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This is the audio from the March 1, 2026 sermon, “Unwrapped Languages: Knowing God’s PLAN!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Acts 2:4-16, 1 Corinthians 14:6-17

• Purpose:  Acts 2:4-6, 1 Corinthians 14:6

  • We unwrap the gift of language and discover God’s purpose in this gift was to be able to clearly communicate the good news of Jesus to people regardless of any language barriers. 

• Lesson:  Acts 2:7-8, 1 Corinthians 14:7-9

  • We unwrap the gift of language and discover God’s lesson in this gift is about all things being done in a manner which leads to clarity rather than confusion.

• Announcement:  Acts 2:9-11, 1 Corinthians 14:10-11

  • We unwrap the gift of language and discover God’s announcement about this gift is a declaration of His desire to be heard and understood by all.

• Nature:  Acts 2:12-16, 1 Corinthians 14:12-17

  • We unwrap the gift of language and discover God’s nature is to reveal Himself through gifts which elevate Him as the giver rather than exalt the recipient.

Today, how will you hear, and respond to, God’s PLAN?

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This is the audio from the February 22, 2026 sermon, “Unwrapped Leadership: The Wisdom to LEAD!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

1 Kings 3:4-28

• Listen:  1 Kings 3:4-5, 16-22

  • We unwrap the gift of leadership when we have the wisdom to listen to God and then listen to people. 

• Examine:  1 Kings 3:6, 24-26

  • We unwrap the gift of leadership when we have the wisdom to examine the facts of what God has done and seek the truth from people.

• Acknowledge:  1 Kings 3:7-9, 23

  • We unwrap the gift of leadership when we have the wisdom to acknowledge our need before God and acknowledge an understanding of what we have heard.

• Decide:  1 Kings 3:10-14, 27-28

  • We unwrap the gift of leadership when we decide God’s ways are best and we ask Him to help us in the decisions we must make.

Today, how will you live with the wisdom to LEAD?

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This is the audio from the February 15, 2026 sermon, “Unwrapped Gifts: The Gift of LOVE!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

1 Corinthians 13

• Learning:  1 Corinthians 13:1-3

  • As we unwrap the gift of love, we unwrap a learning of how love is the key element in making all other gifts useful. 

• Observation:  1 Corinthians 13:4-7

  • As we unwrap the gift of love, we unwrap an observation of what true and godly love looks like.

• Value:  1 Corinthians 13:8-12

  • As we unwrap the gift of love, we unwrap the value of a gift that endures when all else fails.

• Eternity:  1 Corinthians 13:13

  • As we unwrap the gift of love, we unwrap the eternal nature of the one gift that is greatest of all.

Today, how will you live with the gift of LOVE?

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This is the audio from the February 8, 2026 sermon, “Unwrapped Serving: Serve NOW!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Proverbs 3:27-28; Galatians 5:13-18

• Noticeably:  Galatians 5:13-15

  • Like it or not, people notice how you treat others.  They notice how you treat your family, your coworkers, your neighbors, your friends, and even your enemies.  While there is instruction from God’s Word about giving and helping and serving in secret, we’re also told to let our light shine so that people will see our good deeds and glorify our Father who is in heaven.  The difference, I believe, is our heart and motivation.  Serving noticeably is not the same as serving to be noticed.  Paul makes it clear, just as Jesus did, that the way we treat one another within the body of Christ will get the attention of the lost.  Will you serve noticeably in a way that people see Jesus? 

• Obediently:  Galatians 5:16-17

  • Serving now will also call us to serve obediently as we seek to honor Christ with our words and our actions.  I’m pretty sure you won’t always feel like serving even those you love, let alone those who are enemies.  We even struggle at times to want to serve God.  Serving now will require us to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ so that we do what He commands rather than what we feel like or want to.  It is serving obediently that drives us to serve according to the needs of others rather than defining our service by what we want, are comfortable with, or desire.  This obedience is first of all an obedience to God as we seek His wisdom in understanding the real needs of others.  Will you serve obediently in a way which honors Jesus?

