Dear beloved,

This Sunday we will be looking at Genesis 39:1-10 together. We have just wrapped up a conference focusing on the fear of God. Every area and aspect of the Christian life should bear the fingerprints of a healthy fear of God. The areas of resisting temptation and mortifying sin are no different. When sin seems to continue to get the upper hand in our lives, it is evidence that there is lack of fear and awe of God. If we are to succeed in our battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil, we will need to be gripped by such an awareness of our glorious God that we would be able to say like Joseph, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

Prayer this week will be at the Noah’s house.

Songs for Sunday are as follows:

• Holy Holy Holy! Lord God Almighty
• More Love to Thee, O Christ
• Am I a Soldier of the Cross?
• O Great God
• Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners

Holy, Holy, Holy!

Holy, holy, holy!  Lord God Almighty!

Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee

Holy, holy, holy!  Merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy!  All the saints adore Thee

Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea

Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee

Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be

Holy, holy, holy!  Tho’ the darkness hide Thee

Tho’ the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see

Only Thou art holy – there is none beside Thee

Perfect in pow’r, in love, in purity

Holy, holy, holy!  Lord God Almighty!

All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth, and sky, and sea

Holy, holy, holy!  Merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity

More Love to Thee, O Christ

More love to Thee, O Christ,

More love to Thee!

Hear thou the prayer I make

On bended knee;

This is my earnest plea,

More love, O Christ, to Thee,

More love to Thee,

More love to Thee.

Once earthly joy I craved,

Sought peace and rest;

Now Thee alone I seek;

Give what is best:

This all my prayer shall be,

More love, O Christ, to Thee,

More love to Thee,

More love to Thee.

Let sorrow do its work,

Send grief and pain;

Sweet are thy messengers,

Sweet their refrain,

When they can sing with me,

More love, O Christ, to Thee,

More love to Thee,

More love to Thee.

Then shall my latest breath

Whisper Thy praise;

This be the parting cry

My heart shall raise,

This still its prayer shall be,

More love, O Christ, to Thee,

More love to Thee,

More love to Thee.

Am I a Soldier of the Cross?

Am I a soldier of the cross,

   A foll’wer of the Lamb?

And shall I fear to own His cause

   Or blush to speak His Name?

Must I be carried to the skies

   On flow’ry beds of ease

While others fought to win the prize

   And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?

   Must I not stem the flood?

Is this vile world a friend to grace

   To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign;

   Increase my courage Lord!

I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,

   Supported by Thy Word.

O Great God

O great God of highest heaven

Occupy my lowly heart

Own it all and reign supreme

Conquer every rebel power

Let no vice or sin remain

That resists Your holy war

You have loved and purchased me

Make me Yours forevermore

I was blinded by my sin

Had no ears to hear Your voice

Did not know Your love within

Had no taste for heaven’s joys

Then Your Spirit gave me life

Opened up Your Word to me

Through the gospel of Your Son

Gave me endless hope and peace

Help me now to live a life

That’s dependent on Your grace

Keep my heart and guard my soul

From the evils that I face

You are worthy to be praised

With my every thought and deed

O great God of highest heaven

Glorify Your Name through me

Jesus! what a Friend for Sinners!

Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!

Jesus! Lover of my soul;

Friends may fail me, foes assail me,

He, my Saviour, makes me whole.

   Hallelujah! what a Saviour!

   Hallelujah, what a Friend!

   Saving, helping, keeping, loving,

   He is with me to the end.

Jesus! what a strength in weakness!

Let me hide myself in Him;

Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,

He, my strength, my vict’ry wins.

Jesus! what a help in sorrow!

While the billows o’er me roll,

Even when my heart is breaking,

He, my comfort, helps my soul.

Jesus! what a guide and keeper!

While the tempest still is high,

Storms about me, night o’ertakes me,

He, my pilot, hears my cry.

