As the Lord allows, this coming Lord’s Day and on Sunday, January 20^th, we will cover our January Bible Study for 2013. I will bring an introductory sermon on each of these two Lord’s Day mornings; and, we will have two forty-five minute study sessions beginning at 6:00pm on these two Sundays!

I hope you will set aside these dates and times to be part of this study. It is great that the study this year is about the Passion Week. Just two weeks ago, we celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ with an annual Christmas Sermon; and, now we move immediately to His death, burial, and resurrection.

The sermon for this coming Sunday morning is entitled, “Contemporary Applications.” It is the “So What?” message of the series. I usually do the applications at the end of a message or series of messages, but, I wanted to introduce these lessons by pointing out clearly why we should be concerned about the events that have been called, “The Most Important Week in Human History.”

First, we will consider what is means to us today that Jesus Christ is God in human flesh. 1980 years after these events what do they mean to us and how should they impact our lives today?

Second, we will consider how these events reveal what is truly our greatest need. All humans share this greatest need and that need, and how God meets that need, can be clearly seen in these events!

Third, we will consider what these events teach us about the nature of God. He reveals Himself more clearly in this one week of human history than at any other time. We need to know Who God is and what He is like… and we will see that clearly!

Fourth, we will consider what these events teach us about the motive for and nature of God’s relationship with humans. Last night at our Theology Reading Group we discussed the question, “Why would God even bother with rebellious people such as we are?” This will also become clear during this study!

Fifth, what does the radical nature of God’s way of salvation teach us about the existence of any other way to be saved?

Sixth, we will consider the implications of this reality and what it teaches us about the kind of people who reject God’s offer of free and full salvation!

Seventh, and finally, we will consider what these eleven key events teach us about what our response must be to what God has done for us and how we ought to respond to those around us and around the world who do not know Jesus and what He has done for them!

In my humble, but accurate opinion, this is going to be a very helpful study. I know all of us are busy… too busy… but, I hope you will invest the time to be part of this and that you will invite family and friends to attend with you.

I hope to see you Sunday with your Bible in your hand, a smile on your face, and family and friends by your side!