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Who Does Your Work?

”The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.” | Acts 8: 32-35

Nothing more clearly reveals to us that salvation, sanctification, and redemption is the work of our God than to observe the efforts and failure of those who TRY TO ACCOMPLISH THIS WORK FOR THEMSELVES!

The disciples asked, “Lord, who then can be saved?”

He said unto them, “WITH MEN THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE; but with God all things are possible.”

It is impossible in the flesh for a man to please God.

Yet millions, ignorant of the righteousness of Christ, still go about to establish their own righteousness and WILL NOT SUBMIT to the righteousness of God, which is Christ Jesus, our Lord.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7: 21-23)

Many keep up this masquerade to the judgment and then plead their works before God; but most finally lose interest, keep their names on church rolls, and play church on special days.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1 Peter 1: 3)

When they die, their preachers try to find some cause on which to give their families hope; but that, too, is impossible; for IF CHRIST IS NOT IN YOU, there is no hope of glory.

~ Pastor Henry Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “An Encounter With Christ”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Zebulon Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 7 January, 2007 | Previous post date: n/a | Pikeville, Kentucky

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The Lord Is My Shepherd

”The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” | Psalm 23: 1-6

The important question is, “Have you come to Christ?”

It is not to which church you belong, but if you belong to Christ.

It is not if we believe in a church, but if we believe in Christ.

It is not if we go to church, but have we come to Christ.

It is not have we bowed at some altar, but have we bowed and confessed the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is not professing religion, but professing Christ.

Christ said, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to Me” He does not say you will be religious, good folks, Bible readers, hymn singers, hand clappers, or loud and long prayers, but that “You will come to Christ.”

~ Pastor Milton Howard

Click here to listen to the message “The Lord Is My Shepherd”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

FreeGraceRadio.com Bulletin Article date: 22 January, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Danville, Kentuky

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One Of You Shall Betray Me – Master Is It I?

”Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.” | John 11: 3

When the Lord told His disciples, “One of you shall betray me,” they all replied, “Lord, is it I?”

We should have such distrust of ourselves that we would have the same reply.

But one of His disciples answered differently, “Master (Rabbi) is it I?”

This is the same disciple who betrayed Christ with a kiss saying, “Hail, Master.”

Not one time do we read where Judas Iscariot ever called Christ “Lord.”

Master is a term of respect for a teacher.

But the fact that Judas never called Him Lord reveals what he was in His wicked heart.

To the believer, Christ is Lord.

We recognize His Lordship over all things, and we recognize and love His Lordship over us.

Rolfe Barnard used to say, “Don’t tell me who your savior is, tell me who your Lord is. Then I will know who your savior is.”

~ Pastor Todd Nibert

Click here to listen to the message “He Whom Thou Lovest is Sick”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

FreeGraceRadio.com Bulletin Article date: 22 January, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Danville, Kentuky

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Justification by Faith

”Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?” | Romans 7: 1

It has been said that a church either stands or falls by the blessed truth of justification by faith and their view of it, and their stand on it.

Faith is the opposite of works, faith is not doing but believing, faith has to do with resting in Christ and His obedience and His righteousness.

Faith is the means of our justification: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” (Romans 5: 1)

Faith receives the truth of the gospel the merits of Christ. Faith receives the doing and dieing of the Lord Jesus Christ: “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” (Romans 3: 28)

Faith is not its own object; those who have been given faith do not look to their faith but to Christ who is the object of their faith.

We know there is no merit in our faith but in our Savior.

Christ is faiths object and it is based on knowledge: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10: 13-14)

Faith is based on God’s word, it is believing with the heart.

Faith is based on trust, on commitment.

We don’t trust our faith we trust the Lord Jesus.

We don’t trust our feelings, we trust our Master who lived for us as our representative before God, and who died as our substitute bearing our sin away to a place where God doesn’t see it.

We don’t trust our knowledge or our intellect, we trust Him who has infinite knowledge of us.

Oh, what comfort in knowing He knows us, that all is open and naked with him and that even though He knows us as we are our Justification is sure and secure, because it is what He did for us.

We change, but not Him, our faith sometimes is so weak and feeble but He is our strength.

