NCF Update 06/28/25

Good afternoon Church family,

Tomorrow is the Lord’s Day! It is always a grace for us to gather together on the first day of the week to celebrate our risen Lord and to build one another up as the body of Christ. I look forward to us being together at 9:30am for prayer and at 10:45am for worship. I hope that you will make plans to join us.

Our focus Bible passage for tomorrow is Revelation 22:6-11. Here we are encouraged to hold fast to what the Lord has spoken to us through the Apostle John’s words in Revelation. We can trust everything that the Lord has spoken to us, with absolute certainty that not a single one of his promises will fail to be realized. I am certain that we will be encouraged as we look at this word together.

Tomorrow is a 5th Sunday which means it is a special family Sunday for us. Our children will be in the worship time and will stay for the sermon. As always our nursery is available as a cry room for parents with little children. We will have some activities available to help our little ones keep their hands and minds busy during the service. Our 5th Sundays are an important part of our discipleship rhythm with our children. We believe it is important for them to know that they are a part of the church, that our believing children have the same Holy Spirit in equal measure to anyone who professes Christ, and that they are treasured and valued in our church family. May the Lord bless our kids and our families!

I want to remind everyone that a week from tomorrow we will have our special deacon ordination service. We look forward to welcoming Jacob Williams and Ryan Stevens into our deacon body. These young men have exemplified service and selflessness throughout their time in our church, and it is a great joy to acknowledge the calling that God has on both of their lives. In addition we will also be licensing Jacob to the gospel ministry as we can confirm that we believe Jacob has been called by God to vocational ministry. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the installment of these new deacons, please reach out to me, Dwight, or Scott before July 6th so we can have any discussions which may need to happen.

This week George Leys’ son Josh has been dealing with a critical and ongoing medical issue. He has been in the hospital in critical condition. Josh has been battling cancer for a long time and we have been praying for him. This week we are specifically praying together that the Lord will raise him up and strengthen him. May the power of the gospel be real in Josh’s heart. May the Lord grant him grace to verbally and boldly declare the power of the gospel, and may the comfort of the Lord be with Josh, George, and all of their family. As we have prayed for Josh, his condition has improved some. I firmly believe that our prayers have made an impact and so let’s continue to pray for Josh.

We also continue to pray for Mel Campbell’s coworker who has been going through a medical crisis, for John Burke’s mother who is battling cancer, and also for my father Steve as he continues to recover from surgery. If you have an ongoing prayer need please let us know. We do fervently and frequently pray for each one of you, but we especially pray for those who are in need of something specific.

May the grace and peace of the Lord be with each one of us today. May your Saturday be restful and filled with reflection on all of the beautiful things the Lord has done for you. Though often in this life it is as if we are boating through a raging storm, all things are possible for us because we are in Christ. Our future is secure in him. He gives us grace to weather every storm and he has the power to calm each one too. I love and appreciate each one of you!

In His steps,

Pastor Nick

Mark 9:20-27 CSB — “So they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, it immediately threw the boy into convulsions. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. “How long has this been happening to him? ” Jesus asked his father. “From childhood,” he said. “And many times it has thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’? Everything is possible for the one who believes.” Immediately the father of the boy cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief! ” When Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you: Come out of him and never enter him again.” Then it came out, shrieking and throwing him into terrible convulsions. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus, taking him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.”