Church guide

What Love Covers This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 1 Timothy 1:15 The phrase “Damascene experience” is used in modern contexts to describe a sudden awakening, a moment of insight leading to a reversal of priorities and values, or a shock to one’s worldview. Its basis, of course, is in the apostle Paul’s encounter with the resurrected Christ on the road to Damascus where he intended to persecute the followers of Jesus. Recommended Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:9 Two great injustices—in the legal sense of the word—occur in the New Testament. First, the perfectly innocent Jesus of Nazareth was put to death, while second, the perfectly guilty Saul of Tarsus was forgiven and set free. We know why Jesus died—to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29). But why was Paul forgiven and set free from his guilt? In order that he might experience first-hand what God wanted him to proclaim to the Gentile world: the love and grace of God. Saul (later Paul) was guilty of persecuting innocent Christians, yet God’s love covered all his sins. “Love covers all sins” (Proverbs 10:12)—even all of yours. Be secure today in God’s love. David Jeremiah God’s love is a free love, having no motive or foundation but within itself. Thomas Brooks

Five days into summer, it’s now starting to get warm. Stay cool and stay hydrated! Have a great Tuesday! 😎

God’s Will for You For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. Romans 12:3 When the Israelites traveled from Mount Sinai to the edge of Canaan, the Kohathites—descendants of the second son of Levi—had the privilege of carrying the Ark of the Covenant and other holy vessels (Numbers 4:1-15). By contrast, someone—we don’t know who—was responsible for tent pegs, ropes, poles, and the like. Recommended Reading: Ephesians 3:7-9 How did those with the menial tasks feel about those with the most holy tasks? Paul’s words in Romans 12:3 would have been good advice: Don’t think too highly (or too lowly) of yourself. Rather, think realistically about the role God has given you to play in building up the Body of Christ. God gives grace and faith to each one; we must discern the purpose of God’s grace to us and fulfill His calling. Some carry the Ark; some carry the tent pegs; all move the purpose of God into the future. What grace has God given you? Step out in faith to prove what is His good and perfect will for you (Romans 12:1-2). David Jeremiah To obey God’s will is to find the fulfillment of our lives. David Watson

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BIBLE MEDITATION: For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe. 1 Corinthians 1:21 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: Before God created man, He already knew we could never know Him just by our own wisdom. However smart we think we are, our intellect can never fully reveal God to us. He must reveal to us who He is. And the way He has chosen to do this is through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and through His Word. Therefore, the Word of God is indispensable. It’s indispensable for salvation. We are conceived by it. We’re “born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” 1 Peter 1:23 The Word of God is indispensable for sanctification. We are cleansed by it. “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren.” 1 Peter 1:22 The Word of God is indispensable for sustenance. We are completed by it. “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst” John 6:35 How important is the Word? For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 The Word of God is living, dynamic, and cuts through the noise and clamor to reveal the truth in our hearts. It’s crucial for your salvation, sanctification and sustenance. ACTION POINT: Do you want to grow? Do you want to be a person of strength, steadfast in your faith? Then you must get into the Word of God. Adrian Rogers

BIBLE MEDITATION: Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have shown Thy strength unto this generation, and Thy power to every one that is to come. Psalm 71:18 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: The early Christians turned the world upside down. Their charge and ours today is the same—it is to rescue the perishing and care for the dying, to go to the helpless ones and tell them Jesus saves. I heard about a little girl who said to her mother, “Do you remember that priceless vase we all love so much that’s been handed down to our family from one generation to another?” The mother said, “Yes.” The little girl sheepishly said, “Well, this generation just dropped it.” Now friend, our generation cannot drop it. ACTION POINT: The faith we received, the faith we enjoy, and the faith that gives us eternal life, must be handed down from generation to generation. We must not drop this priceless heirloom that God has placed into our hands. Adrian Rogers

Stand Firm Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. Matthew 16:3 Jesus called out the religious leaders of His day who asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. He rebuked them, saying they could read the signs of the weather but could not read the signs of the times (Matthew 16:1-4). Recommended Reading: 2 Timothy 3:1-9 That wasn’t all Jesus said about signs of the times. When His disciples asked Him what would be the signs (indicators) of the end of the age, He gave them many (Matthew 24; Luke 21). And the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy about the signs of godlessness in the last days prior to Christ’s return—things like loving pleasure more than loving God and a long list of others (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Given the signs that Paul mentions, all of which have to do with personal character and behavior, the world seems headed for a downward crisis. Keep your eyes on culture and on Christ at the same time. As the one deteriorates, the nearness of the Other increases. Prepare to stand firm and faithful until the end. David Jeremiah We are not to require “signs,” but we are to regard signs. Ian MacPherson

