Blanchard Church of Christ

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The Blanchard Church of Christ from Blanchard Pa

  1. 3d ago

    Marriage, Divorce, and the Grace of Jesus Christ

    SPEAKER: Pastor Russ Moldovan In his message, “Marriage, Divorce, and the Grace of Jesus Christ,” Pastor Russel Moldovan explores Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 19, reminding us that marriage was designed by God to be a lifelong covenant of love, faithfulness, and commitment between a man and a woman. When the Pharisees attempted to trap Jesus with questions about divorce, He directed their attention back to God’s original design for marriage in Genesis. Pastor Russ explained that divorce was never part of God’s original plan but became a painful reality because of human sinfulness and hardened hearts. Drawing from his own family experiences, he acknowledged that divorce often involves deep hurt, complicated circumstances, and struggles that others may never fully understand. Rather than passing judgment, he emphasized the importance of approaching these difficult situations with compassion, understanding, and the grace of Jesus Christ. After all, we are all imperfect people living in a broken world, and every one of us is in need of God’s forgiveness and grace.Pastor Russ also encouraged married couples to do more than simply endure the challenges of marriage, reminding them that God desires their relationships to grow and thrive. He shared four practical ways husbands and wives can strengthen their bond: having more fun together, reading to one another, showing affection through simple physical touch, and making meaningful eye contact while talking and listening to each other. These small but intentional habits can help couples reconnect and deepen their love, especially during difficult seasons. He also announced an upcoming marriage enrichment course, Vertical Marriage, beginning in February, which encourages couples to strengthen their relationship with Jesus as the foundation for strengthening their marriage. Throughout the message, Pastor Russ reminded the congregation that our ultimate identity and purpose are found not in our marital status, but in Jesus Christ. Whether married, single, divorced, or remarried, we all have a place in God's Kingdom, and we all stand in need of His wonderful grace.

  2. Oct 25

    Luke 15: Lost and Found

    SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan In his sermon, “Luke 15: Lost & Found,” Pastor Russel Moldovan explores three familiar parables Jesus told in Luke 15: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. Each story reveals God's deep love for those who are lost and the joy that comes when they are found. Pastor Russ explains that Jesus shared these parables with two very different groups of people: sinners who were drawn to Him and religious leaders who criticized Him for welcoming them. Through the stories, Jesus reminds us that no one is beyond God's love and mercy. Just as the shepherd searched for his lost sheep, the woman carefully searched for her lost coin, and the father joyfully welcomed his wayward son home, our heavenly Father longs for those who have wandered away to return to Him. These parables are not about rewarding people for what they deserve, but about celebrating the restoration of those who were lost.Pastor Russ then turns our attention to the older brother in the story of the prodigal son, who refused to celebrate his brother's return. His resentment reflected the attitude of the religious leaders who were offended by Jesus' compassion toward sinners. Pastor Russ challenges the church to consider whether we sometimes act like that older brother, becoming so concerned with our own comfort, traditions, and expectations that we forget God's heart for the lost. Reaching others for Christ may require sacrifice, patience, and a willingness to welcome people whose lives are very different from our own. Yet the beautiful truth of the parable is that the father went out to both sons—one lost in rebellion and the other lost in resentment—and invited them both to share in his joy. Pastor Russ encourages us to follow that example by making room in our hearts for others, remembering that when the lost are found, heaven celebrates, and the church should celebrate too.

  3. Oct 11

    We All Have a Story to Tell

    SPEAKER: Associate Pastor Wally Kocher In his sermon, “We All Have a Story to Tell,” Associate Pastor Wally Kocher reminds us that everyone has a story filled with moments of joy, sorrow, struggles, and life-changing experiences. But for those who have accepted Jesus Christ, the most important part of their story is what He has done in their lives. Drawing from the accounts of the man born blind in John 9 and the demon-possessed man in Mark 5, Pastor Kocher explains that sharing our faith does not require a deep knowledge of Scripture or the ability to answer every theological question. Sometimes, the most powerful testimony is simply telling others who we were before encountering Jesus, what He has done for us, and how our lives have changed because of Him. Addressing common fears and excuses that keep Christians from sharing their faith, he encourages believers to speak with confidence, gentleness, and love, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide their words. Through a personal experience with a young college student who knew almost nothing about Jesus, he reminds us that our mission field may be much closer than we realize.Pastor Kocher then shares the touching story of a good and kind king whose beloved daughter broke the law and faced a punishment of forty lashes. Although the king was committed to justice, his love for his daughter led him to step forward and willingly take her punishment upon himself. This powerful illustration points to the heart of the Gospel: Jesus Christ, though completely innocent, willingly took the punishment for our sins because of His great love for us. Through His sacrifice on the cross, God's perfect justice and extraordinary mercy were revealed. Pastor Kocher concludes by reminding the congregation that those who have experienced Christ's forgiveness and grace have a story far too important to keep to themselves. Just as the king's daughter would never forget what her father had done for her, Christians should never lose sight of what Jesus has done for them. Somebody, somewhere, needs to hear that story—and God may have chosen you to be the one who tells it.

