05/17/2026
In multiple places the Bible clearly declares the heart of God the Father toward the entire human race: He loves everyone and wants all people to be saved.
GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. FOR GOD DID NOT SEND HIS SON INTO THE WORLD TO CONDEMN THE WORLD, BUT TO SAVE THE WORLD THROUGH HIM. (John 3:16-17)
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GOD OUR SAVIOR . . . WANTS ALL PEOPLE TO BE SAVED AND TO COME TO A KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH. (1Timothy 2:3b-4)
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LONG AGO BY GOD’S WORD THE HEAVENS CAME INTO BEING AND THE EARTH WAS FORMED OUT OF WATER AND BY WATER. BY THESE WATERS ALSO THE WORLD OF THAT TIME WAS DELUGED AND DESTROYED. BY THE SAME WORD THE PRESENT HEAVENS AND EARTH ARE RESERVED FOR FIRE, BEING KEPT FOR THE DAY OF JUDGMENT AND DESTRUCTION OF THE UNGODLY. BUT DO NOT FORGET THIS ONE THING, DEAR FRIENDS: WITH THE LORD A DAY IS LIKE A THOUSAND YEARS, AND A THOUSAND YEARS ARE LIKE A DAY. THE LORD IS NOT SLOW IN KEEPING HIS PROMISE, AS SOME UNDERSTAND SLOWNESS. INSTEAD, HE IS PATIENT WITH YOU, NOT WANTING ANYONE TO PERISH, BUT EVERYONE TO COME TO REPENTANCE. (2 Peter 3:5b-9)
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The wonderful news is that God wants all people to be saved, and as the apostle Paul affirms by quoting Joel 2:32, “EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” (Romans 10:13)
But just as soon as Paul affirms that great truth, he also recognizes the difficulty in everyone reaching a point where they are truly able to call on the name of the Lord:
BUT HOW CAN THEY CALL ON HIM TO SAVE THEM UNLESS THEY BELIEVE IN HIM? AND HOW CAN THEY BELIEVE IN HIM IF THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD ABOUT HIM? AND HOW CAN THEY HEAR ABOUT HIM UNLESS SOMEONE TELLS THEM? AND HOW WILL ANYONE GO AND TELL THEM WITHOUT BEING SENT? THAT IS WHY THE SCRIPTURES SAY, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF MESSENGERS WHO BRING GOOD NEWS!” . . . SO FAITH COMES FROM HEARING, THAT IS, HEARING THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT CHRIST. (Romans 10:14, 15, 17)
There must be messengers, witnesses, preachers, teachers, and missionaries who faithfully proclaim what God has done for us through His Son, Jesus. One such messenger was the former fisherman Peter, a Galilean Jew temporarily lodging in the city of Joppa, who shared this life-changing, eternity-altering story about Jesus with the Roman centurion, Cornelius, a Gentile living in Caesarea, about a two-day journey (30-35 miles) from Joppa.
“I SEE VERY CLEARLY THAT GOD SHOWS NO FAVORITISM. IN EVERY NATION HE ACCEPTS THOSE WHO FEAR HIM AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT. THIS IS THE MESSAGE OF GOOD NEWS FOR THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL—THAT THERE IS PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, WHO IS LORD OF ALL. YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THROUGHOUT JUDEA, BEGINNING IN GALILEE, AFTER JOHN BEGAN PREACHING HIS MESSAGE OF BAPTISM. AND YOU KNOW THAT GOD ANOINTED JESUS OF NAZARETH WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WITH POWER. THEN JESUS WENT AROUND DOING GOOD AND HEALING ALL WHO WERE OPPRESSED BY THE DEVIL, FOR GOD WAS WITH HIM.
“AND WE APOSTLES ARE WITNESSES OF ALL HE DID THROUGHOUT JUDEA AND IN JERUSALEM. THEY PUT HIM TO DEATH BY HANGING HIM ON A CROSS, BUT GOD RAISED HIM TO LIFE ON THE THIRD DAY. THEN GOD ALLOWED HIM TO APPEAR, NOT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, BUT TO US WHOM GOD HAD CHOSEN IN ADVANCE TO BE HIS WITNESSES. WE WERE THOSE WHO ATE AND DRANK WITH HIM AFTER HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD. AND HE ORDERED US TO PREACH EVERYWHERE AND TO TESTIFY THAT JESUS IS THE ONE APPOINTED BY GOD TO BE THE JUDGE OF ALL—THE LIVING AND THE DEAD. HE IS THE ONE ALL THE PROPHETS TESTIFIED ABOUT, SAYING THAT EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL HAVE THEIR SINS FORGIVEN THROUGH HIS NAME.” (Acts 10:34-43)
Everyone who believes in Jesus Christ, the crucified and resurrected Lord of all, will have their sins forgiven through His name - and we must take that message to every individual everywhere, just as Jesus said: “I HAVE BEEN GIVEN ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH. THEREFORE, GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL THE NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. TEACH THESE NEW DISCIPLES TO OBEY ALL THE COMMANDS I HAVE GIVEN YOU. AND BE SURE OF THIS: I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN TO THE END OF THE AGE.” (Matthew 28:18b-20)
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The songs selected for this coming Sunday’s service are listed and linked below. They focus on the contents of and the delivery of the message of salvation through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. One of the congregational songs, “Across the Lands,” is new to us, but it is relatively short and very singable. (In 15 minutes, you can listen to it 4 times.) None of the other congregational songs are new to us, but it has been a while since some of them have been sung in our services, so you and your family might need to review them so that all of us, no matter our ages, can readily and easily sing all the songs meaningfully with our voices, our minds, and our hearts.
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Congregational Songs:
“WE FACE A TASK UNFINISHED”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EJyj63TXMI
“ACROSS THE LANDS”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVTKSt_DfGQ
“WE HAVE HEARD THE JOYFUL SOUND”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JITc7qexfU4
“WE’VE A STORY TO TELL TO THE NATIONS”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbqQalmZR_M
“I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7XHeCZB5KU
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Instrumental Songs:
“ALL THE EARTH WILL SING YOUR PRAISES”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuyH5Xuk9-c
“ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS’ NAME”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdsvGbU7nV0
Facing a Task UnfinishedKeith & Kristyn GettyFacing a task unfinishedThat drives us to our kneesA need that, undiminishedRebukes our slothful easeWe, who rej...
