Redeemed Sinners

Baby Tucker - BORN -

2009-06-15T09:24:00.003-04:00

Abby & Bart Tucker had their baby girl last night at East Ridge Hospital.
She was 10lbs and 10oz 20 1/2 long - Her name is Lana Kathryn Tucker - Both mom and baby are great..
AND she has a head full of red hair!
Can't wait to grab a picture and post it for you all.
Diana

Baby Spann

2009-05-23T15:11:00.001-04:00

Introducing... Henry Richard Spann - Born 5/22/09 - 7:45 - 8lbs. 1 oz - 20 in.

Ministry to the Myhans Day

2009-05-04T21:51:00.002-04:00

MINISTRY OPPORTUNITY

WHEN: Saturday, May 16 from 9:00 a.m til ???
WHERE: Home of Herb & Pat Myhan
1002 Elaine Trail (off Gunbarrel Rd)
WHAT: Yard work, house cleaning, food donations

We will have maps available Sunday. Here are some specific needs:
Bush trimming equipment
Lawn mower (they have one but it is a huge yard so if we had two it would be helpful)
Cleaning supplies

We also thought it would be nice to be able to take them some food - casseroles, bread, etc. If anyone feels so led in that direction that would be great.

Diana Simpson has generously offered to provide child care at her house for those who may need it. Please let her know ASAP if you do.

We hope this will be the first of many other hands-on ministry opportunities for our class. This Sunday, we will try to get a head count of who is planning to participate.

Any questions, call Chris (463-2380) or Becky (463-2381).

The Simpson Housewarming Party - (Co-ed) Pampered Chef Party

2009-04-15T09:27:00.001-04:00

Todd and I want to invite you all to come to a small housewarming party. We are still living out of boxes for the most part... but we want our house to be open to you all - anytime!!
Emily Martin will be cooking with the girls upstairs and showing us the latest pampered chef toys while Todd will be entertaining the guys downstairs :) Rsvp to: dianasimpsonphotography@comcast.net
Kids are welcome!

2009-02-22T15:54:00.002-05:00

Theology it is Practical: Or Bring Your Brain with Ya
Today in Sunday School I mentioned how important theology was to the Christian's everyday life. Indeed theology is of foundational importance when it comes to practically living out your Christian faith in everyday life. I thought to help us chew on this a bit I would toss out a point of reflection on theology and its practical nature.
Defining theology correctly makes all the difference in the world. Oh the substance is in the definition of things. Now if we defined theology as the "rigorous study of retaining banal details of divine adages" then we have already lost the battle. However, if we define theology rightly then we can some to see the absolute practical value of theology for everyday life. I would offer us three simple definitions of theology to help us see the usefulness of this glorious discipline of the Christian life.
First, at its most basic meaning the word theology means a study of God. How can studying God be unpractical? Well it can’t!! Think about it...the maker of all things is the very one who can help us with everything that we face.
Second, "The living God has made Himself known." (From my new giddy inspiring Systematic Theology book by Douglas Kelly) God has revealed Himself to us. What wisdom we have been given, what truth, what practicality. If God has made himself known to you then you have the wisdom of the Holy One who knows all situations and what is best in all of those situations. Thus, the more we study theology the more we know God Himself. The more we know God Himself the more we know how we ought to deal with anything that comes our way. Now that is practical!
Third, the word theology comes from two greek words "theos" meaning God and "logos" meaning word or meaning. In the anciet greek the word logos can also have the meaning of expressing praise. Thus, we can define theology as praising God. As we study God who has made Himself know we are going to be amazed at who he is and this will lead us praise him. Actually this will lead us to praise him more and more which will make our daily lives a life of praise. When we can live a life of daily praise this will transform how we approach everything and will transform the world around us as well. This is the type of practical real life stuff we need to see happening in our lives as well as those around us.
Now I hope by taking these three definitions of theology and chewing on them even more you will begin to see the absolute value, indeed the absolute necessity, of theology in your life. It is time for we Christians to once again take up theology as a basic staple of the Christian diet.
Look up, think deep!!
Chris

2009-01-31T20:59:00.000-05:00

I am excited to be your new Sunday school teacher! I love studying and teaching God’s Word. I look forward to getting to know each of you as we study together. Since many of us don’t really know each other very well, I thought some information about my family might be helpful.

