April 9^th, 2023

9:30 am -------------------------------------------A Glad Gathering in the Wilderness – Exodus 4:27-31

10:00 am --------------------------------------- The Resurrection: Victory Over Death – 1 Corinthians 15

Hymns For Today: #13 - #30 - #130 (tune #233) - #51

Wednesday: 7:00 pm-- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -- Christ The Vine – John 15:1-13

Self-righteous souls on works rely,

And boast their moral dignity;

But if I lisp a song of praise,

Each note shall echo, Grace, free grace!

’Twas grace that quickened me when dead;

’Twas grace my soul to Jesus led;

Grace brings a sense of pardoned sin,

And grace subdues my lusts within.

Grace reconciles to every loss,

And sweetens every painful cross;

Defends my soul when danger’s near;

By grace alone I persevere.

When from this world my soul removes

To mansions of delight and love,

I’ll cast my crown before his throne,

And shout, Free grace, free grace alone! -- 1790, author unknown

The Race – by Henry Mahan

Those who are so foolish as to allow ANYTHING IN THEIR LIFE to cause them to renounce their faith in Christ and neglect their duty and privileges as children of the living God will, like Esau, someday weep with bitter tears when it is beyond their power to recover what is lost. Guard against apostasy and fleshly appetites; guard against neglecting worship and daily communion with the Lord; guard against unwholesome companions and worldly social contacts; guard against covetousness and materialism lest you come, at last, to mourn bitterly your foolishness and wickedness.

We have entered A RACE. The prize goes to those who FINISH (Heb. 10:35-39). There will be difficult times, perhaps heavy trials; and along the way there will be tempting pastures of pleasure, which appeal to the flesh. We must go on! We may proceed rapidly or slowly; we may even stumble and fall; but, looking to Christ, we continue. I have a responsibility TO MY LORD and to the gospel of His grace. Neither the smiles nor the frowns of the world will cause me to surrender what I believe. I have a responsibility to the church, my brothers, my family, and to those whose lives I touch. By His grace, I must not allow anything to cause me to quit the race nor fail to see it through.

In 50 years of pastoring and preaching, I have seen many runners in this race. Those who finish and are crowned with glory are those who CONTINUE FAITHFUL! They lay aside the weights and sins which hinder; they look neither BACK to Egypt which they have left nor AROUND at others who profess to run, but only FORWARD to Christ, their goal. They do not always maintain the same pace, for sometimes the track is smooth and sometimes it is rocky or muddy; but they are always moving in the same direction. "I shall be satisfied when I awake with Thy likeness."

One Thing Is Needful -- “But one thing is needful . . .” – Luke 10:42

A few weeks ago a young couple moving to the area stopped by the office to ask some questions about the church. The first thing they asked was "what do you have for the kids?" Having been asked the same question before, I was somewhat prepared to answer. I told them, “We have something for the children and adults alike that most churches do not offer; the Truth of the Gospel. We have Sunday School classes for the children and the adults which teach the truth of God concerning Jesus Christ.” After explaining “Not every church tells the truth about God, Christ and sinners”, I explained “We concentrate all our efforts on telling people the truth concerning Jesus Christ. We do not have passion plays, Christmas programs or softball teams. We have the truth. The one thing that is needful.” God has given us the good part, which can never be taken away from us or our children; Christ Jesus and Him crucified. This is the one thing needful for sinners. I haven’t seen or heard from them since. It may not have been what they wanted to hear, but I know it was what they needed to hear.