Isaiah 42:5-12
We are a brand new church here in West Louisville in the Park Hill neighborhood. I love it here. I love the people here. Nathan and I wanted to come here. Pastor Tim DeVries with Vision Valley Baptist Church in Mt. Washington, Kentucky sent us here. He has lived in West Louisville before. He loves this area so much that he sent us here to plant this church.
This church, True Words Baptist Church, is a brand new church. We just finished the 11th week of being open. We haven’t been here very long. We started out with just my family and Nathan’s family. We started out great with 77 people attending our Grand Opening services on 10/13/2024.
I expected the attendance to drop some after that opening day, and it did. Much of our family came that first day. But now, we’ve had two back to back services on Sunday and Tuesday with 78 people. Praise God! And that’s without all of our extended family attending as during opening day. We have averaged 45 people during the Sunday morning service.
283 People Saved Through Jesus Christ
We’ve seen 283 people saved since opening on 10/13/24. We’ve averaged over 26 salvations per week. We have been out there preaching the Gospel 72 out of 77 days that we’ve been open. Most churches don’t go one day out of the year. We’ve been out there 72 out of 77 days. And many of you all that are here right now know that we do that work.
We have 362 people that we have spoken with out there in this community since we’ve opened. They gave us their information, name, address, phone number, email. We keep in touch with the people because we care for them. And you all know that. And we show you that. We don’t just say it. We do it.
We started baptizing just this past Sunday. 11 people baptized. Jecorey, Brianna, Shelia, Chris, Patty, Matthew, Myra, Shawntez, Evelyn, Daylen, and Aden. We’re baptizing more people today. And our goal is to continue to get as many people saved and baptized as possible.
We are to go and preach the Gospel. We are to get people saved. We are to baptize them. We are to teach God’s words. We are to set the example for this community. And I want you to be a part of this church setting the example out there.
For example, I heard a lady in her 30’s who is here right now tell some teenagers that we don’t talk like that because we’re Christians. She’s setting the example. She’s teaching the teenagers. She’s doing a great job and a great work by setting the example. We need that here.
This church, as I know you’ve seen and you’ll continue to see, is different than any other church out there in this community and in most communities across this country. I know you can see that.
We are different because we do what God asks us to do. And when we do that, God brings us all together as He has done for you and for I. For example, I’m so glad that we found you all out there. For many of you, I remember preaching the Gospel to you and you believing.
God Set All Of This Up For Us
I remember meeting my now good friend Lamar for the first time on October 19th, a Saturday, as we were going out to visit others that have been saved. I know God set that up and put us together. I know Lamar is going to do great things for God.
I remember meeting Christal and Celena for the first time on October 10th, a Thursday, as we were walking down the street. God set that timing up perfectly. I remember them hearing the Gospel and believing the Gospel. I remember praying with them. I remember Christal telling Celena to listen. She would give her a nudge every now and then. I remember that.
And I remember many others very well. Hey, we’re different here. We went out there, as Jesus commanded us to do, and found you. God sent us to you. He put us together. Jesus Christ builds His church, this is His church, and Jesus has chosen you to be here with us. And this is going to be the best church in Louisville.
And you get to be a part of this new church for this first full year, 2025, coming up for True Words Baptist Church.
We might be small right now, but we’re big in heart, in diligence, in hard work. We are stedfast and unmovable. We have no fear but the fear of God. We are always abounding in the work of the Lord. We are tough here. All of us here have been through a lot of things in this life. Those things made us stronger. We’ve got tough people here but humble people. And that’s what God wants.
This Baptist Church is Different
Listen, this church is different because God is with us. We aren’t here to make money. I don’t care about money. We need money to operate, but I simply put that in the hands of God. I have faith that He will take care of that for us. Other churches care for money. They love money. We don’t.
We care for you, your soul, the souls of your children, the souls of your friends. We care about you here. We want the absolute best for you here. And you all know that. We love you here. And we do that by preaching the truth. I want you to see this today.
Isaiah 42:5-6
Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: 6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
This church will do great things in Park Hill, in West Louisville, in Louisville, in Kentucky, in the United States, and across the entire world. Why? Because the God that created the heavens is with us. The God who spread forth the earth is with us. The God that gave us breath is with us. Why? Because we’re doing this for the right reason.
