Bulletin for January 12, 2025

Bulletin for January 5, 2025

Happy New Year!

It’s the time of year again when people start thinking about getting back on top of their Bible reading, so I wanted to make a couple of suggestions if you’re looking for a plan.

One of the most popular Bible reading plans available is the Robert Murray M’Cheyne plan. M’Cheyne was a Scottish Presbyterian minister in the 19th century, and he wrote this plan for his congregation at St. Peter’s in Dundee. You can find this plan in various formats at this link.

Another option is simply to start reading! Matthew Everhard has created this document with no dates to help. This is my personal practice. As long as I read the whole thing, I don’t get caught up in doing things on particular date.

In addition, it’s a good practice to include a cycle of psalms each month. The psalms help us guide and inform our prayer. If you read five psalms per day, you’ll finish the psalter in a month. You can find a calendar for one- or two-month reading here.

Finally, if you’re looking for something more comprehensive, I’ve put together a liturgy for family and private worship. It’s essentially a simplified version of our Lord’s Day service for use in your home. At the end, you’ll find a weekly guide for reading (or even memorizing) the Westminster Shorter Catechism and a full copy of the M’Cheyne plan. If you’d like a print copy, let me know.

Psalm of the Month

This month, we’re going to learn a new psalm together. Psalm 103 is very familiar to many of us, and I often use it as our assurance of pardon during worship. The tune we’ll use is “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.” Listen here.

Updates

There are several things coming, so pay attention to the bulletin! For those of you that are interested in joining the church (either youth or adult), let me know as soon as you can so we can start working on getting the process going!

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletin for December 29, 2024

Bulletin for December 22, 2024

Coming Up This Week

This Sunday, we’ll be meeting twice on Sunday. First, we’ll have a lessons and carols service in our normal morning worship slot. Then, we’ll gather again at 5 PM to watch the chlidren perform their Christmas pageant. Light refreshments will follow!

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletin for December 15, 2024

Gospel Hope

The past few questions, being all about sin, have been quite negative, but now, in question 20, there’s a turn to the solution to this problem.

Q. 20. Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery?
A. God having, out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation by a redeemer.

God, of course, would have been perfectly just to leave us to perish in the estate of sin and misery, but God is not merely a God of justice. He is also a God of mercy. The catechism, quoting Ephesians 1, reminds us that God acted to save “according to the good pleasure of his will.” Because of the goodness of God, he saw fit to offer salvation.

Who did God see fit to save? The elect. We’ve talked about this doctrine in previous questions, but God, from all eternity, elected some to eternal life. Notice the catechism says that God elected out of his mere good pleasure. That means there was nothing in us that God considered in his election; it’s all on him. This is clearly taught in Ephesians 1:4-12.

It’s become very common in recent times for people to argue that God’s election is on the basis of foreseen faith. The idea is that God looked down through time to see who would believe in him and elected those people. But this view has no biblical evidence in support of it. Furthermore, think about what that would mean for our salvation–it would mean that our salvation is somehow dependent on us. And what a sorry state we would be in if it depended on us!

This leads us to the second question: how does God save his elect? Even though God elects some for salvation, there’s still this lingering issue. There is nothing in man that warrants salvation. We are dead in sin (Ephesians 2:5) and the thoughts of our hearts are only evil continually (Genesis 6:5). There’s an impenetrable barrier between God and the sinner, so God provided a way through the covenant of grace. In this covenant, he provides a redeemer, Jesus Christ, who paid for the sins of the elect in order that they might be justified before God. More on that in question 21!

Finally, what is the result of this covenant of grace? We are both delivered from the state of sin and misery and brought into an estate of salvation. Through our redeemer, Jesus Christ, we are freed from the sin and misery we talked about previously. Now, some of that is immediate (justification) and some is gradual (sanctification), but sin has no dominion over us (Romans 6:1-14). We are freed to stand before God and to be cleansed by the blood of Christ applied by the Holy Spirit.

Updates

On December 22, we’ll be meeting twice. On Sunday morning, our Lord’s Day service at 11 AM will be a Lessons & Carols service. Then, on Sunday evening at 5 PM, the children and youth will present a Christmas Pageant. Be sure to join us for both!

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletin for December 8, 2024

The Misery of Sin

When Adam fell, he fell into an estate of sin and misery. Question 18 focused on sin, and question 19 goes on to discuss misery. Remember that sin is about being and doing; in other words, it affects our nature and actions. When we talk about misery, we’re talking about the effects of being sinful and doing sin.

Q. 19. What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell?
A. All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever.

The first consequence of sin is our disfellowship with God. This happens automatically. What was the first thing Adam did after he sinned? He hid from God. Their relationship was broken. All other effects are downstream from this.

In particular, the relationship is broken because the covenant was broken. Covenant is God’s gracious way of meeting with his people, but when we turn aside from God, we lose access to his presence. This is also why Adam was under the wrath and curse of God–because under the covenant of works, there is penalty for law-breaking.

