Foundations Class Weekly September 5 2026

After-Class Lunch

Many Parts, One Table

Class lets out this Sunday and the fellowship keeps right on going. Join your Foundations friends at Los Tios Mexican Restaurant for an unhurried Labor Day weekend lunch — warm chips, hot queso, tall glasses of iced tea, and a long table of familiar faces.

It fits the morning. This week's lesson takes us into 1 Corinthians 12, where Paul reminds us that a body is not one part but many — each one needed, all of them belonging to one another. That's a truth easier felt across a table than read on a page.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many.

1 Corinthians 12:14

No sign-up sheet, no head count. Come hungry, and bring a friend who's been away a while.

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Lesson Preview · Sunday, September 6, 2026

Chapter Four Starts Tomorrow

“From Country Club to Stained Glass” — 1 Corinthians 12:12–27

Tomorrow we get to do one of our favorite things together.

We'll open with a contrast worth sitting with. A country club is a place you pay into and expect to be served — and if it isn't to your liking, you complain. A stained-glass window is something else entirely. It makes no light of its own. It simply stands where the light can pass through, and the whole room changes because of it.

Then comes the blueprint. Paul's picture of the church in 1 Corinthians 12 is a good one: a body where every single piece matters, where the hidden parts are just as necessary as the visible ones, where when one person hurts, we all feel it. That's not a club you join. That's a family you belong to.

If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

1 Corinthians 12:26

Then the part we're looking forward to most. This summer some of you mapped out three chapters of your story — life before Christ, the moment you met Him, and life since. Tomorrow we write Chapter 4: My Life Ahead. Where are you being sent next? Who are you meant to walk alongside? What would it look like for the light to get through you?

We'll take that to the tables. Real conversation, out loud, with the friends sitting next to you — and then we'll gather up what came out of it and share the best of it with the whole room. You'll hear things about people you've known for years that you never knew. That's not a lesson you sit through. That's one you get to be part of.

And afterward, we're all headed to Los Tios. Chips, queso, and a long table of friendly faces.

Come be part of it. Then let's go, don't sit.

10:45 AM · Rehearsal Hall

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How Sweet It Is · Friday, September 11, 2026

Life Is Sweeter Together

Here's how the evening works, and it's simple on purpose.

Pick a restaurant. Round up a few friends — or better yet, one friend you've been meaning to get to know. Have dinner together, take your time, and enjoy the kind of conversation that doesn't happen in a fifteen-minute hallway visit.

Then come to the Butchers' at 7:30 for dessert. Ice cream, sundaes with every topping on the table, cake, pie, cookies, and more sweet fellowship than any of us needs and all of us want.

Ask them to dinner. That's the whole assignment.

Friday, September 11

The dinner part is the part worth praying about this week. Is there someone in class you'd like to know better? Someone who's been quiet lately, or hasn't been around in a while? Someone who's never come to a class event because nobody ever asked them directly? Ask them to dinner.

Life really is sweeter together. Come find out Friday.

Dessert & Fellowship · 7:30 PM · The Butchers' 13926 Kimberley (77079) 713-204-8384

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Sermon Recap · Sunday, August 30, 2026

Success Happens to You. Impact Happens Because of You.

“Moving with God Together: Four Attributes of an Impactful Person” — Numbers 8

Pastor Gregg opened with a line he had heard from a college coach that framed the entire message: success is what happens to you; impact is what happens because of you. Turning to Numbers 8, where the Lord instructs Moses to instruct Aaron in the making of the lampstand, he drew out four attributes that mark a life of genuine impact.

Success is what happens to you. Impact is what happens because of you.

Pastor Gregg

Ears That Hear the Lord

God's ideas carry God's power; ours do not. Too many of us spend our lives talking God into our plans instead of quieting down long enough to hear His. Pastor Gregg shared finding a document on his computer he had written in 2006 about the possibilities of one day acquiring the 701 building — a reminder that hearing from God may mean waiting twenty years on His timing.

