Week of 2/23/25

Dear Church Family,
What a wonderful gift to hear the pouring out of praise this last Sunday! Our time together reminded me of Psalm 100.
1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
3 Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
5 Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures for ever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

Stop and give thanks to the Lord, that we could be his people and gather to worship our Savior Jesus is such a precious gift!

Home Enjoyment
Read 1 Samuel 13.
I divided the chapter into three sections on Sunday: Trouble(1-7), Unbelief(8-14), and Hopelessness(14-23). Is this a true formula: Trouble + Unbelief = Hopelessness?
Leave trouble in the equation, but swap out unbelief with belief. How does that change the outcome and why?
If you take out trouble and put in prosperity + Unbelief, what is the outcome?
In Sections one and three, what do you notice about Saul? About Israel? About Jonathan?

Looking at verses 8-14. I mentioned Sunday it is very hard to look at this section and not feel like Saul in some way and ultimately that is very concerning because of the consequences he faces. So I want us to consider what warnings should we take from this and what comfort is there in Christ?

First, we need to know what it looks like to deceive ourselves. Read Proverbs 26:18, Jame 1:13-16, 22-27. Where do you see Saul in these verses, where do you see yourself?

Second, we need to know how to respond when we have sinned. How did Saul respond when he didn't like what he saw? How are we to respond? Read 1 John 1:5-10. Please note that walking in the light does not equal perfect behavior at this moment, but rather honest, humble confession and trusting in promised cleansing.
How are you responding?

Third, do you trust God is able to restore you and are you living in that faith/belief?
Peter denied Jesus how many times? What did the restoration process look like? Read John 21:15-25. Did God stop working in and through Peter? If you are trusting in Jesus, will he ever stop working in and through you?
Read Galatians 2:20. Identifying with Jesus means we will have trouble, a cross, but he has united believers with himself through what he has done so that we can know he will not forsake us, but raise us up with himself on the last day! (Romans 6:5, John 6:40)

Additional reading on this, Romans 8.

I do love you all and I am thankful for what He is doing in us as part of His Church Body in our community. Pray for someone specifically this week to know in their spirit the love of Christ in a life-changing way(Ephesians 3:14-21).

The elders are gathering for our regular prayer meeting tomorrow morning, if there is something you want us to specifically pray for, respond to this email or text one of us.

In Christ,
Pastor Phillip