Jesus! I do now receive Him,

More than all in Him I find,

He hath granted me forgiveness,

I am His, and He is mine.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Prayer will be held at the Noah home.

The preaching on Sunday will focus on 2 and 3 John where we see the nuances of how the church is an expression of both in truth and love. Most of the content of these two short letters is contained in 1 John, but there is some new material that we will focus on… Particularly matters of hospitality among Christians and a focus on three people who are given as examples – Gaius, a hospitable and gracious man; Diotrephes, a self serving and divisive man; and Demetrius a man of truth and love. In all of these men we will see how important it is that we are a humble church, looking to ourselves to see if any of the sins of Diotrephes are latent in us. As we look into these three personalities we should be heeding the warning of the apostle Paul, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall,” (1 Corinthians 10:12). We must look at Diotrephes in particular and examine ourselves to see that the seeds of his destructive ways are put away from us.

The songs we will be singing are:

• We Gather Together
• A Christian Home
• Not What My Hands Have Done
• In Christ Alone
• All I Have Is Christ

We Gather Together

We gather together

To ask the Lord’s blessing;

He chastens and hastens

His will to make known.

The wicked oppressing

Now cease from distressing.

Sing praises to His Name;

He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us,

Our God with us joining,

Ordaining, maintaining

His kingdom divine;

So from the beginning

The fight we were winning;

Thou, Lord, were at our side,

All glory be Thine!

We all do extol Thee,

Thou Leader triumphant,

\And pray that Thou still

Our Defender will be.

Let Thy congregation

Escape tribulation*;

Thy Name be ever praised!

O Lord, make us free!

A Christian Home

O give us homes built firm upon the Savior

Where Christ is Head and Counselor and Guide

Where every child is taught His love and favor 

And gives his heart to Christ, the Crucified

How sweet to know that, tho’ his footsteps waver

His faithful Lord is walking by his side

O give us homes with godly fathers, mothers

Who always place their hope and trust in Him

Whose tender patience turmoil never bothers

Whose calm and courage trouble cannot dim

A home where each finds joy in serving others

And love still shines, tho’ days be dark and grim

O give us homes where Christ is Lord and Master

The Bible read, the precious hymns still sung

Where pray’r comes first in peace or in disaster

And praise is natural speech to every tongue

Where mountains move before a faith that’s vaster

And Christ sufficient is for old and young

O Lord, our God, our homes are Thine forever!

We trust to Thee their problems, toil, and care

Their bonds of love no enemy can sever

If Thou art always Lord and Master there

Be Thou the center of our least endeavor

Be Thou our guest, our hearts and homes to share

Not What My Hands Have Done

Not what my hands have done

can save my guilty soul;

Not what my toiling flesh has borne

can make my spirit whole.

Not what I feel or do

can give me peace with God;

Not all my prayers and sighs and tears

can bear my awful load.

Your voice alone, O Lord,

can speak to me of grace;

Your power alone, O Son of God,

can all my sin erase.

No other work but Yours,

no other blood will do;

No strength but that which is divine

can bear me safely through.

Thy work alone, O Christ,

can ease this weight of sin;

Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,

can give me peace within.

Thy love to me, O God,

not mine, O Lord, to Thee,

Can rid me of this dark unrest,

and set my spirit free.

I bless the Christ of God;

I rest on love divine;

And with unfaltering lip and heart

I call this Savior mine.

His cross dispels each doubt;

I bury in His tomb

Each thought of unbelief and fear,

each lingering shade of gloom.

I praise the God of grace;

I trust His truth and might;

He calls me His, I call Him mine,

My God, my joy and light.

’Tis He Who saveth me,

and freely pardon gives;

I love because He loveth me,

I live because He lives.

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found

He is my light, my strength, my song

This Cornerstone, this solid Ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease! 

My Comforter, my All in All

Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone! – who took on flesh

Fullness of God in helpless babe!

