Run for Your Life

This Sunday we enter into a wonderful new section of the book of Hebrews. Our author begins chapter 12 by using two powerful metaphors of the Christian life. The first, which we will consider this week in 12:1-3, comes from the world of sports and pictures the Christian life as a long strenuous race. The readers are tempted to give up, but they must endure. The key to perseverance is looking to Jesus. We will unpack exactly how Christ helps us.

Living in Hope Conference

Living in Hope: Biblical Living for Singles Over Forty
April 19-21, 2007

Please register for Grace Bible Church’s singles conference for men and women in their prime (40+). The theme is Biblical Living for singles over forty with our keynote speaker being John Sale of Valley Center Community Church. We will have several breakout speakers including Jim Newheiser, Mike Kelley, Curt Arend and Dennis Johnson, professor at Westminster Seminary.

The cost is $75.00 including meals.

For information please call 760-747-9252 and ask for Marsha McGaugh or e-mail her at the following: livinginhopeconference@yahoo.com

Download the brochure: Living in Hope Conference brochure

Pro-Family and Pro-Life

Because of the tragic anniversary of US Supreme Court’s decision on January 22, 1973 which overturned state laws restricting abortion, this Sunday has been designated “Sanctity of Human Life Sunday”.

Approximately a million abortions take place in our country each year. 1 out of every 4 children conceived is murdered before leaving the womb. One in three women will have had at least one abortion. The overwhelming majority of people in our nation have engaged in sexual immorality (one poll suggests 95% have engaged in fornication/sex outside of marriage), which is a major contributor to the high abortion rate.

In addition to proclaiming God’s sovereignty over life and family, we will declare God’s, grace in Christ, to repentant sinners, even adulterers and murders.

The Trials of Faith

The latter part of Hebrews 11 offers two contrasting portraits of the life of faith. Last week we considered the triumph of faith in Hebrews 11:32-35a as we examined the exploits of people who won great victories and experienced wonderful deliverances. This week we will look at the second portrait of faith in Hebrews 11:35b-38 which describes the sufferings of God’s faithful people. While some escaped the sword (11:34b), others were put to death with the sword (11:37c). Some received back their dead by resurrection (v. 35a) while others were tortured to death (v. 35b). Why?

• Did those who suffered have less faith?
• Did God love them less than those who escaped suffering?
• What was God’s purpose in their suffering?
• Why do we in America suffer so little?
• Are we prepared for the suffering which may yet come?

Our text concludes with a final summary (11:39-40) of what Hebrews 11 teaches about faith. Both those who experienced victorious deliverance and those who endured suffering relied upon God’s promise and gained God’s approval. Because the promise they anticipated has become a reality for us in Christ, we ought to endure in faith all the more (which leads to Hebrews 12:1ff).

The Triumph of Faith

Sometimes preachers have more to say than they have time to say it. Such was the case of the author to the Hebrews who wrote “briefly” (13:22).

After spending 31 verses (11;1-30) summarizing the first 5 ¼ books of the Bible, he realizes time is short and summarizes the rest of the Old Testament (and more) in just a few verses (11:32-38). I, however, am not as constrained for time as he was, so we will take two weeks to study his final summary.

This week we will concentrate on the triumphs of faith among the Judges, Prophets, and Kings of Israel (11:32-35a). When you read about their heroic deeds do you sometimes question whether God could ever use you in such a wonderful way? Read the book of Judges! If God can use such flawed men, He can greatly use us also!

Consecrated to God

This week I am diverting from our studies in 2 Samuel and will be expounding Romans 12:1-2.

I plan, on certain Sundays over the next few months, to preach through Romans 12 with a special emphasis on our love and devotion for one another in the body of Christ.

Because our love for one another springs from our devotion to the Lord, Paul starts Romans 12 by exhorting us to be living sacrifices who are not to be conformed to the world.

Of course the foundation of our devotion to the Lord is the sovereign mercy which He has shown us in Christ — which was the subject of the first 11 chapters of Romans and forms the basis of Paul’s exhortation in Romans 12:1.

Portrait of a Godless Culture: An Appeal to Repent of Sinful Boasting

We will be doing a fairly rapid overview of the first nine chapters and then drawing some application from near the end of chapter nine, where Jeremiah writes, “Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises loving kindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.” (9:23-24).

Jeremiah’s theme leading to these texts is that of judgment: A judgment precipitated by the sinful lifestyle and arrogant living of the kingdom of Judah. The modern day parallels to our own day are truly amazing: Truly there is “nothing new under the sun.”