The first penalty of law-breaking is that life gets hard. This is the core of the curse on Adam in Genesis 3:

“And to Adam he said, ‘Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.’” (Genesis 3:17-19)

Any difficulty in this life ultimately stems from this curse. When your joints ache, when you get the flu, and when money’s tight, you can always find the source in the curse on Adam.

Even worse, we are liable to death, “for the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Humans are not supposed to die. Death is bad; it’s a curse. Often, we try to convince ourselves that death is somehow a good thing, and certainly there are good results (like going to heaven). But death was never supposed to be a part of human life. It’s a result of sin. Finally, since we have immortal souls, we are not only liable to temporal death, but eternal death (Matthew 25:41-46). Because we owe God an infinite death, we are liable for infinite judgment.

But again, just as the nature of sin teaches us about the work of Christ, so does the nature of misery. When Jesus took on flesh, he took on this curse. In every respect, he was tempted. He was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Ultimately, he was crucified, dead, and buried, and he descended into hell. Why? Because he was suffering for us. He suffered humiliation with us, so that he could redeem us from misery.

Updates

1. Don’t forget our congregational meeting immediately following this Sunday’s worship service.

2. We’ll have a Lessons and Carols Sunday evening service on December 22 at 5 PM. We’ll hear Scripture about Christ and sing some Christmas carols together.

3. The children are preparing to give a presentation on Christmas Eve.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletin for December 1, 2024

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone enjoys your holiday this week! If you missed our community Thanksgiving, the audio is now available on the podcast feed.

Updates

1. Make note of our special offering for Living Waters for the World. If you’d like to make a special gift in addition to the Session’s $500 dollar commitment, please indicate it on your check.

2. Our congregation meeting is scheduled for December 8th immediately following worship.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletin for November 24, 2024

The Estate of Sin

Q. 17. Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?
A. The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery.

Question 17 gives us two categories for understanding the consequences of the Fall. Adam’s first sin brought about an estate of both sin and misery. Question 18 deals with the first part of that: the sinfulness of man’s estate.

Q. 18. Wherein consists the sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell?
A. The sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell consists in the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the want of original righteousness, and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called original sin; together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it.

The estate of sin consist of both original sin and actual sin. Actual sin is what happens when we, by our own wills, violate God’s law. Actual sin are the sinful things we do. But remember that sin is both about doing and being. Original sin deals with the being part.

Original sin consists of three parts. First, original sin includes the guilt of Adam’s first sin. Romans 5:15 tells us that “many died through one man’s trespass.” The way Paul reasons in Romans 5 is to say that since all people suffer the consequence of Adam’s first sin, then all people are guilty of Adam’s first sin. This may not strike us as fair, but remember that Adam represented the whole human race in the covenant of works. Therefore, we say that Adam’s sin is imputed (accounted or credited) to us. Although none of us committed the particular of sin, it is counted to us as if we did because of his federal headship.

We think in these terms all the time. If the President of the United States decides to shoot missiles at another country, then we can rightly say that the United States did it, since he is their representative. While the order didn’t come from every individual citizen, since the President the head of state, we are responsible for his actions to a degree. And if the other country retaliates, we face the consequences.

Second, original sin includes the want (or lack) of original righteousness. When Adam was created, he was created in perfection. He was righteous, not because he did anything good, but because God only creates good things. It wasn’t a state he earned, but something he was given. But when Adam sinned, he gave up that gift of perfection and was then unable to share that gift with any of his offspring. As a result, from the moment we are conceived, we lack the righteousness that Adam had at first.

Third, original sin is not only a lack of righteousness, but a continuing corruption. After the Fall, our hearts are crooked and wicked by nature. We are by nature children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3). The thoughts and intentions of our hearts are only evil continually (Genesis 6:5). And from this natural corruption comes all actual sin (James 1:14-15).

So the estate of sin is a sorry place to be, but understanding this state helps us understand what we need. Since we have inherited the sin of Adam, we need another legal representative to take that sin. Since we have lost original righteousness, we need a new Mediator to impute his own righteousness to us and renew the gift that Adam scorned. Since our natures have been corrupted, we need a special work of God to straighten us out and root out that corruption. The gospel of Jesus Christ, of course, is the answer to all of those problems.

Updates

1. Be sure to be preparing for communion this coming Lord’s Day. A good practice is to review Larger Catechism 171:

Q. 171. How are they that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper to prepare themselves before they come unto it?
A. They that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper are, before they come, to prepare themselves thereunto, by examining themselves of their being in Christ, of their sins and wants; of the truth and measure of their knowledge, faith, repentance; love to God and the brethren, charity to all men, forgiving those that have done them wrong; of their desires after Christ, and of their new obedience; and by renewing the exercise of these graces, by serious meditation, and fervent prayer.

