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GREETINGS, EVERYONE! (There is a lot here this week, so you may want to scan the bold headings first)
This week, Psalm 43 came up three different times in my personal reading and group sharing. On Monday, Sept. 13, it was one of the Psalms of the day (13, 43, 73, 103, 133). On Wednesday, I read it in preface to our evening prayer time focused on Missouri missions. On Friday, it was part of my regular Bible reading plan. It seems the Lord was bringing it to my attention on purpose! If you will, indulge me to share just a couple of verses from the middle of this brief psalm: "Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God." In the very order of the phrases, the psalmist states that his worship, his joy, and his praise (signified by the "altar of God" and "the lyre") follows and flows from the light and truth which God sends out from Himself. They lead the psalmist into His very dwelling. It is the same for us: God's light and truth (yes, His very word) is the catalyst for praise. Praise is always for something, never without a reason. Some Godly attribute; some truth concerning God's nature and being; some Divine intention, purpose, or action. All of these are found in the pages of Scripture and provide abundant kindling to stoke the fire of our affections and send our praise and worship upward to the very throne room of God! The Valley of Vision prayer concerning "Scriptural Convictions" relates it this way: "I cannot find out thy perfections, but I know thou art good, ready to forgive, plenteous in mercy. Thou hast displayed thy wisdom, power, and goodness in all thy works, and hast revealed thy will in the Scripture of truth. Thou has caused it to be preserved, translated, published, multiplied, so that all men may possess it and find thee in it." As we prepare for corporate worship this week, I pray that we would so individually and personally read God's word, reflect and meditate on it, and inwardly digest it that, when we come to the gathering on the Lord's Day, our hearts would be so full of the truth of God that we cannot but praise and magnify the God of all truth! TOMORROW (SATURDAY, 9/18) Work Day at the Church House! Folks will start arriving at 8 am, and I plan to have donuts and coffee ready for those who come. I cannot promise there will still be donuts at 10, so plan on getting here early. Here is a "punch list" of possible projects for you to work on (more may be added):
THE LORD'S DAY (SUNDAY)
Fighter Verse: 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Call to Worship: Psalm 1 OT Reading: Proverbs 31:10-31 NT reading: James 3:13-4:3, 7-8 Prayer of Confession: Psalm 54 Assurance of Pardon: Psalm 55:22 Sermon Texts: 2 Timothy 4:1-15; Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 Benediction: 2 Corinthians 13:14
MONDAY
WEDNESDAY
Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. READ THROUGH THE BIBLE schedule is attached. We are on Week 38. BONUS: Rob Philips, director of the apologetics ministry of the Missouri Baptist Convention, has released a new book, What Every Christian Should Know About Satan: Biblical Names and titles that Reveal his Nature, Activities, and Destiny. Rob has compiled a well-researched, engaging, and hefty (over 400-page!) volume to aid the church in discipleship and defense of the faith. I am ordering 20 of these at the greatly reduced cost of $5 per book (75% off retail). Please let me know and I will reserve your copy (or copies) today. Make checks payable to the church and designate it "Satan book." See you in church! Grace and peace, Pastor Greg
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Greetings, everyone!
Recent crises brought on by the earthquake in Haiti, Hurricane Ida, flooding through the midsouth, and the military pullout of Afghanistan have been foremost in our prayers. You may have a good idea of what relief efforts look like for natural disasters. But if you are like most, you don't have as good an idea on what relief efforts for a man-made disaster such as what is taking place in Afghanistan look like. For this reason, I am linking to an e-mail I received from the International Mission Board and North American Board concerning Send Relief. You will find out what efforts are underway and how you can help. Attached to this e-mail is a page entitled "10 Ways to Pray for Afghan Refugees." Incidentally, our Rheubin South Missouri Missions Offering (MMO) begins promotion tomorrow, and a portion of every dollar given goes to support disaster relief efforts both in Missouri and elsewhere in the US. Our goal for this offering set by our Mission Vision Team is $1500. THE LORD'S DAY is TOMORROW! I'm looking forward to being with you on the Lord's Day tomorrow as we start a new series simply entitled "The Church." Over the next several weeks, we will be looking at the subject of the church under the following headings: 1. What is the Nature of the Church of Jesus Christ? 2. What are the Attributes and Marks of the Church? 3. What Does the Bible Say About Leadership in the Church? 4. What Does the Bible Say About the Membership in the Church? 5. What Does the Bible Say About the Ordinances of the Church? 6. What Does the Bible Say About Discipline in the Church? 7. What is the Warfare of the Church? We'll be singing "O Church, Arise" (Keith & Kristyn Getty; Stuart Townend) across the weeks of this series, so take a few moments to listen to it if you aren't familiar with it. We will gather for Sunday School/Bible Study for All Ages at 9:30 am, followed by corporate worship at 10:40 am in the Sanctuary. Here are the Scriptures we will be reading in the morning service. Please spend a few moments reading and meditating on them. Click on any of the links to read a printable version of all the selected Scriptures. Fighter Verses: 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 Call to Worship: Psalm 146 Old Testament: Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 New Testament: James 2:1-10. (11-13), 14-17 Prayer of Confession: Psalm 86: 1-7 Assurance of Pardon: Psalm 86: 12-13 Sermon Text: Matthew 16:13-20; 18:15-20 Benediction: Numbers 6:24-26 COMING UP
ICYMI: Last Sunday’s Message Saved By Faith Luke 7:36-50 Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. READ THROUGH THE BIBLE schedule is attached. We are on Week 36. (That's right, we are 2/3 of the way through 2021). BONUS: Fear is an emotion which may be legitimate or illegitimate, good or bad, depending on the context. Fear is something we all experience, and some more than others. Looking to the Scriptures and wise counsel from Puritans like John Flavel and Richard Baxter, later churchmen like Charles Spurgeon and J.C. Ryle, and contemporary counselors like Ed Welch and David Powlison, the Just Thinking Podcast team Darrel Harrison and Virgil Walker do a deep dive into the subject "Why Are You Afraid?" Don't be daunted by the nearly 3-hour length. It is worth it. I listened to it in big chunks beginning Monday and finishing up Friday. I heartily recommend their podcast in general and this episode in particular. You will be encouraged and likely challenged in your thinking. See you in church! Grace and peace, Pastor Greg |
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