Who Are We in the Valley of Darkness?

Excerpts from sermons to be delivered around Orange County on Sunday:

WHO WE ARE: “If Jesus is the Mountaintop Messiah, then what about us in the valley of darkness? Who are we in this everyday, sometimes dreary, sometimes dim, sometimes scary, sometimes exciting world?”

--Rev. Ron Baesler, speaking at 8:15 a.m. services at Messiah Lutheran Church, 4861 Liverpool St., Yorba Linda. (714) 528-0920.

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ENDURING LOVE: “Valentine’s Day is a great day to say ‘I love you.’ But will it last? Biblically defined love will endure.”

--The Rev. David Bearden, speaking at 8 and 10:15 a.m. services at Sunny Hills Church of Christ, 2255 N. Euclid St., Fullerton. (714) 525-1221.

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PRIMARY TEMPTATION: “Intellectual assent is not faith. We boldly shout, ‘Jesus is Lord of everything,’ until that universal assertion conflicts with something we would rather do! This is the primary temptation of our time.”

--Rev. John McFarland, speaking at 10 a.m. services at Christ Our King Fellowship in the Community Room of the Anaheim Memorial Medical Plaza, near Weir Canyon and Santa Ana Canyon Roads, Anaheim Hills. (909) 737-6661.

The Message highlights excerpts from sermons to be delivered in Orange County houses of worship in the coming week. Submissions should be delivered by noon each Thursday to Orange County religion editor Jack Robinson.