WEDS PM WORSHIP PRACTICE

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Baby Dedication:
Subject: Child Dedication
Synopsis: The parents desire blessing, a witness of their resolve, and help from the church.
Dustin & Brooklynn Ford
Hazel Rose Ford
Harmony Jonas Nevaeh Ford
Brianna Grave
Hemi Joseph Gage Grave
I. Preparations
A. Have music stand & anointing oil in front of Communion Table.
B. Make sure mic is on.
C. Call for and meet parents and grandparents, etc. there.
D. After parents have come forward, Pastor asks:
1. Do you desire to do as Hannah in 1 Samuel by dedicating Hazel, Harmony and Hemi to the Lord?
E. Parents answer:
1. Yes.
II. Introduction
A. This morning we have the delight and joy of dedicating 3 children to the Lord:
Hazel Rose Ford
Harmony Jonas Nevaeh Ford
Hemi Joseph Gage Grave
1. At the same time it’s a joy, the presenting of a child in dedication is a serious matter.
2. It involves responsibilities with which we will all be charged and a responsibility which God has promised to take upon Himself toward each life which is put into His care.
B. As these mothers and this father bring these children before this church this morning, I believe I hear them saying 3 things:
1. First, that they want God’s will to be done in and God’s blessings on each of these children.
2. Second, that they want witnesses to and accountability for their resolve to raise these children in a Christian home according to God’s will.
3. Finally, they are saying that they need OUR help.
C. Prayer
1. Prayer for dedication service and those involved.
II. God’s Blessings
A. I want to say that Jesus takes great pleasure in blessing:
Hazel
Harmony
Hemi
1. The scriptures tell us how He feels towards children.
B. In Mark 10:13-16 we read that ...
1. Mark 10:13-16 (NIV) People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
2. In Matthew 18:14(NIV) Jesus says: … your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
C. We also read in:
1. Psalm 103:17-18 (NIV) … from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children— 18 with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts.
D. May the Lord use my hands and my voice as we pray over each of these children:
1. Anoint
2. Pray
3.Pastor prays Hazel ...
ii. Pastor prays over Harmony...
iii. Pastor takes and prays over Hemi
E. Hand each child back to parents while saying:
1. Hazel belongs to the Lord, but God is entrusting you to watch over, protect, nurture and train her.
2. Harmony belongs to the Lord, but God is entrusting you to watch over, protect, nurture and train her.
1. Hemi belongs to the Lord, but God is entrusting you to watch over, protect, nurture and train him.
Thank you, Lord for Your blessings on these children!
III. A Christian Home
A. These parents have embarked on a difficult endeavor.
1. They recognize that there are many challenges and difficulties that lie ahead.
2. But I believe that they know that Jesus will go with them and help them.
3. They know and experienced the truth of Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) … God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
B. Moms and Dad, the first responsibility for these children is yours.
1. Before God, to whom you have brought these children for dedication, I charge you:
i. That you live an exemplary life before these children so that they may, by your example, know what it is to be a Christian;
ii. That you make your home a “school” where they shall receive Christian instruction;
If you haven’t already started, start now.
Read the Bible to them
Pray with them
If you allow them to view screens, ensure they view Christian, up-building media.
Sing godly songs with and over them
iii. I charge you to see that they are REGULARLY taken to church for additional instruction;
iv. That you pray for her, her and his salvation and that you endeavor to lead him, her and her to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior as soon as they understand.
2. If you are willing to accept this charge, answer, “I will.”
C. Prayer
1. Anointing and prayer for parents.
2. These parents will be signing a certificate committing themselves to these things.
IV.The Church’s Help
A. These parents need your help:
1. To pray
2. To encourage
3. To be a good, a true example of Christ’s redemption.
B. Will the church stand?
C. The church, which through its pastor, accepts a child in dedication, assumes a responsibility before God.
1. In view of this responsibility, I charge you who are members and adherents of this church:
i. That you will do all you can to provide and support a place of worship and instruction in this community where Hemi, Harmony and Hazel may hear the full counsel of God’s Word;
ii. That you will all covenant together to set an example by your lives and to maintain an atmosphere in this church which shall inspire them to desire the Christian way of life;
iii. That, as God reminds you, you will pray for Hazel’s, Harmony’s and Hemi’s salvation.
2. Those of you who are willing to accept this charge, please answer, “With God’s help, we will.”
D. Prayer
1. For congregation.
2. Seated after prayer.
V. Close
A. On the authority of God’s Word, and as a minister of Christ’s Church, I affirm that — if we faithfully keep our pledges to God — God will:
1. Through the Holy Spirit convict:
Hemi of sin as he comes to an age of accountability;
Harmony of sin as she comes to an age of accountability;
Hazel of sin as she comes to an age of accountability;
2. God will … Make the love of Christ, His Son, known to each of these children;
3. Bless and guide these, His children, throughout all of their lives.
B. Congratulation, certificate, etc
Sermon:
Romans 8:35–39 (LSB) Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction, or turmoil, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE COUNTED AS SHEEP FOR the SLAUGHTER.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This morning, I asked Sister Michelle to lead a newer song she introduced a few weeks ago: “A New Name Written Down in Glory”
This repurposed hymn has had a bridge added that says:

