SERMON SERIES: CELEBRATION OF DISCIPLINE

Most religions of the world are built on the principle that if I try hard enough, God (or the gods) will be pleased and I will earn acceptance.  This idea leads religious people around the world to deny themselves certain foods, comforts or pleasures.  All this to get to the place where biblical Christianity starts - achieving God's approval.
The Christian life is built on the teaching that there is nothing we can do to earn God's favor.  We are saved from sin by 'grace alone' as the reformers rightly emphasized.  Unfortunately, the free gift of God's love given to us, leads some believers to make little effort to do good works. 
Starting on January 8th I will begin a preaching series on the spiritual disciplines of the Christian faith.  I am basing the se

ries on the 1978 classic Christian book titled, "Celebration of Discipline" by Richard Foster.  The topics are his arrangement which I will develop on biblical principles. 
After an introductory sermon on why we practice spiritual disciplines, I will address four Inner Disciplines (Meditation, Prayer, Fasting, and Study), four Outward Disciplines (Simplicity, Solitude, Submission, and Service), and four Corporate Disciplines (Confession, Worship, Guidance, and Celebration).
These disciplines of the Christian life may not earn our way to heaven, but they do much to make the trip much more fruitful.  Plan to join us for as many of these messages as possible as we learn together to make the most of our life on earth.

NETS GAME ON JAN 16TH

The New Jersey Nets will have a church night for its game against the Indiana Pacers on January 16th.  After the 3:30 PM game there will be a gospel choir lead by Hezekiah Walker that will do a mini-concert.  Some of us saw this gospel choir in concert last year and they are really quite inspiring. 
Tickets are available for $20 which will in

clude a Jason Kidd jersey.  We plan to leave for the game at 2:30 PM on this holiday that remembers Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.  It should be an entertaining outing with an uplifting concert to follow. 
Please contact Pastor Rick in the first week of the year so we can secure the necessary tickets.  This would also be a good event to invite a friend, but be sure to make plans

"FAITH & REASON" TELEVISION PROGRAM

"Faith and Reason" is the name of a program on cable TV featuring Pastor Rick, Pastor Peter Ahn of Metro Community Church and Pastor Dominick Apollo of First Reformed Church, and hosted by John Pluchino.  The purpose of the program is to address issues of our culture in a way that gives a reasonable response that is faithful to God's Word.  We are currently looking at various ways to make the program have a greater impact. 

The 30 minute talk show format is aired on Time Warner Cable at 8:30 PM Mondays on channel 81 or 98.  The program also is aired on Cable Vision in Hudson County on Mondays at 7:30 PM and on Oakland Cable Vision on Sunday evenings at 9:00 PM.  We are also on Cable Vision in Jersey City on Sundays at 1:30 PM.  In addition, there are programs available at our web site: www.fortleegospel.org .  Keep this ministry in your prayers.