March 14, 2010
Morning Worship 11:00 AM
Sermon Text: Acts 16:16-40
Sermon Title: “The Fundamental Question”
Evening Worship 6:00 PM
Sermon Text: Galatians 4:1-7; Ephesians 2:1-6
Sermon Title: “Of Christian Liberty"
Announcements
Today - We want to welcome you to Bonita Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Pastor Stephen Parker will preach at the Morning and Evening Worship Services.
Family Bible Study and Prayer - This Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Lee McMorris will lead the Bible Study. We will be studying Westminster Larger Catechism #183. “For whom are we to pray? ” All are welcome to come.
Southern California OPC Women's Retreat - Meets April 9-11 in Idyllwild, CA. Early registration is $140 if postmarked by March 16th. Price goes up $20 after the 16th. The church will pay half the registration fee. See Ruth Ann Brawdy if you would like to go.
Family Bible Camp - will begin June 28th and go to July 2nd. It is time to "mark your Calender" to save the date for this years camp.
Week of March 7, 2010
Morning Worship 11:00 AM
Sermon Text: Acts 16:11-18
Sermon Title: “God Opens the Heart”
Evening Worship 6:00 PM
Sermon Text: Exodus 19:5,6; Romans 6:12-15; 1 Peter 2:5
Sermon Title: “The Third Use of the Law” WCF 19:6,7
Announcements
Today - We want to welcome you to Bonita Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Pastor Stephen Parker will preach at the Morning and Evening Worship Services.
Family Bible Study and Prayer - This Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Lee McMorris will lead the Bible Study. We will be studying Westminster Larger Catechism #183. “For whom are we to pray? ” All are welcome to come.
Institute for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship - is having a Parenting Seminar, this Saturday from 9am-4pm.at the Grace Bible Church, 655 W. 11th Ave., Escondido, CA 92025. Pick up a registration form on the back table.
Family Bible Camp - will begin June 28th and go to July 2nd. It is time to "mark your Calender" to save the date for this years camp. See flyer on back table.
Week of February 28, 2010
Morning Worship 11:00 AM
Sermon Text: Acts 16:1-15
Sermon Title: “The Closing and Opening of Doors and Hearts"
Announcements
Today – Pastor Stephen Parker will preach at the Morning Worship Service, and will administer the Lord's Supper. There will be no evening service.
Feast Day Today – We call the last Sunday of the month “Feast Day”. Everyone is invited to stay after the morning service to have a meal together.
Family Bible Study and Prayer - This Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Lee McMorris will lead the Bible Study. We will be studying Westminster Larger Catechism #182. “How doth the Spirit help us to pray” All are welcome to come.
March for Life – This Saturday, March 6th at Santee Lakes, sponsored by East County Pregnancy Care Clinic.
Institute for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship - is having a Parenting Seminar, March 13th from 9am-4pm.at the Grace Bible Church, 655 W. 11th Ave., Escondido, CA 92025.
Family Bible Camp - will begin June 28th and go to July 2nd. It is time to "mark your Calender" to save the date for this years camp.
Week of February 21, 2010
Morning Worship 11:00 AM
Sermon Text: Acts 15:22-41
Sermon Title: “The Letter and Division”
Evening Worship 6:00 PM
Sermon Text: Psalm 119:105-112
Sermon Title: “Following the Light”
Announcements
Today Morning Service– We want to welcome you to Bonita Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Pastor Stephen Parker will preach at the Morning and Evening Worship Services.
Next Sunday is Communion – Prepare your hearts this week for the Lord's Supper.
Next Sunday is Feast Day – We will have a meal together after the morning service. Everyone is invited to stay.
Family Bible Study and Prayer - This Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Lee McMorris will lead the Bible Study. We will be studying Westminster Larger Catechism #181. “Why are we to pray in the name of Christ” All are welcome to come.
