Sanctuary Sounds (11/3/24)

• Song Highlight: The Solid Rock

I’m so thankful that we don’t sing this:

“If my hope is built on doing good, and always doing what I should,
To never fail or make a mess, that will lead to anxiousness.” 

What a sad song this would be if our hope was built on our own performance. But we have a better hope. We have the perfect righteousness of Christ given to us. He takes our disobedience, and we get his obedience. He pays for our failures, and gives us his successes. 

“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” 

That’s Good News.

“His oath, His covenant, His blood, support me in the whelming flood.”

That’s Good News.

Parent/Grandparent Idea: Talk to your children about how they will always be loved: no matter what. If they don’t clean their room, they will be in trouble, but they will still be loved. They will still belong in the family. The same goes for bigger sins and failures too. Tell them that they are not loved because they are “good enough.” They are loved because they are family. Then share with them that if we are adopted into God’s family, He loves us even when we sin and fail. He doesn’t love us because we are good; He loves us because we are his.

• Scripture Highlight: John 21:15-19

Peter had said big words. But when the time came to live them and to pay the price, he denied Jesus. He denied Jesus again and again.

And we are no different. We don’t have the ability to do what is good and right on our own. But we are not alone. God has given his Holy Spirit to his people. That Holy Spirit made Peter faithful. That Holy Spirit kept working, kept sanctifying. And Peter died faithful.

If you are a believer, God will make you faithful too. He will complete the work that he started in you (Phil 1:6). When you fail, don’t despair in your sin. Christ has paid for it. He has canceled the record of your sin and nailed to the cross (Col 2:14).

This doesn’t mean we can take it lightly. Hate your sin. Repent of your sin. Fight your sin. But keep following. Keep going. Like Peter, God will make you faithful. He will bring you home. 

Parent/Grandparent Note: Next time you are in the car with your child, ask them why they are confident they will arrive at the destination. The answer should be that they trust the driver. The driver has a good track record. They know the driver will get them where they need to go. Then remind them that they can trust God like that too; He will drive us home.