Hays Christian Church

Farewell Address (Part 2): Thank You

Wrapping up 12 years at HCC, Pastor Kevin Daniels revisits seven of the most memorable lessons he has shared with us, remembers the many changes the church has gone through and the achievements we’ve accomplished over the years together.

Farewell Address (Part 1): Final Encouragement in the Word

In the first of his 2-part farewell address, Pastor Kevin Daniels focuses on the parting words of the New Testament authors. Often, we are left with these commands: focus on the truth, stand against the devil, pray without ceasing, always be joyful, and love one another.

New and Improved (Part 6): Reconciled to Christ

To conclude our study of the contrast of our old and new life in Christ, Pastor Kevin refers to Colossians 1:11-23, where Paul offers a prayer for endurance, patience, joy, and thanksgiving for the people of Colossae and shares a hymn declaring Christ’s supremacy. We are separated from Him by our sins, but when we believe who Jesus is, our peace is restored and we are reconciled.

New and Improved (Part 5): Into the Waters of Baptism

In part 5 in our study of the contrast of our old and new life in Christ, Pastor Kevin answers many questions surrounding baptism. Learn why believers should be baptized, the purpose of baptism, who should be baptized, how to baptize, and what happens after baptism.

New and Improved (Part 4): Guided by the Light

In part 4 in our study of the contrast of our old and new life in Christ, Pastor Kevin examines Ephesians 5:1-20. There, Paul presents the differences that are reflected between those who are guided by the Light of Christ and those guided by the darkness. Are you living in light and pointing people towards Christ or are you living for yourself?

New and Improved (Part 3): The Act of Faith

Continuing our study of the contrast of our old and new life in Christ, Pastor Kevin looks to Romans 11. There, Paul compares the old and new between the people of Israel and the people of faith. Salvation is not a single moment in our lives, but a faith that we must sustain. However, though we may fall away, God’s mercy grants us hope that we can return to Him.

New and Improved (Part 2): The Ultimate Sacrifice

Continuing our study of the contrast of our old and new life in Christ, Pastor Kevin looks to Romans 5:6-21. There, Paul emphasizes to the Romans the depth of Jesus’s sacrifice for their sake and draws a contrast between Jesus and Adam. We can either be slaves to the law, living for ourselves, or we can follow Christ, accepting the truth of His sacrifice on the Cross for us. What path will you choose?

New and Improved (Part 1): Death, Grace, and Life Anew

Starting our new sermon series studying the contrast of our old and new life in Christ, Pastor Kevin looks to Ephesians 2:1-10. There, Paul tells us that the sinful condition of our past makes us spiritually dead, but God’s mercy and grace through Christ’s sacrifice is the solution. To reach our salvation, we must be completely dependent on God. Have you put your faith and trust in Him?

Joyful Unity (Part 12): God Will Provide

In Philippians 4:10-23, Paul concludes his letter with a sincere expression of gratitude for their generous gift, making clear that his motives were never financial because God is able to provide for his needs. When we focus on giving each other the love, respect, and care deserving of children of God, the unity we find will be a source of joy in our lives.  

Joyful Unity (Part 11): Focus on These Things

In Philippians 4:2-9, Paul addresses a disagreement between two women in the church and provides a list of virtues to fight off worry. They are the same virtues that we should be practicing daily to depend on God for our needs and not ourselves. Where is your focus?

Joyful Unity (Part 10): Press on for the Prize

Philippians 3:12-4:1, after he offers himself as an example for following the Gospel, Paul makes it clear that he hasn’t achieved perfection, but he is striving to reach it through following Christ. Only when we get to heaven can we be perfect, so it imperative that we stay focused on staying true to the Lord with our faith.

Joyful Unity (Part 9): What Matters Most

In Philippians 3:1-11, Paul warns the Philippian church about false teachers adding requirements to the gospel and tells them that even his righteous deeds and strict obedience to Jewish law were worthless compared to Christ’s sacrifice. True followers worship by the Spirit, glory in Christ, and put no confidence in the flesh. We must also be careful not to assign extra requirements for being a follower of Christ.

