Text: John 20:30-31

Notes: emmauscf.org/sermons

1. What is the benefit of looking at the big picture of a book of the Bible before studying the details?

2. Who do you think wrote the Fourth Gospel? Does knowing the author of a book of the Bible matter, ultimately?

3. Why was this gospel written?

4. If the emphasis of the Gospel of John important today? Is it important for new believers? Is it important for seasoned believers? Why?

5. Have you read through John from beginning to end? If so, what insights were gained from that experience?

Posted in Study Guides Joe Anady
No Comments Yet Posted by Joe

Hello Church,

Just a reminder to register for Emmaus Essentials, Reformation Profiles. This study will run 6 weeks starting September 14th. You can engage online, in class (Sundays at 8:30am), or both. Each lesson is about 30 minutes long. If you plan to engage online then please set up an account today. The process should only take a few minutes. This system works well on mobile devices as well as personal computers. Please let us know if you need any help!

Joe

https://emmausrbc.org/essentials

Posted in News Joe Anady
No Comments Yet Posted by Joe

Brothers and Sisters,

As you know we will be starting a sermon series through the Gospel of John in the next couple of weeks. I’d like to encourage you all to read through this wonderful book once or twice in preparation for the series. I’ve attached a preaching series outline which also serves as an outline of John’s Gospel. Please read being mindful of the question, “who is Jesus?” That, indeed, was the one question that John was seeking to answer when he wrote – a question that, without a doubt, still needs to be addressed in our day.

Blessings,

Pastor Joe

Preaching Series Outline – Gospel of John 

Posted in News Joe Anady
No Comments Yet Posted by Joe

1. What connection should we recognize between Jesus and Moses in Matthew’s Gospel in general, and the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) in particular?

2. What does Jesus do with the law of Moses in applying it to citizens of his kingdom?

3. What does Jesus mean in Matt. 5:21-22 when he says, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire”?

4. Are you harboring hatred in your heart towards anyone? If so, what ought you to do?

5.  Has anyone offended you? If so, what is your obligation according to Matt. 5:23-24?

Posted in Study Guides Gospel Community Groups
No Comments Yet Posted by Joe

Hello Emmaus,

I don’t do this very often, but I would highly recommend (almost beg) that you take the time to listen to a recent episode on the White Horse Inn Podcast, entitled Youth Ministry in Crisis. There are also two other more recent episodes that would be worth listening to (The State of Youth Ministry and Keeping our Kids), but I would ask that you at least take the time to listen to the first one I mentioned.

Why do I want you to listen to this? So that you can better understand why it is that we are doing what we are doing with our children, youth, and parents! We are odd in our approach to children’s and youth ministry, there’s no doubt about that. Understanding why we are taking this approach will go along way in strengthening our commitment to having our children in the worship service, catechizing our children, and engaging our children in deep and meaningful conversations about the scriptures and spiritual things.

I look forward to hearing feedback from you!

Blessings,

Joe

Access online

Access on iTunes

Posted in Good Thoughts from Others Youth Church Life Joe Anady
No Comments Yet Posted by Joe

Brothers and Sisters,

I would like to invite you all to a new class offered by Emmaus entitled, Know the Truth – A 13 Week Overview of the Christian Faith.

This class is geared towards Christians who have never been given an overview of core Biblical teachings. I hesitate to call this a new believers class because, although I do believe it would be a wonderful study for those new to the faith, I believe it will also benefit those who have been in the Lord for some time, yet have never studied the scriptures in this systematic way. Also, I would imagine that this class would benefit those who, though they do not profess Christ, are interested in learning more about the teaching of Holy Scripture. Feel free to invite friends and family, though they may not consider Emmaus their home church.

We will be working through a book entitled, Know the Truth: A Handbook of Christian Belief by Bruce Milne. This book is divided into seven sections, which we will cover over the course of 13 weeks:

Part 1 – The Final Authority in Matters of Faith

Part 2 – The Doctrine of God

Part 3 – Humanity and Sin

Part 4 – The Person and Work of Christ

Part 5 – The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

Part 6 – The Church

Part 7 – The Last Things

Please order the book soon. If you’d like, you can read ahead in preparation for our June 8th start date.

