LOVE REJOICES NOT IN THE FALL AND FAILURE OF OTHERS, BUT REJOICES IN GOODNESS AND TRUTH

Love is never glad when others go wrong. What a man is, he wishes others to be. If he is evil, he delights to point to evil in others (1 Cor. 13:1-7).

We are exhorted in I Peter. 3:8 to "LOVE AS BRETH­REN." How do brethren love? They love ALL of the believers. They love as Christ loved us--freely. They love without hypocrisy, in deed, not in word only. They love continually, for true love never fails. How will this love be expressed? In praying for one another, in forgiving one another, in sharing with one another both temporal and spiritual needs, and in seeking out one another for fellowship and encouragement (Eph. 4:32).

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1993)

Prayer

Prayer does not move or change God. “Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world.” (Acts 15:18). However, prayer moves us; “stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance” (2 Pet 3:1) and it changes us, our desires, and our emotional state.

Pastor Kevin Thacker

Grace

Grace is not merely a doctrine, but an unstoppable force of God. It is never without effect! We are chosen by grace with the undeniable effect that we are His. We are redeemed by grace with the certain effect that we are free. We are called by grace with the inescapable effect that we shall be with Him forever. Pastor Joe Terrell

1 Corinthians 13: 5 [Love] is not easily provoked,

God is love. When God walked this earth, Christ was patient with all sinners. He knew the hearts of those who rejected him, yet our Savior was not easily provoked. When his apostles were slow of heart to believe our Lord was patient with them. Since Christ quenched the fire of God’s wrath for all for whom he died, God’s people never arouse His anger and wrath. He may chasten us in love but never in wrath.

Brethren, sinners may think we are provoked when we speak the gospel without compromise or refuse to bow to them, but it is Love abiding within our new man who settles our hearts and makes us not easily provoked. The more we grow in the love of God the more we learn to wait on Christ in all things.

Pastor Clay Curtis

HEARING THE WORD

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your ownselves(James 1:17-22).

How should we hear the gospel when it is preached? God gives us some excellent instruction on how to hear the Word in the book of James (James 1: 17-22).

1). HEAR THE WORD EAGERLY!

"Let every man be swift to hear." Since the preaching of the gospel is the means God ordained to call out the sheep, to give us life in Christ, to comfort and feed the sheep, let us grasp every opportunity to hear the Word (Proverbs 8:32-36).

2). HEAR THE WORD QUIETLY!

"Slow to speak, slow to wrath." No one has ever learned anything by talking. Don't hear the Word with a critical spirit, but rather with an open heart and a closed mouth asking the Lord for understanding (Eccl. 5:1-2).

3). HEAR THE WORD ATTENTIVELY!

"Lay apart all filthiness." Lay aside that which would hinder and keep you from hearing the gospel; pride, self-righteousness and all fleshly appetites that would distract your attention. "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them" (I Tim. 4:15).

4). HEAR THE WORD REVERENTLY!

"Receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your soul." Hear it as the Word of God and humbly receive it as God's truth which is able to set us free in Christ Jesus (John 8:32).

5). HEAR THE WORD OBEDIENTLY!

"Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only." The Word of God is to be heard, believed and obeyed "Ye are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you" (John 15:14).