Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Don’t forget the study on Paul’s letter to Titus at 5:00 today – Tuesday –  in Scott’s library, where one of the clearest, most helpful descriptions of biblically ordered church life is described. Join us downtown, or you can live stream it by clicking here, 

We should not be surprised when the church is attacked by false teachers. Our preaching text this week is 1 John 4:1-6 makes this very clear. In the previous verse (3:24), John tells us that the Holy Spirit confirms the truth of whether we are a child of God or children of Cain. With these words, John is concerned with the allurements of a loveless religion. Now, in chapter 4, he speaks of the allurements of false spirits… “do not believe every spirit,” but rely on His Spirit through our abiding in Him and our fellowship with Him. John commands his readers to “test the spirits,” giving them a critical Christological test. John is rebuking a tolerance that accepts everything connected to Jesus. We should not misinterpret Paul’s teaching that, “love believes all things” No, Christian love is discerning. It is “of God,” NOT, “of the world.”

Pray for the people going to the Noah Conference where I will be delivering three messages. One on marriage, “Teaming up! Building on a Foundation of Marital Unity in Your Home.”  I’ll also be speaking on child raising,”Children Obey Your Parents,” and another on “How to Engage Your Kids and Prepare Them for Life.”

Prayer on Wed night, will be held at the Burke home.

Sunday night, we will gather to sing and to begin our study of the majestic beauty of the truth of God as expressed in the Baptist Confession of 1689. This coming Sunday, Mike Davenport will give us an introduction to the Confession.

And… we continue to rejoice in what happened on Sunday night – the Unanimous Election of two new Deacons, Al Burke and Alan Hillman. Showers of blessing…

The songs we will be singing on Sunday are,

• Joy to the World
• Angels from the Realms of Glory
• Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
• Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery
• Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus

Joy to the World

Joy to the world! the Lord is come

Let earth receive her King

Let every heart prepare Him room

And heav’n and nature sing

And heav’n and nature sing

And heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing

Joy to the world! the Savior reigns

Let men their songs employ

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy

Repeat the sounding joy

Repeat, repeat the sounding joy

No more let sin and sorrow grow

Nor thorns infest the ground

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found

Far as the curse is found

Far as, far as the curse is found

He rules the world with truth and grace

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness

And wonders of His love

And wonders of His love

And wonders, wonders of His love

Angels from the Realms of Glory

Angels from the realms of glory

Wing your flight o’er all the earth

Ye who sang creation’s story

Now proclaim Messiah’s birth

   Come and worship

   Come and worship

   Worship Christ our Lord and King!

Shepherds in the field abiding

Watching o’er your flocks by night

God with man is now residing

Yonder shines the world’s true Light

Saints before the altar bending

Watching long in hope and fear

Suddenly the Lord, descending

In His temple shall appear

Tho’ an infant now we view Him

He will share His Father’s throne

Gather all the nations to Him

Every knee shall then bow down

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Hark! the herald angels sing

“Glory to the newborn King:

Peace on earth and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled!”

Joyful all ye nations rise

Join the triumph of the skies

With th’angelic host proclaim

“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Hark! the herald angels sing

“Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest heav’n adored

Christ the everlasting Lord

Late in time behold Him come

Offspring of the Virgin’s womb

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see

Hail th’incarnate Deity

Pleased as man with men to dwell

Jesus, our Emmanuel

Hark! the herald angels sing

“Glory to the newborn King!”

Hail, the heav’n born Prince of Peace

Hail, the Sun of Righteousness

Light and life to all He brings

Ris’n with healing in His wings

Mild He lays His glory by

Born that men no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth

Born to give them second birth

Hark! the herald angels sing

“Glory to the newborn King!”

Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery

Come behold the wondrous mystery

In the dawning of the King

He the theme of heaven’s praises

Robed in frail humanity

In our longing, in our darkness

Now the light of life has come

Look to Christ, who condescended

Took on flesh to ransom us

Come behold the wondrous mystery

He the perfect Son of Man

In His living, in His suffering

Never trace nor stain of sin

See the true and better Adam

Come to save the hell-bound man

Christ the great and sure fulfillment

Of the law; in Him we stand

Come behold the wondrous mystery

Christ the Lord upon the tree

In the stead of ruined sinners

Hangs the Lamb in victory

See the price of our redemption

See the Father’s plan unfold

Bringing many sons to glory

Grace unmeasured, love untold

Come behold the wondrous mystery

Slain by death the God of life

But no grave could e’er restrain Him

Praise the Lord; He is alive!

What a foretaste of deliverance

How unwavering our hope

Christ in power resurrected

As we will be when He comes

Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross

Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss

From vict’ry unto vict’ry His army shall He lead

Till every foe is vanquished and Christ is Lord indeed

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey

Forth to the mighty conflict in this His glorious day

Ye that are men now serve Him against unnumbered foes

Let courage rise with danger and strength to strength oppose

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in His strength alone

The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own

Put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer

Where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long

This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song

To him who overcometh, a crown of life shall be

He, with the King of Glory, shall reign eternally