God of Second Chances Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” Jonah 3:1-2 It was not uncommon in the Old Testament for “the word of the Lord” to come to God’s prophets again and again. It happened to Samuel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Haggai, Zechariah, and others. And it also happened to Jonah: The word of the Lord came to Jonah the first time (Jonah 1:1) and then the second time (Jonah 3:1). With the other prophets, the “second time” meant additional prophetic utterances they were to deliver. But with Jonah, the “second time” was because Jonah had failed to speak God’s word the first time. Jonah was a disobedient prophet. Recommended Reading: Joel 2:12-27 God commissioned Jonah to go east to Assyria, to the capital of Nineveh and deliver a message of judgment. But Jonah fled west toward Spain because he feared the Assyrians. You know the story—Jonah ended up in the sea where he was swallowed by a great fish. Jonah repented and called on the Lord and was delivered. God gave him a second chance. Don’t let your past keep you from trusting God for a second (or third, or fourth) chance. The God of grace loves to forgive. David Jeremiah Forgiveness is to be set loose from sins. G. Campbell Morgan

Have a great Monday! There’s a chance of thunderstorms and more rain this afternoon here in central Ohio.

The evil of this world is working non-stop to bring down fellow Christians. It’s a spiritual battle. Keep on guard!

Our high school graduate, Harley Paul, sang an amazing rendition of How Great Thou Art. Enjoy and have a great Sunday!

If you’re going through a tough time right now, please keep in mind that the Lord is always near. Just call out to Him! Have a great Sunday!

Hope to see you tomorrow! We have Bible studies at 9am, morning service at 10am, and 20/20/20 at 6pm.

At times, it’s hard to change, even if it’s for our own good. Happy Saturday!

The battles we fight are spiritual, against principalities and powers, not physical. Trust God through those battles.

God’s Supernatural Rest Today Let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. –Hebrews 4:11 The writer of Hebrews said, “Let us be diligent to enter [God’s] rest.” As we have seen, the writer used the term “rest” in three different ways in chapter 4. Yesterday, we looked at our past rest (salvation) and our future rest (Heaven). Today, we will look at the third type of rest. The third kind of rest is our present rest that God wants us to enjoy right now. Hebrews 4:11 says, “Let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.” The King James Version says, “Let us labour . . . to enter into that rest.” Labor to enter God’s rest? You may be saying, “Wait a minute, Pastor. Doesn’t the writer remember what he said a verse earlier? In verse 10, he said we have to quit working to enter God’s rest, then he said we have to be diligent to enter that rest. How do we make sense of that?” The writer of Hebrews was talking about a different kind of rest. In 4:10, he referred to the rest that comes from not working, of receiving God’s salvation as a gift. To experience God’s future rest, we quit working and accept God’s gift of grace. However, to experience God’s present rest, we have to be diligent. We have to labor to experience that rest. How do we labor? By trusting God when tested and obeying God when ordered. Some people have difficulty understanding this passage because they want to make “rest” mean Heaven. That is not the “rest” the writer was talking about. If Canaan is equal to Heaven and if the Promised Land is Heaven, then the writer would be saying believers could end up falling short of Heaven. That is not possible. He was talking about a present absence of turmoil in your life that you can experience right now. What is it that is causing you tremendous stress in your life right now? What is it that is causing you to keep churning internally? Your mind cannot get off of this particular challenge you are facing. Maybe it is a relationship problem, maybe it is a challenge you are facing at work, maybe it is a health concern, maybe it is a financial difficulty. The Bible says God wants you to experience rest right now. God’s supernatural rest is the peace that comes from trusting God when tested and obeying God when ordered. Not long ago, I was talking to a man who was facing a very trying circumstance at his workplace. He did not know if he was going to have a job in three months or not, but he said, “Robert, I am at perfect peace. I believe God is going to take care of us just as He has taken care of our family in the past. I have done everything I know I am supposed to do, and I am trusting God with the outcome.” In spite of what was happening around him, this man was experiencing God’s supernatural peace. That is the present rest the writer of Hebrews was talking about here. Robert Jeffress

BIBLE MEDITATION: For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. Galatians 5:13 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: One of the signs that you have stopped trusting God is that you cease to function. You simply drop out of life’s activities. You start fretting over this and that; you get distressed over a loss. When you get oppressed by the devil, what do you do? Close up shop, draw the drapes, go to sleep, get up late. Have you ever been that way? Worry will do that to you. When you worry it is because you are not trusting God. You may say, “I lost my job.” Well, what are you doing? “I’m sitting around the house.” Well, quit it! You have more opportunity to serve God. ACTION POINT: Go down to the church and ask them to put you to work. Go to your local mission and volunteer. Mow a neighbor’s yard. Go shopping for an elderly person. Do what you need to do to find a job and when you’re done…do good! Do good because you’re trusting in the Lord. Adrian Rogers

Our high school graduate, Harley Paul, sang an amazing rendition of How Great Thou Art. Enjoy and have a great Sunday!