There are two things at least that you can do today to prep your heart for the Lord’s Day at OGC.

First, you can read through 1 John 2 before bed to familiarize yourself with the text that Kevin Wilhoit will be teaching in the 9:30 hour in the fellowship hall. If you’ve been attending the Peacemaker class (now concluded) why not join those of us who are working through 1 John in a survey fashion with our summer pastoral intern? There are some terribly intriguing passages in 1 John that we will tackle tomorrow. Of course, if you have been participating in Delroy Thompson’s study of the Thessalonian epistles you will want to read whatever section of the book he has you working through tomorrow.

Second, you can read through John 9:1-41 in preparation for returning to our study of the Gospel of John. We’ve been away from this book of the Bible for two months now. I will actually preach from vv. 13ff so if you missed the messages about the sixth sign, the healing of the man born blind, you could also listen to them here as part of your preparation as well. I will seek to show from the example of this man’s faith how to be certain that your own faith is certifiably genuine. This will be a two part message spanning tomorrow and July 11 as well.

Here is a quote from J. C. Ryle’s book Holiness which stresses the importance of assurance of salvation (I have it included in the introduction to tomorrow’s message):

I lay it down fully and broadly, as God’s truth, that a true Christian, a converted man, may reach such a comfortable degree of faith in Christ, that in general he shall feel entirely confident as to the pardon and safety of his soul, shall seldom be troubled with doubts, seldom be distracted with fears, seldom be distressed by anxious questionings and, in short, though vexed by many an inward conflict with sin, shall look forward to death without trembling, and to judgment without dismay.  This, I say, is the doctrine of the Bible.

Whatever you sow this evening in the way of preparing for tomorrow’s services will cause you to reap all the more in the way of spiritual blessing and encouragement!