Becky & I both grew up in this area and were married in May, 1988 at Oakwood Baptist Church. Soon after, we spent 2 months in Romania on a mission trip before packing up and heading to Orlando, FL where I attended Reformed Theological Seminary. I graduated with an MDiv degree in May, 1993. During this time, I served as youth pastor at a small rural Baptist church and, upon graduating, was ordained into the ministry.

Following seminary, we came back to Chattanooga and planted Providence Baptist Church where I pastored for eight years. From there, we spent five years in Mesa, AZ where I was headmaster of a classical Christian school, then a year in Myrtle Beach, SC where I pastored a fledgling church plant.

After nine years of waiting, God surprised us with three beautiful girls within three years’ time! Anna is now 12, Katie 11, and Hope 9 ½. Our middle daughter is adopted. We love to share the story of how God grew our family with anyone who will listen!

In the summer of ’07, God brought us back home to the Chattanooga area. My heart’s desire is to be back in the pulpit at some point, but until then I am enjoying whatever opportunities to teach and preach that I am afforded. I am the Associate General Manager at Books-A-Million in Hixson and Becky is teaching music at Berean Academy, also in Hixson. We are also ministering to Becky’s parents, Herb & Pat Myhan (who are members of Concord) as her dad continues to decline with Alzheimer’s.

We are thankful to have been able to purchase a house in Ringgold last summer, and we look forward to having you all in our home for some fellowships in the future.

I ask you to pray for me as I endeavor to teach God’s Word to you each week and please know that I am always open to hear any questions or concerns you may have.

Baby Jonathan David

2008-07-15T22:59:00.005-04:00

Introducing...... Jonathan David Scott
You can see all of the photographs of this beautiful baby boy BY CLICKING HERE

The Martin Baby

2008-05-22T08:56:00.002-04:00

As you know the Martins had their 3rd baby last week. (another Aaron Clone- if I say so myself :) You can see the rest of the photos I took HERE

Marriage Retreatat Simpsonwood

2008-05-22T08:41:00.003-04:00

We had such a great time last weekend! Thanks to everyone who organized it and to our great speakers as well! You can see the rest of the photos HERE.

Martin Baby

2008-05-13T20:16:00.001-04:00

Just in case you didn't know....

Aaron & Emily welcomed Elijah Joseph Martin into the world today! He weighed in at 9.8 lbs and is 22.5 inches long. Mom and baby are doing well and the family is so very thankful for God's goodness to them!

The Martins are in room 8802 at Erlanger East and they will be there tomorrow too! They would LOVE to have visitors and they have lots of yummy cookies to share!!

Sorry I didn't take a picture!!

Please Pray!

2008-04-23T14:01:00.002-04:00

For those who have not heard.... We will be having our baby girl on Friday afternoon. I have to have another c-section and will be going to Parkridge East this Friday to have our baby. Please pray for all of us that everything will go well. The surgery is scheduled for around 1:00.

Kerry Jones

Bless the Martin Family

2008-04-22T16:11:00.003-04:00

It's time to Bless the Martin Family as they welcome their newest addition! We would like to share a meal together and bring diapers to fill their closet! So plan to attend and be on time to Sunday School on Sunday, May 4th. Please bring diapers and a breakfast dish (muffins, casserole, bagels, fruit, biscuits, etc...). Diapers can be sizes N, 1, or 2. Remember the Martin babies are not small, so don't buy any diapers that fit babies smaller than 9 lbs! We will eat together, pray for the Martins, and still have time for a lesson from Pete or Steve! Join us at 9:15!!!

We are the champions!

