Category: Bulletin Articles

”And whatever you does that mean? It certainly must be important because it applies ton do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father” (Col. 3:17).

Paul plainly states that what we say (word) and what we do (deed) should be done in “the name of the Lord Jesus.” But what does that mean? It certainly must be important because it applies to “whatever you do…

In the name of the Lord’ means to say and do things…

By His Authority – Does the Lord Jesus authorize me to do and say whatever I’m doing and saying? Is this what He really wants me to do or have I been presumptuous in going ahead without consulting the Lord?

For His Benefit If Jesus is Lord (ruler) of my life then I will strive to render Him benefit. I will not serve self. I will be about the business my Lord called me to do. I will go where He sends me.

To His Glory – When we have success in carrying on the work of the Lord, we must be careful of pride. It is easy to have the look what I’ve done” spirit rather than the humble spirit the Lord wants us to exhibit. What we do should be done for the purpose of rendering honor and glory to His name and not our own.

When a slave was sent by his master on a mission, he went in the name of his master…not his own name. This means it was by his master’s AUTHORITY and not his own; it was to render his master BENEFIT and not himself; and it was done to the GLORY of his master. We are slaves of Christ on a mission for Him…let us do all things in the name of the Lord.

There are tons of television shows centered around the idea of remodeling your home, and most of them operate on the same principle: helping a homeowner improve their living environment. Without proper care, houses deteriorate, or residents simply tire of the old furniture, paint and decorations around them. They need to remodel! Sometimes we need the same thing spiritually! James 1:21-25 gives us a blueprint to do an “extreme makeover” on our spiritual houses, and it all centers around the powerful word of God (James 1:18: 1 Pet. 1:22-25: John 17:15-17; Acts 20:28-32).

MAKE  ROOM for the Word! The first thing that happens in a remodeling job is tearing out the old walls, furniture, etc. You can’t bring in the new unless you get rid of some old! Likewise, in order to remodel our spiritual houses, we have to lay aside “filthiness and overflow of wickedness” (James 1:21). That means we have to throw away the sin that is in our lives and put on the “new man” (Col. 3:1-10). Sin is heavy (Heb. 12:1) and it clutters our environment. Get rid of it.
RECEIVE the Word! The next thing to do is bring in the new, useful material. For our spiritual houses, that useful material is the word of God. James says to receive it with “meekness” (James 1:21). We should have the same mind as David in Psalm 119:11 and the Christians in 1 Thess. 2:13. God’s word must be “implanted” or “engrafted” into our hearts, which is God’s plan (Heb. 8:6 13).

DO the Word! If you are remodeling a home, it doesn’t do any good to have a bunch of lumber and uninstalled fixtures laying around. You have to actually put the stuff to work! The same goes with God’s word (James 1:22). We can’t be hearers only.  Jesus teaches this same lesson (Luke 6:46; John 14:15).

CONTINUE in the Word! You have to take care of the new remodel! Remember Paul’s words in 1 Cor. 10:1-13.

If you follow God’s blueprint, you can have a successful spiritual home makeover! But make sure your house has a strong foundation first (Matt. 7:24-7; John. 8:24: Matt. 10:32-33; Luke 13:3,5; John 3:3,5; Mark 16:16).

From Bulletin Digest

Ephesians is a book every Christian should lay up in his heart. It is about the tremendous privilege we have as Christians. It is about the great blessings we enjoy as a result of being Christians. It is about the huge challenges we face because we are Christians. And it is about the eager anticipation we enjoy because we are Christians. In Ephesians Paul uses the phrase “in Him” to describe what it means to be a Christian. And he will identify the him by speaking of being “in Christ” twelve times.

In Him we have redemption through His blood (1:7). In Him we have forgiveness (1:7). In Him we are recipients of the abundant grace of God (1:7, 8). In Him we have an inheritance (1:11). Remember how Peter described this inheritance in 1 Peter 1:4-9. And so we, like them, “trusted in Him after we heard the word of truth and in Him we were sealed with the Holy Spirit (1:13). And now because we are in Him we “have boldness and access (to God) with confidence because of our faith in Him (3:12; Romans 5:1-1 1).

As a Christian you are “in Him” and that is where every spiritual blessing is located (1:3). If this does not get you excited and make you want to study God’s word more I do not know what will.

