Calvary Chapel Cottage Grove
July 5, 2026
  • Parade Medoly
  • My Deliverer
  • Joyful, Joyful
  • Battle Hymn Of The Republic
  • Turn in your bibles to Jeremiah for this special teaching about God in our nation. We had a great turnout for the Great Awakening Wednesday and I thought we would offer more Movie nights on the first Wednesday of the month. So August 5 we will do it again.
    I also want to thank all of those who responded to my desire to start a class on apologetics called “let us reason together” starting July 15 at 6:30-8pm. Stacey made up some flyers to remind you in foyer!
    Our first meeting will be an open forum to discuss goals, scheduling and possible formats. I want these meetings to be fun, educational, engaging, and a freedom to evolve. Once we get a common format, we will let it develop. I am very excited to learn how we can defend the gospel or any topic we desire effectively and hopefully see God use us! So, a week from this Wednesday on July 15. 6:30pm. Be ready to share what you’re looking for in this!
    Also next week we will not be here but at Baker Bay for our church service at 10am followed by BBQ and games for kids. If you want to be baptized call the church office and let us know.
    One more thing: I know its natural to whisper or comment in church but sometimes we don’t know how loud we actually are.
    It’s very disrespectful to people around us whether its during worship times and the teaching.
    Because a woman said something heartbreaking: “I came to hear from God… but all I could hear was them.” and they left the service. Guys, that can’t happen. I’m asking the elders to watch for this but I’m asking us to show reverence in the house of the Lord. OK?
    PRAY - Turn to Jeremiah
    Jeremiah 18:7–8 LSB
    “At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to tear down, or to make it perish; but if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to do against it.
    A good example was Nineveh
    Jeremiah 18:9–10 LSB
    “Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; but if it does evil in My sight by not listening to My voice, then I will relent concerning the good which I promised, to do good to it.
    Note this passage is God speaking to Jeremiah about a nation and God offers a condition.
    Going back to what Yeshua said be it a person or a nation.
    Luke 13:3 LSB
    “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
    So two nations: One may be ripe for God’s judgment but if that nation repents, God will relent or cancel His plans of destroying it. But it works both ways.
    In verses 9-10 God is referring to the house of Israel that God built and planted but Israel was given over to Idolatry and disobedience and God promised to relent from doing good.
    Now that America is 250 years old, I wonder which nation we are.
    Be it Britain or America; neither nation was “chosen” by God personally but when the pilgrims stepped off the Mayflower in 1620, they prayed together, entered into a covenant together and dedicated the land to God!
    Many are unaware that THE FIRST THANKSGIVING WAS A WORSHIP SERVICE in 1621!, the Native Americans who joined the Pilgrims were members of the Wampa-nog tribe,
    led by Chief Massa-soyt.
    But bad things would happen, winter storms and deep freezes frequently locked the colony down for weeks at a time.
    Half of the crew of the Mayflower died from the exposure to the extreme cold, inadequate housing, malnutrition, and diseases like pneumonia and scurvy.
    It took 156 years of offering the gospel, building and surviving before our nation began to take form and when word got out, Britain wanted a piece of it!
    But it’s like John Henry told Billy Beane who made the Oakland A’s a championship team out with one of the lowest payrolls said this. "I know you've taken it in the teeth out there, but the first guy through the wall—he always gets bloody. Always”. So too, the first forefathers of this nation who suffered so much for freedom and paved the way for many to come here.
    This morning Chuck Lewis and Eric Smith are joining me
    Our elder Chuck Lewis will follow with part 1
    "The Founding: Where It All Began"
    Then Eric our Celebrate Recovery pastor will come and share part 2
    "The Progress: Milestones That Shaped America"
    And I will finish with part 3
    "The Celebration: where we go from here.
    But before they begin I want to show you this clip of 81 year old Ben Franklin who was good friends with George Whitfield called on by our first president, George Washington after weeks of argument and the debates over Religious diversity, fear of the public, no money and how votes would be allocated within the 13 colonies. Not much has changed. But we can see that the fight for faith within the government.
    [VIDEO]
    [Chuck] The Founding: Where It All Began
    This morning, we gather to mark something truly extraordinary.
    Yesterday, the United States of America turned 250 years old. That's a quarter of a millennium.
    Two and a half centuries of history, hardship, hope, and hard-won progress.
    And it all started with a breathtaking act of courage.
    In the 1730’s George Whitfield wrote and later met Benjamin Franklin which ignited a massive revival movement across the American colonies called the Great Awakening.
