Announcements

MEMBER ALERT:

Bible classes: The 2nd quarter of our “Shaping Hearts” Bible class curriculum starts on Sunday April 7, 2024. The walls of the hallway, showcases great stories in Exodus. These accounts teach us about God’s mighty hand, and His power. God rescues the Israelites from the Oppressor, the Passover Lamb provides salvation, and the red sea is parted to allow the Israelites to escape. Your child will learn how the Old Testament is truly a tutor to lead us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). This is exciting

Lessons are taught Sundays 10-10:45am, and Wednesdays 7:30- 8:15pm. We encourage you to bring your young ones to both classes so the can benefit most from lessons. Our prayer and goal is that our young ones will love the Truth and internalize the Truths in scriptures so they may become obedient and faithful disciples of Christ. Let us all do our part to encourage our young ones to memorize scripture, develop holy habits, and love to come to Bible classes and worship services. Parents and guardians, we are honored to journey with you on this path. If you did not receive the Bible class letter from our shepherds, please contact brothers Kwaku or Riley

Sign-up sheets are on the bulletin board for hall monitors, Sunday morning greeters, meal contact persons and Bible class substitutes and assistants on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Pray for our shepherds and the flock (our congregation): that we may all submit to the Lord's will and His design for His Church that He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28, 31; 1 Thessalonians 5:11-24; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; 5:1-21; Titus 1:6-15; 1 Peter 5:1-11).

MEMORY VERSES

John 1: 40 - “One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother NASB95

John 1: 41-42 - He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter). NASB95

Present Kingdom, Future Kingdom

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (2 Timothy 4:18).

IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD SOMETHING THAT EXISTS IN THIS WORLD OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT WILL EXIST IN ETERNITY? The answer, if we let the Scriptures be our authority, is that it is both. Present. The Scriptures clearly teach that the kingdom is a present reality. Jesus said it was “at hand” (Mark 1:15), and in Mark 9:1, He said, “There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” The kingdom began on the first Pentecost after Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 1:1–2:47), and it has existed ever since. Anyone can be in the kingdom who accepts the requirements of God’s forgiveness and lives under the loving rule of God. Paul wrote that God “has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13).

Future. The Scriptures also teach that the kingdom is a future reality, one the saints greatly anticipate but have not yet entered into (2 Timothy 4:18). Peter urged his fellow Christians to “be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:10,11).

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul wrote at length about our resurrection when Christ returns. The events surrounding Christ’s return will conclude the history of this world and bring it to its climax. For those who have obeyed the gospel and remained faithful to the commitment they made, that will be the time when they pass from the kingdom of God in this world to His kingdom in eternity. “Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (vv.24–26).

“To say that we are in the kingdom implies that we have submitted our lives unto the rule of God in His Son. But God’s rule was never intended to be confined in space and time, for it is an eternal kingdom. We simply submit to God’s rule now so that we may live under the rule and care of God forever. We enter the kingdom now . . . in order that we may ‘be heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him’ (James 2:5)” (Tommy Poarch).