Bridge

I am who I am
Because the I AM tells me who I am (Repeat - several times)
Notice a commonality with…
This song and
A song we sang last week that said: “I am who He says I am.”
Indeed it is a common theme concerning our identity:
Words define our identity.
Now realize, the Lord is able to transcend words.
He speaks the truth of who we are into our spirit — and He is not limited by human language.
But He also speaks through:
THE Word, His Word — who is Jesus
John 1:1 (LSB) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Revelation 19:11–13 (LSB) Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sits on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; having a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself, 13 and being clothed with a garment dipped in blood, His name is also called The Word of God.
God communicates who we are through the Person of Jesus.
Jesus’ Presence in our lives once we repent of our sins and surrender to Him as Lord marks us.
To those who surround us.
Even to ourselves.
God also speaks through the Word of God - the Bible.
Through His promises, His precepts, His revelation God speaks our identity.
But all too often we wrap our identity in words spoken by others to or about us.
Sometimes our identity is in words that failed to be spoken — but were desperately needed.
Other times in the Lies that the devil speaks.
Or words we speak to ourselves.

The Power of Words

The Bible says a lot about words:
Proverbs 18:21 (NLT) The tongue [with its words] can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.
This leads to a side note about us controlling, monitoring our speech — and making sure we do not speak carelessly or thoughtlessly:
Proverbs 13:3 (NLT) Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.
Proverbs 10:19 (NLT) Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.
Proverbs 17:28 (NLT) Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.
The Pragmatic Apostle, James says in:
James 1:19 (NLT) Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak…
He goes on to say in:
James 3:2 (TPT) We all fail in many areas, but especially with our words. Yet if we’re able to bridle the words we say we are powerful enough to control ourselves in every way, and that means our character is mature and fully developed.
And then he says:
James 3:8–10 (TPT) [Yes, it seems that] … the tongue is not able to be tamed. It’s a fickle, unrestrained evil that spews out words full of toxic poison! 9 We use our tongue to praise God our Father and then turn around and curse a person who was made in his very image! 10 Out of the same mouth we pour out words of praise one minute and curses the next. My brothers and sisters, this should never be!
And here is the kicker. Jesus said in:
Matthew 12:36–37 (NLT) And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle [Greek: careless, thoughtless] word you speak. 37 The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”
New Living Translation Study Bible: The idle [or careless] word, [a word spoken without thinking] in this context, was the accusation( in the verses before this passage) that Jesus had demonic inspiration.
• What one says will acquit or condemn;
one’s words reflect the true condition of the heart.
I pray that the Lord will help us with our mouths.
That we will follow the instruction of:
Ephesians 4:29 (NCV) When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need—words that will help others become stronger. Then what you say will do good to those who listen to you.
And, as far as words the devil speaks?
Jesus said in John 8:44 (NLT) … [the devil] was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.
In the Name of Jesus, we must stand against the lies the devil tries to feed us.
We must not allow him to seal our identity, given by God, when we are IN CHRIST.
I pray that the Holy Spirit will help us with our words, both what IS said and what SHOULD be said:
To our young people.
To other adults.
Even to ourselves.
Because, as I say, our identity is defined by words.
And our identity is a major factor in the quality of our lives and the behaviors in which we engage.

Who Am I?