Suffering Through Hard Times: Finding Hope in the Midst of Desperation

Breaking from Philippians, Pastor Kevin turns to address the struggles many people are going through and ways to persevere. Jesus will not let sadness be the end of your story, so if you are going through difficulties, reach out to your church family for help. If you know someone struggling, reach out! Let them know they are loved.

Joyful Unity (Part 8): Obedience to God

In Philippians 2:12-30, Paul continues by calling on the church to be a shining example of unity through finding joy in obedience to God. Paul then lifts up the examples of Timothy and Epaphroditus, who both served with him through the difficulties. Have we allowed obstacles to stop us from fulfilling the calling God placed on our lives?

Joyful Unity (Part 7): The Attitude of Christ

In Philippians 2:5-11, Paul offers Christ’s example of the attitude we need to have through a hymn. The hymn outlines Christ’s humiliation by His own acts and His exaltation by the acts of God. Our challenge is to respond by emulating that attitude.

Joyful Unity (Part 6): Humility Is the Key to Unity

In Philippians 2:1-4, Paul turns his attention to the internal church, which lacked the unity it needed. When a Christian community is united, we receive many blessings. To boost the unity within our community, we must share the same outlook, and show humility and consideration for others.

Joyful Unity (Part 5): Citizen, Soldier, Athlete

In Philippians 1:27-30, Paul reminds the citizens of Philippi that their true citizenship resides in heaven and calls on them to remain united for the Gospel, having the privilege to suffer for Christ's sake. When we suffer for the same cause, we can find joy in the unity of our community of fellow Christians.

Suffering, Endurance, and Hope

Pastor Kevin revisits an old sermon derived from 1 Peter 2:18-25 to remind us that when we patiently endure unjust suffering in our lives, God is pleased with us. Because Jesus Christ suffered in his crucifixion and death for our sins, we can have hope that our earthly suffering will give way to eternal peace in heaven. 

2021 Challenge

In his first sermon of the new year, Pastor Kevin asks us to think about what we learned and have to be thankful for from 2020. This year, let us focus on what's important: following God's intended plan for our lives. Our challenge for 2021 is to find a verse of scripture to memorize and focus on.

Put on the Full Armor of God

There are so many evils that we are confronted with on a daily basis that we can forget that we are in a war against Satan, but as Christians, we don't come empty-handed! As Jennifer Urban mentions from Ephesians 6:10-19, we have the Armor of God to protect us and help us take a stand. 

Emmanuel: God with Us

Jesus' name is Emmanuel, "God with us". When Jesus came to earth to live as one of us, it was an act of the purest love God has for His creation. Through His death, we are given the opportunity to find salvation in faith. Because of this, we celebrate the joyous holiday of Christmas.

Advent: Confidence in Christ

In Matthew 11:2-11, we learn that John the Baptist had doubts about Jesus' identity as the Messiah while imprisoned, but Jesus was able to reassure him with testimony of His deeds. If we have similar doubts, we only need to look at the testimony and stand firm in our beliefs.

The Thrill of Hope

Scripture tells us that Christ's coming into this world offers a thrill of hope, but how do we find it when our lives are cluttered with distractions? In this devotional, we learn how to find joy and purpose with even the smallest bit of hope.

Advent (Hope): John the Baptist

The focus for the first Sunday in Advent is Hope. The hope that the Israelites had came from the promise of the coming Messiah, prefaced by the return of the Prophet Elijah. As revealed in Matthew 3:1-12, Elijah came as John the Baptist, who was given the task of preparing the people for His coming. Christ is coming again, so if we are to be prepared, we must produce the Fruit of the Spirit in our choices.

Preparing in the Wilderness

Ecclesiastes 3:1-17 tells us that God has a time for everything and in times such as these, we are asked to shelter in place. Jennie Straight offers several examples of people who God called to do the same to prepare them for the great purposes He had for them. We can use the time we have to prepare ourselves for God’s plan for us.

Onward Christian Soldiers

In honor of Veteran’s Day, Joanne Tramel provides us with a history of the holiday and draws parallels between those in military service and those in service to the Lord. We are in a war against Satan from the moment of our baptism and the only way to fight is to study God’s Word so that we can react on instinct to temptations. With the Armor of God and using our spiritual gifts with fellow Christians, we are able to face the battles against evil.