First Scots Presbyterian (PCA)

What are you like when nobody is watching? In John 17, we step onto holy ground as we listen in on Jesus' prayer life with His Father. Just hours before the cross, Jesus spends time in prayer, revealing His heart, His priorities, and His perfect devotion. As we easvesdrop on this prayer, we'll discover the beauty of Christ's private life, the depth of His communion with the Father, and the wonderful truth that eternal life is found in knowing God through Him.

It is true that there is grace for all our sexual guilt in the bleeding wounds of Jesus Christ. And O how we should praise God for this gospel mercy! Even the most sexually defiled person in the world can stand spotlessly righteous before the throne of grace through the substitutionary merits of Jesus Christ in their place, (II Pet. 2:7). But it is also true that God is the "avenger" of the sexually immoral, and that "whoever disregards" God's commandments concerning holy sexuality "disregards God" Himself. Therefore, let the timeless words from I Thessalonians 4:1-8 be a sobering echo in our hearts that give us both holy fear and healthy defense as we zealously pursue sexual purity in all of life, and especially within our own "marriage bed."

The gospel does not just bring forgiveness for our sins, it also brings good order to our lives. The gospel teaches us how to live holy, godly, and Christ-exalting lives in the Church, in our homes, and in the workplace. Moreover, when we live a life that is conformed to the Word of God, we are also living a life that "adorns the doctrine of God our Savior"—that is, a life that shows the watching world the beauty of knowing and trusting Jesus. Join us this Sunday as we consider Titus 2:1-10 where we will learn that "good order in God's house gives a good testimony to the world."

This Lord's Day we will continue our study through the Gospel of John by looking at John 16:25–33, where Jesus speaks tenderly to His disciples on the eve of the cross. In a world full of sorrow, pressure, fear, and tribulation, our Lord does not promise His people an easy path—but He does promise His presence, His peace, and His victory. In this passage, Christ reminds us that He came into this world, suffered in this world, and ultimately overcame this world. Join us as we consider the deep comfort and courage found in the triumphant words of our Savior: "Take heart; I have overcome the world."

This Sunday morning, First Scots welcomes to its pulpit Rev. Dr. Ian Hamilton to preach from Psalm 74. Dr. Hamilton served for many years as pastor in Newmilns, Scotland, and Cambridge, England. He also serves on the faculty of Westminster Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Newcastle, England, and Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, as President of the Paton Society. Dr. Hamilton and his wife Joan have four children.

This Sunday, we will consider one of the greatest privileges Christ purchased for His people: prayer. In John 16:23–28, we will see that prayer is not merely a religious duty or a last resort in times of trouble, but a blood-bought invitation into fellowship with the living God Himself. Together we will consider how prayer lays hold of the riches of Christ, why we pray in Jesus' name, and why prayer is the right response in every circumstance of life. Come and be reminded that through Christ, the throne room of heaven stands open to every believer.

It is both God's will and God's promise that his beloved church be protected and kept pure in all ages. But what is God's plan for achieving this good and holy end? How does Jesus Christ, the true and faithful Shepherd, watch over the flock of his love? A chief part of the answer is through the Spirit-empowered ministry of faithful elders who are called to stand as defenders of the people of God. Join us this Lord's Day morning as we continue to consider the important role of the Elder from Titus 1:10-16.

On the night before the cross, Jesus tells His disciples that sorrow is coming—but it will not have the final word. The cross will bring deep grief, yet through it, He will secure a joy that can never be taken away. This Sunday, we'll behold how Christ transforms the sorrow of the cross into the everlasting joy of His people.

Marriage is a living portrayal of Christ's love for His Church, especially through how husbands love their wives.

In our passage this Sunday, Jesus gave His disciples a profound truth: "It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you." Join us this Lord's Day as we discover how Jesus' departure was necessary so that the Holy Spirit could come. We'll explore how the Spirit works to convict the world of sin and righteousness, and how His ultimate mission is to glorify Jesus Christ in your life. Come and learn more about the power of the Spirit who lives within us.

