for the week ending January 15

A Note from the Parson’s Desk

Greetings. As I type this, Carol and I are in Dayton where we visited last week with the family of Terry Perkins. Terry died early Friday morning as we traveled to Sycamore Shoals for the weekend and today we’ve driven back to be at Terry’s funeral on Wednesday. It is an honor to be asked to take part in his service and we very much appreciate and ask for your prayer for the family and for us as we minister here. Because the funeral will be at 6:00 on Wednesday, we won’t be having our regular Bible study this week.

I am looking forward to seeing you this Sunday at 8:00 central, 9:00 eastern time on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ParsonJohnMaggie

Links to Sunday Services are also available at https://travelingchurch.org/videos/.

This week’s scripture readings

Gospel: John 1:29-42
John saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind– just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you– so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm: Psalm 69
Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel. Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children.For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them. They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.Hear me, O Lord; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies. And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedilyDraw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee.Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents. For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.For the Lord heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners. Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.

Prayer Requests

I will call on You, My God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. Psalm 17:6

We invite you to share your needs as well as your praises. Unspoken requests will be honored. To add or update this list, send updates to: eric@fairewynds.com. For private messages or consultations please contact Frank directly at parsonjohn@parsonjohn.org

Wednesday Night Bible Study

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needed not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15

Join us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/parsonandmaggie for a time of study, fellowship and prayer.

This weeks study will be I Corinthians 10:23-11:1

The Parson’s Schedule for both Live and Online services

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25

The sermon text will be from Romans 10:23-11:1

It will go live at 9:00 Eastern, 8 Central on Facebook at https://www.youtube.com/@ParsonJohnMaggie

Our Post Script

Our first Hymn of the Month went up this past Saturday. Future ones will be published on the 1st (or second, Third or whenever I get them done!) of the month starting in February.

For those of you that have already looked over January’s hymn, I apologize for the slow upload of the video. That has been corrected so that it I can be viewed directly through Youtube. Thanks for your patience as I get these things slowly worked out!
-Eric

Join us on Facebook for the 2023 Daily Bible Reading-where we will be reading the Bible through in one year. Starting January 1, but all are welcome whenever they can start. This is a private group so for information and to join, contact us at parsonjophn@parsonjohn.org or eric@fairewynds.com to be added.

Please feel free to share this email with friends you know would be interested in The Traveling Church.