Pine Mountain Christian Community Church

10/30/2026

Dear friend of Pine Mountain Christian Community Church,

Have you ever been in a desperate situation? This Sunday, November 1st, we will begin chapter 8 of Matthew. As Jesus comes down from the mountain, He is met by a man with the dreaded disease of leprosy. He was desperate. There was no cure for leprosy. It was the horrible disease of the day. He did the right thing: he went to Jesus. Interestingly enough, the man did not ask Jesus to heal him. Instead, he humbled himself before Jesus, gave Him praise and honor, and then waited. He was greatly rewarded as Jesus healed the man instantly. Often, we are quick to bring our request to God. Often, there is little humility in our praying. Often, we do not give God the honor and praise He deserves. We can learn much form this simple man who came to Christ out of his desperation. I pray you will join us as we are inspired by the mercy and power of God.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THESE COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

* Please pray for the Bergman family as they prepare for the arrival of their next child, due any day!

* ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS! This Sunday is our annual Members Meeting, at which we will celebrate what God has done and vote for the budget for the coming year. We need a quorum to pass the budget, so please plan to attend at 12 noon.

* As we begin the holiday season of Thanksgiving and Christmas, I want to ask everyone to please arrive to church a little early. The opening song, the call to worship, the time of praise is vital to prepare our hearts to meet with God. We can all be a great encouragement to our church family by arriving a little early and beginning the time of worship together. This is also a time when we will have more visitors than other times of the year. We can all greatly enhance the experience of everyone if we are seated and eager to come into the presence of God together at 10 am.

* This is the last Sunday to pick up a box for Operation Christmas Child! If you would like to bless a child with a box of toys and a clear presentation of the gospel, please pick up your box on the deck and return it by Sunday, November 8th.

THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR:

* Sunday, November 1st at 9:30 am: All Church Prayer Time in the sanctuary

* Sunday, November 1st at 10 a.m.: Worship Service in the sanctuary. Sermon: “A Time of Desperation”. Matthew 8:1-4. Live-streamed (Lord willing) on pmccc.org, YouTube.com, and Facebook

* Wednesday, November 4th at 10 am: Women’s Bible Study in the Activities Center: The Book of Isaiah

* Wednesday, November 4th at 10 am: Men’s Bible Study in the Church Library: Study: The Book of John

* Thursday, November 5th at 6 pm: High School student gathering in the Activities Center: The Book of John

Desperate to know Christ better,

Pastor Rick

10/23/2026

Dear friend of Pine Mountain Christian Community Church,

What Is the Foundation of Your Life? Everybody builds their life on something. Your life might be built upon your wants and desires. Your life might be built upon the expectations of others: parents, friends, the boss at work. Your life might be built on success and money. All of those things might well have a place in our life, but because all of those things are in constant change, to build your life on those things would be to build your life on sand. Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, will be compared to a wise man who builds his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” Jesus is always right. To build our life on the foundation of His Word, and to act upon them will give us the solid foundation we need to face the difficulties and storms of life. Each Sunday we have the opportunity to strengthen the foundation of our life as we come to worship, and hear the Word of God. I pray you will be able to join us this Sunday.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THESE COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

* Praise the Lord! The Lord provided, and we got a new roof on the Activities Center before it rained! The Lord is good.

* Praise the Lord! We had 10 high school students show up for Youth Meeting Thursday night! Thank you for praying for Jeremiah Bergman as he has worked hard to build relationships with parents and students. Jeremiah has also pulled in a godly couple to help while he and Natacheau prepare for the birth of their fourth child. Please pray for Trevor and Rebecca Rein (pronounced “Rhine”) as they also meet with the students each Thursday night. And pray that the Spirit of God will work in the hearts of these students to follow the Lord Jesus.

* We’re still passing out boxes for Operation Christmas Child! You can pick up a box this Sunday – fill it with toys for a kid and bring it back the first week in November.

* ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS! We will have our annual Members Meeting Sunday November 1st at 12 noon. Please come to rejoice in the great things God has done this past year, and to hear of God’s leading for the future!

THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR:

* Sunday, October 25th at 9:30 am: All Church Prayer Time in the sanctuary

* Sunday, October 25th at 10 a.m.: Worship Service in the sanctuary. Sermon: “The Two Foundations” Matthew 7:24-29. Live-streamed (Lord willing) on pmccc.org, YouTube.com, and Facebook

* Wednesday, October 28th at 10 am: Women’s Bible Study in the Activities Center: The Book of Isaiah

* Wednesday, October 28th at 10 am: Men’s Bible Study in the Church Library: Study: The Book of John

* Thursday, October 29th at 6 pm: High School student gathering in the Activities Center: The Book of John

Building my life on the foundation of Christ,

Pastor Rick

09/26/2026

Dear friend of Pine Mountain Christian Community Church,

Do you know what the Golden Rule is? I’m sure you would recognize it if you heard it. It is the rule that Jesus gave in Matthew 7:12: “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you…” Many people know this rule, but very few live by it. It is a simple, powerful, and profound rule. If it is applied, great things happen. It is a simple way to begin relationships, enhance relationships, and heal relationships. For the most part, it works like this: Think about how you want to be treated. Do you want to be treated with respect? Then respect others. Do you want to be treated with kindness? Then treat others with kindness. Do you want others to listen to you? Then listen to others. Do you want others to be honest with you? Then be honest with others. For the most part, if you treat others in a certain way, they will return that same treatment. But don’t count on it. This is not about making life better for yourself. It is simply about pleasing God and reflecting His Kingdom.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THESE COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

* We had a blessed and fun time last Sunday at the ALL-AMERICAN CHILLI COOK OFF! The fellowship was great, and the food was amazing. All the tables were full and abuzz with conversation, and there was plenty of food to enjoy in addition to the Chili. In the chili contest, Linda Miller got 1st place, Mina King got 2nd place, and Gil Effertz got 3rd place. I tried them all, and they were all great! A big “THANKS” to Cindy Andress and her team for planning a fun event. Here are the top two winners (Third place was not at the table).



* The large print Our Daily Bread devotional booklets are available for the Oct/Nov/Dec months. You can pick them up by the front door of the church. (The regular print are already available, for Sept/ Oct/Nov).

* There will be Church Council Meeting this Sunday, September 27th at 12 noon.

THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR:

* Sunday, September 27th at 9:30 am: All Church Prayer Time in the sanctuary

* Sunday, September 27th at 10 a.m.: Worship Service in the sanctuary. Sermon: “Prayer and the Golden Rule” Matthew 7:6-12. Live-streamed (Lord willing) on pmccc.org, YouTube.com, and Facebook

* Wednesday, September 30th at 10 am: Women’s Bible Study in the Activities Center: The Book of Isaiah

* Wednesday, September 30th at 10 am: Men’s Bible Study in the Church Library: Study: The Book of John

* Thursday, October 1st at 6 pm: High School student gathering in the Activities Center

Trusting God to live by the Golden Rule,

Pastor Rick

09/11/2026

Dear friend of Pine Mountain Christian Community Church,

We all have plenty to worry about, don’t we? The things in our lives, the things in other people's lives, and the things in our world. Our life would be so much better without the worries. Jesus told us not to worry. Jesus has assured us that our Father in heaven knows what we need, and that He will take care of us. And Jesus says there is something we can do instead of worrying: seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. If we can just make that our priority, then God will take care of us so that we won’t have to worry. It sounds pretty simple, and it is! Come join us this Sunday, September 13th, as we listen to the words of Jesus and adapt His example for a worry-free life.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THESE COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

* This Sunday, September 13th, is Communion Sunday. We will take the bread and the cup, and remember the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We will also take up an offering in addition to our regular offering, to help people in our community who are in need.

* Last Sunday we heard from one of our missionaries, Ken Borgert, who helps put on the Family Life marriage conferences. These conferences are held all over the United States, and there are several here in California. There will be one in San Diego Nov. 20-22. Later in the year, there will be conferences in Monterey, Napa, Redondo Beach, Westlake Village, and Anaheim. The purpose of the conference is to help build oneness in your marriage. Linda and I have been to the conference several times and we recommend it for every married couple. Right now, through September 21st, you can register and pay half price for any conference this year. The conference price is $350 per couple. If you register before September 21st, you can go for $175 per couple. The Holtel is not included in this price, but you will get a group price that is generally around $200 per night. Here’s how it works: 1. Go to familylife.com/weekend-to-remember 2. Hit the “Register” button. 3. Pick a conference. 4. Enter your group name: PMCCC. 5. Use promo code SAVE50. 6. Pay for your conference, and make your plans to go!

* Last Sunday a phone was left on a pew. If you are the owner and can unlock it, you can take it home with you. See me for details.

* UPCOMING EVENT: Sep 20, Sun: “All American Chili Cookoff” – 12-2pm in Activity Center

THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR:

* Sunday, September 13th at 9:30 am: All Church Prayer Time in the sanctuary

* Sunday, September 13th at 10 a.m.: Worship Service in the sanctuary. Sermon: “The Solution to Worry” Matthew 6:25-34. Live-streamed (Lord willing) on pmccc.org, YouTube.com, and Facebook

* Wednesday, September 16th at 10 am: Women’s Bible Study in the Activities Center

* Wednesday, September 16th at 10 am: Men’s Bible Study in the Church Library: Study: The Book of John

* Thursday, September 17th at 6 pm: High School student gathering in the Activities Center

Seeking First His Kingdom and His righteousness,

Pastor Rick

Invest in your marriage with a transformative 3-day Weekend to Remember retreat. Rebuild intimacy and experience hope together.

