Category: Bulletin Articles

Welcome to the Groveland Church of Christ.

In this section, you will find announcements of upcoming congregation events and fellowship activities as well as articles of spiritual interest and encouragement.

By Joe Slater

“And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies;
and no one receives His testimony” (John 3:32).

So said John the immerser to his disciples. John had
plainly pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God, the
Messiah; yet many of his disciples didn’t understand.
John lamented, “No one receives His (Jesus’)
testimony.” John used “no one” as a figure of speech for
emphasis; there were a few who received Jesus (John
1:11-12), but the vast majority rejected Him, including
some of John’s own disciples.

If you want someone to guide you to your destination,
wouldn’t it be best to follow someone who has been
where you want to go? We want to go to Heaven. Jesus
came from there. He knows the way. In fact, He IS the
way! (John 14:6).

Since Jesus came from Heaven, He gives to us a more
complete understanding of God than anyone before or
after Him. Now, to be clear, the prophets (including
John) were inspired by God. They spoke truthfully what
God’s Spirit told them or showed them in dreams and
visions. Jesus, however, testified of what He had
actually seen and heard. The point is not that the
prophets were bad, but that Jesus is better!

Jesus saw and heard directly. He had co-existed with the
Father and the Holy Spirit from eternity, so He was
uniquely qualified to help us understand what God is like
and what He requires of us. As John 1:18 says, “No one
has seen God at any time. The only begotten of the Father,
He has declared Him.”

Jesus is supremely qualified to tell us about God and lead
us to Heaven. Follow Jesus! He’s been there!

By Joe Slater

“He who comes from above is above all; he who is of
the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who
comes from heaven is above all” (John 3:31).

John the Immerser deliberately made a play on the
word “above” in this passage. The first “above” pertains
to heaven being “above” the earth directionally. But the
second “above” is a reference to rank. Jesus is “above”
everyone else in rank. The Lord Himself said, “All
authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth”
(Matthew 28:18).

Why does Jesus outrank all others? The place from
which He came partially answers that question. John
and all the prophets before him were earthly men; but
Jesus had come from Heaven where He had been
eternally co-existent with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

The point is not that John, Moses, Elijah, or the other
prophets were wrong or evil. In fact, there was a time
when God spoke through such men. But as Hebrews 1:2
says, God “has in these last days spoken to us by His
Son.” On the Mount of Transfiguration, when Moses
and Elijah appeared alongside Jesus, God’s voice
commanded: “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”
(Mark 9:7).

In ancient times, kings led their armies on the battle field.
Loyal soldiers understood the importance of following
their king. Even the captain of the army knew the king
outranked him.

Jesus is our King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation
19:16). As His loyal soldiers (2 Timothy 2:3), let us honor
His supreme rank with our careful obedience!

By Joe Slater

As John the Immerse prepared the way for Jesus, he
enjoyed tremendous success. Great numbers heard him
preach repentance, and many submitted to baptism.
Some of John’s disciples thought his success was being
threatened as multitudes came to Jesus. They protested,
“Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to
whom you have testified – behold, He is baptizing, and
all are coming to Him!” (John 3:26).

John, however, was undisturbed. He knew his job, he
knew who Jesus was, and he felt no rivalry. “A man can
receive nothing unless it has been given to him from
heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I
am not the Christ,’ but ‘I have been sent before Him.’
He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend
of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices
greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore
this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must
decrease” (John 3:27-30).

Jesus’ success had been given to Him from heaven. It
was and is God’s will that people follow Jesus. This
made John happy, not resentful! John had done his work
well, and now people were traveling on that road God
had sent him to prepare. The “best man” at a wedding
does not envy the groom, but rejoices in his friend’s
good fortune.

Even so, John rejoiced as people followed Jesus. He more
than willingly removed himself from the spotlight, giving
all glory to the Lord. What a marvelous example of selfless
humility!

God still wants people to follow Jesus. Christianity isn’t
about our popularity or fame. Even great men like the
apostles rejected veneration. “Was Paul crucified for you?
Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians
1:13).

Let us follow Jesus because it is God’s will, and let us
persuade others to do likewise!

By Thayer Salisbury

My grandfather owned a table saw. It was not a Delta,
or a Craftsman, or DeWalt. It was a home-made table
saw. Now I can highly recommend home-made bread,
home-made peanut butter, and even homemade soap;
but I have never seen a home-made table saw that I
trusted. That saw was an accident waiting to happen. A
really nice table saw may cost between $500 and $2000.
I do not know what my grandfather originally paid for
his saw, but about 1967 it almost cost him two fingers.
He was trying to rip a board when something slipped
and he sliced the first two fingers of his left hand
severing them almost completely. [That much is true;
the rest is parable.] For years people had been telling
him that they could keep the slightest of connections to
the body of Christ and still manage to remain spiritually
alive. So, my grandfather decided to test the claim. He
asked the doctor to just stem the bleeding, but not to
bother reconnecting the fingers to his hand. After all, if
members can remain spiritually healthy while barely
participating in the life of Christ’s body, why couldn’t
two of the members of his physical body remain healthy
while disconnected almost completely from his body?
His fingers died, of course. His body suffered for the
loss of those fingers, of course. But it was a noble
experiment and it proved what everyone should have
known, that the health of a member always depends on
the close connection of that member to the body. 

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually
members of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27, ESV).

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear
fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can
you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the
branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is
that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do
nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown
away like a branch and withers; and the branches are
gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned (John 15:4-
6, ESV).