Hands That Build a Team

God told Moses to tell Aaron. Leaders must delegate real responsibility — and the authority to go with it — to trusted partners. He pointed to 1 Corinthians 12: the eye cannot say to the ear, “I have no need of you.” He also told the story of Humphrey Monmouth, the cloth merchant who hid William Tyndale and smuggled English Bibles across England tucked between fabric shipments. There is no JV squad in the kingdom.

A Heart That Loves the Presence of God

Light in the tabernacle symbolized God's presence, and the lamps were set to shine forward. When we love His presence most, we hear His voice best — and hearing leads to obeying, not evaluating.

A Soul That Shines While Dented

The lampstand was hammered gold. We are gold, precious to God, and we will be dented — by our own choices, by others, by sorrows we never chose. But God uses the hammer to shape flower petals. He is not breaking our hearts; He is breaking our wills, and a broken will becomes a surrendered heart. Jesus Himself shined not merely dented but pierced.

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Living It Out This Week

• Open the Word before you open your plans. Ask what God is saying rather than asking Him to bless what you have already decided.
• Hand someone real responsibility — and the authority to carry it. Then get out of the way.
• Turn something off and sit with the Lord the way you would sit on the couch with someone you love. Presence is different from a text message.
• Take the step forward in your family, your workplace, your circle. You may never know the impact.

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Lesson Recap · Sunday, August 30, 2026

Invited in the Room

“Why I don't see God at work doing the Miraculous” — taught by Gary Pate

Before we opened our next series, Gary Pate brought us a stand-alone lesson: Why I don't see God at work doing the Miraculous. Ordained more than forty-five years ago, a Southwestern Seminary graduate, a church starter for nineteen years and an attorney for the past twenty-six, he came to tackle two questions he says the church still wrestles with — and to insist that Scripture answers both plainly.

Does God Still Speak Today?

Some argue that once all sixty-six books were complete, God fell silent. But Jesus said His sheep know His voice and follow Him (John 10:1–4), and nowhere does Scripture attach an expiration date to that promise. Gary walked us through two Greek words for “word”: logos, the whole counsel of God — the Bible in our hands — and rhema, an utterance. Both appear together in John 12:48. The test is simple: a true rhema will never contradict the logos.

Does God Still Perform Miracles?

Hebrews 13:8 settles it — Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Gary also challenged our praying. Many of us tack on “if it be Thy will” as a way of giving God an out in case the answer doesn't come. His wife taught him to pray Psalm 103 over the sick instead, believing God for the benefit of healing and then leaving the outcome to God's sovereignty.

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Luke 8: Two Miracles, One Crowd

The heart of the lesson was Luke 8:40–56. Jairus, ruler of the synagogue, threw his career at Jesus' feet to beg healing for his only daughter. On the way, a woman who had bled for twelve years — ceremonially unclean, cut off from the temple, her money spent on physicians who couldn't help — pressed through a suffocating crowd to touch the fringe of His garment. She was healed. Jesus called her daughter, the only time He uses that name for anyone, and He did it within earshot of a father whose own daughter lay dying.

Then the hard word arrived: the girl was dead. And here is the verse Gary said jumped out at him like no other. When Jesus reached the house full of mourners who ridiculed Him, He put them all outside — and took only Peter, James, John, and the girl's parents into the room where the miracle happened.

But He put them all outside.

Luke 8:54

Peter, Gary noted, was likely three feet from the woman's healing and never saw it coming. We can stand that close to what God is doing and miss it entirely. He shared a story of his own: a five-second prayer for safety before a family vacation, and a car five seconds ahead of them struck by a drunk driver at the first major intersection.

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Living It Out This Week

• Read the written Word daily so you can recognize His voice. Anything you sense God saying will square with what He has already put in Scripture.
• Pray Psalm 103 over someone who is sick — with confidence, not a built-in escape hatch — and then trust His sovereignty with the result.
• Guard a pure heart. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). Unbelief is what puts us outside the room.
• Look around this week with expectation. The miracle may already be three feet away.