    George helped establish evangelicalism as a major Christian movement in America.
    He Inspired later revivalists like D.L. Moody, Billy Sunday, and Billy Graham.
    His sermons shaped both American Christianity and culture.
    But in the summer of 1776, thirteen American colonies were living under British rule.
    They were taxed without representation. Their voices were ignored.
    Their rights were trampled.
    And so, on July 4th of that year, a group of remarkable and godly men did something no one had done quite like this before — they declared to the entire world that all people are created equal, endowed with certain unalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
    The Declaration of Independence was not a political document but a moral statement — a promise that government exists to serve the people, not the other way around.
    Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, a 33-year-old delegate from Virginia, revised by the Continental Congress, and adopted on July 4th, 1776.
    Those 56 men who signed it knew they were risking their fortunes, their freedom, and their lives.
    Our Founding Fathers who shaped this nation were a remarkable collection of minds.
    George Washington — a general who held the Continental Army together through brutal winters and impossible odds —later became our first President.
    Benjamin Franklin — scientist, diplomat, and wit — was close friends with George Whitfield and through his example as we heard on the video, he helped negotiate the alliances that made victory possible.
    John Adams championed independence in the halls of Congress and became responsible for fireworks.
    Thomas Jefferson gave us the words that would inspire freedom movements around the world for centuries to come.
    → From the Declaration of Independence (1776)
    SIX TENENTS
    Of course, this Declaration was just the beginning.
    Soon came the Revolutionary War lasted from 1775 to 1783 — eight long years of sacrifice.
    American soldiers endured the freezing winter at Valley Forge, facing a far superior military force, and still prevailed.
    With the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, Great Britain recognized the United States as a free and independent nation.
    But freedom needed a foundation.
    In 1787, the Founding Fathers gathered again — this time in Philadelphia — to draft the United States Constitution. How the government is organized, what each part of the government is allowed to do and not allowed to do and what rights and freedoms the people have.
    It was ratified or made valid in 1788, creating the three branches of government we still rely on today: executive, legislative, and judicial.
    And in 1791, the Bill of Rights was added — ten amendments or improvements guaranteeing freedom of speech, of religion, freedom of the press, right to carry and more.... This the blueprint for democracy and a republic.
    CHUCK: Introduce Eric to come up AND as he does say:
    Now Eric is going to talk about how that flame grew — through hardship, change, and through some of the most defining moments in human history.
    Eric | Good morning folks.
    THE PROGRESS: Milestones That Shaped America
    The story of America is not a straight line from point A to point B. It is a winding, sometimes painful, often inspiring journey and we are still writing it.
    In the 1800s, our young nation began to stretch its legs.
    Through westward expansion, Americans pushed the frontier from the Atlantic to the Pacific, driven by a belief — however complicated in what they called Manifest Destiny. New states joined the union.
    Railroads connected distant communities. The population grew.
    And yet, America carried a devastating contradiction at its core:
    the institution of slavery.
    It wasn’t just RICH white owners but Black, Indian, European and Asian owners as well. It was the accepted norm of the time but still harsh and violent.
    While the bible teaches about slavery, it began with Israel under Egypt for 430 years .
    But when Israel left Egypt they were given instructions on how to care for their slaves. Their families would live with them and God gave slaves an option to leave in six years or serve their master forever. We call them employees today!
    Once Israel got into the Promised Land, they made the people they defeated in Canaan as slaves but the law of slavery stood for them as well.
    By this time in America slavery had become barbaric in how they punished slaves, how they beat them, often humiliated them and even raped the women - That contradiction tore the nation apart creating the Civil War.
    It lasted from 1861 to 1865, - it was the bloodiest conflict in American history to be fought on American soil.
    More than 600,000 lives were lost. But from that terrible fact came one of the most important milestones in our history:
    the 13th Amendment to the Constitution by Abraham Lincoln, ratified or updated in 1865, which abolished slavery in the United States.
    It was a monumental step — toward fulfilling the promise of the Declaration of Independence for all Americans.
     The aftermath of the Civil War continued to shape politics, with the first African American congressman, Hiram Rhodes Revels, who took office in 1870.
    As they ushered to the twentieth century it was a time of rising industry, inventions, employment, workers organizing for better conditions, leading to strikes and the formation of labor unions.
    The radio is invented in 1895 and by 1901
    The invention of the plane - The first successful flight happened on December 17, 1903
    World war one - from 1914-1918 - Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism - A small conflict spread into a global war!
