Newsletter for May 20, 2026

Join us for family night as we look at how you came to
make the most important decision of your life.

On The Menu
Taco Salad Bar with all the fixings.
(Yes, your taco salad can have chips minus the lettuce)

Mark your calendar!

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

We would love to have you.

Don’t miss Brother David’s Mid-Week Devotions.
New messages are posted every Wednesday on our media page—take a midweek moment to be encouraged and refreshed in God’s Word.

Budget for 2026 . . . . . . . .  $343,528.00
Tithes Needed to Date . . . . $138,732.51
Received to Date . . . . . . .   $111,608.98   
Needed for weekly budget . . . $6,606.31
Tithes Received this week . . .  $6,226.94

 

Why follow the Lord? Many times, He leads us to swim against the current of popular thinking, even among professing Christians. He often calls us to forsake our own desires and preferences. Why take such a path?

Yet, God calls us to follow Him. We are to live in loving obedience to His Lordship. While this is often a difficult path, it is the path that God always blesses.
This wonderful truth is clearly seen in Nehemiah’s prayer in Nehemiah 9. While the prayer is ultimately a prayer of confession, verses 19–25 show God’s blessing on Israel when the nation followed Him. This part of Nehemiah’s prayer shows us the blessings of following the Lord.

Following the Lord enables us to experience God’s guidance. Verse 19 says, “…the pillar of cloud did not leave them by day, to guide them on their way…” That means God had a plan for them and wanted to guide them into that plan.

It is the same for us. God has a wonderful plan for us. He wants to guide us into that plan. In fact, we cannot experience that plan unless we allow Him to lead us. We must follow Him if we are going to experience His plan.

Next, following God is the path to experiencing His provision. Verses 20–21 speak of God providing manna and water. Verse 21 also speaks of God providing for them by not letting their clothes wear out.

God provided all they needed when they followed Him. He still does (Philippians 4:19). God provides for us when we follow Him, but we experience that provision only when we follow Him.

Protection is another blessing we experience when we follow God. Verses 22–29 recount the victories God gave Israel over more powerful enemies. When we walk with the Lord, we have His protection. Yes, there will be battles, but He will protect us and overcome our foes (Psalm 23:4; 1 John 4:4).

Last, following the Lord is the way to experience the richness He wants to give us. Verse 25 says Israel “…took possession of houses full of every good thing, hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate, were filled, and grew fat, and reveled in Your great goodness.” God richly blessed Israel when they followed Him.
God still blesses His people when they follow Him. He gives whatever physical blessings they need and richly fills their souls from within. If we follow the Lord, He will fill our lives (Psalm 23:5).

We often think of following the Lord in terms of sacrifice. True, obedience is often costly. But the blessings are far greater than the sacrifice.