October 5, 2008
Sunday 10:00am WLEX TV Channel 18
It is requested that all children under the age of five stay in our nursery
so there will be no distractions during the preaching of the Gospel.
HYMN OF THE DAY
Christ above all glory seated
King triumphant, strong to save
Dying, Thou hast death defeated
Buried, Thou hast spoiled the grave.
Thou art gone where now is given
What no mortal work could gain
On the sovereign throne of Heaven
In Thy Father’s power to reign.
Born Thy people to deliver
Born a child, and yet the King
Born to reign in us forever
Now Thy gracious presence bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone
By Thine all-sufficient merit
Raise us to Thy glorious throne!
(Tune: “Jesus Calls Us” p.374)
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We will observe the Lord’s Table this evening.
Andy Davis will bring the message tonight.
There will be a church cleaning on Saturday Oct. 18th at 9:00am to get the
building ready to lay the carpeting.
Birthdays
5th – Susan Sligh 9th – Bonnie Squires
“It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will
be meddling.” - Proverb 20:3
THE TEACHING OF GRACE
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly, in this present world.”
- Titus 2:11-12
There are many things God’s grace teaches us. In Titus 2:11-12 God’s
grace is said to teach us how to live in this present world. The implication
is that if we are not living like this we obviously have not been taught by
His grace, and are living in rebellion. And what does it teach us regarding
living in this present world? That we are to deny (renounce)….ungodliness
(the opposite of devotion to God), and worldly lusts (the desire of fallen
human nature), and to live soberly (self-controlled, self-restraint, not controlled
by the passions of the flesh), righteously (upright), and godly (well devout,
a godward attitude) in this present world. Our prayer is that God by His grace
will teach us how to live in this present world in a way that adorns the Gospel
of His Son!
*****
When the Gospel is preached, there are two things always taking place (even
though most are unaware of it); some are being prepared for glory, others
are being hardened. Some are being brought to the light, some are left sitting
in darkness. Some see Christ and His glory; others see no beauty about Him.
Some who hear the Gospel have their hearts made tender toward sin; others
have their hearts hardened in sin. No wonder we say, “Who is sufficient
for these things?” The question we should all be asking is, “How
is the preaching of the Gospel affecting me?” - Pastor Donnie Bell
*****
To worship God in the Spirit is to worship without the use of idolatrou s
images and rituals. It is a heart worship of the living God. Yet, it is much
more than that. It is worshipping God in the power of and under the influence
of the Holy Spirit. True worship is born in the heart by the Spirit of God.
The Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Word of God, revealing Christ in
us; and He causes us to worship God. It is the Spirit of Christ in the heart
that produces all characteristics of true worship: humility, faith, repentance,
submission, adoration, and obedience to God. – Pastor Don Fortner
IGNORANCE LEADS TO ERROR
“Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures,
nor the power of God” – Matthew 22:29
Our blessed Lord answers the question of the Sadducees about the resurrection
by telling them their problem. The problem is not with Christ and the truth
of the resurrection, it is with the sinner. Here our Lord declares to us the
root cause of all error and unbelief, it is ignorance of the Scriptures and
not knowing the power of God. These two truths are inseparable, there is no
way of knowing and understanding the power of God apart from the revelation
of Holy Scripture (Rom. 15:4; John 5:39; 20:31), nor is there any way of knowing
and understanding the Holy Scriptures apart form the power of God revealing
them unto us (John 16:13-15; I Corinthians 2:9-14). – Pastor Tom Harding
*****
The mere knowledge of facts about the Bible, and even about the person and
work of Christ, will not save us unless that knowledge leads us to really
and truly trust our souls in the blessed Redeemer’s hands. Faith must
act in this fashion: “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God;
that He came to save sinners, and therefore, as a sinner, I rest myself on
Him. I know that His righteousness and blood justify the ungodly; therefore,
I trust Him to be both my righteousness and redemption before God.”
– Pastor Henry Mahan
*****
The greatest power, causing the greatest revolutions known to men; power far
beyond the energy of thunder, yet milder than the dew on the tender grass,
is the power of God’s grace which turns enemies into friends, rebels
into willing servants, persecutors into apostles, reigning over their thoughts,
affections, and wills, causing self to be abhorred and Christ to be adored.
Such is the sovereign and effectual grace of God in saving sinners. He never
fails! I call that what it is, God’s AMAZING AND SOVEREIGN GRACE! -
Pastor Maurice Montgomery