    In 1920, after decades of tireless activism, women won the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment — one of the great victories of the suffrage movement.
    And the Television is invented in 1927 and first commercial TV sets became available in the 1930’s
    World War 2 -from 1939-1945 -
    Many countries faced economic collapse and after the depression hit,
    America answered the call, sending its sons and daughters overseas to defend freedom on a global scale.
    People turned to extreme leaders who promised solutions leading to the rise of dictators like
    Hitler and Mussolini
    After the United States, Soviet Union, and Britain all fought against Nazi Germany (Hitler).
    Japan hit Pearl Harbor with a surprise attack and the U.S. returned by bombing Hiroshima ending the war.
    At home, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal reshaped the relationship between government and citizens, lifting millions during the Great Depression birthing “food stamps”.
    As we moved into the 60’s many of our leaders would be assassinated.
    JFK and then his brother
    Robert F Kennedy
    Then came Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who marched, organized, and spoke out against racial injustice - The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were hard-won victories for equality.
    Sadly, he too was assassinated in 1968
    Now the Beatles showed up spawning long hair and the British invasion
    leading to the hippie movement as Timothy Leary ushered in LSD -
    but inspired kids were running away to San Francisco for the Summer of Love and many died of overdoses! This led to a searching youth.
    It was 1967 and in the midst of this unrest came a frustrated pastor who was ready to quit the ministry and become a banker. His name was Chuck Smith. He had faced 15 years of failure but one day he started teaching the bible book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse left the topical teaching model.
    At the beginning Calvary Chapel had 25-30 people attending. But as Chuck taught the bible the church kept doubling.
    Soon they had to rent a tent while the church was being built.
    But by 1973 they had a sanctuary holding 2200. The Holy Spirit was moving.
    This is where he witnessed genuine revival break out as hippies who once protested the Vietnam war and abused drugs in Haight -Ashbury, San Francisco were
    turning to Christ through a young man who was much like George Whitefield in style: Lonnie Frisbee who was introduced to Chuck by his daughter.
    Many bands like “Love Song” were inspired by God’s word
    which originated Jesus Music. Keith Green and many others burst on the scene
    And within the midst of the Jesus movement came space!
    America reached the stars — literally. When astronaut Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon on July 20th, 1969 he spoke for all of humanity: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
    Then came the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and the end of the Cold War — a reminder that the ideals America stood for could outlast even the most powerful adversaries.
    Into the 21st century, America faced the devastating attacks of September 11, 2001 — and responded with a unity and resilience that reminded the world what this nation is made of. The decades that followed brought a technological revolution that changed how we live, work, learn, and connect with one another
    Daniel 2:21 LSB
    “And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men And knowledge to men of understanding.
    "America has been tested time and again — and time and again, it has risen. So happy birthday America!
    ERIC: Pastor Jeff will tell us about the celebration ahead, and the promise of what comes next.
    The celebration - Where do we go from here?
    That’s a good question but the answer is obvious. As believers, we have hope individually but do we have hope as a nation?
    While we enjoyed yesterday, and other festivities in parks and homes across America
    and while we have a lot to be thankful for there is still a deep divide.
    Certain people and politicians who hate this country want to promote a communist system that has never worked but still want to destroy our system in America and they aren’t even hiding it anymore! They vow to do everything they can to destroy a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” to a controlled people, owning nothing, and a government controlling our economy, our grocery stores, our homes, our churches while the leaders live the high life!
    I will say that progress against this demonic movement is possible, if this nation turns from its evil, and calls on His name, only then can we cancel the calamity planned against us. In other words, if we repent as a nation and of our own personal sinfulness and really seek His face for our personal part in this life as our forefathers did, we may have a chance.
    As George Whitefield said
    A true faith in Jesus Christ will not suffer us to be idle. No, it is an active, lively, restless principle; it fills the heart, so that it cannot be easy ’til it is doing something for Jesus Christ.”
    “I am tired in the Lord’s work, but not tired of it.”
    Oddly Jesus said “when the Son of Man comes will He find faith on the earth?” indicating many believers will grow weary & be tempted to give up and simply do nothing for the kingdom.
    May that not be us!! The next great chapters of our American story are yours and mine to write.
    So Happy 250th, America. - And since it’s our birthday we have Cake in the foyer and Kings court so enjoy - and don’t forget we will be at Baker Park next Sunday! But before we go:
    I want to ask Eric, Chuck, Bob to close with prayer over our nation.

