Growing in Fellowship with God POHFW

Preparing our Hearts to Worship

In an effort to help you prepare for the September 24, 2017, Sunday morning corporate worship gathering and to aid you in your own reflections on the Epistle of 1st John. I wanted to pose a few questions and provide a few resources to prayerfully consider over the coming days. Our sermon is entitled, “Growing in Fellowship with God and Others”. The main Scripture for the day is 1 John 1:5-10. The other passages are either referenced in the message or provide additional insight for reflection. 

 

(Pick and choose from the many resources and options, which I have tried to make available for your devotional life.)

 

From the Scriptures

Read and prayerfully reflect upon some or all of these Scriptures. Ask God to shape your life and your church’s life to match the heart of God:

 

Read or listen to 1John 1:5-10, 2:11, 4:7-8, Ps 4:6, Isa 60:19-20, John 3:19-21

(You can read or listen to all of these passages in a variety of translations at Bible.is.) 

From the Creeds and Confessions 

Heidelberg Catechism Q56

56. What do you believe concerning “the forgiveness of sins”? 

 

I believe that God,  because of Christ’s satisfaction, will no longer remember 

any of my sins or my sinful nature which I need to struggle against all my life.2

Rather, by grace God grants me the righteousness of Christ to free me forever from judgment.

 

Heidelberg Catechism Q87

87. Can those be saved who do not turn to God from their ungrateful and unrepentant ways? 

 

By no means. Scripture tells us that no unchaste person, no idolater, adulterer, thief, no covetous person, no drunkard, slanderer, robber,
or the like will inherit the kingdom of God

 

Heidelberg Catechism Q126

126. What does the fifth petition mean? 

 

“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” means: 

Because of Christ’s blood do not hold against us, poor sinners that we are, 

any of the sins we do or the evil that constantly clings to us.  Forgive us just as we are fully determined, as evidence of your grace in us, to forgive our neighbors.

 

From the songs, hymns and spiritual songs of the Church

We come to you in sorrow (Payne): Lyrics & Music Recording

We come to You (Blakesley) : Lyrics, Video

For Thoughtful Reflection, Prayer, or further Study

In what ways have you excused away your personal sin?

How do you think that ignoring of your sin affects others and God?

What would happen if you quit ignoring it and confessed it and quit doing it?  How could your relationships improve?

Pray for God to strengthen you to repentance.

 

The Sermon will be available online on September 24, 2017 at 12:30 pm.

 

 

Disclaimer: Reference to a particular article or website does not constitute endorsement or agreement with everything in that article or on that website.

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