How do we handle truth?

The Apostle Paul begins today’s text with: “Truth I am speaking in Christ.” He anguishes over his message as he begins to address the spiritual condition of his fellow countrymen. What he says is very true, very tragic and also very difficult to understand. (That is understand as in accepting the words. The words themselves are pretty blunt.)

In fact, Paul anticipates a question from his listeners. Is God unjust? Or unfair?

• (Romans 9:14–16 ESV) ¹⁴ What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! ¹⁵ For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” ¹⁶ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

And sometimes, instead of hearing the clear words in the text, instead of reading the bold print, we read between the lines and try to defend God and spend our time explaining how God is not unfair or unjust.

But in this attempt to “apologize” for the teaching on God’s choices as Sovereign Lord, what we actually do is obscure the text. We try to answer questions that are not answerable, and we blur our vision of God’s great plan.

The covenants, both old and new, are based on God’s promise.

• (Romans 4:13–16 ESV) ¹³ For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴ For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. ¹⁵ For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. ¹⁶ That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

• (Romans 9:8 ESV) ⁸ This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.

Message Title: The Children of the Promise

Message Text: Romans 9:1-18

• PDF The Children of the Promise : Romans 9:1-18 : ffc : dave scott : 020115 : STUDY SHEET ONE
• PDF The Children of the Promise : Romans 9:1-18 : ffc : dave scott : 020115 : STUDY SHEET TWO

Hello All,

Yay! This Sunday is February 1. That means it is only 28 days until March. Yay again!

Here is this week’s bulletin.

• PDF Bulletin FFC February 1 2015

The commanded love of God.

• God commands us to love him, commands us to love our neighbors. God commands us to love our enemies. And now John echoes the words of Christ where Christ commands us to “Love one anther.”

Why? Why all the commands? I know that God is God but why so bossy?

Why? So he can perfect his love in our lives that we might truly live in Christ.

Have you ever heard this? “Do you know what you need?” Or maybe you’ve said it. “Do you know what you need?”

Well, God does know what we need, and he knows how to get us there.

“Beloved, let us love one another.”

Message Title: Perfect Love

Message Text: 1 John 4:7-18

• MP3: Perfect Love : 1 John 4:7-18 : ffc : dave scott : 012515

“Love one another.”

Allowing God to love us to the fullest extent of his love.

• In some ways this has been a “How to Let God Love Us” series.
  God commands us to love him.
  God commands us to love our neighbors.
  God commands us to love our enemies.
  And echoing Christ the Apostle John exhorts us to love one another.

Why? Why all the commands? I know that God is God but why so bossy?

So he can perfect his love in our lives, so we can truly live through Christ and receive the love of God to its fullest extent.

God does know what we need, and what we need is to be completely filled and transformed by his great love.

*This is how he started the “Save the Humans Project” on Earth.

“For God so loved …”

How great is this love of God’s?

• Great enough and powerful enough and all-consuming enough to quash even our greatest fears … WHEN we allow God to perfect this love in our lives!

Message Title: Perfect Love!

Message Text: 1 John 4:7-18

• PDF Perfect Love : 1 John 4:7-18 : ffc : dave scott : 012515 : STUDY SHEET ONE
• PDF Perfect Love : 1 John 4:7-18 : ffc : dave scott : 012515 : STUDY SHEET TWO

Good Friday Afternoon,

Here is our bulletin for Sunday January 25, 2015.

• PDF Bulletin FFC January 25 2015

A seminar on godly living …

If I were to invite you to a seminar that promised to make you like your Father in heaven, would you consider that a seminar on godliness?

Or if I invited you to a seminar that instructed us in ways to live like the Most High, would you consider that a seminar on godliness?

Well, here we are today, presenting a “seminar” on godliness directly routed through Jesus’ command to love our enemies.

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies!
[A Command, not a Suggestion.]

Message Title: Love Your Enemies!

Message Text: Luke 6:27-36, Matthew 5:43-48

MP3: Love your enemies : Matthew 5:43-48 : Luke 6:27-36 : ffc : dave scott : AM MESSAGE 011815

“I say to you who hear …”

The opening line of this week’s text. “I say to you who hear, Love your enemies.”