We love the people. We care for the people. Not for ourselves. We aren’t here to feed our own bellies and to care for ourselves. We’re going to put you above our own selves. And God knows this. So He is with us. We give and give and give.
Because of this, look at verse 6. God is speaking to you. Remember, God put us together. You are here for a reason. It wasn’t a coincidence that we came to you. It isn’t a coincidence that you’re here right now.
God is Calling You To Join Us In This Work
“I the Lord have called thee in righteousness.” God is calling you to join us here. Get here with us every week. Let’s do the work of the Lord together. God says, “I will hold thine hand, and will keep thee.” You will be the light of this world. Not darkness. Light. And we’ll bring the light to this world.
Park Hill is already getting better. You might say, “How?” Well, we went out there and 283 people have listened to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, believed in Jesus Christ, and received everlasting life. And that’s not all they received. They received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God. And that’s what changes them and changes this area and improves this area.
God is now with them. God is now holding their hand. 283 more people in this area being led by the Holy Spirit. Yeah, that’s the difference. Hey, God is making the difference out there. Crime, according to the WHAS 11 news reporter that came here and spoke with me, has been cut in half in Park Hill since October when we started here.
And we’re just getting started. I want this church to be your church for this new year. I want to see you here every week. I want you to use the gifts and talents that God has given you to change this area and this world. You can do it. I know you can. I know that we can.
Isaiah 42:7
To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
To open the blind eyes. I’ve been blinded for most of my life. I couldn’t see the truth. I was blind but now I see. I know what’s important. It’s not my house. It’s not my car. It’s not my bank account. It’s not my retirement funds. It’s not the lottery winnings. It’s not money. It’s not my career. It’s you. You are what’s important. The people out there are what’s important.
That’s why Jesus came and died for you because you are that important. Your eyes have been opened with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. “To bring out the prisoners from the prison.” Many people have seen this area as a prison. They just want to get out of this area. But, please hear me, we’re breaking out of prison and it’s not this area. It was our sin. And Jesus freed us from that.
We’re Taking Back This Area For and With God
We are out of the prison. Please hear me. I’m here to stay, and we’re taking back this area for you, your family, your friends, and for God. This is God’s place. He owns it all. It’s His. We’re taking it back. I’m not a runner. I’m a fighter. And that’s what we’re going to produce here. We don’t run away. We fight back.
And I want you to be a part of that. I want you to be a part of the drugs leaving. We’ll go out there and get the drug dealers saved with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I want you to be a part of the liquor stores leaving. We’ll go out there to the people keeping them open, and get them saved. And teach them the truth in the Bible.
Drugs are killing people. Alcohol is killing people. These things lead to murder and death around here. The Gospel leads to life.
We’ll go out there to those teenagers and show them we care. We’ll go out there and bring them in to this church and teach them the word of God. We will preach the Gospel and more and more people will receive everlasting life and the Holy Spirit of God. This changes them. This has changed you.
Isaiah 42:8-9
I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. 9 Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.
Make This Your Church for This New Year
NEW THINGS do I declare. Hey, this is a new church for a new year for a new you for a new life for you. Things are going to change for you and things are going to get better. But you’ve got to put forth the effort.
My job is to lead us all in that effort. And my wife is my helper and she is the best helper I’ve ever seen. And I’m not lying about that. And you all know that. She works hard. We get things done. And anyone who knows us knows that it’s true.
We’re going to work hard for all of you, and we’re going to get the job done for God Almighty. We will get the job done for you. That’s our attitude. And I want that attitude to wear off on you. That attitude comes from Jesus Christ.
I don’t quit. I don’t stop. I’ll fight, and I’ll keep fighting for you and for the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus died for me. He has my loyalty. And your loyalty should always be to the Lord Jesus Christ. This church will do what Jesus told us to do, and we need you to do the same with us.
We’re battling day in and day out, and we need your help. Every day is a battle for the Lord. Don’t let us go battle on our own. I need you. Every day is a battle that saves the lives of the people out there.
We Work Normal Jobs and God’s Work Too
If I can do it, I know you can do it. Nathan and I go to work every day. We work normal jobs. We work hard all day long. And then when we’re done working, we go out and preach the Gospel. We go out and battle. I work 12 to 16 hours every day. And I give it all I’ve got. When I’m done with that, I study the Bible. I write sermons. I work and work and work. I want that to wear off on you.
Because that hard and consistent work pleases God. Things start working together for good. No fear. Just get it done. Just get to work. And things work out.
“Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare. Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
Hey, that old you is gone and passed away. You’re a new man now. You’re a new woman now. The old Josh is dead and gone. The new Josh is here to stay. That’s what I want to see from you. That old you is gone. You’re a child of God now. You’re a child of the King. You’ve got the Holy Spirit within you.
Your final destination is heaven. That changes you. Know who you are now and know what you’ve got. I know you can do this.
We’re Singing a New Song Here
Isaiah 42:10-11
Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. 11 Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.
A new you. A new song. A new church for you. Fathers have been praying for their children. Mothers have been praying for their children. People want things to change around here. The killing needs to stop. Sing unto the Lord a NEW SONG.
Lift up your voice! Get the Gospel out there to everyone you know. Bring them here. We need you here. God wants you here. “Let them shout from the top of the mountains.” Hey, understand who you are now. You are a new creation in Christ Jesus. A new person. A new man. A new woman.
Isaiah 42:12
Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands.
Let’s give all the glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. We will declare Him to the people out there. We go out there almost every day. We need you. It takes a consistent and constant effort to get this done. We have to be consistent, stedfast, and unmovable.
Stop the Murders Through Jesus Christ
We have to realize the importance. People are killing others. We can stop that through Jesus Christ. With more of us, we can make a huge impact very soon. We’ve already made a huge impact, but we can do better and better. I need your help. God needs your help. He wants you here.
This will be your church family. Hey, I am your family now. My wife is family. Nathan is your family now. Milana is your family. My Dad and Mom is family to all of you now. Goddard is your family now. Callie, Taylor, Emma, Abigail, Micah, Josef, and Aviah are all family to you now. Myra is family. Lamar is family.
Hey, we are family here. We’re going to treat each other well. We’re going to do good for each other. This is a good family here.
What will we do here in this upcoming year? A new church for a new year. Make this your church. Be a part of something that is going to be huge this year. God will be pleased with you. Watch what happens this year. God will do great things. Why? Because we simply do what He asks us to do.
In your life, get things right according to God’s word. Do that with us. Get sin out of your life. Follow Jesus. Stick with us here. We have a goal to get 1,000 people saved in 2025. We are going to reach that goal. But I need your help greatly.
We’re going to have several different soul winning marathons. We’ll have one in Portland, Shawnee, New Albany, Jeffersonville, University of Louisville, and around Churchill Downs during Oaks and Derby time. We’ll have good food provided during those days. You can stay with us all day long and have a great time out winning souls to Christ.
Proverbs 11:30
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
We Will Preach the Gospel Here
We go out and preach the Gospel because that’s how people get to heaven. Jesus says so. And that’s why we’re here.
We’re going to have big events here at church such as Sweetheart Sunday in February. We’re going to have the Church Chartering Day on 3/23/2025. If you come to be a member of this church before that day, you will be a charter member and a founding member of this church. This is a new church, and this will be your church. You are a part of founding this church.
This church is brand new and it’s already well known in this area. This church is going to do great things for the kingdom of God, and you’ll be one of those founding members. We’re going to have a plaque with the charter members and founding members made. I want to get your name on it. Be a member here. That charter day is going to be a very big day in the history of this church.
We’re going to have other big events such as a free car wash, a parking lot campout with grilled food, Easter egg hunt on Easter Sunday for the kids, Mother’s Day big event with gifts for mothers. And we’re going to need your help getting all of this done. We’ll have a celebration Sunday for kids once school is out.
We’ll have a baby day for all the new babies! And we’ve got many of them already in this church and more on the way! Thank God! Babies are great blessings from the Lord.
God’s Way Will Be Taught and Preached
For the start of June, to combat lies about homosexuality, we’ll have a God’s Way Sunday. That will happen on June 1st. We’ll celebrate God’s way for the entire month of June. We’ll have a celebration for Father’s Day with gifts for all the Fathers.
We will have a vacation Bible school during the Summer for kids and teenagers. For July 4th, we’re going to have a USA Birthday Celebration in the parking lot. We’re going to shoot off fireworks and grill out food. Hey, this is going to be a fun year. But, for all of these events, the main focus, the number one focus, will be winning souls to Jesus Christ. That’s the fun part.