  4. Oct 4

    Lift Up Your Eyes and See the Harvest in Front of You

    SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan Pastor Russel Moldovan’s sermon, “Lift Up Your Eyes and See the Harvest in Front of You,” focuses on Jesus’ words in John 4 and the responsibility of every Christian to recognize opportunities to share the good news of Christ with the people already around them. After explaining that the word *gospel* means “good news”—the good news that through Jesus Christ our sins can be forgiven and we can receive eternal life—Pastor Russel turns to the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman. Although Jews and Samaritans were deeply divided, Jesus crossed those cultural barriers and offered her the message of salvation. Her encounter with Him was so meaningful that she immediately returned to her town and invited others to meet Jesus for themselves. Pastor Russel points out that this is a picture of how evangelism often works: an encounter with Christ naturally becomes an invitation for someone else to encounter Him as well. Jesus then tells His disciples to “lift up your eyes” because the fields are already ready for harvest, reminding them that bringing people to Christ is a shared effort in which some plant seeds, others water them, and others may eventually see the harvest. 33\. Gospel message 33\. Gospel messageThe sermon then brings Jesus’ teaching directly into the life of the church by asking whether Christians sometimes become so focused on distant mission opportunities that they overlook the spiritual needs of people right in front of them. Pastor Russel illustrates this through a children’s devotion about having “20/20 vision” for missions and, especially, through Blanchard Church of Christ’s King’s Kids ministry. Many of the children who participate do not regularly attend church, yet through King’s Kids the congregation has the opportunity to feed them, teach them, listen to them, build relationships with them, and introduce them to Jesus. Pastor Russel’s personal story of a fourth-grade boy named James shows how something as simple as patiently building trust can become an opportunity to plant a spiritual seed. The sermon closes by returning to the Samaritan woman, whose testimony led many people to come to Jesus and eventually believe because they encountered Him for themselves. The challenge is simple but powerful: Christians do not have to be experts in evangelism—they simply need willing hearts, open eyes, and a readiness to plant seeds while trusting the Holy Spirit to bring the growth. 33\. Gospel message 33\. Gospel message 33\. Gospel message 33\. Gospel message

  5. Sep 27

    Malachi: What & How We Give Reveals the Condition of Our Heart Toward God

    SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan Pastor Russel Moldovan’s sermon, “Malachi: What & How We Give Reveals the Condition of Our Heart toward God,” focuses on the truth that giving is ultimately a matter of the heart rather than simply a matter of money. Drawing from Malachi, Pastor Russ explains that although the people of Israel were still participating in worship, their offerings revealed that their devotion to God had grown cold. Instead of bringing their best, they offered defective sacrifices and withheld what belonged to God. The sermon develops three central truths: God deserves our best, God calls us to trust Him with what He has given us, and God desires to bless His people so that His goodness can become visible through them. Giving, therefore, is presented as an act of worship, an expression of trust, and a way of participating in God’s work by supporting ministry and caring for people in need. 32. Malachi- Giving & Our Heart 32. Malachi- Giving & Our HeartThe sermon concludes by bringing the subject back to love. Pastor Russ uses the story of two brothers who secretly carry grain to one another because each is concerned for the other’s welfare. Neither gives out of obligation or for recognition; they give because they love. In the same way, our giving reveals what we value and where our hearts truly are. But the sermon then turns the principle toward God Himself: what and how God gives also reveals His heart toward us. God loved the world and gave His Son; Christ loved us and gave Himself for us. The ultimate example of generosity, then, is not the tithe or any human offering, but Jesus Christ. Our giving becomes a response to the God who has already given Himself to us in love.

