This coming Sunday morning we are beginning a brief (spring–summer) series of messages on the shortest books in the New Testament—the Second and Third of the three inspired Epistles written by the “disciple whom Jesus loved,” John.
These little letters contain less than three-hundred words each, and together they are affectionately known by some as ‘New Testament post-cards.’ 2 John has just 13 verses in all, while 3 John has only 15. But we should not be misled by their brevity. As we shall see, these are important and powerful letters authored by the very Apostle who also penned 1 John, the Fourth Gospel, and the Book of Revelation.
John wrote these books some sixty years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. So we will be studying two letters that were authored and sent during the turbulent second half of the first Christian century, somewhere between 90 and 95 AD. And, most authorities agree that John wrote these letters from the ancient city of Ephesus, in what was then called ‘Asia Minor,’ or what we now know as modern Turkey.
On Sunday we will take up 2 John and begin our study with verses 1-2. If you would like to read a good commentary on these Epistles as we study them together, then I would recommend The Message of John’s Letters, by David Jackman. The Amazon link is:
And you will also benefit from reading through 1 John as well. In fact, some New Testament scholars have suggested that 2 John is a summary of 1 John as it addresses similar concerns that moved the Apostle to write to his friends living in and around Ephesus.
May our Lord bless you all as we prepare our hearts to come to worship. And I can’t wait to see you on Sunday!
In His eternal grace,
Mike
Upcoming Events:
April 23, 4:30 PM – Youth Group Meeting
April 25, 8 AM – Senior Fellows Fishing trip to Green Mountain
April 25, 6 PM– Women’s Evening Bible Study
April 26, 9 AM – Women’s Morning Bible Study
April 26, 9 AM – Senior Fellows – Bags of Blessings at The CARE Center
May 5, 5 PM – Parents’ Night Out – Wild Wild Wild West
May 7, 4 PM – Church Picnic at Monte Sano Lodge
Connecting with the Catechism:
Q. 52. What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment?
A. The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God’s sovereignty over us, his propriety in us, and the zeal he hath to his own worship.
Ps. 95:2-3, 6-7; 96:9-10
Ex. 19:5; Ps. 45:11; Isa. 54:5
Ex. 34:14; I Cor. 10:22
Q. 53. Which is the third commandment?
A. The third commandment is, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
Ex. 20:7; Deut. 5:11
Q. 54. What is required in the third commandment?
A. The third commandment requireth the holy and reverent use of God’s names, titles, attributes, ordinances, Word, and works.
Deut. 10:20; Ps. 29:2; Matt. 6:9
I Chron. 29:10-13; Rev. 15:3-4
Acts 2:42; I Cor. 11:27-28
Ps. 138:2; Rev. 22:18-19
Ps. 107:21-22; Rev. 4:11
Announcements:
Senior Fellows Fishing Trip:
OnTuesday, April 25, the Senior Fellows are going fishing at the Green Mountain Nature Park. Come with us, and bring your children and grandchildren!
We should catch fish (bass, bream, crappie, catfish). We will surely catch good fellowship. Meet at the pavilion inside the park on Green Mountain at 8 AM. Check in at the park entry shack and pay a $2.00 fishing fee.
Car pools will leave from the Church at 7:30 AM. Bring your fishing tackle and bait (worms, artificial, other) and a picnic lunch.
The lake is located on the Green Mountain Road/ S. Shawdee Road crossing the mountain; can be accessed from the West (Bailey Cove Road) or East (Old Big Cove Road) sides of the mountain.
Parents’ Night Out:
The next Parents’ Night Out will be on May 5th at the church. The theme is Wanted: Children After God’s Own Heart. Please contact Meg Wohleber if you would like to sign up your children or if you would like to volunteer to help.
Church Picnic:
Come enjoy a time of fellowship at Monte Sano State Park (the large pavilion) for our spring Church picnic! The church will be providing the BBQ and drinks. If you would like to bring a side dish or dessert please click here. In the past our church body has shown that we have many members who are expert ice cream makers! This is always a hit and we would love for some of you to bring your favorite homemade ice cream creations again!
There is always plenty of food, so if you can’t bring something do not let that keep you from coming! There will be a playground for the kids, and picnic tables but if you would like to bring a lawn game, and lawn chairs (horseshoes etc.) there is open space to accommodate that kind of fun!
Date: May 7th 2017 Time: 4pm–6pm Where: Monte Sano State Park (the large pavilion).
The pavilion reservation includes admissions for all our attendees. Just identify your purpose/destination at the park entrance.
Looking forward to our time of fellowship! If you have any questions let us know!
Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Chris Smotherman, Elizabeth Holton, Janet Chou, Ramona Edwards, Katie Dyer, Rebecca Berry, Jenan Nuwayhid, Ned Nuwayhid, Zig Jastrebski, Leon Galecki, Patti Carter, Jane Owens, Anna Stafford, Dona Sims, and Sondra Behmer. Expecting parents: Please pray for the McCool family, due in June. Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); Reid and Kelli Jones; Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky
Garcia (seminary student).