Listen! “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by THE FAITH JESUS CHRIST, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the Faith Of Christ” (Galatains 2: 16)

~ Pastor Don Bell

Click here to listen to the message “Why does God allow sin to remain in us?”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

FreeGraceRadio.com Bulletin Article date: 21 January, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Danville, Kentuky

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Justification By Faith

”For whosever shall call on the Lord shall be saved. How then can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher” | Romans 10: 13-14

It has been said that a church either stands or falls by the blessed truth of justification by faith and their view of it, and their stand on it.

Faith is the opposite of works, faith is not doing but believing, faith has to do with resting in Christ and His obedience and His righteousness.

Faith is the means of our justification. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5: 1)

Faith receives the truth of the gospel the merits of Christ. Faith receives the doing and dieing of the Lord Jesus Christ. “We conclude that a man is justified without the deeds of the law” (Romans 3: 28)

Faith is not its own object; those who have been given faith do not look to their faith but to Christ who is the object of their faith.

We know there is no merit in our faith but in our Savior. Christ is faiths object and it is based on knowledge.

Faith is based on God’s word, it is believing with the heart.

Faith is based on trust, on commitment.

We don’t trust our faith we trust the Lord Jesus.

We don’t trust our feelings, we trust our Master who lived for us as our representative before God, and who died as our substitute bearing our sin away to a place where God doesn’t see it.

We don’t trust our knowledge or our intellect, we trust Him who has infinite knowledge of us.

Oh, what comfort in knowing He knows us, that all is open and naked with him and that even though He knows us as we are our Justification is sure and secure, because it is what He did for us.

Listen, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by THE FAITH JESUS CHRIST, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the Faith Of Christ” (Galatians 2: 16)

We change, but not Him, our faith sometimes is so weak and feeble but He is our strength.

~ Pastor Don Bell

Click here to listen to the message “The beginning of the gospel”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

FreeGraceRadio.com Bulletin Article date: 12 January, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Danville, Kentuky

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The Lord Gave And The Lord Hath Taken Away

”And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” | Job 1: 21

When God had sent Job severe trials he fell down upon the ground and worshipped.

In his worship he magnified his Lord as the absolute sovereign in all things.

“For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” (Romans 11: 36)

Some people would only recognize that the Lord gives, which He abundantly does.

“Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” (Psalm 40: 5)

However, the believer rejoices that the Lord gives and that the Lord does take away.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3: 16)

The Lord Jesus Christ does abundantly give His people all things in salvation, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8: 32)

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” (1 Corinthians 2: 12)

The believer can also rejoice that the Lord does also take away, He has taken away all our sin, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1: 29)

“But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9: 26)

Believers like Job, bow before the Lord and worship Him.

We do rejoice that our great God does all things well, as David said, “As for God, His way is perfect” (2 Samuel 22: 31)

~ Pastor Tom Harding

Click here to listen to the message “Sovereign Mercy Demonstrated”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

FreeGraceRadio.com Bulletin Article date: 11 January, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Danville, Kentuky

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Christian Racism

”My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.” | James 2: 1

The Spirit of God reminds us, as brethren, against elevating one person while neglecting another.

Sinful men glorify or reject one another based on race, gender, class, religious-practice and other things.

Fact is, in ourselves and apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, we are all one, putrid, mass of filth before the thrice-holy God.

By God’s grace, we believe that God did not choose any of his elect based on anything in us, good or bad.

Why then would we show favor to one and reject another based on anything produced by men?

God would have his one race glory in no other but the Lord of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why then would we glory in man by choosing one above another?

The glory of the Lord so far excels all, that when we behold him by faith, every imaginary difference between Jew and Gentile, male and female, rich and poor, the one who thinks he keeps the law and the one who knows nothing of God’s law vanishes.

Believers are complete in him, no sin, no schisms, and no differences.

The only true distinguishing characteristic that exists between sinners in this world is that some refuse to bow to the Lord Jesus Christ while others have been irresistibly made to glory only in the one who has made them the very righteousness of God.

Knowing therefore, who it is that makes one sinner to differ from another, let us glorify him, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

~ Pastor Clay Curtis

Click here to listen to the message “Grace, Grace Unto It”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

FreeGraceRadio.com Bulletin Article date: 11 January, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Danville, Kentuky

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Temporary Believers

”There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.” | John 1: 6-7

Over the years you and I have seen many leave their profession of Christ and go back to following the course of this world.