Coming Up: Our new series begins Sunday, September 13 — a long, rich walk through Hebrews 11 and the faith of those who have gone before us.

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Coming This Fall

Faith Beyond Sight: A New Series Begins This Fall

Hebrews 11 • Foundations Class • Beginning Sunday, September 13

Galatians has carried us through the summer. This fall we turn to one of the most remarkable chapters in all of Scripture. Beginning Sunday, September 13, the Foundations Class opens a new series: Faith Beyond Sight: Lessons from Hebrews 11.

Hebrews 11 is often called the Hall of Faith, and for good reason. It is a roll call of ordinary people who trusted God for things they could not yet see. Noah built a boat on dry ground. Israel walked between walls of water. Daniel spent a night among lions and came out to tell it. Jericho fell without a siege. Samson found his strength again at the end. None of them had the whole picture. All of them moved anyway.

Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

That is the thread we will follow week by week. These are not legends kept behind glass. They are witnesses, and the chapter ends by pointing straight at us — their stories were written down so that ours could be lived out. Faith is not just seen. It is lived.

We meet Sundays at 10:45 in the Choir Rehearsal Hall, second floor of the Loop Campus, up the wide staircase from the foyer. Come as you are and bring a friend. There is a place for you here.

Join Us September 13

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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.

Learn More or Give →

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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HFBC · Path to Membership

Click for Membership Information →

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Foundations Class Weekly August 29 2026

Lesson Recap

SLOW DOWN, LOOK BACK — AND LIVE FREE

Our Galatians Summer Review

Galatians 5:22–23 • Foundations Class Interactive • Sunday, August 23

Last Sunday, August 23, Foundations took time to slow down and look back over our nine-lesson summer journey through Galatians, Freedom in Christ.

There was even a little fun in how we began. The previous week, Pastor Gregg had reached back into the vocabulary of our generation and used the word “groovy.” So what better background for a slideshow on the Fruit of the Spirit than Simon & Garfunkel’s “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)”?

Beyond the nostalgia, its reminder to slow down fit the morning perfectly. We stopped to consider Galatians 5:22–23—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control—and asked: Where can I look back and recognize that the Holy Spirit has genuinely changed me?

The answers shared around the room became testimonies of God’s work—faithfulness through difficult circumstances, greater patience and kindness, praying for others, passing faith to the next generation, and responding with self-control.

Then a special Galatians Summer Series review video brought back key teaching points from each of our teachers. Different voices and passages pointed us toward one consistent truth.

Jesus Christ has done for us what we could never do for ourselves.

Galatians Summer Series

The gospel is Christ—not Christ plus something else. We don’t work for God’s acceptance; because of Christ, we live from His acceptance. And our freedom in Christ is freedom to walk by the Spirit.

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The Application

Stand firm in Christ’s freedom. Walk by the Spirit. Look for His fruit in your life. Carry one another’s burdens. And let the cross—not our accomplishments—be our boast.

Slow down and look back at what God has done. Look within and recognize where His Spirit is working. Then look ahead—and keep walking with Him.

And maybe it’s still okay to call that groovy.

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Before You Go

Test Yourself

Forty-five flashcards covering all nine lessons. Click a card to flip it, then work your way through at your own pace—a simple way to keep this summer’s study close at hand.

This Sunday • Guest Teacher

INVITED INSIDE

Guest Teacher Gary Pate on Why I Don’t See God at Work Doing the Miraculous

Luke 8:51 • Gary Pate • Sunday, August 30

This Sunday, August 30, Foundations welcomes guest teacher Gary Pate for a special lesson: Invited Inside: Why I Don’t See God at Work Doing the Miraculous.

The text is a single verse. In Luke 8:51, Jesus arrives at the house of Jairus, whose daughter has just died—and He does something easy to read right past. He does not let everyone come in with Him. Only Peter, John, James, and the girl’s mother and father go through that door. Everyone else stays outside.

