GCG Questions for Sermon on 10/20/13

1. What insights did you gain in the reading out loud of Galatians 3, 4, and 5? Did any theme or particular point stand out?

2. How does the Holy Spirit work in the lives of believers? What does the Holy Spirit do and how does the Holy Spirit work? Support with scripture.

3. What do you think is the main point and core focus of the book of Galatians? Explain in a few words.

4. How does one live by the spirit and walk by the spirit. Explain and support.

5. Compare and contrast justification and sanctification. What does each look like and how are both similar and different?


GCG Questions for Sermon on 10/13/13

1. Have you ever been guilty as viewing another Christian as a “second rate” Christian? Why? Share. 2. What is the biblical definition of “justification”? 3. How would you explain the biblical concept of “justification by faith alone” to a non believer who is interested in learning more about the Christian faith? 4. If we no longer need to keep the law in order to be saved (justification by faith alone), then why do we still keep the Law? (I’m speaking of the moral law…i.e. 10 commandments) Share and discuss with your group. 5. Are you currently resting in the truth that your salvation is by faith alone? Or are you struggling with needing to do more for God? Why? Share.


GCG Questions for Sermon on 10/6/2013

1. Have you ever had to confront a brother or sister in Christ? What was your experience? Was it productive?
2. What are the biblical guidelines and grounds for confrontation? When, how, and why should we confront? List and describe.
3. You do not need to share all of the details, but is there someone in your life right now that you need to confront? What is stopping you?
4. Can you relate to Peter’s weaknesses? How so? Share.
5. How can your group pray for you this week? Share.


Household Worship Guide – 09/22/13

This can be downloaded as a PDF logging into the CITY.

Prayer

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”

Address God and Praise Him for Who He Is (Matthew 6:11)

  • God’s Love: “When it says, ‘God is Love,’ it means that love is an essential attribute of God’s being. It means that in God is the summation of all love, so that all love comes from God. And it means that God’s love, we might say, conditions all of His other attributes, so that God can do nothing except He does it in love” (A.W. Tozer, Attributes of God).
  • The Names of God: Jehovah-Rohi .
  • Meaning: The Lord is My Shepherd
  • Psalm 23:1-3; Isaiah 53:6; John 10:14-18; Hebrews 13:20; Revelation 7:17

Thank God for All That He Has Provided (Ephesians 5:20)

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Pray For the Ministry of Other Churches (Matt. 28:18-20)

  • Christ Reformed Baptist Church, Vista CA – Website

Pray For the Gospel to Spread Among All Peoples (Matt. 9:37-38)

  • Country: Brazil
  • Population: 201,010,000
  • Religion: Catholic: 73{e0b72a53c242df1424785628340537005f8b2ebeecfbb0205a95286f7b4c8fc9}, Evangelical 26{e0b72a53c242df1424785628340537005f8b2ebeecfbb0205a95286f7b4c8fc9}, 1{e0b72a53c242df1424785628340537005f8b2ebeecfbb0205a95286f7b4c8fc9} Other
  • In 2012, Paul Washer traveled to Brazil to preach in a series of meeting with FIEL ministries. While there, he saw the great need that exists in this vast country and also met several men who are worthy laborers in the harvest. After several months of prayer and deliberation, HeartCry has decided to partner with the newly established Martin Bucer Seminary to provide sound theology and ministerial training to those who have been called into the gospel ministry.Martin Bucer Seminary. Seminário Martin Bucer (SMB) is located in São José dos Campos in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. It is an extension of the Martin Bucer Seminary in Germany. Its mission is to train pastors and Christian leaders for the evangelical churches in Brazil (independent or denominational). SMB welcomes partnerships with local churches in Brazil, United States, England and Germany as well with evangelical Christian organizations.The faculty of SMB in Brazil is composed of pastors and teachers from Brazil, Germany and USA. They have to be academically qualified (master’s degree in theology), have ministerial experience, and be accessible to the student. All the teachers work as counselors and are available for assistance in the spiritual life, family relationships, and ministerial development of the student.The SMB curriculum is centered on the Bible and its exposition. The goal of the teaching activity is to lead the student into a deeper relationship with Christ and greater conformity to His image. During the three-year program, the student will seek to develop three main areas for the Christian ministry: holiness, doctrinal knowledge, and ministerial practice.*Information taken from HeartCryMissionary.com

“Give us this day our daily bread”

Pray For Yours and Your Family’s Needs (Matthew 6:11)

Pray For One Another (James 5:16)

  • Log into the CITY to see a list of families to pray for.

Pray For Those Who Feed, Lead, And Care For The Flock (Col. 4:3; 2 Thess. 3:1)

  • Elders: Joe Anady, Steve Bovee, Kris Vanderschuit
  • Deacons: Dave Anady, Mike Thezier

Pray For Kings And Those In Authority (1 Timothy 2:2)

  • Local: San Jacinto City Council – Crystal Ruiz, Andrew Kotyuk, Scott Miller
  • State: State Assembly – Melissa Melandez
  • Nation: Congressman – Ken Calvert

“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

Ask Forgiveness From God And Others. Forgive Those Who Sinned Against You. (1 John 1:9)

“lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Pray That God Would Strengthen Us From Giving Into Temptation (James 1:12-17).

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Worship through Song

Song of the Month  

  • I encourage you to incorporate musical worship in some way within your household worship time. This is also a great way to prepare for worship Sunday worship by learning the songs we sing.
  • “O Great God” by Sovereign Grace Music can be purchased and downloaded here.

