. This Sunday, we're blessed to hear a presentation about the program and some life-changing testimonies.

The Apostle Paul's second letter to the Corinthians was anything but pleasant. Longing for better relations with a church that he dearly loved, Paul is forced to write a stern letter to line out some issues of immorality, and then soon after write a second letter to explain and defend himself and his calling as an apostle who has the authority of Jesus Christ to teach them how to live. It's a very personal letter, but as with all Scripture, it contains a lot of material that the Holy Spirit uses to grow us, even if we aren't the original, intended congregation. From his letter, we get a taste of Paul's grief and weakness (something we're very familiar with), but we also get a picture of the power of God that comes in the midst of weakness. If you've ever invested your life in another person who finally comes to Christ, only to have someone else come along and lead them astray, then 2 Corinthians is for you. Those who really care about the gospel and the care of souls will find this book captivating. For those who don’t care, hopefully this study will help your heart get to where it ought to be.

​This is your story. This is my story. But most of all, this is God’s story. If you know some of the great Bible stories – Noah and the ark, David and Goliath, Daniel in the lion’s den, the birth of Jesus, Peter walking on water, the feeding of 5000, the crucifixion and resurrection, then this series will help you put the pieces together to see the full sweep of history and your place in it. Over the next several months, we will be working through a message series written for churches by Randy Frazee and Max Lucado based on a book called The Story. We will learn the “Upper Story” of God’s great plan for all creation, and the “Lower story” of human relationships with each other and God. We will see how God has lovingly guided people, how He entered the story through Jesus Christ, and how the story involves us today. We will take a 31-week walk-through of the entire Bible (with a few breaks in between), getting to see how His Story unfolds from beginning to end.

Mike DeCoursey, Guest Minister (no audio recording available)

In the Old Testament books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, King Solomon leaves behind some nuggets of wisdom that are still very relevant to our lives today. Solomon started off on a really good note, but later on in his life, he failed to live up to some of his own advice. Consequently, his life - and especially his relationship with God - went way off the rails. Interestingly, towards the end of his life, as he reflects back on his mistaken pursuits, Solomon leaves behind some words to the wise, hoping that his kids and anyone else who came behind him wouldn't make the same mistakes he did. Over the next 9 weeks, we're going to unpack some texts that will help us live more wisely so that we can best glorify God.

Love for God always involves practical love for others.

Jesus has taken your sin-stained life and washed it white as snow.

E.B. Rawles, SFCC Elder

Helping His Hands Update & Message
Scott Shipman, Director

This is your story. This is my story. But most of all, this is God’s story. If you know some of the great Bible stories – Noah and the ark, David and Goliath, Daniel in the lion’s den, the birth of Jesus, Peter walking on water, the feeding of 5000, the crucifixion and resurrection, then this series will help you put the pieces together to see the full sweep of history and your place in it. Over the next several months, we will be working through a message series written for churches by Randy Frazee and Max Lucado based on a book called The Story. We will learn the “Upper Story” of God’s great plan for all creation, and the “Lower story” of human relationships with each other and God. We will see how God has lovingly guided people, how He entered the story through Jesus Christ, and how the story involves us today. We will take a 31-week walk-through of the entire Bible (with a few breaks in between), getting to see how His Story unfolds from beginning to end.

Richard Crabtree, Guest Minister

Vincennes University Christian Campus Fellowship Update & Message

Preston Ratliff, CCF Minister

​Some Christians strongly believe in the presence of demons and spiritual warfare going on around them in their life. Others downplay or dismiss the idea completely. But the Bible tells us it is very real, and that we are essentially living in a battleground. The trouble is, many treat this world like a playground, where the primary focus is on having fun instead of a battleground, where we live in the midst of an invisible spiritual war. Even though the outcome of the war has already been established, it nonetheless involves us. Fortunately, God has given us the most effective weapon, the proper defenses, and the ultimate power to stand our ground against our enemy in order to be victorious in the end.

The first half of Ephesians speaks of who we are in Christ – our identity. And then, in chapter 4 and continuing through the rest of the letter, the Apostle Paul makes this shift and begins talking about what this means for how we live our lives – our behavior. Behavior flows from our identity. Believers have often got this backwards, thinking that our behavior is what makes us a good Christian. But in reality, our identity as a Christ follower is what leads us to good behavior. Because of who we are in Christ and what He’s done for us, we live transformed lives to His glory and honor.

E.B. Rawles, SFCC Elder

Place your trust in and stake your life on, not what you do, but what He’s done.

One of the core values of our culture today is “being true to who you are.” That’s not entirely wrong, but it all depends on where you look and who you listen to in order to determine who you truly are. The New Testament letter to the Ephesians talks a lot about our identity. It’s important for us to understand who we are. When we understand who we are (Ephesians 1-3), we then understand who God has called us to be and how He wants to use us (Ephesians 4-6). In this series, we’ll be focusing on the first half of Ephesians and finding out what our true identity is in Christ.

Mike Decoursey, Guest Minister

To become more passionate in our faith, we have to love God and others with our head, heart, and hands.

Pain is something we all try to avoid, but what if we learned to see our pain through a different lens? What if we realized that our pain could have a purpose? In this 5-part series, we will see how God never wastes a hurt, and how He’s preparing us for something far greater through the trials, struggles, and pain we’re experiencing now.

Every new year, we make resolutions and decisions about who we want to become in the upcoming year. Some of us set goals, and while that’s great, these goals are often focused on ourselves. Things like losing weight, saving money, beginning an exercise routine, reading more books, limiting social media are all really good ideas. But even the best goals are often inherently self-centered. What if we also began to look at this time as a new start to set some others­-centered goals for the new year? To live the life God has for us, we must be willing to reject our own comfort for the good of others. And that is what we will be looking at over the 4 weeks of this study. It’s not easy, and it sure isn’t comfortable. But when you deny yourself, God can do so much more.