The Churchtown Weekly Thursday January 30, 2025
Learn-Grow-Become-GO!
Shout it in the assembly.
Shout it to the world. (Psalm 40)
James Chapter 4 (Berean Study Bible)
1What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you? 2You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.
4You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God. 5Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy? 6But He gives us more grace. This is why it says:
“God opposes the proud,
but gives grace to the humble.”
Drawing Near to God
7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.
11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. And if you judge the law, you are not a practitioner of the law, but a judge of it. 12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
13Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.” 14You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
15Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.” 16As it is, you boast in your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil. 17Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.
Our willful submission to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is essential to our relationship with Him.
In fact, one of the cornerstones (been talking a lot about cornerstones) of any Christian relationship is willful submission – first to Yahweh and then one to the other. This holds true for marriages, for friendships, for simple congregational fellowship, and for those Christians who we do not know on a personal level, but we do know are our brothers and/or sisters around the world.
It does NOT hold true, however, if we seek friendship with the secular. Friendship with the “world,” as James puts it puts us directly at odds with the very will of God and the very power of God within us.
I related the entire passage so that you can read for yourselves how James builds this idea through very straightforward teaching. In fact, he goes to far as to make this sarcastic remark regarding how a Christian may read (or not) scripture, “ 5Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy?”
I think that many times we either take scripture for granted or, in fact, we do not believe it to be true – or at least true for us.
The power of these words cannot be overstated. What separates our Holy Scriptures from every other written word is the fact that it is the ONLY divinely inspired, infallible word of God and when we are indwelled by the power of God’s Holy Spirit, the scriptures come alive to us in ways that the words of mortal man cannot.
At Churchtown, we try to bring this across each and every week. In fact, we try to do it each and every day. There are several Bible-reading plans of which many are a part. There is “Turning On the Lights” as a Bible-teaching tool that livestreams twice a week. There is the Churchtown Weekly through which I try to bring a message of encouragement or challenge through the Word, and there are several ministries of the church that meet regularly for Bible study and open prayer.
MY prayer is that you are not one who takes the Word of God for granted or overlooks the significance and power of God’s Word in your life.
As the last verses of this passage indicate, we exist to serve God through His will for us. We can make our own plans and “vision” our own futures and make every earthly effort to “manifest” the things that we want; but if we are true to the Word, if the Word is IN US, if we WILLFULLY, SUBMIT to Yahweh as our sovereign, we are simply banging gongs and clanging cymbals.
Repent. Willfully submit to your sovereign. Be indwelled by the very power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead – and LIVE!
WE WILL SEE YOU IN CHURCH!
NOTE:
Sunday is a service of the Ordinances. If you do not regularly fast, would you consider joining me in foregoing your morning meal and “breaking you fast” with The Lord’s Supper?
Financial Peace University 2025
Do you want to learn strategies to get out of debt and get a stronger financial foundation?
Consider Financial Peace University which will begin in March right here at Churchtown! You do not have to be a “regular” to be a part of this! Through the weekly, contact Brian. In church, contact Jeff S.
A fee is attached, but rest assured, we will not allow it to be an impediment. 😊
Moving forward in 2025, it is time to begin thinking once again of the future of the church and her leadership. Our annual Spring Meeting will be held Sunday, April 27. THIS IS ALWAYS A VERY IMPORTANT DATE IN THE LIFE OF THIS CHURCH. I URGE YOU AS YOUR PASTOR TO MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND.
We will hear a “state of the church” address as well as reports from the various growing ministries and outreaches of Churchtown.
We will also be voting for several leadership positions. They are:
4 council seats
Assistant Treasurer
Secretary
Although it is true that only members can formally vote, each and every one of you who makes this church what it is should plan to be a part of this important time together.
In the meantime, if you have been a member for a year and are considering positional leadership, begin praying about it.
CHURCHTOWN NEEDS YOU!
HEY YOU!
We need some voices to join the New Song Singers as we approach the Easter season! Yes, this means YOU! 😊 Come along with us and have some fun. It is a once a month (sometimes twice) commitment and it is very fun and rewarding. Just talk to Jeff and get on the text group so you know what, when, and where! Please consider it!
The first Theological Study day is taking shape rapidly! The title and theme are, “Biblical Structure and the Metanarrative of Salvation.”
We are looking toward Saturday March 29th from 9am until 3 pm. Look for the sign-up sheet very soon.
No, you need not be a regular “Churchtownian” to be a part of this experience!
You can now subscribe and listen to the
“Churchtown Podcast Network!”
Available on both Apple Podcasts and Spotify, just search “Turning on the Lights!” and “Churchtown Church of God Sermons” – subscribe and then leave a rating and a review! More folks will see it!
*Audio and video are always posted on our YouTube channel @churchtownchurch (there are 1,100 videos there)
Services of the Ordinances 2025
February 2
April 17 (Maundy Thursday)
July 27
October 26
Thanksgiving Eve Lord’s Supper
Remember, the single biggest reason given for why someone attends church for the first time is that a friend asked them!
As always, we continue in prayer for Churchtown, for our community, for the church universal, and for the lost everywhere.
God is good. God provides. Keep your eyes up and on the cross people.
Be well and do good, my friends. And, as always, Keep Looking Up! The lord comes!
REMEMBER THAT!
Opportunities!
We are always seeking individuals to be trained in technology. We would like to develop TEAMS that could rotate weekends.
There is always the opportunity to provide music – join up with the New Song Singers and / or talk to me about a special prelude or piece.
Gather-Grow-Become-Go
Churchtown Church of God
Sunday, February 2, 2025
Welcome to Churchtown!
We are glad you are here!
Singing Our Prelude, #192, “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power”
#275, “How Firm a Foundation”
The Ordinance of the Lord’s Supper
1 Corinthians 11:17-34 (NLT)
385, “Near the Cross”
The Ordinance of Feet Washing
John 13:1-11 (NLT)
“Jesus Messiah”
Our Time In The Word
1 Peter 2:11-25 into Chapter 3 (NLT)
335, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” – a Capella
Our Time of Spiritual Care
“The Lord’s Prayer”
Your offering to the church is received with humility through the offering box located in the side room as you face the sanctuary. Thank You for supporting The Churchtown Church of God.
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As a “little” church, we are always asking the question, “What CAN we do?” Well, we can start by caring for the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of each other.
We CAN serve the next person God places before us.
We CAN invite that person to church!
We CAN be intentional about going to church and strengthening ourselves and the body.
We CAN serve our community and show who Christ is to those who do not know Him.
We CAN PRAY, PRAY, PRAY – and we can REMAIN FATIHFUL!
I Love Being Your Pastor and Your Friend,
Brian
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