News & Announcements
The Church Must Be Committed
The purpose and mission of the church is to bring glory and honor to God through Jesus Christ His Son. There is much that the church must do in order to accomplish this purpose: We must convert sinners, teach the saved, defend the truth, and provide an atmosphere for Christian growth, among other things. However, for us to be successful in fulfilling our purpose, we first must be committed. We will never be the church that the Lord wants us to be without commitment.
First, we must be committed to God. Jesus said that we must love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). God must be our first love above all else.
Second, we must be committed to Jesus. lf we are truly concerned about pleasing God and serving Jesus, we will commit ourselves to Him (Matthew 16:24). We will never be disappointed if we trust and follow Jesus.
Third, we must be committed to the kingdom of God, the church. Jesus said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness " (Matthew 6:33). There is no enterprise in this world that is more important than the Lord’s church. We must live our lives based upon this fact.
And finally, we must be committed to the work of the church. (1 Corinthians 15:58). lt is entirely possible for us to understand our purpose and to make great plans to bring glory to God, but our goal will never be accomplished without work.
Let every one of us commit ourselves to the church of Christ so that we might bring glory to God through His Son Jesus Christ. For God to be pleased, the church must be committed!
~Kevin Lawrence
via Dexter Church of Christ
If Jesus Came To Your House
If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two -
If he came unexpectedly, I wonder what you’d do.
Oh, I know you’d give your nicest room to such an honored Guest,
And all the food you’d serve to him would be the very best,
And you would keep assuring Him you’re glad to have Him there -
That serving Him in your own is joy beyond compare.
But when you saw Him coming, would you meet Him at the door
With arms outstretched in welcome to your heavenly visitor?
Or would you have to change your clothes before you let him in?
Or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they’d been.
Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn’t heard?
And wish you hadn’t uttered that last, loud hasty word?
Would you hide your worldly music and get some hymn books out
Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you run about?
And I wonder - if the Savior spent a day or two with you,
would you go right on doing the things you always do?
Would you go right on saying the things you always say?
Would life continue as it does from day to day?
Would your family conversation keep up its usual pace?
And would you find it hard each meal to say a table grace?
Would you sing the songs you always sing, and read the books you read,
And let Him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed?
Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you’d planned to go?
Or would you, maybe, change your plans for just a day or so.
Would you be glad to have Him meet your very closest friends?
Or would you hope they’d stay away until His visit ends?
Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on?
Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?
It might be interesting to know the things that you would do -
If Jesus Christ in person came to spend some time with you.
- Lois Kendall Blanchard
The Alpha and the Omega
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, " says the Lord God, "Who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:8).
Among some three hundred figures of speech in the Bible used to illustrate the person and work of Jesus Christ, John contributed several including the designation, the ALPHA and OMEGA.
To the Greeks this figure suggested completeness and absolute perfection. We use the same in stating that a student has mastered his lesson from “A to Z.” Jesus existed before all things were created. He is today. He will be forever (Heb. 13:8). Jesus is co-eternal with God the Father and God the Spirit (John 1:1-3).
I know a lady who invariable reads the last chapter of any book first. Her rationale is simple; “If the story doesn’t end right, I don’t want to waste my time reading it!"
Not many people begin reading the Bible with the book of Revelation. But if they did, they would have no fears about reading the rest of the Sacred Volume. Everything turns out alright for those who love God and serve Him faithfully (Rev. 17:14).
As the sage has aptly noted: "I don’t know what the future holds...But I do know who holds the future." Whenever we have fears about the future, we would do well to remember that Jesus is the FIRST and the LAST.
~Randall J. Medlin
I Attend the Sunday Evening Assemblies Because:
1. I want to go, and I am wanted.
2. I need to go, and I am needed.
3. I had rather be there than anywhere else.
4. My children are watching me and will follow my example.
5. My soul is strengthened by the teaching.
6. My heart is warmed by the spiritual songs as I praise Him above.
7. I am better prepared to meet in discussion those who do not understand the truth.
8. I hunger and thirst after righteousness.
~via The Meadowlark Message
Fort Collins, CO
Youth Camp Donations
Along with the commodities request (list posted in the foyer) for camp this year, we are asking each congregation to consider a cash donation. All commodity and cash donations are very much appreciated. All cash donations can be made by check to: Ohio Valley Christian Youth Camp. Address: c/o Melcie Wells, 535 Lang Farm Road, Marietta, OH 45750. Commodities will be picked up around June 2nd.
