The Empty Pew

Preachers have a distinctive view of the congregation as he stands before them and delivers the message from God’s word. As he teaches the lesson, he subconsciously assesses the audience, and immediately knows if the attendance for that day is good or is lacking. As human nature would have it, members have the habit of sitting in the same place for each service they attend. If the congregation is small, the preacher has probably memorized each member’s or family’s designated pew. So, when those pews are empty, especially for several services, it is a matter of concern for the following reasons:

• Is someone sick? Do they need prayer, comfort, or ministered to? “And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.” (James 5:15a)
• Are they suffering from loss or tragedy? Do they need God’s comfort that can be given through us? (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
• Are they at odds with a fellow member? Jesus taught us conflict resolution, even if it needs mediation. (Matthew 18:15-20)
• Is the new convert struggling with their commitment to God? Mature Christians should encourage them. (Romans 15:1)
• Have they been offended by truthful presentation of the scriptures which convict the world of sin? (John 16:8)
• Have they willfully missed worship while pursuing pleasure? This is idolatry, is sinful and requires repentance. (Hebrews 10:24-27)
• Have they become distracted by life? Work and family obligations can lead us on the gradual road to unfaithfulness. (Colossians 3:1-2)

These are just a few of the things that can concern the preacher (or elder) as they observe the empty pew.

Jay Launius – 2024
Maud Church of Christ
Maud, Texas

Potter Children's Home

Thank you to the family here at Woodsfield we were able to send a total of $4,203.00 for the Day of Prayer & Giving for the Children.

Clothes Closet

The Clothes Closet ministry will not be accepting any clothing donations until further notice. They are also asking if someone is interested in helping Jean Antill in the closet, please contact Sue Dearth at 740-472-0237.                             

Who Will You Serve?

In 1979, Bob Dylan broke into a new era in his recording history and released a song, “Gotta Serve Somebody.”  The gist of the song is a biblical concept—all of us are in servitude to someone in life, no matter how great or powerful we are.  The repeated phrase throughout the song, “it may be the Devil or it may be the Lord” was the reminder of the only two masters one can serve.  At first, the song was criticized.  John Lennon came out with a song of his own ridiculing Dylan’s, entitled “Serve Yourself.”  Eventually, however, the song caught on and became a hit; now it remains one of his best-known songs.

In many ways, the song was personal for Bob Dylan.  During this same period, Dylan surrendered his own life in service to Jesus.  The song is a window into the mind and heart of Dylan, a newly converted Christian, who was wrestling with his own fame, notoriety and eternity.  It took a lot for Dylan, who already possessed a successful musical career of over a decade, to change directions and write this song.  He would go on to release 3 albums of gospel music in the late 70s/early 80s.

We’ll explore more on this topic of service, but for the sake of this bulletin article I’d like to pose one question:

Would you have had the guts to write this song?

It’s easy to be a dedicated Christian in a pew or in the company of fellow believers, but it’s another thing entirely to take that message out to the street and proclaim it to an audience that is anything but.  Lennon’s response and mockery of the song is a perfect example of the reaction many in the world have to the message of the gospel.  I hope that I would be so bold.  I hope you would be too.

                                                                                                                        Scott McFarland

Becoming the Man (or Woman) God Wants You to Be

One of the greatest gifts of the Christian life is the promise of growth.  God lays out an opportunity in Scripture not just for our ultimate salvation, but our ongoing sanctification (a fancy word for God making us holy and maturing us).  While most of us are aware of our salvation and the promise of it, I’m not as sure we take full advantage of the process of sanctification.  There are probably reasons for this, the first being that it is not always pleasant.  The process of getting better at anything in life often entails work and being uncomfortable.  Not many people enjoy being uncomfortable, yet that is one of the ways in which God grows us.  Another reason I can think of is the need for a lot of humility.  Being able to grow involves admission of weakness—our ignorance and our need for help.  This is hard for us; we don’t like being weak!  Yet, if we look at examples of spiritual growth in the Bible, these people needed to admit their faults and weaknesses before God could use them.

We'll look at how the process of sanctification through the lens of one of Scripture’s greatest examples: Paul.  We’ll see how Paul’s allowing God to work through him, his admission of weakness and need for God, and his ongoing sanctification gave him incredible opportunities.

I hope we as Christians can regain an understanding that God is not just concerned with what happens at the end of your life, but what happens throughout it.  We cannot become the people God wants us to be without submission to His process of sanctification.  Salvation and sanctification are not just future opportunities; they are right now.

                                                                                                                        Scott McFarland

No One Came to Our Party

After a few days of hard work, all the preparations had been made and it was time for the party. The tables were ready, filled with stacks of paper plates, plastic flatware, and cups. Cold drinks were iced and ready while the grill belched out smoke with the smell of cooking steaks. There was sliced fresh watermelon, homemade ice cream and apple pie. Hanging decorations moved gently in the breeze while tunes played from the Bluetooth speaker. It was time for the party!

