November 24, 2004
Grace e-mail bulletin - 11/24/04
Grace Presbyterian Church
E-mail bulletin
November 24, 2004
Dear Members and Friends of Grace,
ESV Psalm 106:1 Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he
is good, for his steadfast love
endures forever!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day
tomorrow, and may the Lord bring to your minds all the reasons you have for
giving thanks to him.
Please note the following information:
There will be no Wed. evening
prayer meeting tonight. We’ll meet again next Wednesday.
This coming Lord’s
Day (11/28):
-
The
adult Sunday School class will
begin a
-
I will
begin an Advent sermon series this Sunday morning that will focus on four
different prophecies from the book of Isaiah concerning the coming of Christ.
This week’s passage will be Isaiah 28:14-22, and the message is “God’s Strange Deed”.
-
The
evening sermon will be on the Second Commandment (Exodus 20:4): “Worship in Spirit and Truth”.
-
Prayerfully
consider giving to the Thank Offering 2004.
This annual offering goes to support the outreach and edification ministries of
the Orthodox Presbyterian Church: Christian Education, Foreign Missions, and
Home Missions. To read more about this offering, go to http://opc.org/new_horizons/NH04/11a.html.
We will receive this offering at the regular offering time during the morning
service. Write your check out to Grace Presbyterian and designate it for the
“Thank Offering”. Or, place a check or cash in one of the envelopes
that will be provided for that purpose.
- Give thanks to God with Eric for the provision of his remaining support! Eric
will now be able to commence his work with Wycliffe in
Opportunities for service:
-
We need volunteers to help clean the church on a rotating basis.
Please contact me if you would be able to invest a little time in helping to
make sure our church building is clean and ready for Sunday worship each week.
If you can commit to cleaning for the month of January, please let me know.
opcNorman.org update:
-
Here’s
what’s been recently added to Grace’s website:
Mark Series: The God of the
Living (Mark 12:18-27; Exodus 3:1-6, 13-15)
http://www.opcnorman.org/resources/#morningService
Ten Commandment Series: A Light to
My Path (Exodus 20:1-21)
http://www.opcnorman.org/resources/#eveningService
Hebrews Series: Discipline &
Holiness (Hebrews 12)
http://www.opcnorman.org/resources/#sundayschool
Plus a catalog of
all the teaching is also now available.
http://www.opcnorman.org/resources/#teachingCatalog
In Christ,
Pastor Scott
Pastor Scott Johnson
Grace Presbyterian Church (OPC)
Visit our website: www.opcNorman.org
November 17, 2004
Grace e-mail bulletin - 11/17/04
Grace Presbyterian Church
E-mail bulletin
November 17, 2004
Dear Members and Friends of Grace,
Greetings to you all in the name of our
Savior! I read this verse yesterday as the rain continued to fall outside (as
it does now as I write this):
And I
will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send
down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. (Ezekiel 34:26)
We’ve certainly had our share of
showers recently! And such rain is indeed a blessing from God, a gracious gift
to all his creatures:
…he
makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and
on the unjust. (Matthew 5:45)
However, the “showers of
blessing” Ezekiel speaks of are not God’s indiscriminate favor that
he extends to all, but the special mercies God bestows upon his beloved children.
Ezekiel is prophesying on the eve of
But the grace of God signified by his
sending Israel the showers in their season is not limited to the agricultural
plenty that Israel was to enjoy. Ezekiel’s marvelous prophecy also looks
forward to the time when God’s servant
David shall be prince among them (Ezekiel 34:24). In Jesus Christ,
the Greater David who was to come, God pours out on his people the true
“showers of blessing” – forgiveness of sins and eternal life
through Him. And these showers of blessing are not a light sprinkling or a mere
mist, but a torrential downpour of grace!
Non-stop rain can be depressing. I hope
the constant drizzle the last few days hasn’t dragged your spirits down.
Can you see the grace of God, even in the rain?
Please note the following information:
This evening (11/17):
-
O
This Saturday (11/20):
-
On Saturday, November 20th, we will
give the church a thorough “fall
cleaning”. The main job will be to clean the carpets but there
will be several other projects waiting to be done. We will begin at 8:00 a.m.