2008-04-13T13:57:00.003-04:00

CHAMPIONS
We had a great get together with the college/career class last weekend. With a score of ????? our class overtook the younger class due to the great skills of Dee, Ken, Todd, Diana, Rusty & Winnie. The rest of our team was sidelined with playground responsibilities! Thanks Steve, Robin & Allison!! After our slippery game of flag football we headed over to the church for some yummy soup & quesadillas. Thanks to all who helped out! Thanks again to Drew, Bethany, & Glenn for their ministry with the c/c class! Unfortunately we forgot to take any pictures of the event! Maybe next time......

BARGAIN MEAL
Also if you attended the event & ate (Bennetts, Campbells, Carpenters, Halls, Ivins, Jones, Scotts, Simpsons, Whites) you owe $3.50 per person/$7.00 a couple to cover the cost of food! Campbells you gave $5 already & Halls you gave $3 already. Please give our money to Winnie. THANKS!

NEWEST MEMBERS
We want to "officially" welcome Chris & Bonnie McKinney to our church family! We look forward to getting to know them better in the days/weeks/months???? to come. Chris & Bonnie are looking for a pastorate at this time so we want to enjoy their company while we can!

BAD SHIRT BOWLING
Be on the lookout for a date for our next gathering - Bad Shirt Bowling! We will meet to bowl together one weekend evening (fri or sat). We will also try to recruit a few youth to watch our kiddos at the church! We could use this as a chance to support some of the ones headed to Peru this summer!

03.30.08

2008-03-30T22:18:00.000-04:00

Hello all -

Thank you to Ken for stepping in and sharing with us from Proverbs 5 this morning. Pete was traveling today and Steve had been traveling during the week.

Please be in prayer for the following requests:

Tony & Angela (friend's of Simpsons) - Tony has just recently been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Although he will be having surgery this won't be the end of his treatment. Pray for this young family (2 small girls) as they begin this journey. Pray also that the Simpsons will know how to help out in practical ways.

Bill - (son of coworker of Ken) - will be getting out of prison very soon. Ken has been able to connect with Bill during his time in prison. Pray for continued opportunities for Ken to share the love of Christ with Bill. - as they continue to mourn the loss of her sister

Amy & family - as they continue to mourn the loss of her sister Ally

Aaron M - knee surgery on Wednesday

Next Saturday is our rescheduled SOCIAL with the college/career class! We will meet at 4:00 at the CSLA ballfield. We will be playing flag football, cheering on our team, spending time together, etc... Then we will head over to the church to eat some yummy soup & cheese quesadillas! Kids are welcome!

Please RSVP this week! Also we need a few people to sign up for drinks (3) and dessert (3). We will buy groceries to prepare the soup & quesadillas, so we will all chip in to cover the costs of the meal. It shouldn't be more than a few dollars per person! We would love to see everyone there....even if we haven't see you in awhile!!! :)

Ally passed away last night

2008-03-04T05:40:00.003-05:00

What we feared is true. Allyson's injury from the ruptured aneurysm proved to be fatal, and she never regained consciousness. Amy and her family arrived in Seattle last night and were able to spend time with her before she passed away. I am very grateful that Amy was able to be there with her parents and her sister. Amy called as they were leaving the hospital after midnight PST. She is sad, but is also between peaceful and numb.

Thank you for praying for Ally. Please continue praying for Amy, Marsha, and Mike. As you wake today, pray they will continue resting for several hours. Please pray for me and Ally's friends at Mars Hill Grad School as well.

I do not know what the next days will hold, but I am obviously eager to be by Amy's side. I stayed to get Amy to Seattle more quickly, and to await status. Amy and I decided to wait until tomorrow to make any decisions about my travel. Without knowing how long they will be in Seattle, it is difficult to know whether to fly out or to wait and join them in NC.

Again, we appreciate your continued prayers for Amy's family.

Amy's Sister

2008-03-03T21:44:00.005-05:00

In case anyone has not heard - Amy Scott's sister collapsed last night from a brain aneurysm. She has been unconscious since it happened and had surgery today. Amy went to Seattle today along with her mom and dad. Pray for healing, comfort, and God's glory to be displayed.

