Today, in Core Values: Being Gospel-Centered Part 4, we continue exploring what SPCC means by the phrase.
Read Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 if you’d like, before going further.
Our First Core Value: Gospel-Centered
We believe Jesus Christ is the central purpose of all Scripture, Christian discipleship, and the substance of both the Old & New Covenants. As a Church, we seek to teach the Scriptures as the whole counsel of God. The method of teaching we use in our public worship, in general, is expositional preaching with the Gospel as the lens.
How Does SPCC Handle Discipleship Topics
In Being Gospel-Centered Part 3 of this series, we discussed why SPCC preaches and teaches the Bible expositionally — verse by verse, line by line — instead of topically on the Lord’s Day.
However, we recognize that to make disciples, we also have to be able to explain topics such as prayer, morality, wisdom, and vocation.
Therefore, in Core Values: Being Gospel-Centered Part 4 we will ask and answer, “How does SPCC handle teaching discipleship topics if the Lord’s Day worship services are dedicated to expositional preaching?
The answer has four parts:
- Solomon’s Porch Christian Church follows a topical Discipleship Calendar.
- The Consistory gives discipleship homework to the disciples each week (Memory & Meditation).
- We have a regular Midweek service devoted to discipleship topics.
- The Westminster Shorter Catechism is the foundation for our Midweek service and topical teaching ministry.
We Follow A Gospel-Centered Topical Discipleship Calendar
SPCC changes its discipleship focus with the seasons.
The Christian New Year begins on the first Lord’s Day in December when we focus on the Incarnation of Christ.
During the year when there is not a Christian season, we turn to the issues our society chooses to focus on for that month.
For instance, in February, the United States will focus on romantic love with Valentines Day. We take that time to learn what the Bible teaches about marriage and romantic love.
In July, we focus on Christian Civil Magistracy in keeping with the 4th of July, and in September, Vocation and Labor to go along with Labor Day. You get the idea.
By following this pattern, we are always either concentrating on a part of the Gospel or a vital life issue that the world around us values and is also focused on.
The Consistory Gives Discipleship Homework
To complement our seasonal themes, we assign memory and meditation work.
We are nearly always in the middle of memorizing a big block of Scripture, two to three verses at a time.
SPCC is completing 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 as part of our discipleship homework for Celebrating the Resurrection.
Next week, we will move on to memorize a passage on Jesus’ ascension.
After that, we will learn a large section on the Holy Spirit.
Midweek Worship Service & The Shorter Catechism
We also memorize five questions per month from the Westminster Shorter Catechism and recite them weekly in both our Lord’s Day worship service and our Wednesday evening prayer meeting.
Further, we use the five monthly questions as the basis for our Scripture lessons on Wednesday evenings.
If you are unfamiliar with the topics addressed in the Westminster Shorter Catechism, here is a short sample:
- What is the chief end of man?
- What is God?
- What is sin?
- What are the individual Ten Commandments and their meaning?
- What is the Lord’s Prayer, and how do we pray it petition by petition?
- Who is the only redeemer of God’s elect?
- How did Christ fulfill the offices of prophet, priest, and king?
Each question is complete with a biblical answer and replete with Scripture proofs for nearly every phrase.
Welp, that gives you the basics for how SPCC handles teaching Christian discipleship topics.
Coming Next…
We hope you enjoyed Core Values: Being Gospel-Centered Part 4. Next week, in Part 5 we will discuss:
“How being Gospel-centered applies to the life of the Church? and What should it look like in the ‘already’ while we await the ‘not yet?'”
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!
Thanks For Stopping By
If you are not a member at SPCC, thanks for reading “Core Value: Being Gospel-Centered Part 4” What comes after this section may not mean much to you. However, I always write a little piece at the front of this missive on Wednesdays so don’t be shy, go ahead and SUBSCRIBE.
Ascending Mt. Zion
For the upcoming Lord’s Day June 1st, 2025
Sermon
This week Pastor Jeremy will be in Acts 24:1-21
Memory & Meditation
Memory & Meditation Verses for this Prayer Book are 1 Corinthians 15:35-49.
SPCC Prayer Book: Celebrating the Resurrection
M & M Verses for the Lord’s Day May 25th, 2025
“As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven (1 Corinthians 15:48-49).”
Current M & M Essay Series: Putting On Immortality Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
Previous M & M Essay Series
Forsaken For Us All Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 based on Psalm 22:1-15
Christ, His Church, & Marriage Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 based on Ephesians 5:22-33.
New Prayer Book out this Lord’s Day Celebrate the Ascension and Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
Catechism Questions
Westminster Shorter Catechism: Questions 21-25
Remember that you can present Questions 16-20, our WSC Catechism Questions from last month, to any member of the Consistory during lunch starting this week.
Lord’s Day Meal
Yes sirs and mams we are Celebrating the Ascension this week!
Psalms & Hymns of Worship
Psalm 66:1-4 Tune: Dunlap’s Creek Hymn- Before The Throne of God Above
Psalm 65:9-13 Tune: St Stephen Hymn- Jesus Lover of My Soul (Indelible Grace)
No Midweek Worship
It is a 5th week, so no midweek worship this Wednesday.
Join Us for Worship
Finally, come and worship with us on the Lord’s Day. We also meet on three Wednesday evenings a month for Catechism Lesson & Prayer. Another Visit our Homepage or What We Believe for more information. Find us on Google Maps or watch our sermons on Youtube.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!
Pastor Jeremy
“The Creation is quite like a spacious and splendid house, provided and filled with the most exquisite, and at the same time, the most abundant furnishings. Everything in it tells of God.” – John Calvin
Discover more from Solomon's Porch Christian Community
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.