Church notes - January 2023

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1st
Romans 8:38, 39

New Year
Change

Anxiety and Fatigue

Lamentations 3:12 - 29

Life will continue to be difficult in 2023
Uncertainty can wear us down.

vs 19, 20
Jeremiah's sorrow. A funeral service for a nation.

Psalm 137:1 - 2

Matthew 9:36

vs 21 - 24

God's loving kindness is there, but we need to step out in faith.

Isaiah 40:1, 2
A time of comfort.

We need to have a closer walk with God.

Isaiah 53:4 - 5

He came to suffer because of our iniquities.

Transgressions - rebellion against God.

Jesus is the answer to all of our anxieties.


8th

Philippians 4:16 - 20

Joel 1:1 - 12
Sin does matter
The Gospel message - Our sin has been dealt with.
1:4

God is at work in the prosperous and difficult times.

Sin does matter.
It matters to God and He will act in judgement against His people if they don't return to Him.

Repentance
Changing our attitudes and actions to agree with God.

'In the prevailing moral twilight of the world and the prevailing spiritual apathy of the Church, is there not a divine summons to a deep repentance on our part? We can easily forget the reason for our existence and settle down to become a cozy club for the saints.' Darcy Tepin.

Joel 2:25 - 32
Sin will be judged. Only God's forgiveness saves us.

Sin does matter and God will ract in calling to repentance or in judgement.

Judgement

Repentance calls us back.
To God
To Repentance.

God wants to restore us and bless us.

Romans 9:10
Jeremiah 31:33, 34
Ephesians 1:13


15th
Exodus 34:6, 7

Psalm 139

Communion
1 Peter 1:3 - 9
1 Peter 1:18

Sermon
James
A Beautiful Punch to the Gut
James 1:1 - 18

James the just
James the camel kneed
- Continually on his knees in prayer for his brothers and sisters in Christ.
vs 1
A servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ
His purpose - to serve God and Christ

The joy we have in Christ helps us grow in our faith as we go through trials.
The temptations we face don't come from God.
vs 13 - 15

Proverbs 8
Proverbs 2:1 - 5


22nd
James 2:14 - 26
Faith and Actions
Actions should be lived out from faith.

Favouritism - Social status being brought into church.
Ch 2:1 -13

We have Scripture and the Spirit to help us understand what actions to take.

Only Jesus has the power we need.
Social status can be a habit that creates division.

Justification
- Declared to be right standing (Paul)
- Displayed to be in right standing (James)
Complementary rather than contradictory.
Faith alone saves.
Saving faith is shown by our actions.


29th
James 3:13 - 18
Wisdom
Earthly wisdom vs Godly Wisdom
Earthly wisdom
Disorderly and destructive.

Godly Wisdom
Pure, peace-loving.

Wisdom from below
Stong envy

Wisdom from above.
Pure - No secret motivation. No pride or self-promotion.

We need to back up everything we hear from the Bible.

1 John 4:1

Ask God for Wisdom.

Proverbs 2:3 - 6

James 1:5, 6

We have to put our trust in Him.