Important Info

2008-02-17T19:47:00.003-05:00

Kim has sent an email to everyone but I wanted to post all the pertinent retreat information on the blog. Here it is:

Who: YOU!!
When: May 17-18 (arrive after lunch on Sat & depart Sun following lunch)
Where: Simpsonwood Conference Center, Norcross, GA
Speaker: Dr. Ron Davidson - missionary/pastor/counselor for 35 yrs
Cost: $170 per couple (includes lodging, dinner, breakfast, lunch & snacks)

If you are interested please give a $50 deposit to Pete or Steve by Sun. Mar 2nd. If you have any questions please call Pete (309-6447) or Steve (238-6250).

Other news: Mark your calendar for the afternoon & early evening of Saturday, March 29th! We are having a competition with the college class! Stau tuned for more details!

02.03.08

2008-02-04T13:53:00.001-05:00

Pete & Kim were back with us this week and able to share about the work God has been doing through AMG in Peru. It was a blessing to hear about the many who came to know Christ as their Savior & Lord.

Pete has been putting together a Couples Retreat for our class. It will be over a Sat/Sun in May, wither the first or third weekend. If you have a preference of dates please email Pete and let him know so he can finalize the arrangements. The cost is $169.00 and that includes lodging & meals. There will be a guest speaker, which hopefully Pete will let us know more about in the coming weeks. If you have any questions at all, contact Pete at plafakis@comcast.net

01.13.08

2008-01-15T09:10:00.001-05:00

Steve led us this week as we took the plunge into Genesis. We will be camped out in this book for quite awhile so come and join us!

We were thankful to have Chris & Bonnie McKinney with us the past two weeks! Make sure to introduce yourselves to them next time you come to class!

Be sure and fill out a card to reserve your spot for the Concord Celebration Sunday! On January 27th, we will NOT have Sunday School but we will have regular service, lunch & a concert. Everyone is asked to bring a salad or dessert. So plan to be a church from 10:30 - 2:30!

Remember to "escape the panting feverishness" of life this week. Read the Word and spend time praying! Check out the Bible Reading Plans in the Atrium!

Sunday School Christmas Party

2008-01-08T20:07:00.001-05:00

Here are some shots from our Christmas Party and the kids christmas party we had at the simpsons house...

Baby King

2007-12-13T00:09:00.000-05:00

I thought everyone would like to see some photos of Ethan King....

12.2.07

2007-12-03T15:56:00.000-05:00

Sorry we haven't had any updates in TWO weeks!! For those that missed out we had an interesting discussion on Matthew 19 focusing on the topic of divorce.

Our annual Christmas Party will be Friday, December 14th at 7:30 in Concord Hall. Most individuals indicated that we should do the gift exchange again this year so remember to bring a $5.00 gift to participate. If someone would like to email everyone & get a list of food items together we could do a full meal, but if not we will just be doing desserts. So be checking your email to see what is decided.

There will be child care at the church during the party but you will need to let Winnie know by Monday, Dec 10th if you need it or not so we can recruit enough workers.

Other class news - the Campbells are expecting a baby! Congrats!

11.11.07

2007-11-12T10:31:00.000-05:00

Hello all! This week Steve touched on the issue of faith in the book of Matthew. Steve nor Pete will be with us the next two weeks. There is supposed to be a teacher for us but if you show up & no one is there - go to the Rector class or another class of your choosing.

Anyone know the final count for the Operation Christmas Child boxes??!?! If you didn't get your box turned in this week don't worry! You can drop off your box at any Life Care Center in town or Hickory Valley Retirement Center.

Next Sunday night at 5:00pm we will be celebrating with David & Natalie as they get ready for Baby Boy King! Our class is responsible for assembling the decorations. All the supplies are in so we need to get started. Gals - let's meet this Thursday night (Nov 15th) at 7:30pm in the Atrium. Hopefully some of you working gals can get home and eat and then join us! If everyone comes it shouldn't take us too long. Come sit on the comfy couches and catch up with everyone before the busy hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

11.4.07

2007-11-05T10:07:00.000-05:00

Steve was back with us this week as we looked into the issue of hypocrisy as addressed in Matthew. Programming note :) - Both Pete & Steve will be gone the week before & the week after Thanksgiving. We are unsure of who will be substituting but it will possibly be Doug Simpkins. We look forward to his time with us.