(but if you are not able to show up then, please come when you can), and I will provide Krispy
Kreme donuts.
This coming Lord’s
Day (11/21):
-
Bill
Doerfel will conclude his teaching from the book of Hebrews for the adult Sunday
School with a study of chapter 13. After finishing Hebrews this
Sunday, next Sunday the class will begin a
-
We will
look at Mark 12:28-34 during the
morning service. The sermon will be “The
Greatest Commandment”.
-
The
evening sermon will be on the First Commandment (Exodus 20:3): “None Like Him”.
Sunday, November 28th:
-
Prayerfully
consider giving to the Thank Offering 2004.
This annual offering goes to support the outreach and edification ministries of
the Orthodox Presbyterian Church: Christian Education, Foreign Missions, and
Home Missions. To read more about this offering, go to http://opc.org/new_horizons/NH04/11a.html.
We will receive this offering at the regular offering time during the morning
service. Write your check out to Grace Presbyterian and designate it for the “Thank
Offering”. Or, place a check or cash in one of the envelopes that will be
provided for that purpose.
- Give thanks to God with Eric for the provision of his remaining support! Eric
will now be able to commence his work with Wycliffe in
Opportunities for service:
-
We need volunteers to help clean the church on a rotating basis.
Please contact me if you would be able to invest a little time in helping to
make sure our church building is clean and ready for Sunday worship each week.
If you can commit to cleaning for the month of January, please let me know.
opcNorman.org update:
-
Here’s
what’s new on Grace’s website:
The audio from last
Sunday (Nov 14/2004) is now online:
http://www.opcnorman.org/resources/
Mark Series: The God of the
Living (Mark 12:18-27; Exodus 3:1-6, 13-15)
http://www.opcnorman.org/resources/#morningService
Ten Commandment Series: A Light to
My Path (Exodus 20:1-21)
http://www.opcnorman.org/resources/#eveningService
Hebrews Series: Discipline &
Holiness (Hebrews 12)
http://www.opcnorman.org/resources/#sundayschool
Plus a catalog
of all the teaching is also now available.
http://www.opcnorman.org/resources/#teachingCatalog
In Christ,
Pastor Scott
Pastor Scott Johnson
Grace Presbyterian Church (OPC)
Visit our website: www.opcNorman.org
November 10, 2004
Grace e-mail bulletin - 11/10/04
Grace Presbyterian Church
E-mail bulletin
November 10, 2004
Dear Members and Friends of Grace,
Anselm of Canterbury, medieval theologian
and philosopher, begins one of his books with this invitation:
Come
now, insignificant man, fly for a moment from your affairs, escape for a little
while from the tumult of your thoughts. Put aside now your weighty cares and
leave your wearisome toils. Abandon yourself for a little to God and rest a
little in him.
As we look forward to our times of worship
each Sunday, let’s hear Anselm’s call and ready ourselves to spend
the day resting in Christ. I hope this Lord’s Day you will be blessed
with this rest and refreshment.
Please note the following information:
This evening (11/10):
-
O
This Saturday (11/13):
-
The Women’s Bible study will meet at the
Johnsons’ house at 8:30 a.m. Call
-
The Men’s prayer breakfast will meet at
the church at 7:30 a.m. Call Bill Doerfel (364-0830) for more information.
This coming Lord’s
Day (11/14):
-
Bill
Doerfel will resume his study of the book of
Hebrews for the adult Sunday
School class.
-
We will
look at Mark 12:18-27 during the
morning service. My sermon will be “The
God of the Living.”
-
This
Sunday morning the Lord’s Supper
will be observed.
-
This
Sunday evening, I will preach on the law’s ongoing validity and
usefulness for Christians as part of our study of the 10 Commandments. The sermon will be “A Light to My Path”.
- Give thanks to God with Eric for the provision of his remaining support! Eric will
now be able to commence his work with Wycliffe in
Opportunities for service:
-
Volunteers
are needed to help with a project for
outreach into the community. I have prepared and acquired all the
materials necessary for door hangers
that we can distribute to area neighborhoods. These are clear plastic bags
which will hold the following three items: our church’s tri-fold
information flyer, an attractive bookmark with Grace’s information on it,
and a note from me introducing the church and extending an invitation to visit.
