Church family and friends,
God has a way of changing our plans at times, doesn’t he? After being unable to meet last weekend, I was especially looking forward to meeting together tomorrow. Sunday is my favorite day of the week!
Due to the continued inclement weather, however, all Saturday and Sunday events have been cancelled. I’m grateful that ultimately the weather testifies to our Father’s sovereign control over all things (Ps. 147:16), reminding us of the divine power and authority at work in every detail of our lives. No matter the situation, He’s on the throne!
Here are a couple suggestions for redeeming the time this weekend:
- Gather as a family to sing, read Scripture or pray together. It doesn’t have to be formal. Have the youngest family member read a few verses (Ps. 145-150 are good places to start!), then talk about what they say about God, our need for Him, and His care for us.
- Invite a friend or neighbor to come over for a movie or to watch the Superbowl. Snow days are a great opportunity to reach out to unbelievers with the love of Jesus.
- Throw a few logs in the fireplace and dive into a good devotional book that will help you know and love the Savior. If you’re like me, there’s a large “waiting to be read” stack on the bookshelf. We’ll see how far I can get through C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters!
- FOR GUYS ONLY - Get up early and make breakfast for your family or roommates. I personally recommend a good Southern approach, including omelets, grits, bacon and toast.
I pray God refreshes each of you this weekend as we rest in His sovereignty. As my good friend Gene would say, “Snow is God’s way of inserting a little margin into our lives.” And for that I give thanks!
Grace to you,
Matthew
Bolivia Missions Application Deadline
Also, due to the cancelation, the Bolivia Missions Trip application deadline and team meeting have been postponed from this Sunday to next Sunday, February 14th. The meeting will be at noon, following the Sunday Morning Meeting.
Community Groups kicked back into high gear last month after the August break, including several new or reorganized group. The most significant change has been the creation of 3 new CGs designed for single adults as part of our Resolved ministry. Tim & Gail Emerson, who lead one of the singles CGs, shared the following encouraging testimony with me from a recent meeting!
“Our new singles community group has been meeting for a few weeks now. We’ve been excited to see God at work, especially around the Resolved message series, and the idea of thinking rightly about God. A few weeks ago we met to discuss Keith’s message on the Holiness of God. Thinking about God’s majesty, I was convicted that my life was spent more focusing on the shiny trinkets of life. We ended up praying for the last 15 minutes of the meeting that God would reveal himself to us. It seemed like everyone left wanted to know God in a deeper way.
Last week we one of the members asked for prayer that they would know God personally and not just intellectually. We had a good discussion on how God wants to reveal himself to us in our day-to-day lives. We’re praying that God continues to work in our hearts, and we’re looking forward to seeing what he does over the next few months.”
Thanks for your leadership, Tim!
Written by Matthew Williams
I spent last week attending the WorshipGod09 Conference hosted by Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD. Bob Kauflin, director of music and worship development for Sovereign Grace, hosted the conference entitled, From Generation to Generation. Each of the main sessions highlighted a different foundation doctrine related to corporate worship that must be transferred to the next generation. I was particularly affected by John Piper’s message unpacking the glory of Christ as the heart of worship and a seminar panel led by Todd Twining that discussed ways to identify and train future worship leaders. Michael Souders, Peter Emerson and Josh Dixon were able to attend with me. I’m so grateful for how God has blessed our church with a number of men passionate about helping others magnify the Savior through song! Main session message are available for free download by clicking here and will encourage your heart, whether or not you play a musical instrument.
Undoubtedly, one of the highlights of the annual NEXT conference are the times of worship through song at the beginning of each main session. 
In addition to providing the fantastic messages online, the folks at NEXT have also given us another way to “take the conference home with you”. This past week, Sovereign Grace Music released a download-only live album of songs that were sung at the conference. This album has some great songs that we’ve done on a Sunday morning (such as “Oh the Deep, Deep Love” and “God Over All”) as well as some new favorites (like, “I Need You, Jesus” and “The Name Above All Names”) that help us worship the Savior through song with sound lyrics and enjoyable melodies. To download the entire album (13 songs for 5 bucks!) visit http://www.sovereigngracemusic.org/
Keith Brault, senior pastor from the Sovereign Grace church in Chesapeake, VA, preached yesterday from Col. 2:6-15. His message is titled Living in Him. Here are a couple application questions for us to consider this week:
1. Do you view sin as a desperate problem? Why or why not? How might your perspective on sin in your heart affect your perspective on God’s grace?
