Apr 2, 2017
Righteousness of God revealed
The Righteousness of God revealed through the total depravity of man:
 
The theme of Paul's letters to the Romans was to emphasize how good and great God is compared to how sinful man is.  It carries on throughout the chapters of Romans.  The subject of how depraved man can be is an uncomfortable one but, once we understand how amazing God and His grace to us is, it is totally liberating.  Shall we go on sinning to show God's goodness?  NO!  
 
For there is no distinction:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.
 
 
 Have faith and try to be good.
WatchNotesDownloadDateTitle
  • Apr 2, 2017Righteousness of God revealed
    Apr 2, 2017
    Righteousness of God revealed
    The Righteousness of God revealed through the total depravity of man:
     
    The theme of Paul's letters to the Romans was to emphasize how good and great God is compared to how sinful man is.  It carries on throughout the chapters of Romans.  The subject of how depraved man can be is an uncomfortable one but, once we understand how amazing God and His grace to us is, it is totally liberating.  Shall we go on sinning to show God's goodness?  NO!  
     
    For there is no distinction:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.
     
     
     Have faith and try to be good.
  • Mar 26, 2017Identification as Sheep
    Mar 26, 2017
    Identification as Sheep
     “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” John 10
     
    This beautiful analogy of Jesus as the shepherd and we as His sheep is a wonderful description of our relationship with God.  Jesus, here, is giving us a great explanation of true and false teachers and their claim to having the way to knowing God.  There are many false shepherds in the world today.  Not just people but things like wealth, power, fame or health.  Unbiblical ideas about alternative lifestyles and lapsed morality being OK. But He alone is the good shepherd.  The only way to the kingdom of God. We know His voice if we are His own and we will identify with Him and follow Him only.  We are told to test ourselves to make sure we are in the faith.  To make sure we are following the Shepherd and His ways.  John 14 reminds us that He said: 
    “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
     
  • Mar 12, 2017A Servant, Before and After Christ
    Mar 12, 2017
    A Servant, Before and After Christ
    15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
     
    We are searching Gods word for our spiritual growth.  No other experience or revelation or self-help books will accomplish any spiritual growth within us except preaching Christ and studying His word.  We need to read and understand His word so that we may use those skills when we interact with other people.  This is our service to God.  
    We learned in the passage from John 21 an interesting fact about an impetuous Peter who seems to give up and go fishing.  In that era it was a strange move for Peter to go fishing, because he claimed to be a disciple, but he went back to his old job and gave up on waiting for Jesus.  Then Jesus comes back and appears to the group and reminds Peter of his responsibilities. We see the great power of God in all the intricate little miracles there on the beach.  No fish, the caught fish, the net, the fire and the food ready in a moment's time.  The lesson is, God showing us in His awesome way, that He wants to lead us in a life of humble, grateful service to Him.
     
  • Mar 5, 2017We Preach Christ
    Mar 5, 2017
    We Preach Christ
    14 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God;[a] believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?[b] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”[c] Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.[d] From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
     
    The mission of the Christian church should not be to make the unbeliever as comfortable as possible.  To make them feel good, or to appease their sensitivities.  Jesus is the only way to God and to heaven.  If the believer is not following the examples of Christ and His word then the believer is not going to be recognized by God.  Those that are turning the Biblical truths into softer versions and more likeable versions as not to "step on any toes" are sailing dangerously near the edge.  We cannot pick and choose the Bible parts that we like and ignore the parts we don't like.  
  • Feb 26, 2017The Immutable Attributes of a Holy God
    Feb 26, 2017
    The Immutable Attributes of a Holy God
    O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up;     you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down     and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue,     behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before,     and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;     it is high; I cannot attain it.
     
    Omniscient, Omnipresent and Omnipotent.  God is all knowing, all seeing.  He knows us better than we know ourselves.  It is hard to understand but the greatness and magnificence of it is amazing.
  • Jan 22, 2017What we offer
    Jan 22, 2017
    What we offer

    Romans 12: 1-2.  A Living Sacrifice

    12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
     
    Scripture tells us in multiple places that our mouth is the cause of a lot of trouble.  It tells us that out of our heart comes the truth of how we think and feel and it comes flooding right out of our mouths.  We are told that the mouth is the best indicator of if we are truly growing spiritually.  If we are able to curb our disobedient thoughts and tongue then we are seen as gentle, obedient children of God.
     

    Luke 6:45

    45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
  • Jan 15, 2017Two Kinds of Followers
    Jan 15, 2017
    Two Kinds of Followers
    Today we explored the reality of two different kinds of followers of Jesus Christ.  We see that there are those who are "giving" and those who are "getting" when it comes to Christianity.  Jesus speaks of the wise builder and the unwise builder.  Two very strong contrasts.  Romans 9:6 speaks of "Not all people being 'Isreal'  
    It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.  Although outwardly they may have seemed to be the people of God, inwardly they fell short.  Hebrews 4:13 speaks of God's word judging the hearts and attitudes of the people.  If the attitude of the heart is bad then naturally what comes out of the person is probably going to be unsavory as well.  Just as Jesus rebukes the Pharasees in Matthew 23,   27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.  But if the heart is genuine, as that of Jesus Christ, then that person is learning to be a mirror image of Christ himself.
  • Jan 8, 2017Changes
    Jan 8, 2017
    Changes
    In Colossians 3: 1-17 we read how that if we are in Christ we need to be acting and thinking as Christ would have us do.  
     
    Setting your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.  But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.  12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and [k]patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
     
    There is no time like the present to make changes.  The new year is a good time, like we all know, to make those resolutions.  But maybe instead of the resolutions where we promise ourselves what we are going to do, we should be deciding to stop doing those things that are not suitable for a Christian's walk or for our health.
  • Jan 1, 2017New Year! Expectations
    Jan 1, 2017
    New Year! Expectations
    What are your expectations for the new year?  Many are wishing that they have a better year in 2017 than they did in 2016.  They say " I sure hope that this year's better!"  But hoping and wishing and gritting our teeth won't give us a better year.  Only obedience will.  Only complete obedience to God's word will.  So if 2017 is going to be a year of great opportunity and success we need to grow closer to God and develop spiritually and for that to happen we must begin with obedience.  You may think, "that's a lot of rules"  but really there are only 3 basic rules to follow:  First, Read more.  Second, Pray more.  Third, Love more.  Galatians 6 reminds us of this:  
    Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
  • Sep 11, 2016God’s Glory
    Sep 11, 2016
    God’s Glory
     
    John 1 verses 1 to 18 he explains that Christ and the cross is God's Glory.  

    14 

    The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
  • Jul 24, 2016A Holy Church
    Jul 24, 2016
    A Holy Church
    Church discipline produced holiness.  Matthew 18 gives directions on how to rebuke or discipline our brother as it is required that we are to be holy just as Jesus was holy.
  • Jul 17, 2016Grace gifts to the Body of Christ
    Jul 17, 2016
    Grace gifts to the Body of Christ

    Each person has received a gift of grace from the Lord.  It is a valuable tool to further the gospel.  It is important to attend a church to see where your gift can be used.  You might be surprised where your talents lie.

  • Jul 10, 2016Equality in Righteousness
    Jul 10, 2016
    Equality in Righteousness
    There is no hierarchy when it comes to righteousness.  The apostle Peter counted himself a slave and a servant but was one of the most important and influential men of the new testament.Slavery of Sin Church Bulletin