So, who am I?
What do people say about me, what HAVE they said about me in the past that I have believed and deeply internalized?
What have people failed to tell me — encouraging things that I desperately needed to hear — especially when I was vulnerable?
What lies does the devil tell us?
What do I say about myself?
What if I were to ask you to fill in the blanks of this sentence:
My name is _______________________ and I am _____________________.
J. Josh Smith writing in his (2022)book, The Titus Ten: Foundations for Godly Manhood says:
The first blank is easy.
You have a name.
You didn’t choose it. It was given to you. You’ve had it your whole life. It’s what people call you.
You don’t have to think about it. You don’t have to hesitate when people ask you. You’ve said it a million times.
The second blank might be a little more difficult.
There are a lot of things that could go there. My first thought when I look at that second blank is, Where do I start? I am a lot of things. And so are you. At times I feel like I am an overwhelming number of things, a lot of different things to a lot of different people, a lot of different things at a lot of different times. Sound familiar?
Despite the difficulty, our ability to clearly and quickly fill in that second blank is equally [or maybe MORE?] as important as the first one. The first blank is just your name.
The second blank is your identity. Or at least, it should be.
The reason we struggle filling in that second blank is that our first thought is most often not our identity, but our assignments. Identity and assignments are distinct but inseparable parts of every man and woman.
Identity answers the question, “Who am I?”
Assignment answers the question, “What has God called me to do?”
And our failure to make that distinction can lead to a lot of pain, frustration, anxiety, and a host of other issues.
Smith also reminds us that:
Everyone has an identity.
Your identity is who you think you are.
Whether you realize it or not, your identity is most formed by words others have said to you, phrases that begin with words like, “You are …,” “You will never be …,” or “You are just like…”
These careless [thoughtless?] words define us and leave many of us with an inner monologue that continues to reinforce a false identity.
Careless words are a curse. And we all have them.

In Christ

But we have got to get past the words that have been spoken.
The words that failed to be spoken.
Things the devil says about us.
Remember, he loves to accuse and condemn us.
In Revelation 12:10 speaks about how the devil accuses God’s children day and night.
Brother Darrell told me last week that he felt particularly impressed that we hear:
Revelation 12:11 (NLT) And they have defeated him [the devil, accuser of the brethren] by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
Your testimony speaks to your identity.
Does your testimony say: victim or victor?
Overcome or overcomer?
Sinner or saint?
We’ve got to walk away from the devil’s accusations.
We’ve even got to get past the things we have said about ourselves.
INSTEAD, as we are IN CHRIST through repentance and surrender to Jesus
We MUST constantly remember.
Meditate upon.
BELIEVE!
Who Jesus says we are.
When we are IN CHRIST we should no longer be defined by our past:
Galatians 2:20a (NLT) My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. …
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Ephesians 4:22–24 (NIV) You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
The Christian finds his or her identity ONLY in Jesus Christ.
The Christian faith informs us that we are children of God, that He loves us despite our unloveliness, and that He chooses to save us instead of condemn us.
But more than that, the Christian faith tells us that we are, by virtue of accepting our acceptance in Christ, made new (2 Cor. 5:17).
The old has passed and the new has come.
And what is the new? Christ living His life in us (Col. 1:27).
Colossians 1:26–27 (TPT) There is a divine mystery—a secret surprise that has been concealed from the world for generations, but now it’s being revealed, unfolded and manifested for every holy believer to experience. 27 Living within you is the Christ who floods you with the expectation of glory! This mystery of Christ, embedded within us, becomes a heavenly treasure chest of hope filled with the riches of glory for his people, and God wants everyone to know it!
The Christian educator’s handbook on spiritual formation says:
The Christian finds identity in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
… Christian spiritual formation is arriving at this awareness of our true identity and letting Christ live His life in and through us.
A Christian is one who has been transformed by the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, we are transformed in the twinkling of an eye.
Christ’s resurrection is not merely a proof of His deity, it is the means of our transformation.
When we have a water Baptism in a few weeks, we will see that:
Having been baptized into Christ’s death, we are united with Him in His resurrection and therefore enabled to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:1–14).
By a single sacrifice Christ has made us perfect forever (Heb. 10:14).
How is this so? Because He is living His life IN us.
He did not come merely to provide a means for us to get to heaven, He came to live in us.
Just as the Father lived His life in Jesus—and so enabled Him to do all that He did, so that life is now manifest in us.
As Jesus told us in John 15:5 Apart from Him we can do nothing.
This morning my goal is for us to see another aspect of our identity IN CHRIST.
In the past 4 weeks we have seen that …
We MUST know that our faith in Jesus makes us each one a child of God. Remember John 1:12-13?
We are God’s Children who come to the Table of the Lord’s Supper and partake together.
We are members of the Body of Christ — the Bride of Christ
We were created by God…
Created fragile, dependent of God for everything and accountable to Him.
But IN CHRIST we are accepted — not rejects — accepted by the Creator of the universe.

