Author: Martha Kasper

During Bible Hour we are covering Controversial Issues in Christianity, where good Christians have differing opinions. So far, Pastor Matt has taught on the Doctrine of Hell and the Doctrine of the Atonement. Our understanding of Scripture hinges on our method of Biblical interpretation. More issues to come in the following weeks. Bible Hour is interactive, with questions and comments welcome from the congregation. Please Join us at 9:30 for Bible Hour.

For our 11 am Corporate Worship Service, Pastor Matt is preaching through 1 Thessalonians. Recently we studied chapter 4: 14-18, where Paul reminds Christians that the seeming permanence of death is only temporary because of Christ’s resurrection (1 Cor 15:17-18). We need to be informed and encouraged because of the reality of the resurrection and of the rapture (1 Thes 4:14, 18). All people, including unbelievers will be resurrected into an eternally lasting physical form (Matt 25:46). While we wait, this knowledge should provoke us to purity and endurance. Join us for Sunday mornings for sermons on 1 Thessalonians.

During the Bible Hour, Pastor Matt is teaching on the four key components of our church name. We are currently in “Bible” as we discuss how the Word of God is our lamp to our feet (Psalm 119:105) and how our time spent in the word of God has a purifying effect on our emotions and beliefs. The value for studying the Bible has lasting worth in this life and the life to come. Join us at 9:30 as we continue to study the Bible and then study the Church (Ecclesiology).

During our corporate worship service at 11 am, we are studying 1 Thessalonians. In chapter 4 we have seen how sanctification is an emphasis and Pastor Matt defined sanctification as “the process of taking something or someone corrupted, defiled and unhelpful and making them holy, pure and useful.”  He reminded us that we should “pursue with unrelenting dedication sanctification to maximize our usefulness to God.” Christians should be distinct from our world system and that this is not mere conformity of behavior, but it is a change that starts in the mind.  As we learn more about the Lord, our passionate pursuit should be holiness. You are encouraged to join us for this transformative study!

During the 9:30 Bible Hour Pastor Matt is teaching on the four key components in our church name: Grace Atlanta Bible Church.

First, we were reminded that we are people of grace. We need grace, the undeserved blessing freely bestowed on a person by God for salvation, sanctification, and glorification. We looked at the different kinds of grace in the Bible, like common universal grace, special saving grace and sustaining sanctification grace. Now we are discussing how to contextualize the gospel, “helping the components of the Gospel be better understood in specific contexts where there may otherwise be barriers to understanding.” Contextualizing is not compromising the gospel in anyway. We looked at examples in Scripture including Stephen in Acts 7, Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13 and Paul on Mars Hill in Acts 17.  We can be strategic with the gospel to capitalize on elements of the gospel for maximum connection.  The Gospel is always relevant with its discussion of sin, our individual need for a savior and where we spend eternity. Join us as we continue this topical study.

During the 11 am Corporate Worship Service Pastor Matt continues to preach through 1 Thessalonians. From chapter 1 we see that we need to pursue high quality Christian service in order to impact the world with Biblically based truth and grace. Paul was thankful for the fellow believers and mentioned their faith, love, and hope, commending their endurance. Our labor should be motivated not by obligation or fear, but our growing love for God and for others.  

From chapter 2 we saw Paul appealing to his integrity in his dealing with the Christians in Thessalonica. We studied his two analogies of being gentle like a nursing mother (2:7) as well as like a father (2:11-12) in encouraging, comforting, and urging them to live in a way pleasing to God. The transfer of nutrients from mother to baby remind us that Paul, too, intentionally and strategically provided care and Biblical nutrition in a loving and graceful way. Also, the Biblical nutrition that you pass along is only as good as what you receive, so our distribution of Biblical truth will never be better than our input. As Pastor Matt summarized, “An impactful recipe for the dissemination of the Gospel and of Biblical truth today is a combination of relationship, time, compassion and content (2:12-13).”

Join us for new studies in the new year! During the 9:30 Bible Hour, starting Sunday January 7, Pastor Matt will begin teaching on the four foundational words in our name: Grace Atlanta Bible Church. First, he will teach on grace, a Biblical concept often lacking in many churches today.  This study will last from January to February.

In the 11:00 Corporate Worship Service, Pastor Matt will be preaching through 1 Thessalonians. Come join our service and be encouraged as we study of a book filled with instructions on godly living and reminders of the reality of Christ’s second coming.  The new year is a great time to make church a priority. Please join us!

We are wrapping up our study of Zechariah during the Bible Study Hour in the next few weeks.  Currently we are surveying chapters 9-14, the section that is most often quoted in the New Testament. Last week we discussed the wise and foolish shepherds in Zechariah 11. Join us at 9:30 for our Zechariah study.

In our Sunday Morning Worship Service, we are nearing the end of James chapter 5. Recently, Pastor Matt has discussed how faith healers play on the deception of deluded people, and that instead, we must pray fervently and trust God for the outcome.  He reminded us that the Father saying no to the Son’s prayer (see Matthew 26:39) demolishes the belief that one’s faith is related to the fervency of our prayers. God, as a perfect parent, loves us enough to even say no to our prayers. Join us at 11 am for our study on the Book of James.

On December 17^th Pastor Matt will begin preaching Christmas themed messages. Please join us on Sunday December 24 for our special Christmas service.