The Instruction of Grace

Pastor’s Pen…

Special thanks to all who help sanitize our worship facilities for services each Saturday morning. Also, to those who make it possible for us to ‘live-stream’  on Facebook at 10:45 each Sunday morning, and to post each message on our website (www.fccwylie.org) each Sunday afternoon. Last Sunday evening I received a kind note from a pastor’s wife in Lahore, Pakistan, telling me they had listened to our Facebook service. Our church has been able during these trying days to have a worldwide impact!

 

We continue to hold our Sunday services with all safety protocols and pre-service sanitizing in place. No Sunday school yet, and the nursery is not available.  We will continue following the protocols as outlined by GA-18 guidance.  Face masks, social distancing, no physical contact. We use bulletins printed untouched by human hands, with songs, etc. printed therein, and pre-packaged communion elements. Offering plates are located at the rear, or giving can be done online at www.fccwylie.org.

 

If you still feel uncomfortable attending, you can join the live-stream on Facebook (at 10:45 am) which includes communion and the worship hymns, or the website, where the message is posted each Sunday afternoon.  We are blessed to have the technology available that allow us to still worship, and those in our church family who have the expertise to post the service online.

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John Royal will be filling the pulpit for me on Sunday August 9. Beginning Sunday, August 16 and continuing through the fall, on messages will focus on the writings and life of King David, one of the greatest characters in Scripture. As Christ-followers we face a variety of challenges and issues, and God's Word has practical, workable answers for such things as overcoming obstacles, developing healthy relationships, handling worry and inner fears, and recovering from failure. I believe our studies on King David will better equip us for handling the challenges of life today.

*******

 

Our God has many wonderful attributes that help us understand Him. But probably no divine attribute has the impact on us as humans as the grace of God! We also feel we understand God’s grace, especially through the common definition “God’s unmerited favor. Certainly this element of grace is at the heart of this great biblical truth, since when we deserved God's punishment and wrath because of our sin, He extended undeserved favor toward us because of Christ’s death on the cross in payment for our sin. 

However, there are facets of divine grace that we may sometimes overlook, and these facets are covered in our text, Titus 2:11-14. We might sum it up this way: God's grace provide salvation from sin’s penalty, and instructs us in how to overcome sin’s power, in order to prepare us for when we will be free from sin’s presence.

I.               Grace frees us from sin's penalty….(11)

·      It is available to all

·      It brings salvation to those who trust Christ

 

II.             Grace trains us for godly living over sin’s power (12)

·      The negative side 

Deny ungodliness

Deny worldly lusts

·      The positive side 

Live self-controlled lives

Live righteous lives

Live Godly lives in an evil age

III.            Grace prepares us freedom from sin’s presence (13, 14)

·      We have an amazing future 

·      Our Savior is coming for us!

·      All because He died to redeem and purify us

Application: May we thank Him continually for our salvation, faithfully confess every sin, and eagerly await His return by being zealous for good works!

*******

RADIO THIS EVENING: Financial instability on the heels of the COVID 19 crisis has left many individuals uncertain about their financial future. This weekend on Encouragement Live, Erik a Ville, and EO of Teacher’s Pension, joins host Don Hawkins to share wise and practical counsel about important financial decisions.

Encouragement Live can be heard at 7:05 PM central time on American Family Radio (www.afr.net) and on theworshipchannel.org. 

May His grace and peace encourage you during these challenging times.

Don Hawkins, D. Min.                                                                                                                     Interim Pastor

Comments

  1. UnknownJuly 12, 2020 at 9:58 AM

    Always a great message and powerful words of inspiration. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete

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