March 16, 2025
You can find the order of worship and songs here.
= = =
Is the Bible too long or too short? A little perspective helps. Some of us have read novels longer than the Bible. So it is actually startling to realize that the Creator of the universe has given us a book that can fit inside a pocket. And that leads to an inevitable conclusion. There are no “fillers” in the Bible, no useless information or words that only exist to pad the pages to satisfy the requirements of an assignment. Indeed, the surprising thing about the Bible is not that it is too long, but so short! Every word matters. Every sentence is important. Every paragraph, page, and story matter.
That being the case, some passages are more prominent in their importance because they serve as the keys that unlock the rest of the Bible. Genesis 15 is one such passage. Genesis 15 follows Abram’s victory in chapter 14, and his refusal to enrich himself from questionable sources. Abram wants God’s blessing or no blessing at all. No wonder, then, God says to Abram in 15:1 “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” Chapter 15 then unpacks how Abram comes into possession of God’s blessing. First, it is by faith. “And he (Abram) believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” Second, Abram’s blessing comes from God’s unconditional and one-sided commitment.
In the ancient near east the act of covenant making included a bloody ritual. The two parties making the covenant would sacrifice animals, and require each party to walk through the mutilated animal carcasses while invoking a curse against himself. In essence, the covenant maker was saying “May the gods rip me apart and put me to death like these animals if ever I break my promise to you!” It was their way of saying “Cross my heart and hope to die” — but in a lot more gruesome way!
But notice what happens in Genesis 15. When God made his covenant with Abram, Abram was not required to invoke a curse on himself for covenant breaking. Rather, God alone, appearing in the form of fire, invoked a curse upon himself. The significance is clear. God alone will pay the price of covenant breaking. When the covenant is broken — not because of faithlessness on God’s part, but man’s — God will suffer the violence and pay the price. The promise, after all is said and done, was for the crucified and broken body of the Lord Jesus who will die to pay for our sins.
We are the covenant breakers. But Jesus died and paid for our sins. That is what we call grace. And that is why we worship.
= = =
Growth Resources
This year: Please see the full list of 2025 books as well as Bible reading plans on our church webpage.
This month: We are reading "To Seek and to Save: Daily Reflections on the Road to the Cross" by Sinclair Ferguson.
This week: We are reflecting upon Shorter Catechism Q. & A. 10.
Everyday: Noted pastor and theologian Sinclair Ferguson posts a short reflection every day, each around 5 minutes long. "Things Unseen" cover various aspects of the Christian life, worship, and theological topics in a very accessible and edifying way. We encourage you to incorporate this into your daily life. Please see this page for more information. There you will find links to various podcast platforms as well as YouTube page.
Upcoming Events and Notices
March 9 (Lord’s Day): Please join us for fellowship meal after the service.
March 16 (Lord’s Day): Please join us for Sunday School lesson from “Essential Truths of the Christian Faith” Ch. 47 “Human Beings as Flesh and Spirit.” Also March 23.
March 19 (Wednesday 7 PM): Please join us on Zoom for an overview of Exodus. Meeting ID: 885 5287 2349 / Passcode: 711992
March 30 (Lord’s Day): Please join us for our annual congregational meeting for the purpose of adopting the budget for fiscal year 2025–26. All communicant members are requested to attend.
Thank you for your continued support of Grace Fallbrook (PCA). Your loving support makes the proclamation of the gospel and the building up of the saints possible. Please visit gracefallbrook.church/give and click on "Give Online Now." You will be directed to the PCA Foundation where you can give towards Grace Fallbrook (PCA).