Archives for May 2020

Preceding the commands given by these verses, we must consider Christ's atoning work, contending these commands are not done by human will. First, the Christian should "rejoice always," which is grounded in the fact that God is always acting for their good. Second, he called the listeners to "pray without ceasing." Although this command on the surface seems to be a burden,...

"People have suffered. They've been afraid. The ground on which they stand has shifted." Peggy Noonan "Through the blessings of grace, walking with Jesus is no longer a forced march of meritbut a willing response of love, gratitude, and thanksgivingOur job is not to repeat Christ's work but to honor it. We do so by trusting the adequacy of his grace and responding to it w...

On Sunday Jeff encouraged us from Psalm 103 where the psalmist helps us take our eyes off of our present circumstances and fix them instead on what is true and enduringGod and overwhelming generosity to us. Listen again and look away from the uncertainties and distractions to what is certain, what is unchanging, what is never failing. ...

Join us for our final session of the virtual Sunday Class, "Fear Not! A Worrier's Guide to Peace and Rest." In this panel discussion, Steve, Tyson, Brian, and Rich discuss how to pursue peace and rest in the midst of a world full of fear. ...

While the current pandemic may lead to divisive arguments, we turn to Philippians 2:14-16 where Paul tells us how we can be light in the darkness. First, he outlines threats to the unity of the church like rivalry and conceit. Then, he calls the Philippians to practice humility by citing Christ's example and commands them to "do all things without grumbling or disputing." ...

On Sunday, Jeff encouraged us from Psalm 145 reminding us that "the LORD is near to all who call on Him." Are you needy today? He's near.Are you burdened? He's near. Are you anxious or weary or desperate? He's near to all who call. And we know that is true because He drew near to us in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. Listen again and be encouraged! ...

"Few passages have as much theology and ethics in them as Philippians 2." D.A. Carson "Paul emphasizes that Jesus did not take advantage of or exploit the equality with God that he already possessed. In other words, the grasping or advantage-taking does not move toward equality with God as its goal but begins with God-equality and moves towards others. The text, then, emp...

Join us for session 4 of our virtual Sunday Class, "Fear Not! A Worrier's Guide to Peace and Rest." In this session, Tyson helps us interpret fear through the eyes of faith. You can find the outlineHERE ...

Peter helps us to discern the true cause of our anxiety and apply the biblical remedy so we can find peace. C.J. addressed how external circumstances were the occasion for the original audience's anxieties but not the cause, namely pride. God opposes the proud but encourages us that he gives grace to the humble. This humility is the acknowledgement of one's need for grace ...

In this week's call to worship, Jeff addressed us from Psalm 33 and drew our attention to a cosmic reason to praise God: His sovereignty over all that is.For those who are His, for us, God's wise and loving and unshakable sovereignty is the best news. This is our Goduniquely sovereign, unswervingly devoted, lovingly attentive to those that He has made His heritage, His ver...

"Part of humility is willingness to patiently wait for things according to God's timetable." Edmond Hiebert "Worry is a stealth sin. It doesn't feel like sin." Ed Welch "Worry is a form of pride because when believers are filled with anxiety, they are convinced that they solve all the problems in their lives in their own strength. The only god they trust is themselves. W...

Join us for session 3 of our virtual Sunday Class, "Fear Not! A Worrier's Guide to Peace and Rest." In this session, Brian Chesemore give us some strateies for cultivating peace to combat our fear and anxiety. You can find the outlineHERE ...

James 4:13-17 encourages us to adopt one specific way of living as we go back to regular life (post-quarantine): "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." In this passage, James addresses two things: 1) what people say, and 2) what people ought to say. People were planning their lives without regard for the brevity of life, the certainty of death, and their to...

Things To Pray For In May By Dave Taylor on May 05, 2020 02:16 am As Mark Prater said in a recent podcast entitled 'Loving Our Neighbours', there has been an "explosion of generosity" in Sovereign Grace Churches towards the nations in this pandemic. And so there has Over the last month...

This past Sunday in our Call to Worship, Jeff encouraged us from Psalm 86 and an avalanche of truth about GodHis goodness, His forgiveness, and His abounding steadfast love. As Jeff said, "we can bank on these realities because Jesus came and proved that all of this is trueGod is all of this for us and more. What a comfort to look to Him, lean on Him, and glorify Him by re...

"James attributes no magical significance to the words themselves." Doug Moo "Apart from God I cannot exist; apart from me God does exist. God does not need me in order for Him to be. I do need God in order for me to be. This is the difference between what we call a self-existent Being and a dependent being. We are dependent. We are fragile." R.C. Sproul "To James the si...