Trail Boss Richard Announces Another BBQ Trail Ride!
The smoke signals have been spotted once again… Trail Boss Richard has officially called the men of Foundations Class back to the trail!
The next stop on the legendary Men's BBQ Trail will be The Brisket House, known throughout Houston for mouthwatering brisket, smoked favorites, and legendary sandwiches. Men, prepare your appetites and your best barbecue opinions as the fellowship continues around the table.
The Brisket House
5775 Woodway Dr., Houston, TX
Thursday, May 21
11:21 AM
As always, expect good food, great laughs, meaningful fellowship, and at least one spirited discussion about who truly has the best brisket in Texas.
No tickets. No speeches. Just men, meat, and memories in the making. Saddle up and join the trail!
Movie Night at The Butcher's Was a Smashing Hit
Friday, May 15, 2026
Friday night at The Butcher's was nothing short of a celebration! The Foundations Class came together for a memorable Movie Night featuring the film Solo Mio, and from the first bite to the final credits, the evening delivered on every level.
The concession spread was on point — hot dogs, chips, and all the classic movie night
fixings kept everyone fueled and happy throughout the show. But the true scene-stealer
of the evening was the stunning custom Movie Night cake hand-crafted by the
incredibly talented Ron Chow.
Ron Chow cuts into his custom-crafted Movie Night cake — a showstopper surrounded by the evening's full concession spread.
It was a work of art that had everyone talking before they even took a bite! Look at that spread — Haribo, Milk Duds, Nerds, animal crackers, and more — no one went home hungry!
Solo Mio set the perfect stage for an evening filled with laughter, great conversation, and the warm fellowship that makes Foundations Class events so special.
Stay tuned for the next Foundations Class event — you won't want to miss what's coming!
Join your Foundations class friends for an unforgettable afternoon of fellowship, music, laughter, and inspiration as we gather to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at The George Theater on Saturday, July 11, 2026!
This exciting event and special group-rate tickets have been made available through the Encore Ministry, giving our class a wonderful opportunity to enjoy this spectacular production together.
This vibrant, high-energy musical brings the story of Joseph to life with unforgettable songs, humor, heart, and a powerful message of faith and perseverance. After the matinee, the fun continues with dinner and fellowship at Christie’s Seafood & Steaks on Westheimer.
Tickets are very limited and selling quickly!
Group tickets are available for just $46, but seats within our reserved section are disappearing fast. CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS.
Meet up at The George Theater
5420 Westheimer Road, Houston
Saturday, July 11, 2026 • Matinee begins at 2:00 PM
Dinner and fellowship immediately following the show at Christie’s Seafood & Steaks on Westheimer.
Don’t miss this special Foundations Class Meet-Up filled with encouragement, connection, and a spectacular afternoon together. Secure your tickets soon before they are gone!
PASTOR'S MESSAGE RECAP · MAY 9, 2026
Four Ways to Walk Into Someone's Hurt
A Mother's Day Message from the Book of Job
On Mother's Day Sunday, our pastor brought a timely and practical word from Job chapter 2, drawing four powerful principles on how to truly show up for people in pain — whether a friend, a spouse, or your own child. Anchored in the story of Job and his three friends, the message reminded us that how we enter someone's hurt matters just as much as showing up at all.
The pastor opened with a thought that set the tone for everything that followed:
The Four Principles:
1. Be a Person of Hope — Speak Life Into Their Hurts. Rather than piling on or glossing over pain, we are called to speak words of genuine hope. As the pastor reminded us, "You are going to make it through this" and "The clouds are always moving" are two of the most powerful things you can say to someone in a dark moment.
2. Meet Them Where They Are — Not Where You Want Them to Be. Job's three friends left their own homes and traveled to Job. That's the model. Whether it means picking up the phone instead of sending a text, or showing up at the door, we are called to move toward hurting people — not wait for them to come to us.
3. Sit and Shush — Listen Long and Counsel Short. The friends sat in silence with Job for seven full days. That is the ministry of presence. Before we open our mouths, we must open our ears. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "The first service that we owe to anyone is to listen."
4. Wait for the Heart to Speak. Don't rush the conversation. When someone is ready to open up — let them. And when they do, don't be shocked. Create a safe enough space that they can say anything, so that you can respond with wisdom, grace, and truth. Look for a seed of faith you can water with the Word.
If you missed the message or want to share it with someone who needs it, you can find it at houstonfirst.org.
"I know that my redeemer lives." — Job 19:25
FOUNDATIONS CLASS · SUNDAY SCHOOL RECAP · MAY 9, 2026
Death, Joy, and the Priority of Today
Nancy Crownover Leads the Class Through Ecclesiastes 9:1–12
In a refreshingly honest and heartfelt presentation, Nancy Crownover led the Foundations Class through one of Scripture's most challenging passages — Ecclesiastes 9:1–12. With characteristic warmth and humility, Nancy admitted upfront that Ecclesiastes had always been a tough book for her, comparing the experience of digging through it to "trying to dig through hard pan with a spoon." That honesty set the perfect tone for a rich and lively class discussion.
