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He First Loved Us

“We love Him, because He first loved us.” | 1 John 4: 19

Because He first loved us, there are some things that we, God’s people, love about Him:

We love His sovereignty. We love the fact that He has the power, ability, and right to do as He pleases. We especially love that truth because He said, in Christ, it pleased Him to make us His people.

“For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.” (1 Samuel 12: 22)

We love His election. We love who He elected to save. He said He chose to save sinners, and that is what we are.

“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)

We love His predestination. It is the means that He said He would use to conform us to the image of Christ, and that is our greatest desire and need.

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans 8: 29)

We love His grace, because it is what gave Christ to us.

We love His mercy, because it is what gave Christ to the cross of our punishment. It is what shed His blood for the payment of our sin.

We love His redemption, because it is finished. We are washed clean, made pure, and accepted in Him.

We love His righteousness, because it has covered everything that we are in our flesh with His perfection.

We love His glory, because it magnifies Him.

We love His word, because it reveals Him.

We love His message, because it points us and calls us to Him.

We love His people, because there is no greater pleasure on earth than being with those who love Him and desire to worship and praise Him together.

The glorious gospel of Christ is in the fact that He loved us, even when there was nothing about us to love.

For that, we love Him.

~ Pastor Gabe Stalnaker

Click here to listen to the message “What Is Calling Upon His Name?”

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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: 18 April, 2021 | Previous post date: 4 June, 2021

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Grace Alone

“To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” | Acts 10: 43

I can understand how men and women, who have never read or heard the Word of God preached, can look to and depend on their works and self-righteousness to make them acceptable before God; for such things seem logical to the natural mind which knows nothing of God, sin, righteousness, and divine holiness.

But I cannot understand how any person who has read the Scriptures can fail to see that salvation is by grace alone through the merits and death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

~ Pastor Henry Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “Some Words of Assurance”

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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: 15 April, 2018 | Previous post date: n/a

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Oh! Sweet Grace, Blessed Grace!

”And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” | Ephesians 2: 6-9

We are saved by grace, free grace, rich grace, sovereign grace, distinguishing grace without one atom of works, without one grain of creature merit, without anything of the flesh.

Oh! Sweet grace, blessed grace!

Oh! what a help, what a strength, what a rest for a poor toiling, striving, laboring soul to find that grace has done all the work, to feel that grace has triumphed in the cross of Christ, to find that nothing is required, nothing is needed, nothing is to be done!

~ J.C. Philpot

Click here to listen to the message “Seeing The Grace of 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.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 3 April, 2022 | Previous post date: n/a

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Glorious Restitution

”But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.” | Isaiah 42: 22

The problem with sinners is not that we are unwilling to do something to save ourselves but that we are unwilling to do nothing that we might be saved by another.

“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” (John 3: 19-20)

Faith takes nothing from you, faith takes nothing done by you, faith demands you add nothing, only believe and continue believing, not in anything you have done or not done.

Faith is casting your care, your whole self, your whole eternal salvation into the hands of Jesus Christ.

~ Pastor Clay Curtis

Click here to listen to the message “Glorious Restitution”

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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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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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Strive To Enter In

”Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” | Hebrews 4: 14-16

The Lord said in Matthew 11: 12, “The kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”

While it is true that salvation is a work of God in which we are passive, men dead in sins do not actively seek the Living God.

It is equally true that when God does give a dead sinner life, that one who was dead in sins becomes very active.

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:” (Matthew 7: 13)

He “strives to enter in at the straight gate.”

He earnestly “seeks God with all his heart.”

“I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.” (Luke 11: 8)

He is “importunate” (‘insistent’) in prayer.

“Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” (Romans 8: 12-13)

He seeks to “crucify the flesh” and “through the Spirit to mortify the deeds of the body.”

“Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” (2 Timothy 2: 10)

He is willing to “endure all things for the elect’s sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus.”

The rest that the believer enters is not one of laziness, apathy, or indifference.

If our belief in sovereign grace has lead us to excuse our sin, justify our disobedience, dampen our enthusiasm, become indifferent to our responsibility, or make our love and zeal grow cold… we have not understood sovereign grace.

While all of our former religious activity does need to be killed, may God deliver us from using His grace to have a passive attitude that is not taught in Scripture!

~ Pastor Todd Nibert

Click here to listen to the message “Who, Where, How, Why, and When”

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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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I Am What I Am, By The Grace Of God

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

Until we see our sin, we will never understand, love or be thankful for God’s sovereignty, His election or His finished work of salvation.

Men and women naturally reject God’s sovereignty because they do not want to be ruled by someone else. Mankind wants to rule himself.

Men and women naturally reject God’s election because they think that if God didn’t choose for them to be saved, it would be unfair and wrongful treatment to them.

Men and women naturally reject God’s finished work in salvation through the blood of Christ ALONE because they pridefully and self-righteously believe that they have something good in themselves that they can add to Christ’s work.

But after sinners truly see their sin, they LOVE God’s sovereignty, because they know that their own rule over themselves has only brought absolute ruin to them.

They LOVE God’s election, because they know that God’s unconditional election is the only hope that sinners like them could ever have of being saved. And they LOVE God’s finished work in salvation, because they know that there is NOTHING they could add to it but the deadness of their sin.