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones He came to save

Till on that cross as Jesus died

The wrath of God was satisfied

For every sin on Him was laid

Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain

Then bursting forth in glorious Day

Up from the grave He rose again!

And as He stands in victory

Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me

For I am His and He is mine

Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death

This is the power of Christ in me

From life’s first cry to final breath

Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from His hand

Till He returns or calls me home

Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand!

All I Have Is Christ

I once was lost in darkest night

Yet thought I knew the way.

The sin that promised joy and life

Had led me to the grave.

I had no hope that You would own

A rebel to Your will.

And if You had not loved me first

I would refuse You still.

But as I ran my hell-bound race

Indifferent to the cost

You looked upon my helpless state

And led me to the cross.

And I beheld God’s love displayed

You suffered in my place

You bore the wrath reserved for me

Now all I know is grace.

   Hallelujah! All I have is Christ

   Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone

And live so all might see

The strength to follow Your commands

Could never come from me.

Oh Father, use my ransomed life

In any way You choose.

And let my song forever be

My only boast is You.

   Hallelujah! All I have is Christ

   Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

Beloved,

This week, prayer will be held at the Brown’s Barn.

On Sunday, we will give a final summary of 1 John. It has been a beneficial journey these last few months to be immersed in the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. John writes explicitly to accomplish four purposes. First to protect against false teachers,  “I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray” (2:26). Second to provide assurance of salvation, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know you have eternal life” (5:13). Third, for fulness of joy, “We write this to make our joy complete” (1:4). Fourth, to keep us from sins of lawlessness and especially lack of love, “I write this to you so that you will not sin” (2:1).

Rediscovering the New Testament Church – Bible Survey on Thursday at 5:00 in Scott’s library, will focus on and Introduction to First John.  Notice the redundancy…? Not to worry… This will be an introduction to the letter rather than the conclusion of the letter for Hope Baptist specifically, which we will focus on Sunday. You may also,  join in the livestream

The songs we will be singing are here;

• Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
• Here Is Love
• The Power of the Cross
• He Will Hold Me Fast
• It Is Well

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

   Leaning, leaning, 

   Safe and secure from all alarms

   Leaning, leaning,

   Leaning on the everlasting arms.

O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

O how bright the path grows from day to day,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Here Is Love

Here is love, vast as the ocean,

Lovingkindness as the flood,

When the Prince of Life, our Ransom,

Shed for us His precious blood.

Who His love will not remember?

Who can cease to sing His praise?

He can never be forgotten,

Throughout Heav’n’s eternal days.

On the mount of crucifixion,

Fountains opened deep and wide;

Through the floodgates of God’s mercy

Flowed a vast and gracious tide.

Grace and love, like mighty rivers,

Poured incessant from above,

And Heav’n’s peace and perfect justice

Kissed a guilty world in love.

Let me all Thy love accepting,

Love Thee, ever all my days;

Let me seek Thy kingdom only

And my life be to Thy praise;

Thou alone shalt be my glory,

Nothing in the world I see.

Thou hast cleansed and sanctified me,

Thou Thyself hast set me free.

In Thy truth Thou dost direct me

By Thy Spirit through Thy Word;

And Thy grace my need is meeting,

As I trust in Thee, my Lord.

Of Thy fullness Thou art pouring

Thy great love and power on me,

Without measure, full and boundless,

Drawing out my heart to Thee.

The Power of the Cross

Oh, to see the dawn of the darkest day:

Christ on the road to Calvary.

Tried by sinful men, torn and beaten, then

Nailed to a cross of wood.

  This, the pow’r of the cross:

  Christ became sin for us;

  Took the blame, bore the wrath—

  We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain written on Your face,

Bearing the awesome weight of sin.

Ev’ry bitter thought, ev’ry evil deed

Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

  This, the pow’r of the cross:

  Christ became sin for us;

  Took the blame, bore the wrath—

  We stand forgiven at the cross.

