CALL TO WORSHIP

(Tune – Doxology)

Come, let us sing the song of songs,
The glory which to Christ belongs;
The hosts of Heav’n began the strain,
Worthy the Lamb, for He was slain.

Slain to redeem us by His blood,
And makes us kings and priest to God;
To cleanse from ev’ry sinful stain,
Worthy the lamb, for He was slain.

Among a thousand hearts and songs.
His sacred name fills all our tongues;
All pow’r in Heav’n and earth proclaim,
Worthy the Lamb, for He was slain.

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Today: Bible Classes – 10:00 a.m.; Morning Worship – 11:00 a.m.
Messages by Jim Casey and Randy Wages

Television Broadcast: Reign of Grace Television
Sunday morning on WALB-TV @ 9 AM.

Live Streaming – 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. – Sermon Audio web site

Web Sites: Reign of Grace: www.rofgrace.com
Sermon Audio: www.Sermonaudio.com\reignofgrace

Birthdays: Travis McKenzie – Dec. 28^th – John Pederson – Dec. 30^th – Patricia Pannell – Dec. 30^th – Becky Wages – Dec. 31^st

Hymns for service: “Come Thou Fount” – p. 17
“Take My Life and Let It Be” – p. 393

I am in Ashland, KY, spending time with my family. I will be back at the end of the week and be here preaching on the first Sunday of the new year (January 3, 2016). Please keep us in your prayers. – The Pastor

IN EVERY THING GIVE THANKS

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

In this last time of meeting together this year, let us remember to thank God for all the many, many blessings He as freely given us in Christ Jesus our sovereign Lord and Savior. When we consider the grace and mercy involved, not only in our salvation, but also in all the good things God gives us, we should be overwhelmed with gratitude to the Lord of Glory for His gifts. Just think about it – If God were to deal with any of us based on anything other than His grace and mercy in Christ Jesus, and on the basis of His righteousness alone, we would receive nothing but curses and damnation, for that is all we have earned and deserve. Let us remember to thank God not only with our words but also with our love and lives of obedience, worship, and service. – Pastor Bill Parker

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GRACE – THE GREAT EQUALIZER
Randy Wages

(Excerpt from To My Friends – Strait Talk About Eternity, p. 103)

The doctrine of grace distinguishes true Christianity from all other religions. We are told explicitly in God’s Word that He saves sinners by grace, not by works (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). In other words, any who are saved come to God receiving the gift of salvation, a gift that they cannot and do not merit. That is, salvation is not conditioned upon them in any way, to any degree. God says that by man’s efforts and actions (man’s works) that none are justified before Him (Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16-21). So what is grace? GRACE IS SALVATION CONDITIONED ON CHRIST ALONE. Do you see how then the Gospel of God’s grace is truly the great equalizer of all? Male or female, black or white, rich or poor, smart or dumb – all are helpless to produce that which God requires. Any and all that are saved are saved by grace – that is, based upon the merit of Christ’s work alone (Gal. 3:28-29).

“Now to Him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,” (Romans 16:25)

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PREACHING CHRIST

Many claim to be preachers of Christ, saying, “We preach Jesus.” But the preaching of Christ is not the mere repeating of His name. It is not just saying, “Believe on Jesus...” It is not saying the name “Jesus” and leaving men to put their own views to it as to who He is or what He has done. No, to preach Christ is to declare what the scriptures say about who He is. He is God manifest in the flesh. He is the One who is the “Wisdom” that was in the beginning. He is the Angel of the Covenant, the eternal Son, the holy One, and the Author and Finisher of the eternal salvation. The scriptures tell us what God says He has done. As the angel said, His name is called Jesus because He has saved His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21). We are to preach Christ “crucified.” We preach who He was crucified for, the design of His sufferings and also the glory that must follow! What did He accomplish? He suffered, the Just for the unjust, to bring us to God. He died a particular death, “even the death of the cross.” His being “obedient unto death” is the act by which God has justified all His people and at the same time satisfied His just Self in the matter of their sins. If Christ is all and everything in God’s salvation, and He is, then let us hear more and more about who He is and what He has done! No true preacher need fear running out of material or can ever think he has said all that can be said about the Him whose name is “Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6). Through the preaching of Christ, the Spirit of God will take the “things” of Christ and show them to His people. He will show them the things that are freely given them of God!