Rules For Daily Life
World Bible School Report
As I write this....They at World Bible School have just concluded six days of prayer and planning framed by the 2012- 2016 Strategic Plan . Ron Pottsberg from Colorado. . Rick Sure from Kentucky , Pat Brown from Oklahoma. And Jonathin Towell from Lubbock flew in to meet with those of us who office at Cedar Park in Texas. We remind ourselves to be open to change by God. He is perfect: we are not. He is The Potter, we are the clay . We want to remain moldable and yielding to his touch...." Repentance” - the life-changing decision to follow God instead of self. Daily we re-lift that Cross . Every day W.B.S lessons reach near and far dispelling ignorance and urging that commitment.
"In the past God overlooked such ignorance , but now He commands all people everywhere to to repent . For he has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He appointed . He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the Dead." (Acts 17:30-31).
Ambassadors like Paul carry that command to Athens. Today God “commands all people" through us-- who turn from selfish agendas to obey His "Great Commission" . But have our lives changed ? . . Are we consumed with living and sharing His Word? Or are we comfortably insulated? We enjoy each other . But take time and effort to teach others?
Every 30 seconds someone new comes to W.B.S. asking to be taught the Bible. We urgently need you to take at least a few students . Does that open doors intrigue you and excite you? After all B this is not about creating interest. These Souls take the initiative to contact us specifically for Bible study.
True , some who apply dropout- which so discourages some is teachers that they quit, too. Perhaps they forget that we must encounter "poor soil " to find "good soil" hearts. Are we more attuned to microwave conveniences than patient seed-sowing? If we dislike some detail in a method, do we disdain it ? My response is the point is not W.B.S., but reaching people. How many come to you to learn the Bible?. How many much Gospel seeds do you sow ? How many turn to Jesus ?
Change includes being open to greater effectiveness . To the prospective programmer. It has been said at W.B.S. the only "sacred cow" should be the gospel itself . Besides the inspired scriptures, all else should be subject to review and . improvement.. . Unfaithful servants return their talents unchanged. . Faithful servants invest for growth., Problems and opportunities demand creative solutions.
W.B.S. 40th anniversary remembers solid foundations and adopts to a changing world . . While we honor founders, we also envision an exciting next stage (hence the six days) If you think of W.B.S. as old or irrelevant , please look again". W.B.S teachers whose little team is amazing. Their conversions were not at Pentecost or in the 1950s. They involved 2,000 confirmed baptisms in 2012.. Internet serves the cutting edge of EVANGELISM. . Local and globally... both call for changed . . attitudes. . and genuine repentance- whether from the student or the reader of this editorial...
Brady E. Smith - Deacon
A Preacher's Ponderings
Check out the new section on the website: A Preacher's Ponderings.
On this new page you will receive weekly commentary and insight from Charles Schultheisz, our Pulpit Minister. He is also posting a weekly Bible trivia question to members. The first member to answer correctly receives a Woodsfield Church of Christ stress ball. You can try the trivia here.
Here is a snippet from "A Preacher's Ponderings" this week.
...You’ve probably experienced that moment in your daily Bible reading when a certain verse or set of verses causes you to stop reading and just soak in what’s actually being said.
While reading the letter to Philemon yesterday this happened to me first at verse six:
“I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.”...
The Living Word
Hebrews 4:12
God’s word may be called the "living word" because it is able both to bring to life, and to sustain the life of, those who receive it.
This life-producing influence of the word may be exerted through several channels. The written word itself, housed in the book we call the Bible, has the power both to convict and to convert those who read and respond in obedience to its instruction. It contains information which can make us "wise unto salvation.”
“Salvation,” however, must not be thought of as merely a state of forgiveness. Salvation is a maturing relationship with God, something we’re instructed to "work out." It’s a transformation that is evidence of the word of God living in us. lt is a living condition in Which the word has been translated into the language of changed hearts and lives of those who have received it.
Indeed, some may merely read the Bible and discover the solutions to their problems. Others may be persuaded by the preaching of the word. But the lost world needs to see the power of the gospel displayed clearly in the love, joy, peace, and sureness of purpose that characterizes those who have been recipients of this Good News, and whose quality of life is a reflection of its transforming power! Jesus didn’t just come to SPEAK the word. He came AS the LIVING WORD of God! All the blessings of the term "gospel" are perfectly embodied in Him.
So it should be with those who claim to be His disciples. The changed lives of saved sinners is the translation of the Bible that the watching world is most likely to read, and believe.
May God help us to become His "living epistles!" That’s what it means to "adorn the doctrine" and to "live a life worthy of your calling."
