Notes of Faith December 20, 2025

Notes of Faith December 20, 2025

A Life Evergreen: The Christmas Tree

The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden.

Genesis 2:9

Joyce Kilmer was born during the Christmas season of 1886. His father (yes, Joyce was a man) invented Johnson’s Baby Powder. As a young man, Joyce married poet Aline Murray, and they had five children. The illness of their daughter Rose brought Kilmer to faith in God. During World War I he was deployed to Europe where he was killed by a sniper at age 31.

For centuries, families have been bringing trees indoors as part of their Christmas celebrations. It enables us to see God’s handiwork up close. Every needle and pinecone are designed by the Maker. Many theologians believe the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden—the symbol of eternal life—was emblematic of Christ. As you enjoy your Christmas tree this year, think of Jesus as both Creator and Savior, and let the fragrance of joy fill your home.

I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree…. A tree that looks at God all day, and lifts her leafy arms to pray.

If you didn’t recognize Kilmer’s name, perhaps you will recall the last verse from this poem: “Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree.”

Joyce Kilmer

Rev 22:1-5

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

In the beginning we (Adam and Eve) were told

Gen 2:16-17

16 The Lord God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."

Gen 3:22-24

22 Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" — 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.

Isn’t it great to know the end of human history? After all, it is His story!

It seems that Adam and Eve could have chosen to obey God and not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and instead have eaten from the tree of life, which was not forbidden…

The love of God saves us from the eternal penalty for sin through faith in Jesus Christ and offers us forgiveness and eternal life to those who believe, follow and obey Jesus. May you who read this be those that are blessed to eat from the tree of life provided to those who live with God in the new Jerusalem!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith December 19, 2025

Notes of Faith December 19, 2025

What Kind of Saviour?

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:11

For five hundred years before the advent of Christ, the Jews had lived under the heel of foreign governments. Following the Jewish captivity in Babylon, the Persians controlled Judah, followed by the Greeks. After the death of Alexander the Great, his generals divided up the Middle East leading to rule by the (Greek) Ptolemies, then the Seleucids. Beginning in 166 B.C., a Jewish revolt against Greek rule resulted in a Jewish (Hasmonean) state which was crushed by Rome in 63 B.C.

Given this history, it is no wonder the Jews were looking for a deliverer—a savior—by the time Christ began His ministry. When the angels announced to the Bethlehem shepherds that “a Savior” had been born, they could have wondered, “What kind of savior?” An angel of the Lord clarified the meaning of “Savior” to Joseph: “He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Not save them from the Romans or others but from their sins.

The most important salvation every human needs is salvation from sin. Make sure you have received the salvation Christ offers.

Oh, happy day, that fixed my choice on Thee, my Savior and my God!

Philip Doddridge

This is a recording of the original music and lyrics (not recorded in the 1700’s)

https://sl.bing.net/cCy0DXoTlfg

Paste this link into your browser, click watch at the top right of the image. It will play an advertisement and then the hymn. This version is not what I learned and sang in church but the sentiment of heartfelt faith are definitely the same as when it was written.

The day we came to recognize our sin and agree with God that we are sinners in need of a Savior and placed our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed a happy day. It was the day that darkness and death ended and the light of glory and eternal life was given to us. May you be blessed in discovering the faith of saints from human history and the songs that they sang giving thanks to God for your Savior!

Luke 2:8-14

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 "Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith December 18, 2025

Notes of Faith December 18, 2025

Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife! Thanks for sharing the years God is giving us…together!

How Can I...?

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

Exodus 3:11

When we are given a difficult task, there is a fine line between “Glad to do it!” and “Do I really have to?” But one thing can make the difference: if the person giving the instruction says he will go with us.

It is human nature for us to resist a difficult task, especially one we have never done before. That was true in several instances in Scripture when God commissioned someone with a task. For example, when God directed Moses to go to Egypt to free the Hebrew slaves from bondage, Moses resisted the task. But God said to him, “I will certainly be with you” (Exodus 3:12). The same thing happened when God chose Gideon to defend Israel from the Midianites: “O my Lord, how can I save Israel?” And God’s answer to Gideon was the same as His answer to Moses: “Surely I will be with you” (Judges 6:14-16).

God asks us to do challenging things for Him every day: loving, forgiving, serving, encouraging, and more. Be assured that God is with you to make all things possible.

[God’s] presence never diminishes. Our awareness of His presence may falter, but the reality of His presence never changes.