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Preparing for the Lord’s Day

Our Sermon Text for This Week Is: Galatians 2

  • “Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. 3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— 5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. 6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. 11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” 15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. 17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

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Family Scripture Reading
The scriptures follow the reading plan for families outlined in Emmaus’ Passages booklet.

  • Sunday – 2 Sam. 18, 2 Cor. 11
    Monday – 2 Sam. 19, 2 Cor. 12
    Tuesday – 2 Sam. 20, 2 Cor. 13
    Wednesday – 2 Sam. 21, Gal. 1
    Thursday – 2 Sam. 22, Gal. 2
    Friday – 2 Sam. 23, Gal. 3
    Saturday – 2 Sam. 24, Gal. 4

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Catechism – Instruction of God’s Word

Doctrinal Standard WSC #89

  • Q. What makes the word effective for salvation?
  • A. The Spirit of God causes the reading and especially the preaching of the word to convince and convert sinners and to build them up in holiness and comfort through faith to salvation.

Memory Verse(s)

  • “from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (II Timothy 3:15, ESV).

Scripture

  • Study Passage: Romans 10:13-21
  • Support Passages: Nehemiah 8:7-8; Psalm 19:7-10; Acts 20:32, 26:16-18; Romans 15:4; I Corinthians 14:24-25; II Timothy 3:14-17
  • Bible Story: II Chronicles 17

Thoughts

  • “The doctrine of the gospel call is important, because if there were no gospel call we could not be saved. ‘How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?’(Rom. 10:14).
  • “The gospel call is important also because through it God addresses us in the fullness of our humanity. He does not save us ‘automatically’ without seeking for a response from us as a whole person. Rather, he addresses the gospel call to our intellects, our emotions, and our wills. He speaks to our intellects by explain the facts of salvation in his Word. He speaks to our wills by asking us to hear his invitation and respond willingly in repentance and faith – to decide to turn from our sins and receive Christ as Savior and rest our hearts in him for salvation” (Pg. 695). [1]
  • Romans 10:13–21 (ESV) “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’ 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?’ 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. 18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for ‘Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.’ 19 But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, ‘I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.’ 20 Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, ‘I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.’ 21 But of Israel he says, ‘All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.’

Discussion Questions

  • Why is scripture effective for salvation?
  • Read Romans 10 and discuss the significance scripture plays in salvation.
  • How does scripture convince people of their need for a savior?
  • Explain how scripture “converts sinners.”
  • Explain how scripture builds people up in “holiness and comfort through faith to salvation.”
  • Discuss how scripture has impacted your life in the previous ways.

[1] Grudem, Wayne (1994). Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA; Zondervan Publishing House.


Gospel Community Group Question for Sermon on 09/22/13

1. What is your testimony. Share your brief (2-3 minutes) testimony with your group. Make sure it is brief so all members are able to share.
2. How is Christ central to your testimony? How can you share your testimony with others and ensure that all the credit and glory is given to Christ?
3. How is your testimony compared to that of Paul’s in Galatians 1? Do you see similarities? What are some main aspects of Paul’s testimony that point toward Christ?
4. Why and when should one share their testimony? All the time? Only in certain situations? For what purpose? Share.
5. Are you currently growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ, or has your Christian growth grown more stagnate? Share.


Suffering and Comfort in Christ

This is for my brothers and sisters in Christ who are struggling with trials of various kinds right now. 2 Corinthians 1 was in our Bible reading plan today, and I wanted to be sure that you were encouraged by it.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.” (2 Corinthians 1:3–11, ESV)


Worshiping Families Not Worshiping The Family

As we provide a strong emphasis on family worship it is important that we approach it with balance and self evaluation. Jason Helopoulos in his book, “A Neglected Grace – Family Worship in the Christian Home” cautions Christians against the worship of family instead of worshiping families.

In chapter six titled “What Family Worship Is Not” he writes, “there are undercurrents in the evangelical world right now that place too much emphasis upon the family. We can worship the family just as easily as we can worship wealth or Buddha. And they are equally idolatrous. As we practice family worship, we do not want our world to begin to revolve around our family. Another way of saying this is, we don’t want to worship the family, we want worshiping families. There is a big difference. A family that is truly worshiping God together will naturally find itself looking outward and engaging more and more with people beyond their home. This is an appropriate response of our growth in grace. As we grow more in love with God we grow more in love with people. Those two things cannot be separated. They are two sides of the same coin. ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ (Matt. 22:37, 39)” [1]



[1] Helopoulos, Jason (2007). A Neglected Grace – Family Worship in the Christian Home. Ross-shire, Scotland; Christian Focus Publications, Ltd.


Gospel Community Group Questions for Sermon on 09/08/13

1. Describe the character of Paul. What does scripture say about his personality and nature?
2. It is clear that the teaching of JWs or Mormonism is a false gospel. But what false gospel teaching seems to be prevalent within the modern Christian church? Share and explain.
3. How are you tempted to “distort the gospel” in your own faith. What parts of God or the Bible to you find yourself wanting to alter? Why do you think?
4. When is the biblical gospel no longer the biblical gospel? What specific alterations must be made for the gospel to no longer to be biblical? Be specific.
5. Do you know what you believe and why? Could you thoroughly explain your faith with biblical support to another? Share.



"Him we proclaim,
warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,
that we may present everyone mature in Christ."
(Colossians 1:28, ESV)

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