Returning to Reverence: Embracing God’s Word in Malachi

One of the great threats to God’s people is, and always has been, spiritual indifference. South Bay Bible Church, 578 Montauk Highway, East Moriches, is pleased to announce the start of Returning to Reverence: Embracing God’s Word in Malachi on Sunday, February 18th, at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. Join us in person or online at southbaychurchli.org/livestream, Facebook Live, or YouTube. 

“The book of Malachi reveals a back-and-forth dialogue between God and His people,” said Matt Horne, lead pastor. “Sadly, it appears that the tough truths God speaks are equally applicable to the church today.” 

Whether you consider yourself a church person or not, you’re invited to join us for this six-part series, Returning to Reverence, as Pastor Matt urges the modern church toward pure and true worship.

1. The Unchanging Love of God (Malachi 1:1-5) – February 18: Sincere worship begins when God’s people recognize His constant, unique love for them. Though we can often be tempted to doubt God’s love, we can’t help but to acknowledge His continual faithfulness to us, even when we have been unfaithful. As we are humbled by these truths, the only proper response is awe and reverence.

2. Giving God Our Best (Malachi 1:6-2:9) – February 25: One of the themes of the book of Malachi is half-hearted worship to God. While God doesn’t care about our style of worship, He does care about the sincerity and quality of our worship. There is a certain level of honor and excellence that God deserves, and that goes for anyone who claims to love Him. 

3. Broken Covenants (Malachi 2:10-16) – March 3: God’s people failed to keep love and commitment in their relationships, both with God and each other. Just as much as we are faithful to God, we must be faithful to anyone we have entered into a covenant relationship with. How can we claim to love God, who we cannot see, when we fail to love those people God placed around us, who we can see?

4. Questioning God (Malachi 2:17-3:5) – March 10: Why would God allow evil to persist? This is the question that’s been asked since the beginning of time. However, it is easy for us to move this thought from question to accusation. Although it hurts God’s heart when we accuse Him, He is patient toward us and shows us where the answers to our deepest questions find their resolve. 

5. “Put Me to the Test” (Malachi 3:6-12) – March 17: It’s the one and only time we are told to test God. God’s people were failing to trust Him and were holding back, unwilling to truly sacrifice for God. We are never at a loss when we decide to fully trust Him, because, ultimately, we can’t ever outgive God. 

6. The Return on Obedience (Malachi 3:13-4:6) – March 24: When it comes to serving God, it is not only a question of if we serve Him, but why we are serving Him. In other words, the heart behind our obedience is just as important as our obedience. For those who serve Him with a sincere desire to please Him, He promises salvation, joy, and peace.

As a non-denominational Christian church, South Bay Bible Church was started in 2006 with the mission to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. The church is dedicated to creating environments where people are encouraged to pursue intimacy with God, community with insiders, and influence with outsiders. To find out more about South Bay Bible Church and their upcoming events, please visit southbaychurchli.org.

About South Bay Bible Church: South Bay Bible Church is a non-denominational Christian church known for Biblical messages applicable to everyday life. The church meets at 578 Montauk Highway in East Moriches, NY. The church’s mission is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Our service schedule includes three convenient times: Saturday night at 5:00, Sunday morning at 9:00 and 11:00, and online anytime. A nursery and children’s church are available. For more information, go to southbaychurchli.org, call (631) 909-8241, Facebook, or Twitter @sbbcli.