Preparing to Appoint Elders: Part 1_______________________
Letter from the Pastor 12/23/2025
Introduction
The last-minute rush of Christmas is upon us! Final presents are being purchased and wrapped. Cinnamon rolls are being prepared for Christmas morning. Family is arriving from out of town, or you’re preparing to leave town to visit family! I pray you all have a wonderful Christmas as you think on the incarnation of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
But even as this busy …
The 1689 Second London Baptist Confession: Of the Holy Scriptures (1.7, 8) ________________________________________
Letter from the Pastor 12/9/2025
Introduction
As a Pastor, I feel an incredible responsibility not just to explain the Bible to others, but to help them understand the Bible for themselves. Years ago I had coffee with a prospective church member who was as Christian, yet he confessed to me, “Jonathan, I’m biblically illiterate.” And he was. At that time, he did …
The 1689 Second London Baptist Confession: Of the Holy Scriptures (1.6)________________________________________
Letter from the Pastor 12/2/2025
The 1689 Second London Confession of Faith (1.6)
Paragraph 6
The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelation of the Spirit, or traditions …
The 1689 Second London Baptist Confession: Of the Holy Scriptures (1.4, 5) ______________________________________
Letter from the Pastor 11/18/2025
Introduction
Twenty years ago, Dr. Ivan Spencer, one of my professors in college, asked me to read a book with him outside of class. The book was The Universe Next Door by James Sire which introduced me to the idea of “worldview.” In the book, Sire listed seven questions that, when answered, would reveal a person’s …
The 1689 Second London Baptist Confession: Of the Holy Scriptures (1.3)______________________________________
Letter from the Pastor 11/12/2025
Introduction
As we continue our consideration of the canon of Scripture from last week, we come to paragraph three of chapter one of the Second London Confession which addresses the canonicity of the Apocrypha.
The 1689 Second London Confession of Faith (1.3)
The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the …
Introduction
What constitutes Holy Scripture? Which books belong in the Bible, and which do not? These questions are answered in paragraphs two & three of chapter one of the confession. Today we’ll consider paragraph two and the sixty-six books of the Holy Scriptures.
The 1689 Second London Confession of Faith (1.2)
Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testaments, …
The 1689 1.1 – The Necessity of Scripture
No Description
The 1689 Second London Baptist Confession: Of the Holy Scriptures _________________________________________________
Letter from the Pastor 10/29/2025
Introduction
The first chapter of the Second London Confession pertains to the Holy Scriptures. In all, the confession contains ten separate paragraphs which help us understand the nature, scope, transmission and interpretation of the Scriptures. Let’s begin by reading paragraph one.
The 1689 Second London Confession of Faith…
Introduction
In the last 5 years you’ve likely noticed that we talk more and more about Christian creeds and confessions in our congregation. We have been reciting the Apostle’s Creed weekly for five years in our gathered worship. We also alternate in reciting the Nicene Creed. We’ve taken an entire year to recite an edited version of the Heidelberg Catechism, and more recently, we taught through the seven ecumenical councils and their associated creeds and …
Prayers for the Church
Lord God,
May your Spirit teach us all things and bring to mind all that you have said to us today (John 14:26) and may the word of Christ dwell richly in us. (Col. 3:16)
Do this so that we might walk in a manner worthy of you, fully pleasing to you, and bearing fruit in every good work. (Col. 1:9010)
Prayers for Members
Father, we are so thankful for ___ …
Prayers for the Church
Father,
Give us to have certainty of the things we have been taught. (Luke 1:4) And let our knowledge grow up to reach all the riches of full assurance. (Col. 2:2) Cause us to go beyond knowledge into faith and trust.
Enable us, we pray, to follow the pattern of sound words that we have heard in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 1:13) and to …