As the time for the gathering came and went none of the invited guest arrived. Perhaps the traffic was bad or other distractions were holding up the party goers. But as an hour passed, it soon became evident that no one was coming. The time, effort, and expense that had gone into getting ready for the party was all for nothing. The host felt disappointed and embarrassed. “No one came to our party.”

Jesus told two similar stories, one about a wedding, the other about a great supper. (Matt. 22:2-14; Luke 14:16-24) Both had been prepared but some guests made excuses as to why they could not come while others “made light of it and went their ways…” (Matt. 22:5).

Each week, the preparation for worship to God has been made for all of us. We may believe that our lack of attendance doesn’t affect anyone but ourselves. However, by my absence I may be discouraging those who have worked diligently in preparation for me to experience the blessing of worship. Just as in our previous example, the B  ible class teacher may sit in an empty classroom and say, “No one has come.” Let us all give appreciative consideration to those that work so hard to make it possible for us to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth.

Jay Launius – 2024
Maud church of Christ
Maud, Texas

Legacy

I was looking at a family gravestone the other day in preparation for a class.  I was trying to look at the dates on the stone so I could remember when the loved one had been born, married to their spouse, and died.  Later, after I gathered the proper dates, I was reminded of what someone once shared with me about gravestones.  You’ve probably heard about “the dash” before.  The idea is that while we often focus so much on the dates on a headstone, it’s the dash in between those dates of birth and death that ultimately counted.  The dash was where life was lived, other people were impacted, and what people remember the deceased for was determined. 

Most people will not remember your birthdate or the anniversary of your death, but they most certainly will remember the kind of person you were—how you made them feel, what you said or did around them, what kind of character you possessed.  These are the things that count, more so than the dates on a stone.  This morning, we’re talking about “Legacy”—what kind of person do you want to be and what kind of memory do you want to leave.  Remember, it’s not about the dates.  It’s about the dash.                                                                                                                                                               

Scott McFarland

In God We Trust…Really?

Many of us were shocked and saddened a week ago with the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump.  It was a punctuation mark on a contentious election season so far, and a reminder of the delicate condition of our country.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately, not just as a concerned citizen of the United States, but more importantly as a Christian.  What should be our response to this and other events like it?  Obviously, we condemn these actions and pray for our leaders and those running for office, but what I’m asking is what do we do ongoing?  As Christians, what should be our ongoing response?  What should we be telling ourselves and our children/grandchildren?

Our coins all have a statement on them—In God We Trust.  This statement is a relatively new addition to currency, officially being added in 1955 by Congress and the Eisenhower presidency.  This phrase also replaced “E Pluribus Unum” (“out of many, one”) as the official motto of the United States.

Although we don’t carry physical currency much anymore, any time we look at a coin we see this phrase, “In God We Trust.”  As Christians, this phrase should be understood at a deeper level.  We don’t just trust in God for our nation, we trust Him for our very existence.  As we go through the next few months, and years, I would challenge all of us to think deeply about this statement we claim, “In God We Trust.”  Do we really?  Or, do we just say it?  Is it a motto that we believe or in reality do we trust more in a structure of government, a document, or a particular party or leader?

I believe God is challenging Christians in particular right now.  Do you really trust in God?  Or is it just something on your money?                                                                                                                                                        

Scott McFarland

The Schemes of the Devil

In our class on Sunday mornings, we’ve been studying about angels and demons, the spiritual realm.  I have often thought throughout the class how little we acknowledge the spiritual realm.  Apart from worshipping a spiritual God on Sundays, praying to a spiritual Lord throughout the week, and pledging our allegiance to a spiritual Savior at our baptism, our acknowledgement of the spiritual realm, let alone the spiritual battle taking place around us, is minimal at best.

In Ephesians 6, Paul ends his letter with a discussion about spiritual warfare.  He begins it with an encouragement to be strong in the Lord (v. 10) and a command to put on the whole armor of God (v. 11).  The purpose for this, he says, is to “be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”  The idea Paul is trying to get across is that the devil has a scheme, a plan, to attack us and pull us away from God.  This plan, by the way, is not noticeable.  It is often subtle, slow, and unrecognizable until after the fact.  Most people don’t intend on wrecking their lives with sin.  It begins gradually, innocently even, and grows until whatever is happening is too big to stop or it’s too late to do anything.

This morning, we’ll discuss spiritual warfare and the need for us as people to be vigilant.  Don’t be naïve and think the devil doesn’t have a plan.  He does, and it is intentionally difficult to see and understand.  Our ability to detect it and fight against it, however, is of utmost importance.

 Scott McFarland

Thank You VBS

To all the workers, teachers and “kids” connected to the Woodsfield Church of Christ Vacation Bible School. Thank you SO MUCH for the canned peas, green beans, spaghetti sauce and man-n-cheese donated to the Manna Food Pantry. This was a huge amount of food that will be very much appreciated by those receiving the boxes and bags distributed each Wednesday to eligible families. May God bless each of these kids and their families in some special way for their caring attitude and generosity to help those in need.

Sincerely, Jim Barrow, MANNA Food Pantry Manager