Your duty as parents is to teach your children to delight in the things of the Lord. The goal is not just well-behaved children who have no delight in the Lord; but children who are obedient & self-controlled because they delight in the Lord.

A large part of this duty is done by training your children how to worship the Lord here each Sunday. It’s a glory to have a congregation full of little ones. They truly are a blessing, even when they might be a little more vocal or squirmy than they should be. Parents, and dads especially, should vigilantly work to teach your children how good & pleasant it is to worship the living God. Don’t get ruffled & flustered if Jr. needs ten trips to the discipline room to get his attitude squared away. After all, our Heavenly Father has been exceedingly patient to teach us the same lessons repeatedly.

The best way to prepare your children to worship rightly here at church is by showering them with attentive love at home. This means consistent discipline. Focused attention. Speech that’s both gentle & stern, without a note of irritation & annoyance. Turn your hearts to your children, so that they might turn their hearts to the Father.

Now, a word to the whole congregation. As families are laboring–and it is a labor–to train their little ones, be exceedingly gracious & helpful. This may look like lending a helping hand to a mom when the dad is taking Jr. out. Refrain from giving glares or unsolicited advice. Perhaps ask beforehand if you can help get them the wine during communion, since their hands are full of babies.

The sum is this: while children are most welcome here, we are welcoming them into the delight of God’s presence, not into the narcissist self-absorption of our culture.

Ben Zornes – October 8, 2023

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In Galatians 6 we read these words of the Apostle Paul: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” 

It could be said that in the Christian life there are two kinds of burdens that will be experienced. 

The first, which Paul is speaking most immediately of, is that of the burden of sin. He says that when a brother or sister is struggling in sin, we are to restore them in a spirit of gentleness (Gal. 6:1). We must not leave them to drown in the destructive pit of guilt and shame, but carry them to the light of Christ’s forgiveness. 

The second kind of burden would be that of various weaknesses – whether it be bodily sickness, providential afflictions, grief, depression, relational or financial strains, or any other heavy thing.

If the church is one Body, which it is, then the various burdens present in this room right now are all of ours to bear, in order that we may fulfill the law of Christ, which is love. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, if one member suffers, all the members suffer – for when one part of the body hurts, the whole body is affected (1 Cor. 12:26). Likewise Scripture tells us to remember those in chains, as though we were in chains with them (Heb. 13:3). Why? Again – because we are all members of one Body. 

Now given all of this, consider the common phrase that we have all heard or even thought ourselves in our own hearts – “I just don’t want to be a burden.” 

While it is certainly a good to desire to stand on your own two feet by the grace of God, the fact is if you have a significant and heavy burden, you must not bear it alone. You must not be too proud to let others help. For it is not just the duty of the church to care for one another – but it ought to be our strong desire and delight.

If you are in genuine need, if the Lord has worked a weakness in your life, if you feel like you’re barely keeping your head above water in this season – you need the church. It is through many tribulations that we enter the kingdom of God. But we must never go through them alone.

Shawn Paterson – October 8, 2023

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Brothers and Sisters of Christ Church Troy, whether you consciously do so or not, you are a representative of the most High God to your neighbors here in Troy. You have the name of God upon you, you are a member of His visible church, and your calling is to be the salt and light to the earth. That’s who you are in the story, and every Christian is to be that salt and light, but I want to impress upon you that God has been telling a specific story here in Troy. There is conflict here, there are lies being told about you and what you believe, and ultimately the lie is being told about who God is. And so, God has called you to a high task here in Troy that no one should take lightly. And you will either you will be a faithful servant pointing others here in Troy toward Christ or you will be an unfaithful servant taking the Lord’s name that is upon you in vain. Clearly there is only one option, the faithful servant, so let me dive deeper. 

We are not to do our works in order to be seen by men to get praise from men, but we are to do good works so that others might see Christ through us and glorify God in Heaven. So, what good works should you be focusing on, How are you to be salt and light. In the face of lies, let only goodness and truth come out of your mouth. Don’t gossip about your neighbor, don’t talk bad about what you saw or what heard from your neighbor. Don’t lie about your neighbor. Conversation among kirkers should not center around what so-and-so said on facebook or what you overheard so-and-so say at the gas station. Your words, even about your enemies, should not tear them down. Simply put, you should not talk bad about your enemies. If you have a complaint about them then go to them directly or seek counsel from the elders or other wise men about the situation. But do not spread a bad report among your friends. This increases division where we are to bring peace. Instead dwell on that which is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, if there is any good report, if there is any virtue, if there is anything praiseworthy, talk about such things.

Zach Browning – October 8, 2023

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Since we live in the new covenant era, Peter says we must gird up the loins of our minds. “Gird up your loins” refers to tucking a long robe into the belt in order to be ready for physical activity. But this phrase is not applied to clothing by Peter, but to the mind. So take a moment of honest self-examination: How are the loins of your mind?

You can go wrong in at least two ways. On the one hand, your mind could be hanging loose like some unfurled Israelite brick-layer on the third hour of a 30-minute lunch break. This error means your mind is undisciplined and unsteady. You’d rather go get a tooth pulled than have to face off in one of those Bible sword drill contests. And when the world, the flesh, and the devil run a three-man blitz on you, your mind lacks the training to stay in the pocket, make your reads, and complete the pass.

On the other hand, there is the error of having the loins of your mind wound up like the knotted robe of a Galilean who just finished break dancing in a tornado. You have not hit the mark simply because your mind churns from one anxiety to the next. The goal is a girded mind, not one wound so tight it cuts off circulation to the frontal lobe.

The solution to both of these errors is meditation upon God’s Word. You can possess a sober mind that is ready for the next fiery trial. But there is no other way than this: Hear the Word, Believe the Word, Obey the Word.

Jared Longshore – October 8, 2023

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