We have already distributed nearly
300 door hangers in the
neighborhoods near the church. Pray that they may generate interest in the church
and even result in visitors.
-
On Saturday, November 20th, we will
give the church a thorough “fall
cleaning”. The main job will be to clean the carpets but there
will be several other projects waiting to be done. We will begin at 8:00 a.m.
(but if you are not able to show up then, please come when you can), and I will provide Krispy
Kreme donuts.
-
We also
need volunteers to help clean the church on a rotating basis.
Please contact me if you would be able to invest a little time in helping to
make sure our church building is clean and ready for Sunday worship each week.
If you can commit to cleaning for the month of January or February,
please let me know.
Other information:
-
Ruling
elder Dave Guild can now be
reached by e-mail. His address is: dguild @
opcNorman.org.
-
Eric
Pyle notes the following:
Audio (sermons
& Sunday school) from October and November is now available on our website:
http://www.opcnorman.org/resources.shtm
Also pictures and audio are
now available from the OKC Conference on
Reformed Theology:
In His service,
Pastor Scott
Pastor Scott Johnson
Grace Presbyterian Church (OPC)
Visit our website: www.opcNorman.org
November 9, 2004
Grace e-mail bulletin - 11/03/04
Grace Presbyterian Church
E-mail bulletin
November 3, 2004
Dear Members and Friends of Grace,
Greetings in the name of our Triune God:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! At the OKC Conference on Reformed Theology held
last week, we were reminded of the vital role the Holy Spirit plays in our
salvation. While we seem to be able to understand with some adequacy the
persons and work of the Father and the Son, we are often less sure what to
think about the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. He need not be a
mystery, however. He is the Spirit of Christ and he is doing Christ’s
work in us and in his church (Romans 8:9-11).
Consider the work of salvation as
involving all three persons of the Godhead: God the Father loved us and chose
us, Christ redeemed us by his obedient life, death, and resurrection, and the Holy
Spirit applies that redemption to us. The Spirit’s work is to make us
like Christ, transforming us into the same
image from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor. 3:18). In other words, the Spirit works in
perfect harmony with the Father and the Son in bringing to realization God’s
purposes of redemption and glory for his people. As you grow in the knowledge
of Christ and in obedience to his word, this is the Spirit’s doing. As
you find comfort, joy, and hope in the promises of God, this is the Spirit’s
work. As you are convicted of the need to repent in some way, this is also the
work of the Holy Spirit.
For this reason, our aim is to be filled
with the Spirit (Eph. 4:18). Ask God to fill you with his Spirit, even without measure (John 3:34).
Please note the following information:
This evening (11/3):
-
We will
meet for our weekly prayer meeting at the Johnsons’ house at 7:00 p.m
(our home number is 321-6151). Even if you aren’t able to attend, please
let me know if there are any particular matters for prayer or thanksgiving that
we should know about before we pray.
This coming Lord’s
Day (11/7):
-
Since
Bill Doerfel will be away preaching in
-
I will
preach on Mark 12:13-17 during the morning service. The message will be “Render
unto Caesar”.
-
During
the evening service, I will begin a new sermon series on the 10 Commandments. Before
looking at each individual commandment, we will consider some of the biblical
teaching regarding the law of God and our relationship to it as Christians.
This Sunday evening’s sermon will be “The Goodness of the Law”.
Next Saturday (11/13):
-
The
Women’s Bible study and the Men’s prayer breakfast will meet.
- Eric Pyle writes: “With only $135/mo remaining to complete my
partnership team, my hope and prayer is to be at my assignment by the end of
the year.” Eric is nearing his goal of support, and Lord willing will be
able soon to start his labors with Wycliffe. You can view Eric’s latest
newsletter at: http://www.opcnorman.org/Wycliffe/EricPyle/.
Pray for that God would provide the remainder of
support needed.
Opportunities for service:
-
Volunteers
are needed to help with a project for outreach into the community. I have
prepared and acquired all the materials necessary for door hangers that we can
distribute to area neighborhoods. These are clear plastic bags which will hold
the following three items: our church’s tri-fold information flyer, an
attractive bookmark with Grace’s information on it, and a note from me
introducing the church and extending an invitation to visit. I am looking for
volunteers both for putting the door hangers together and going out to
distribute them. I’ll announce later a specific date and time that we can
meet to distribute them. In the meantime, let me know if you would like to help
out with this project.