09/05/2026

Dear friend of Pine Mountain Christian Community Church,

What a blessed time of worship, hearing from God’s Word and fellowship we had last Sunday! Actually, we have a blessed time every week! Sunday is a special time when we can focus on God, remember His greatness and mercy toward us, and hang out with other people who are interested in following the Lord Jesus. This Sunday, September 6th, we will gather again and hear what Jesus has to say about our eyes, what we look at, and who our master is. We all have a master. Jesus wants to keep us on track and keep God as our master. It is so easy to be tempted by other masters: money, our feelings, our friends, the culture, alcohol, pleasure, and a host of other enticements that yell at us to follow. But Jesus says we cannot serve two masters. Either we will hate the one and love the other, or we will be devoted to one and despise the other. Jesus wants us to be devoted to Him. He wants us to be steadfast in our attention to Him. Jesus wants that for us because He knows what’s out there. He knows that every other master will only rob us of the joy of walking in the power of His Spirit.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THESE COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

* In the past, you have heard me mention the Family Life Marriage Conference, which is referred to as “Weekend to Remember.” It is a Christian conference designed to strengthen marriages. Linda and I have been 3 times in our 49 years of marriage. We recommend it for every married couple, and we have given a trip to the conference to our married sons and daughters. We support a missionary with CRU, Ken Borgert, who has worked with Family Life ministries both in South Africa and here in the United States. He will be here with us this Sunday! He will lead us in prayer for this very important ministry.

* UPCOMING EVENT: Sep 20, Sun: “All American Chili Cookoff” – 12-2pm in Activity Center

THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR:

* Sunday, September 6th at 9:30 am: All Church Prayer Time in the sanctuary

* Sunday, September 6th at 10 a.m.: Worship Service in the sanctuary. Sermon: “Only One Master” Matthew 6:22-24. Live-streamed (Lord willing) on pmccc.org, YouTube.com, and Facebook

* Wednesday, September 9th at 10 am: Women’s Bible Study in the Activities Center

* Wednesday, September 9th at 10 am: Men’s Bible Study in the Church Library: Study: The Book of John

* Thursday, September 10th at 6 pm: High School student gathering in the Activities Center

Sticking to my master, the Lord Jesus,

Pastor Rick

08/29/2026

Dear friend of Pine Mountain Christian Community Church,

Where is your treasure? We all have treasures. Our treasures consist of everything God has given us: our time, money, talents, possessions, and even our opportunities – anything that could be destroyed or stolen. Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourself in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21). So how do we transfer our treasures to heaven? Or, how do we invest in heaven? That will be the subject of the sermon this Sunday, August 30th. I pray you will be able to join us for this important message.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THESE COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

* The new Our Daily Bread devotional booklets for September/October/November will be available by the front door this Sunday.

* UPCOMING EVENT: Sep 20, Sun: “All American Chili Cookoff” – 12-2pm in Activity Center

THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR:

* Sunday, August 3oth at 9:30 am: All Church Prayer Time in the sanctuary

* Sunday, August 30th at 10 a.m.: Worship Service in the sanctuary. Sermon: “How to Invest in Heaven” Matthew 6:19-21. Live-streamed (Lord willing) on pmccc.org, YouTube.com, and Facebook

* Wednesday, September 2nd at 10 am: Women’s Bible Study in the Activities Center

* Wednesday, September 2nd at 10 am: Men’s Bible Study in the Church Library: Study: The Book of John

* Thursday, September 3rd at 6 pm: High School student gathering in the Activities Center

Investing in Heaven,

Pastor Rick

08/21/2026

Dear friend of Pine Mountain Christian Community Church,

What do you do when you read a passage of the Bible that you consider is totally unrelated to your life? Like for example, Jesus talked about fasting. I’m not talking about moving quickly – I’m talking about not eating. You might think that has nothing to do with you. But everything in the Bible is there to teach us something about God. God wants us to know Him and know about Him. Jesus said, “When you fast, don’t be a hypocrite. So we learn that God doesn’t want us to be hypocrites. That’s important to know. God wants us to be real. He doesn’t want us to put on a religious show. But Jesus gives us some good comments on fasting, and I’m sure we will learn even more about God and about ourselves as we hear what Jesus has to say on this subject. Come join us this Sunday as we hear what Jesus has to say about this very rarely talked about subject.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THESE COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

* This Sunday, August 23rd, there will be a Church Council Meeting at 12 noon in the church library.