Owingsville church of Christ via Bulletin Digest 

Truth is constant. Truth does not vary from one person to the next and it does not change with the circumstance. Truth is like a tree with deep roots. The winds of change may blow strong against it but that tree does not move an inch and when the storm passes by the tree is still there. The Lord’s great desire for the church is that we “no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine;” but that we would be so grounded in the truth that we would remain steadfast when the winds of change pass by. How do we get those deep roots? There are two ways the truth of God’s word takes root in the believer.

First, God “gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. . that we should no longer be tossed to and fro…” (Ephesians 4:1 1-15). In other words God sat up a teaching program for the church so each member could be grounded in truth.

Second, God commands each member to study for ourselves. We must study to show ourselves approved unto God (2 Timothy 2:15).

Spiritual roots grow deep when personal desire drives us to study and when we spend time with godly teachers of His word (Psalm 1:1-6). We hope to see you in Bible class each week.

Owingsville church of Christ Via Bulletin Digest

You may actually know Someone who has begun a sentence using the above words. The words that this preacher has heard used most often to complete this sentence are “exercising and “eating right.” It appears that most of us have a sense of what it will take to improve our health.

The key to accomplishing the desired improvement is truly given in this statement. It is the word “start.” We may be playing mind games with ourselves when we utter these words, because if we never start, we will not have to continue the process. Perhaps we feel that we can handle the guilt better than the discipline.

What about spiritually? Have we not also heard someone (ourselves) say, “I’ve got to start studying my Bible regularly?” We believe what Jesus said about those who “hunger and thirst after righteousness” (Matthew 5:6), but we are still waiting to start.

What about the one who says, “T’ve got to start visiting like I should”? We believe what James wrote about “pure religion” consisting of visiting the “fatherless and the widows in their affliction” (James 1:27), but we just cannot seem to get started.

In reality, when we make these statements, we are taking the first step; i.e., admitting the personal need/responsibility. Now all we need to do is specify. Instead of repeating the “I’ve got to” part, say, “I will start (an activity) today at (a time).” Next, set a reminder and then START! Change for the better will become reality when we do. Paul exhorted, “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Let’s get started today.

From Bulletin Digest

The passenger tapped the cab driver on the shoulder to ask him something. The driver screamed, lost control of the car, nearly hit a bus, went up on the sidewalk, and stopped inches from a department store window. For a second everything went quiet in the cab, then the driver said, “Look mister, don’t ever do that again. You scared me half to death!” The passenger apologized and said he didn’t realize that a little tap could scare him so much. The driver replied, “You’re right. I’m sorry. Really, it’s not your fault. Today is my first day as a cab driver. I’ve been driving a hearse for 25 years.”

The cabbie allowed his past experiences to cause him to take his eye off of the road and his goal of getting his passenger to his destination.

Sometimes we allow our past to affect our present and future goals and destinations also. The apostle Paul told the Philippian brethren: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).

When we find our past affecting our lives in a negative way, we need to learn how to forget those things.

We especially need to forget those things which keep us from focusing on our goal of heaven.

When we have people in our lives who are causing us to take our eyes off of our goal of heaven, we need to forget them.

When our guilt from former sins, which have been forgiven, causes us to take our eyes off of our goal of heaven, we need to forget them.

When temptations to sin lead us astray from our goal of heaven, we need to forget them.

We need not to allow anything in our past to take our focus off of heaven.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4).

Introduction. We know that growth is only achieved by going beyond present circumstances. What we sometimes forget is, that we (adults) need to grow also. That growth, though it may be imperceptible to the eye, is still real growth. Let us consider some things we need to move beyond in order for us to grow spiritually.

Beyond Our Own Expectations. Our achievements will only be as high as our highest goals. If we aspire to be pew-warmers only, that is all we will be. Our minds will not be engaged in the private study of the word of God and our faith will not be challenged by the word’s clash with the world in our daily life. We dare not be content with “just being religious.” Here is a challenge for us: “Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1). That ought to raise our goal.

Beyond Our Hurts, Losses, and Failures. There is no doubt about it, in this world we will have tribulation (John 16:33), or trouble. Persecution is to be expected (2 Timothy 3:12). Further, physical accidents and health failures occur regularly, as does death. Christians are not immune to any of these things. Therefore, when these occur in our lives, we must deal with them in a realistic, optimistic manner. This in no way minimizes the importance of our own health or the personhood of those we love. However, if we cannot accept the loss of something or someone that/who is truly gone from this life, we will suffer serious mental and spiritual consequences.