This is the last week to participate in our church-wide Operation Christmas Child drive! Anybody know how many we've turned in?!?! The Fields have taken 2 and there is one on the Martin's kitchen counter, so that is 3!! 17 more to go this week!!! You can do it! It will take 30 minutes of your week to make a lasting difference in the life of a child!

Don't forget to sign up for Thanksgiving Dinner. If you didn't turn in a card this Sunday, call the church office (892-9313) before Nov 12th!

Also our class is in charge of decorations for David & Natalie's baby shower on Nov 18th at 5:00pm. The Johnson class will be purchasing the supplies & we will be assembling the table centerpieces. It will be empty boxes wrapped like presents with balloons coming out of the top. The colors will be browns & blues. Please let Winnie or Heather know if you would like to help out with this activity!

Be thinking about your December calendar as we begin to plan our Christmas party!! Have a great week!

Pumpkin Pictures

2007-10-30T10:37:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures we took from the pumpkin carving on Friday Night. Blogger is having problems. I have more pictures, but I cannot get them up. I will put more on later!

Photos from Sunday School Social

2007-10-29T21:53:00.000-04:00

Here are a couple of shots from our social last weekend.

10.28.07

2007-10-29T15:58:00.000-04:00

We had a fantastic turnout for the Pumpkin Party! Forty-eight people (32 adults & 16!! children) enjoyed yummy food, the company of others and carving chaos! We can't wait to see the pictures that Diana shot during the evening! There were many valiant carving attempts but only one took the prize! Congrats go to Barry Carpenter for a Fabulous Best All-Around Pumpkin. Although his wife, Lauren will probably be displaying her pretty monogrammed pumpkin on their front porch! Great job everyone and thanks to Cindy & Paul Newman for judging the event!

Pete was with us in Sunday School this week while Steve & Robin were away celebrating their anniversary. We look forward to Steve being back with us next week to continue in our study of Matthew.

Christina Duncan visited with our class this week and we look forward to meeting her husband Stanley when he doesn't have to work.

In the next few weeks/months be looking for news about our Spring Couples Retreat. Pete is getting something in the works that you won't want to miss!!

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow

2007-10-23T15:29:00.000-04:00

One of the prayer requests is for generous giving to our budget. This past Sunday we had a significant offering to the tune of $58,000. While the budget is still slightly behind, this made a huge impact. Thank you God for your faithfulness exhibited through your people.

10.21.07

2007-10-21T13:29:00.001-04:00

This week we discussed the demonstration of Christ's authority throughout the Gospel of Matthew and particularly in chapters 8-10. Next week Pete will be leading us as we continue with our study in Matthew.

Don't forget our Pumpkin Party this friday night at 7:00pm! We will meet in the gym area to carve or paint our pumpkins. Please plan to bring your own pumpkin, tools or supplies & a sweet/salty treat to share. If you don't have time to bring a treat - please come anyway!! We will have plenty. If your spouse can't attend with you - please come anyway!! Don't have a great idea for a pumpkin - please come anyway!!! Remember kids of all ages are welcome! This is a great time of fellowship!

So let's set a class goal of 20 Operation Christmas Child boxes!!!! We can do it! Pick up your box in the atrium and don't forget to grab one of the instruction fliers to help you out!

10.14.07

2007-10-14T19:26:00.001-04:00

We had a great group in class today and enjoyed meeting Jeremy & Megan Powell, neighbors of Glenn & Kerry Jones. Please be in prayer for the Powells, as Jeremy has recently lost his job and they are searching for a church family.

