Greetings in grace,

This week we begin a brand new study in Psalm 119. We are going to introduce this Psalm by considering the following thesis statement, really the underlying theme: love for God always without exception manifests itself in love for God’s Word.

Exalting God is synonymous with exalting God’s Word. Exalting God’s Word is synonymous with exalting God. When a man truly loves God, he loves His Word and takes it a step further—he obeys God’s Word.

Looking forward to our Lord’s Day worship, Word, Communion, and pot-luck fellowship.

In grace,

Pastor Bob

Greetings in grace,

This week we will continue our study in Psalm 86:6-11 by looking at 3 very practical and powerful real life principles so that God would teach us His ways and that we would walk in His truth.

This message is important for all of us because it begins to answer questions so many people have about the will of God for their life. And often people wonder why God is not leading or guiding them; some ask why is God not answering my prayers? And in this passage we learn lessons about prayer, God’s answers to prayer, and the will of God.

And when we talk about prayer and the will of God we are not talking about some Sunday morning theology lesson that is divorced from living. We are talking everyday practical decisions we all face regarding finances, work, using our spiritual gifts, raising children, etc… not to mention what we do when trouble comes upon us.

In grace,

Pastor Bob

If you are not coming out for Sunday School ( 9:45-10:45 ) or bringing the kids, why not get in the habit this fall? It will do wonders for your spiritual life and the lives of your children.

Greetings in grace,

This Sunday we will study Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” Psalm 23 is perhaps that most well known text in the whole Bible. And Psalm 23 is not just for the dying and grieving. Psalm 23 is a word to the young and the strong and the healthy and those who are in the prime of life, living each day in the sinful world. God is our comfort in death. But God is also our comfort in living. And Psalm 23 is for you wherever you are in life. Psalm 23 is really more about God than us. And that is important because until we understand God and His character, we will not make sense of ourselves or our circumstances; our earthly present or eternal future.

In grace,

Pastor Bob

Greetings in grace,

This week we will conclude our study in the book of Romans by looking 16:21-27. In v.21-23, Paul will again greet friends and fellow workers. In 25-27, we will finish our study of this book with a gloriously profound benediction that exults God. We will break this up into 4 parts. First, the gospel establishes men v.25. Second, the gospel reveals God’s mystery v.25b-26. Third, the gospel produces obedience v.26b. And fourth, Paul’s final words give God glory v.27.

Don’t miss the conclusion of this most important New Testament book.

In grace,
Pastor Bob

Greeting in grace,

This week we will study Romans 16:17-20 and the Bible will warn us concerning false teaching, remind us of the victory that God has won over Satan, and encourage us with God’s grace. In this final section of Romans, Paul is dealing very personally with the believers. His ultimate goal as he concludes is their protection and encouragement.
Also, this passage provides a wonderful transition into the communion table as we ponder the grace of God which makes our salvation possible through faith in Christ.

In grace,
Pastor Bob

Don’t miss our potluck lunch immediately after the morning service. And don’t miss the 6:00pm service as Joe Nollmeyer teaches on the Sermon on the Mount. 4-11

Greetings in grace,
This week we will look at Romans 16:1-16. In this section we are going to learn about some inconspicuous men and woman of the faith that very few people have ever heard of. But despite their obscurity, these people are recognized by the apostle Paul in the Scripture. The men and woman of this chapter are not household names but they were important to Paul’s life and ministry.
Many practical lessons about our own lives and ministries emerge from this passage.
In grace,
Pastor Bob

Just a reminder—no men’s discipleship group this week—we will use our time to do some cleaning on the church property. Starting at 9:00 a.m

Greetings in grace,

This week we will study Romans 15:22-33. In this passage, Paul talks about his own life and ministry in an extremely personal way so that we would learn about God’s will in our own lives and ministries.
The key to this passage is the phrase, “By the will of God” v.32. Remember, it was Paul’s personal desire to visit Rome but he was not able to make the trip up to this point. Paul was teaching the believers that God’s will was more important than his own plans, passions, or desires.

Many other practical life and ministry lessons emerge from this fascinating section of God’s Word.

In grace,
Pastor Bob

Don’t miss the Sunday night service at 6:00 p.m. as Sam and Donna will give a report from their trip to visit Jim and Millie Moore in Belgium

Greetings in grace,

This Sunday we will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead by studying I Corinthians 15:1-8. We will uncover 1) The false hope of believing in vain. 2) The fact of the gospel v.3-4. 3) The first-hand evidence of resurrection v.5-8. 4) The final goal of resurrection v.58.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the cornerstone of our faith. It is the reason for our faith. It is the source of our faith. It is what separates true Christianity from every other world religion, philosophy, or movement. Christianity is based on a historical person and a historical fact. Christianity is not a religion of wishful thinking, rituals, rules, legalism, ceremonies; it is not a crutch for the weak and sickly. Christianity is God coming to earth to save sinners by dying for their sins as an act of substitution and rising from the dead to prove the sacrifice acceptable to God, to provide for our justification.

In Grace,
Pastor Bob

Don’t miss our potluck breakfast starting at 9:30. Bring a dish and celebrate the risen Christ with fellow believers. No Sunday school for adults or children—no Sunday night service.

Greetings in grace,
This week we are going to consider the meaning of “Palm Sunday.” Another phrase for Palm Sunday is the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. This event, which takes place in Jerusalem about a week before Jesus’ crucifixion, gives us profound insight into the hearts of men. We learn that God sent Christ willingly into the world to die on God’s timetable. Jesus came into Jerusalem as the people were celebrating Passover to be our Passover Lamb. We learn in this passage that throughout history, men have become excited about Jesus for the wrong reasons. We learn that men will cheer for Jesus when they believe He will give them a better life on earth. We also uncover that men will turn their cheers into jeers when they learn that Christ did not come to take up a social cause that gives them more freedom or self-esteem on earth. He did not come to cause political or institutional change but to change men’s hearts. He did not come to change what we dislike about the sinful world’s system.
Studying the events of Psalm Sunday help us to understand the men and woman we live with in our culture. And we also grow in our own faith and service for God’s glory.

In grace,
Pastor Bob

Greetings in grace,

This Sunday we have the privilege of participating in the Lord’s Supper together as the body of Christ. And we are going to spend our time thinking about the command of I Corinthians 11:28, “But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” How many people take communion without engaging in this life or death prerequisite?

In addition, we will spend a short time in Psalm 51:1-7 and be reminded what it looks like to examine ourselves in relation to our sin. We will learn about real confession of sin which is necessary so that we would, “Judge ourselves rightly, so what we would not be judged” I Corinthians 11:31.

Spend some time in Psalm 51 this week so that we would take communion in a “worthy manner” for God’s glory.

In grace,
Pastor Bob

Also this Sunday we will have a potluck right after the service—Bring a dish!

And immediately after we will have our March Elders’ meeting—no Sunday night service March 9.

More info on our Resurrection Sunday potluck breakfast to follow