A crowd had followed Jesus all the way there. But only a few were inside the room when the miracle happened.

And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child.

Luke 8:51

That detail raises a question worth sitting with. If you have ever wondered why you hear about God working powerfully in other lives and not so plainly in your own, this lesson is aimed squarely at you. Gary will walk us through what set those few apart, and what it looks like to be the kind of person Jesus brings inside.

Bring a friend. This is a good week to invite someone who has been meaning to visit—a single-verse lesson with a guest teacher is an easy Sunday to walk into for the first time.

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Join Us

Sunday, August 30

Gathering at 10:30 AM • Teaching at 11:00 AM

Rehearsal Hall • Houston’s First Baptist Church, Loop Campus

Plan to Join Us Sunday

Pastor's Message

Moving with God Together: Blessed

Numbers 6:22–27 • Pastor Gregg • August 23, 2026

Israel is packing for the wilderness. Pastor Gregg started with a backpack — water bottle, map, first aid kit, Astros hat — then made the point that the one thing they needed most could not be bought at Academy. What they needed was the blessing and favor of God. Moses said it plainly in Exodus 33:14: if your presence does not go with us, do not send us from this place.

The Priestly Blessing holds five gifts. Protection — being kept by God in the middle of difficulty, not spared from it. Presence — the sunshine smile of God turned toward you, not a scowl. Favor — grace that comes before a single step is taken, because it is easier to have the approval of God than the approval of man. Peace — shalom, the presence of Christ in the crisis. And identity — verse 27, the forgotten verse, where God writes His own name over His people.

Peace is not the absence of crisis. It is the presence of Christ.

Pastor Gregg

Two moments landed hard. The Ketef Hinnom silver scrolls, uncovered outside Jerusalem in 1979, carry this exact blessing on a scroll dating to the 600s B.C. — roughly four centuries older than the Dead Sea Scrolls. Nobody made this up. And on the softball field, his daughter reached first base and immediately looked to third for her father's eyes: Is that good, Dad? Children should leave home from approval, not for approval. So should we.

Pray the blessing out loud this week — over your spouse, your children, your parents, yourself. Put the fridge magnet where you will actually see it. Then pick up a few of the blessing cards in the lobby and hand them to someone who needs one. The point is not to say I am so blessed. The point is to be a blessing.

Watch the Full Message

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From Our Friends

A NOTE FROM RICHARD AND TRISH

Open the card to read it in their own hand

A card arrived this week from Richard and Trish, thanking the class for the prayers, calls, texts, cards, and meals that have surrounded them through a difficult season. They write that those prayers have been a lifeline.

We’ve scanned all four panels so you can read it the way they wrote it. Tap the card below to open it, then move through the panels—the full note is there, along with the verse they chose to close it, Second Corinthians 9:8.

Answered prayer. Richard and Trish are back and doing well!

Men on a Mission

On the Trail Again: BBQ Trail Ride Recap

Old Hickory Inn • Trail Boss Richard Battle • Thursday, August 27, 2026

Trail Boss Richard Battle pointed the men toward Old Hickory Inn, and they answered the call. Good smoke, full plates, and the kind of conversation that only happens around a table.

Watch the recap above, then watch this space — the next stop on the trail is coming. If you have been meaning to ride along, this is your invitation.

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Coming This Fall

Faith Beyond Sight: A New Series Begins This Fall

Hebrews 11 • Foundations Class • Beginning Sunday, September 13

Galatians has carried us through the summer. This fall we turn to one of the most remarkable chapters in all of Scripture. Beginning Sunday, September 13, the Foundations Class opens a new series: Faith Beyond Sight: Lessons from Hebrews 11.

Hebrews 11 is often called the Hall of Faith, and for good reason. It is a roll call of ordinary people who trusted God for things they could not yet see. Noah built a boat on dry ground. Israel walked between walls of water. Daniel spent a night among lions and came out to tell it. Jericho fell without a siege. Samson found his strength again at the end. None of them had the whole picture. All of them moved anyway.

Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

That is the thread we will follow week by week. These are not legends kept behind glass. They are witnesses, and the chapter ends by pointing straight at us — their stories were written down so that ours could be lived out. Faith is not just seen. It is lived.

We meet Sundays at 10:45 in the Choir Rehearsal Hall, second floor of the Loop Campus, up the wide staircase from the foyer. Come as you are and bring a friend. There is a place for you here.

Join Us September 13

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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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F

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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.

★ ★ ★

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.

Learn More or Give →

Read last year’s Family Camp recap →

★ ★ ★

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 →

★ ★ ★

HFBC · Path to Membership

Click for Membership Information →

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Foundations Class Weekly August 22 2026

Q3 2026 Focus

Jehovah Jireh — The LORD Will Provide

This Quarter's Memory Verse • Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

We memorize one verse a quarter, and this is the one. Say it out loud this week until it comes without looking — in the car, at the sink, before you close your eyes at night.

It pairs with our Q3 focus on Jehovah Jireh, the name Abraham gave the mountain when God supplied what he could not. The same God who provided then is still providing now, and Romans 8:28 is His promise that nothing in your week is wasted.

Friends, if you're just joining us, there's still plenty of quarter left. Start today.

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Men on a Mission

Trail Boss Richard Sounds the Call: The BBQ Trail Rides Again This Month

It started with a song.  Trail Boss Richard stepped up and serenaded the class with his own barbecue-flavored spin on a certain country classic about life on the road — and just like that, the trail is calling again.

This ride comes with a tip from one of our very own. Ron Chow pointed the Trail Boss toward Old Hickory Inn Barbecue, a Houston institution that's been slow-smoking brisket since 1963. After six decades at its old spot, Old Hickory recently moved into a brand-new building at the corner of Hillcroft and Braeswood — and Richard, who personally scouted it on Friday, reports it may be the nicest barbecue joint the trail has ever visited. New building, same old-fashioned Texas barbecue: brisket, ribs, sausage, and all the fixings.

Next Stop: Old Hickory Inn Barbecue — Thursday, August 27 at 11:20 — 9601 Hillcroft (at Braeswood)

Trail Boss Richard is reserving the table — let him know you're riding along.

Brisket. Brotherhood. And a Trail Boss who knows where all the good smoke is. You've got a few weeks — consider this the bug in your ear. Mark your calendar for Thursday, August 27, and come hungry, friends. The trail rides on.

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Sermon Recap

Moving with God Together: Plan to Succeed

Numbers 1–2; Genesis 12:1–4 • Pastor Gregg • August 16, 2026

Pastor Gregg opened the book of Numbers by introducing it five different ways — once for each generation in the room, from Gen Z to the silent generation, who needed only one sentence and gave it a round of applause. The point underneath the fun was serious. Every generation has read this book, and one generation in it never reached the promised land.

Numbers takes its name from the two census counts that bracket it. The first counts a generation that will wander and die in the wilderness. The second counts their children, who will cross over. Leviticus covered one year of the journey. Numbers covers the next thirty-eight or thirty-nine, from Sinai to the edge of the Jordan.

God speaks to those who listen. Chapter one opens with the Lord speaking to Moses in the tent. All of Leviticus happened outside it. Now the purity work is done and the meeting can happen. Many of us plan to move as soon as we feel ready to have faith — but that's backward. Pastor Gregg also gave the order worth keeping: God speaks through His Word first, then His Spirit, then His people. We tend to reverse it, hunting for a good feeling and then a verse to confirm what we already decided.

God hits moving targets.

Pastor Gregg

The Lincoln photograph made it concrete. In the tent you get the plans; from the plans you go out and win the war.

God always has a plan. To see it, Pastor Gregg took us back to Genesis 12 and the covenant with Abram — a chosen people, a chosen place, a clear promise, and a clear purpose. That last one matters most: all the peoples of earth will be blessed through you. The plan was never only for Israel. It built toward one blessing, and His name is Jesus.

