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Christ Our Hope

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;” | 1 Timothy 1: 1

What is hope?

Hope is expectation with a reasonable basis.

What the world calls hope is an empty wish.

It’s like a child holding a present on their birthday hoping to find what they want.

But, hope in the scriptures is defined as a person: Christ in you the hope of glory.

This hope comes through a Godly persuasion, “…I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (2 Timothy 1: 2)

Also, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8: 38-39)

The believer’s hope is not I hope, I hope, I hope.

But it is hope founded upon the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our expectations fully depend on His appointments, His coming as the God man, His obedience, His suffering, His death, His resurrection, and His present reign in glory.

“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1 John 5: 12)

Paul said “he was an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior, and the Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope.” (1 Timothy 1: 1)

May the Lord be pleased to make Him our hope for the glory of His own name.

~ Pastor Darvin Pruitt

Click here to listen to the message “Crucified With Christ” (31:23 minutes)

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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.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: Special | Previous post date: 7 January, 2021
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We Have An Altar

”Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.” | Hebrews 13: 9-10

The only ones to whom God gave directions concerning an altar were his peculiar people.

From the patriarchs throughout the old covenant dispensation the only people who had an altar were the people whom God choose to have it.

All who come to Christ the Altar are God’s elect, chosen by God.

By Divine choice, God’s mercy and grace gives the believer the right to come to Christ our Altar.

What is our Altar?

Our Altar is not the cross — the cross was an instrument of execution like an electric chair, or a needle for lethal injection, or a gun used by a firing squad or stones used throughout scripture – I would no more remember my Lord by such a misrepresentation than I would use a cancerous tumor to remember my grandfather who died of cancer.

Christ bore the fiery wrath of God but he consumed the fire of God’s wrath and his offering came up to God as a sweet savour ever to be remembered by the LORD of hosts.

Our Altar is not your heart – we must be sincere but only the blood of Christ makes us accepted with God, we do not trust our sincerity for acceptance but our sincerity rests in Christ in whom we are accepted.

We eat at this Altar, bringing not the leaven of our works, but trusting Christ our Sacrifice alone for our entire acceptance with God.

He is most holy – our sin offering and trespass offering.

Our Altar is not a piece of furniture in a church building – not the table on which the bread and wine are placed (table of remembrance not a table of sacrifice); not a place at the front of the church where preachers call men in order to profess Christ.

”All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings of the LORD made by fire: every one that toucheth them shall be holy.” (Leviticus 6: 18)

Those things are temporal, fleshy idols used to appeal to the carnal eye.

People who put any significant meaning on such material things are nothing less than idolators.

We have no such altar.

”Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?” (Matthew 23: 19)

Those who serve in such fleshly carnality have no right to eat at the believer’s altar.

The believer’s Altar is not a what, but a Who – our Altar is Christ.

”Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2: 5)

It was through the Altar that God said, in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.

Christ is the Altar in whom God came unto us and blessed us.

We can only come to God through the Altar — through his Sacrifice – through our High Priest, through Christ.

Are you yet earthy, serving an earthly tabernacle, occupying your time in meats – observance of days, and seasons, and certain meats, and ceremonies?

Touch not, taste not, handle not?

We who worship God in spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh and we have an altar, Christ Jesus, which they have no right to eat that serve the tabernacle.

~ Pastor Clay Curtis

Click here to listen to the message “We Have an Altar” (29:23 minutes)

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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.

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church Bulletin Article date: 8 March, 2009 | Previous post date: n/a | Ewing, New Jersey

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Grace Be With You. Amen.

“The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.” | 2 Timothy 4: 22

If our hope lies in us, or in what we do, it is a delusion.

“Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees. But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled. Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?” (Job 4: 4-6)

If our hope lies in this church it is a lie.

“The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.” (Psalm 147: 11)

If our hope stands with one foot on the work of Christ and the other foot on our own merits, it will fail us.

“Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.” (Psalm 33: 20-22)

Hope in Christ is the only hope which can be acceptable to God.

“I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.” (Psalm 16: 7-9)

Our only hope of Heaven will be through Christ alone.

Here our hope begins, and here our hope ends.

~ Pastor Gabe Stalnaker

Click here to listen to the message “Grace Be With You. Amen” (22:29 minutes)

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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.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 1 June, 2025 | Previous post date: n/a

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If You Need This, This Is For You

”Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” | Isaiah 41: 10

Are there any evidences that a person can have of being physically alive?

Yes there are… Breathing lungs, a beating heart, and a thinking mind will all be present and active.

If any of those three are absent; if the lungs no longer breathe, the heart no longer beats, or the mind no longer thinks, then it cannot be said that the person shows the evidence of life. The same can be said concerning Spiritual life.

When Spiritual life is present, the quickening breath of God’s Holy Ghost will be in the soul; faith IN and ON Christ will be in the heart; and a right view of God, man, and salvation will be in the mind.

When a continual, fervent, immediate need for Christ is within a person – the breath of God’s Spirit is in the soul.

When Christ becomes a sinner’s only hope, and only desire; when a sinner stops looking to his own works for salvation, and starts looking to Christ’s work on the cross alone – true, saving faith is in the heart. And when a sinner throws out every word but God’s word, and says: “let God be true, and every man a liar” – repentance has come to the mind.

When these things are present, God given life has come!

~ Pastor Gabe Stalnaker

Click here to listen to the message “True Hope For Depression”

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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.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 9 February, 2020 | Previous post date: 5 May 2022