Giving Thanks + This Sunday at Immanuel
Good morning Immanuel. The Lord is faithful. Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so!
“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.” (Psalm 107:1-3)
Not long ago, I had an old childhood friend contact me after running across my picture in a yearbook, and that picture triggered memories about past events that had long been forgotten. For better or for worse, a yearbook has a way of bringing our past to mind; but Psalm 107 is a yearbook of redemption that brings God’s past faithfulness to mind.
The Psalm explores various scenes in Israel’s history where life felt impossible, but God proved Himself to be faithful. The first three verses lay out the thesis— that God is faithful and worthy of praise, and the rest of the chapter tells the stories of God’s faithfulness so that we would have strong encouragement that God will continue to be just as faithful as He’s always been.
The Lord has a perfect track record of faithfulness, and because of His goodness and steadfast (loyal) love, that perfect track record will never change. How have we seen the goodness and faithfulness of God? We have seen God’s faithfulness in the history of redemption as He brought Israel out of bondage and sustained them through many trials. We have seen God’s faithfulness in our lives, personally and individually. But the most incredible display of God’s faithfulness has been displayed in the person and work of Jesus, who redeemed us from the judgment of God and the bondage of sin at the cross! This is our story; this is our song, so let the Redeemed of the Lord say so!
This Sunday At Immanuel
Sunday Morning
This Sunday, Pastor TJ will continue our Ephesians sermon series from Ephesians 1.
We look forward to celebrating the installation of new officers at our 9 am service and welcoming new members at our 10:45 am service!
If you will be visiting Immanuel for the first time or are new, feel free to fill out a connect card to let us know how we can best serve you!
Growing & Connecting
9 am: Studying the Bible Together led by Tom Cox in the staff lounge (ongoing)
9 am: First Word (Genesis 1-11 seminar) led by Russell Moore in the cafe
9 am: Student Seminar led by Vince Greenwald in the gymnasium (ongoing for grades 5-12)
10:45 am: Session 3 of Next Steps co-led by Barnabas Piper and Tony Shepherd in the Cafe (ongoing)
College Lunch immediately following the 10:45 am service.