God’s Word Builds His Church

Do you trust God's word to build his church? This question is a massive one! The answer deeply shapes our church's philosophy of ministry. We operate with this leading conviction: The Holy Spirit uses Scripture to transform ungodly sinners into mature disciples of Jesus Christ.

Don’t take my word for it – this is what the Lord revealed to Paul:

“Continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:14-17)

The sacred writings, that is, Scripture, are the Spirit’s inspired instrument for salvation and sanctification. Everything you need to mature as a follower of Jesus comes from learning, interpreting, and applying the Bible in your life by faith.

As I stated, this has massive implications for how our church carries out ministry. We must feature God's word in our ministries if we are to see people born again and maturing as disciples. Here are several ways we depend on God to build his church through his word:

1.      Expositional preaching: preaching in which the point of the sermon is the point of the biblical text.

2.      Word-centered worship: worship elements are shaped deeply by Scripture and the directives of Scripture.

3.      Bible-guided discipleship: using the Bible as our primary resource for training disciples to learn to obey Jesus.

We believe that the Holy Spirit uses God’s word to build his church. Let’s pray for strong appetites to encounter God daily and congregationally each Sunday in his word.

Jonah 3: Obeying & Relenting

This Sunday, we will see what happens within Nineveh when Jonah preaches to the pagan city. What would you expect? Antagonism? Persecution? Laughter? Nineveh's quick repentance stands as a stirring example that challenges all to have consciences that are tender to God’s word. Pray for the preaching of the word this Sunday, come with warm hearts ready to worship, and bring an unbelieving friend to hear the gospel.

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

The Word of His Grace

And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. Acts 20:32

THE WORD OF HIS GRACE

If you are following the daily Bible reading plan we are utilizing for our Wednesday discipling, and I hope you are, then you know we are currently reading through Acts.  Join us Wednesday night at 6:30 in the worship center as we learn to grow as disciples utilizing God’s word.

This morning’s reading was in Acts 20, Paul’s farewell message to the elders of the church of Ephesus. In verse 32, there is a remarkable statement about the power of God’s grace in Scripture. These men were learning the disappointing news that they were seeing Paul for the last time this side of heaven. There would be no further visits from their spiritual older brother. Paul commends, or entrusts, these men to God’s ever-capable, all-wise hands. What is more, he entrusts them to “the word of his grace”. While there were threats on the horizon, these elders had all the provision they needed in God and in his word. The Scriptures are at their heart the revelation of God’s grace! This grace is the root of salvation and sanctification. A few verses earlier, Paul describes the gospel as, “the gospel of the grace of God” (vs. 25). If they would abide in God and pay attention to this word of his grace, then they would have all they needed for the countless responsibilities that lay ahead of them.

Are you treasuring God and the word of his grace today?  Have you spent time reading, studying, and reflecting on the grace-packed Scriptures today? If so, you can be confident God is using this to prepare you for today, tomorrow, and eternity. Take up and read.

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas