Proclaiming Salvation by Grace Through Faith in Jesus Christ, 856-667-7110

Posts Tagged ‘Christianity’

Key Thought: To show that the Godhead anticipated the Fall and that a plan was crafted to solve the problem of sin long before it arose.

~ ~ ~

Human beings were given moral freedom, something not found in any of the other creatures that God had created here on earth. Once God endowed them with this freedom, it was
theirs, and He could not take it away from them without radically altering their very nature and being. They could use this freedom either to respond positively by rendering to Him, in love and gratitude, faithful obedience, or they could use that freedom and reject the gift
of life and disobey the Lord. (After all, if humans didn’t have the option to disobey, they really wouldn’t be free.)

God—foreseeing that horrible possibility of disobedience—acted accordingly. Thus, the plan of salvation was conceived in the divine mind long before humans were created and before evil and sin actually appeared, a plan that centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Join us this week as Elder Dave Waddington leads our discussion.

In choosing to reject God’s way, Adam sentenced the whole of creation, of which he had been prince, to hopeless, abysmal darkness. The entrance of sin turned Paradise upside down. Instead of intimacy, harmony, happiness, and abundant, joyful life, now there is separation, dissension, shame, fear, misery, and death. We cannot save ourselves, and this sentence would have been eternal, except that God has promised a way out, the only way out, by taking our sentence upon Himself. Discuss evidence of the hopelessness of sin and our only hope in Christ our Savior.

For illustration, Smash an egg into a pan and display the result. This is what sin has done to our world—utterly destroyed it. Can anyone in the room make the egg whole again? Discuss what it would take to restore the egg to its original condition. What do we need to be restored to wholeness?

Join us next week, October 18th, when Elder Dave Waddington will ask and discuss these and other questions of relevance, such as:

1. God gave one request to Adam and Eve: avoid the tree (Gen. 2:15–17). How did their disobedience erect a barrier between humans and God?
2. God didn’t angrily accuse Adam and Eve of their wrongdoing (Gen. 3:8–13). How would you use this example in your life when explaining God’s love versus His wrath to someone outside the Christian faith?
3. Sin damages our minds and perceptions (Rom. 8:7). When we live in sin, it is like being in a pit without light. Compare this with the idea that Jesus is the Light of the world. How does sin affect our perception of Christ’s free gift of salvation? Why must we as sinners grasp this gift by faith?
4. Examine characteristics of the obedient and how they were led closer to God. Why is obedience so important?

Through our discussion, we will contemplate and consider that even though things look grim in the Garden, God gives us opportunity to choose allegiance to Him over allegiance to the enemy of souls.

Join us! Let’s explore and discover God’s will for our lives, together.

We are proud to re-introduce Children’s Church beginning this week at 11A.

The Fellowship for the Young Generation (FYG) is led by Elder JR Bonilla and facilitated by Debbie Slack, Kathryn Block, and Jinky Tugade.

The FYG leadership, working within God’s will, seeks to provide an opportunity for children to worship as a community in an atmosphere targeted towards relating the Bible truth into their personal lives. The children will worship & pray together, learn the importance of congregational worship & fellowship, learn & gain experience in leading aspects of worship & other responsibilities of being part of a church body. Most importantly, the children will build a close relationship with Christ & learn to study the Bible with their families & to apply its truth to their current stages in life & sharing it with others.

Come! Come witness the power and influence Christ can bestow on all who would simply believe.

No matter how much Lucifer had, no matter how exalted he was, it wasn’t enough. He wanted more. Thus began the “mystery of iniquity” (2 Thess. 2:7), the origin of sin in God’s universe.

The origin of evil within this perfect being will remain a mystery, because there was no reason for it. If it could be explained, it could be justified. It began with the first small step that Lucifer took in cherishing a particular emotion and desire. The conflicting emotions within Lucifer, together with the misuse of his God-given freedom, resulted in a cosmic conflict, a full-fledged rebellion against God in
which suffering and death have impacted innumerable creatures. Today each one of us is living with the results of this conflict.

But don’t despair. In preparation for this week’s study, find a picture of a beautiful garden and a picture of disaster and violence. Contrast the scenes. What were the steps that led Satan from Paradise into the horrors of war against
God?

Join us this week as Elder Joe Luste facilitates our study.

Have you ever experienced a dramatic change in perspective? In 1543,astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus published a theory that would transform how humans viewed themselves and their place in the universe.

Copernicus used mathematics and astronomical studies to disprove the belief that the earth was the center of the universe, around which all planets and stars orbited. Instead, he argued, the earth is just one of a number of planets that travel around the sun. Today we know that earth is an infinitesimal speck in the vast, unfathomably huge universe. But for the religious and intellectual leaders of the sixteenth century, Copernicus had advanced an unwelcome theory that required a shocking change in perspective. It was not something easy for people to grasp, and it took awhile before his position became accepted. Old and set ideas are not easy for anyone to give up, no matter how wrong they are!

Radical changes in perspective are rarely comfortable. In Isaiah 6 the prophet encounters the unfathomable vastness of God’s majesty, and it becomes a defining moment in his life; his perspective of God, himself, and his mission changes in an instant.

Have you had an encounter with God? This week, we’ll take a few moments to consider how our knowledge of God changes our perspective, priorities, and understanding of our place in the universe. We’ll think about how our views, as Christians, radically differ from those who believe that we live in a godless universe and that our existence here is purely by chance!

Join us for this vital discussion.

Ironically, The Good Shepherd is the title of a 2006 motion picture about a fictional American who helps start the Central Intelligence Agency, a spy service that may have reached its apex during the Cold War between America and the former Soviet Union. The life portrayed is one of substance and shadow, disguises and deceptions, all packed with drama.

For a life of intrigue, suspense, and thrills, however, you don’t have to look much farther than Philip, plucked from the ranks of day-to-day church members in Jerusalem, first to help serve meals, then to break the bread of life to others. His ministry crossed deserts, was carried (by others) into Africa, and even touched the “untouchable” land of Samaria.

Philip “got around” and brought hope and help to people in need. His active partner was God the Holy Spirit, and the results were something to behold. Philip was a good shepherd of the people he served, but, of course, he wasn’t the “Good Shepherd” that Jesus was. However, Philip’s readiness to tackle new projects and difficult tasks is one we would do well to emulate.

There are people waiting!

Join us this week as elder Richard White leads our discussion.

An article in the blogosphere, written by Steve Parker, asks if we, Seventh-day Adventists, are the only members of the Remnant church, the elite group of individuals that God has chosen for the last days. In it, Parker offers a contemporary adaptation to the Bible story found in Luke 18: 9-14.

Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to church to pray. One was a Seventh-day Adventist, and the other was a non-Adventist Christian. The Seventh-day Adventist stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a Christian like everyone else. For I am part of the remnant that believes in the seventh-day Sabbath and has Ellen White as a prophet. I’m certainly not like that non-Adventist Christian. I keep the Sabbath, and I give you a tenth of my income.’

“But the non-Adventist Christian stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Seventh-day Adventist, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

One reader of the article responded by saying, in part, “…I sense need of caution here…If there is nothing special about our faith, what’s the point of even being a [Seventh-day Adventist]? What do we have to offer? I believe there is much to value about our message, yet struggle with how it is often delivered by ‘the faithful’.”

As an elder of this congregation, and a leader of one of our community outreach ministries, I also struggle at times with how our message is delivered. It’s the age old battle between the “liberals” and the “fundamentalists” that keeps this point of contention brewing in perpetuity. When frustrated by the argument, and/or the attacks from those that disagree with my efforts, and those of my local church to reach out to the community and share Him where they are, I remind myself of the words of Paul, in Romans 14:1 (NLT)

“Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.”

Pastor Shawn Brace, in his response to the article, offers an ideal conclusion.

“There is no room at all for denominational arrogance. Any type of grace that God bestows on us should be received with humility and love…I believe, [that as Seventh-day Adventists] God has blessed us with a tremendous opportunity to not only herald the fourth commandment and the three angel’s messages, but to be the epitome of love.”