Max Lucado

When Pastor Charles Covington’s had a stroke on Father’s day of 1999, it was assumed by many in the congregation that I was ready, willing and able to fill his shoes in the pulpit. Nothing was further from the truth…I had given few sermons to that point and lacked the skill of putting together Scriptural truth and application for every follower of Jesus. I told God that I did not want the job…for six months, while doing the job, I kept saying, “I don’t belong in this job. Use someone else.” But God…persisted in His call on my life, and after I repented, accepted the call, and understood the concept above, that He would be with me, to help me in every way, be the pastor and shepherd of His flock that He desired me to be.

I still serve my Lord and Savior, still pastor and shepherd over some of the same flock and some new arrivals to the flock. I know that He is with me always! I am eager to answer His every call, even in areas where I am weak and inexperienced, because I know that He will provide all that I need to be of service for His glory!

Listen for the call of God on your life and respond in faith and trust. You will be blessed beyond all you could imagine!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith December 17, 2025

Notes of Faith December 17, 2025

God With Us

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14

Ahaz, king of Judah, was faced with enemies who sought to conquer Jerusalem (Isaiah 7:1). So the prophet Isaiah told Ahaz that God would give him a sign: A virgin would bear a son who would be named Immanuel—meaning “God with us.” The sign was to convince Ahaz that God would be with him and deliver him from his enemies.

But Isaiah’s prophecy proved to be a foreshadowing of what would happen to another virgin some seven centuries later: Mary, the mother of Jesus. An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him that Mary’s pregnancy was from God (Matthew 1:20-21). And Matthew explains that Mary’s conception was a fulfillment of the prophecy given to Ahaz that a virgin would be with Child and bear a Son who would be called Immanuel, “which is translated, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23). And it happened just as Isaiah prophesied and Matthew confirmed.

Christmas celebrates the reality that God came to dwell among us (John 1:14). And He is with us still by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

Nothing in or of this world measures up to the simple pleasure of experiencing the presence of God.

A.W. Tozer

A day is coming (perhaps today), when we will be in the physical presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It will be like His days when He walked this earth in that we will behold Him, worship Him, touch Him. Unlike those days, we will never be separated from His physical presence for we will always be together. He will be our God and we will be His people! Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith December 16, 2025

Notes of Faith December 16, 2025

Gift for a King

And when [the Wise Men] had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Matthew 2:11

The desirability of gold dates from the dawn of human history (Genesis 2:11-12). Since then, gold has maintained its status as the most desired of earthly metals. Coupled with its beauty is its rarity. Estimates are that all the gold that has ever been recovered on earth would fit into a cube measuring around 73 feet on each side.

A very small portion of the world’s gold was presented to Jesus as a gift from the Magi following His birth in Bethlehem. Why did the Magi present something as valuable as gold to an infant child? Because they recognized that Jesus had been born “King of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2). And gold was the metal most associated with royalty in the ancient world. King Solomon was presented with gold by all who sought an audience with him (1 Kings 10:1-10, 24-25).

Take a lesson from the Wise Men: Present to Jesus your most precious gift—your whole life as a living sacrifice to Him (Romans 12:1).

Worldlings make gold their god; saints make God their gold.

Matthew Henry

Sin brought death into the world. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The wages of sin is death. All mankind deserves death. But the free gift of God is eternal LIFE in Christ Jesus! Those who believe in the person and work of Jesus escape the darkness of death and enter into the light of life and that eternal! Present to the King of eternity your life, for it is He who gave it to you! Serve Him with gladness and thanksgiving all your days. May you be abundantly blessed in giving to others during this and all seasons of life, as you do so in Jesus name!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith December 15, 2025

Notes of Faith December 15, 2025

Don’t Be Slothful

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

2 Corinthians 9:15

An interviewer asked actress Kristen Bell, “What is the best gift you’ve ever received?” She said, “It’s the sloth that Dax surprised me with. It was just so unexpected and if you knew how much work goes into getting a sloth cleared…. And a wild animal insurance policy!”1

Not many people will get a sloth for Christmas, and not many want one! They are little animals from the rainforest that hang upside down and sleep eight to ten hours a day. Even when they’re awake, they hardly move. They are so, well, slothful!

