Pastoral Notes (Page 2)
With so much information crowding our minds we need regular reminders of God’s faithfulness. These “Pastoral Notes” are brief devotionals, articles, and prayers written by the elders of Grace Presbyterian Church for the edification of the saints. We hope they encourage you as you seek to glorify God and enjoy him forever.
The apostles wrote letters to the churches under their care. Many of their pastoral notes were recognized as the very word of God. The letters of the New Testament from Paul, Peter, and James were written for a particular situation in the first century, but they have ongoing relevance for us today. They were the teachings of the apostles to which members of the early church were devoted (Acts 2:42).
These pastoral notes do not have the benefit of being divinely inspired, but they are an attempt to treat God’s Word as such and to apply it to our present needs in our particular culture and context. We seek to read everything, from the daily news to popular books to systematic theologies, through the lens of God’s special revelation contained in the 66 books of the Bible. God’s Word is the only infallible rule for faith and life. As such, it should inform everything we think and say. We write from a reformed perspective.
You may want to sign up for our weekly newsletter if you would like to be notified whenever we write another note. We also include our weekly church calendar events along with prayer requests. You will find the form to sign up at the bottom of this page. Also, if you live in the Fresno area, we invite you to worship with us at 10:30 AM on Sunday mornings!
Heavenly Father, we come to you because we know that you alone have the answers to our greatest needs. You are faithful and kind to hear us when we call upon you. When everything else in our world is turned upside down, you remain upright. You are steadfast and sure. You are our Rock when every other foundation is shifting sand. We are grateful that it seems the earliest predictions of this coronavirus crisis are not bearing out in reality.…
Heavenly Father, we come to you during a time of great uncertainty. We do not know how long our nation will be stuck in isolation, nor do really have any idea of the magnitude of this Coronavirus crisis. Some of us do not know what our job situation will be at the end of this. Most of us are preparing for some level of financial impact. We come to you during this time of uncertainty, because we know that you…
As you spend this week in private and family worship I wanted to supply you with a few questions that might help you and your family to reflect upon our sermon from last Sunday (“Doxology of Hope” 1 Peter 1:3-5). I recommend taking 1-2 questions each day as you have time rather than trying to cram it all into one session. Discuss examples from Peter’s life that reflect an impulsive personality. He seems to be frequently caught up in present circumstances without…
The doctrine of divine impassibility is best illustrated by considering the problem of human passibility. This past Sunday, we looked at Acts 14. The first missionary journey included a stop in Lystra where the people thought Paul and Barnabas were gods after they witnessed the healing of a man crippled from birth. The people were prepared to offer sacrifices to Zeus (Paul) and Hermes (Barnabas) when the apostles tore their garments and declared, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like…
I love reading God’s Word, but I still haven’t found the perfect Bible reading plan. I find myself switching from one plan to another. Sometimes I want to listen to the audio while I read along. Other times I want to read at a fast pace. And there are also times where I want to slow down and prayerfully consider every word I read. There is no such thing as “the best way” to read God’s Word. The question is,…
I hope you have recovered from your loss of an hour on Sunday. You’re going to need your rest with such a busy week ahead. We can be overwhelmed with a schedule that involves various obligations on top of our commitments to fellowship with members of our church family, friends, and neighbors. When doing everything is impossible, it is easy to shut down and do nothing. We like our routines. We like to keep our calendars open and free from obligations. Routines are important.…
Sriracha makes everything better. That green capped bottle should be a fixture at every meal, whether it be breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even dessert. If you’re between meals, let’s set aside that spicy-sweet cocktail for a minute to consider something even more important–hospitality. I realize that very few things show hospitality better than sharing your bottle of Sriracha, but–crazy as it is–Sriracha doesn’t suit everyone’s palate. So, for the Christian, Sriracha is optional while hospitality is not. Our practice of Christian hospitality is an indicator of…
What I find interesting about Saul’s conversion experience is that Luke spends almost as much time writing about Ananias (Acts 9:10-17) as he does Saul (Acts 9:1-9, 18-19). Ananias had an important role to play as the agent through whom God healed and commissioned Saul. But Ananias hesitated to accept that role (Acts 9:13-14). Of course, no one can really blame him for questioning the sincerity of Saul’s conversion. He had a reputation for being ruthless as he himself would…
The conversion experience of Saul of Tarsus was as significant as it was shocking. Derek Thomas suggests that the spiritual transformation of Saul “ranks among the most significant events in world history.”1 Paul’s missionary journeys took the gospel beyond the regions of Judea and Samaria, to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). The letters of the Apostle Paul account for nearly a quarter of the New Testament. Only Luke wrote more than Paul.2The man who sparked a great persecution (Acts…
As 2014 comes to a close this week, we have a lot to be thankful for. It has been a good year for Grace Clovis. We Are A Church In Clovis We have moved out of our home and into the location in Old Town Clovis. Not only are we a church in Clovis, but we are a church in the heart of Clovis. We love the fact that our church is located on Pollasky and Eighth where people throughout…