He addressed replacement theology directly and called it theologically incorrect, pointing to Romans 11 — Gentiles are grafted in, not substituted, and the promises of God are irrevocable. If God could break a promise with Israel, He could break one with anybody. And he named the heart behind it plainly: this isn't politics, it's the same desire Paul carried, that Jewish friends and Gentile friends alike would come to know Jesus as Messiah.

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Applications

Take inventory of your life. Moses knew his people, tribe by tribe and leader by leader — men whose very names pointed to the character of God. An unexamined life isn't worth living. Are you walking with God right now, honestly?

Arrange your life with God at the center. Israel camped around the tent of meeting, each tribe in its assigned place. God is not the fringe of your life. Seek first His kingdom, and the rest gets added.

Trust instead of complaining when life isn't what you expected. The complaints run through Numbers 11, 12, 14, 16, 20, 21, and 26 — always some version of it was better in Egypt. That generation missed the promised land for two reasons: unbelief and ingratitude. So we come back to our own hearts and say, I'm going to believe, and I'm going to be grateful.

Pastor Gregg closed with Susan Barnett, who believed the vacant land across from the Sienna campus belonged to the church and walked it seven times in prayer, the way Joshua circled Jericho. The staff joined her. People park cars on that ground today. His final call was simple — more people coming to the altar than to the exit.

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Lesson Recap

A Call to Live in Freedom

"A Call to Live in Freedom" • Galatians 5:1–6:18 • Don Sweat • August 16, 2026

Don Sweat closed our summer study by covering two chapters in one morning, opening right where Paul does: "For freedom, Christ has set us free." Paul finally names circumcision head-on — not because the act is wrong, but because taking on one requirement of the law to earn standing with God obligates you to all of it.

The opposite of faith is not doubt. The opposite of faith is control.

Don Sweat

That line reframed the lesson. Falling away from grace isn't a dramatic collapse; it's quietly taking back the wheel. Quiet time and journaling are good things — until they become a box to check or a scoreboard against the person next to you.

The clearest point of the morning came from Galatians 5:19–23. The works of the flesh are entirely mine to own. But I cannot manufacture fruit. It grows only as the Holy Spirit works through me — which leaves nothing to boast about.

Chapter six turns warm. The letter that opened with a scolding now calls them brothers. Restore gently. Bear one another's burdens, Don said, because when we carry a friend's load we are being Christ to them — carrying ours to the cross is exactly what He did.

Paul closes in his own hand, in large letters, boasting in nothing but the cross.

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Takeaways

Freedom is the point. Adding anything to faith subtracts from what Christ already finished.

Check the motive, not just the habit. Are you doing it to know God better, or to measure well against your neighbor?

Carry someone's burden this week. Grace creates faith, and faith produces obedience.

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Series Review

Pop Quiz, Friends — No Grades, No Pressure

Galatians Series Review • Galatians 1–6 • Sunday, August 23, 2026

This week we look back. Before we set out on a new path in September, we're taking a Sunday to review what a summer in Galatians left with us.

Some of it was the big theological turns. Some of it was the illustrations that made us laugh and then stuck around all week anyway — a drone on the porch, a courtroom verdict, a letter written in oversized handwriting by a man who could barely see.

Underneath all of it, one verse.

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore.

Galatians 5:1

Here's a little insight into where we're headed Sunday. Take a few minutes with the ten questions below, reveal the answers as you go, and see what surfaces. No grades, friends.

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Galatians Series Quiz: Freedom in Christ

1. Who were the Galatians originally?

• A) Roman legions stationed in Syria
• B) Celtic Gauls who migrated to north-central Anatolia in 278-277 BCE
• C) Greek merchants living in Ephesus

Reveal Answer

Correct Answer: B

The Galatians were originally Celtic Gauls who migrated to central Turkey, making them a "Celtic Island in a Roman Sea."