      • Jeremiah 18:7–8NASB95

      • Jeremiah 18:9–10NASB95

      • Luke 13:3NASB95

      • Daniel 2:21NASB95

  • We Will Glorify
  • Turn in your bibles to Jeremiah for this special teaching about God in our nation. We had a great turnout for the Great Awakening Wednesday and I thought we would offer more Movie nights on the first Wednesday of the month. So August 5 we will do it again.
    I also want to thank all of those who responded to my desire to start a class on apologetics called “let us reason together” starting July 15 at 6:30-8pm. Stacey made up some flyers to remind you in foyer!
    Our first meeting will be an open forum to discuss goals, scheduling and possible formats. I want these meetings to be fun, educational, engaging, and a freedom to evolve. Once we get a common format, we will let it develop. I am very excited to learn how we can defend the gospel or any topic we desire effectively and hopefully see God use us! So, a week from this Wednesday on July 15. 6:30pm. Be ready to share what you’re looking for in this!
    Also next week we will not be here but at Baker Bay for our church service at 10am followed by BBQ and games for kids. If you want to be baptized call the church office and let us know.
    One more thing: I know its natural to whisper or comment in church but sometimes we don’t know how loud we actually are.
    It’s very disrespectful to people around us whether its during worship times and the teaching.
    Because a woman said something heartbreaking: “I came to hear from God… but all I could hear was them.” and they left the service. Guys, that can’t happen. I’m asking the elders to watch for this but I’m asking us to show reverence in the house of the Lord. OK?
    PRAY - Turn to Jeremiah
    Jeremiah 18:7–8 LSB
    “At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to tear down, or to make it perish; but if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to do against it.
    A good example was Nineveh
    Jeremiah 18:9–10 LSB
    “Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; but if it does evil in My sight by not listening to My voice, then I will relent concerning the good which I promised, to do good to it.
    Note this passage is God speaking to Jeremiah about a nation and God offers a condition.
    Going back to what Yeshua said be it a person or a nation.
    Luke 13:3 LSB
    “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
    So two nations: One may be ripe for God’s judgment but if that nation repents, God will relent or cancel His plans of destroying it. But it works both ways.
    In verses 9-10 God is referring to the house of Israel that God built and planted but Israel was given over to Idolatry and disobedience and God promised to relent from doing good.
    Now that America is 250 years old, I wonder which nation we are.
    Be it Britain or America; neither nation was “chosen” by God personally but when the pilgrims stepped off the Mayflower in 1620, they prayed together, entered into a covenant together and dedicated the land to God!
    Many are unaware that THE FIRST THANKSGIVING WAS A WORSHIP SERVICE in 1621!, the Native Americans who joined the Pilgrims were members of the Wampa-nog tribe,
    led by Chief Massa-soyt.
    But bad things would happen, winter storms and deep freezes frequently locked the colony down for weeks at a time.
    Half of the crew of the Mayflower died from the exposure to the extreme cold, inadequate housing, malnutrition, and diseases like pneumonia and scurvy.
    It took 156 years of offering the gospel, building and surviving before our nation began to take form and when word got out, Britain wanted a piece of it!
    But it’s like John Henry told Billy Beane who made the Oakland A’s a championship team out with one of the lowest payrolls said this. "I know you've taken it in the teeth out there, but the first guy through the wall—he always gets bloody. Always”. So too, the first forefathers of this nation who suffered so much for freedom and paved the way for many to come here.
    This morning Chuck Lewis and Eric Smith are joining me
    Our elder Chuck Lewis will follow with part 1
    "The Founding: Where It All Began"
    Then Eric our Celebrate Recovery pastor will come and share part 2
    "The Progress: Milestones That Shaped America"
    And I will finish with part 3
    "The Celebration: where we go from here.
    But before they begin I want to show you this clip of 81 year old Ben Franklin who was good friends with George Whitfield called on by our first president, George Washington after weeks of argument and the debates over Religious diversity, fear of the public, no money and how votes would be allocated within the 13 colonies. Not much has changed. But we can see that the fight for faith within the government.
    [VIDEO]
    [Chuck] The Founding: Where It All Began
    This morning, we gather to mark something truly extraordinary.
    Yesterday, the United States of America turned 250 years old. That's a quarter of a millennium.
    Two and a half centuries of history, hardship, hope, and hard-won progress.
    And it all started with a breathtaking act of courage.
    In the 1730’s George Whitfield wrote and later met Benjamin Franklin which ignited a massive revival movement across the American colonies called the Great Awakening.
