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One Look From The Lord

“And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.” | Luke 22: 61-62

The truth of Peter’s denial of the Lord is recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

But in Luke’s account, there’s something concerning the Lord’s reaction toward Peter, and Peter’s immediate response, after his denial, that especially grips my heart.

The word declares, ”And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter; And Peter remembered the word of the Lord.”

Here we’re taught that the Lord beholds and knows us, His people…”He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.”

But how painful it is when we’re allowed to behold that truth within ourselves.

One look from the Lord he denied three times, broke Peter’s heart; for that look was not a look of condemnation, which surely would be deserved, but rather was a look of mercy and compassion from Him who came into this world to save His people from their sins… and with that look, “Peter went out, and wept bitterly.”

~ Pastor Marvin Stalnaker

Click here to listen to the message “With Christ, In Christ, Through Christ” (27:10 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: 14 April, 2024 | Previous post date: n/a

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We Have An Advocate

“And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” | 1 John 2: 1

This scripture recognizes our frail, sinful, human nature.

A believer does not love sin, does not excuse nor justify sin, but grieves over sin and desires to be without sin.

Yet he owns and confesses his sin!

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” (1 Timothy 1: 15)

As SPURGEON once said, “Sin is my name, sin is my nature; and to deny it is to deny the Word, deceive myself, and call God a liar. My old nature is such that I will sin until I die, for sin even pollutes the best thing I do.”

“And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” | (1 John 2: 1)

This scripture encourages the believer to trust and hope in the mercy of God AT ALL TIMES!

It does not say, “If any man is holy, prayerful, and always faithful, he has an advocate”; but, it says, “If any man SIN, he has an advocate with the Father.”

It does not say, “If any many sins, he forfeits his right to Christ’s advocacy.”

Grace that can be forfeited because of human failure is not grace at all.

Mercy that is conditioned upon the merit of the creature is not mercy at all.

If my title to glory rests upon my works, either BEFORE OR AFTER conversion, it is a total failure.

“And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” | (1 John 2: 1)

This scripture declares that at all times, under all conditions, Jesus Christ is our righteousness, our sanctification, our advocate, and our redemption.

So, when I sin, when I consider my past or present and come creeping to my closet with a guilty conscience and an aching heart, I can rejoice in the mercy of my Father; for I have an Advocate – JESUS CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS!

~ Pastor Henry Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “The Evidence Of Being Saved” (35:57 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 December, 2024 | Previous post date: n/a

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The Miracle Of Salvation

”Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.” | John 1: 22-23

The Lord Jesus Christ performed many miracles while upon this earth.

He cast out devils, healed lepers, gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf; He raised the dead.

While these miracles certainly proved him to be the Christ, they are also illustrations of how the Lord saves sinners.

Every sinner the Lord saves, is all these things… possessed by a devil, a sinful leper, deaf, dumb, blind, and dead in sin.

Salvation is a miracle of God’s sovereign grace and power.

Nothing more or less can save a sinner but the power of Christ; the Word, the Truth and the Gospel.

May the Lord be pleased to perform a miracle today!

~ Pastor Paul E. Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “Behold The Lamb Of God” (44:29 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.

Zebulon Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 1 May, 2022 | Previous post date: n/a | Pikeville, Kentucky

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A Thankful Person

“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” | James 5: 7-8

A thankful person is truly a happy person.

It is not possible to be unhappy and thankful at the same time.

If a person is truly thankful to the Lord for saving their soul, that person is also truly happy.

~ Pastor John Chapman

Click here to listen to the message “The Proper Attitude of Believers Regarding Trials” (40:09 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.

Central Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 17 April, 2022 | Previous post date: n/a | Rocky Mount, Virginia

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God Is Patient With The Tares

”What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles” | Romans 9: 22-24

God is patient with the tares that He might have mercy on the wheat.

In Matthew 13 our Lord referred to these “vessels of wrath fitted for destruction” as “tares”, and He referred to His “vessels of mercy” as “wheat”.

He gave a parable of “a man who sowed good seed in his field… But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.”

The man’s servants wanted to pull up the tares and cast them out, but the man said, “Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.”

What do we learn from this?

Our God is patient with the “tares” that He might have mercy on the “wheat”!

He endures with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy!

If this is our Lord’s way, may it be ours too.

He said: “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into My barn.”

~ Pastor Gabe Stalnaker

Click here to listen to the message “The Gospel Is For The Guilty” (28:20 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: 29 July, 2018 | Previous post date: n/a

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Why Did God Choose The Poor Of This World?

”And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.” | Exodus 14: 19-20

The Spirit of God moved James to write the word “hearken” meaning that the following statement is a matter of great importance, worthy of the attention of every believer.

”Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor.” (James 2: 5-6)

It pleased God that the majority of those he chose to save in Christ Jesus be poor in temporal possessions.

Why is that worthy of our attention?

One reason may be that a lack of temporal riches is an example of the natural spiritual condition of all those Christ redeemed.

By disobeying God, our earthly father Adam, wasted all his spiritual substance thus leaving the family of mankind in the poverty of sin and spiritual death.

Every elect child of God for whom Christ died is spiritually ungodly in the worst of all poverty outside of God’s grace.

Yet, our heavenly Father chose to bestow the riches of faith freely upon sinners who are temporaly poor in this world to further manifest the riches of his super-abounding grace toward those so destitute in spiritual poverty that they possess no ability to produce anything of spiritual worth by their own works.

The riches of God’s promise become truly unsearchable when revealed in the hearts of sinners bankrupt of any righteousness whatsoever.

Only a wretch living in the slums of sin truly understands that it was purely the choice of his sovereign King to reserve him a seat at his table in his kingdom for all eternity.

It is not that God did not choose to give some of his saints material wealth in this world.

Yet, like king David when giving of his treasure for the building of the temple, all those enriched by God’s grace are brought to confess that our every earthly possession is only that which God has lent us to be used for the further exaltation of his Son and the care of his poor saints in this world.

When we consider the love of Christ who for our sakes became poor that we might be made rich, his love constrains us, not to despise his poor saints, but to share God’s riches, both temporal and spiritual.

~ Pastor Clay Curtis

Click here to listen to the message “When God Isn’t There” (51:36 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: 26 February, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Ewing, New Jersey

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What A Contrast

”When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” | Acts 7: 54-60

What a demonstration of contrast between the way of the wicked flesh and the way of sovereign grace when God’s servant, Stephen was being stoned to death for the gospel’s sake.

“For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3: 3)

The enemies of the gospel were filled with rage; Stephen was filled with joy in the Lord. “And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” (Acts 7: 56)

“What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” (Romans 3: 9-11)

They were occupied with hatred; Stephen was bursting with the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Spirit. “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Romans 5: 5)

“They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:” (Romans 3: 12-14)

They were packed with fear; Stephen was occupied with faith. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12: 2)

“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” (2 Timothy 1: 9)

They were chock-full of persecution; Stephen was jam-packed with prayer. “And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Acts 7: 60)

“For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4: 7)

Oh, what a difference the sovereign grace of God makes in the believer. “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” (Romans 9: 15-16)

“Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3: 15-18)

Oh, how dreadfully wicked is the way of the sinful flesh.

~ Pastor Tom Harding

Click here to listen to the message “Is Your Heart Right?” (33:21 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.

Zebulon Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 18 February, 2007 | Previous post date: n/a | Pikeville, Kentucky

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Only Sinners Saved By Grace

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” | Ephesians 2: 8

In Christ there is no great and small, no important and unimportant, but only sinners saved by the grace of God.

We are all brethren!

The servant is not greater than his Lord; and if the Lord humbled himself to become a servant, shall we not do likewise?

Happy are those who know this gracious truth by experience and perform the doing of it.

~ Pastor Henry Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “The Impossible Made Possible”

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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: 27 June, 2021 | Previous post date: 19 August, 2021

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Finally, Brethren, Farewell

”Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” | 2 Corinthians 13: 5

One man described False or Counterfeit faith in this way:

  1. It is never broken over its own sin.
  2. It never hungers and thirsts for the blood and righteousness of Christ.
  3. It never sees itself to be nothing.
  4. It never bows to the absolute sovereignty of the Lord Jesus Christ.

True faith says:

  1. “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7: 24)
  2. “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51: 7)
  3. “For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 4: 4)
  4. “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for 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: 12)

~ Pastor Gabe Stalnaker

Click here to listen to the message “Finally, Brethren, Farewell”

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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: 3 June, 2018 | Previous post date: n/a

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Mechanics of Grace?

”Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” | 1 Corinthians 1: 20-24

Where can I go this Lord’s Day and hear the mercy of God, not the mechanics of grace?

Where can I go and hear the love of Christ and not the law of God for saints?

Where can I go and hear of the righteousness of God fulfilled by Christ and not the righteousness of the creature to be rewarded by God?

Let us say, by God’s grace, this will be the place and I will be the preacher.

The message will not be flowery but full of grace; it will not be with enticing words of man’s wisdom but the sovereign mercy of God to helpless sinners in a language all men understand.

Let the scholars, theologians and authors go elsewhere to have their intellects “challenged.”

Lord make me Thy voice to thy people!

~ Pastor Henry Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “We Preach Christ Crucified”

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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: 2 February, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Danville, Kentuky