Month: September 2016

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This coming Lord’s Day we will be resuming our study of The Epistle of James, and our text will be James 1:27 and 4:4-10. These passages are very much related as they both deal with the third of three tests of pure religion, or authentic faith in Christ, which James introduces in 1:26-27.  As we have already observed, the first test is that of a controlled tongue. The second test is that of a compassionate heart.  Now James identifies the third indicator of a vibrant faith in Christ as the determination to “keep oneself unstained by the world” (1:27). We might refer to this as the test of a pure life.

As with the first two tests, James further explains this exhortation later in the Epistle. The words of 4:4-10 are meant to clarify and apply what it means to refuse to be polluted and stained by the “world.” And let me warn you. What you will read in chapter 4 is frightening.  For example, he says that, “friendship with the world is enmity with God . . . . Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (v. 4). However, there is also the triumphant note of great hope and assurance found here as well—“But he gives more grace” (v. 6).

As always, let me encourage you to spend some time in these passages between now and Sunday. Pray through these inspired words as you read them, and ask the Lord to grant us the illuminating power of His Spirit as we seek to do His will.

Thank you for your faithful prayers for the preaching of God’s Word, and I can’t wait to see you on Sunday morning!

I love you all,

Mike

PS: I am so greatful for our dear brother Rev. Jim Daughtry who preached in my absence last Lord’s Day.  Thank you Jim for your ministry to our people and for faithfully delivering the Word!

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

This coming Lord’s Day our sermon passage will be James 1:27 and 2:15-16.  As you remember, we are considering the three tests of true faith as James boldly sets them out in 1:26-27. Test number one was that of a controlled or bridled tongue (1:26; 3:2-12). The second test is discovered in the words of 1:27—“to visit orphans and widows in their affliction.” We will refer to this as the test of a compassionate heart.  As with the first indication of a vital and real faith in Christ, this proof is further explained in later sections of the Epistle.  We see it most clearly expounded in the strong words of 2:15-16.  Here James will confront what has been referred to as “heartless orthodoxy” (J. Blanchard, James, 162). As you prayerfully meditate upon these most convicting verses, let’s unite our voices in prayer for the preaching of the Word of God.

Speaking of prayer, let’s remember to lift up Mrs. Aimee Byrd who is coming for our Ladies Fall Conference, Friday September 23 and Saturday September 24.  We are thrilled to be hosting this event and looking forward to Aimee’s ministry to our ladies.  For more information about this conference you can see our website or contact Ashley Turnbull.

Looking Ahead

We are also looking forward to welcoming our own Rev. Jim Daughtry to our pulpit once again on September 25.  Jim will be preaching for us while I am away on vacation from Monday September 19 through Monday September 26. I am so appreciative for the time you allow me to be away, and for your kind encouragement to take advantage of the weeks that the Session has allotted me for vacation and rest.  Please pray fervently for Jim as he prepares to lead our worship and deliver God’s Word to us.

Also, there are three other events in October that we are looking forward to. First, we will be having a four week Young Adult Bible Study on Monday nights beginning on October 10. I will be teaching a brief series on Spiritual Gifts, and we will meet at the home of John and Leslie Jeffery from 6:30 to 8:00 PM.  We will gather on October 10, 17, 24, and November 7.  This study is for all who consider themselves ‘young adults,’ both married and single.  For more information please contact John or Leslie.

Then, our Fall Men’s Bible Study will begin on Sunday October 9 from 5:00 to 6:30 PM at the Church.  We will be studying the classic book by A. W. Tozer entitled The Knowledge of the Holy.  We will meet on Sunday October 9, 16, 23, and conclude with our ‘stay at home men’s retreat’ on Friday night October 28 at 6:00 PM and Saturday morning October 29 at 8:00 AM.

Finally, on Sunday October 30 immediately following our morning worship there will be a called meeting of the Church family for the purpose of Officer Elections. On that day the Session will present to you a slate of Ruling Elder and Deacon Candidates for your prayerful consideration.  Watch for more details to follow.

May our gracious Lord bless you all with a restful weekend, and I’ll see you on Sunday as we come before our Blessed King and Savior!

