Part 9 of Elder Mike Pfefferle’s adult Sunday School series on the Trinity.

“In this passage, James wants us to consider this question: Do you photoshop your Christianity? Do you allow yourself to only see the better snapshots of your faith? …in the same way that no one like to see candid photos of themselves, no one likes to see their natural face in the mirror of God’s word either. So we read God’s word, or we hear preaching and feel rebuked by it, but then we walk out the door and make no practical steps to change. We forget. This is what James calls Worthless Worship”.

Pastor Gutierrez calls us to act on God’s word with “Is your Worship Worthless?” from James 1:22-27

“Death comes for us all. Flee as we might, we see its shadow around the corner, and eventually we stand before it and can flee no longer. The hope Christ gives to his people is that when death comes for us, he will be standing over us. And he is not only more powerful than us. He is more powerful than death in all its forms. And he will snatch up spiritual death as it comes for us and destroy it – because in every important way he has already destroyed its power over us when he died on the cross on our behalf… That is the hope Christ offers to his people – not another denial of death, but that we might be protected by him, the defeater of death.”

Pastor Nicoletti preaches “The Denial of Death vs the Defeater of Death” from John 8:46-59.

Elder Mike Pfefferle continues his series on the Trinity during the adult Sunday School hour.

Do we really need more churches? It’s an honest question and one church planters hear often. Presbyterian Church in America church planter Jon Neville tells us about his work in Ferndale, Washington, and then preaches “Mission of the Church,” on how the church is called to mission through church planting from 1 Peter 2:1-12, 20-25.

“Both God and the devil seek children that would be like them. We’ve spoken of these two spiritual beings – of God and of the devil – in parallel … which can give the impression that they are two equal beings – two equal forces – vying for our allegiance. But of course, as Pastor Bonham reminded us last Sunday evening, they are not equals. God is the all-powerful Maker of heaven and earth. The devil is just a finite creature. The end of this conflict is already known – and with it, the destiny of each family.”

Pastor Nicoletti preaches “Children of the Devil” from John 8:37-47.

Part 7 of Elder Mike Pfefferle’s Studies in the Trinity.

The Rev. Nathan Bonham, former teammate in Peru with Pastor Gutiérrez and current missionary to Colombia, preaches from John 17, addressing what implications there are if the chief end of missions is God’s glory.

“Our calling is not to achieve our freedom, but to live out the freedom he has already achieved for us. And how do we do that? By abiding in his word. By holding fast to his teaching. By persevering in his gospel. By remaining in the faith. By seeking to obey his commands. In other words: we work. But we no longer work as slaves to sin leading to death. We now work as adopted sons and daughters in the household of God, leading to sanctification and eternal life.”

Pastor Nicoletti preaches “Slaves and the Offer of Freedom” from John 8:31-38.

After a week away, Elder Mike Pfefferle resumes his series on the Trinity.