-
We also
need volunteers to help clean the church on a rotating basis. Please contact me
if you would be able to invest a little time in helping to make sure our church
building is clean and ready for Sunday worship each week.
In His service,
Pastor Scott
Pastor Scott Johnson
Grace Presbyterian Church (OPC)
Visit our website: www.opcNorman.org
November 4, 2004
Catechizing children
The other day I did something rather unusual for me. I came up with a somewhat creative idea. For the past few months, I've been working with Meredith, our 3-year old, to memorize the answers to the "First Catechism" (see www.gcp.org for buying this resource). For Meredith, it's about as much fun as having her hair washed. But, our ten-minute sessions usually go well and I've been impressed with her progress so far.
Because she dreaded the time of catechism so much, I decided to give her some motivation she could understand. And so my idea. I bought some stickers that Meredith had picked out, and made up a chart with 1-19 on it. Each time we go over the catechism, Meredith gets to put a sticker on a number. Instead of the number 20, I put in its place a picture of an ice-cream cone. When we have completed 20 times, hopefully in about a month, Meredith and I will go out for ice cream. After that we'll start another chart. Meredith has already said that she would also like a donut as her "special treat" sometime.
I can't say that the new system has totally transformed the way she looks at catechism. But, at least she knows she has some reward coming and will endure the time more readily because of it. Obviously the real goal is that the time spent in learning the catechism will be a means for her spiritual edification and growth in Christ. But, it doesn't hurt to throw in a little ice cream along the way!
I relate this as an idea in case any of you may be thinking of teaching your young children the First Catechism. It's a discipline that isn't always enjoyable while you are doing it. Memorization is mostly "grunt work". However, I believe that it will prove to be very fruitful in your child's spiritual development. One encouragement I've had is that already Meredith asks many questions about the content of the Catechism. My prayer is that the truths it conveys will take root in her heart as she grows older.
November 3, 2004
The Da Vinci Code
I decided to read "The Da Vinci Code" while on vacation. Why this book, why during this time? The book is very popular, and conveys the impression that nearly everything we have traditionally believed about Jesus and Christianity is untrue. As a pastor, I thought it would be important to know first-hand what the book is saying. Why on vacation? Most of my reading is for sermon preparation. Vacation is a good time to do other reading. And, I wanted a book that I could read in between checking the map for directions and handing toys and books to the girls in the back seat. In other words, one that wouldn't take much sustained concentration to finish.
Well, The Da Vinci code is definitely entertaining. Dan Brown, the author, has crafted the book so that nearly each chapter ends with some new twist or surprise. As a suspense novel and thriller, I suppose it's good. At times, as they say, I couldn't put it down. However, the style of writing itself leaves something to be desired. Although I'm no expert, I'm fairly certain The Da Vinci Code is not destined for literary greatness. In fact, to me it read like a movie script.
As a reliable source of information about Christianity, the book is awful. If it was portrayed as nothing more than a novel, then at least it would be harmless. However, Brown packages the historical inaccuracies and outright falsehoods as the products of serious scholarship. The result is that someone who doesn't know any better may read certain passages and say, "Gee, I never knew that (e.g.) Jesus married and had children." For a good critique of The Da Vinci Code's historical un-truths, see Dr. Craig Blomberg's article at: http://www.denverseminary.edu/dj/articles2004/0200/0202.php.
In the early part of last century, liberalism, or "modernism", began to redefine who Jesus was and the work that he came to do. It tried to salvage the moral teaching of Jesus while denying that he was the eternal Son of God who came to save from sin. Now that classic liberalism has petered out, it appears that outright paganism may take its place as biblical Christianity's major challenger in our culture. Brown extols the virtues of pagan spirituality and worship while he tries to challenge the very foundations of the Christian faith. As Christians we may be interacting more and more with those who, in a similar way, altogether reject Christianity. And The Da Vinci Code and related "resources" may be their source of information. For this reason alone the book is important to read and understand.