We mean it when we say, “Everyone is Welcome here!”

COMING IN FEBRUARY: MLK & Black History Celebration 2/22

February 18 – 24 , 2026

This Week @ First Church

Wednesday February 18th

Ash Wednesday Service – 12 Noon – Willson Chapel

Mindful Meditation – 6 p.m.

Come every Wednesday evening and leave the troubles of the world outside as you spend an hour in meditation. Enter the church through the Delaware Street entrance.

Sunday February 22nd

Worship Service – 10 a.m.

Sermon – “It Is Written…” Based on Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7 and Matthew 4:1-11

Notes for Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7
In our first reading today from the book of Genesis, we learn
that God placed humans on Earth or Eden to be stewards,
not exploiters of God’s creations. He see that God intended
for us to flourish as He provided for humans from the
beginning. We learn God gave us each free will; we can
choose to follow Him or we can choose our own moral
authority to navigate life. We also learn that God gave us
free will; we can choose to follow Him and to trust in him or
we can disobey his rules and suffer the consequences.
Lastly, we learn that evil will tempt us through the doubting
of God’s word and His law resulting in shame, fear and
separation from our Creator. belief we can tell good from
evil.

Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7

15  The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take
care of it.  16  And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree
in the garden;  17  but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for
when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had
made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in
the garden’?”
2  The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,  3  but
God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and
you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4  “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.  5  “For God knows that when
you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and
evil.”
6  When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the
eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave
some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.  7  Then the eyes of both of them
were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and
made coverings for themselves.

Notes for Matthew 4:1-11.

The key lesson here is that we, like Jesus, will be tempted by evil and it is imperative
that we ground ourselves in God and His written word.

Matthew 4:1-11
Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted [a]  by the devil.  2  After
fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.  3  The tempter came to him and said,
“If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4  Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word
that comes from the mouth of God.’ [b] ”
5  Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the
temple.  6  “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ [c] ”
7  Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ [d] ”
8  Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of
the world and their splendor.  9  “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and
worship me.”
10  Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God,
and serve him only.’ [e] ”
11  Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

HYMNS

“Rejoice, You Pure in Heart”

“O God How We Have Wandered”

“God Will Take Care of You”

MLK & Black History Celebration – 4pm