Points of Purity

Paul admonished the church in Ephesus to live pure lives. Paul had good reason to be concerned for the people in Ephesus, because, like us, they struggled to separate themselves from the accepted behaviour of their society. Ephesus held one of the ancient wonders of the world, the temple to the goddess Diana. This was a shrine where immoral and perverse acts including prostitution were conducted. Paul feared that the morals of the people of God would gradually bedegraded by the immorality that surrounded them, and so he warned them:

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints (Ephesians 5:3)

Our generation still struggles with this issue. Society presents every kind of perversion as an acceptable alternate lifestyle. The pressure from our surroundings can influence us to lower our morals. We can begin to compare ourselves to the immoral society around us and consider ourselves righteous. However, instead of comparing ourselves to our society, as children of God, we are commanded to compare our morals to His Word. It is not good enough to live a step above the wickedness that surrounds us. Our challenge is to ascend to the standard that God's Word has set for us.

Please feel free to come and chat with us anytime,

Dave and Heather

Loyalty on the Line

Loyalty is a quality that is best displayed when it is returned. Loyalty involves relationship. Throughout time, men and women in relationships, both with God and with others, have exhibited loyalty.

The benefits of loyalty include:

• Dependable friends
• Security in relationships
• Rewarding relationships
• Reliable support system
• Greater depth of love experienced
• Fidelity in marriage
• Stability and maturity in church

Today, we will be exploring the relationship between David and Jonathan as set out in 1 Samuel 18:1-4. Even during King Saul's persecution of David, Jonathan stood by his friend and pledged his allegiance to the man whom God had anointed to be Israel's future king.

Jesus, of course, showed the epitome of loyalty to us. He took upon Himself all of our sins, suffered indignity, abuse, and brutal beatings, and allowed Himself to be crucified as our sacrifice. But He did not stop there! In Matthew 28:20 Jesus promised that He would be with us always, even unto the end of the world. His loyalty to us endures even to the end of the world.

We will be discussing three aspects of loyalty: loyalty in the workplace; loyalty in friendship; loyalty in our relationship with God.

Please feel free to discuss any concerns you have.

God bless you,

Dave and Heather