Secure in Christ

May the Lord help us to be SECURE in this new identity which is found IN CHRIST alone.
The key to understanding our security is learning to relate to the eternal, not the temporal.
Insecurity is caused by depending upon temporal things we have no right or ability to control.
Lacking an eternal relationship and an eternal perspective, people are oftentimes driven to find some sense of safety or security.
WE look for security in all the wrong places.
Some people look for security in physical places.
A lot of places in the world are not safe, but in Christ we are always safe and secure.
We look for security in Financial Gain
Other people look for their sense of security in their financial holdings, but Jesus said in:
Luke 12:15 (LSB) … “Watch out and be on your guard against every form of greed, for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”
The financial structures of this world are being shaken to their very core.
As the stock market showed us just a few days ago — one blip and it’s all gone.
Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:6–10: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
Here in the U.S., our major financial problem is not the lack of money; it is the lack of contentment with adequate food and clothing.
We look for security in Temporal Relationships
Many people look for a sense of security in temporal relationships:
Spouses become insecure at the prospect that a mate may leave them,
roommates live with the apprehension that the other may move out,
employers fear the prospect of their help leaving,
and employees are tense about the possibility of being laid off.
Anytime people look for their ultimate security in temporal relationships, they set themselves up for a tremendous sense of insecurity and loss.
I thank God for my wife, for all my wonderful relatives and friends, but I also realize they are all temporal.
If we put too much stock in our earthly relationships, they may subtly replace God as the significant other in our lives.
Paul warns us about trying to find our approval from men rather than from God: “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10).
If we become a “man-pleaser”, for whom are we a servant?
The consequence is to fear men more than God.
Proverbs 29:25 says, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”
Some people will try to find their sense of security by trusting only in themselves, but Proverbs 28:26 says:
“He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.”
There is only One whom we can completely trust, and He controls the future.
Shaky Foundations but Sure Promises
Standing on these shaky foundations of physical places, finances and temporal relationships, we face the reality of the second coming of Christ.
We don’t need to be afraid, but we do need to be aware of a sober warning in
1 Thessalonians 5:2–5, “For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.”
Destruction will come upon them, but not upon us, for we are all sons and daughters of light.
Security—Our Possession in Christ
The scriptures on the back of the bulletin teach us where our TRUE security lies — IN Christ.
The Bible teaches us that …
ROMANS 8:1, 2 That as I abide in Christ I am free forever from condemnation
ROMANS 8:28 That as I abide in Christ I am assured that all things work together for good
ROMANS 8:33, 34 That as I abide in Christ I am free from any condemning charges against me
ROMANS 8:35 That as I abide in Christ I cannot be separated from the love of God
2 CORINTHIANS 1:21 That as I abide in Christ I have been established, anointed and sealed by God
COLOSSIANS 3:3 That as I abide in Christ I am hidden with Christ in God
PHILIPPIANS 1:6 That as I abide in Christ I am confident that the good work God has begun in me will be perfected
PHILIPPIANS 3:20 That as I abide in Christ I am a citizen of heaven
2 TIMOTHY 1:7 That as I abide in Christ I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind
HEBREWS 4:16 That as I abide in Christ I can find grace and mercy in time of need
1 JOHN 5:18 That as I abide in Christ I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me