Steve continued in our study of Matthew and highlighted the theme of the book - Jesus as the Son of Man. Doug Simpkins also joined us this week and will be filling in when Steve & Pete are out. We appreciate his willingness to join our crazy group! :)

Let's not forget to make a valiant class effort for Operation Christmas Child - (check out their website for a great ministry report). This toy-filled, Gospel-centered, world-reaching shoe box ministry is a fun family activity. Pick up a premade shoe box from the atrium, head to the dollar store and fill up on great goodies! Maybe we can have a class competition with the Rector class?!?!?!

Remember to be inviting friends to join us for the pumpkin party and be thinking about your award-winning designs! You won't want to miss out & surely Diana will get some great shots of our group and post them for us!

Pumpkin Plans

2007-10-09T14:31:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the delay in posting. I suspect that all of our sick class members are better and maybe the sickness has stopped spreading so rampantly!

Steve gave a great overview (with notes!!) of Matthew to jump start our study. We look forward to the insights that we will gain over the next few weeks.

Tentatively - Mark your calendars for Friday, October 26th at 7:00pm! We will be carving pumpkins and eating snack food in the gym. This has been a great gathering and definitely sparks some competition within our group. You won't want to miss out! We'll have some guest judges to give out awards at the end of the evening. It's also a fantastic, nonthreatening time to invite friends or family. Bring the kiddos too!! You'll need a pumpkin and whatever tools (to carve or paint) you might want to use. We will have some there but not necessarily enough for everyone. We are meeting at 7:00 so just some sweet or salty snacks would be great too!!

The only thing that might change is location. We haven't had our gym request approved yet but we'll let you know if there are any changes.

Don't forget about the Guys Campout this weekend! It's probably not too late for you to join in! Check with Randy Smith for details. Have a great week!!

Weekly Update 9.23.07

2007-09-23T17:04:00.000-04:00

We had a great class today as Steve continued in 2nd Peter 3. We were reminded to look toward the hope of heaven and the coming of Christ. Steve asked that we think about what we ought to be doing during the last days and we will be discussing this next week. We should be finishing up 2nd Peter very soon and begin in our study of Matthew. This will be an 8 week topical look through the book with various people leading us throughout the study.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
This FRIDAY (28th) we will be meeting at HERITAGE PARK at 6:30 for food & fellowship. Come as early as you'd like to play, but we will try to eat at 6:30 to accomodate the young ones. This is a great opportunity to bring a friend or a neighbor to join in the fun. Please respond and let us know if you will be attending and what dish you will be bringing. Everyone did an outstanding job last time of filling us up with a variety of yummy food!! Surely someone would have some leftover birthday cake...since we do have FOUR birthdays in our class this week!

We enjoyed having Steve & Brandi Cowan with us this week and also welcomed them officially into the Concord family. Hopefully they can join us this friday and we can get to know them better!

All those that are home during the week (with or without little ones) are welcome to join us at the church on Wed at 11:30. Bring a lunch and stay to play in the gym. It is a great time of fellowship and the kids have a blast!

Remember to eat at Chili's on Monday (24th) if possible, as 100% of the profits go directly to St Jude Children's Hospital! Have a great week everyone!

Father/Son Campout

2007-09-17T17:19:00.000-04:00

CAMPING!!! Join the Concord men & boys for some fun in the woods at DeSoto Falls State Park October 11-13. So you might be thinking "I don't want to take my young son," or "I don't have a son." Well, don't let those things stop you! ALL men are welcome (and even those young boys!). This is a great event to invite your friends & family to join you! So if you are interested contact Randy Smith (rsmith@catt.com) or call the church office for more info!

Brooke & Richard Henderson 09/08/2007

2007-09-11T20:53:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to our most newly married couple Brooke & Richard Henderson. Gracy and Carter were in the bridal party and did a great job! Sorry Richard... no pic.... but even if Heather did get a picture of you she probably would have had her finger over the flash........

what can ya do?

2Peter 2:4-10

2007-09-04T10:25:00.000-04:00

I thought it might be benefecial to post a summary of what was covered this past Sunday morning in Sunday school to bring everyone up to speed.

