Fellowship • This Sunday
Chips, Queso, and Fellowship: After Class Lunch Is Tomorrow!
Some traditions are written in stone. Ours are written in queso.
This Sunday, August 2, the Foundations Class heads straight from the Rehearsal Hall to Los Tios Mexican Restaurant, 5161 San Felipe St, for our monthly After Class Lunch. The chips are warm, the salsa is fresh, the iced tea is cold, and the conversation is always the best item on the menu.
Class ends. Lunch begins. It’s that simple.
An Authentic Class Tradition
There’s no signup, no reservation, no agenda — just good food and even better friends. Whether you’re a Los Tios regular or a first-timer, there’s a seat at the table with your name on it.
JOIN US AT LOS TIOS THIS SUNDAY
Los Tios Mexican Restaurant • 5161 San Felipe St • Houston, TX
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Pastor’s Message • Sunday Recap
“Holy: Jesus is Our Atonement” — Pastor Gregg Takes Us Into the Holy of Holies
This past Sunday, Pastor Gregg continued the “Holy” series with a message entitled “Holy: Jesus is Our Atonement,” taking us to an often-overlooked corner of Scripture: Leviticus, Chapter 16, and the Day of Atonement.
Pastor Gregg opened with a picture every parent understands — you don’t just stroll into a delivery room. You scrub in. You prepare. And in the same way, the high priest Aaron could not simply wander into the Holy of Holies. God’s holy presence demands our humble approach.
The Day of Atonement sits at the very center of Leviticus, which sits at the center of the five books of Moses — and that placement is no accident. The center of the whole Bible story is that Jesus Christ came to atone for our sins.
The framework was simple and unforgettable: one man, one day, one way. In the Old Testament, one man (the high priest Aaron), on one day (the Day of Atonement), through one way (sacrifice). In the New Testament, one man (Jesus), on one day (the cross), through one way — His own blood, once for all time.
Atonement is received, not achieved.
Pastor Gregg
The two goats of the ceremony paint the full picture of the gospel. One goat was sacrificed as payment for sin. The other — the original “scapegoat” — carried the sins of the people away into the wilderness, never to return. Jesus doesn’t just forgive our sin. He removes it, as far as the east is from the west.
And the linen matters. When the high priest represented the people before God, he wore simple linen, not wool — no sweat, no work, nothing earned. To atone is to be made “at one” with God again — and through Christ, we are.
Because the veil was torn from top to bottom, every believer now has direct, open access to God at any moment. The message closed with the church family taking the Lord’s Supper together — a fitting response to a Savior who said, “It is finished.”
Watch the full message below:
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Lesson Review • New Feature
Watch, Then Play: Foundations Class Lesson Review Meets Our First Interactive Crossword!
This week’s Lesson Review just got an upgrade.
First, watch the review video below covering “Spirit and Power Through Faith,” taught by Jeff Pennington on Sunday, July 26, from Galatians, Chapter 3, Verses 1 through 5. It’s a great refresher on the Holy Spirit as the major actor in our walk with Christ — drone story included.
Then, put your memory to the test with something brand new: our first interactive online crossword puzzle. No printing, no pencil, no eraser shavings — just click the link and solve it right on your screen, on your phone, tablet, or computer. Every clue comes straight from the lesson, so if you watched the video, you’re already halfway to the answers.
Watch the review, then see how many clues you can solve!
A Foundations Class First
CLICK HERE FOR INTERACTIVE CROSSWORD ONLINE
Prefer paper and pencil? A printable PDF version is available below. But we think once you try the interactive version, you may never go back.
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Lesson Preview • Sunday, August 2
Faith First, Always: Rand Wall Takes Us Deep Into Galatians This Sunday
Four hundred years before Moses ever climbed Mount Sinai, God made a promise to Abraham — and Abraham believed. That order matters, and this Sunday, August 2, Rand Wall will show us why.
Continuing our “Set Free” journey through Galatians, Rand teaches “How Law and Faith Work Together,” from Galatians, Chapter 3, Verses 6 through 22. In this passage, Paul lands the main argument of his entire letter: spiritual blessings have always come through a system of faith, never through a system of merit. The promise to Abraham came first. The Law came later — and it neither changed the promise nor opposed it.
“Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.”
Galatians 3:6
So why was the Law given at all? That’s one of the great questions Rand will unpack, along with how Christ annulled the curse of the Law and opened Abraham’s blessing to all of us who believe.
Join us Sunday at 10:45 AM in the Rehearsal Hall — and bring your questions. This is the hinge on which the whole book of Galatians turns.
See you Sunday, friends!
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Sun, Aug 9 • 12:30–2 PM • The Gym
Every Journey Needs a PathMaker
The new Life Bible Study year begins soon, and it kicks off with the Adult LBS Leadership Luncheon on Sunday, August 9. Whether you lead a group today or feel God nudging you toward serving, friends, there's a seat at this table for you.
Every meaningful journey begins with a destination in mind. Successful journeys rarely happen by accident—they take preparation, anticipation, and a willingness to follow the right path. The same is true for Life Bible Study. Every Sunday, people walk into our rooms from different places in life: some searching for hope, some for community, some for a deeper relationship with Christ. Wherever they begin, God has a destination in mind.
