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This is the audio from the November 1, 2026 sermon, “Birth Announcements: The Birth of the World!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Genesis 1

• Word:  Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, & 26; John 1:1
  “And God said, . . . “  

  • The birth of the world takes place at the proclamation of God’s Word.  John tells us the Jesus was the Word of God made flesh who was present at the creation of all things.  In fact, it was by Him and for Him that all things which exist came to being.  It is by that same power of God’s Word that He speaks us into being as a new creation.

• Order:  Genesis 1:14-15

  • The birth of the world was declared with a sense of order to it as God set forth times, days, and seasons marked by the various workings of creation itself.  We know when to expect the sun to rise and set, as well as the various phases of the moon because they were created with purpose to work in a predictable fashion.  It is that same God that works in us and through us to bring us to Himself as we follow all that He commands.

• Reproduction:  Genesis 1:21-22

  • The birth of the world carries forward in time through the process of reproduction which God placed within all living things.  Every plant and animal, as well as mankind, was created with the ability and function to reproduce after its own kind.  As a new creation, born of the water and the blood, we have that same function of reproduction as we go and make disciples of all nations in keeping with the command of Jesus..

• Liberty:  Genesis 1:28-29

  • The birth of the world comes with a liberty which was given by God.  True liberty really only functions within the boundaries that define it, and God gave Adam and Eve the freedom to eat of any of the plants of the earth or the fruit produced as long as they did not eat from the one tree indicated by God.  As I mentioned in the message, this liberty gave the freedom to eat whatever fruits and vegetables they desired but it also gave them the freedom to decline the ones they did not care for.  As new creations in Christ we have been given much freedom within the boundaries of God’s Word, but with that freedom comes the responsibility to obey God and use our freedom to benefit others.

• Design:  Genesis 1:26-27

  • The birth of the world, and particularly of mankind, took place according to the design brought forth by God.  While the rest of creation was called into being by God declaring it so, when it came to mankind God chose to get involved by physically creating man from dust and woman from the rib of man.  Not only did God form both man and woman, He did so in the design of His own image.  As a new creation in Christ, we not only bear the image of God from the first creation, we are designed in the likeness of Christ as one who now bears His name.

Today, how will the birth of the WORLD change you?

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This is the audio from the October 18, 2026 sermon, “A Not So Minor Invitation: Return!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Malachi 3 & 4

• Refine:  Malachi 3:1-4

  • Responding to God’s invitation to return takes place as we allow Him to refine us in the refining fires of His Word and His Spirit.  The refining done by God will cleanse us and prepare us for our return to Him as children dearly loved.

• Examine:  Malachi 3:5-7

  • Responding to God’s invitation to return takes place as we willingly examine our self by the standard and truth of God’s Word.  We examine our thoughts, our actions, and our motives to see anything and everything which has kept us away from God.

• Tithe:  Malachi 3:8-12

  • Responding to God’s invitation to return takes place as we learn to tithe in our giving to God a portion of everything He gives to us.  It is through tithing that we return to God a submissive heart that understands and acknowledges that He has been the provider of all good things.

• Understand:  Malachi 3:13-14

  • Responding to God’s invitation to return takes place as learn to understand how we have left God or drifted away from Him.  When we understand our departure, we begin to realize the path of return.

• Remember:  Malachi 3:15-18

  • Responding to God’s invitation to return takes place when we remember who He is and the promises He has made to His children.  We are motivated to return when we remember His merciful compassion, even as we remember His loving discipline.

• Notice:  Malachi 4:1-6

  • Responding to God’s invitation to return takes place when we notice how His actions have been consistent with His nature and His Word.  When we notice the words of scripture being fulfilled in history, as well as in our lifetime, we should be motivated to return fully to Him.

Today, how will you respond to God’s invitation to RETURN?

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This is the audio from the October 11, 2026 sermon, “A Not So Minor Relationship: Built On FAITH!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Malachi 2

• Fear:  Malachi 2:1-4

  • Having a relationship built on faith begins with fear.  Not a terrified fear, but a reverent fear of the Lord.  It is this fear that draws us near to Him, and to one another, in ways which honor God and His Word.  .

• Authority:  Malachi 2:5-9

  • Having a relationship built on faith involves an understanding of authority.  When we realize that there is a God in charge of everything, and we’re not it, we learn to humbly submit to God and to one another.

• Intention:  Malachi 2:10-12

  • Having a relationship built on faith will cause an examination and understanding of our true intention.  As we grow in faith, we grow in our understanding that God knows our heart and considers why we do what we do as well as the actual actions we take.

• Trust:  Malachi 2:13-16

  • Having a relationship built on faith will require trust to grow in very visible ways.  Our unfaithfulness to God will create a separation, while our return to God will only come when we learn to trust Him.  Our separation from God, and from one another, can only be redeemed when God’s Spirit helps us to trust.

• Honesty:  Malachi 2:17

  • Having a relationship built on faith will reveal an honesty that acknowledges our sin and failures in ways which promote healing and restoration.  Pretending rarely works long term in any relationship as once honesty fails, the seeds of doubt are planted in every communication.  Being “honest to God” really is the best policy because He already knows and loves us anyhow.

