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FAMILY NEWSPOTLUCK AND TIMBERS NEXT SUNDAY: Please plan to make October 1 a special day for all of us. Bring a dish for potluck and plan to be a part of the devotional at Timbers nursing home at 2:00 P.M. We need you! HIGHWAY CLEAN UP is this week. Thanks to Denise Cook for taking on this project. If you want to help, see her today so she knows what zones she has to cover. GREAT PROGRAM: We are hearing great things about the program at the Goshen congregation's special program for women on September 16. There are some books circulating that you can borrow if you were unable to go. See Lana Fox or Patty Gibson if you are interested. FOOD TO THE HUNGER MINISTRY: Turn to THE BACK PAGE below for more information about this ministry. WE ARE BUYING an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) which will be in a cabinet. Several of us will be trained in how to use it. With a number of our members having heart issues, there is a consensus that this is something we should get. There will be a training session put on by the company that sells us the AED, and we want as many people as possible to participate. AREA SINGING? There is interest in our congregation having an area-wide singing in early November. We are thinking about the first or second Sunday in the afternoon. Let Bill Gibson know what you think. SHULTS-LEWIS has several special days scheduled. There are announcements on the bulletin boards. TODAY'S LESSON
INTRODUCTION: THANKS TO RICHARD HOYT FOR GIVING THE INFORMATION USED IN THIS LESSON. A. Song 513 (“One Step at a Time”) in our songbooks was composed by Church of Christ preachers with words by Thomas Shelton and the music by James Rosecrans in 1869/70.
B. The chorus — Faith is not a dead thing. It is to be live and growing. Look at the biblical examples.
STANZA 1 AND THE TITLEPeter in Matthew 26:75; John 21:7, 15-17. A. Matthew 26:41 — Notice the total empathy.
STANZA 2 — NONE OF US WALK BY SIGHT.B. Matthew 17:20 — Jesus can do a lot with weak faith. C. James 4:13-14 — Keep reality in focus. A. We ask questions that reflect our lack of sight.
STANZA 3 — “GUARD MY FALTERING FEET.B. We are not blind even though our sight is weak. 1. Thomas and Peter did not have all the answers.
C. God has given us a lot of help in his Word.2. Unlike us, they had no written Word. Proverbs 8:22-36; Psalm 19:1-3; 39:14; Romans 1:20
D. Matthew 16:24 — Copying Christ = BlessingsA. Hebrews 12:1-2 — Jesus is still active.
STANZA 4 — “YOU KNOW ALL MY FEARS … ”
B. Unlike the first century Christians, we have tools. 1. We have the history and teachings of Christ. 2. We have tools to shape our lives — Galatians and Ephesians A. Life is full of things that can make us afraid.
YOU CAN TAKE THE STEPS — ONE AT A TIME.
People are crazy — always have been.
1. 2 Timothy 1:7 — God has given Christians power.
B. Matthew 10:28 — Nothing can really harm us eternally.2. Love — 1 John 4:18 3. A sound mind — use your brain. 1. Satan will lose — Revelation 20:10. 2. What lasts eternally? — 1 Peter 1:25 John 14:1 — Believe what Jesus says.
THE BACK PAGEOUR FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY MINISTRYFrom time to time we try to let everyone know what we are doing as far as our benevolent work is concerned. Different ministries take different amounts of money to sustain, and what you give to the congregation is used to help do what Jesus has called us to do. We are in a great position because we do not owe anything on our property or building, and we do not pay anyone a salary. Almost one hundred percent of the money in the church treasury goes to serve others with only a very small part of that being money used to pay for utilities and maintenance. The meeting of food needs in our area is a ministry that we support regularly in several ways. Every month we buy food from a variety of sources and make it available to people who come to our building on the first Monday of each month to get help with their grocery expenses. How many people we serve is reported in this bulletin every month. The cost of buying food runs between $300 and $600 every month. We also join hands with other religious groups in Dowagiac to distribute food through a church group called A.C.T.I.O.N. That is an acronym for “Area Churches Together in One Network.” It is our belief that Christians can support any good work and we generate good will in the community by helping in community benevolent work. On September 14 we had 160 cars come to A.C.T.I.O.N. for food representing 155 households and 476 individuals. This included 137 seniors, 154 children and 19 veterans. We do not contribute financially to this work. Wimberly Ford/Chevy raises money to pay for the food, and some of us have helped in the collection of money at various stores in Dowagiac, but none of your donated money goes for this. We are currently working toward being a part of “Backpack Buddies” which will involve buying food and personal items for kids victimized by fires or incarceration of their parents. Things like soap, clothes, food, toothpaste, combs, towels, washcloths, etc., will be in backpacks given to kids in need. We appreciate the Hoyts, the Bundles, and the Gibsons for their leadership in all of these good works. Our sign by the street! Sign saying from www.sayingsforchurchsigns.com. Scripture links/references are from BibleGateway.com. Unhighlighted scriptures can be looked up at their website. www.dowagiaccoc.org |