What can God accomplish in just one hour? A first-time guest finds a welcoming community. Someone takes their next step in following Christ because a leader invested in them. A grieving heart finds hope through the compassion of fellow believers.
— ONLY HE KNOWS
Come connect, be encouraged, and be equipped to serve as a PathMaker—creating welcoming environments, pointing people to God's truth, and helping them take their next step toward Christ. Lunch is on the table and the vision is ready; all that's missing is you.
Prefer a personal touch? Just let Butch or Karen know you're coming.
Then mark your calendar: Kickoff Sunday is August 16—another year of helping people know Christ, grow in Christ, and make disciples who make disciples.
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Foundations Fellowship • Save the Date
We Love Our Sundays — But Have You Tried Our Sundaes?
The sundae truck is rolling back around — Friday, September 11!
Every Sunday, the Foundations Class gathers around something sweet — God's Word and great friends. But on Friday, September 11 at 7:30 PM, we're gathering around the other kind of sundae. Back by popular demand, our How Sweet It Is dessert fellowship returns, hosted by the Butchers!
Here's the plan — and it starts before dessert is served. Plan a dinner meet-up first! Gather a small group and head out for dinner together earlier that evening. Invite a class member you've been wanting to know better. Invite a guest or a friend — from church or beyond — who could use some fellowship. This is a wonderful opportunity to open a seat at the table and make room for new and growing Christian friendships.
“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.”
— Proverbs 25:11 (ESV)
Sometimes the sweetest word fitly spoken is simply, “Come join us for dinner.” Who will you invite?
Then, after your dinner meet-ups, everyone comes together at the Butchers' at 7:30 PM for a sweet after-dinner fellowship — sundaes, floats, toppings galore, and laughter in every room. If you were there last time, you already know. And if you missed it, here's your second scoop!
How Sweet It Is — Dessert Fellowship
Friday, September 11 • 7:30 PM
Hosted by the Butchers • Plan your dinner meet-up first!
Address and details on GroupMe
Our friendships aren't just for Sunday mornings. Start planning your dinner group now — because dessert is always better shared with friends.
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Encore Ladies · Women Helping Women
Every Gift Wraps Up Hope
There’s a baby shower coming — and here’s the beautiful twist: the guest of honor isn’t one mom. It’s every mom who walks through the doors of Houston’s Pregnancy Help Center needing a little help getting started. Some showers celebrate one arrival; this one celebrates dozens we’ll never meet this side of heaven.
Taking part is simple: open the invitation below for the full gift list — everything from diapers and onesies to strollers and car seats — then pick something, wrap it, and bring it on the 18th. Can’t attend? Wrapped gifts can be dropped off at the office, Room 256.
“Women helping women — one wrapped gift at a time.”
Benefitting Houston’s Pregnancy Help Center
Baby Shower — Women Helping Women Mission Project
Tuesday, August 18 · 1:00–3:00 PM · Loop Campus, Room 132 (Reception Room)
Please bring a wrapped gift · Can’t attend? Drop off at Room 256
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Fall 2026 Series Announcement
Coming This Fall: Hebrews 11 — The Hall of Faith
Every great story deserves a great trailer, and our next series just got one. This fall, Foundations begins a 14-week journey through Hebrews 11 — the Hall of Faith — walking the chapter’s roll call of ordinary people who trusted an extraordinary God: Noah building before the rain, Abraham answering before he knew the destination, and walls that fell because somebody kept marching.
And if the movie-trailer-style announcement looks a little familiar… let’s just say one of our own may have been spotted on set alongside the heroes of the faith.
Share the trailer with a friend, a neighbor, or anyone looking for a Bible study home this fall. Hebrews 11 reminds us that faith isn’t reserved for spiritual giants — it’s for everyone willing to take the next step without seeing the whole staircase. Full schedule and details coming soon.
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Midweek · Every Wednesday
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.
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Giving Opportunity · Family Camp
A Seat at the Campfire — Reserved by You
Every year, Family Camp gives single-parent and blended families at Houston’s First something the calendar rarely allows: a weekend to exhale. Three days to step away from the daily grind, strengthen relationships, grow in faith, and discover they are not walking their road alone.
Last year, nearly 50 families gathered around the theme Endure. They heard Philip and Elizabeth Varjas share how God carried them through hardship — and you could feel the room lean in. Kids tackled the ropes course, went fishing, and braved the putt-putt. Parents finally rested over an ice cream social. By Sunday morning, families who had arrived worn down left with renewed joy, new friendships, and one anchoring truth: God’s Word endures forever (Isaiah 40:8) — and through Christ, so can we.
This year, several families would love to come but can’t cover the cost. And here’s the part worth sitting with:
A scholarship of just $50–75 per person is often the only thing standing between a struggling family and a weekend that could change their year.
That’s the whole gap. We can close it.
Would our class sponsor one or more campers? Every gift — any amount — removes a financial barrier and hands a family a weekend they’ll carry home in their hearts. Your generosity can have an eternal impact.
Read last year’s Family Camp recap →
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Ministry · Encore Activities
Connecting Through Encore Activities
For Encore information click here →
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Stay Connected · GroupMe
You’re in Control — Join or Step Back Anytime
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 →
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