TFPC EM NEWSLETTER - MARCH 4, 2020

Afraid?

Today is March 4, 2020

Welcome to your mid-week!

When it comes to the topic of fear, the bible has three different takes on it. 

1. There is the fear that is to our detriment. It is the fear that terrorizes and gives us dread; the fear that is not from God; the fear that is driven out by love.
2. There is the fear that is reverence. It is the fear that has us express awe and honor and wonder which, when directed toward God, leads to worship.
3. There is the fear that is retribution. It is the fear that a servant has toward his master that leads to obedience. The fear that we have toward electricity that has us follow the instructions or suffer the consequences.

There are three different types of fear and all three are being experienced when we talk about the coronavirus. There is the fear of death that the virus gives us. There is the reverential fear of trust to our leaders and experts as they give us information and instructions. There is consequential fear of what would happen if we didn't listen to them which leads us to obey in what they recommend.

All three fears are being experienced in our community with the coronavirus, and all three fears are needed, biblicaly speaking, in order to obtain knowledge and wisdom. That's the fear that stated at the beginning of Proverbs:

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Death and experiencing evil are real fears of this broken world. And yet, God does not abandon us to our fears. God gives us a weapon to fight against this fear - the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. However, no matter how important or rich or life saving the word of God might be, without an attitude of reverence and trust - without the fear of the Lord - we remain fools. 

So the question is, before we read the word of the Lord, before we read upon the wisdom that Proverbs has to give us, do you have the fear of the Lord?

God's blessing upon you as reflect on your 'fear of the Lord' and I look forward to seeing you all this Sunday.

- Frank Kim 

Recording of the Sermon: HERE
Sermon PPS: HERE
Opening Praise: HERE
Cell Group Discussion: HERE

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Upcoming Events

• Mar 4 (Wed) – Horizon’s Cell Group, 7pm @ The Benedicts
• Mar 5 (Thu) – YMF Cell Group, 6:45pm @ the Fellowship Hall
• Mar 6 (Fri) – Start of Woman’s Bible Study, 7pm @ Pastor Frank's Office
• Mar 8 (Sun) – Daylight Savings
• Mar 8 (Sun) – Cell Group Open House/Mixer @ ELIM, after 11:30am service
• Mar 8 (Sun) – Baptism Registration, last day, March 15. Forms in the office.
• Mar 13 (Fri) - College Cell Group, 7:30pm @ Pastor Diana's
• April 10 (Fri) – Good Friday EM Family Service. 7:30pm at EM Chapel
• April 12 (Sun) – Joint Easter Service with KM in the Main Sanctuary. NO 9:45am service.
• Jul 11-18 (Sat-Sat) – EM/Youth Joint Summer Mission to Guadalajara, Mexico. $500 per person. Registration begins NOW, ends March 29.

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