Boasting (announcements for May 8)
Hi everyone,
In Romans 3:23-26, Paul explains the Gospel. God sent Jesus to redeem us from sin by dying in our place, so that we can be freely forgiven and accepted by trusting in him.
In verses 27-31, Paul applies the Gospel by showing that it excludes boasting. The Gospel is all about a free gift of grace, so boasting is "against the rules." The Gospel's "rules" are different from the rules that unbelieving Israelites thought they were living by.
They thought the Bible was a "law of works"—perfect obedience deserves a prize, and winners can boast in their success. Actually, the message of the Bible is a "law of faith" that tells us to trust in Christ, and humbly thank him for everything we have.
A law of works teaches us to say: "Look what I achieved." A law of faith teaches us to say: "Look what I received."
"No more boasting" is a rule in theology, and it is also a rule in relationships. Jews, with all their spiritual privileges, cannot exclude Gentiles, since we all depend on God's grace. The same is true of us as Christians, with all our spiritual privileges.
Based on this passage, what should we pray for?
A deep and true humility to fill our hearts and lives.
Unity between people of different cultures, as a fruit of Gospel grace in each of our lives.
Faith in Christ that leads to sincere obedience to God's law.
Sincerely,
Pastor Goligher
The Lord’s Day
Sunday school is at 9:45am. This week, in adult Sunday school class, we will keep learning about the life of Herman Bavinck, a Reformed theologian from the Netherlands.
The morning service is at 11:00am. The sermon will be "The Law of Christ," from Galatians 6:1-5.
The evening service is at 5:00pm. The sermon will be "Sight then Sleep" from Acts 7:54-60.
Through the Week
Prayer Meeting is on Wednesday evening at 7:15pm, at church and on Zoom.
Ladies' Bible Study meets Thursday at 7pm, on Zoom. The study is based on Nancy Guthrie, The Lamb of God. This week's study is "Salvation and Provision" (Exodus 13-17). Complete the Personal Bible Study (pages 91-94).
Men's Bible Study meets Thursday at 8:15pm, on Zoom
Camping Trip: We have a group site reserved at Joseph D. Grant County Park. If you are planning to come, please RSVP to Scott Porter.
Looking Ahead
Fellowship Lunches for May and June
For just these two months, we will hold fellowship lunches on the fourth Sunday of the month, one week later than usual.
Invitation from Hernandez Family
We would love for our church family to come celebrate with us Saturday June 4th Elena's graduation from high school. The celebration is an open house from 11am to 2pm at our home. Please RSVP to Debbie at jakeh01@gmail.com if you will be joining us.
VBS Registration
If your kids are planning to attend VBS, please sign them up. This will help us plan the materials and volunteers. We already have about 30 registrations, so spaces are filling up! Please pray for God's blessing on this ministry, that children would be converted to Christ and nurtured in the faith.
Pastor Goligher's Vacation and Sabbatical
In just over two weeks, the Golighers will leave for Northern Ireland for some vacation, which will lead into a sabbatical concluding at the end of September. During my absence, the pulpit will be filled by our returning pastoral intern, Mr. Jonathan Bartlett. Jonathan and his wife Maddie are expected to arrive in the first week of June. The session will be available for any ministry needs that arise. They will have the assistance of Jonathan and our leadership interns.
We will spend our vacation visiting family in Northern Ireland and the Netherlands. On Sundays, I will be filling the pulpit at a vacant church in Northern Ireland: Groomsport Evangelical Presbyterian Church. I also have an opportunity to speak at the presbytery's summer teens camp.
The Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ireland is a sister-church of the OPC. We enjoy good fraternal relations at the present, and we share a common history since one of the EPC's early leaders was W.J. Grier, a student of our own J. Gresham Machen.
The sabbatical portion of my absence will be focused on ministry work, but on the deeper and longer-term aspects of it. I plan to spend a lot of time reading Scripture, refreshing my language skills, and studying for future preaching and writing. There are some books that I want to read, and a couple of writing projects that I would like to develop.
My prayer (and I hope you'll join me in this) is to return in the fall with fresh zeal and vision for ministry that is faithful to Scripture, rooted in Reformed doctrine, edifying to the Church, and compelling for those who have not yet trusted in Christ.