Bible Verse for Sunday Service February 23, 2025
Colossians 3:15
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
Announcements:
Our church subscribes to the Daily Bread, and to Days of Praise. These devotionals are available on the foyer table and our great help to use in our daily time with God and his word. You are welcome to take some to give out to others as well as to use them for yourself.
Our new church directories are on the foyer table. If you haven’t already picked one up for 2025 please be sure to do so.
March 22nd is the date of this year’s Awana Grand Prix where the Awana kids will be putting together cars to race down the track on race day. The kits will be available soon for purchase. If you are a kindergartner through 6th grade, you can enter. If any adults and teens want to participate, we could have an open class. If you can help, we will need people for the race and lunch, please let Pastor know.
We have put back the dates for our VBS to June 16-20 due to conflicts with commitments with our families and leaders. We trust that this will work out better.
This week in Church History, February 24, 303: this day marks the start of Diocletian’s great persecution. He had declared that the total destruction of the church was necessary to preserve the Roman empire. He ordered, that all Christians, without exception, upon the threat of torture and death should be compelled to sacrifice to the pagan gods.
Sermon:
Today, Pastor Jim continued preparing us for a new pastor by preaching on Titus 2:3-5 in a sermon titled “Words to the Women.” In helping Titus pastor the church that he had, in this section of the epistle, Paul covers advice to the women in the church, both older and younger. Pastor remarked that this is a very important section because if the family in the home works well and has good relations, that is in good for the church and good for the country. Pastor cover this topic in two points.
Starting with the older women, Pastor remark that these are seasoned saints. Every church needs their presence, their prayers and their service. Another way of thinking about the older women is that they are women who lead a holy life.. This comes from living like they live in a temple. Pastor remarked about Ana, who is featured in Luke 2:36-38. Another way of describing this is that these women are practicing the presence of God. Perhaps one aspect that is notable for the seasoned saints is that they practice, and have careful speech. Pastor remarked that seasoned speech is speech seasoned with salt to speak wisely and carefully. If someone felt that they could improve in this area has noted that we could ask God for help.
For a negative attribute, Pastor remarked that these older women are not going to be addicted. Paul specifically mentions not being drunk with too much wine. If one is drunk or addicted than a person is dependent upon that substance. Pastor and Paul both spoke on the importance of dependence on the Holy Spirit rather than any substance.
Lastly, in this section, Pastor talked about the fact that women that are older and seasoned can have an influential ministry. Perhaps God will use them to teach others, perhaps some of the younger women in the church. Pastor remembered that his Sunday school teacher, who was very influential on his life was a wonderful older lady, exactly the type of person that Paul is referring to.
Pastor described the younger women in the church as being settled saints. For the location of settling, Pastor was thinking about a younger woman is likely to be devoted to her home, and the family that she has there. Pastor described how these younger women should be discrete in their dealings. Perhaps they work outside of the home. Pastor remarked on a phrase in connection with this point that he has heard, and is often found on the Internet, the idea of a work wife or a work husband. It seems not a good relationship to have outside of the home, and could lead to trouble.
Another quality that the younger women should demonstrate is to be kind of character. Pastor referenced proverbs with his admonition to have a tongue under the control of the law of kindness.
The last quality that Pastor discussed was that a younger woman should be commendable to the gospel. In other words, her life in every aspect would commend the gospel to others. This is not just good advice for younger women. But we could all purpose to be godly people who are advertisements for the gospel.
All the women in the church, both young and old benefit from this discussion of life in the church. And Pastor’s sermon provides specific aspects of peoples lives that we can pray for.
Accessing the Service, Bulletin and Sermon Outline:
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If you would like to have the sermon outline, you can download it here, a pdf file.
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