Whether just for myself, or my family, too.
Rhyming notes helps me focus, and then helps us review.
If they bring you a blessing, a meaningful read.
I pray that by Jesus, your spirit is freed.
A free man in Christ, and his bond servant, too.
By His grace, as his child, is our spirit made new!
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!! Grace Church of North Olmsted – Wednesday, 2023-03-01
TJ vanWingerden
Deuteronomy 32
When we think of a song we think of happiness and joy.
This song, “a song of witness”, God blessed and did destroy.
One of Moses’ last times, speaking to the crowd.
In 33 gives blessings, then to Joshua passes the shroud.
This song one of instruction. How then should we now live?
A finale for Moses, in Deuteronomy, a message to their heart does give.
In the form of a lawsuit, they had broken faith.
With the contract broken, we hear what God now sayeth.
Heavens and earth be my witness, of the accusation given.
While as a lawsuit, meant to give refreshing to the living.
The greatness of God, followed by the accusation.
The faithfulness of God, and their full rejection.
The facts of the trial, in verses seven to fourteen.
God was their protector, as in the wilderness seen.
In 15 through 18, their rebellion brought to light.
In 19 through 26, God’s faithfulness, though they fight.
Though God was always faithful, they ran to something new.
Satan uses that today, to distract us from what’s true.
God will hide his face, see what their end will be.
God is angry and sad. He wants to see them free.
The extent of the verdict, arrows. beasts and plague.
Yet for his glory spares them, though they ignore him, his word drag.
Verse 28, they’re foolish, don’t see and understand.
We often miss his truth, and turn to sin again.
The possibility of restoration and justice in 34 and 43.
God remembers all their enemies’ sins, vengeance is the Lord’s, he can always see.
In 39 to 42, their enemies destroyed.
In 43, God looks to the future, when Israel restored.
This Psalm a song of witness, we need take heed today.
Don’t grow fat, reject him and foolishly turn away.
!! Christ the King Church – Sunday, 2023-03-05
Pastor Jeremy Sexton
Romans 5:18-19
Man’s ruin in Adam, And rescue in Jesus Christ
Paul’s words quickly flowing, they flow out with force.
Discernable redemption, man’s ruin, redemption, reign
Paul’s pastoral message: In Christ? Sin no longer reigns.
Our sin is our choice, only enslaved as we allow.
Sin and Death no longer reign over us. Do we follow now?
If sin and death reign through Adam, How much more life in Christ?
In sin we renounce our sonship. It’s not just a little tryst.
God has called us royalty, to live in his kingdom at hand.
But we eat scraps at another king’s table, we need to take a stand.
God has given victory, to conquer over sin and death.
This sin entered through Adam, sinners from our first breath.
The word of Christ more powerful, reverse Adam’s sin and more.
It trumps over the power of sin, in this confidence we’re sure.
Jesus’ perfect obedience becomes our righteousness before God.
He doesn’t just take our sin, he gives righteousness, to spare the rod.
We now reign with Christ, have dominion over sin.
He brings life to heart and mind, to be dead to death and sin.
“As all sinned”, “All righteous standing” this often used to say all saved.
This misunderstanding to be addressed later, we know all men depraved.
Our status before God, our covenant head Adam or Christ?
This came through Christ’s obedience, his sinless life leading to the cross.
Christ humbled himself to death, even death on a cross.
He took the curse, hung on a tree, our saving took his loss.
It was in God’s heart to redeem us. He redeemed us to his hurt.
He obeyed and stood in the face of God’s wrath then was buried in the dirt.
Adam and Eve sinned, God mercifully covered with animal death.
Jesus obeyed the Father, he willingly gave up his last breath.
Adam’s sin doomed all mankind, all of us depraved.
Christ born under the law, but stood sinless, clean to save.
He gave us his perfect obedience, gave us his righteousness.
We are justified by works, HIS works, HIS righteousness.
