Locust Grove evening service for 8/3/2011 online

http://www.mediafire.com/?x9ec1witoi9h4rs

Thought for Today

What Sin Really Is

BIBLE MEDITATION:
"He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God." John 3:18

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
The world doesn't really know what sin is. They think sin is lying,
stealing, murder, adultery, arson, rape. No, those are sins. Do you know
what sin is? Sin is the rejection of Jesus Christ that will damn a soul to
hell. You don't go to hell because you steal, lie, kill, or fornicate.

I hear people say, "Sure, I lie every now and again, but God isn't going to
send me to hell for that. I might fry a few years in purgatory, but to die
in hell for lying doesn't make sense."

When a man talks that way, he doesn't understand sin.

Sin is high treason against a holy God. Sin is a clenched fist in the face
of God. Sin says to God, "I will not bow to You. I will not serve You. I
will not trust You." That is sin.

ACTION POINT:
The great commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind.
The great sin is not to do it.

Wednesday Evening service

The Locust Grove Baptist church Wednesday evening service is now online for listening/downloading.

http://www.mediafire.com/?oclvcgw2bwwih4m

Thought for Today

Honesty is not measured in degrees.

Wednesday evening service

The Locust Grove Baptist church service for Wednesday July 6, 2011 is now online.

http://www.mediafire.com/?wbr06ix2wfhkxfp

Wednesday Evening Service

Locust Grove Baptist Church Wednesday Evening service for May 31 is now online.
http://www.mediafire.com/?9vq2o7sgwe02fzm

Thought for Today

He Had It All

Farrokh-Bulsara is not a well known name yet at one point in his life he possessed all the world had to offer. He had become a millionaire at least 50 times over at a relatively early age, he had fame and adulation of fans on a global scale. He once gave himself a birthday party at the exclusive Berkshire Hotel in New York, flew his friends to it from Europe on the Concorde supersonic jet, the party went on for days and was attended by scores of celebrities. Yet with all the trappings of fame and fortune he made this statement.."YOU CAN HAVE EVERTHING IN THE WORLD and still be the loneliest man, I've had lots of lovers, I tried relationships on either side, male and female, but all of them have gone wrong. Sucess has brought me idolization and millions of dollars but has not satisified me."
The man the world knew as Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the rock music group Queen which sold over one-hundred million records made this statement shorty before his death at age fourty-six from the disease AIDS.

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Mark 8:36

Wednesday evening service

The Locust Grove Baptist church service for Wednesday evening 5/04/2011 is now online for podcast/listening.

http://www.mediafire.com/?9b47337xi1n1hnr

Thought for today

Living Beneath Our Privileges

A little over six hundred years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Jeremiah came upon the scene in Judah. God’s people had abandoned loyalty to Him and were on the verge of being completely carried away into captivity due to their sins (Jeremiah 25:8-14; Deuteronomy 28:63-64). Through the prophet Jeremiah, Jehovah begged His people to return to Him but they would not (Jeremiah 4:3-4; Jeremiah 6:16). He gave them plenty of time to repent before sending the armies of Nebuchadnezzar for destruction, yet they refused to heed (Jeremiah 5:21). Those of Judah had the privilege of serving the Almighty God but they chose rather to live below their privileges. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet cried out, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved” (Jeremiah 8:20). Then, he asked a haunting question, “Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there? Why then is there no recovery for the health of the daughter of my people” (Jeremiah 8:22).

Jeremiah’s point was simply this: To be sin sick before Jehovah made no sense at all. The opportunity to repent was there and to ignore it was the same as a diseased man refusing balm in Gilead, a territory known for its medicinal remedies. We marvel that Judah would live below her privileges and that she did not take advantage of the opportunities she had. However, do not many do the same today? Let us consider the following thoughts:

1) There is saving power in the gospel (Mark 2:17; 1 Timothy 1:15; 1 John 2:2). However, many refuse to obey the gospel and find healing for their sin sick souls (Romans 10:16; cf. Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 17:30; Romans 10:9-10; Romans 10:17).

2) There is enabling power in the gospel (1 Corinthians 1:18; cf. Acts 20:32; Romans 1:16; James 1:21,22; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Despite this truth, there are those who are spiritually weak and powerless because they do not avail themselves of the word of God (2 Timothy 2:15; Matthew 4:4; 1 Peter 2:2).

3) There is focusing power in the gospel (Matthew 5:16; Matthew 6:33; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Philippians 1:21; Philippians 3:13-14). The gospel provides purpose for living, yet many live purposeless lives. The Christian is to glorify God in all that he does as he seeks to put the Kingdom absolutely first (Matthew 6:33). This mindset, motivated by the gospel, helps a man to carry out his true reason for living (Isaiah 43:7; Ecclesiastes 12:13).

4) There is fulfilling power in the gospel (John 10:10; Philippians 4:4-9; I Thessalonians 5:16). Christian living is abundant, joyous living. Yet many are unhappy and unfulfilled. Why is this? Because they have chosen to live beneath the privileges of the gospel.

Conclusion

Judah had every opportunity to be blessed by God (Deuteronomy 28:1-2), yet they chose the underprivileged path. When we choose not to serve the Lord with all of our “heart, soul, mind and strength” (Mark 12:30-31), we too choose to live beneath our privileges. Therefore, let us choose the path of spiritual riches found in Christ, where there is salvation, strength, purpose and happiness. “Is there no balm in Gilead, Is there no physician there?” (Jeremiah 8:22) To ask the question, is to answer the question.

Wednesday Evening service

The Wednesday evening service is now online for listening/downloading.

http://www.mediafire.com/?o3sad42fosclk1y