“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:34 KJV If you’re shy, you can become anxious when you are in a crowd. If you play sports, you may be anxious about the next opponent. There are expectations to meet, the fear of doing something wrong, and people you want to impress. And life isn’t slowing down, is it? There seems to be no end of things that place you in the hands of anxiety, and the stress can be overwhelming. Anxiety is real and it demands to be your first response. Anx ..read more

From Pastor Matt Cottrill “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” (I John 4:7 KJV) Most people enjoy games that pass the time, encourage interaction, and crown a winner. That was definitely the case a few years ago, in a community game that ran rampant in Connecticut called kindness bingo. Cards were picked up at the local library, and a sticker could be placed on the bingo card after completing the kindness it described. It was a win for those who played because prizes were awarded. It was a win for those who received ..read more

From Pastor Matt Cottrill Colossians 3:23 Work willingly at whatever you do as though you were working for the lord rather than for people. NLT It was a good idea that helped people all over the country. Rodney had a pretty incredible lightbulb moment when he came up with a plan to encourage teenagers to reach out to their communities, the only thing participants needed to do was mow 50 lawns.  There were personal benefits that included the gratitude of the people they helped. Everyone who participated got a shirt, but even more they were able to help cancer survivors veterans, single p ..read more

From Pastor Matt Cottrill: I have placed the Lord always in front of me.  Because he is at my right hand, I will not be moved. Psalms 16:8 If life is a puzzle, you might wonder where you fit in. You might think your friends and everyone else fit but you. That’s where you’re wrong. Chances are pretty good that more than one of your friends feel the same way. No one wants to admit it. Few will. Every person who’s ever lived has experienced this kind of insecurity. Everyone wants to find that one thing that can make them feel secure. This usually means trying to find security among friends ..read more

From Pastor Matt Cottrill: Galatians 4:7 “Doesn’t that privilege of intimate conversation with God, make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you’re also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance” Who are you? Do you know? Have you wondered? You could start by saying that you’re a son, but maybe you’re a brother, sister, or a cousin as well. You may be a student, but you might be a computer geek an athlete or perhaps you sing act or play an instrument. You might be a friend, employee or volunteer. You are many things, but you started as someone God cr ..read more

From Pastor Matt Cottrill: Hebrews 11:6 “It is impossible to please God, without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him, must believe that God exists, and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him” The news article told of a scientist, who encountered a two headed sea turtle. The story described how this unusual swimming sea turtle had been found, and the circumstances that led to the discovery. If you never encountered a two headed sea turtle, would it be easy to believe the news? What if you didn’t know the author of the story, had never been to the beach where the turtle was found, and ..read more

Hello Friend, The early church and the Jewish nation before them, understood that worshipping images was idolatry and that praying to dead was vanity.  When Consistiene the 1st who was an idol worshipping Pagan declared Christians were not to be persecuted any longer.  He combined Christianity with Pagan practice or polytheism.   Before this we do not see the Christian Church using iconology in Holy ways.  After Jesus ascended, councils were held regularly wherein men would use their knowledge to interpret the Bible and to change or clarify the accepted meanings of Biblic ..read more

Written by Nathan Cottrill Hey Friend, I won't use up your attention span on how I have been changed over the past 1/4 year. If I have achieved any level of credibility in your mind, please set aside the time to read the following: I am filled with the eternal spirit of Jesus Christ who I believe was God robed in flesh. I also believe the Bible is inspired by God, who's only begotten human form ascended into heaven at the conclusion of his ministry. I believe his spirit returned to the church 50 days after the feast also called Pesach in order for the church to continue his ministry. His ..read more

From Pastor Cottrill Should Christians celebrate holidays? This question seems to come up periodically and even more frequently in the last few years. There is no biblical command that states Christians must celebrate certain holidays. Because of this, some advocate the opposite view—that Christians should refrain from the celebration of any holidays. This is particularly emphasized by the Jehovah's Witness cult, who celebrate only the death of Jesus and advocate against celebrating other days. Other traditions celebrate only what are considered "Christian" holidays, such as Christmas or Eas ..read more

This is a call to all people of BUPC for some focused prayer this week over some legislation that just passed in the House and is going very soon to the Senate. It is called The Equality Act. It is the greatest assault on the family and religious liberties that this country has ever seen. If this law passes, these are a few of the radical changes we all will face: • The bill would end the federal legal recognition of the terms male and female sex – and would favor gender identity. • The Equality Act designates schools, churches, and healthcare organi- zations as “public accommodations.” W ..read more