Sin-tolerance (announcements for March 13)
Hi everyone,
At prayer meeting, we read Romans 1:24-32. Some people have bodies that are gluten- or lactose-intolerant, which can be a serious problem. We all have hearts that are sin-tolerant, which is a deadly problem.
The big sin here is homosexuality, which is where our society’s deadly sin-tolerance is most obvious. We must resist the world’s pressure to tolerate this sin.
On the other hand, we should not only focus on the sins of other people. Even as we maintain biblical teaching about the sins our culture approves, we must remember to search our own lives for the sins that we tolerate.
We should not tolerate: - sinful attitudes (greed, arrogance, a lack of love) - sinful speech (deceit, gossip, slander, boasting) - shocking sins (murder, hating God) - “ordinary” sins (disobeying parents, strife, insolence)
The last verse provides a four-part cure to sin-tolerance. 1. God punishes sin with death: “those who practice such things deserve to die.” 2. God’s death sentence is “righteous.” Sinners deserve to die. 3. People commit these sins even “though they know” God’s penalty. 4. God judges not only “those who practice such things”, but also those who “give approval to those who practice them.”
Worst of all, sin-tolerance takes away our appetite for Christ and his salvation. We should pray that God will help us and others to hate sin, and to desire forgiveness and cleansing from Christ. This would be a good way to pray for the preaching in our worship services tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Pastor Goligher
The Lord’s Day
Sunday school is at 9:45am. For several weeks, the Adult Class has been discussing biblical wisdom regarding money. This week, we will continue addressing the connection between money and marriage.
The morning service is at 11:00am.
- Galatians 5:22, “God’s Love Poured Into Our Hearts”
- Psalm 13
- Jesus, Lover of My Soul #450
- All Glory, Laud, and Honor #425
The evening service is at 5:00pm.
- Acts 4:23-31, “Keep Calm and Pray On”
- Psalm 2B
- God Moves in a Mysterious Way #256
Through the Week
Prayer Meeting is on Wednesday evening at 7:15pm, at church and on Zoom.
Ladies’ Bible Study will not meet this week.
Presbytery will meet in our church on Friday afternoon and Saturday. Thank you to everyone who has signed up to help.
Fellowship lunch will be held next Sunday after the morning service. Everyone is welcome! Please bring a main dish and a salad or dessert to share.
Singing: At 3:30pm next Sunday afternoon, you are invited to gather for some singing practice. This will be a good chance to get familiar with our new hymnals! If you have any questions about this, speak with Matt or Joy Loh.
Hymnals and Psalters
You will notice that our new Trinity Psalter-Hymnals are in the pews this week! We now have a fair number of old hymnals and psalters that we do not need. Everyone is welcome to take some of these for your own use, if you would like.
Men’s Bible Study
We are planning a new format for men’s Bible study. Men, please help us by filling in this spreadsheet with your name and your preferred time slot.
Looking ahead
Teens’ bowling: Teens of the church are invited to go bowling on Saturday, March 26 at 2pm. We will meet at Homestead Bowl in Cupertino. Please RSVP to benvallis@gmail.com so we can get an accurate headcount for the reservation.
Presbytery Missions Conference: On Saturday, April 23, there will be a missions conference at Delta Oaks Presbyterian Church in Pittsburg. The speaker will be Rev. Doug Clawson, the OPC’s Associate General Secretary for Foreign Missions. We encourage everyone to consider attending. Please let Pastor Goligher know if you are planning to attend.
Summer Plans
This summer is shaping up to be a little bit different for our congregation. Pastor Goligher will be taking a sabbatical from late May to the end of September. During that time, the pulpit will primarily be filled by Jonathan Bartlett. Jonathan will arrive in early June with his wife Maddie, to commence a year-long pastoral internship.
From late May to early August, the Goligher family will be visiting family and friends in Northern Ireland (where Calvin’s family is from) and the Netherlands (where some of Joanne’s family is from). Additionally, Pastor Goligher will be filling a vacant pulpit at an Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Groomsport, Northern Ireland.