Lord’s Day Message: James (ESV)
Being joyful in trials
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (1:2~4)
Asking God
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, … (5~6a)
God is the source of every gift
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Being doers of the word
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. … 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (22, 25)
Loving your neighbour and showing no partiality
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. (2:8~9)
Faith being active along with the works
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? … 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. … 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; (14, 17, 22)
Our talk
9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. (3:9~10)
The wisdom from above
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (17~18)
Knowing the relationship with God in asking
2 … You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. (4:2b~8a)
Do not speak evil against one another
11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? (11~12)
Who controlling tomorrow
14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” (14~15)
Be patient until the coming of the Lord
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. (7~8)
Praying for various things
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (13~16)
Next Topics: Spring Conference
Church Meetings/Time/Place
Home Meeting: 28/9 Mon., 7:30pm, (7:00 dinner)
Richard & Flora’s
Young Professions Meeting: 29/9 Tue. 7:45pm, Thomas & Lena’s
Sisters Meeting: 30/9 Wed. 10am, Meeting Hall
Prayer Meeting: 30/9 Wed. 7:30pm, Meeting Hall
Spring Conference: Meeting Hall
3/10 10am: Gospel message, Faith and Science
1 pm: The parable of sowing (1)
4/10 10am, 1pm: The parable of sowing (2, 3)
5/10 10am: The parable of sowing (4)
Announcements:
- We welcome all the new ones who are joining us today and hope that you can leave your information for us to contact you in the future.
- Today after lunch we will have a talk about baptism. All those who are willing to be baptized are welcome to join.
- September 28 to 30 there will be a study camp in the meeting hall for those in year 12 and 11. If anyone is interested, please contact Elsa and Sarah.
- October 3 (Saturday) after the gospel meeting in the morning (1st message in the conference) the church plan to have a baptism. If any gospel friend is willing to receive salvation and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, please contact Brother Yu-Lin Wang.
- On October 3~5 (Saturday to Monday) there will be a church conference. We will invite Brother Rex Beck. He will share on “faith and science” for the gospel message and the parable of sowing in Matthew 13 for the growth of the Christians. We encourage all the brothers and sisters to join and to invite friends to come.
The invitation cards have been prepared. Please take some to invite your friends.
Lord’s Day Lunch will be a love feast provided by all brothers and sisters as usual. Saturday and Monday lunch will be purchased from outside.
<Reminder>
- Please take the Bible Reading Supplement for your daily Bible reading.
- Please come on time for the meeting. During the meeting, please turn off your mobile phone or put the volume on silence.
- When you prepare the love feast for Lord’s Day lunch, please do not prepare any food containing nuts as someone may have food allergy. After the love feast, please remember to bring back your plates.
Intercession:
- We have more than 30 gospel friends who are coming regularly to our gatherings recently. Pray that the Lord will bless them to receive His salvation earlier and they may become a member in God’s family. Also pray that the Lord will keep us fervent in spirit to have more learning in the work of the gospel.
- Pray for the new believers that the Lord will lead them to grow and be built in the church life so they may become a blessing and testimony for the church.
- Pray for those young people in year twelve. May the Lord give them wisdom and grace in their preparation for exams.
- Pray for the brothers and sisters who are weak in body or spirit. May the Lord care for them and give them grace. Also pray for some relatives of our brothers and sisters (Jack, Susan, Brett) that the Lord may heal and care for them.
- Pray for the October conference that the Lord can add more people to His church and give us His rich words to supply for the growth of the brothers and sisters.
Serving Today: (Sep. 27)
- Sharing: All brothers and sisters
- Breaking the Bread: Shanwon Chow & Jason Wang
- Serving Bread and Cup: Richard Cui & Jason Wang
- Pianist: Hannah Cui
- Cleaning: Brett & Linda Family, Sean Dong & Wei Qiong Family, Joseph & Lisa Family, Bill & Christine Family
Serving Next Week: (Oct. 4)
- Sharing: Rex Beck
- Breaking the Bread: Yulin Wang & Thomas Wu
- Serving Bread and Cup: Sam Li, Sean Dong & Patrick Li
- Pianist: Hannah Cui
- Cleaning: Brett & Linda Family, Sean Dong & Wei Qiong Family, Joseph & Lisa Family, Bill & Christine Family
Comments are closed