CALL TO WORSHIP

(Tune – I Love Thy Kingdom – p. 188)

Remind us, please, dear Lord,

Of Thy great sacrifice;

Remind us how Thy righteousness

Imputed shall suffice.

We bless Thy name, O God,

And worship at Thy throne;

Thy law and justice satisfied

By Christ our Lord alone.

Remind, us please, dear Lord,

Thy glory in His face;

How every attribute of Thine

Is honored by Thy grace.

In every heart, dear Lord,

O, let Thy truth ring clear;

And let the glory of the cross

Of Christ bring each soul near.

TODAY’S SERVICES – Messages by Pastor Bill Parker

BIBLE CLASS – 10:00 a.m. –

Reconciled to God by Christ – Romans 5:10-11

MORNING WORSHIP – 11:00 a.m –

• OPENING – Psalm 111:1-3

• CALL TO WORSHIP (above)

• HYMN – Look, Ye Saints – p. 141

• READING – Hebrews 12:1-13

• MESSAGE – The Peaceable Fruit of Righteousness – Heb. 12:11

• CLOSING HYMN – O God, Our Help in Ages Past – p. 10

Birthdays: John Pedersen – Dec. 30^th | Patricia Pannell – Dec. 30^th
Becky Wages – Dec. 31^st | William Sparks – Jan. 4^th
Jack Cox – Jan. 5^th | Jordan Drake – Jan. 5^th

THE LORD’S SUPPER NEXT SUNDAY

On the first Lord’s Day of the new year (01/06/2019), we will serve the Lord’s Supper and have our fellowship dinner following the worship services. We look forward to a new year of God’s blessings in Christ Jesus, our Lord and our Savior.

GLORYING IN THE CROSS

“God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14). David wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1), but the glories of redemption vastly outshine the magnificence of creation. All of the infinite perfections of God are harmoniously featured in the sacrificial, substitutionary death of Christ. At the cross we behold God’s determinate purpose, His everlasting love and His inflexible justice working together to bring about the salvation of unworthy sinners “to the praise of the glory of His grace.”
—Pastor Jim Byrd

“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might; let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord” (Jer. 9:23-24).

Do you, my poor, proud, vain, sinful heart, after so much as has been said to you of Jesus and so much as you have been taught of your need of Jesus, did you need this precept? Oh yes, my soul! Every day it needs to be sounded in my ears and written over again by the Holy Ghost upon my heart. Now it is, Lord Jesus, I learn from this why you are so suited to a poor convinced sinner. You only are the Lord our righteousness and therefore let those who know not their own worthlessness nor Your glory boast in what they may. Let others talk of what they will, I see plain enough there is no one but You for a poor soul to rejoice in. The wise men have no wisdom, but in the Lord; the mighty man has no strength, nor the rich man any riches, but if You are my Portion, You are made of God to be my wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption; and then indeed I shall glory in the Lord!

—Robert Hawker, edited

AN EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE FROM YOUR PASTOR

I feel that I do not have the words to express adequately my love and gratitude for you, my brethren in Christ here at Eager Avenue Grace Church. I am speaking for Debbie, Nathan, Alissa, and our whole family, when I tell you that your love, your prayers, your gifts, and your understanding and patience with me during the time of our son’s illness and passing was used of the Lord to bear us up through this severe trial. I also want to thank the men who preached here in my absence. It is such a great comfort to know that the true Gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ Jesus was faithfully preached the whole time I was gone. I also want to specifically thank Kristen Fuller for diligently taking care of the office duties and putting together bulletins while I was in Ashland, KY, with our son.

Aaron is now with the Lord. As much as we are hurting and grieving over the loss of our dear son, we know that it is truly Aaron’s gain. We rejoice to know that he had the hope and assurance of God’s grace in Christ. Though sin destroyed his physical body, it couldn't touch his soul. He stands before God having been washed clean from all his sins by the blood of Jesus Christ. His hope was, is, and will always be the righteousness of Christ imputed to him and from which the Lord gave him life everlasting. I do not know all of God’s purpose and plan in taking our son away from us at such an early age (38 years old), but I do know that it is for God’s glory and our eternal good. I do know that God never makes a mistake and that Aaron is much better off because of God working these things after the counsel of His own will and according to His timing. The loss of Aaron still hurts us terribly, and we shall grieve the rest of our lives here on earth. But our sorrow is not as others who have no hope. As is expressed in one of my favorite hymns –

“My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

We dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand.

All other ground is sinking sand.”

Please continue to pray for all of us, and especially for Aaron’s wife, Alissa, and his children, Aiden and Neil.