2. The Community Thanksgiving Service will be at 5 PM on Sunday. The choir is meeting at 4. Be sure to bring your food, and be ready to help us host!

3. Remember the congregational meeting scheduled for December 8th.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletin for November 17, 2024

In Adam, All Die

Q. 15. What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?
A. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created was their eating the forbidden fruit.

Q. 16. Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression?
A. The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity; all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him, in his first transgression.

Last week, we talked about the nature of sin. Remember that sin doesn’t consist in merely singular acts; it also includes any non-conformity to God’s law. The Children’s Catechism summarizes this well:

Q. 29. What is meant by want of conformity?
A. Not being or doing what God requires.

This is important as we consider what question 16 of the Shorter Catechism is saying.

First, the catechism tells us that the covenant of works or life was not made not only with Adam, but with all of humanity after him. Adam was our covenant head, our representative and mediator, in the covenant of works. Romans 5 is the clearest statement of this principle.

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man [Adam], and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” (Rom 5:12)

Adam, standing in as the representative head of all people, sinned for all people, bringing all his children under the judgment of God. Later, we’ll unpack this in more detail, but this is what we call original sin.

It’s a common error to think that we’re born in a morally neutral state, like Adam in the garden. Some preachers say that children are born sinless and remain that way, until they commit their first intentional sin, but this is unbiblical. Remember the definition of sin includes not only acts, but states. To use the analogy of the forest path again, because of Adam’s first sin, we are all born off the track. And, as Paul points out, the evidence of this fact, the innate sinfulness of all human beings, is that all die. God is just, and he only extends judgment to those who deserve it. But, sad as it may be, young children sometimes die, and this is evidence that they are under the judgment of God.

This is part of the reason we baptize the children of believers. The Children’s Catechism is helpful here as well:

Q. 130. Why should infants be baptized?
A. Because they have a sinful nature and need a Savior.

Of course, when we lose children to death, we have confidence that they are in the arms of Christ, but that’s not because they’re sinless, instead, they are like all people. Our Confession of Faith summarizes:

Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated, and saved by Christ, through the Spirit, who worketh when, and where, and how he pleaseth: so also are all other elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word. (WCF 10.3)

The point is this: the Word of God is true when it says,

“For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” (Rom 3:22-25)

Either you are in Adam and subject to death, or you are in Christ and given the gift of eternal life. There is no distinction. There is neither Jew for Greek, slave nor free, male and female, but we are all one in Christ Jesus.

Updates

1. As of today (Thursday), we have packed 63 Operation Christmas Child boxes! If you’ve packed your own boxes, please bring them Sunday so we can pray for all them in worship. I’ll also have a link for additional online boxes shortly.

2. Next Sunday, we’ll be having communion in the morning with Rev. Ron Pierce, and then we’ll host the community Thanksgiving service at 5 PM. Be preparing for communion, and be prepared to be good hosts for our community!

3. Don’t forget the congregational meeting scheduled for December 8th.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletin for November 10, 2024

What is Sin?

In the last question, we began working on the topic of sin. But before we move on, we need a definition of sin.

Q. 14. What is sin?
A. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.

Let’s work through this backwards. First, we see that sin is defined in terms of the law of God. Beginning in question 39, the catechism goes into great detail about the law, but for now, we can simply say that the law is both a reflection of God’s own holiness and his requirements for men. These are summarized in the Ten Commandments, but Jesus summarizes them even more into the laws of love: we are to love God and love neighbor. So sin is what happens when we live in a way contrary to the law.

That can happen in two ways. One way is transgression. This is drawn straight from 1 John 3:4, which says, “Sin is the transgression of the law.” To transgress means to go across something. In this case, transgression is walking across the law. Imagine you’re following a trail through the woods. If you decide to walk off the trail and start carving your own path, you have transgressed the trail. In the same way, when we transgress God’s law, we leave his marked out path of righteousness.

But when you leave the path, while that is a singular action, it puts you in a different state. This is lack of conformity. If you wander off into the woods, each additional step takes you further and further away from where you’re supposed to be. While you’re wandering through the woods, you remain out of conformity with the path. When we transgress God’s law, we find ourselves not only doing something wrong, but being something wrong. We remain in sin until we return to God’s path.

So sin is when we are not being or doing what God commands. Repentance from sin is returning to the law of God, stepping back onto his path. As we continue in the next few questions, we’ll learn about how we got off the path in the first place, the origin of sin.

Updates

1. Wednesday’s prayer meeting was fantastic, and the children packed a whole lot of Operation Christmas Child boxes! If you missed either of those things, we’ll be back at it this week, so be sure to join us!

2. Next week, our youth membership class meets Friday evening and Saturday morning. If you haven’t already, let me know if your child will be joining us.

3. Mark your calendars for the congregational meeting on December 8th.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

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