• Worshipfully:  Galatians 5:18

  • Because Jesus set the example by humbling Himself and taking on the form of a man, even that of a bond-servant, we will find ourselves worshiping God when we serve Him by serving others.  Jesus declared that true worship is that which is done in Spirit and in truth.  When we acknowledge the presence of God’s Spirit within us, and learn to live in response to His leading, we find our life being true in its worship of God.  When we offer our self as a living sacrifice, it is a willingness to serve others according to their need, we please God and present to Him an offering which is our act of reasonable, or spiritual, worship.  Will you serve worshipfully in a way which exalts God?

Today, how will you serve NOW?

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This is the audio from the February 1, 2026 sermon, “Unwrapped Teaching – TEACH!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Romans 15:1-14

• Trust:  Romans 15:1-3

  • As we unwrap teaching, we find trust is a foundational element in being able to effectively teach.  We gain that trust as we follow God’s instruction in considering their needs to be more important than our own.  It is our trust in God that creates within us the ability to be trusted by those we are called upon to teach. 

• Encourage:  Romans 15:4-6

  • As we unwrap teaching, we find a calling to encourage others with the things we have learned from God’s Word.  Encouragement is a powerful tool in opening the mind to a willingness to learn.  As we learn to encourage others with the same encouragement we ourselves have received from God, we find they will often be more open to what we teach.

• Accept:  Romans 15:7

  • As we unwrap teaching, we must consider how it is God has accepted us so that we would accept others in a like manner.  God’s acceptance of us does not mean that He is okay with the sin in our life, but rather that He values and loves us enough to convict us of sin and provide a way out of it.  When we learn to teach in a godly manner, we learn to accept all people as having great value and being loved by God so much that He can transform them just as He transforms us.

• Confirm:  Romans 15:8-12

  • As we unwrap teaching, we confirm the value of God’s Word from beginning to end.  All history of God’s interaction with mankind confirms His love and plan to redeem all who would come to Him.  As we teach all peoples to obey everything commanded by Jesus, we confirm His authority over us and over all mankind.

• Hope:  Romans 15:13-14

  • As we unwrap teaching, we proclaim a message of hope.  This is a hope which is filled with truth and the goodness of God.  A hope so powerful that it equips each of us to teach one another because of God’s working in us.  We proclaim hope, not as a wishful thinking kind of delusion, but as a certainty of God’s work in the lives of mankind in keeping with His promises.

Today, how will you TEACH?

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This is the audio from the January 25, 2026 sermon, “Unwrapped Fellowship: The Gift of MERCY!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: James 2:8-17

• Ministry:  James 2:8

  • As we unwrap fellowship to discover the gift of mercy, we find a calling to ministry.  It is through God’s mercy toward us that we experience how to love others in a merciful way.  While our church culture often things of ministry as a chosen way of life for those who are called to it, God views ministering to others as the responsibility of every believer.  The gift of mercy begins to be made known through us as we share in the gift of ministry. 

• Equality:  James 2:9

  • As we unwrap fellowship to discover the gift of mercy, we begin to see the equality in both value to God and in the need for mercy.  While we may be able to quote the scripture that says all have sinned, sometimes we fail to act like all sin is repulsive to God.  When it comes to mercy, God’s desire is for each of us to receive His mercy in a way which leads us to extend mercy without favoritism.  The gift of mercy is displayed to us, and should be displayed through us, in ways which show equality.

• Reflection:  James 2:10-11

  • As we unwrap fellowship to discover the gift of mercy, the ministry and equality of mercy should lead us to genuine and accurate reflection.  Our time with God and His Word should lead us to reflect on the plank in our own eye before we even begin to consider how to help our brothers and sisters with the specks in their eyes.  The gift of mercy gains power within us as we reflect on our need to receive it and share it.

• Compassion:  James 2:12-14

  • As we unwrap fellowship to discover the gift of mercy, we ought to be moved to compassion for every person we encounter.  While it is easy to join in the suffering of that we might identify with as “worthy”, God’s compassion towards us was made known even while we lived as His enemies.  It is this level of compassion that leads us to show mercy in a way which triumphs over judgment.  The gift of mercy in us is revealed more fully when we learn to live with compassion.

