October 2023 | VOLUME 49 | ISSUE NO.10
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EVANGEL
OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF FIRST FREE CHURCH
2023 Church Picnic Although it rained a bit on Sunday afternoon, God used the light precipitation to draw our people and guests closer to one another under the Blue Top Pavilion at Renzie Park, occasioning even closer times of fellowship and connection. It's amazing how God works through circumstances like these, using what we might not typically choose to provide blessings we might have otherwise missed.
Law and Gospel and in That Order By Pastor Kevin Labby Many preachers like me are fond of saying, along with the Protestant Reformers, that God speaks two words in Scripture – law and gospel. In short, the law tells us what we must do. The gospel proclaims what God has done. Here's the thing: many churches and preachers are good at preaching one or the other. Unfortunately, only some are consistent at both, and even fewer teach both in their proper order. If you preach only the law, you crush people. You rst turn them into legalistic performers (trying their hardest) and then pretenders (faking it until they make it) until they ultimately pass out (give up, move on – usually broken and bitter toward God and his church).
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On behalf of our pastors, sta , and very grateful church family, thank you to all those whose planning, purchasing, cooking, baking, grilling, setting up, tearing down, and cleaning up made this installment of our annual church picnic another encouraging success. We sincerely appreciate you and your e orts! God made this memorable time of fellowship possible through you.