    George helped establish evangelicalism as a major Christian movement in America.
    He Inspired later revivalists like D.L. Moody, Billy Sunday, and Billy Graham.
    His sermons shaped both American Christianity and culture.
    But in the summer of 1776, thirteen American colonies were living under British rule.
    They were taxed without representation. Their voices were ignored.
    Their rights were trampled.
    And so, on July 4th of that year, a group of remarkable and godly men did something no one had done quite like this before — they declared to the entire world that all people are created equal, endowed with certain unalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
    The Declaration of Independence was not a political document but a moral statement — a promise that government exists to serve the people, not the other way around.
    Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, a 33-year-old delegate from Virginia, revised by the Continental Congress, and adopted on July 4th, 1776.
    Those 56 men who signed it knew they were risking their fortunes, their freedom, and their lives.
    Our Founding Fathers who shaped this nation were a remarkable collection of minds.
    George Washington — a general who held the Continental Army together through brutal winters and impossible odds —later became our first President.
    Benjamin Franklin — scientist, diplomat, and wit — was close friends with George Whitfield and through his example as we heard on the video, he helped negotiate the alliances that made victory possible.
    John Adams championed independence in the halls of Congress and became responsible for fireworks.
    Thomas Jefferson gave us the words that would inspire freedom movements around the world for centuries to come.
    → From the Declaration of Independence (1776)
    SIX TENENTS
    Of course, this Declaration was just the beginning.
    Soon came the Revolutionary War lasted from 1775 to 1783 — eight long years of sacrifice.
    American soldiers endured the freezing winter at Valley Forge, facing a far superior military force, and still prevailed.
    With the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, Great Britain recognized the United States as a free and independent nation.
    But freedom needed a foundation.
    In 1787, the Founding Fathers gathered again — this time in Philadelphia — to draft the United States Constitution. How the government is organized, what each part of the government is allowed to do and not allowed to do and what rights and freedoms the people have.
    It was ratified or made valid in 1788, creating the three branches of government we still rely on today: executive, legislative, and judicial.
    And in 1791, the Bill of Rights was added — ten amendments or improvements guaranteeing freedom of speech, of religion, freedom of the press, right to carry and more.... This the blueprint for democracy and a republic.
    CHUCK: Introduce Eric to come up AND as he does say:
    Now Eric is going to talk about how that flame grew — through hardship, change, and through some of the most defining moments in human history.
    Eric | Good morning folks.
    THE PROGRESS: Milestones That Shaped America
    The story of America is not a straight line from point A to point B. It is a winding, sometimes painful, often inspiring journey and we are still writing it.
    In the 1800s, our young nation began to stretch its legs.
    Through westward expansion, Americans pushed the frontier from the Atlantic to the Pacific, driven by a belief — however complicated in what they called Manifest Destiny. New states joined the union.
    Railroads connected distant communities. The population grew.
    And yet, America carried a devastating contradiction at its core:
    the institution of slavery.
    It wasn’t just RICH white owners but Black, Indian, European and Asian owners as well. It was the accepted norm of the time but still harsh and violent.
    While the bible teaches about slavery, it began with Israel under Egypt for 430 years .
    But when Israel left Egypt they were given instructions on how to care for their slaves. Their families would live with them and God gave slaves an option to leave in six years or serve their master forever. We call them employees today!
    Once Israel got into the Promised Land, they made the people they defeated in Canaan as slaves but the law of slavery stood for them as well.
    By this time in America slavery had become barbaric in how they punished slaves, how they beat them, often humiliated them and even raped the women - That contradiction tore the nation apart creating the Civil War.
    It lasted from 1861 to 1865, - it was the bloodiest conflict in American history to be fought on American soil.
    More than 600,000 lives were lost. But from that terrible fact came one of the most important milestones in our history:
    the 13th Amendment to the Constitution by Abraham Lincoln, ratified or updated in 1865, which abolished slavery in the United States.
    It was a monumental step — toward fulfilling the promise of the Declaration of Independence for all Americans.
     The aftermath of the Civil War continued to shape politics, with the first African American congressman, Hiram Rhodes Revels, who took office in 1870.
    As they ushered to the twentieth century it was a time of rising industry, inventions, employment, workers organizing for better conditions, leading to strikes and the formation of labor unions.
    The radio is invented in 1895 and by 1901
    The invention of the plane - The first successful flight happened on December 17, 1903
    World war one - from 1914-1918 - Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism - A small conflict spread into a global war!