March for Life - Saturday, March 6th at Santee Lakes, sponsored by East County Pregnancy Care Clinic. Please visit website, http://www.ecpcc.org
Institute for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship - is having a Parenting Seminar, March 13th from 9am-4pm.at the Grace Bible Church, 655 W. 11th Ave., Escondido, CA 92025.
Week of February 14, 2010
Morning Worship 11:00 AM
Sermon Text: Acts 15:1-21
Sermon Title: “The Judiazer Threat”
Announcements
Today Morning Service– We want to welcome you to Bonita Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Pastor Stephen Parker will preach at the Morning Worship Service.
Today Evening Service– Time change - 4:30 p.m. Rev. Douglas Clawson, Associate General Secretary for OPC Foreign Missions will give a report on the OPC Foreign Missions
Family Bible Study and Prayer - This Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Lee McMorris will lead the Bible Study. We will be studying Westminster Larger Catechism #180. “What is it to pray in the name of Christ?” All are welcome to come.
Institute for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship - is having a Parenting Seminar, March 13th from 9am-4pm.at the Grace Bible Church, 655 W. 11th Ave., Escondido, CA 92025.
Family Bible Camp - will begin June 28th and go to July 2nd. It is time to "mark your Calender" to save the date for this years camp.
Haiti Relief Fund - can be sent to THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN MISSIONS • P.O. Box P, Willow Grove, PA 19090 E-MAIL OPForeignMissions@opc.org
Elections and Providence
I was asked about my thoughts on the election issues. I have been thinking about it all morning and the providence of God. I am afraid that God is really going to purge the Church. We will have to be either 100% trusting and submitting to Him(and those He places over us!) or have anarchy in our hearts! Fear of man will make us crazy. My country can fall, but my trust in the promises of God and work of Jesus Christ cannot, and the one is not bonded to the other. Hab. 3:16-19 We need to focus on not the falleness of Man, but trusting God. We should exhort and reprove those brothers and sisters that are not thinking Biblically. We need to be exhorting/encouraging one another to BELIEVE God, wait upon God; which is not necessarily the same as a McCain victory! It is running with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.(Heb 12:1-2) It is that peace that surpasses all comprehension, that guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:7 And do you know what? I realize that as I write this, we need to speak these words and more to others, because as this testimony is upon our lips, we strengthen and encourage one another… Heb 10:24-25. In the Grip of His Grace, Pastor Parker
Is Excommunication unloving?
Here is an interesting editoral by Rev. Paul Viggiano, on the subject of excommunication.
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Music and Christian Culture
Rick Phillips gives an excellent assessment of contemporary Christian music and its impact in the Church. See his Blog in Reformation 21.
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Pain, Suffering and Back Surgery
If Christ is ruling now, why do “bad” things happen to God’s children? Scripture teaches that Christ is ruling now, but we don’t always perceive it, Heb 2:8. I see it being like being awake during back surgery. We have a skilled and gifted surgeon, but we can’t see what he is doing and it “burns like fire”!
Thanksgiving Meals and Sin
Many times we practically take the wrong attitude about our sins. We think of them being like our overeating at Thanksgiving or Christmas, we will make up for it by eating “good” or fasting in the weeks that follow. But no amount of being “good” will cover the debt of our sin. It is only the obedience of Christ that pays for our sin. Adapted from the sermon, “The Humility of the Son of Man.”
A Good Beef Stew
We have probably all had beef stew, most good, some really bad and occasionally one that is great! What makes the difference? Most will have beef, potatoes, carrots, maybe onions that are all easily identifiable. But much of the flavor comes in the stock or gravy of the stew and it is those ingredients will make it great, good or not so good! A cook may keep those ingredients secret. I see a marriage, and for that matter a ministry, much like the stew.
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Pornography: Idolatry and Addiction
Rick Phillips and Phil Ryken have written excellent blogs on the problem of pornography as an addiction and even more basically, Idolatry. I highly recommend all men to read these articles.
