December 14, 2025
Fruits Meet for Repentance
“Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.”
Matthew 3:8
Repentance is a change of mind about God, myself, and His salvation. And there are fruits that are meet (befitting, congruent, corresponding) for repentance. A proud, arrogant, judgmental, unforgiving, self-righteous attitude are certainly not fruits meet for repentance. A careless, cold, apathetic indifferent spirit is certainly not fruit meet for repentance. Fruit meet for repentance is the character expressed in the beatitudes - poverty of spirit, mourning over sin, meekness before God, hungering and thirsting for His righteousness, being merciful, pure in heart, a peace-maker, and persecuted for righteousness sake. The “fruit of the Spirit” is certainly fruit meet for genuine repentance. Humility before God, humility over our own sinfulness, humility over the greatness of His salvation, is certainly fruit meet for repentance. “From Me is thy fruit found” (Hosea 14:8). Lord, please give me this fruit meet for repentance! ~Todd Nibert
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Free Will or Predestination
Free will is responsible for every evil in the world. All sin is the result of free will. Free will is why the first murder was committed. It's responsible for all war and has produced every false religion. Free will is the doctrine of the sovereignty of man. Predestination is the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. If believed, it will abolish all race problems and rid us of all tyranny and war. “Now therefore our God we thank thee and praise thy glorious name” (1 Chron. 29:10-14). ~Scott Richardson
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Him and Them
That precious saving faith which unites the sinner to Christ, also unites the sinner to all of those who belong to Christ. To be one with Him is to be one with them. Loving and serving Him has something to do with loving and serving them; likewise, loving and serving them has something to do with loving and serving Him (Matthew 25:31-46). Saving faith says that there is one Savior. Saving faith also says that there is only one household, one family, one body, one vine tree, etc. “I (Christ) am the vine, ye are the branches” (John 15:5). ~Maurice Montgomery
Love
1 Cor. 13:4-8
"LOVE SUFFERS LONG;" that is, it makes a man patient and long-suffering with the faults of others. He is not easily offended and given to wrath. "LOVE IS KIND," tender and compassionate. Love wishes to bestow the best that it can on the object of its affection (Eph. 4:32). "LOVE ENVIETH NOT;" or does not boil over with jealousy, but is made happy by the prosperity and happiness of others. Nothing is more adverse to love than envy. "LOVE VAUNTETH NOT ITSELF;" it is never proud, conceited, nor arrogant. What do we have to be conceited about? "Who maketh thee to differ?" (I Cor. 4:7). “LOVE IS NOT PUFFED UP!" (Rom. 12:3, 10). ~Henry Mahan (bulletin 1996)
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How Much Must One Believe?
There is an ongoing debate among some concerning how much one must believe in order to be saved. Permit me to put an end to this question in your own minds. What must we believe in order to be saved? Why, EVERYTHING THAT IS WRITTEN! Whatever God has said, we must believe in order to be saved. Paul said, “After the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, BELIEVING ALL THINGS WHICH ARE WRITTEN IN THE LAW AND IN THE PROPHETS” (Acts 24:14). Seems absurd in light of this passage that men should ask such a question…. “How much?” Does not one have to BELIEVE in order to be called a BELIEVER? Now, one does not have to fully UNDERSTAND all things in order to be a believer, but merely believe and receive all that is written. The most learned believer must confess, “We know in part.” What a man believes is revealing, but even more revealing is what he does not believe. ~Paul Mahan
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Christ is the very essence of all delights and pleasures, the very soul and substance of them. As all the rivers are gathered into the ocean, which is the meeting place of all the waters of the world, so Christ is that ocean in which all true delights and pleasures meet.
~John Flavel
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“A man’s free will cannot cure him even of the toothache, or a sore finger; and yet he madly thinks it is in its power to cure his soul.” ~Augustus Toplady
CALL TO WORSHIP
Our sov’reign God maintains His universal throne;
In heav’n, and earth, and hell He reigns, and makes His wonders known!
His counsels and decrees, firmer than mountains stand;
He will perform whate’er He please; and none can stay His hand!
All things His will controls; and His all-wise decree
Has fixed the destinies of all in matchless sov’reignty. —
Jacob by grace He saved, and gives no reason why;
But Esau’s heart He left depraved. — And who shall dare reply?
What if the Potter takes part of a lump of clay
And for Himself a vessel makes and casts the rest away?
Who shall resist His will, or say, “What doest Thou?”
Jehovah is the Sov’reign still; and all to Him must bow!
My soul, bow and adore the Lord in all His ways;
His sov’reignty none can explore; but I will trust His grace!
“For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things:
To Whom be glory evermore! Amen! Amen! Amen!”
(Tune: “This is My Father’s World” p. 39)
NURSERY
This Week 10:00 Kay 10:45 Christine
Next Week 10:00 Renae 10:45 Rachel
Birthdays
December 15 Jorge Velasco Dec 20 Casey Barnette
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I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD. Ps 122:1-4.
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Upcoming Bible Conference
January 16-18 Grace Gospel Church, Apopka, FL
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There will be no Wednesday night service on Christmas Eve.