* Want to help out with Operation Christmas Child? Linda Miller will be going to Bakersfield on Saturday, August 29th for an orientation and to pick up materials. If you would like to go with her, text her at 818-324-2132

THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR:

* Sunday, August 23rd at 9:30 am: All Church Prayer Time in the sanctuary

* Sunday, August 23rd at 10 a.m.: Worship Service in the sanctuary. Sermon: “When You Fast” Matthew 6:16-18. Live-streamed (Lord willing) on pmccc.org, YouTube.com, and Facebook

* Sunday, August 23rd at 12 noon: Church Council Meeting

* Wednesday, August 26th at 10 am: Women’s Bible Study in the Activities Center

* Wednesday, August 26th at 10 am: Men’s Bible Study in the Church Library: Study: The Book of John

* Thursday, August 27th at 6 pm: High School student gathering in the Activities Center

Eager to learn from Jesus,

Pastor Rick

08/14/2026

Dear friend of Pine Mountain Christian Community Church,

Why Pray? If God knows what we want before we ask, why pray? If God has already planned the future, why pray? If God is sovereign, why pray?
Here’s the answer: God is interested in developing a personal relationship with us. He wants us to know Him and experience His power and mercy.
It is only as we talk with God and He talks to us through His Word that we come to know Him and experience His love and plan for our lives.
And much of the time, although God knows what we need, we don’t know what we need! Prayer is not about informing an ignorant god about what we want – it’s about getting to know our Heavenly Father and coming to understand His perfect will. This Sunday, August 16th, we will continue our look at the Lord’s prayer. I’m sure God has much for us to learn as we follow the teachings of Jesus on how to pray.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THESE COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

* This Sunday, August 16th, there will be a Church Council Meeting at 12 noon in the church library.

* I want to remind everyone that we have a library with some great books: resource books, new releases, fiction, and classics. There is also a lot of books for children available to take out and read to your kids or grandkids.

* Please pray for our students, as they will be starting school this week. Pray that they will trust Jesus in every situation and learn to depend on Him as they work on their assignments.

THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR:

* Sunday, August 16th at 9:30 am: All Church Prayer Time in the sanctuary

* Sunday, August 16th at 10 a.m.: Worship Service in the sanctuary. Sermon: “The Lord’s Prayer Part 2” Matthew 6:9-11. Live-streamed (Lord willing) on pmccc.org, YouTube.com, and Facebook

* Wednesday, August 19th at 10 am: Women’s Bible Study in the Activities Center

* Wednesday, August 19th at 10 am: Men’s Bible Study in the Church Library: Study: The Book of John

* Thursday, August 20th at 6 pm: High School student gathering in the Activities Center

Rejoicing in the privilege of talking with God,

Pastor Rick

08/07/2026

Dear friend of Pine Mountain Christian Community Church,

What should we say when we talk to God? We often just blurt out the first thing that comes to our brain, which is usually the most pressing need on our mind. Jesus knew we needed some words to help us focus on God, so He said, “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…’(NASB). I think Jesus wanted us to first focus on God, our heavenly Father, so that we would remember Who we are talking to and trust Him for the things on our heart. As you most likely know, there is more that Jesus said. And we will look at the whole prayer this Sunday, August 9th. I hope you will join us as we hear and talk about this powerful prayer that Jesus taught us.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THESE COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

* This Saturday, August 8th, there will be a Memorial Service for Mike King, the husband of Mina King and the father of Michelle King. The church family is invited, and it will take place at 11:30 a.m. in the Activities Center. If you like, you can bring dish of food, which will be enjoyed after the service.

* This Sunday is Communion Sunday. We will remember Jesus as we take the bread and the cup together and contemplate His suffering, death, and resurrection. We will also take a retiring offering to help meet the needs of people in our community.

* I want to remind everyone that we plan to participate in Operation Christmas Child this coming October. If you want to help fill a shoe box of gifts for a child in a third world country, begin now looking for toys you would like to put in your box.

THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR:

* Saturday, August 8, at 11:30 a.m. in the Activities Center: Memorial Service for Mike King

* Sunday, August 9th at 9:30 am: All Church Prayer Time in the sanctuary

* Sunday, August 9th at 10 a.m.: Worship Service in the sanctuary. Sermon: “The Lord’s Prayer” Matthew 6:9-11. Live-streamed (Lord willing) on pmccc.org, YouTube.com, and Facebook

* Wednesday, August 12th at 10 am: Women’s Bible Study in the Activities Center

* Wednesday, August 12th at 10 am: Men’s Bible Study in the Church Library: Study: The Book of John

* Thursday, August 13th at 6 pm: High School student gathering in the Activities Center

Learning to talk with God,

Pastor Rick

08/07/2026