CALL TO WORSHIP

(Tune – O For a Thousand Tongues – p. 46)

Arise, my soul, my joyful powers,

And triumph in thy God;

Awake, my voice, and loud proclaim,

His glorious grace abroad.

He raised me from the depths of sin,

The gates of gaping hell,

And fixed my standing more secure,

Than ‘twas before I fell.

The arms of everlasting love,

Beneath my soul He placed,

And on the Rock of Ages set,

My slippery footsteps fast.

Arise, my soul! Awake my voice!

And tunes of pleasure sing;

Loud hallelujahs shall address

My Saviour and my King.

TODAY’S SERVICES – Messages by Pastor Bill Parker

BIBLE CLASS – 10:00 a.m. –

God’s Sovereign Mercy – Romans 9:10-13

MORNING WORSHIP – 11:00 a.m –

• OPENING – Hebrews 2:1-3

• CALL TO WORSHIP (above)

• HYMN – My Savior’s Love – p. 452

• READING – Psalm 85

• MESSAGE – Things That Accompany Salvation (2) – Heb. 6:9-12

• CLOSING HYMN – Near the Cross – p. 351

Birthdays: Alisha Pedersen – Aug. 7^th | Edith Ann Tennyson – Aug. 9^th

I am leaving today for a week of vacation with Debbie and our grandchildren. The Lord willing, I will return a week from Tuesday. Brother Mark Pannell will be preaching next Sunday in my absence. —The Pastor

“O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before Him, all the earth.” (Psalm 96:9). If we could but worship the Lord today and every day, what a blessing it would be. True worship, like salvation, is by the sovereign grace of God in and by the Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him Who is our great high priest, we who are saved by His grace and born again by the Holy Spirit worship as we are guided and inspired by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, and in spirit (from the regenerated heart) and in truth (by means of the Word preached as Christ is exalted as the one and only Savior of sinners). The elements of worship (prayer, praise, preaching the Word of God) are all founded upon, motivated by, and aimed towards the glory of God revealed to us in the glorious Person and powerful finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Without HIM we can do nothing pleasing and honoring to God; for the crucified, risen, and reigning Christ is Himself “the beauty of holiness.” —Pastor Bill Parker

The true Christian has enough to make him genuinely happy! All of his sins are forgiven and forgotten. He is adopted into God's family. His person is justified before God. He is clothed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus. He is a child of God. He is regenerated by the Holy Spirit. He has the Spirit of adoption in his heart. He is at peace with God, and God is at peace with him. —Copied

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5). This eternal blessedness that awaits the people of God is prepared and kept secure for us in the hands of Christ our Savior. He preserves the inheritance for us and preserves us for the inheritance and He does so, “in heaven,” out of the reach of the enemy. Since it is reserved in heaven, does that not speak of the excellency, preciousness and value of it? O how glorious must that inheritance be which has been committed into the hands of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ and here is the most glorious thought concerning this inheritance. “The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot” (Psalm 16:5). —Pastor Jim Byrd

FIXATED ON CHRIST

“O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.” (Psalm 108:1)

The dictionary defines the word “fixation” as “an obsessive interest in or feeling about someone or something.” This certainly describes evert true believer’s fixation on Christ. Consider that there is a joy and sweetness for the believer in worshipping and serving our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This comes from knowing His love, grace, and mercy towards us as He gave Himself to suffer and die for our sins, establish righteousness, and give eternal life to such undeserving creatures as we are. But even though there exists within our hearts joy and sweetness in the Lord, this does not mean that we are totally free from the desires of the sinful flesh within us. There is a real battle within us, the warfare of the Spirit against the flesh. The way to fight this battle within our hearts is to keep our eyes fixed and focused upon Christ Who loves us and gave Himself for us and Who is Himself every believer’s glory. As the apostle wrote, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14). Considering my sinfulness, even the sins of my best efforts to obey the Lord, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I fix my gaze upon Christ’s blood and righteousness for my complete cleansing and justification before God. Considering my weakness, I fix my gaze upon His power and ability to keep me and bring me to Himself in glory. Thank God that Christ is my fixation. —Pastor Bill Parker

God is a God of Truth and a God of Love. Not of one more than the other, not of one against the other and not of one at the expense of the other. Wherever the Truth is, Love is; and wherever Love is, Truth will be also. The apostle commands us to speak the truth in love, but he does say emphatically to speak the truth! Where the truth is not spoken, all outward manifestations that appear as love are but a sham. —Copied