Regardless of what we give or receive for Christmas, let’s remember that the tradition of gift giving didn’t begin with the Magi who brought their gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the Christ Child. It began with God who gave us the incredible gift of Jesus Himself. Nothing we can ever give or receive compares to His infinite worth. He is our High Priest, our Friend and Brother, the Savior who came to die for our sins. Don’t be slothful today. With lots of energy, give thanks to God for His unspeakable gift!

The essence of salvation is the gift of God’s only-begotten Son to die for us, that we might live through Him.

Charles Spurgeon

Rom 6:20-23

20 When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

You must receive a gift for giving to be completed. God’s gift of His Son is offered to all but each one must receive Jesus personally for His sacrifice to be placed to their account and for them to receive forgiveness of sin and salvation that brings eternal life! There is no greater gift. Let us give thanks with those around us that believe and follow Jesus during the Christmas season and share the gospel of salvation with those who have not heard nor received the world’s only indescribable gift.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith December 14, 2025

Notes of Faith December 14, 2025

Bagdad, Kentucky

Temperature at 8 a.m. this morning was 5 degrees with a windchill factor of 6 below zero! Pipes are frozen, but hearts are warm with the love of Jesus! May you be blessed with His love and warmth that last forever! Dale

JOY TO THE WORLD

Joy to the world the Lord is come

Let earth receive her King

Let every heart prepare Him room

And Heaven and nature sing

And Heaven and nature sing

And Heaven and Heaven and nature sing

Isaac Watts

George Frederick Handel

When our son, Jeffrey, was little he would sing, “and hammanamma nature sing,” which made the song even more joyful to his parents and older sister. He, of course, caught the real essence of the song most accurately. It wasn’t about lyrical precision but rather about the spirit of joy, and he sang it with great gusto and joy!

In 1719, Isaac Watts published a unique hymnal in which he paraphrased the Old Testament Psalms through the eyes of New Testament faith. He simply called it, The Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament.

He said, “I have rather expressed myself as I may suppose David would have done if he lived in the days of Christianity.” He went on to say, “By this means, perhaps I have sometimes hit upon the true intent of the Spirit of God in those verses farther and clearer than David himself could ever discover.”

For such statements and for such an undertaking he endured much and great criticism from many quarters. Joy To the World is Watts’ interpretation of Psalm 98, which says, “Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.” Isaac and Jeffrey seem to come to a similar conclusion: it’s more about the spirit than the mechanics; more about the music than the method.

Julie Andrews, portraying Maria Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, sang, “The hills are alive with the sound of music.” Scientists would scoff, intellectuals would mock, but scripture proclaims, “Shout joyfully to the Lord all the earth,” and “all of nature declares that He is God.”

It is in this realm that the true spirit of Christmas seems to suffer most. Christmas has become so much about what is not joyful: crowds, shopping, traffic, hectic schedules, financial pressures, and on and on it goes… instead of hammanamma nature sings!

We all carry into this Christmas season the realities of life in a fallen world. We deal with sickness, mourn the loss of loved ones, and struggle in the realm of finances due to an ever deteriorating economy. Many of us have realized in this past year the truth of Christ’s statement, “Each day will have enough trouble of its own,” but none of these things can separate us from the love of Christ!

No more let sin and sorrow grow

Nor thorns infest the ground

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found

Far as the curse is found

Far as the curse is found

Remember this season as you ponder what gifts to give to those you love, He also has thought of what blessings to give to you and His ways are high above our ways. This is not only to be a season of joy but we are to live a life of joy in the reality of our redemption and the sure hope of Heaven’s home.

Just this morning I read David Wilkerson’s daily devotional and it reads as follows:

“God desires that we be so convinced of His tender love, so persuaded He is at work bringing us into His best, that we will have continual joy and gladness in our walk with Him! Moses warned Israel, “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of all things” (Deuteronomy 28:47-48).

God is saying to us today, “Be glad and rejoice in what I have already done for you! If you go around moping, murmuring and complaining, you will forever be spiritually starved and naked, a prey to your enemies!” God wants us to trust in His love for us so that we will be testimonies of gladness and good cheer!

We must, in the midst of all the aspects of our lives, embrace joy and sing Joy to the World!

In Christ,

Dallas Holm

Indeed, we have opportunity to receive once in our lives an indescribable gift, the Lord Jesus Christ! It can be received at any age, time of year, or moment in a day or night. But the offer of true relationship with Jesus must be received to have forgiveness of sin and eternal life. Come to Jesus and know the true “Joy” given to this world!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith December 13, 2025

Notes of Faith December 13, 2025

A Life Evergreen: Christmas Boughs

Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.