Not a message for everyone. “To you who hear …”

Christ is speaking to only those who hear, who actually listen to his words. And what are the words? Another command. More biblical instruction as to how we handle our personal relationships. Bible doctrine concerning our attitude toward and treatment of our enemies.

Oh, and by the way, another command, not a suggestion.

• Want to live and act like God? Want to live the life of a son of God? Want to receive great reward from the Most High? Love your enemies.

Who would have thought that honoring and obeying God would take a direct route through how we treat the people who contend against us?

BILLBOARD TRUTHS: I have found these truths continuing to bubble to the surface through this entire Love God, Love Your Neighbor series.

• We must trust God with all our heart.
• Mercy wins.

Message Title: Love Your Enemies!

Message Text: Luke 6:27-36

• PDF Love your enemies : Luke 6:27-36 : ffc : dave scott : 011815 : STUDY SHEET ONE
• PDF Love your enemies : Luke 6:27-36 : ffc : dave scott : 011815 : STUDY SHEET TWO

Not Just a suggestion but a command!

You’ve heard that before I imagine. “The Ten Commandments. Commandments, not just suggestions. Not the Ten Suggestions.”

If you have been on the planet for any length of time and have been in church or listened to Christian radio, you surely have heard this. “Not just suggestions.”

But what you probably HAVE NOT HEARD is this phrase–“Not Just Suggestions”–used in references to the two greatest commandments.

Interesting, isn’t it? The commandments that we have deemed most important “get all the press,” but the two COMMANDMENTS that Jesus says are the most important, the greatest, not so much.

Our priorities are skewed!

“Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and might” — Not a suggestion!

“Love your neighbor as yourself” — Not a suggestion!

“Love your enemies” — Not a suggestion!

And more “not suggestions” …

• (Leviticus 19:18 ESV) You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
• (Romans 13:8 ESV) Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
• (Galatians 5:14 ESV) For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
• (Colossians 3:14 ESV) And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Not suggestions but it seems that too many of us don’t know this.

There is tremendous blessing in letting God establish our priorities and living by those priorities. It is a faith challenge well worth the journey.

Message Title: Second Love, Second Doctrine!

Message Text: Matthew 22:34-40, Luke 10:25-37

• MP3: Second Love, Second Doctrine : Matthew 22:34-40 : Luke 10:25-37 : ffc : dave scott : 011215

#1 PRIORITY BEFORE GOD:
Love God, love neighbor as yourself, Matthew 22:34-40, Luke 10:25-37, Matthew 19:16-22, Leviticus 19:18, Colossians 3:14.

• QUESTION: WHO ORDERS YOUR PRIORITIES?

#1 MESSAGE FOR THE WORLD:
The gospel according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:1-9.

• QUESTION: FROM WHOM DO YOU RECEIVE YOUR MESSAGE?

#1 KINGDOM TO BE CONSIDERED:
The kingdom of God, Matthew 6:33, Colossians 3:1-2.

• QUESTION: TO WHOSE KINGDOM ARE YOU LOYAL?

Hello All,

Brrrr……. Hope you are warm and safe during this bitter cold.

So this week we are looking at the #2 Doctrine in Scripture according to Jesus.

Love Your Neighbor as Yourself!

Message Title: Second Love, Second Doctrine!

Message Text: Matthew 22:34-40, Luke 10:25-37

• PDF Second Love, Second Doctrine Matthew 22:34-40 : Luke 10:25-37 : ffc : dave scott : 011115 : STUDY SHEET ONE
• PDF Second Love, Second Doctrine Matthew 22:34-40 : Luke 10:25-37 : ffc : dave scott : 011115 : STUDY SHEET TWO

Hello Everyone,

I certainly hope that you are able to stay warm during this bitter cold. It will eventually warm up. (I think?)

Here is the bulletin for Sunday January 11, 2015.

• PDF Bulletin FFC January 11 2015