Berea Update for February 27, 2026
This time of year, many of us are in a routine. The holidays are long past. The new year’s motivation has started to level out. Schedules are full again. Work is steady. School rhythms are familiar. Life feels… normal. And it’s precisely in ordinary life that Jesus often speaks most clearly.
As we return to the Gospel of Mark this week on Sunday morning, we arrive at a moment that feels anything but casual. Jesus steps into Galilee with a decisive announcement: the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand. His words carry urgency. They do not invite mild interest or spiritual curiosity. They demand response—repent, believe, follow. And He speaks those words not into a synagogue service or religious ceremony, but into the middle of work, responsibility, and full schedules.
That matters for us. Most of us are not standing at dramatic crossroads. We’re managing calendars, paying bills, raising children, navigating pressures, and trying to be faithful in small things. Yet the call of Christ does not wait for a “perfect spiritual moment.” It comes in the middle of real life. The kingdom of God presses into ordinary Tuesday afternoons and crowded weekly planners. The devotional readings below are meant to prepare our hearts for each day—not by repeating the sermon to come, but by widening our perspective. They explore the urgency of “today,” the nature of true repentance, the depth of genuine belief, and the steady expansion of Christ’s kingdom. Together, they help us wrestle with a simple but searching question: If Jesus speaks into my life right now, how will I respond? As you walk through these passages this week, don’t rush them. Let them slow you down. Let them search you. The King still calls. Not merely to admire Him. Not merely to agree with Him. But to follow. And that call still carries the same weight it did on the shores of Galilee.
Upcoming Events
1. This Sunday we'll be back in our sermon series on Mark called "Who Do You Say That I Am?" I'll be preaching a message from Mark 1:14-20 called "Repent, Believe, and Follow Me." We'll also be having communion together as a church family, so please prepare your hearts and minds!
2. Several Sundays ago, we handed out Ministry Service Guides and sign up sheets for everyone to take home and prayerfully consider how they might serve here at Berea. This is something that everyone in our church family needs to do, regardless of whether they are young or old, member or attendee. Even if you've done this in the past, you still need to do it this year, as we reset ministry teams each year to include new faces, and remove those who would like to move into a different area of ministry within our church. Those forms are due back into the church by this Sunday, so please bring back your orange half sheets this week, and if you weren't here, or didn't pick one up, please do that this week!
3. A new quarter of Sunday School begins this upcoming Sunday! We'd love to have you join one of the two classes here in the Spring! There are two options for adults:
A Study of the Sermon on the Mount
Teacher: Pastor Mark Gainer
This class, which is a continuation from the summer quarter, on the Sermon on the Mount, will explore Jesus’ transformative teachings in Matthew 5–7 diving into themes of kingdom living, righteousness, and discipleship. Discover how these timeless principles challenge and inspire us to live faithfully in today’s world. This sermon is as relevant today as it was back then! Participants will be encouraged to apply Jesus’ teachings to their own lives in very practical ways throughout the course.
A Study of Heaven
Teacher: Michael Greenwood
How much do you know about Heaven? The Bible tells us a lot about where we will spend eternity. We will address some of the following questions in this exciting class: How many Heavens are there? Has anyone seen Heaven? Is there time in Heaven? What will we do in Heaven? We will try to answer these and many more questions about life after death. Join us for an exciting study!
Please register by the end of the day today so room assignments can be made for each class, and materials can be prepared! To register, click here:
Spring Sunday School Registration Children do not need to be registered--they will continue in their age-based classes.
4. We want to make sure as a church that we are caring well for everyone in our church family. One of the ways that we do that is to have "Deacon Care Teams" within the church. Each of our six deacons have been assigned regularly attending families and individuals to check in on periodically throughout the year. This Sunday, we'll be passing out the updated Deacon Care Teams so you know which group you are in! When you receive the list, please know that you can call your assigned deacon anytime you have a need, and they'll do what they can to assist you! They will also let the elders and me know if additional follow up is needed. We apologize in advance for anyone who we may have inadvertently left off the list! If you need to be added, please contact the church office.
5. Looking for a fun way to stay active and connect with others? Pickleball will continue on Thursdays from 7:00–8:00 PM in the Family Life Center. All skill levels are welcome! We've had good turn outs, but would love to have you join in the fun! If you have any questions, please contact Mike Greenwood.
6. Speaking of getting a workout, Rev&Flow happens each Tuesday and Friday morning in the Family Life Center at 9:00 AM. This hour long workout is a great way to get your day started! We'd encourage you to come enjoy this time of fellowship and movement together! Contact Cierra Phillips if you have any questions.
7. Norma Hayes, our beloved "Lady in Purple" went home to be with the Lord peacefully in her sleep on February 13. A memorial service will be held here at the church on Saturday, March 7 at 1:00 PM in the Family Life Center. You are all invited to attend as we remember Norma's legacy of faith in the Lord, and share the Gospel with those in attendance.
8. College and Young Adults! Join us for lunch on Sunday, March 15 from 11:30 AM-3:00 PM at the home of Daniel and Lauren Koranek (3833 Malaga Circle, Springfield). Come hang out for an afternoon of food and fun! We'll have pizza, ice cream, and plenty of board games. It's a great chance to relax, connect, and enjoy time together.