While I highly recommend that you keep up with the reading, I have designed the lectures so that you will receive a fairly comprehensive overview of the book by simply attending the class.

You can either purchase the book on Amazon or pick one up from me on Sunday (I think I have about 5 left).

You can view the class schedule by clicking here.

I do hope that you will be able to join us!

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Joe

Posted in News Joe Anady
No Comments Yet Posted by Joe

About: “Who are we? White Horse Inn (www.whitehorseinn.org) is a multimedia catalyst for reformation. We believe that each generation must rediscover and apply the gospel to their own time. We long to see a second reformation take hold of our churches and return them to the God-honoring, Christ-centered, Spirit-wrought places of worship they should be. Over the past twenty years, we’ve grown more hopeful that such a reformation is possible. So, we’re putting our time and resources to work toward one. Our mission is to help Christians “know what they believe and why they believe it” through conversational theology. The conversations take place in talk show, magazine, event, book, blog and social media formats. Our vision is to see a modern reformation in our churches through a rediscovery of God, the gospel, and the classic Christian confessions proclaimed during the sixteenth-century Reformation. More than just a talk show and a magazine, White Horse Inn is a conversation for reformation. C. S. Lewis famously remarked that “mere Christianity” is like a hallway. In this hallway, real conversations between Christians of different convictions can begin and develop over time as we emerge from these various rooms to speak of Christ and his gospel to one another. For twenty years, White Horse Inn has hosted this conversation both on the radio (White Horse Inn) and in print (Modern Reformation) in the spirit of that great hallway of “mere Christianity,” bringing the rich resources of the Reformation to bear on American evangelicalism.

Our Six Core Beliefs:
1. The five “solas” of the Reformation are more than slogans to be recovered; they are the messages that will renew the church’s mission in our age.
2. Gospel-centered preaching that rightly distinguishes between law and gospel rescues the church from “Christless Christianity” while enabling Christians to grow in grace.
3. Word and Sacrament ministry realigns the church’s mission and identity from program-driven pragmatism to the means of grace that Christ has ordained for the creation, sustenance, and expansion of his kingdom.
4. A properly missional mindset will identify the church as distinct from but engaged with the world, encouraging individual Christians to pursue their God-honoring vocations.
5. In order to know what they believe and why they believe it, Christians need to be well catechized and grounded in the central doctrines of the faith.
6. Withstanding the onslaught of heresy and persecution requires a confessing church grounded in the witness of the ages and animated by deeds of loving service and witness.” READ MORE

Nerd Factor: Medium

Emmaus Staff Comments: This is one of the few podcasts that I (Joe) listen to regularly!

Access: Online, iTunes

Posted in Recommended Podcasts Joe Anady
No Comments Yet Posted by Joe

About: “Reformed Forum is an organization committed to providing Reformed theological resources to pastors, scholars, and anyone who desires to grow in their understanding of Scripture and the theology that faithfully summarizes its teachings.

Reformed Forum began in January 2008 as a means of providing free access to informed theological conversation. We do this by offering a variety of new media. Our cornerstone resource is our audio program, Christ the Center, which features weekly discussions on a host of biblical and theological subjects.

We are committing to the principles of the Reformation and a redemptive-historical approach to Scripture. We believe these faithfully represent the teachings of the Bible, which is our only standard for faith and practice.

While we offer theological resources, theology must be more than an intellectual exercise. God’s Word and its good and necessary consequences have everything to do with our day to day lives. Proper theology is intensely practical. And given the theological climate of our age, we believe Reformed theology is perhaps even more significant today than it was in the 16th century when the Reformation began. To that end, we seek to assist the church in presenting everyone mature in Christ (Col. 1:28).”

Nerd Factor: Medium to High

Emmaus Staff Comments: This is one of the few podcasts that I (Joe) listen to every week!

Access: Online, iTunes

Posted in Recommended Podcasts
No Comments Yet Posted by Joe