Our Lord Jesus calls such persons temporary believers, “Which for a while believe,” yet finally “fall away,” (Luke 8: 13) John Bunyan gave the manner in which these temporary believers “draw back.” He gives nine:

They draw off their thoughts, all that they may, from the remembrance of God, death, and judgment to come.

Then they cast off by degrees private duties, as closet-prayer, curbing their lusts, watching, sorrow for sin, and the like.

Then they shun the company of lively warm Christians.

After that, they grow cold to public duty, as hearing, reading, godly conference, and the like.

Then they begin to pick holes, as we say, in the coats of some of the godly, and that devilishly; that they may have a seeming reason to throw religion (for the sake of some infirmity they have spied in them) behind their backs.

Then they begin to adhere to and associate themselves with, carnal, loose and wanton men.

Then they give way to carnal and wanton discourses in secret, and glad are they if they can see such things in any that are counted honest, that they may the more boldly do it through their example.

After this they begin to play with little sins, openly.

And then being hardened, they show themselves as they are. Thus being launched again into the gulf of misery, unless a miracle of grace prevent it, they everlastingly perish in their own deceiving.

~ Pastor Don Bell

Click here to listen to the message “Lying to God”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

FreeGraceRadio.com Bulletin Article date: 10 January, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Danville, Kentuky

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The Just Shall Live By Faith

”And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.” | Genesis 25: 21-23

The phrase the just shall live by faith is in the scriptures four times

“Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2: 4)

“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1: 17)

“But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.” (Galatains 3: 11)

“Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” (Hebrews 10: 38)

The just shall live by faith must be important since it is in scripture four times, but what does it mean? Three things immediately spring to mind.

First, the just shall live by faith means that a sinner is justified by the faithfulness OF Christ to obey the law as a man as the representative of His people and to make the sacrifice that puts away the sin of His people without any help from the sinner.

Second, the just shall live by faith means that a sinner is justified through faith IN Christ without any of our works contributing in any way. A sinner is justified by relying on the Lord Jesus Christ to do all the work it takes to justify them.

Thirdly, the just shall live by faith means that the justified ones live believing the Word of God. The justified ones believe everything the Word of God says. The justified ones believe every promise of God.

They do not try to live on what they think God might do.

They live relying upon what God says He WILL do in His Word.

~ Pastor Frank Tate

Click here to listen to the message “Election Must Be Preached”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Hurricane Road Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 18 April, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a | Cattletsburg, Kentucky

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Holy Ground

”Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.” | Psalm 32: 11

I have been reading a history of the year 1776 in the American Colonies.

After the British had left Boston, George Washington expected they were heading for New York. Therefore, Washington moved a contingent of the Colonial Army there in order to defend the city. One gentleman, Lieutenant Isaac Bangs, sought as much information about the city as he could discover. In order to investigate the seedier side of New York City, Bangs went to a place called the Holy Ground.

It was a foul slum in which every debauchery imaginable could be indulged. It was called “The Holy Ground” because a great deal of it was owned by the local church. It was commented that, “If there was trouble after dark in New York, it was nearly always in the Holy Ground… Less than a week after the continental army moved into the city, all hell erupted in the Holy Ground.”

My first thought was, “Isn’t that the way it always is with things that man calls holy.”

I have yet to know of a church where “holiness” was the primary focus that such holiness did not just prove a thin veneer over all manner of evil. Let a church lay claim to a place and call it holy; it will not be long until the place will be known for great wickedness.

Once again it is proven that the things which are highly esteemed among men are an abomination to God.

The Bible calls some things holy.

God is Holy. “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty. The whole earth is filled with His glory.” He is set apart from all His creation as the one God over all.

Jesus Christ is Holy: “So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

“You are the Holy One of God.”

He is set apart from the rest of humanity as the only one essentially born of God and having a Divine nature and the one chosen of God to save His people.

And God’s church is Holy.

Her members are called “saints” which is from the same Greek word as “holy.”

The church, herself, has not designated herself to be holy: “Holy” is what God has called her.

She recognizes that the term “holy” does not describe some virtuous character about her but signifies that she has been chosen, redeemed and called by God; set apart from the reprobate, condemned and dead world. She has been set apart by God, to God and for God. She is no better than the rest of the world, just greatly privileged.

In these holy things, there is goodness, purity, and decency.

~ Pastor Joe Terrell

Click here to listen to the message “Rejoice Ye Righteous”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

FreeGraceRadio.com Bulletin Article date: 7 January, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Danville, Kentuky