2. Why did Paul confront Peter (Cephas) to his face in Antioch, as described in Galatians 2?

• A) Because Peter insisted that Paul was not a true apostle since he was not one of the original twelve.
• B) Because Peter acted like a "chameleon" by withdrawing from Gentile fellowship due to fear of the circumcision party.
• C) Because Peter refused to help collect the offering for the poor in Jerusalem.

Reveal Answer

Correct Answer: B

Paul publicly opposed Peter for his hypocritical behavior, showing Peter was "not in step with the truth of the gospel" due to peer pressure.

3. What is the "vivid portrayal" Paul refers to in Galatians 3:1 that he uses to challenge the Galatians' move toward legalism?

• A) The specific list of 613 commandments in the Talmud.
• B) Jesus Christ publicly portrayed as crucified.
• C) The sacrifice of Isaac on Mount Moriah.

Reveal Answer

Correct Answer: B

Paul challenges them by reminding them that they had already received a vivid portrayal of Christ crucified, demonstrating that work on the cross was complete.

4. What did Paul suggest about his physical condition in Galatians 4 and 6, and how did it affect his writing?

• A) He had a paralyzed arm, making it impossible for him to write anything himself.
• B) He had poor vision, possibly resulting in his use of "large letters" when writing in his own hand.
• C) He suffered from severe malaria, which prevented him from traveling.

Reveal Answer

Correct Answer: B

Paul notes the Galatians would have "plucked out their eyes" for him, and points out the "large letters" he used to write with his own hand.

5. In Lesson 6, Jeff Pennington used which modern metaphor to describe how the Holy Spirit works, challenging the idea that the Spirit is just a static "package"?

• A) A self-driving electric car steering our path
• B) A Walmart drone delivering a package to our doorstep
• C) A streaming service with an endless queue

Reveal Answer

Correct Answer: B

Jeff used the Walmart drone delivery metaphor to emphasize that the Spirit is an active, living force initiating new life, not just a dropped-off cardboard box.

6. According to Don Sweat's teaching in the series finale, what is the true opposite of faith?

• A) Doubt and intellectual skepticism
• B) Control
• C) Fear of physical persecution

Reveal Answer

Correct Answer: B

Don taught that trying to justify or perfect ourselves through rules is ultimately an attempt to maintain control rather than trusting God.

7. Which theological analogy did Don Sweat use to illustrate the stages of salvation (Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification)?

• A) A three-stage SpaceX Starship rocket blasting off, traveling, and landing
• B) An accounting ledger balancing sin debts and infinite righteousness credits
• C) A legal courtroom with a judge declaring a pardon

Reveal Answer

Correct Answer: A

Don likened Justification to the dramatic rocket blast-off, Sanctification to the journey through space, and Glorification to the final touchdown.

8. What central distinction did Rand Wall make in Lesson 7 to separate Christianity from all other world religions?

• A) "Sacrifice" vs. "Sovereignty"
• B) "Do" religions vs. "Done" religion
• C) "Written Law" vs. "Oral Tradition"

Reveal Answer

Correct Answer: B

Every other faith tells humanity what they must "do" to reach God; Christianity is built on what has already been "done" by Christ on the cross.

9. According to Butch in Lesson 1, where did the very first attack on the Christian church originate?

• A) Outside the church, from Roman political authorities
• B) Within the church itself, through false teachers distorting the gospel
• C) From secular Greek philosophical schools

Reveal Answer

Correct Answer: B

Butch opened the series by warning that the earliest and most dangerous threat to the gospel came from inside the community (the Judaizers).

10. Which verse serves as the core "Freedom Theme" anchor of the entire Galatians summer series?

• A) Galatians 2:20 ("I have been crucified with Christ...")
• B) Galatians 5:1 ("For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore...")
• C) Galatians 6:8 ("For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption...")

Reveal Answer

Correct Answer: B

Galatians 5:1 is the theological apex of the letter and the anchor of the series' "The Well-Worn Path" branding and tri-fold materials.

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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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.

Learn More or Give →

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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HFBC · Path to Membership

Click for Membership Information →

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