Nancy walked the class through the first eight chapters of Ecclesiastes to set the stage, showing how Solomon — writing from a place of unmatched wealth, wisdom, and experience — repeatedly concluded that everything pursued apart from God amounts to chasing the wind. She noted the distinction between the worldly wisdom Solomon often employed and the deeper spiritual wisdom that only emerges fully by the end of the book.
From chapter 9, Nancy drew out three sobering but ultimately hopeful truths:
1. We Are in God's Hands. Though life can seem random and unfair — the righteous suffering while the wicked prosper — Solomon affirms that the works of the righteous and wise are under God's special protection and guidance. As Matthew Henry put it, all their affairs are managed by God for their good, whether love or hardship awaits them.
2. Death Is the Great Equalizer. Using a vivid chessboard metaphor, Nancy illustrated how every person — regardless of power, wealth, or position — shares the same earthly fate. No chess piece keeps its rank when the game ends and the pieces go into the box. Death levels us all. But for those in Christ, the King lifts the lid and welcomes us into his realm — where we are all queens.
3. Joy Is the Right Response — Today. Rather than leaving the class in despair, Solomon pivots to a call for intentional, joyful living. Eat with gladness. Love your spouse. Pour yourself into your work. Celebrate every moment God has given you — because life, no matter the circumstance, holds the gift of opportunity. We cannot control our circumstances, but we can always control our choice to trust God in them.
The class came alive with discussion — touching on God's sovereignty and free will, Solomon's tragic arc from wisdom to wandering, and the faithful thread of God's pursuit of his people throughout all of Scripture. Nancy also shared a powerful testimony from her volunteer work with Bridges to Life, about a man who spent 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit — and who found a deeper, truer relationship with God in that very suffering.
The class closed on a beautiful note, singing the hymn Trust and Obey a cappella — a perfect summary of everything Ecclesiastes ultimately calls us to. "For there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
Thank you, Nancy, for your humility, your diligence, and your heart for God's Word. What a gift to the Foundations Class!
FOUNDATIONS CLASS · COMING THIS SUNDAY May 17, 2026
Don't Be the Dead Fly in the Ointment!
This Sunday's Class Gets Interactive — and Solomon Has Something to Say to All of Us
Ecclesiastes 9:13–10:20 · "Folly vs. Wisdom"
Solomon opens chapter 10 with a vivid warning: "Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench — so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor." In other words, it only takes one bad decision, one careless word, one moment of foolishness to undo a reputation built over a lifetime. Sound familiar? This Sunday, the Foundations Class dives headfirst into one of Ecclesiastes' most practical and pointed stretches of Scripture.
Building on last week's powerful foundation from Nancy Crownover, we continue our journey through Ecclesiastes with an interactive lesson drawn from Ecclesiastes 9:13–10:20. Solomon lays out a sharp and sometimes humorous contrast between the way of wisdom and the way of folly — and the differences are more recognizable than we might like to admit.
From the poor wise man who saved an entire city but was promptly forgotten (Ecclesiastes 9:14–15), to the fool who can't even find his way to town (10:15), Solomon paints a picture of two very different ways to move through life. He takes on leaders, laborers, loose lips, and lazy hands — and pulls no punches along the way. A few highlights of what we'll dig into together:
· Wisdom overlooked — A poor man's wisdom saves a city, yet no one remembers him. Does wisdom still matter when the world doesn't notice?
· Words that build or destroy — The wise win favor through quiet words; the fool multiplies words and ends in madness. How are we stewarding our speech?
· Work with a sharp blade — "If the iron is blunt and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength — but wisdom helps one to succeed." (10:10) Are we working harder or working smarter?
· Even your thoughts have ears — Solomon closes with a timeless caution: "Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king… for a bird of the air will carry your voice." (10:20) Some things never change.
Whether you feel more like the wise man or — if you're being honest — a little more like the fool this week, Solomon has a word for you. Come ready to dig in, laugh a little, and walk away sharper than when you arrived.
We'll see you Sunday. Don't be the dead fly.
The Midweek Refreshment of Shared Prayer
Join our community as we pause together for the Sweet Hour of Prayer every Wednesday at noon. Please send your prayer requests to Karen at 713-204-8384 by Tuesday so they may be included.
Walking Together Through Future Grace
This month we pause to review Section I from February and look ahead to Section II: Free and Future Grace for March. Together we are learning that grace is not only God’s gift for the past, but His strength for the days still ahead.
March’s reading points us toward deeper dependence on the Lord, reminding us that His grace is sufficient for weary hearts, humble faith, and every step yet to come.
Read Future Grace Online at This Link
Connecting Through Encore Activities
For Encore information: Click Here
Stay Connected — Or Quietly Step Back. You're in Control with Our Foundations GroupMe
We’ve created a Foundations Class GroupMe message center as a convenient, real-time way to share prayer requests, announcements, and encouraging messages.
Join or leave anytime—no pressure. Mute notifications if you prefer silence or jump into the conversation when something grabs your heart.
Sign up here: https://3zs8.short.gy/FoundationsGM
