This past Sunday Ron continued our study of John 15 as we explored our relationship to one another in church and what it means to be a friend of Jesus. Remember the three relationships that must be in order in our lives
Shackled by a heavy burden 'Neath a load of guilt and shame Then the hand of Jesus touched me Now I am no longer the same. He touched me, oh He touched me And oh the joy that floods my soul Something happened and now I know He touched me and made me whole. Since I met the blessed Saviour Since He cleansed and made me whole I will never cease to praise Him I'll shout it while eternity rolls. He touched me, oh He touched me And oh the joy that floods my soul Something happened and now I know He touched me and made me whole... I am not sure I can explain how God does what he does but I am sure that "Something happened and now I know, He touched me and made me whole." It was all God. All I did was respond to His mercy and grace on my behalf. It was after God's touch that my new found faith started seeking knowledge as to how all this works. But more important than being able to explain how God did what he did was the Holy Spirits assurance that He, God had touched me, made me whole, made me a friend of Jesus, made me a member of the one church. In Ephesians 4:1-6 The apostle Paul exhorts us: As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Let's take care to bear with one another particularly in the area of our doctrines. Make every effort to maintain unity in the church; first in Cato Christian Fellowship and then with the true church throughout the world. This Sunday Pastor Ron encouraged and exhorted us to consider the words of the hymn we had just sung, "Take Time To Be Holy". Ron has frequently recommended that we make sure we are not just singing some words in a casual, thoughtless way. Larry referenced another hymn in the thoughts he was sharing with us, "How Deep The Father's Love For Us". It is amazing the depth of theological and practical instruction in the Christian faith that is contained in the hymns and songs we sing in church. These songs beautifully and accurately summarize what we have been studying together the last few weeks: the importance and priority of God's word, fellowship with fellow believers and prayer in our lives. I encourage you to slow down a little this week and meditate on the teaching contained in these songs. Take Time To Be Holy
How Deep The Father's Love For Us
This week consider:
If you have a favorite hymn, chorus or worship song please post a comment sharing the title and why it is your favorite. I think Larry's sermon this past Sunday was an example of a great way to respond to the preaching we hear in church. Larry shared with us the thoughts God had him meditating and thinking about from the sermon series Ron has been taking us through based on John 15. Here are some of Larry's thoughts/ideas that connected with me:
I was prompted to ask myself a few questions and ask the Lord to help me arrive at honest answers. I wonder if you might be helped by asking some of the same questions:
I wonder if others would be interested in a Sunday School class or weekly small group where the focus was fellowship, prayer and discussions of the questions we have and applications we have made related to the last sermon. Any thoughts? Please feel free to add comments. This week's message is a continuation of our study of John 15.
A Quick Review:
This week we took a second look at the importance and blessing we have in knowing divine truth. Imagine trying to pursue the righteousness we are exhorted to seek without a reliable source of divine truth. Take some time this week to meditate on the treasure you have in God's provision of divine truth. Ultimately God's fullest expression of His Word to us is Jesus. Jesus is God speaking to us... His Word. How are you responding to God's provision of divine truth? Another crucial concept for us to grasp is Jesus' declaration that we are His friends. How amazing. Think about how you relate to the other friends of Jesus you know and come in contact with. We are his friends, his body, his church, his family... and He calls us to love one another. The observable love we have for one another is one of God's key ways of demonstrating to the watching world his loving purpose for the whole world. Give some thought to how you are relating to the other friends of Jesus in your life and neighborhood. Consider where you might need to make some changes to more obediently follow Christ's command to love one another. Is it possible to please and obey God as a lone ranger christian? I'm thinking of those folks I have heard say they love Jesus but don't want anything to do with the church. I suggest a simple study of all the "one another" passages in the New Testament and then try to picture obeying those commands while not being part of a body of believers. Please consider sharing your thoughts on anything this week's sermon prompted you to think about. Everyone is welcome to join the conversation by adding a comment. If you missed this week's message click here to go to our resources page and listen to the sermon. John 15:11 - The Motive of Jesus
What applications did you make based on God's word to us this past Sunday? Click here to listen to the message: June 30, 2013 Sermon Audio |
AuthorsBlog posts may be authored by a variety of individuals including but not limited to Pastor Ron, Church Elders, Sunday School Teachers, Small Group Leaders and Ministry Leaders. Archives
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