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Passion – God of this City is set to release on February 5, 2008. This album will feature Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, David Crowder Band, Charlie Hall, Christy Knockels and Kristian Stanfill. You will hear great songs like Let God Arise, The Glory of It All, Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone), and Shine. If you want to see the complete track list. Click here
Luke 2
The Birth of Jesus
1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.
4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The Shepherds and the Angels
8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14″Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
I wanted to invite youth and parents to Shady Grove Bowling Lanes on Saturday, December 22nd. We will start bowling at 3:00pm and play till 6:00pm. It will cost $22 per person which includes 3 games and shoe rental. If you are interested in going please let me know. We can meet there. If you need rides try to contact those who live close to you. Here is their web page for address and phone number.
http://www.amf.com/shadygrovelanes/centerHomepage.htm
Hope to see you on Saturday.
Use www.biblegateway.com for direct Bible passages.
John 17:15, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”
All believers must live their Christian lives in the context of an unholy world. “University dormitory’s or the military base must live in an environment polluted with sensuality, wantonness, and lust. The business world people are sometimes under pressure to compromise ethical and legal standards to satisfy the greed and dishonesty of other associates.”
We need to keep ourselves “from being polluted by the world” James 1:27
Paul urged us to “come out from them and be separate” 2 Corinthians 6:17.
How should the believer respond when he finds himself surrounded on every hand by the unrelenting pressures of a sinful world?
John 17:15, We can’t withdraw
Matthew 5:13-14 Be salt and light
1 Corinthians 5:9-10, Philippians 2:14-15, 1 Peter 2:12 and 3:15-16. Don’t take it for granted
(John 15:19; 2 Timothy 3:12, 1 Peter 4:3-4) Expect ridicule and abuse.
We strive to resist its influence. To do this we must first of all resolve to live by the convictions God has given us from the world. We can’t adapt to be like Mr. Talkative from Pilgrim’s progress who prided himself on being adaptable to any kind of company and any kind of talk. He was like a chameleon who changed his color every time he changes his environment.
Make sure people know upfront you’re a Christian. This open identification allows you to spare ourselves from temptation and adapting to a sinful environment.
Although this won’t resolve the temptations alone, we are subjected to the pollution of our surroundings. There are so many things we are bombarded with on tv, media, friends, school, computer.
Psalm 119:9, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.”
The Word will cleanse and be a warning to us not to succumb to temptation.
Proverbs 27:20, Ephesians 5:4.
Our reaction to the sinful world around us must be more than just defensive. We must be concerned for the purity of our mind and heart but also for the eternal destiny of those who would pollute us.
“Salt combats deterioration. Similarly Christians, by showing themselves to be Christians indeed, are constantly combating moral and spiritual decay. To be sure, the world is wicked. Yet God alone knows how far more corrupt it would be without restraining example life and prayers of the saints.” –William Hendriksen
We not act as the salt of the earth or shine as the light of the world by necessarily denouncing the sins of our worldly associates. Our own holy life will serve as a sufficient rebuke and our interest in others at this point is not their conduct but their need of Jesus Christ as their Savior.
There might come a time when this corrupt environment is too much to take. You should prayerfully consider whether or not you should leave this situation.
Maintaining personal holiness in an unholy world is admittedly difficult. These aren’t all the answers in your situations. It’s trying to be practical and helpful.
Hebrews 7:26 and 1 Corinthians 10:13.
1.What areas have you fell into temptation by peer pressure?
2.Are you being the salt and light to your environment or are you being influenced negatively?
3.What areas do you need to improve or are there situations you need to remove yourself from temptation?
From the Pleasures of God by John Piper
“Give yourself to prayer, to reading and meditation on divine truths: strive to penetrate to the bottom of them and never be content with superficial knowledge”
This year, we made the switch to Children Desiring God as our Sunday School curriculum. It has been great. If you are looking for a God centered, Gospel centered curriculum. This Spring 2008 be on the lookout for the new Junior High curriculum from Desiring God. This is from the Children Desiring God website.
“Junior High–CDG is writing junior high Sunday School curricula. The first curriculum, Teach Me Your Way, will be released in Spring 2008. It will feature 40 lessons exploring the difference between man’s ways and God’s ways, and challenge students to submit to God, whose ways are best. Another Sunday School curriculum, Open My Eyes, will be released in Spring 2009. It will also have 40 lessons, and it will focus on Bible study methods. In the future, CDG plans to write junior high curriculum for use with Midweek Bible programs.”
Last night approximately, 3:00A.M. I finished my edits on my response paper for my first seminary class. This entire week has been a marathon. Not only did I complete my paper. Also, I had a final exam to study and complete that was due today as well. I just got back from the post office after sending my “masterpieces” in. A quote my professor said the last day of class a couple weeks ago. “There is a great thing about school, there is an end.” You know what he’s right. I’m sure a lot of you are looking forward to your semester’s finishing up within the next couple weeks.
I remember about a year ago thinking about what it would take to pursue my Master’s degree thinking about what school to attend and if I could handle the workload. God opened the doors for a local accredited school within an hour of my house. By the advice of my Pastor he said, “take one class and see how it goes.” Well, I sit here now finished with my first class awaiting my final grade in the course. I know there will be plenty more work ahead but God is faithful.
Here are a few impressions I am left with from the doctrine of the church and the sacraments. One, it is important that our worship is biblically focused on God as the center and source of our praise. The sacraments (Baptism and the Lord’s Supper) proclaim the Gospel and are vital to the believer. They are rich in the doctrinal truths of the Word grounded in redemptive history. The accomplishment of redemption (historia salutis) by the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ by God setting his plan in place before the foundation of the world. So the application of redemption (ordo salutis) the believer’s benefits include forgiveness of sin, justification and sanctification clothing the believer in Christ’s righteousness.
It is important that we learn more about theology and pass on these rich truths to the next generation.
Galatians 3:12-14,
The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
