Special Announcement!!
Dear Berean Family,
I am writing this letter as your Pastor to inform you of the change that will be taking place during our PM Service. I really feel the Lord has laid this upon my heart, and I am extremely excited about the implementation of it. We decided to move forward with this change after much prayer and discussion with the leadership of our church.
The change I am referring to will begin on Sunday, March 13th. On this day, instead of coming together for worship in the sanctuary for the second service, we will be breaking into smaller groups for Bible study. My prayer is this will create more participation and cultivate more fellowship within our body. I will be selecting topics and materials to coordinate the discipleship and education of our flock. With each group sharing in the same discussions, this will add to the spiritual development of our church.
The Discipleship Group will be meeting in the chapel during the second service. This group consists of those who are between the ages of 19-35. Pastor Eric Stewart will be heading up this group along with deacons Dave Purdy, Neal Ruffner and Rick Wagner. For anyone that falls into this group, if you have any questions, please contact one of these men.
The Ambassadors will be meeting in the sanctuary for their Bible study. There is quite a broad age range for this group; 36-59. Deacon Matt Zimmerman will be leading this group along with Chris Pittenturf and Paul Britz.
The Senior Saints will be meeting in the fellowship hall for their time together. Elder Norm Walworth and Elder Mark Paul will be leading this group.
Please be very prayerful about this change. I think this is a much needed change in our efforts to help knit us together as the body of Christ. All three groups will begin by going through the study “What is Reformed Theology?” by R.C. Sproul. This is a very in- depth look into the great reformed faith that we love and cherish.
The class will begin at noon and end at 1 pm each Sunday. There will be a welcome, prayer, a half hour video, discussion and question period. I am very excited about this and invite all of you to join me in prayer and that the Lord will encourage many who now leave after the first service to stay and grow in the Lord together.
Please keep me in your prayers as I minister in Brazil. I will hold all of you before the throne of grace daily. God bless you and I will see you in a week.
Sincerely, In Christ,
Pastor Robert L. Dickie
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Saving Faith Leads To Holy Living!
Here is a quote from one of the old saints on holy living. Few people today practice walking with God and trusting Christ to deliver them from sin.
"Saving faith, always has a sanctifying and comforting influence. The true believer does not divide righteousness from sanctification, nor pardon from purity. The believer comes to Christ for the forgiveness of sins for the right purpose; and that is, that being freed from the guilt of sin; he may be freed from the dominion of it. Knowing that there is forgiveness with God that He might be feared, he does not believe in remission of sin so that he may indulge himself in the continuance of sin. No, no; the blood of Christ, that purges the conscience from the guilt of sin, also purges the conscience from dead works, to serve the living God. They that come to Christ in a scriptural way come to Him for righteousness, that they may have him also for sanctification; otherwise, the man does not really desire the favor and enjoyment of God, or to be in friendship with Him who is a holy God. The true believer trusts Christ to make him holy as well as happy, and hence draws virtue from Him for killing sin, and quickening him in the way of duty. The faith that can never keep you from sin will never keep you out of Hell; and the faith that cannot carry you to your duty will not carry you to heaven. Justifying faith is a sanctifying grace. It is true, as it sanctifies it does not justify; but that faith that justifies does also sanctify. The sun that enlightens has heat with it; but is is not the heat of the sun that enlightens, but the light thereof; so the faith that justifies has love and sanctification with it; but it is not the love and sanctification that justify, but faith as it trusts Christ."
Here are some warnings for all of us to consider:
1. It is the devil's trick to fool us with a sense of security because we can talk theologically and know the language of the saints. This is no true sign of grace.
2. Some professing believers can fool themselves and others with pious speech while living scandalously in secret.
3. The fruit of the Spirit is the evidence of the Spirit's presence.
4. Where there is a deep love for Christ there will also be a deep love for the brethren and a sincere desire to humbly walk with God.
5. C. H. Spurgeon once said, "The prayerless soul is a Christless soul." Beware of having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.
Here is a quote from one of the old saints on holy living. Few people today practice walking with God and trusting Christ to deliver them from sin.
"Saving faith, always has a sanctifying and comforting influence. The true believer does not divide righteousness from sanctification, nor pardon from purity. The believer comes to Christ for the forgiveness of sins for the right purpose; and that is, that being freed from the guilt of sin; he may be freed from the dominion of it. Knowing that there is forgiveness with God that He might be feared, he does not believe in remission of sin so that he may indulge himself in the continuance of sin. No, no; the blood of Christ, that purges the conscience from the guilt of sin, also purges the conscience from dead works, to serve the living God. They that come to Christ in a scriptural way come to Him for righteousness, that they may have him also for sanctification; otherwise, the man does not really desire the favor and enjoyment of God, or to be in friendship with Him who is a holy God. The true believer trusts Christ to make him holy as well as happy, and hence draws virtue from Him for killing sin, and quickening him in the way of duty. The faith that can never keep you from sin will never keep you out of Hell; and the faith that cannot carry you to your duty will not carry you to heaven. Justifying faith is a sanctifying grace. It is true, as it sanctifies it does not justify; but that faith that justifies does also sanctify. The sun that enlightens has heat with it; but is is not the heat of the sun that enlightens, but the light thereof; so the faith that justifies has love and sanctification with it; but it is not the love and sanctification that justify, but faith as it trusts Christ."
Here are some warnings for all of us to consider:
1. It is the devil's trick to fool us with a sense of security because we can talk theologically and know the language of the saints. This is no true sign of grace.
2. Some professing believers can fool themselves and others with pious speech while living scandalously in secret.
3. The fruit of the Spirit is the evidence of the Spirit's presence.
4. Where there is a deep love for Christ there will also be a deep love for the brethren and a sincere desire to humbly walk with God.
5. C. H. Spurgeon once said, "The prayerless soul is a Christless soul." Beware of having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.
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