Barnhouse’s testimony, the weight of God’s wrath on you.
Transferred over to Christ. This transfer is what Christ did do.
1 Peter 2:24 – When reviled he did not revile back.
Isaiah 53 – He took our iniquities, like sheep he brought us back.
He took my sins, my sins; my sins all laid on Christ.
We like sheep turned away, He then made us right.
How do you answer the question, “Whose sin was laid on Christ?”
Can you reclaim your authority, over sin through Christ’s death and life?
Don’t try to go do better. You cannot fight the fight.
Plug into the power source. Abide in Jesus Christ.
Communing with Christ is not a task. It’s a blessing, full of life.
Love Him, Know Him, Rejoice in Him. Have fullness in Jesus Christ.
! Grace Church of North Olmsted – Sunday, 2023-03-12
Speaker
Passage
Trusting ourselves to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.
Summarize and culmination of First Peter “bring truth to light”.
We are sojourners in the world, this is not our home.
How to respond to opposition, as in this world we roam.
The most basic response to suffering, trusting ourselves to him.
Depositing our soul to God, joyfully following again.
Something very precious, trusted to someone else.
We trust our very ….???
6 Questions
- Why are we to entrust our souls to a faithful Creator?
- Who is to trust their soul to a faithful Creator?
- What are we to entrust to a faithful Creator?
- To Whom are we to entrust our souls?
- How are we to entrust our souls to a faithful Creator?
- ???
Why are we to trust our souls, to our faithful Creator and Lord?
He is always working, for our purification and good.
The suffering of the believer, nothing compared to the lost.
God is using it. Though the suffering is not just.
Our trials are for our testing. Will we keep his commands?
Will we trust and obey, and on him take our stand?
Our suffering is temporary, It is passing, gone for good.
For the unbeliever, the suffering is still coming, more than the believer ever could.
The true believer follows Christ, no matter what may come.
The hypocrite will turn away, not following as a son.
Christ is our example, to follow in his steps.
Trusting his soul to the Father …???
Who is to trust their soul to their Creator? Those who suffer for him.
Start the day with surrender to him, not hurrying to begin.
Suffering according to the will of God, for doing right not wrong.
Not for our own ways and sin as this life drags us along.
Share the sufferings of Christ, reviled and rejected.
For this he chose his people, by their God selected.
Often those who suffer, question, grumble, and complain.
We see ourselves above God. This view is not very sane.
Job and Jeremiah suffered. God brought this about.
Job did not know the reasons, and was tempted to doubt.
We are often tempted to justify not God, but ourselves.
Job does this, complaining and saying this was not done well.
Jeremiah suffered in a city, captive to Babylon.
The people said to be silent, told him he was wrong.
The false prophets promised rescue, Jeremiah said the city to be destroyed.
Jeremiah mocked, rejected, told his words would not be deployed.
Both wished they never born, brought to this world of suffering and shame.
Our suffering not as theirs. It is not the same.
Great is thy faithfulness, even in God’s rod and wrath.
We are sometimes brought to despair, we don’t see God directing the path.
God will always provide. He will strengthen on the way.
It is good as we wait on him, with fresh joy day by day.
! Grace Church of North Olmsted – Sunday, 2023-03-19
Chris Pierre
1 Peter
Believers, Beloved, be not surprised
but rejoice when trials come.
Entrust your souls to our faithful God
Seems simple until the trials have run.
Saying “trust God” and “do what’s right”
can even seem distant and cruel.
But our God is gracious, full of good gifts.
We trust by his power and rule.
Looking at one who suffered in faith
Joseph, another chosen son.
1 Peter 4:19 an outline of one faithful in suffering
Suffer, God’s will entrust, do right, with him run.
Believers have life, peace and hope.
In the world the opposite we see.
We live in the world, with trials, distress
In the trials, perseverance, and glory to be.
Trusting God that his plans are best,
even when life is hard.
Joseph’s mother died, brothers despised, betrayed.