Sailing and Sanctification
There is a good analogy of faith between sailing and our sanctification. Our being sanctified and and finishing the course that is set before us, is dependent upon the Holy Spirit. Yet, there is a part that we play. "Walking by faith" is similar to "running" in a sailboat.
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Setting Priorities
When we make something a priority in our lives, usually, everything else becomes subservient (becomes a servant to get it) in our lives to that priority! We become focused on getting that which we have set as our goal, whether it is a luxury, job, the next meal…How do we formulate what is a priority? Does life depend upon it, or is it something less critical? For the Israelites, their lives depended upon their priorities, whether they would live in God’s blessing and fellowship or under His curse and chastening. And so do ours. Set your priorities in line with God’s Word/ God’s will. See my sermon, Priorities and Grace, Nehemiah 10:28-39, for details in applying these thoughts.
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Drafting
Sanctification: Visiting a Dermatologist or Oncologist?
I wonder if we really understand what we are praying for when we ask God to sanctify and purify us, to make us more like Christ? I think that many times we are thinking in terms of minor changes, not unlike visiting the dermatologist and having something scraped, dried, frozen or maybe even cut off. Just dealing with surface problems. In reality, our sanctification goes to the very center of our being, treating heart issues, like going to an oncologist or cardiologist, and being treated in the very center of our being. God uses fiery trials to drive the impurities from us, thereby conforming us to the Lord Jesus Christ. Adapted from "Bring on the Fiery Trials".
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The Purpose of Trials- like being on a ship.
God has some very helpful purposes for trials in the lives of Christians. Romans 5:3ff and James 1:2-4, point out that they are for our being made complete, in Christ. This is seen by what we cling to through life. It is like standing on a ship in calm waters…you will walk around, completely at ease, just as if you were on dry land. But when the strorms of life come, the seas get rough and one hangs on to a rail or something solid, to stay upright. God’s purpose is for us to hang on to Christ, and not let go! Adapted from, "Bring on the Fiery Trials".
Knowledge without Repentance
“Snapping-in” and Prayer
In Nehemiah 2:4, it says that he “prayed to the God of heaven.” We understand from the context, it is a short prayer, that shoots up to heaven. These are important, but they cannot replace the solemn labor of prayer, which in fact become the basis of effectual short prayers.
It reminds me of years ago, when I went through Marine PLC Officer Training. They would place us in large circles around white barrels with black “bull’s eyes” painted on them. We spent hours practicing firing empty rifles at them in the different shooting positions (snapping-in). The purpose? To become very familiar with the weapon and sight picture (view of the target in the sights), and “comfortable” in the shooting positions. Then we would go to the ranges with “live” ammunition, where the bulk of the time would be spent on developing and perfecting our shooting. After much time spent in this training, our familiarity and practice made us ready for combat. In that setting, we could snap into the position and effectively shoot what we were aiming at, wasting little ammo and hopefully saving lives.
Effective praying is very similar.
A Sears Marketing Approach and the Christian Walk
Sears stores use a technique which gently move you to the higher end products. They will grade some of the appliances as “Good” which are lower-middle of the line, “Better” which move up in features and cost, and “Best” which are the “top-of-the-line”. One could apply these categories to the response in Ezra 10.
It says that a large number of the people “wept bitterly” over their sin. This is “Good”. Biblical repentance must start with a sorrow or true broken heartedness over our sin. They confessed the sin of marrying unbelieving (not Jewish) women. They repented and the action of the repentance was to “divorce” or put away the foreign wives and their children. The is the “Better”. Reformation from sinful actions is always better, and in Christ, we can do it. But the “Best”, the “top-of-the-line” of Christian living is obedience! To have obeyed God in the first place, would have avoided all of the pain, sorrow and hardships that their sin produced. So, which have you chosen? The “good” - weeping over your sins? The “better” - reform, turning from your sins? Or the “best” - obedience in the first place (which we can choose in Christ)?
Taken from "A Picture of Biblical Repentance", June, 17, 2007.