2. How has conviction of sin in your own life left you vulnerable to look for salvation in “human tradition”? Share a specific example.
3. Why does legalism never cause us to “abound in thanksgiving”? Where are you tempted to look for peace with God in your own performance? 
4. How can you be taken captive according to Christ? Has he satisfied your desperate problem?
5. Is your life characterized by gratitude for the Savior? What would those closest to you say? How can you grow in thanksgiving for Christ by pursuing satisfaction in Christ?
6. Do you ever feel like Satan has grounds to put you to shame before God? What specific accusation is hard for you to hear as the “clicking of an empty revolver”? How can you grow in confidence of your standing before God?
Like many of you Aliza and I are getting ready for some time at the beach this summer. When discussing that time away the talk inevitably turns to what I’ll be reading. So I thought I’d let you all in on what this year will look like.
This year, one of the works I’ll be returning to is a favorite of mine, “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott. I would be of the understanding that fine literature shouldn’t be left for just the ladies to enjoy.
I will make the disclaimer that I find the books of this genre (Jane Austen, et al) far more engaging and delightful than the numerous films they have spawned, but reading them makes clear why they are still popular after so many years. Jo (the protagonist in “Little Women”) was someone I readily identified with during my teen years and I still find her sense of perspective and grit to be inspiring today.
While the guys on staff kid me about my reading preferences and say the only thing they would read remotely related to this genre would be “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” you can count me firmly in the classics camp.
‘Tis the season for graduations!
Whether high school or college, May and June mark a significant milestone for many families in the church. We prayed for all the graduates during our pastor’s meeting yesterday. King David’s words in Ps. 25 capture the essence of our desire for your experience of God during this season of transition.
“Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.”
We’re rejoicing with each of you!
Aliza and I returned late last Wednesday night from the Sovereign Grace Pastor’s Conference in Gaithersburg, MD. Our entire pastoral team enjoyed 2 1/2 days of worship, teaching and fellowship equipping us to more faithfully “shepherd the flock of God that is among you”. (1 Pe 5:2) Jeff Purswell gave a particular outstanding message on Tuesday evening from 2 Tim. 2:15. He asked the question, “Where does your confidence lie?” in reference to pastoral ministry. During a season of change on the pastoral team and office staff, it’s easy for my confidence to be in identifying wise methods, models & procedures. God used Jeff’s message to remind me that my confidence in pastoral ministry must only lie in the power of the Word of God. Through the power of His word, God is building His church. My job is to faithfully proclaim God’s word and trust Him to accomplish the work only He can do! Needless to say, I came home refreshed and full of greater faith for all that lies ahead at Kingsway - faith not in my ability, but in the powerful Word of our Heavenly Father.
I first came to Kingsway with my family in 1990 when I was 6 years old. Little did I know that 19 years later, I would have the privilege of serving as a pastor in the same church writing a blog post about the last 20 years of church life! As I review the last two decades, I’m primarily grateful for the many ways God has used relationships in the church to prepare and equip me for the work of ministry.
But I’m not alone. Our history is full of testimonies of how God has used relationships to accomplish His work in our lives. In preparation for our 20th Anniversary celebration on Saturday, March 21, we’re creating a timeline of individual and family pictures, providing a visual demonstration of God’s work through relationships over the years.
During one of the next two Sundays, please bring a photo of you or your family and add it to one of the three timeline sections in the foyer. Then we’ll combine them into one large timeline on the evening of the 21st.
Knowing how to respond to suffering is never easy. How many times has a friend disclosed a particular trial they’re going through and if you’re honest, you have no idea what to say? “Don’t worry. God is sovereign” is too trite. “Let me know how I can help” doesn’t really speak to the hurt they feel. So what do you say? Trust me. I’ve been in this spot many times!
Based on a recommendation from CJ Mahaney, I recently picked up Suffering and Sovereignty of God, edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor, and started reading chapter 7 by David Powlison. Powlison does an outstanding job helping us understand God’s heart to personally care for and comfort us in the midst of suffering. And he gives us practical suggestions for helping others connect truth about God to the real trials we all face.
If you’re like me and have limited time to read a whole book, buy a copy from the Book Shoppe and just read chapter 7. I highly recommend it! (You can also click on the image of the book to hear related messages and even read the book online!)
