Fellowship Reformed Church of Holland

Bulletin

Our 39th Day series continued this week with the story of the Devil’s 40 Day Tempt of Jesus in the wilderness (Luke 13:1-13). Pastor Ross shared three stories to teach on this passage.

The first was The Parable of a Chinese Farmer, with an emphasis on not rushing to judgements, but taking time to discern whether we are facing a trial or a temptation. The second story was about a professor’s wisdom for alumni, and the importance of focusing on our identity in Christ because everything else is secondary. The third story used The Parable of a Rope and a Barn as the metaphor of us relying on Christ because we cannot do it ourselves. Pastor Ross said it so well: “Even better than copying Jesus, tie your rope to Him. Sure, we can learn some tricks from Jesus about how to resist temptation in life, but we will never do it perfectly, and we don’t have to, because He did.”

In the midst of a 39th Day, discern well, focus on our identity in Christ, and rely on Him.

Bulletin

The word “Languish” is the perfect word to describe the 39th day. One definition of ‘languish’ puts it this way: “It is the void between depression and flourishing.” It’s not functioning at full capacity...”the dulling of delight and the dwindling of drive.” And it is perhaps the perfect word to describe the prophet Elijah at the beginning of 1 Kings 19:5-8. In fleeing evil Queen Jezebel, Elijah became exhausted and without strength. An angel of the Lord came and strengthened him for his coming journey that would take for 40 days and 40 nights. The hospitality of the Lord at the beginning of Elijah’s journey sustained him the whole way. As Pastor Lindsay put it, “While we languish, God lavishes. We sometimes only need to break a bit to see it.”

The antidote of languishing is lavishing. “See what great love God has lavished on us that we should be called children of God.” Are we missing the lavish love of God? Are we missing opportunities to lavish others with the love of God when we are caught in languishing? This is about lifting our eyes from our own troubles and looking up to God and looking out to lavishing others with Christ’s love. 

Bulletin

The 39th Day we learned about this Sunday was a story of the victorious underdog. This, of course, is David who stood up against Goliath. The odds were against David, voices who said that he couldn't do it, that he wasn't enough. The greatest reminder from this story it this: every battle we face is spiritual, and eventually missional. David had the power and the confidence to fight boldly the enemy of God because he knew his God was with him in the battle.

Bulletin

We kicked off our new series this Sunday, "The 39th Day". The number 40 shows up often in Scripture. You know, like the 40 days in the ark, the Israelite's 40 years in the wilderness, Jesus' own 40 days in the wilderness. 40 in the Bible represents a period of time of challenge and endurance; so "The 39th Day" is a play on the 'during', the waiting before the hope is realized, the almost-but-not-quite end of a hard season. This 39th day experience is a test of our steadfastness of faith.

Yesterday, Pastor Lindsay focused on the feeling of restlessness with a 39th day season of life. The restlessness that tests our faithfulness leads to discontentedness, forgetfulness, and impulsiveness. But the invitation is this: to move from restlessness into rest in the contentment of Christ. "Resting is an act of faith that we are all being called to take, no matter what day it is."

Bulletin

We had the pleasure of having seminary intern Jackson Nickolay preach to us this Sunday from Luke 24:13-35 on The Road to Emmaus story. We see Jesus' intentional pursuit of two grieving disciples walking away from the place were they experienced loss. By the end of the story, Jesus' time with them had the two disciples rejoicing in hope and running back in the direction from which they came to share the hope they'd received.

Bulletin

Bulletin

"And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace.'" - Luke 19:41

Jesus came to Jerusalem, not on a horse but on a donkey; not to win a war but to win hearts, "knowing that the wars will not cease until all the hearts are won," as Pastor Ross put it.

Bulletin

Bulletin

On Sunday, we learned from the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. Pastor Lindsay spoke on how the prodigal son, upon his return to his father, named his sin and turned away from it. We also see the flip side of the story. The one of the older brother full of judgment towards his wayward sibling, seeing his brother's faults before his own. Both fell short of sin in the story, yet both are embraced by the grace of their loving father.

Bulletin

"God is a God of new beginnings and He is a very good beginner of things." - Pastor Ross, on Luke13:18-21.

In this passage we see two parables about the Kingdom of Heaven, which begins small and grows to be something great like a tiny mustard seed that grows into a great tree. We serve a God who is in the business of new beginnings and bringing something great out of something small.