9. LifeWise is an organization that teaches the Bible to public school students. They are planning a lauch at Kenton Ridge soon, so they could use our prayers! They are also hosting an event on March 10, 2026 at First Christian Church--doors open at 5:30 PM. They'll be showing the documentary "Off School Property" and sharing about LifeWise in our area!
Ways You Can Pray This Week
1. As a new quarter of Sunday School begins, please pray for all of our teachers!
***Please know that there are many individuals who need prayer this week due to health concerns and other events going on in their lives. Out of sensitivity to each individual's situation, these requests may not appear in this weekly blog. We have a "Prayer Team" at the church who receives more detailed information, and commits to praying for individuals in our church family.
This Week's Devotions
Day 1 — When Obedience Costs
1 Peter 4:12–13 (ESV) “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."
The arrest of John the Baptist reminds us that faithfulness does not guarantee ease. Sometimes obedience leads not to applause but to opposition. Scripture consistently prepares us for this reality. Trials are not interruptions to God’s plan—they are often instruments within it. We tend to measure God’s favor by comfort. But the New Testament measures faithfulness by perseverance. If following Christ occasionally brings misunderstanding, loss, or discomfort, that does not mean something has gone wrong. It may mean something is going very right. The question is not whether hardship will come, but whether hardship will shake our trust.
Reflection Question: Where are you tempted to interpret difficulty as abandonment instead of refining grace?
Day 2 — The Danger of Religious Drift
Revelation 2:4–5 (ESV) “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place."
It is possible to maintain religious habits while losing spiritual vitality. Churches can remain busy. Families can maintain routines. Individuals can affirm right doctrine. Yet love for Christ can quietly cool. Spiritual drift rarely feels dramatic. It feels gradual. No single decision announces it. But over time, affection weakens, prayer becomes mechanical, repentance becomes rare, and Jesus becomes familiar rather than treasured. The solution is not panic—it is remembrance and repentance. Christ does not merely call us to activity; He calls us back to Himself.
Reflection Question: Has your walk with Christ become routine rather than relational? What would returning look like?
Day 3 — Urgency Is a Gift
Hebrews 3:15 (ESV) “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
We often assume we will have unlimited opportunities to respond to God. Scripture speaks differently. It emphasizes today. Not to create anxiety—but clarity. There are moments in life that carry unusual weight. A conversation. A conviction. A sermon. A prompting from the Spirit. Ignoring those moments does not leave us neutral; it gradually hardens us. God’s urgency is not pressure—it is mercy. It reminds us that eternity is not theoretical. It is approaching. Every call to repentance is evidence of patience. Every opportunity to believe is grace extended.
Reflection Question: Is there something God has been prompting you to address that you’ve been postponing?
Day 4 — The Nature of True Repentance
Isaiah 55:6–7 (ESV): “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon."
Repentance is often misunderstood as emotional intensity. But Scripture describes it as directional change. It is forsaking one way to return to another. Repentance is not self-condemnation. It is self-surrender. It acknowledges that our way cannot save us. It turns from sin—but also from self-reliance. It releases the illusion of control. And notice what Isaiah highlights: compassion. God does not respond to genuine repentance with reluctance. He responds with mercy. The call to turn is always matched by the promise of pardon.
Reflection Question: What “way” in your life needs to be forsaken so that you can more fully return to the Lord?
Day 5 — Belief That Reshapes Life
Galatians 2:20 (ESV) “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
Biblical belief is more than agreement—it is union. To believe in Christ is to be joined to Him. His death counts as ours. His life becomes our source. His righteousness becomes our standing. This kind of faith changes identity. It reshapes priorities. It alters how we handle success, failure, fear, and conflict. If Christ truly lives in us, then self-rule can no longer dominate us. Faith does not mean passivity. It means dependence. It means trusting Christ enough to obey Him, even when obedience feels costly.
Reflection Question: In what area of your life does self-rule still compete with Christ’s rule?
Day 6 — Following in Ordinary Places
Colossians 3:17 (ESV) “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
The first disciples were not called from isolation but from work. Nets in hand. Responsibilities in motion. Jesus meets people in ordinary life. Following Christ does not necessarily mean leaving your vocation. It means reorienting it. The workplace, the classroom, the home, the neighborhood—these become places of kingdom influence when Christ reigns within us. The question is not always, “What must I leave?” Sometimes the question is, “How must I live differently right where I am?” Following Jesus reshapes motive before it reshapes geography.
Reflection Question: How would your daily routines look different if you consciously lived them “in the name of the Lord Jesus”?
Day 7 — The Expanding Reign of Christ
Daniel 2:44 (ESV) “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever."
God’s kingdom is not fragile. It does not depend on cultural approval. It is not sustained by human strength. It is advancing according to divine promise. That perspective steadies us. When the world feels unstable, Christ’s reign remains certain. When obedience feels small, it participates in something eternal. When repentance feels costly, it aligns us with an unshakable future. Following Christ may feel like stepping away from security—but in reality, it is stepping into the only kingdom that cannot collapse.
Reflection Question: How does remembering the certainty of Christ’s kingdom change the way you face uncertainty today?
Kids (and Kids at Heart) Korner
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Annie.
Annie who?
Annie body want to go fishing? (You'll have to come Sunday to see how this fits! :))
Have a great weekend! Hope to see you Sunday!
Mark