Lord’s Day Message: Basic Lessons for Christians (11) – The personal life of Christians
- What do we seek and care in our life? The Bible teaches us to:
- Seek the things above (Col.3:1-4)
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Col.3:1-4)
- Take care of our heart (Prov.4:23)
Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. (Prov. 4:23, NKJV)
- Temptation and trials – exposes our heart and challenges us whether to go upward or downward
- Temptations and trials (Jam.1:12-15; 1Pet.1:6-7)
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (Jam.1:12-15)
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith–more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire–may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1Pet.1:6-7)
- The way of escape in temptation (1Cor.10:13)
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1Cor.10:13)
a. Flee away (2Tim.2:22)
So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (2Tim.2:22)
b. Watch and pray (Mat.26:41)
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Mat.26:41)
c. Equip yourself with God’s word (Luk.4:1-13) – How Lord Jesus responded to temptation
3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.'” (Luk.4:3-4)
d. Partake of the blood of the Lord in case of failure (1Jhn.1:9, 2:1-2)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1Jhn.1:9)
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1Jhn.2:1-2)
- Learn to grow in trials (Rom.5:3-5)
3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Rom.5:1-5)
- The goal of our Christian life – our daily decision and experience
- Love God and our neighbor (Mat.22:37-39)
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Mat.22:37-39)
- Sow to the Spirit and bear the fruits of the Spirit (Gal.6:7-8; 5:22-23)
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Gal.6:7-8)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Gal.5:22-23)
- Live Christ (Gal.2:20)
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal.2:20)
Message Next Week: Gospel Meeting
Church Meetings/Time/Place
Home Meeting: 1/8 Mon., 7:30pm, (7:00 dinner) Richard & Flora’s
Pursuing of Uni Students: 2/8 Tue. 7:30pm, Yulin’s
Sisters Meeting: 3/8 Wed. 10:00am, Anne’s
Prayer Meeting: 3/8 Wed. 7:30pm, Meeting Hall
Pursuing of Words: 5/8 Fri., 8:00pm, cancelled
Young People Meeting/Home meeting for Adults：
6/8 Sat. 7:30pm, Bill & Christine’s
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. After meeting please stay for lunch and enjoy the love feast together with us.
- On August 7, the church will have an English speaking gospel meeting where the hymns, testimonies and message will be prepared by young people and English speaking saints.
Please take some invitation cards to invite your friends. This afternoon some young people will distribute them in the neighborhood around the meeting hall. If you are available, please join them.
On August 7 we will also have our monthly breakfast at the hall. Please join us from 9:00 to 9:45. Since it is a gospel meeting, please come on time and bring more dishes in love for lunch.
- The church will have a Spring Conference from October 1 to 3 (Sat. to Mon.) and will invite Brother Titus Chu to share the messages. Please remember this in our prayer. For practical serving, Brother Patrick Li will be the coordinator, but we hope many brothers and sisters can work with him.
<Reminder>
- Brothers and sisters, please bring your own bible to the meeting.
- Please come on time for the meeting. During the meeting, please turn off your mobile phone or put the volume on silence and not to walk around or to wonder in the kitchen.
- 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.
Please refrain from bringing uncooked food for the love feast so we may lighten the work for the serving ones in the kitchen.
Recently many more have been joining us for lunch, so we ask that everyone could help to prepare and bring more food.
After the love feast, please remember to bring back your plates.
Intercession:
- Pray for the Basic Lessons for Christians in the coming Lord’s Day meetings that every brother and sister can receive the life supply and grow stably in the Lord.
- Pray for the coming gospel meeting on August 7 that the Spirit may move among us to show how wonderful the Lord is! Pray for our invitations and that each friend who comes can taste the grace of our Lord.
- Pray for those who are baptized this year (David Hu, Gerald Huang, Bangde Liu and Peter Zhang, 4 brothers and Li Li, Mandy Zhou, Leonie, Berry Fei, and Jessica Li, 5 sisters) May the Lord establish them in the church life and bless their growth in life.
- Pray for the brothers and sisters or their relatives (Richard Chen’s Father) who are weak in body or spirit. May the Lord care for them and give them sufficient grace. Pray especially for the health of Brothers HinSang Woon and Brother Shanwon Chow.
- Pray for those year 12 students among us. May the Lord give them wisdom to meet the needs of the exam and help them to know His presence as their encouragement and timely help.
Serving This Week: (July 31)
- Message: Richard Chen & Yulin Wang
- Breaking the Bread: David Tan & Patrick Li
- Serving Bread and Cup: Benchu Guo, Sam Li, Jason Wang & Chuan Ma
- Cleaning: Steven Wang Family, Cindy, Joe & Lily Family, Jane Yeh, Richard & Lamee Family, Chuan Ma & Maggie Family
- Kitchen: Margaret & Qiong Wei
- Children: Supervisor – Hannah Meng, Singing – Chris/David, Teachers – Betty/Berry
Serving Next Week: (Aug. 7)
- Message: Young people & Raymond
- Breaking the Bread: N/A
- Serving Bread and Cup: N/A
- Cleaning: Steven Wang Family, Cindy, Joe & Lily Family, Jane Yeh, Richard & Lamee Family, Chuan Ma & Maggie Family
- Kitchen: Lisa & Pauline
- Children: Supervisor – Lily, Singing – Jono/Pris, Teachers – Christine
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