Today, how will FAITH guide your relationships with God and with others?

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This is the audio from the October 4, 2026 sermon, “A Not So Minor Offering: Giving Your BEST!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Malachi 1

• Background:  Malachi 1:1-5

  • Giving your best to God involves giving Him your background so that He can use it for His glory.  Rather than trying to hide our past or live in our past, God wants to use our past in ways which reveal His great love.

• Excuses:  Malachi 1:6-7

  • Giving your best to God will require that you give Him your excuses, not in making excuses to Him but in surrendering them to Him.  In a world of self-justification, God desires that we release our excuses to Him and find a true justification which comes through faith.

• Sacrifice:  Malachi 1:8-9

  • Giving your best to God will result in a sacrifice which is holy and acceptable to Him.  It is a sacrifice that chooses not to give what is extra or not needed by us, but to give from the top what is the absolute best.

• Temple:  Malachi 1:10-14

  • Giving your best to God will lead you to being prepared as the temple of the living God.  As you invite Jesus to be Lord of your life, you choose to be fully cleansed by His blood and sacrifice so that you become the holy temple of God — the place in which He dwells.

Today, how will you give your BEST as an offering to God?

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This is the audio from the September 27, 2026 sermon, “Summer With the Son: Being Productive!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Matthew 7:24-29

• Observe:  Matthew 7:24

  • Being obedient requires us to observe, or look at, what God’s Word actually says.  It is important to be a hearer of God’s Word as the foundation for our obedience.  Doing what God says requires us to know what God says, so we spend time as students of the Word.

• Believe:  Matthew 7:25-27

  • Being obedient also requires that we believe what God says.  We have a tendency to test the words of others as to whether they really mean what they say, and that often carries over into our belief of God’s Word.  When we believe what God says and that He has ultimate authority, then we position ourselves to understand the need for obedience.

• Express:  Matthew 7:28

  • Being obedient will lead us to express with our words and our actions that Jesus really does have authority over our life.  The Word of God ought to amaze us with its accuracy, truth, and relatability.  Our obedience becomes an expression of our love for God and our desire to please Him.

• Yield:  Matthew 7:19-29

  • Being obedient is in its very nature a willingness to yield.  In keeping with the prayer of Jesus who said, “not my will, but yours be done”, we must learn to yield to the will of God in all things.  Our obedience not only states that Jesus taught as one with authority, we choose to submit to Him as the One with authority.

Today, how will you OBEY in a way that honors God?

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This is the audio from the September 20, 2026 sermon, “Summer With the Son: Being Productive!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Matthew 7:15-23

• Fake:  Matthew 7:15

  • Being productive requires that we look at the fake long enough to avoid being led astray by false teachers and teachings.

• Results:  Matthew 7:16

  • Being productive will require us to know the intended results that God wants to produce in and through our life.

• Usual / Unusual:  Matthew 7:17-18

  • Being productive will require us to know what a usual crop would look like and what an unusual crop would look like.

• Intention:  Matthew 7:19-20

  • Being productive will require us to have an honest intention of godly fruit in our life.

• Truth: Matthew 7:21-23

  • Being productive will require us to face the truth in regard to the consequences of an unproductive life.

Today, how will you look at the FRUIT to evaluate your productivity?

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This is the audio from the September 13, 2026 sermon, “Summer With the Son: Being Persistent!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Matthew 7:7-14

• Request:  Matthew 7:7-8

  • Being persistent in the golden rule will lead us to being persistent in our requests.  God’s desire and instruction is that we make our requests known to Him.  It is in pursuit of God that we learn we can and should ask, seek, and knock so that we would find Him.

• Understanding:  Matthew 7:9-11

  • Being persistent in the golden rule will lead us to being persistent in our understanding of God’s ways being completely pure and accurate compared to our ways.  As we grow in relationship with God, we find His love is always giving us what is best even when it doesn’t look like we think it should.

• Law:  Matthew 7:12

  • Being persistent in the golden rule will lead us to being persistent in our practice of the golden law.  While we may lean towards doing to others like they do to us, revenge being the best policy, that is not God’s way for us.  His rule is that we do to others like we want them to do to us in a way that fulfills all the teachings of the law and prophets.

• Entry:  Matthew 7:13-14

  • Being persistent in the golden rule will lead us to being persistent in our entry into God’s kingdom as only being possible through Jesus.  While the path to eternity with God is narrow and few find it, we remain persistent because it is the only option that results in being welcomed home by Jesus.

Today, how will you be persistent in a way that reveals the Golden RULE in your life?

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This is the audio from the September 6, 2026 sermon, “Summer With the Son: Being Kind!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Matthew 7:1-6

• Kin:  Matthew 7:1-2

  • Being kind will grow from our realization that in Christ we are all family and should treat one another as kin.

• Inspected:  Matthew 7:3-4

  • Being kind requires an inspection that will examine self according to God’s standards.

• Nurturing:  Matthew 7:5

  • Being kind will lead us to be nurturing in the way we help others.

• Deliberate:  Matthew 7:6

  • Being kind includes being deliberate about using godly discernment in dealing with those who live as enemies of the cross.

Today, how will God’s compassion help you to be KIND?