Last week, Pastor Flack continued his summer series through Proverbs.  You can hear his message here.

Prepare for Worship in the Word:

“Do Not Withhold Good” (Proverbs 3:19-35)

Solomon seeks to build qualities in his son’s life that will complement and encourage wisdom. These are qualities that will be part of applying any of the proverbs collected in this book. One of those qualities is generosity. It takes wisdom to be truly generous and generosity breeds more wisdom. Solomon commands his son not to withhold good from those to whom it is due (Proverbs 3:27This message will examine why generosity serves as such a definitive mark of the wise person. We will think about why we struggle with generosity and what that says about our concept of God. Prepare for worship by meditating on Jesus’ account of the Samaritan who proved so generous to a victim of violent crime (Luke10:25-37). Galatians 6:1-10 encourages a number of forms of generosity. Sweetly meditate on 2 Corinthians 8:9 and the context around it to see the ultimate expression of generosity which we are called to emulate.

Prepare for Worship in Song:

Here are some of the songs that we will sing when we gather to worship this coming Sunday.

Wonderful Grace of Jesus (CyberHymnal)
He Leadeth Me (CyberHymnal)
At Your Name (YouTube, Spotify, iTunes, Amazon)
Abide With Me (YouTube, Amazon)
See He Comes (Bandcamp)

The service will be streamed live at http://live.worshipstream.com/gracebaptistchurch

Last week, our guest preacher was Morgan Parker, our on deck missionary.  You can hear his sermon here.

Prepare for Worship in the Word:

“Empty Promises?” (Proverbs 3:12-18)

One of the problems we face in understanding the biblical book called Proverbs is that it seems to offer guarantees for a trouble-free life to those who live wisely. Yet life as we experience it does not offer guarantees. Some of the claims that Proverbs makes seem to fly in the face of reality. This section of Proverbs 3 provides some stellar examples. Wisdom appears to promise wealth, long life, and honor (3:16). Those who walk wisely should expect a pleasant life full of peace (3:17). Wisdom is the secret to finding the tree of life (3:18). How should we understand such promises? How do such statements harmonize with the “promises” of suffering for God’s people which we find in the NT? This message will set a context for properly receiving many more promise statements in future messages from Proverbs. Prepare for worship by recalling Asaph’s heart struggles when he saw the wicked enjoying blessing.

Prepare for Worship in Song:

Here are some of the songs that we will sing when we gather to worship this coming Sunday.

God of Grace and God of Glory (CyberHymnal)
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms (CyberHymnal)
Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken (Spotify, YouTube, Amazon, iTunes)
Come Praise and Glorify (Vimeo, Spotify, Amazon, iTunes)

Last week, Pastor Clint continued the series from Proverbs as he preached from the first half of Proverbs 3.  You can listen to the message here.

Prepare for Worship in the Word:

This week, our guest speaker is Morgan Parker with the Traveling Team.

God’s word continuously points us toward one end: Jesus’ fame among all tribes, tongues, and nations. Followers of Jesus are called to make disciples of all nations. Regardless of what culture, context, or career we are in, the direction of our lives must point toward the glory of God being made know to all nations! All believers can be involved in the great commission by: giving, going, welcoming internationals, praying, and mobilizing!

Prepare for Worship in Song:

Here are some of the songs that we will sing when we gather to worship this coming Sunday.

Grace Greater Than Our Sin (Cyberhymnal)
When Trials Come (YouTube, Spotify, Amazon)
Abide With Me (YouTube, Amazon)
God of Justice (YouTube, Spotify, iTunes, Amazon)

Last week, Pastor Flack finished his series on the final days of Jesus on earth as he preached from Luke 24:13-27.  You can hear his message here.

Prepare for Worship in the Word:

“Without Dread of Disaster” (Proverbs 1)

This week’s begins a new series from the most prominent book of the Bible within that group we label “Wisdom Literature.” The first part of this series will focus on the first nine chapters which form an introduction to the whole book. In this first message we will make an overview of chapter 1, asking God to stir in our hearts a love and aspiration for wisdom. We will celebrates the benefits of living wisely in a world full of disasters. Throughout the series we will exalt Christ as the perfection of Wisdom and the only source of it. We will note our own folly and our need for Christ as Savior. We will seek to honor the practical blessings of applying the everyday wisdom of this book to our everyday lives. Prepare for worship this day by reading Job 28, identifying the source of true wisdom. Reflect on James 3 and the reality that there is more than one wisdom at work in our lives seeking to lure our hearts toward it (much like the two “women” in the first nine chapters of Proverbs vie for the attention of young men. Note the connections between James’ teaching and the significant place Solomon gives to matters of the tongue.

Prepare for Worship in Song:

Here are some of the songs that we will sing when we gather to worship this coming Sunday.

Rock of Ages (CyberHymnal)
Like a River Glorious (CyberHymnal)
Come Praise and Glorify (Vimeo, Spotify, Amazon, iTunes)
Abide With Me (YouTube, Amazon)
Show Us Christ (Vimeo, Spotify, Amazon, iTunes)