March 6, 2023 · 9:00 am

Sin

What is sin? That’s a good question to ask in this age of confusion. The Scriptures describe sin in several different ways. Let’s examine three of those ways for this post. **Sin is missing the mark. Romans 3:23 tells us for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Because of their sinfulness, humans fall short of God’s intentions for His creation which he designed for His glory. Therefore, the sinfulness of people masks the glory of God in humanity.   **Sin is breaking God’s law. We are told in 1 John 3:4 that whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. Disobedience to God’s laws and commands is a capital offense in the Heavenly courts. Lawbreakers deserve judgment. **Finally, sin is failing to do good when the opportunity arises. The apostle James teaches therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. (James 4:17) Christians don’t always think of failing to do good as sinfulness. Nonetheless, the Scriptures teach this principle.  I am thankful that Jesus paid the price for our sin. Through His sacrifice and resurrection, sins can be forgiven and atoned. Praise to the Lord, great things He has done.  Tony French

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March 2, 2023 · 6:00 pm

Model Praying

In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Matthew 6:9-13

In this Scripture, Jesus gives us a model for how we are pray. The prayer is called the “Lord’s Prayer” and it is also referred to as the “Model Prayer.” Let’s examine the four aspects of this prayer and how it should be a model for us in our prayer life. Our prayers should contain the following elements.

**Praise  

Our prayers should be overflowing with praise and adoration to God. He is our Father and He rules and reigns. He is our King and we genuflect in praise of His greatness, power, and grace. We await the day His Kingdom is fully revealed in power and might upon this earth. Let us praise God in prayer at every opportunity.

**Petition

Praying for the needs of others and our own needs has a rightful place in our prayer life. Praying for needs is one of our greatest privileges as a Believer. Pray for needs knowing that God knows us better than we know ourselves. 

**Pardon

This component is two-fold. We are to ask for forgiveness and confess our sins when we pray. (1 John 1:8-10)  We continually need the cleansing from sin so that we can continue to grow in the faith.

We are also taught to forgive others in this example. As a matter of fact, God’s forgiveness of us and our forgiveness of others go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other.

**Purification

Jesus ends His model prayer by praying for our holiness. We should be pursue holiness by seeking to become more like Jesus every day. We are not saved by our works, but, we are saved for good works.  (Ephesians 2:8-10)

It is not wrong in any sense to recite the Lord’s Prayer as written in Matthew (Luke).  However, the point of Jesus’ teaching seems to be more about form and element as opposed to strict recitation. Our prayer-life should contain elements of praise, petition, pardon, and purity.

Every prayer may not contain every element every single time. But as we incorporate these components into our regular prayer time we will grow in knowledge, grace, love, and hope!

Tony French

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February 27, 2023 · 9:00 am

Out Of Nothing

God is the Creator of all. He created all we see and all that is unseen. The Lord brought us into existence through His power and might. Let us think of three aspects of God’s creative work in the universe.

**God created the universe out of nothing.

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Hebrews 11:3

**God created all there is by His Word. The Lord spoke the cosmos into existence.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Genesis 1:3

**The Almighty declared His creation very good.

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Genesis 1:31

Praise the name of the Lord our God! He is worthy!

Tony French

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February 23, 2023 · 9:00 pm

Simple Praying

And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

Matthew 6:7-8

Jesus contrasts the prayers of the religious leaders of His day with how we are to pray as Christians who are truly seeking Christ. We will examine this juxtaposition as we study this passage this week. As we study, we find that simple, straightforward prayers are best for God’s people.

Pagan prayers in Jesus day would drone on for hours and hours. People at that time were given to long prayers where the same word or phrase would be repeated again and again. Many thought that the only way to be heard by their “gods” was to make a great show of long praying and even more extreme actions. (1 Kings 18:26-29)

Jesus shows us another way. Our prayer should be concise and simple.  There’s no need to speak on and on using the same trite phrases and word combinations. God knows what we need before we even ask. Trust Him and ask in faith. Our prayers ought to be marked by faith and trust—not by showiness and spectacular drama!

Pray well, Child of God. The Lord hears our prayers and answers in His time.

Tony French

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February 20, 2023 · 9:00 am

God’s Decrees

11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:11-12

Let us think today of the decrees of God. The word decree means an “order” that has the force of law. As such, God orders all things that come to pass and His plan never fails.

The Lord has a plan for history and He has a plan for you. And whatever God wills ultimately comes to pass. He chooses, predestines, and works out His calling for every believer and every detail of this universe.