All my love always,

Mike

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

Our sermon this coming Lord’s Day will be based upon James 3:2-12, the passage we introduced last week that speaks so frankly about the destructive power of the tongue. This section of the letter is an expansion of 1:26 where James makes the control of the tongue one of the three tests of true Christianity. As many commentators have observed, it is here in chapter 3 that James speaks with the greatest conviction and forthrightness.  His words are clear, well illustrated, and applied with the love of a pastor for his flock.  I hope you will take some time over the weekend to prayerfully study this passage and ask the Lord to illuminate His blessed Word and bless His people.

 Announcements

Sunday School Starts This Sunday At 9:15 AM

This Sunday we resume our Sunday Bible Teaching Ministry.  There are classes for every age group.  Our Adult Class will meet in the Worship Center and will be based on the book Presbytopia: What It Means to Be Presbyterian by Ken Golden.  Topics will include Christian Essentials, Reformed Distinctives, and Means of Grace.  This class will be especially beneficial to those who are new to the Reformed Faith. All classes start each week at 9:15 AM.

Fall Women’s’ Conference With Author Aimee Byrd

 I want to encourage all of our ladies to attend our Fall Women’s Conference on Friday September 23, 6-8 PM, and Saturday September 24, 8-12 Noon. Our speaker is Mrs. Aimee Byrd, author of Housewife Theologian and Theological Fitness.  Aimee is a gifted speaker and writer and a regular contributor to the Mortification of Spin podcast and blog  (http://www.mortificationofspin.org/mos). The cost is $10 and includes lunch on Saturday.  This is a wonderful opportunity you don’t want to miss, and please be in prayer for Aimee as she prepares to come to be with us.  For more information contact Ashley Turnbull.

 Men’s Thursday Bible Study Kicks Off Thursday September 15, 6:30 AM

Our bi-weekly Men’s Bible Study kicks off next Thursday morning at 6:30 AM. Our first meeting will be held at the Church in the education wing.  We will be studying the Epistle of First Thessalonians and using the commentary by Dr. John Stott, The Message of 1 & 2 Thessalonians.  The Amazon link is:

https://www.amazon.com/Message-Thessalonians-Bible-SpeaksToday/dp/0830812377/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473342622&sr=8-1&keywords=the+message+of+1+and+2+thessalonians+stott

All men of the Church are invited and guests are most welcome!

May our Lord richly bless you until we meet together in His presence on Sunday.

I love you all!

Mike

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

As we have recently discovered, the little Epistle of James carries a much harder punch than one might expect. The brother of our Savior speaks with a bluntness that is almost offensive, and certainly seems to be out of touch with modern sensibilities regarding ‘micro-aggressions’ and the need for ‘safe spaces.’  And yet, what he has written is the very Word of God.  His letter is filled with references from the Old Testament and from the teachings of his older brother, our Lord Jesus. In the section we are currently examining, 1:26-27, James speaks emphatically of two and only two kinds of “religion.”  The one is completely “worthless,” the other “pure and undefiled.” One is composed of all the religions and philosophies of the world, and all defective versions of Christianity. The second is, of course, what James’ other brother Jude called “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3), Biblical Christianity.

And then James proposes three tests that one should conduct in order to distinguish them. The first test appears in verse 26–“If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.” If you knew nothing about the Epistle of James and had time to think about what might be first on a list of tests to authenticate one’s profession of Christianity, you might not anticipate that it has much to do with one’s speech.  But here it is in black and white. The kind of “religion” that honors and pleases God, that proves to be “pure and undefiled” in the end, is made evident by a controlled tongue. This matter is of such concern to James that he mentions it in some way in each of the five chapters of his letter. And this subject gets a painstakingly exhaustive treatment in 3:2-12.  You’d soon get the impression that this is, for sure, a very big deal to James!  Our words matter . . . a lot!

Given how serious a theme this is we are going to take a couple of Sundays to explore these verses––this test of a controlled tongue. This week we will try to understand why our speech is so significant, and why disciplined, pure speech is such a critical mark of true faith in Christ. We will attempt to construct what we might call ‘a Biblical theology of speaking.’  And then the next week we will make our way through 3:2-12 where James gets down to the details about the power and the danger of the tongue.  So pray hard, meditate on these verses, and buckle in!

I love you all with all my heart!

Mike