“Adoption Accomplished: Christ’s Sacrificial Provision” was the title of this week’s sermon. What a provision! We were reminded from Galatians 4:4-5 that the goal of our redemption is life and relationship with our heavenly Father. This was the Father’s heart for us when He sent His Son, and it is the fullness of what the Son accomplished for us at the Cross. How does this amazing gift of grace connect with our lives this very day? Consider these related questions:
- Why can you easily believe that God loves the world, but find it challenging to believe that God has a particular love for you?
- The plan and provision for your redemption came from God the Father. How does your understanding of this truth affect your relationship with the Father?
- We see in Galatians 4:4-5 that the Father’s loving goal in our redemption is “so that we might receive adoption as sons.” When it comes to your redemption what has been your focal point? How will having this focal point of adoption affect your relationship with God?
- It would have been enough for God to have transformed us from enemies to servants, yet He made us his children. How does understanding this kind of love, this kind of grace, affect the way that you live your life?
- How has your growing understanding of the Father’s love affected the way that you pray and read your Bible?
- Have you thought of eternal life and relationship with the Father as two different things? How are they one, and why is this understanding so important?
In the midst of the circumstances of this week, let us be confident of the Father’s love and care – knowing, “when the fulness of time had come, God sent forth his son… that we might receive adoption as sons.”
Looking for a way to beat cabin fever as temperatures dip? Try listening to some thought-provoking, faith-building messages! Where would I find such messages, you ask? Let me point you to a couple of excellent sources (in case you were looking for ones to supplement our own audio archive.)
Sovereign Grace Ministries opened up their message vault at no cost for downloads several months ago. This made hundreds of messages given at Sovereign Grace conferences, seminars, and other events (like New Attitude, Worship Conferences, Leadership Conferences, and Together for the Gospel) available for free, as well as sets of messages on a variety of topics like marriage, parenting, business, and evangelism. What a gift!
Another resource with literally thousands of wonderful messages can be found at Monergism.com’s MP3 library. They offer a virtual Who’s Who of many of the best pastors and teachers available today.
The messages at these sites will fill your playlist and warm your affections for God till well after any winter weather blows through…
Please pray for Gene
this weekend as he travels to Roanoke, VA to serve our sister church Sovereign Grace Community Church. Gene will be spending time with Bruce Chick and Spencer Vaughn, the church’s pastors, as well as time with other leaders and speaking to the church Sunday morning. Let’s pray that Gene will be empowered by God to serve this church as they seek to continue building a culture of grace.
Ken Delage will be accompanying Gene to Roanoke in order to take the oral portion of his ordination exam, so he would be appreciative of our prayers as well!
Depression: A Stubborn Darkness
Many won’t read this post. The topic scares them. I understand. It scares me too.
Depression is one of the most common and misunderstood trials that humans face. 
Chances are good you or someone close has wrestled with it on some level. Depression: A Stubborn Darkness will help you walk with those who are facing this enemy. It will help you care for others. That’s the first reason I’d recommend it.
CCEF puts out a lot of books about how the gospel interacts with the Christian life. Any one of them is worth the read, but Depression is the most accessible CCEF book I’ve read. Reason number 2.
Depression is meant to be read by people who are depressed. People who are numb, paralyzed, anguished. People who can’t get out of bed, who can’t put one foot in front of the other, who can’t figure out how to go on. Perhaps that’s you. Perhaps reading this book seems like too much. How can you read a whole book when everything is so dark? I don’t know. But I bet you can get through the first page. Perhaps God will meet that small (yet so big!) act of faith.
After the meeting Sunday, Rich Rogness introduced me to a man from Dallas that is in town this month on business. Rich met him last week to discuss rental property. So, Rich, seeing that he was away from home for several weeks, invited him to church on Sunday. He came and seemed to enjoy it and at one point I noticed a few other people getting his contact information.
I so appreciate Rich’s heart to welcome this man into his life and invite him to KingsWay.
Rich also told me about a recent opportunity to share the gospel with a salesperson that came to his home. Thanks Rich for being a great example of a faithful gospel witness and letting the Gospel overflow from your heart to your interactions with people. Your example inspires and motivates me and I want to be like you!
And thank you church for consistently being so welcoming to our guests whether they are from out-of-town or just down the street! God is using your loving actions and caring words to work in people’s lives as was evidenced by the many folks in the recent new members video giving testimony to the welcome and community they have experienced with you.
In this week’s sermon, entitled “The Family of God,” we heard about the wonderful expression of God’s love found in 1 John 3:1-3. How do we embrace and respond to the love of our heavenly father? Let us start by asking these questions:
- We read in 1 John, “See what kind of love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God.” How does this expression of God’s love magnify or clarify the grace you have found through the gospel?
- What can we learn from first comparing and then contrasting a child being adopted by a family and us being adopted by God?
- How does Ephesians 2:1-10 help you to understand your adoption by God? Consider particular aspects of you life and testimony.
- We heard that “God’s people are not set into a meeting but into a family.” How should the reality of our adoption affect the way that we live before God and with others?
As we consider these things, may we be freshly amazed by the kind of love that our heavenly Father has lavished upon us!
Today we had the joy of welcoming new members. Before praying for our members, we watched a short video:
As we have transitioned from last year to this year, we found it fitting as a pastoral team to take space on the blog to thank those who serve behind the scenes at the church office and building. Quite simply, they help transform our good intentions into action and our plans into reality. We are so grateful for each of the folks God has provided to serve us and each of you.
In case you missed any of the posts you can go to them clicking on the links below.
If you’d like to get to know the pastors and staff even more you can also go here.
Today we celebrated 5 January staff Birthdays with a pizza lunch. Matthew (he turned 19 on Wednesday!) received his own veggie pie, though something possessed Doug to also try a slice.
I guess that’s what gives his hair its nice healthy shine…
Also celebrating this month are Nikki Jones, James and Adam Brewer (Adam volunteers helping Mike with the building a couple days each week), and Aaron Campbell.
Apart from our wives, no one does more to support us in serving you than the folks working in the office. So we wanted to take this opportunity to thank them for their behind-the-scenes roles.
Judy Snyder is willing to serve whenever and wherever the Lord desires. She does so in quietness and and meekness. The office has been blessed by the way she has stepped in to serve part time helping us keep the financial books as well as running errands so the rest of the ladies can focus on the tasks they have to do. She is a vital part of our office . Judy is a joy to have around and she does well as she uses her gifts for the kingdom of God.
