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  • Faith - Learning to Trust

    Faith - Learning to Trust
    2026/10/26
    Faith is not about having all the answers or knowing how life will turn out. It is about learning to trust God even when the road ahead is uncertain. Through the examples of Abraham and Sarah, we discover that genuine faith involves taking the next step without knowing the destination, remaining hopeful when answers are delayed, and finding courage in the face of fear. Trusting God does not mean life will always be easy or that everything will happen according to our plans. It means believing that God will walk with us through every circumstance. Faith is a lifelong journey of learning to release what we cannot control, act faithfully where we can, and trust in God’s unfailing love and presence.
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    18 分
  • Our Identity in Christ

    Our Identity in Christ
    2026/10/23
    Who are you, really? We often define ourselves by our careers, accomplishments, relationships, successes, and even our failures. But what happens when those things change or disappear? The Apostle Paul reminds us that our identity is not determined by what we’ve achieved, the mistakes we’ve made, or what others think of us. It is found in our relationship with Jesus Christ. Through God’s grace, we discover that we are loved, forgiven, welcomed into God’s family, and created for a purpose that continues throughout every season of life. In this message from the Fundamental Faith series, Pastor Lonnie explores how understanding our identity in Christ frees us from the weight of our past, gives us confidence for the future, and transforms the way we see ourselves and others. Our failures do not define us, our circumstances do not diminish our worth, and God is not finished with us yet!
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    20 分
  • Keeping the Conversation Going

    Keeping the Conversation Going
    2026/10/05
    Prayer can have its own rhythm. Some seasons of prayer feel natural, joyful, and alive; others feel difficult, routine, or nearly absent. We often pray most fervently when life is hard. When a diagnosis comes, a job is threatened, a relationship is struggling, or the future is uncertain, prayer comes easily. But when the storm passes and life settles, our prayers can begin to fade.
    Jesus offers a better way: make prayer a regular part of life, not something reserved for emergencies. In Matthew 6, Jesus says, “When you pray,” suggesting that prayer should become a natural rhythm for those who follow him. Set aside time for prayer, find a place to meet with God regularly, and, most importantly, tell God what is really going on. Prayer does not require polished words or formulas. Bring God your gratitude, questions, frustrations, fears, temptations, disappointments, and hopes.

    Perhaps the greatest challenge to prayer comes when we are disappointed with God, when we have prayed earnestly, and life has not turned out as we hoped. In Luke 18, Jesus addresses that struggle with a simple encouragement: “Do not lose heart.” Prayer is not a guarantee that God will always give us the answer we want. It invites us to remain in relationship with God even when we do not understand what God is doing.

    At its heart, prayer is a continuing conversation with someone who loves us. Like a parent who delights in hearing a child’s voice, God welcomes ours. So when prayer feels powerful, pray. When it feels ordinary, pray. And when it feels difficult, keep the conversation going. Don’t lose heart. Don’t give up on prayer.
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    21 分
  • Fundamental Things Apply

    Fundamental Things Apply
    2026/10/02
    The world around us is constantly changing. Technology, culture, and relationships evolve, and the challenges each generation faces can look very different. Yet, as the old song As Time Goes By reminds us, “the fundamental things apply.”

    Every life needs a trustworthy reference point. Clocks need an accurate standard. Sailors need a fixed point for navigation. Musicians need a common note to tune their instruments. In much the same way, we need something reliable to orient our lives. For Christians, that reference point is Jesus Christ.

    It is easy to begin “setting our watches” by the world around us—comparing our lives to others, measuring ourselves by success, possessions, careers, social media, or others’ expectations. Before long, we can lose sight of who we are and what truly matters.

    The good news of the gospel is that our worth is not defined by what we accomplish, how much we possess, or even by our failures. Our identity is grounded in God's grace and love. Through Christ, we are invited to approach God not with fear or the need to prove ourselves, but with freedom and confidence.

    When life becomes confusing, when our priorities fall out of sync, or when we simply lose our way, we can return to our reference point—Jesus Christ. As time goes by, the fundamental things still apply.
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    16 分
  • When God Makes Us Wait

    When God Makes Us Wait
    2026/09/25
    Few things test our faith more than waiting on God. We pray for healing, direction, reconciliation, relief, or an answer, yet God sometimes seems silent. Scripture reminds us that we are not alone in this experience. Abraham waited decades for God’s promise; Israel waited generations for freedom; Moses waited in the wilderness; and God’s people waited centuries for the Messiah. Again and again, the Bible calls us to “wait on the Lord.”

    Waiting is not wasted time. What God does in us while we wait can be as important as what we are waiting for. Biblical waiting is not passive resignation; it is active, expectant trust that clings to God even when life does not unfold as we hoped. In the waiting, God develops perseverance, deepens our character, strengthens our faith, and teaches us hope.

    When God makes us wait, we may not understand His timing, but we can choose to trust His faithfulness. And we hold onto the promise of Isaiah: “Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.” Sometimes the answer we seek takes longer than we want—but God can use the waiting itself to shape us into the people He is calling us to become.
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    20 分
  • These Three Places

    These Three Places
    2026/09/15
    As we dedicate Fox River’s new baptismal font, pulpit, and Communion table, we celebrate much more than beautiful new furnishings. Each represents something essential about who we are as followers of Christ.

    The font reminds us that we belong to God and to a community of grace. The pulpit calls us to listen for God’s Word and allow it to shape our lives. The table extends Christ’s invitation to come, receive grace, and remember him.

    Together they proclaim a simple message: Belong. Listen. Come. Go. We receive God’s grace, hear God’s Word, gather at Christ’s table, and then are sent into the world to love and serve.

    As we dedicate these new furnishings, we also rededicate ourselves to what they represent, and pray that future generations will encounter the love and grace of Christ through the ministry of Fox River.
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    23 分
  • Stop Light Praying

    Stop Light Praying
    2026/09/03
    What prayer have you been praying that you fear God isn’t answering? Maybe you’ve prayed for healing, a relationship, a job, guidance, or for someone you love to change. You’ve prayed faithfully, yet nothing seems to be happening. Few things challenge our faith more than the mystery of unanswered prayer.

    In this message, Pastor Lonnie explores a simple way to understand God’s answers. Ultimately, prayer is not simply about getting what we want; it is about learning to trust God for the answer. The greatest test of faith may come when we don’t get what we hoped for, yet can still say, “Thank You, Lord,” trusting that God may be protecting us from what we thought we wanted and blessing us with what we didn’t know we needed.
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    23 分
  • When Life Isn't Turning Out the Way You Planned

    When Life Isn't Turning Out the Way You Planned
    2026/08/17
    This sermon by Pastor Lonnie speaks to the disappointment and uncertainty we feel when life takes an unexpected turn. Jeremiah’s familiar promise, “For I know the plans I have for you,” was originally spoken to people living in exile, far from the life they expected. God did not promise them an immediate escape from their circumstances. Instead, God promised that He had not forgotten them and that their story was not over.

    This sermon explores the gap between the life we imagined and the life we actually have, whether that involves career changes, relationships, family struggles, grief, aging, health concerns, retirement, or simply wondering, “Wasn’t I supposed to be somewhere else by now?” Jeremiah reminds us that a change in our plans does not mean the absence of God’s presence.

    Rather than putting life on hold while waiting for circumstances to improve, we are invited to live faithfully in the present, trusting that God can work even in seasons we would never have chosen. Christian hope is not the promise that everything will turn out exactly as we want. It is the confidence that God will meet us wherever we are.
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    24 分