Taken from home, put under guard.
Betrayal, abuse from family around
abandoned and feeling alone.
Did he fall into depression and bitterness?
He lived knowing God on the throne.
Entrusting our soul to a faithful Creator.
Doing what is right.
Joseph’s example from inside to out.
Keeping God in his sight.
Gain the whole world, yet lose your soul?
Your soul, priceless, belongs to God.
Our most important things are what we entrust.
We don’t hand meaningless things slipshod.
God brings the suffering and yet I entrust.
He is faithful, he gives us all good.
Physical, Spiritual, Life all for him.
We live, not die by trusting as we should.
God can bring comfort, he can bring life.
From all our trials and pain.
God the Creator the Maker of all
Wait for him who rings the sun and the rain.
Wait on the Lord, know his promises true.
He will bring it about in his time.
Joseph never complained, but trusted the Lord.
Joseph knew God was faithful and prime.
Joseph knew the promise brought blessing,
but also came with pain through it all
He trusted God, and wasn’t surprised
He knew God’s word, the suffering was temporary and small.
God was his shield, He’s with us, he guards us.
The Lord was with Joseph, gave success.
Joseph knew God was able to create good from bad.
To give life, in the suffering to bless.
Are you trusting your best, your life and your soul.
to the Savior who promised to save?
You have more of God’s word than Joseph ever had.
Do you know God enough, him to crave?
He gives us his word. It allows us to know
all holy, all righteous and good.
Job new God could do all, he ways came to be.
They all go and end as they should.
Only he is worthy of our hope and trust.
All things hold together in him
He gives us his Spirit, the Spirit of Christ.
The Spirit of God lives within.
We can know him, unlike the world does.
Him in us and as us in him today.
We will see him again, our soul is safe.
This our hope and Joseph’s last hope he did say.
God promised the Land, that they would soon go up.
Joseph had his bones ready to go.
God will take care, bring us out in his time.
This faith in actions will show.
We can’t do what is right, if we don’t trust in him.
Without faith, there is no way to please.
All we do in the flesh, is broken and full of sin.
We know God is, he is God and he sees.
To know who God is, the master of all,
the rewarded of all who seek him.
Seek him diligently, push to the end.
As a vine, connected to all strength in him.
The purpose of the trial, to see if we have faith.
Is our faith lasting or small?
Does it stand by God’s power as we trust in Him?
or depend on our strength and fall.
!! Grace Church of North Olmsted – Sunday School, 2023-03-26
Dave Howard
Exodus 2:23-25
Moses kills the Egyptian
then judges among his brethren.
Defends the daughter of Ruel
Then marries his daughter and has children.
God provides for Moses.
Protects him again and again.
Physically and spiritually
In Midian with a God fearing man.
In Exodus 18,
Jethro counsels Moses,
God provides Mentorship
That Moses can lead and know this.
Moses a sojourner in the land.
Lived there, though not his home.
He wants to be with his people.
for now in the desert alone.
He is not building wealth.
but living a lonely life.
He then has two sons
with his Midianite wife.
God sovereignly plans our life,
our locations and our days.
He takes us from here to there.
Watches over all our ways.
The king of Egypt dies.
Nothing for the Israelites improves.
430 years have passed.
God’s plan to get on the move.
God miraculously worked in his people
Children from a barren womb,
danger, slavery redeemed,
fiery pillar, come out from a tomb.
God wants his people to grow,
to depend on him more and more.
The most dependent on his God
was Christ himself, cried to his Lord.
The people called to God.
God is the God who hears.
God is not slow to respond.
He cares for them after all these years.
The people don’t see the plan,
God’s been developing along the way.
All things work together for good
for those who love and follow each day.
The relationship of the prayers of the saints
and the sovereignty of God.
Did Genesis 18 change God’s plan
or point to God’s character and just rod?
Now the delivered put in place.
and the hardened heart, Pharaoh, too.
The covenant always on God’s mind.