    In 1920, after decades of tireless activism, women won the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment — one of the great victories of the suffrage movement.
    And the Television is invented in 1927 and first commercial TV sets became available in the 1930’s
    World War 2 -from 1939-1945 -
    Many countries faced economic collapse and after the depression hit,
    America answered the call, sending its sons and daughters overseas to defend freedom on a global scale.
    People turned to extreme leaders who promised solutions leading to the rise of dictators like
    Hitler and Mussolini
    After the United States, Soviet Union, and Britain all fought against Nazi Germany (Hitler).
    Japan hit Pearl Harbor with a surprise attack and the U.S. returned by bombing Hiroshima ending the war.
    At home, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal reshaped the relationship between government and citizens, lifting millions during the Great Depression birthing “food stamps”.
    As we moved into the 60’s many of our leaders would be assassinated.
    JFK and then his brother
    Robert F Kennedy
    Then came Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who marched, organized, and spoke out against racial injustice - The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were hard-won victories for equality.
    Sadly, he too was assassinated in 1968
    Now the Beatles showed up spawning long hair and the British invasion
    leading to the hippie movement as Timothy Leary ushered in LSD -
    but inspired kids were running away to San Francisco for the Summer of Love and many died of overdoses! This led to a searching youth.
    It was 1967 and in the midst of this unrest came a frustrated pastor who was ready to quit the ministry and become a banker. His name was Chuck Smith. He had faced 15 years of failure but one day he started teaching the bible book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse left the topical teaching model.
    At the beginning Calvary Chapel had 25-30 people attending. But as Chuck taught the bible the church kept doubling.
    Soon they had to rent a tent while the church was being built.
    But by 1973 they had a sanctuary holding 2200. The Holy Spirit was moving.
    This is where he witnessed genuine revival break out as hippies who once protested the Vietnam war and abused drugs in Haight -Ashbury, San Francisco were
    turning to Christ through a young man who was much like George Whitefield in style: Lonnie Frisbee who was introduced to Chuck by his daughter.
    Many bands like “Love Song” were inspired by God’s word
    which originated Jesus Music. Keith Green and many others burst on the scene
    And within the midst of the Jesus movement came space!
    America reached the stars — literally. When astronaut Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon on July 20th, 1969 he spoke for all of humanity: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
    Then came the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and the end of the Cold War — a reminder that the ideals America stood for could outlast even the most powerful adversaries.
    Into the 21st century, America faced the devastating attacks of September 11, 2001 — and responded with a unity and resilience that reminded the world what this nation is made of. The decades that followed brought a technological revolution that changed how we live, work, learn, and connect with one another
    Daniel 2:21 LSB
    “And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men And knowledge to men of understanding.
    "America has been tested time and again — and time and again, it has risen. So happy birthday America!
    ERIC: Pastor Jeff will tell us about the celebration ahead, and the promise of what comes next.
    The celebration - Where do we go from here?
    That’s a good question but the answer is obvious. As believers, we have hope individually but do we have hope as a nation?
    While we enjoyed yesterday, and other festivities in parks and homes across America
    and while we have a lot to be thankful for there is still a deep divide.
    Certain people and politicians who hate this country want to promote a communist system that has never worked but still want to destroy our system in America and they aren’t even hiding it anymore! They vow to do everything they can to destroy a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” to a controlled people, owning nothing, and a government controlling our economy, our grocery stores, our homes, our churches while the leaders live the high life!
    I will say that progress against this demonic movement is possible, if this nation turns from its evil, and calls on His name, only then can we cancel the calamity planned against us. In other words, if we repent as a nation and of our own personal sinfulness and really seek His face for our personal part in this life as our forefathers did, we may have a chance.
    As George Whitefield said
    A true faith in Jesus Christ will not suffer us to be idle. No, it is an active, lively, restless principle; it fills the heart, so that it cannot be easy ’til it is doing something for Jesus Christ.”
    “I am tired in the Lord’s work, but not tired of it.”
    Oddly Jesus said “when the Son of Man comes will He find faith on the earth?” indicating many believers will grow weary & be tempted to give up and simply do nothing for the kingdom.
    May that not be us!! The next great chapters of our American story are yours and mine to write.
    So Happy 250th, America. - And since it’s our birthday we have Cake in the foyer and Kings court so enjoy - and don’t forget we will be at Baker Park next Sunday! But before we go:
    I want to ask Eric, Chuck, Bob to close with prayer over our nation.
Calvary Chapel Cottage Grove
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