The prompt given to ChatGPT was as follows: Pretend to be a Scottish pastor from the 20th century. Write a poem about our only hope in life and in death. ============================ Aye, laddie, let me try me best at writing a wee poem for ye. In life, we walk through fields of green, And bask in sunshine's golden sheen. We revel in the joys of earth, And all the beauty of its worth. But in the end, we all must face, The final darkness of our race. When death comes knocking at our door, W...

The Gospel is a message and you never will make a single disciple unless you open your mouth and preach it. It has to be proclaimed. If there's no words, there's no Gospel. You can't do the Gospel or live the gospel. You can only preach the Gospel. It's news, and it must be heralded. But if your life does not mirror your words your hearers will run from you and they will be right to do so. David Strain ...

THE second Adam , sovereign Lord of all, did, by his Father's authorizing call, From bosom of eternal love descend, To save the guilty race that him offend; To treat an everlasting peace with those Who were and ever would have been his foes. His errand, never ending life to give To them, whose malice would not let him live; To make a match with rebels, and espouse The brat which at his love her spite avows. Himself he humbled to depress her pride, And make his mortal foe his loving bri...

What are we saved from? The Wrath of God. As we learned in Romans 1 8 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Does God require perfection to enter Heaven? Yes! 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek,10 but glory and honor and peace...

https://hymnary.org/hymn/LHAP1876/page/276 Faith comes by hearing God's record Concerning Jesus Christ the Lord; The happy means, which heaven hath blest, To bring us to the gospel-rest. The joyful sound is news of grace, Redemption of a fallen race, Through Jesus' righteousness divine, Which bright from faith to faith doth shine. The promise of immortal bliss We have in Christ, our righteousness; By death our righteousness he bought: Faith pleads that right, but buys it not. True faith rece...

https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/what-evangelism/ Almost a year ago we did a devotional on what the evangel is. It's the good news of Christ's death and resurrection to rescue us from God's wrath and declare us righteous before a holy God. That is the good news that we believe which is the defining feature of an evangelical. So in preparing for this morning I came upon a devotional from Ligonier Ministries that I'd like to share with you. It's titled "What is evangelism?" Since ...

Greeting 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brothers[a] in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. Thanksgiving and Prayer 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of th...

From Calvin's Institutes When we see that the whole sum of our salvation, and every single part of it, are comprehended in Christ, we must beware of deriving even the minutes portion of it from any other quarter. If we seek salvation, we are taught by the very name of Jesus that he possesses it;268 if we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, we shall find them in his unction; strength in his government; purity in his conception; indulgence in his nativity, in which he was made like us in all res...

Some months ago, before Corona, I was invited into a meeting with our web developers. They came to discover what defines us as a church to better help us with our branding. They began asking questions, clearly trying to figure out what "flavor" we are. You know what I'm talking about - we're not quite Baptist, certainly not Presbyterian, we like our worship band but not quite assembly of God style. Basically we do drums, not hymnals; jeans, not suits, coffee, not beer; Small groups, not Sund...

https://write.as/knntfsgw4j812.md The following is copied without permission from the 1978 publishing of “The Whimsical Christian” by Dorothy Sayers. The essay below was originally published in 1949 in the book “Creed or Chaos”. I realize publishing this may be frowned upon but given the importance of the content and the impossibility of purchasing access to a copy new in 2019, I hope the violation will be overlooked. The Dogma Is the Drama “Any stigma,” said a witty tongue, “will do to bea...

Ecclesiasticus 38:24-34 The wisdom of a learned man cometh by opportunity of leisure: and he that hath little business shall become wise. How can he get wisdom that holdeth the plough, and that glorieth in the goad, that driveth oxen, and is occupied in their labours, and whose talk is of bullocks? He giveth his mind to make furrows; and is diligent to give the kine fodder. So every carpenter and workmaster, that laboureth night and day: and they that cut and grave seals, and are diligent to ma...

By Ralph Erskine The hurtfulness of not preaching Christ, and distinguishing duly between law and gospel. Hell cares not how crude holiness be preach'd If sinners match with Christ never be reach'd; Knowing their holiness is but a sham, Who ne'er are marry'd to the holy Lamb. Let words have never such a pious shew, And blaze aloft in rude professor's view, With sacred aromatics richly spic'd, If they but drown in silence glorious Christ; Or, if he may some vacant room supply, Make him a subjec...