The people cried out when the time was due.
God is ready to deliver,
When he inclines our heart to ask.
God leads us to pray, repent,
when he has all prepared for the task.
When God doesn’t seem to answer,
we know his plans are best.
He’s working to grow his children,
that we may in him rest.
Grace Church of North Olmsted – Sunday, 2023-03-26
Chris Pierre (Pastor Good in Israel)
1 Peter (continued from last week)
Trust God, Do what’s right.
Simple it may seem.
When struggles come, life can be hard.
In Joseph’s life, God’s faithfulness is seen.
Joseph suffered according to the will of God
From God not his brothers come.
Joseph saw God’s hand in it all.
Knew from where it all did come.
The purpose of the trials.
To stretch and grow our faith.
When the trouble is great, great deliverance.
Trusting what God saith.
In the midst of tribulation,
the believer can take heart.
Christ already conquered every trial.
As we trust him, peace in Christ can start.
Joseph an example,
trusting his soul to a faithful Creator, God
Suffering temporary. ???
???
The internal proceeds the external.
[3] Joseph’s example in doing what is right.
What does it mean to do what is right?
To walk with God in the darkness of night.
God has given a light in the darkness.
His Word a lamp and light to our path.
Reveals the character and will of God.
Following God over our will ???
Faith without works is dead.
Doing what is right.
Not doing what is wrong.
Living by God’s might.
Our actions prove our heart,
not only what we say.
Galatians 5:16 to 26
What to do and not today.
How did Joseph model,
doing what is right?
Our attributes reflect our heart.
Were we joyful or full of fright?
What do our words show?
Reveal about our trust?
Our actions reflect the state of our heart.
Do they show faithfulness as they must?
4 ways Joseph showed faith
[1] Joseph’s model of submission, not rebellion in trial.
He submitted to authority.
Not his own will, he went the extra mile.
Joseph told to check on his brothers.
Joseph submitted to the will of the father.
His brothers then sold him as a slave.
He worked hard to bless and not to bother.
He worked to bless the man
who held him as a slave.
He submitted ultimately to his God,
Did not act on all he did crave.
This led to false accusations.
Then to prison he did go.
But the Lord was with Joseph.
Joseph blessed as these seeds he did sow.
When suffering in the will of God,
do you submit yourself
to a faithful Creator?
He keeps every tear in a bottle on his shelf.
He will bring you out.
We need to trust in him.
Sin needs to be revealed, brought out
We’re not to obey in sin.
Second way Joseph serves as a model
Focused on God not on self or the world.
Not looking for his own justification.
Just wanting God’s will and word to be heard.
When Joseph came to power,
Did he use his authority to repay?
He didn’t focus on himself
or complain in his powerful day.
Jesus did not revile,
but entrusted his life to God.
He obeyed in pain and sorrow,
as his blood was shod.
[3] Joseph a picture of compassionate love.
not controlling anger.
Those who hurt him did not control his heart.
Of love he was no stranger.
When he could not restrain himself
it was in love and not in sadness, worry, hate.
He wanted relationship with them
before it was too late.
He didn’t gloat over his position.
Show them how they did bow.
He heaps love and compassion on them
His eyes on his Creator now.
God sent him to preserve life.
God was with him on the way.
God gave him love.
God was in control from day to day.
You meant evil against me,
but God meant it for good.
We need to pray and bless our enemies,
Only by the Holy Spirit do as we should.
Our eyes need to be fixed on Christ,
not looking side to side.
Christ will hold us when we fall.
He brings us to in him abide.
[4] Joseph modeled hopeful freedom
not slavery to the past.
It didn’t control and weigh him down,
What was broken did not last.
Give wrongs over to God,
Who is the perfect judge.
Let them go, rejoice in him
Let him your heart to nudge.
Love those who have wronged you.
Speak faith and love to them.
Rejoice in God and all he’s done
Praise him again and again.
3rd Culture Living 