They know that if Christ doesn’t finish the work, it’s not going to be finished!

Men and women by nature hate everything about God… until God causes them to hate everything about themselves.

Once men and women truly hate what they sees in themselves, they will LOVE everything that they see in their merciful, loving, gracious Lord. At that moment, they all will confidently and humbly say: “I am what I am, by the grace of God.”

~ Pastor Gabe Stalnaker

Click here to listen to the message “Hope For A Cast Down Soul”

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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: 23 August, 2020 | Previous post date: 26 May, 2021

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Hallowed Be Your Name

”After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” | Matthew 6: 9

God’s name is highly regarded and greatly respected by Himself and His people.

His law commanded, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” (Exodus 20: 7)

His people pray “hallowed be Your name,” (Matthew 6: 9) expressing their desire that His name be sanctified and made holy.

Holy Scriptures speak of His “holy name” many times.

He rebukes those who profane (the English verb profane is from the Latin profanare = “to desecrate, render unholy, violate”) His holy name.

“And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land. But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.” (Ezekiel 36: 20-23)

The world is notorious for profaning God’s name, especially in its euphemisms and minced oaths.

The name “God” is profaned with: egad; gawd; golly; gosh.

The name “Lord” is profaned with: lordy; lawzy.

The name “Jesus Christ” is profaned with: cheese and rice; crikey; cripes; gee; gee whiz; Jeebus; jeepers; jeez; Jiminy Christmas; Jesus H. Christ; Judas Priest.

We also hear them speaking profane terms such as: begorra; (by God) bejabbers; (by Jesus) dadgum / dagnammit / goldern; (God damn) drat; (God rot it) gadzooks; (God’s hooks – the nails of Christ’s crucifixion) omigosh / omigod / omg (O my God); suffering succotash; (suffering Savior) zounds. (God’s wounds)

May He find His people never profaning His name, and ever among those who pray and practice “hallowed be Your name”!

~ Pastor Daniel E. Parks

Click here to listen to the message “What Jesus Christ Is To Me”

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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: 20 April, 2014 | Previous post date: n/a | Rocky Mount, Virginia

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You Can Do Nothing

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” | John 15: 5

You Can do Nothing — Bad News or Good News?

For God’s elect to profess that in and of themselves they can do nothing to please God is not a mere excuse for them to do nothing for the cause of Christ in this world. Their inability is a “daily burden.”

The apostle Paul wrote, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” (Romans 7: 18) Certainly that is why the Gospel message is “good news” for the “true sinner.”

That perfection which God requires of me, He provides for me in my glorious Substitute and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

I can now say with Paul, “For WHEN I am weak, THEN I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12: 10) With Christ as my Substitute, Mediator, and Advocate before God I see that “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4: 13)

That surely makes the Divine revelation of my “inability” to sound like “good news” to me! How about you?

~ Pastor David Eddmenson

Click here to listen to the message “Hear The Word Of The Lord”

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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: 4 February, 2018 | Previous post date: n/a

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Symptoms Of A Fatal Disease

“LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them. And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.” | Psalm 39: 4-7

MOST fatal diseases do not show up immediately, nor do they kill someone overnight.

They generally begin little unsuspicious symptoms, such as a sniffle, a sore, a small lump or a brief pain. Most times the person ignores these little symptoms until they become much worse and even others notice something wrong with them. So it is most times with the fatal disease called Apostasy.

Apostasy is a fancy word for missing Christ, departing from the faith, leaving the gospel and leaving the church.

It most times begins with little symptoms, such as… no real desire to attend the worship services, (but only do so to maintain appearances) no real fellowship with believers, (quick to get in and out of services) avoidable absences from the worship service, little distractions at home, little temptations to work late, ‘little sins’ indulged, (even enjoyed) the pull and call of the world, which, at one time was resisted, now quickly and easily answered.

The symptoms are many and varied, and if ignored, they eventually break out into glaring problems. The person begins to be unsociable with God’s people, unreachable, not easily entreated. They begin to resent and avoid the calls and concerns of their (supposed) brethren. They begin to find fault with their ‘brethren’ and especially the preacher. Until finally they see no need to gather with ‘those people’ anymore, or listen to ‘that fellow’ anymore.

Little do apostates realize, but THEY HAVE MISSED CHRIST, then they leave; ‘they went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt would have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be manifest (revealed, exposed to all) that they are not all of us.’

Fact is, one who leaves never had life to begin with, never was born from above, never was quickened but was and is dead in trespasses and sins.

It is not too late if these words convict one’s conscience and prick one’s heart.

If the symptoms are recognized early it does not have to be fatal …hurtful and injurious, yes, but not fatal! If you recognize any of these symptoms in yourself and are concerned, perhaps the Great Physician is dealing with you. The Lord will heal the backslidden in heart and readily receives every prodigal.

If left to our sinful selves we all would fall away.

It can happen to anyone.

Many have left and many more will do so, according to scripture.

But, by the grace of God, all who call on Him, come to Him, no matter how sinful, how fallen (or how many times), how wandering, how downcast and dirty, He mercifully receives and quickly and freely forgives.

~ Pastor Paul Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “Lord I’m so frail”

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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.

Lantana Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 2 September, 2018 | Previous post date: n/a | Crossville, Tennessee