Most of us readily recognize the importance of having the right qualifications when it comes to our dentist, our doctor, or our airline pilot. In fact, we would be very quick to avoid placing ourselves under the practice of any such persons who failed to meet the right qualifications for their given work. But what about having the right qualifications for church officers? Isn't it important, perhaps even more important, that the men whom God calls to serve as the shepherds of souls should actually be fit by the Holy Spirit for the proper care of the Church? Moreover, what are the proper qualifications for the office Elder after all? What things does God say are the most important requirements for those who provide both authority and care for his beloved people? Join us this Lord's Day morning as we learn some of the key answers to these important questions from Titus 1:6-9.

This Sunday, we will hear Jesus speak plainly about what it means to follow Him in a hostile world. He tells us not to be surprised when faithfulness brings opposition. To belong to Christ is to share, in some measure, in His rejection. And yet, even as the cost is real, so is the joy—because Christ is worth it. Join us as we consider what it means to bear witness, to hold loosely to this world, and to cling tightly to our Savior.

At first glance, John 15 doesn't feel like an Easter passage. There is no empty tomb—only the sobering words, "If the world hates you…". But this is exactly where Easter begins. The world rejected Jesus. It crucified Him. And yet, the Father raised Him from the dead. Easter is God's great declaration: His Son is righteous, His sacrifice is accepted, and His kingdom will stand. Join us as we consider how the resurrection changes everything- not just one day a year, but every day.

On the night before the cross, when His disciples were about to fail Him, Jesus spoke of a love that would never fail them. A love that holds us fast in our weakness. A love that changes us from the inside out. A love that calls us to love others the same way. Join us this Sunday as we hear Christ's invitation: "Abide in my love… and love one another as I have loved you."

Last time we were together in Titus we considered Paul's "glorious salutation of gospel grace" (1:1-4). In those verses we saw that the Apostle Paul took care to bolster the courage and strength of this young pastor by reminding him that the very authority of heaven was coming to his aid. Now, as Paul begins the body of the letter in 1:5, we see that his first priority and top order of business is for Titus to "put what remained into order and appoint elders in every town". By this simple and straightforward charge we learn many foundational truths about the way the Lord Jesus Christ intends for his beloved Church to be nourished, defended, and led. In particular, we will see that "Presbyterianism" is not merely a matter of man's preference or an invention of man's mind, but rather, it is the very form of church government which the Lord Jesus Christ has set forth in his Word for the progress, protection, and everlasting joy of his people.

What keeps God from being our deepest and most satisfying joy? Often it is not our circumstances—but our attachments to this world. In John 15, Jesus teaches that the loving Father prunes His people so they may bear more fruit. Sometimes He uses His Word, sometimes trials, failures, or discipline to loosen our grip on lesser treasures. Yet every cut of His pruning knife is aimed at one gracious purpose: that our joy in Him would grow deeper and stronger. This Sunday we will see how God lovingly prunes His people so that they may experience both fruitfulness and fullness of joy in Him.

On the night before the cross, Jesus tells His disciples the secret of the Christian life. It isn't mechanical — as if we could simply try harder and produce spiritual fruit. The Christian life is horticultural: Fruit grows only where there is life flowing from the vine into the branch. We will see this Sunday how Israel was meant to be God's vineyard but failed, how Jesus was the True Vine, and how real spiritual life is found only in abiding in Him. Join us as we open God's Word together!

In John 14, on the night before the cross, Jesus gives His disciples His final inheritance: "My peace I give to you." Not fragile peace. Not circumstantial peace. Peace purchased through the cross, and found in His presence. This Sunday we will see why so few of us have peace — and how true peace is found not in different life circumstances, but in Christ living within us. Come hear how believers can grab hold of the inheritance Christ Himself has left to His people.