We’ll have a back to school Sunday and we’ll have free school supplies available for the kids. We’ll have a Labor Day Sunday and celebrate with lots of great food. We want to have a True Words Baptist Church official car show in the parking lot. That will be a contest with cash prizes to the winners. We’ll preach the Gospel there.
The church birthday is 10/13/24 so we’ll celebrate the birth of this church in October. We’ll have a Veterans Day Sunday to celebrate the veterans who fought for this country. Then we’ll head into Thanksgiving with our big annual Thanksgiving Dinner. Then we’ll have a Christmas Eve candlelight service again where we hand out gifts to the community. And finish up next year with our annual New Year’s Eve game night.
Baptizing and Celebrating Throughout the Year
We’ll be baptizing people throughout the year. We’ll be having food as much as we possibly can. We’re going to try to have several free Yard Sales out in the parking lot. That will depend on how many donated items we get. People in the community can come and get items that they need or want. We will be preaching the Gospel at all of these events. We’ll need your help.
This is going to be a big year for this brand new church in this brand new year coming up. It’s a new start for you. We have big plans here. We have plans for you to be a big part of this church. This is what God wants for you. We’re going to have big days for the children, teenagers, and adults too. We’ll have a Malibu Jack’s lock in night this year. That will be a night to remember!
Some more plans that we have are starting an usher ministry. I need faithful men that follow the commandments of God who will be here every service to be ushers and leaders in this church. These men will help people as they come into church. They will come up to read the Scriptures.
New Ministries in a New Church
They will help keep an eye out on everything. They will count the people for the services. They will be a part of the security team here at the church. I need men to step up and be faithful to serve in this ministry. I have plans to get those men suits and ties and to be professionals serving in God’s house. We’ll have men’s preaching nights if there are enough interested men.
I need these men, as ushers, to be leaders and to set the example for the people here. Always kind, always nice, always caring for the people here. If a lady needs an escort to her car, an usher will take on that responsibility. This requires faithful men who love the Lord.
We’re going to have men’s leadership and women’s leadership ministries in the future. We are to raise the men and women in this church to be leaders. We are to raise the next generation to keep this church thriving in this community. We need a music ministry team and a church choir.
We need to go out and find these people and raise them up from within this church. We need a technical group ministry to help with the live stream, speakers, audio, video, and sound. We need women to step up and help with the food ministry. This is a great ministry that brings people to the Lord Jesus Christ. It works.
We need women to help with cooking food, bringing food, and serving food. We need men to help serving food and drinks as well. We need women and young ladies to help with the children’s ministry that we have here. As we spread out the work and the tasks, everything will begin working together much better.
We’re going to have a Church Yearbook Ministry with pictures from all the events. I want someone to take the lead on that here and form a small team. You can do short summaries of all the events with pictures. I would love for you to post them everywhere you can (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, and more).
Attendance Awards Throughout the Year
We’ll be tracking attendance throughout the year and random awards will be given out to the people who attend the most.
We’re going to start having a new members reception night depending on how many new people are joining the church throughout the year. We’ll explain what we do here, and how we do it. We need help with these ministries. This is what will make this church the best in Louisville, the best in Kentucky, the best in this country, and the best in this world. Jesus Christ deserves our best. We can do this together.
Romans 7:6
But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
We are a new creation in here. You are a new creation in the Lord Jesus Christ since you have believed and have been saved forever. We’re putting all of the old things away and focusing on new things, the things of God. I hope with all my heart that you’ll join us here at this brand new church and give it all you’ve got for the new year 2025.
And we have more plans than that. We have many things for you to look forward to here at this church. Please join us here. Starting in the New Year, we are going to have a time at the end of every Sunday service for you to come forward as new members of this church. The only requirements are for you to be saved and baptized.
Join True Words Baptist Church in This New Year
If you’ve already been saved and baptized, you don’t have to do it here. If you want to get baptized, you can do this any time that you would like. I will schedule any day and any time with you for your baptism. And then I would love to have you as new members here. Make this church your church.
I want to get your name on that charter member plaque that we’re going to have here. Through Jesus Christ alone, this church is going to be an exciting, growing, Gospel preaching, soul winning, baptizing church that stands on the word of God and doesn’t compromise.
Thank you all for being here. I pray that God blesses you greatly. Please make the decision to join us as new members starting this next Sunday. You’ll have that opportunity every Sunday. This is an exciting new church and a brand new beginning for you. All thanks be to God.
Let’s pray.
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