Now the daylight flees; now the ground beneath

Quakes as its Maker bows His head.

Curtain torn in two, dead are raised to life;

“Finished!” the vict’ry cry.

  This, the pow’r of the cross:

  Christ became sin for us;

  Took the blame, bore the wrath—

  We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see my name written in the wounds,

For through Your suffering I am free.

Death is crushed to death; life is mine to live,

Won through Your selfless love.

  This, the pow’r of the cross:

  Son of God—slain for us.

  What a love! What a cost!

 We stand forgiven at the cross.

He Will Hold Me Fast

When I fear my faith will fail,

Christ will hold me fast;

When the tempter would prevail,

He will hold me fast.

I could never keep my hold

Through life’s fearful path;

For my love is often cold;

He must hold me fast.

   He will hold me fast,
He will hold me fast;
For my Savior loves me so,
He will hold me fast.

Those He saves are His delight,

Christ will hold me fast;

Precious in His holy sight,

He will hold me fast.

He’ll not let my soul be lost;

His promises shall last;

Bought by Him at such a cost,

He will hold me fast.

For my life He bled and died,

Christ will hold me fast;

Justice has been satisfied;

He will hold me fast.

Raised with Him to endless life,

He will hold me fast

‘Till our faith is turned to sight,

When He comes at last!

It Is Well with My Soul

When peace like a river attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll –

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

“It is well, it is well with my soul.”

   It is well with my soul.

   It is well, it is well with my soul.

Tho’ Satan should buffet, tho’ trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control –

That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate

And hath shed His own blood for my soul!

My sin – O the bliss of this glorious tho’t –

My sin – not in part, but the whole

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live;

If Jordan above me shall roll,

No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life

Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait;

The sky, not the grave, is our goal.

Oh trump of the angel ! Oh voice of the Lord!

Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And, Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend;

“Even so” – it is well with my soul!

Scott Brown

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Don’t forget to pray for the upcoming Father Son Retreat. The theme is, “Men Who Feared Their God.” We will speak of Job, Abraham, Elijah, Joseph and others… as well as a fishing derby on Friday morning with a fish fry at noon.

Ten Year Anniversary, October 8 from 11:00-4:00. We will be eating lunch together and then having a time of rejoicing and giving thanks where people can share what good things the Lord has done.

Prayer on Wed night will be held at the Noah’s… Ark

Announcement: Men’s Meeting For Members – Oct 12. We will be gathering before prayer on Wed night Oct 12, for the elders to share some of the things that they re thinking and praying about and to discuss whatever might be on mens minds. We will be meeting at 5:30 and will also be bringing in Pizza or something.

In 1 John 5:14-17, John affirms again that the mark of a Christian is certainty. Throughout his letter, John has been itemizing irrefutable things that the Christian can count on. John has just spoken of one category of confidence in 5:13- assurance in salvation. Now He turns to assurance in prayer. John is concerned that we have confidence in prayer. Do you have confidence in prayer? In order to illustrate, John gives the example – when a brother falls into sin. What should the church do? The church should pray with confidence. In this way we maintain our confidence in God, not in the arm of the flesh. This is just another way that we, “love one another for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God.”

The songs we will be singing are…

• Rejoice, the Lord Is King
• Arise, My Soul, Arise
• Sweet Hour of Prayer
• Before the Throne of God
• Grace Greater Than Our Sin

Rejoice, the Lord Is King

Rejoice, the Lord is King

Your Lord and King adore!

Rejoice, give thanks and sing and triumph evermore.

   Lift up your heart; lift up your voice! 

   Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Jesus, the Savior, reigns

The God of truth and love;

When He had purged our stains, He took His seat above.

   Lift up your heart; lift up your voice! 

   Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

His kingdom cannot fail;

He rules o’er earth and heav’n.

The keys of death and hell are to our Jesus giv’n.

   Lift up your heart; lift up your voice! 

   Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

He sits at God’s right hand,

The Church’s great High Priest,

And all his enemies are placed beneath His feet.

   Lift up your heart; lift up your voice! 

   Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Rejoice in glorious hope!

Our Lord, the Judge, shall come

And take His servants up to their eternal home.

   Lift up your heart; lift up your voice! 

   Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Arise, My Soul, Arise

Arise, my soul, arise,

Shake off thy guilty fears:

The bleeding Sacrifice

In my behalf appears:

Before the Throne my Surety stands,

Before the Throne my Surety stands,

My name is written on His hands.

He ever lives above,

For me to intercede,

His all-redeeming love,

His precious blood to plead;

His blood atoned for ev’ry race,

His blood atoned for ev’ry race,

And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Five bleeding wounds He bears,

Received on Calvary;

They pour effectual prayers,

They strongly plead for me;

Forgive him, O forgive, they cry,

Forgive him, O forgive, they cry,

Nor let that ransomed sinner die!

My God is reconciled;

His pard’ning voice I hear;

He owns me for His child,

I can no longer fear;

With confidence I now draw nigh,

With confidence I now draw nigh,

And “Father, Abba, Father!” cry.

Sweet Hour of Prayer

Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer,

That calls me from a world of care,

And bids me at my Father’s throne,

Make all my wants and wishes known!

In seasons of distress and grief,

My soul has often found relief,

And oft escaped the tempter’s snare,

By thy return, sweet hour of prayer.

Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer,

The joys I feel, the bliss I share

Of those whose anxious spirits burn

With strong desires for Thy return!

With such I hasten to the place

Where God, my Saviour, shows His face,

And gladly take my station there,

And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer.

Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer,

Thy wings shall my petition bear

To Him, whose truth and faithfulness

Engage the waiting soul to bless:

And since He bids me seek His face,

Believe His Word, and trust His grace,

I’ll cast on Him my ev’ry care,

And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer.

Before the Throne of God

Before the throne of God above

I have a strong and perfect plea

A great High Priest whose name is Love

Who ever lives and pleads for me

My name is graven on His hands

My name is written on His heart

I know that while in heav’n He stands

No tongue can bid me thence depart

No tongue can bid me thence depart

When Satan tempts me to despair

And tells me of the guilt within

Upward I look and see Him there

Who made an end of all my sin

Because the sinless Savior died

My sinful soul is counted free

For God the just is satisfied

To look on Him and pardon me

To look on Him and pardon me

Behold Him there, the risen Lamb

My perfect spotless righteousness

The great unchangeable I Am

The King of glory and of grace

One with Himself I cannot die

My soul is purchased by His blood

My life is hid with Christ on high

With Christ my Savior and my God

With Christ my Savior and my God

Grace Greater Than Our Sin

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord

Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt

Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured

There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt

   Grace, grace, God’s grace

   Grace that will pardon and cleanse within!

   Grace, grace, God’s grace

   Grace that is greater than all our sin!

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold

Threaten the soul with infinite loss

Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold

Points to the refuge, the mighty cross

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide

What can avail to wash it away?

Look! there is flowing a crimson tide

Whiter than snow you may be today

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace

Freely bestowed on all who believe!

You that are longing to see His face

Will you this moment His grace receive?

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On Sunday we will have the privilege of working our way through 1 John 5:1-5, regarding the power of the new birth. The gifts that are bequeathed to the children of God by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ are both precious and powerful. The new birth is the foundation of Christianity – a supernatural regeneration of the soul that results in believing and a waterfall of blessings thereafter. As someone said this morning in men’s Bible Study, “what God begets does not miscarry.” The songwriter said it this way, “faith is the victory that overcomes the world.”

Please pray for Jenny Crouse who is going in for her surgery Wed morning. Lets band together in prayer all day for her… “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”  Isaiah 41:10

This week prayer will be held at the Noah home.

Scott