• Yourself:  James 2:15-17

  • As we unwrap fellowship to discover the gift of mercy, it is important to see yourself in both the giving and receiving of mercy.  As the grace and mercy of God cleanses us from all unrighteousness by the blood of Jesus, we have fellowship with God and with one another.  It is this gift of mercy which helps us grow in fellowship as life becomes centered around one another rather than on yourself.

Today, how will you live with the gift of MERCY?

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This is the audio from the January 18, 2026 sermon, “Unwrapped Gifts: Unwrapped Insight – The GIFT of Prophecy!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: 2 Peter 1:12-21

• Goal of prophecy:  2 Peter 1:12-15

  • As we unwrap the insight which comes from God, we discover the goal of prophecy is for God to reveal Himself to us.  As we use this gift as given by God, we ought to live with that same goal of making Christ known through what we think, say, and do. 

• Insight of prophecy:  2 Peter 1:16-18

  • As we unwrap the insight which comes from God, we discover an insight into the source of all of God’s Word.  The prophets of today who speak the Word of God simply echo the prophets of old who spoke the Word of God in their time.  With the help of God’s Spirit, we can have insight which avoids the allure of the cleverly invented stories of men as we follow the heart of God.

• Faith of prophecy:  2 Peter 1:19

  • As we unwrap the insight which comes from God, we find godly faith at the heart of all prophecy.  It is faith that enable us to see the unseen and to live with confidence that God’s Word is real and timeless.   It is by faith that we can use the gift of prophecy to proclaim rather than predict.

• Truth of prophecy:  2 Peter 1:20-21

  • As we unwrap the insight which comes from God, we reveal and proclaim the truth of all prophecy from God.  When we acknowledge God as the source of all that is spoken by His prophets, we willingly accept it as truth and share it as truth.

Today, how will you live with the GIFT of prophecy?

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This is the audio from the January 1, 2026 sermon, “Unwrapped Gifts: The Gift of Giving – Give!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15

• Generosity:  2 Corinthians 8:1-5

  • As we unwrap the gift of giving, we see a core of generosity as we gaze upon God’s giving toward us.  It is within the generous nature of God to give to us more than we deserve and even more than we can imagine.  While not always what we want, and perhaps quite often not even what we think we need, God’s generosity is always according to His knowledge and goodness.  As the gift of giving grows within us, we grow in our generosity towards God and towards others. 

• Intention:  2 Corinthians 8:6-9

  • As we unwrap the gift of giving, we see the intention of God to give us something that benefits others without drawing attention to our self.  It can be tempting to give to others with the intention of being recognized and applauded.  God makes it clear that if that is our intention, then the recognition and applause will take the place of any real blessing that could have been ours.  Not only does God examine our heart, He knows the purpose behind all of the gifts He gives to each of His children.  As the gift of giving grows within us, we must examine ourselves and give with pure intentions to bring glory and honor to God.

• Value:  2 Corinthians 8:10-12

  • As we unwrap the gift of giving, we see the value that God places on our willingness to give according to what we have received from Him.  The standard is faithfulness over quantity.  In our human nature we tend to value quantity over faithfulness, and even over proportion.  Because we all have been given different gifts and gifts in differing amounts, the value God places on our gift to Him is not based on size but rather on a complete offering of all of us.  As the gift of giving grows within us, we must learn to value a surrendered life as the thing God most wants from us . . . when we are fully surrendered, our giving will reflect that.

• Enough:  2 Corinthians 8:13-15

  • As we unwrap the gift of giving, we find that not only is God enough for us, we are enough for Him.  The goal of us receiving and using the gift of giving in our life is not so that some would have more and others would have less . . . that’s the natural way of life.  No, it is so we would discover in Christ that we have enough for ourselves and others in their time of need and that they have enough for themselves and us in our time of need.  As the gift of giving grows within us, we draw near to God and find that He is enough.

Today, how will you live with a heart of GIVE?