God’s decrees do not remove us from the consequences of our freewill actions. Yet, somehow and in some way, the decrees of the almighty are worked out through the voluntary actions of His creatures. He works all things together for His glory and our ultimate good (Romans 8:28-30)

There is much about God’s decrees that we will never comprehend. We can trust in Him nonetheless. God is immutable, good and holy. Be uplifted Christian friend, God has not forgotten you. Trust Him and His plan for your life.

Tony French 

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February 16, 2023 · 6:00 pm

Pray Well

And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Matthew 6:5-6

Prayer is an important emphasis in the Kingdom of Heaven. Living as Kingdom citizens allows us the privilege of prayer.  We can converse and commune with God.

The Lord’s message in v. 5 is “do not be a hypocrite when we pray.” Don’t pray publicly one way when you are a different person in private. God has a real problem with us pretending to be something we are not.

Simply put, we are not to pray for the audience around us. We are to pray to God and to God alone.

Those who pray for the ears of others have their reward. They are well-thought of in the moment, but, that’s it. No reward exists for hypocritical praying.

By contrast, our prayers are to be authentic and the same whether we pray privately or publicly. We are rewarded by the father when we seek Him sincerely each day. The Father is pleased with this type of praying.

Remember, Jesus is not condemning public prayer per se. He is condemning hypocritical public prayers that do not glorify God but glorify the one who prays.

Glorify Jesus in your prayer life, child of God. He is worthy!

Tony French

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February 13, 2023 · 9:00 am

Life In His Name

30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 20:30-31

Jesus was sent to this earth and He ministered, He served, and He gave Himself as our sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins. These acts of Jesus were written down so that we may believe in Christ. When we believe, we are given eternal life through the finished work of Jesus.

We have received a wonderful gift from the Lord—the gift of salvation (Ephesians 2:8-10). This gift is received by faith in Jesus Christ. Trusting in Christ through faith results in the forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7), eternal life (John 3:16), and the abiding presence of the Lord (1 Corinthians 6).

Jesus comes that we might have life instead of death. Jesus reaches to us so that we might have light instead of darkness. His love is amazing for sure.

Have you received this gift of salvation? Repent and believe in Jesus today. He lived for your righteousness, died for your sins, and was raised to life in victory (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Trust in Him this day!

The Scriptures are given so that people may believe. The question then is very simple. Are you going to believe them or not? The choice is yours.

Tony French   

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February 9, 2023 · 7:00 pm

Quite Benevolence

But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, That your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

Matthew 6:3-4

Jesus doctrinal teaching is clear in this verse. We are to give secretly, discreetly, and humbly. Jesus uses an idiom to illustrate by saying, “do not left your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” He, once again, uses an exaggeration to make a point.

Our giving should be done for the praise of God and not the praise of the giver. He is our provider in the first place. So when we give, we are giving to Him a portion of what He first gave to us. He is our supply and our provider. There is not room for human pride in the worshipful act of giving.

God rewards those who give faithfully and as Christ prescribes. He sees us in secret and rewards us through His grace and mercy. Rewards are not the primary motivation for giving, but, they do serve as a reminder that God values giving and sacrifice.

God’s rewards are not always found in money, possessions, and finances. His best rewards are spiritual and eternal. However He chooses to reward, we are thankful that He gives us the opportunity to participate in His program for world redemption. What an awesome opportunity we have been given. 

Tony French

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February 6, 2023 · 9:00 am

Hearing The Word

Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

Acts 17:10-11

God’s people should love His Word . It is our authority and guide for life. Let me say it like this; humans are commanded to read, hear, and understand the Scriptures.

Christians have a responsibility to read the Bible regularly. Consistent exposure to Holy Writ changes the thinking and actions in the lives of Believers. Read it every day, Child of God.

God’s people are required to not only read the Bible, but also, they should seek to hear it carefully. Paul tells us in Romans 10:17 that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”  Hearing the Word of God is vital to consistent Christian growth.

Believers should seek to understand the Scriptures and apply them to their lives. It is not enough to read and hear. God’s people should seek to understand the Scriptures and live out these truths day by day. (James 1:22)

I’m making it my mission in life to read, hear, and understand the Bible. How about you?

Tony French 

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February 2, 2023 · 8:00 pm

Humble Generosity

Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

Matthew 6:2

God’s people ought to give purposefully and give faithfully to the glory God. This simple message permeates Matthew 6:2 and is part and parcel of Christ’s message here. We are not to announce our benevolence or sound the trumpet for others to see. God is to be glorified by our giving.

Giving is an act of worship. We give to show our thanksgiving, our faith in God’s provision, and our praise for all He has done. May God be glorified in our charity in every circumstance.

Those who give to be seen of men have their reward. Human rewards are temporary in nature and they do not last. It is far better to have God’s reward in these matters.

Tony French

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