In our New Year’s Eve Sunday service, we took time to SHARE THE GOODNESS OF GOD on how He is working in our lives (James 1:17). People shared a variety of themes to include trusting God when difficult things happen and listening to Him when He is speaking to us through circumstances He brings our way. Many from our church body shared, and it was a blessed time of fellowship as we looked forward to how God may lead and use us in the New Year.… Continue reading
In our Christmas Candlelight service, we looked at THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF CHRIST’S BIRTH to Mary in Luke 1:26-38. The “angel Gabriel was sent by God” to this young “virgin” lady before she had been married to her fiancé, “Joseph” (Luke 1:26-27), and he announced, in fulfillment of prophecy, Mary had been chosen by God to bear the One who would reverse the effects of sin and death brought into the universe through the sin of Adam (Luke 1:28, 31; Isa.… Continue reading
In our message, THE LABOR OF LOVE (1 Thes. 2:7-12), Paul continued to recount his visit to them, which was “not in vain.”
Paul and his team were “gentle among [them]” as they shared the gospel with the new church at Thessalonica. This “gentleness” came from God inside of them, “Christ the hope of glory,” as they abided in Jesus (Gal. 5:22-23; Col. 1:27; John 15:4-5, etc.), and it was the same kind of gentleness that “a nursing mother [would cherish] her own” baby with (1 Thes.… Continue reading
In our message, STEWARDS OF THE GOSPEL (1 Thes. 2:1-6), the Apostle Paul, after commending the church in Thessalonica for their strong witness, recounts his visit to them.
It was “not in vain” as the believers there themselves knew God had saved them and changed their lives (1 Thes. 2:1; 1 Cor. 4:1-2; 15:58). This change came about through “THE GOSPEL” when Paul and his missionary team came to them (1 Thes. 2:2). The words “coming to you” in 1 Thes.… Continue reading
In last Sunday’s message, SENDING OUT OUR FAITH (1 Thes. 1:6-10), we continued to look at the Apostle Paul’s commendation of the Thessalonian believers. Even though they were a young church (founded in less than four weeks on Paul’s second missionary journey- Acts 17:2), their love for Christ was evident to all as they sought to follow those who had led them to the Lord and Christ Himself (1 Thes. 1:6a; Eph. 5:1-7; 1 Cor. 11:1, etc.).… Continue reading
In our message, FAITH, LOVE, AND HOPE (1 Thes. 1:1-5), we started a new series on the book of 1 Thessalonians.
The Apostle Paul founded the church in Thessalonica on his second missionary journey in LESS THAN FOUR WEEKS after heeding the call from the Holy Spirit to preach in that region of Macedonia (Acts. 16:6-10; Acts 17:2). Thessalonica was the regional capital of that Roman province, numbering about 200,000 inhabitants to include Greeks, Roman citizens, and a strong Jewish minority with its own “synagogue” (Acts 17:1).… Continue reading
In our message, PRAYER AND THANKFULNESS (Eph. 6:18-24), we finished our series in the book of Ephesians.
In way of synopsis, Ephesians chapters 1 through 3 deal with doctrine showing how “in Christ” people are saved “by grace… through faith,” and chapters 4 through 6 then urge us (i.e. the church) to “walk worthy” of that truth (Eph. 1-3; 4-6; Eph. 2:5-9; 4:1-2, etc.) This is because all Christians today are also in intense spiritual warfare “against… [the] powers… of the darkness of this age” (Eph.… Continue reading
In our message, THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD (Eph. 6:14-17), we continued to look at the Lord’s final words to us in Ephesians on being strong in Him and the power of His might. This is because, while Christ defeated sin and death at the cross, the Bible also shows us we are in a cosmic struggle with “principalities… of darkness” today until the Lord returns (Eph. 6:10-11; Gen 3; Col. 2:14-15; John 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor.… Continue reading
In our message, STANDING FOR GOD (Eph. 6:10-13), we started to look at the Lord’s “Final” words for us in the book of Ephesians.
Because Christians have been “delivered from the power of darkness… into the kingdom of… His love” by grace through faith, we inherit not only all the love of God but also all the hate of the devil (Col. 1:13-14; Eph. 2:1-9, etc.). We are therefore commanded to “be strong in the Lord and the power of His might” (Eph.… Continue reading
In our message, GOD SHOWS NO PARTIALITY (Eph. 6:5-9), we looked at a third relationship in which the Lord asks Christians to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Not only are husbands and wives to be continually filled with the Spirit as well as parents and children, but slaves and masters also are called to fulfill their roles in a way that honors the Lord (Col. 3:22-4:1, etc.). The principles here in God’s Word applies to any kind of employees and employers as well (1 Cor.… Continue reading