Beyond the Expectations of Others. We all have certain limitations. They may be in our physical makeup or circumstances. However we can move beyond some of those limitations. For example, we may hold a job that pays minimum wages. However, that does not mean that we, or the job, are insignificant. We can work enthusiastically at any job we may hold (Ecclesiastes 9:10). We can do the best we can with what God has given, and be satisfied in the realization that we have done so.

Conclusion. Growth, by its nature means moving beyond the present circumstance to even better circumstances. If we approach it in that manner, even the most disheartening of circumstances can be faced with courage and optimism. Let us go beyond…and grow.

 Lance Cordle Calvert City church of Christ Via Bulletin Digest

Often times, I find myself lost in thought as to how I can improve as a worker in the kingdom of God. My thoughts most recently have been focused around the idea of the goal we pursue. So many aspects of Christianity seem to exist and all seem worthy of pursuit, however, God’s word is much more simple than that. We must remember the singular goal of Christianity is to pursue God.

In our pursuit of God, we find ourselves devoutly committed to the church. We find ourselves seeking fellowship with other Christians. We find ourselves craving a deeper understanding of our Lord. We find ourselves building life around the church, and not the other way around. We find ourselves evangelizing at every opportunity. We find ourselves producing fruit, planting and watering as God provides the increase. These aspects themselves are not the goal, but a result of the true goal of Christianity: pursuing God. As the busy holiday seasons roll in, do yourself a favor, Christian, and narrow your focus on the one goal that matters!

Calvert City church of Christ Calvert City, KY Via Bulletin Digest

The empire of Caesar is gone; the legions of Rome are decaying in the dust; the avalanches that Napoleon hurled upon Europe have melted away; the pride of the Pharaohs is fallen; the pyramids they raised to be their tombs are sinking in the desert sands; Tyre is a rock for bleaching fishermen’s nets; Sidon has scarcely left a wreck behind; but the Word of God still survives.

All things that threatened to extinguish it have only aided it; and it proves everyday how transient is the noblest monument that man can build, and how enduring is the least word that God has spoken.

Tradition has dug for it a grave, intolerance has lighted for it many a fire; many a Judas has betrayed it with a kiss; many a Peter has denied it with an oath. Many a Demas has forsaken it, but the word of God still endures.

via Bella Vista church of Christ (Bulletin Digest)

In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). This statement Paul wrote to the church of Thessalonica is one that should be applied to our lives daily. During the holiday season, there is an emphasis on the need for being thankful. However, if we adopt the attitude Paul commanded, we will give thanks “in every thing,” at all times, and not just during Thanksgiving.

Notice that Paul admonished to “give thanks.” This term implies that God wants His children not only to feel thankful, but also to “express” gratitude and thanksgiving. Paul taught this same principle in writing to the church at Ephesus: “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20). It will do us all good to “give” thanks to God through prayer. By offering prayers of thanksgiving to God, we are reminded that we are dependent on God for all things. Every “good and perfect” gift is from God (James 1:17). Without His blessings upon our lives, we would have nothing. “For in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Every breath, every meal, every ray of sunshine is from His bountiful hand.

Further, consider that Paul instructed us to give thanks “in everything” He did not teach that we should be thankful “for” everything. Certainly, we should not be thankful “for” gang violence, child abuse, broken homes or divorce. Nevertheless, Christians can learn to be thankful “in” all circumstances. For the Christian, there is always a “bright side.” In all circumstances, there is the quiet confidence and calm assurance that comes from knowing God and being close to Him. The Father has promised that He will never leave or forsake His children (Hebrews 13:5-6). Finally, notice from the text that being thankful is “the will of God in Christ Jesus.” Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount that “doing the Father’s will” is necessary to go to heaven: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). “Doing the Father’s will is vital! It is only by doing His will that we can enter into the kingdom of heaven. We might think that “doing the Father’s will” involves some great” accomplishment that would dazzle others who heard of it. But Paul taught that simply being thankful in everything is part of doing God’s will.

In view of these thoughts, we should all realize the great importance of being thankful. If we have not been “giving thanks in everything,” then a change is in order. A day should not pass without every responsible person giving thanks to God for the countless blessings He provides.