  6. Sep 20

    Daniel Sees Two Battlefields

    SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan Pastor Russel Moldovan’s sermon, “Daniel Sees Two Battlefields,” explores the book of Daniel through the theme of **faithfulness in the midst of conflict**. He begins with Daniel and his three friends living as exiles in Babylon, where they faced constant pressure to conform to a culture that did not honor God. Their refusal to compromise—whether concerning food, worship, or prayer—illustrates the challenge believers still face of living in the world without allowing the world to reshape their convictions. Pastor Russ connects that struggle to contemporary pressures and emphasizes that Christians are called to holiness, viewing life through the truth of Scripture rather than simply adopting the values of the surrounding culture. He then moves into Daniel’s prophetic visions, explaining how the kingdoms represented by the statue, beasts, ram, and goat portray successive earthly empires. Although nations rise, fight for power, and eventually fall, the repeated message of Daniel is that **God has the final word and His kingdom will endure forever**. The sermon then turns to what Pastor Russ describes as the second battlefield—the unseen spiritual battle taking place behind the events of the visible world. Drawing especially from Daniel 10, he describes Daniel’s vision of angelic and demonic forces involved in spiritual conflict and connects it with Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 6 that the Christian struggle is ultimately “not against flesh and blood,” but against spiritual forces of evil. Pastor Russ stresses that believers do not fight this battle through fear or human strength, but through God’s Word, prayer, the armor of God, and fellowship with other Christians. He offers practical examples, including his “detangle me” prayer, praying through the armor of God, pausing during the day to recalibrate through prayer, and drawing encouragement from the church family. The sermon closes with a message of confidence and hope: although Christians may not know what the future holds or fully understand the battles taking place around and above them, the outcome is not in doubt—Christ is victorious, He is with His people, and believers do not travel through the struggle alone.

  7. Sep 13

    Joel: Repentance - Hearts Turning to God

    SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan Pastor Russel Moldovan’s sermon centers on the prophet Joel’s call to repentance and the meaning of the “Day of the Lord.” He explains that Scripture uses this phrase both for historical moments of God’s judgment and for the final day when God will bring judgment upon evil and salvation to His people. In Joel’s day, the devastation of the locust plague and drought served as a wake-up call for God’s people, but the purpose of that judgment was gracious: God wanted them to turn back to Him. Joel therefore calls the people not merely to outward religious displays, but to genuine inward repentance: “Return to Me with all your heart” and “rend your heart and not your garments.” Pastor Russel applies that challenge personally, asking whether there are areas of sin, bitterness, pride, misplaced priorities, spiritual indifference, or inconsistency from which believers need to turn. God is not simply looking for outward religious activity; He wants hearts that are fully devoted to Him. The sermon then connects Joel’s prophecy with Pentecost in Acts 2, where Peter declares that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit fulfills what Joel had foretold. Through Jesus Christ, salvation is opened to all who call upon the name of the Lord, and Peter’s message leads his hearers to repentance, baptism, forgiveness, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the birth of the church. Pastor Russel points to Acts 2:42–47 to show that the strength of the early church was not found in buildings, technology, or programs, but in people whose hearts were devoted to God, His Word, and one another. He connects this with Blanchard Church of Christ’s experience during COVID, when the congregation worshiped outdoors despite difficult weather and learned again that the essentials of church are not facilities or equipment, but hearts turned toward God. He concludes with the illustration of life as a car: it is not enough simply to have Jesus “in the car.” Christ must be in the driver’s seat, and believers must resist becoming back-seat drivers who still insist on controlling the direction. Repentance, therefore, is not only for new Christians; it is an ongoing willingness to surrender every part of life to Jesus and allow Him to lead.

  8. Aug 30

    Call to Serve Christ's Family

    SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan Pastor Russ Moldovan’s sermon, “Call to Serve Christ’s Family,” emphasizes that Christians are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, but they are also saved for a purpose: to live lives of service. Drawing from Ephesians 2:8–10, he distinguishes between salvation—God’s gift, not earned by works—and the good works God has prepared for believers. He then turns to Romans 12, where Paul calls Christians to present themselves as living sacrifices, allow God to transform their minds, and recognize that every believer is part of the Body of Christ. Pastor Moldovan stresses that the church is made up of many different people with different gifts, abilities, personalities, and passions, but every member has an important role to play. The sermon then becomes a practical challenge for members of the congregation to discover how God has uniquely equipped them and to find a place where those gifts can be used in ministry. Pastor Moldovan encourages people to consider what energizes them, what they enjoy doing, and where their abilities can strengthen others in the church. Using humorous illustrations about appliances needing to be plugged into the proper power source and ministries needing the right people in the right places, he points the congregation toward the church’s Ministry Fair as an opportunity to get involved. He closes with the image of glowing coals in a fire: when the coals remain together, they burn brightly, but when one is removed, it quickly grows cold. In the same way, the church shines brightest when its members remain connected to Christ and to one another, serving together as one family.

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The Blanchard Church of Christ from Blanchard Pa

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