Scripture at Sunrise 03.21.2023

“Then shalt thou walk in thy way of safety, and thy foot shall not stumble.” -Proverbs 3:23

That is to say, if we follow the ways of wisdom and holiness we shall be preserved in them. He who travels by daylight along the highway is under some protection. There is a way for every man, namely, his own proper calling in life, and if we devoutly walk therein in the fear of God He will preserve us from evil. We may not travel luxuriously, but we shall walk safely. We may not be able to run like young men, but we shall be able to walk like good men.

Our greatest danger lies in ourselves: our feeble foot is so sadly apt to stumble. Let us ask for more moral strength that our tendency to slip may be overcome. Some stumble because they do not see the stone in the way: divine grace enables us to perceive sin and so to avoid it. Let us plead this promise and trust in Him who upholds His chosen.

Alas! Our worst peril is our own carelessness, but against this the Lord Jesus has put us on our guard, saying, “Watch and pray.”

Oh, for grace to walk this day without a single stumble! It is not enough that we do not actually fall. Our cry should be that we may not make the smallest slip with out feet but may at the last adore Him “who is able to keep us from stumbling.”

[from Faith’s Checkbook by Charles H. Spurgeon]

Scripture at Sunrise 6.4.2018

“Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.” -Romans 14:20-21

Holding back your liberty in honor of someone is a beautiful thing. If you know that something is going to offend, out of love, you’ll refrain. –excerpt from Steve Wainright’s Sunday Morning Sermon

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SERMON AUDIO
Sunday Morning 6/3 – Romans 14:19-23
Liberty on Love’s Leash
Sunday Evening 6/3 – John 13:21-30
Is It I?
Wednesday Evening 5/30 – 2 Kings 22:11-20
Prophetesses

Scripture at Sunrise 3.21.2017

“Then shalt thou walk in thy way of safety, and thy foot shall not stumble.” -Proverbs 3:23

That is to say, if we follow the ways of wisdom and holiness we shall be preserved in them. He who travels by daylight along the highway is under some protection. There is a way for every man, namely, his own proper calling in life, and if we devoutly walk therein in the fear of God He will preserve us from evil. We may not travel luxuriously, but we shall walk safely. We may not be able to run like young men, but we shall be able to walk like good men.

Our greatest danger lies in ourselves: our feeble foot is so sadly apt to stumble. Let us ask for more moral strength that our tendency to slip may be overcome. Some stumble because they do not see the stone in the way: divine grace enables us to perceive sin and so to avoid it. Let us plead this promise and trust in Him who upholds His chosen.

Alas! Our worst peril is our own carelessness, but against this the Lord Jesus has put us on our guard, saying, “Watch and pray.”

Oh, for grace to walk this day without a single stumble! It is not enough that we do not actually fall; our cry should be that we may not make the smallest slip with out feet but may at the last adore Him “who is able to keep us from stumbling.”

[from Faith’s Checkbook by Charles H. Spurgeon]

Scripture at Sunrise 11.11.2014

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved. -Psalm 121:3

If the Lord will not suffer it, neither men nor devils can do it. How greatly would they rejoice if they could give us a disgraceful fall, drive us from our position, and bury us out of memory! They could do this to their heart’s content were it not for one hindrance, and only one: the Lord will not suffer it; and if He does not suffer it, we shall not suffer it.

The way of life is like traveling among the Alps. Along the mountain path one is constantly exposed to the slipping of the foot. Where the way is high the head is apt to swim, and then the feet soon slide; there are spots which are smooth as glass and others that are rough with loose stones, and in either of these a fall is hard to avoid. He who throughout life is enabled to keep himself upright and to walk without stumbling has the best of reasons for gratitude. What with pitfalls and snares, weak knees, weary feet, and subtle enemies, no child of God would stand fast for an hour were it not for the faithful love which will not suffer his foot to be moved.

Amidst a thousand snares I stand
Upheld and guarded by Thy hand;
That hand unseen shall hold me still,
And lead me to Thy holy hill.

[from Faith’s Checkbook by Charles H. Spurgeon]

Scripture at Sunrise 2.22.10

“But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.”  -1 Corinthians 8:9

The right Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians 9 was his right to receive ministerial support.  Paul’s desire was to see people saved and following Christ, growing in grace and knowledge.  The Gospel always goes forth without a charge and he did not want to be a hindrance to the Gospel; therefore, he relinquished his freedom in Christ for the benefit of others.

Does your freedom in Christ cause others to stumble?  Do you use your freedoms to edify others or tear them down?

Scripture at Sunrise 2.15.10

Sunday School | Matthew 16:13-28 | Bro. Roger Harden

“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”  -Matthew 16:24-26

[We had a very good discussion in our Sunday School class today, most of which I did not take notes on…sorry.]

-What would you trade for your soul?
-I should want to surrender all because He surrendered all for me.

Morning Worship | 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 | Pastor Steve Wainright

“But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.”  -1 Corinthians 8:9
-How free are we to use the liberty we have in Christ?
–vs. 1-3– Everybody has knowledge.  Christians in Corinth were struggling with whether or not to buy meat in the marketplace that had been offered to idols.  Some believers had offered meat to idols in their past before they became Christians.
-Knowledge puffs up and tears other people down.  Agape love builds up without expecting anything in return.  Knowledge needs to be balanced with love.  By itself, knowledge makes one arrogant.  (1 Corinthians 13:2- You can have all the knowledge in the world, but if you don’t have love, you don’t have anything.)
-vs. 3- If any man LOVES God, not “know.”  Do you know love Him?  If you love Him, you will keep His commandments.  (1 John 5:1)
Love sets the boundaries of your behavior.
–vs. 4-7– Idols are nothing.  (Psalm 115:4-8)
-vs. 6- We exist to glorify God.  What are you doing with the doctrine/knowledge you have?  Are you living it out in love?
-vs. 7- Ignoring your conscience brings guilt and resentment.
-Don’t use your liberty to cause others to stumble.  (Romans 14:3-23)  With your knowledge, you have to show love to those with a weaker conscience.
-vs. 8- What you eat has no spiritual significance.
vs. 12-13- Love by not doing something that makes your weaker brother stumble.

Evening Worship | Leviticus 20:1-27 | Pastor Steve Wainright
“You shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.”  -Leviticus 20:26
-God has severed us from the world to be holy…He chose us!
-God knows that human hearts are desperately wicked and deceitful, so He gives a warning to His people about going into idolatry by laying out punishments.
-God had worked in their lives in a tremendous way and they were turning to a works-salvation to please false god Molech.  When we do not find our rest in Christ and turn to a works-based salvation, we are no different from those who worshipped Molech.  (Psalm 115)  They committed spiritual adultery.
-Live a separate life by getting into the Word of God.  (John 17)
-Be holy.  Be separated.  Be sanctified.  (2 Corinthians 6:14-18, 7:1; Ephesians 5:11)