As Peter writes he assumes we know a truth that often surprises people in today’s culture: deceivers and charlatans live among the people of God (“…just as there will be false teachers among you…”; 2:1). Jesus alludes to this in Matthew 13:24-30. The author of Hebrews also assumes this in Hebrews 6:4-6. There have always been and always will be false teachers and deceived disciples among the people of God. And yet when we acknowledge that truth out loud we all look around the room and say, “Surely this can’t be so. Not among us!” But the reality is that within the visible church of Jesus Christ there will be people who give the appearance of being disciples of Jesus but will show themselves to be frauds.

The overarching question standing over 2Peter 2 is this: How can we discern false teachers and be wise to their insidious ways?

Review: As Peter writes from prison shortly before his death, he tells this persecuted congregation to beware of false teachers. He tells them that their teaching was flattery (“false words”); the appetites were sensual and shameless (hardened, reckless morality); their message denied the authority of Jesus; their motive was greed.

Peter says that these false teachers have been “bought” by Jesus. Peter does not mean that these Jesus has atoned for these teachers sins in an efficacious way. The word used (“bought”) is the same word used to speak of Israel’s “redemption” in the Exodus event (2Sam 7:23). Here, as in the cross, God redeems a “people for himself”. However, as in the Exodus event, some of those “redeemed” will show themselves to be faithless. They will apostasize, as have these false teachers.

“Doubtless such stringent condemnations as Peter’s appear to twentieth-century readers as old-fashioned and inappropriate, because we have largely lost any sense of the diabolical danger of false teaching, and have become as dulled to the distinction between truth and falsehood in ideas as we have to the distinction between right and wrong in behavior.”

In order to encourage this congregation, Peter points them to the reality that these evil people, these people who give an appearance of godliness yet deny its power (2Tim 3:5), will face certain judgment (read 2:4-10). He then supports this statement with three examples:

(1) Fallen angels
(2) The Flood
(3) Sodom

Fallen Angels
It is likely that Peter has in mind Jewish tradition in the use of this example (Gen 6:1-4; 1Enoch interpretation). The use of this three-headed illustration falls in sequence in Genesis, it is similar to the language of Jude, which is a parallel book, it appears consistent with a similar use of this language in 1Peter 3:19.

Peter’s imagery is a little unclear. Peter uses language that indicates that fallen angels are held captive in dungeons or the underworld. But it is probably best to see this language as metaphorical. Peter may intend to suggest that God has restricted the scope of the evil angels activity as a result of their sin. These angels have been consigned to “hell” – literally Tartarus – which is the subterranean abyss in Greek mythology. It seems quite apparent that Peter sees this captivity as a preliminary punishment because they are to “be kept until the judgment.”

The Flood
Peter’s second encouraging illustration of certain judgment is also accompanied by the hope of deliverance. God preserved Noah, whom Peter describes as “a herald of righteousness”. Again, this may be the influence of Jewish tradition on Peter because the OT never describes Noah in this way (at least not specifically). However, he was a righteous man who “walked with God” (Gen 6:9) and he spent 120 years building a boat because God told him He was going to destroy the world with water because of rampant wickedness. It seems unlikely that such a good man would keep quiet when others were destined for ruin.

God not only saved Noah but He saved his family as well. Why Peter choose to include this isn’t obvious in the text, but it could be that Peter intends to encourage the Christians who felt outnumbered by the ungodly as a reminder that God would remain faithful to the minority.

Sodom
The third illustration is like the second in that it highlights both certain judgment for the wicked and deliverance for the righteous. The total destruction of Sodom is a poignant reminder to following generations that unrighteousness always ends with certain judgment. There is a curious parallel between the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and our contemporary culture. The city of Sodom was known for its affluence and softness on morality. They were a people who felt they had outgrown their need for God and were given to indulge in their sensual appetites. Sound familiar?

God saved Lot from destruction. Interestingly, Peter describes Lot as “righteous”. This is perhaps the only place in Scripture where you will find that description of Lot. He was weak (19:6), morally depraved (19:8), and prone to drunkenness (19:33, 35; so much so that he slept with his daughters, not once, but twice). Within his heart, though distressed by the sins of Sodom, we find a deep attachment to the city, so much so that he had to be drug out of the city (19:16). But, he did not succumb to the rampant homosexuality in the city and never lost his basic orientation to God. It is for this reason that Peter considers him righteous.

