Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson

2 Corinthians 2:14–15, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”

Matters of the Heart: Let Peace Be Your Umpire teaches that the condition of the heart shapes the direction of our lives. Rather than allowing hurt, fear, disappointment, or other emotions to make the final call, believers are called to let the peace of God rule—like an umpire—guiding our thoughts, decisions, and responses through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Sermon Summary: Colossians 3:15, And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. In Matters of the Heart, Pastor Bryan Hudson teaches that what happens in the heart ultimately manifests in our lives. The heart is the center from which thoughts, attitudes, words, decisions, and actions flow. During seasons of change and challenge, life often forces us to narrow our focus and return to what matters most—especially the condition of our hearts and the peace of God. The central Scripture is Colossians 3:15: “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts.” The word rule carries the idea of an umpire—one who decides, determines, and makes the call. Just as an umpire determines whether a pitch is a ball or strike, believers must allow the peace of God to determine how they respond to situations, emotions, relationships, and difficult circumstances. The message emphasizes that difficult feelings should not simply be denied. Anxiety, hurt, fear, and other troubling emotions can function like a warning light, physical pain, or an unusual sound in a car: they indicate that something deserves attention. Faith does not deny reality; faith allows God to address reality at a deeper level. The symptom is not always the problem—it may be pointing us toward a deeper matter of the heart. Pastor Hudson explains that spiritual understanding requires going beyond what can be seen or reasoned through naturally. Hebrews 11:3 teaches that what is visible came from what is unseen. Likewise, the outward circumstances of life may have roots in unseen matters of the heart. Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman illustrates this principle: while she initially focused on natural water and religious traditions, Jesus led her toward the deeper reality of living water, spirit, and truth. The sermon further defines the heart as involving the spirit and soul together. The believer's born-again spirit is the stable foundation of life in God, while the soul—our mind, will, and emotions—requires renewal, transformation, training, and sanctification. Therefore, much of the work of spiritual growth involves allowing what God has placed in our spirit to influence and govern our soul. Peace is not merely a pleasant emotion; peace is a governing influence. Hurt, betrayal, trauma, disappointment, envy, unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment, and entitlement may all be real, but they must not be allowed to become the umpire of our lives. Instead of acting primarily from what we feel, we should become quiet before God, listen to His Spirit and His Word, receive wise help when needed, and allow His peace to make the final call. Jesus promised in John 14:27, “My peace I give to you.” God provides the peace, but the words “let the peace of God rule” imply our cooperation. We must yield to His peace rather than allowing the noise, pressures, emotions, and distractions of life to govern us. The message concludes with a decision of faith: choose peace over everything else. Rather than allowing real emotions and painful experiences to dictate our decisions, we go to the “heart level,” where the Holy Spirit and the Word of God can bring clarity, transformation, and victory. Peace becomes the foundation from which we can properly address the challenges before us. Central message: Let the peace of God be your umpire. When emotions, circumstances, and competing voices are making their calls, allow God’s peace to make the final decision. Closing Confession of Faith I will allow the peace of God to rule my heart. Peace will be my umpire. Peace will

Psalm 119:93, I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have given me life.

Pilgrim or Traveler: How to Go From Strength to Strength Pastor Bryan Hudson, D.Min. WATCH TRIBUTE VIDEO FOR REV. HORACE BRYAN HUDSON Psalms 84:5-7, Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength, each one appears before God in Zion. Based on Psalm 84:5–7, this message challenges believers to consider whether they are merely travelers moving through life for personal satisfaction or pilgrims moving with God-given purpose. The central text declares, “Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage… They go from strength to strength.” The sermon was also dedicated to Dr. Hudson’s father on the eve of his 90th birthday, connecting the message of pilgrimage, legacy, faith, and strength with the influence of previous generations. Faith Requires Hope Faith cannot function properly without hope. Drawing from Hebrews 11, the message defines hope as the picture of an expected outcome and faith as the substance that gives reality to that hope. Strong faith therefore requires strong, clear hope rooted in Scripture, God’s promises, purpose, and the testimony of what God has done in previous generations. Remembering history and legacy helps create those pictures of hope. Just as Israel carried stones from the Jordan River as a memorial of God’s faithfulness, believers should preserve testimonies of what God has done so future generations can develop hope and faith for themselves. Our Strength Is in God Psalm 84 teaches two essential truths: our strength is in God rather than ourselves, and our hearts should be set on pilgrimage rather than mere travel. Skills, knowledge, experience, and accomplishments must never cause believers to forget the One who supplied their strength. A pilgrimage is a journey with purpose. For the believer, pilgrimage is no longer primarily about traveling to a sacred geographical location. Because believers are complete in Christ, the pilgrimage is toward places of purpose, service, communion, and fulfillment of the will of God, and it is lived within covenant community. Pilgrim Versus Traveler The sermon presents an important contrast: The traveler seeks satisfaction in the moment; the pilgrim seeks purpose for a lifetime. Travelers primarily consume experiences for themselves; pilgrims move with purpose and look for opportunities to serve. Pilgrimage is not merely reaching a destination—it is living an entire journey according to God’s purpose. Dr. Hudson illustrates this through his six trips to Africa. Most were mission journeys focused on preaching, encouraging, feeding, helping, and strengthening people rather than sightseeing. The difference was purpose: he was there as a pilgrim, not simply as a traveler. Passing Through the Valley of Baca The Valley of Baca represents the difficult, dry, sorrowful, and sometimes tearful portions of a pilgrim’s journey. The sermon emphasizes that hardship is a normal part of purposeful living, but believers should distinguish between suffering encountered while following God and difficulties created through their own mistakes—what the sermon calls a “non-Baca valley.” When believers encounter a true Valley of Baca while pursuing God’s purpose, they do not simply endure it. Through God’s grace, they transform the difficult place into a spring. God may not have caused the hardship, but He can sustain His people through it and bring something beneficial from it. Turning Difficulty Into a Resource One of the sermon’s strongest pictures comes from pilgrims traveling through dry places. They would dig wells or shallow cisterns to capture groundwater, rain, or moisture. The water sustained them, but when they continued their journey, the resource remained for whoever came behind them. This becomes the deeper meaning of “strength to strength.” It is not simply: I received

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being. (1 Corinthians 10:23-24) Paul was writing to the Corinthian church, which struggled with issues of liberty, idolatry, and community life. In 1 Corinthians 8, he addressed the question of eating food sacrificed to idols, showing that Christian freedom must be exercised with regard for others’ consciences. Believers were using their freedom in Christ as justification for behaviors without considering consequences. Just because we CAN do something does not mean we SHOULD. Personal privilege and liberty must be balanced with considering others. “Not all things are helpful” (or “expedient”). The Greek word used here means “profitable, beneficial, advantageous.” Freedom must be weighed against whether it produces spiritual or moral good. This is a key phrase for Christ-followers who are not self-centered: "Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being." We should be about edifying others. The Greek word means “to build up, strengthen, promote growth.” This should be our aim and culture—not "me," "myself," and "I."