By Glen Elliott

The Chinese Bamboo tree shows no appreciable growth for its
first four years. Then, in the fifth year, it shoots up some 50 to 90
feet into the air. This amazing illustration from the natural world
shows the value of patience. Sometimes progress seems
unbearably slow. We might be close to giving up. But then, just
as our hope is fading, our eyes are opened afresh to the wonderful
power of God to keep His promises! There were those about
whom Peter wrote in his second epistle who were mocking God’s
word, saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?” (2 Peter
3:3). They contended that all things continued as they had from
the beginning- that God had never interjected Himself into the
affairs of man. Peter reminded them of the cataclysmic events
which occurred in the days of Noah when God destroyed the
world of the ungodly by means of a world-wide flood. It is in that
context that Peter describes the patience of God, saying, “But do
not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the
Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like
one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count
slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish
but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8-9). The patience
of God is intended to lead us to repentance. Just because the
present universe remains even after all these centuries is no
indication of a lack of resolve on His part. God will keep His
promise. The “day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which
the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be
destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be
burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). Because He will come suddenly and
without warning, we should “regard the patience of the Lord as
salvation” (v. 15). God said, “My word which goes forth from My mouth; it
shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what
I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I
sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). God never lies (Hebrews 6:18). We
can rest assured in the promise of Christ’s return. James
used the illustration of a farmer waiting for the produce of
the soil as an example of our need to be patient, saying,
“strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near”
(James 5:8). We should not expect that an infinite, eternal
God should be constrained to operate on our timetable.
While we eagerly await His return (Hebrews 9:28), we join
in the sentiments of the apostle John who prayed, “Even
so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).

By Glen Elliott

God has always required obedience. Yet, God
requires that obedience which rises out of a heart
of love and gratitude. Paul spoke of the love of
Christ as that which ought to motivate us to live
for the One who died and rose again on our
behalf (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

Jesus identified the greatest command, saying,
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, and with all your soul, and with all your
mind” (Matthew 22:37). Without love in the
heart, our service to God is but empty ritual
(Isaiah 29:13).

On the other hand, genuine love will express
itself in complete and unconditional obedience
to the commands of our Lord. Jesus says, “If you
love Me, you will keep My commandments”
(John 14:15). If we say we love the Lord, while
deliberately disregarding His word, our religion
is nothing but pretense. Jesus questioned those
who were living according to human tradition,
asking, “And why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). God has
always desired obedience from the heart.

When King Saul failed to obey the voice of the Lord,
Samuel explained the significance of his disobedience,
saying, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to
heed than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22). A lifetime of
worshipping God means nothing without a daily walk in
obedience to His will. Hebrews 5:9 tells us that Jesus
became to “all those who obey Him the source of eternal
salvation.” If we would truly please God, we must learn
and practice obedience from the heart.

By Kenny Westmoreland

I once saw a cartoon reminiscent of the scene from
Mark 8:34 in which Lord Jesus challenged believers to
“take up your cross.” Within the cartoon, numerous
figures were dragging large crosses. Each moved
slowly under the weight of the oversized burden.
Suddenly, a character spoke out and asked, “Is there a
way to lift some of this load?” The next depiction
showed the cartoon character sawing off a portion of the
cross, thereby lightening his load. From that moment
on, the cartoon character (with his “new and improved”
cross) moved out ahead until he reached a large
crevasse. The huge gap had no bridge, thereby stranding
the character. Others arrived, lowered their crosses onto
the crevasse, bridged the gap, and then resumed the
journey. Suddenly, the character discovered that his
new and improved version did not reach the other side.
He found himself stranded. Realizing his mistake, the
character fell to his knees in prayer. This story may be
fiction, but it mirrors a common problem: a lack of true
dedication among church members. Rather than being
devoted to Lord Jesus, some choose to take a non-
committal approach. Sadly, the “short cross lifestyle”
often leaves people unprepared and unequipped for the
tough times. Such a choice is inconsistent with the
words of Christ when he exhorted: “If anyone desires to
come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23, NKJV).
Don’t be a cross cutter!

By Glen Elliott

Optimism is an essential ingredient for the growth and
well-being of the body of Christ both individually and
congregationally. Leroy Brownlow writes, “The world
is not going to follow the man who has a gloomy
outlook. We like the person who enjoys the donut rather
than griping about the hole in it.”

Optimism is a byproduct of hope. The Christian’s hope
is not rooted in this world, but is anchored in the next
(Hebrews 6:19). It is a hope that “does not
disappoint…” (Romans 5:5). When life grows dark and
dreary, threatening to dampen our enthusiasm, we must
set our “mind on the things above, not on the things that
are on earth” (Colossians 3:2). Easier said than done.

An optimistic outlook requires a disciplined mind. Paul
says, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is
honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever
is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if here is any
excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your
mind dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Output is determined by input. So long as we fill our
minds with polluted, negative thoughts, we will enjoy
little success maintaining a positive attitude. By
contrast, when Paul sought to fill his heart with things
lovely and noble, he was able to rise above physical
hardships and proclaim, “I can do all things through
Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Wouldn’t you rather look at life through the hopeful
optimism of faith in Christ? We will not always be treated
fairly in life. Hardships will come even into the lives of
Christians. But, in Christ, we have the resources to deal
with life at its worst and still maintain our hope for the
future. Remember, “This is the day which the Lord has
made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).

Unchanged Tactics

Satan didn’t tempt Eve to murder, steal, or even tell a lie.
He tempted her to doubt the word of God. Just know his
tactics haven’t changed.