First Scots Presbyterian (PCA)

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.

This Lord's Day we will take a brief break from John's Gospel and turn to 1 Peter 5:1–5, where Peter gives one of Scripture's clearest pictures of shepherding in the church. We will consider what it means that Jesus is the Chief Shepherd, and that He lovingly provides undershepherds to know, feed, lead, and protect His people—leaders like Himself. Sheep need shepherds, and Christ has given shepherding as a gift to His church. Please come prayerfully, asking the Lord to teach us how to live together as His flock under His loving care.

On the ancient island of Crete, Christianity was beginning to bud by God's unstoppable grace. But it was certainly far from flourishing (yet). The culture all around opposed almost everything Christian's hold dear. What is more, even those who had been converted to Christ by the Holy Spirit were, for the most part, very young in their faith. They were only just beginning to take baby steps in learning to follow Christ. In the midst of all this was a young pastor named Titus who needed a lot of help. We can almost imagine Titus humbly crying out to the Lord in prayer, "Father in heaven, help me to know your will for your people! Help me to know how to rightly shepherd the flock of your love with wisdom, grace, and truth!" In response to the needs of this young pastor and the congregations he served, God gave us a little book of the New Testament that we call, "Paul's Letter To Titus", or just "Titus" for short. This Lord's Day we will begin a journey into this wonderful letter by considering Paul's introduction in Titus 1:1-4.

One of the most misunderstood aspects of the Christian life is the relationship between God's Law and the Gospel. In John 14:18–24, on the night before the cross, Jesus explains that the two are not at odds with one another, but that they walk side by side to help us live in the warm sunshine of the Father's smile.

On the night before the cross, as betrayal and suffering loomed, Jesus turned not inward but outward. He spoke tender words to fearful disciples and made them a promise: "I will not leave you as orphans." This Sunday in John 14:15–24, we will behold the extraordinary heart of Christ, the adopting love of the Father, and the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of adoption who teaches us to cry, "Abba, Father." Come and hear the gospel promise that you are not alone, not abandoned, but deeply loved and securely held as a beloved child of God.

In this passage we explore Jesus' powerful words: "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." In just eight words, Jesus reveals a divide in the human heart—those who love Him and desire to obey, and those who may obey without love. We'll look at what it truly means to love Jesus—not just serve Him out of duty—but to delight in Him, and how that love leads to joyful obedience. Whether you need comfort for a tender conscience or a challenge to your spiritual complacency, Jesus' words will speak directly to your heart.

The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards can be found at https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-resolutions-of-jonathan-edwards.