Before we are too quick to judge, we are probably more like Lot than we would care to admit. We have a significant attachment to a secular culture – particular in our entertainment tastes. We are a sensual culture. We are known to overindulge in the pleasures of life (food, wine, leisure). We are given to moral failure. Apparently it is possible to live within inner conflict and turmoil, distressed over the sinfulness of our culture, and yet finding a deep longing and attachment to it at the same time in our hearts. So the question is: are we distressed over our sin and the sins of our culture?

Peter closes with God’s promise to His faithful people. The promise is not necessarily to deliver God’s people from trials. The promise is to strengthen and sustain those who love Jesus in the midst of our trials and temptations (1Cor 10:13).

What kind of trials/temptations does Peter have in mind?

(1) The normal temptations to feast on sinful pleasures that occur daily;
(2) The circumstances of life that are God’s design to test the integrity of our hearts (Deut 8:2-4; James 1:2cf)
(3) Given the examples Peter uses as encouragement, he probably also has the final trial of faith (the possibility of apostasy) that all believers will encounter (the battle of unbelief)

Application
As we started this morning I said that the question being asked and answered in 2Pet 2 is How can we discern false teachers and be wise to their insidious ways?

To this point Peter hasn’t answered that question. But we begin by knowing God in His Word. It is hard not to see the parallels between the people being described by Peter and many modern televangelists and the health, wealth and prosperity Gospel today. 2Peter is relevant because it provides crucial instruction to help us know whether or not the Joel Osteen, Paul Crouch and Benny Hinn’s of the “Christian” really believe “the way of truth” as revealed in Scripture.

What we need to be encouraged by is that both those who are blatantly unrighteous and defiant to God and the charlatans in within the visible church face certain judgment by God. And as we face trials of various kinds, trials and temptations that lead to financial loss, physical suffering, emotional grief and/or instability, and even spiritual despair, we must remember that God rescues the godly from trials (this is precisely Peter’s point).

Until then, we must not envy sinners for their comfort and ease, but remember that culture is hostile to God, and thus we must remain ever aware and discerning of culture. We must pray that God would put distress in our hearts in place of complacency and familiarity where culture lashes out in defiance against God’s glory and holiness. And we must wait for God to act, being under-girded and supported by the certainty that God will act in accordance with His purpose in the world – judging the wicked and rescuing the godly.

UTC students come to Concord

2007-08-30T21:15:00.000-04:00

Last week several people from our Sunday School class came to church to help serve some of the students from UTC Baptist Collegiate Ministries in their second stop for progressive dinner. There was a great turnout of students and helpers.

Our Most Recent Sunday School Social

2007-08-30T12:37:00.000-04:00

We had a really fun Sunday School Social several Fridays ago. We met at the Heritage Park and had a great time! The guys played Bocce Ball and we had tons of great food and lots of little kids running around! Thanks to everyone who brought food and got everything else organized. Also thank you to Kim, Robin and Steve for carrying all of my kids around! Here are a couple of shots from our evening.

My 5 year old took this picture of Drew!

Remember to take pictures of anything having to do with our Sunday School class and we can post them up for all to see! -

- Diana Simpson -

This Sunday

2007-08-30T11:39:00.000-04:00

Even though many of you are going to want to sleep in just because it's Labor Day weekend - resist the urge! Join us for a special treat! Aaron Martin will be sharing something insightful & challenging from God's Word while Pete & Steve are both out of town. Don't miss out!!

This Week's Fighter Verse

2007-08-29T10:57:00.000-04:00

John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

First Post!!!!

2007-08-28T21:23:00.000-04:00

Welcome to our first post. This blog is currently under construction. So please come back soon for updates, announcements and prayer requests. We will give a short blog user tutorial in Sunday School in the next few weeks.

We found a fun picture of some of our Sunday School members from last year... Enjoy