Deuteronomy 4:9, NLT

Surveys tell us that blue is the most popular color in the world, but green comes in at second place in Thailand, China, and the United States.1 During the holidays decorating with boughs of pine branches or garlands of evergreen can create a festive atmosphere that reminds us of Christmases past and generations now gone.

Psalm 71:18 suggests a prayer for those who are approaching the golden years: “Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.”

Christmas is a wonderful time to share your story of faith with your family. Nestled in your chair or at your table, surrounded by the greenery of the season, tell your children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews about how you celebrated the birth of Christ when you were their age. Share what Christ has meant to you. Let your testimony be boughs of evergreen!

How you live your life is a testimony of what you believe about God

Henry Blackaby

Ps 71:17-24

17 O God, You have taught me from my youth,

And I still declare Your wondrous deeds.

18 And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,

Until I declare Your strength to this generation,

Your power to all who are to come…

22 I will praise you with the harp

for your faithfulness, O my God;

I will sing praise to you with the lyre,

O Holy One of Israel.

23 My lips will shout for joy

when I sing praise to you —

I, whom you have redeemed.

24 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts

all day long,

We should give praise and thanks to God for every breath we take and with that breath declare His love and grace to all around us, that they too might partake of the glory of God!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith December 12, 2025

Notes of Faith December 12, 2025

Lowliness

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.

Luke 4:18

Most of us are curious about the lifestyles of very wealthy people, and we often satisfy that curiosity by reading books. A news channel recently reviewed eight books that “expose the secret lives of the super-rich.” But when you read the Gospel accounts of the life of Christ, you find the opposite story. Though Jesus arrived as the King of the Jews, He was born in a cave, laid in a manger, raised by an impoverished couple, worshiped by ragged shepherds, and mainly ministered in rural areas populated by needy people.

The Lord has a different plan for every one of us, and we all have different levels of need or of income. But Jesus said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions”

(Luke 12:15, NIV).

The Christmas season tends to bring financial pressure. Be cautious and be a good steward. Your love of Jesus and your simple acts of kindness in His Name are the most valuable gifts you can give.

God is near to lowliness; He loves the lost, the neglected, the unseemly, the excluded, the weak and broken.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

We should be thinking “poor in spirit”, the lost without hope, those in need of a Savior… “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”! It is most often those who are poor financially, the suffering or emotionally distraught, that respond to spiritual conversations, listen to God speaking to them, respond to Him in faith and receive His eternal blessing. We all too often shun the poor of the world, whether it is financial, emotional, health, or other “poorness” that is more poor than what we consider ourselves. Let us pray for God to open our hearts, minds, and eyes to the world of people that He places around us that appear rich or poor, for they all need a relationship with Jesus to be saved. May we be ready and willing at all times to share the gospel of Jesus and trust Jesus to bring all to Himself that belong to Him. He is faithful! Let us be faithful as well to share the gospel that was shared with us!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith December 11, 2025

Notes of Faith December 11, 2025

A Belief That Shares

Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.

Luke 2:17

As an atheist, David Lepore ascertained that most Christians didn’t really believe what they professed. If they really believed the Gospel, he thought they should be far more excited and eager to share it with everyone and anyone. Since becoming a Christian, Lepore has done just that. He found that his faith compelled him to share the message of Jesus. He now works with the Australian Bible Society to get the Gospel into as many hands as possible.1

The shepherds of Bethlehem were like that. Once they received good news from the angelic messengers in Luke 2, they immediately responded by believing. Furthermore, their belief compelled them to share the news everywhere they could.

Do we truly believe God became human to die for our sins, rise again, and prepare an eternal home for us? If so, we’ll be unable to stop telling the news, just as Peter said in Acts 4:20: “As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (NIV).

I wanted to be part of the people who were doing it on the ground, talking about the importance of Scripture and letting people know that there are people who don’t have it.

David Lepore

1Stoyan Zimov, “Former Atheist-Turned-Bible-Worker Reveals Why He Thought Christians Didn’t Really Believe the Bible,” The Christian Post, December 12, 2018.

You would also think that if we were told that we could not speak in the name of Jesus or be threatened with dire circumstances that we would speak even more!

Acts 4:18-21

18 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."

Our believing hearts must fervently desire to share the “Good News” with all who will hear and respond in faith. Since we do not know who will respond in faith, we must share with all that God places around us that some might join His eternal family!

Pastor Dale