Security As We Abide In Christ

I’m sure you noticed that I prefaced our security as being IN CHRIST.
We even sang it - in Christ alone.
There are some, many around here, who falsely claim that once we repent and surrender we can never be lost.
“Once saved always saved.”
They use Jesus’s words in: John 10:29 (LSB) “My Father, who has given [His sheep] to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
And these words are absolutely true: No person on earth, no devil in hell, no situation can snatch us from the Father’s hand.
Our text in Romans 8 reminds us of the people and situations that cannot rob us of our salvation:
Again Romans 8:35–39 “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction, or turmoil, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were counted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Praise God for what we sang about a few minutes ago: Victory IN JESUS!
The Bible teaches that eternal security is for those who remain IN CHRIST.
Who continually ABIDE in Christ.
“Once saved, always saved” is NOT a BIBLE doctrine.
No.
The Bible teaches something different.
Jesus teaches something different.
Let’s just listen to Jesus, if you need other references get with me. But…
Jesus said in Luke 8:13 (LSB) “And those on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, and these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.
Jesus implies they fall away and are lost.
In Luke 12:42–46 (LSB) And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and prudent steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? 43 “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 44 “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 “But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
Through neglect, a person who was once a follower, falls away, becomes unfaithful to Jesus, disobedient to Him and falls under the same judgment as any other unbeliever.
Then Jesus said in John 15:1–6 (LSB) “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine-grower. 2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He cleans it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit from itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
The entire discussion is about remaining in Christ, the true Vine.
This is not, as some suggest, about people who seemed to be in the church but were not truly in Christ.
The ones discarded and burned were in Christ, but have not remained in Him.
So, if WE neglect our salvation, if WE choose to ignore the Holy Spirit — God will not force us to remain IN CHRIST.
But is ABIDING IN CHRIST a capricious, volatile state that easily evaporates at the slightest whim?
Should we live in constant fear of falling away and being lost?
NO!
But at the same time we cannot repent of our sins and surrender to Christ and then put our lives on autopilot.
Instead, we believe that true believers can enjoy the assurance of their salvation.
We need not be afraid of losing our salvation, like a wallet dropping from a pocket in a careless moment.
Scripture assures believers of God’s provision and the sustaining power of His Holy Spirit.
Accepting that the danger is real and that we can abandon our salvation does not mean that we live in continual fear of doing so.
The Bible is clear:
God desires to save all,
and He offers humanity not only the gracious gift of salvation but also strengthens those who respond.
While the Bible assures us of God’s loving will, it also gives strong warnings of the peril of falling away.
While God is stable and strong, our response is fickle and weak.
When a former believer abandons salvation, God’s desire for relationship with that person has not changed.
His faithfulness to His loving nature allows that person to walk away.
What about the costs of ignoring the warnings of falling away or failing to abide in Christ as unrelated to salvation?
Those who rely on this doctrine and engage in a careless, sin-filled lifestyle suffer consequences here and now.
As Galatians 6:7–8 (LSB) [says] Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Beyond the consequences of the here and now, how much more serious are the eternal consequences.
If the scriptural cautions are real, and they are, this teaching of “once saved, always saved” is potentially devastating and destructive.
The one who relies on it and ignores the admonitions to continue in relationship with God will suffer for eternity.
So, not just repenting of our sins — but pursuing holiness.
Not just a one time surrender, but a continual surrender.
As the Apostle Paul says: 1 Corinthians 9:27 (NKJV) But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
Having been cleansed from our past sins, may we not regress into a habitual life of sin again, believing all the while that we are “safe.”
Let us truly walk in the power of the Spirit.
The good news is indeed that God saves us (Romans 1:16,17), and we no longer live as slaves to sin, but as bond slaves of God, choosing to live in holiness and bound for eternal life (Romans 6:22,23).
We are saved by this gospel, but only if we hold firmly:
1 Corinthians 15:1–2 (LSB) Now I make known to you, brothers, the gospel which I proclaimed as good news to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I proclaimed to you as good news, unless you believed for nothing.
The false doctrine of “once saved, always saved” not only offers false hope for eternity, but also robs the gospel of its power to change lives and produce holiness.

Walking in Security

As the Worship Team comes…
We have security in our identity, IF we continually abide in Christ.
But maybe you have never repented of your sins and surrendered to Jesus as the Lord of your life…
Come and do that.
Come and receive all that He wants to pour into your life.
The love, the acceptance, the security, the significance.
Or, maybe you have neglected your salvation — you have drifted away.
Your identity IN CHRIST is slipping.
Come forward and let us pray for a renewal of faith — a fresh connection with the True Vine — Jesus.
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