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June 29, 2008

TO OUR VISITORS

The family of God here at Dowagiac Church of Christ wishes to extend to you a warm welcome.  If you have questions about our worship services and why we do what we do, we will be glad to give you a biblical answer.  The uniqueness of the Church of Christ is that we are trying to restore to the best of our ability those things that we see the first century Church doing.  We are also working hard at building the spirit, unity, and love that Jesus taught and prayed for.  We have no clergy, but are working together as equal co-workers trying to serve one another and the area in which we live.  Come study with us, grow with us, and serve with us as we strive to do God’s will in all things.

CLASSES

We have started new classes and want to encourage everyone to come and be a part of these new studies.  On Sunday morning we are studying the parables of Jesus with Jim Harasewicz leading the class.  On Wednesday night  we are continuing a series of studies in Corinthians taught by John Clayton.  These are important classes with a lot of information being conveyed.  We encourage you to come and participate and make sure your kids come for their classes.


FAMILY NEWS

Ella Quick got a good report on the biopsis of her lymph nodes, there was no cancer in the nodes.
Our thanks to the ladies for the wonderful brunch yesterday.  If you did not come you missed some wonderful food and a fun time of sharing the joy of being a Christian and honoring one another in special ways.  Thanks to all of those who made the time so special.
You have probably noticed today that the concrete work under the canopy has been completed.  The next step is to blacktop the parking lot, and work is being done with the contractor to get that completed soon.  The repair and upgrading of the sign in front is the other project that we hope to complete this summer.  Our thanks to everyone that has been involved in getting this work done.


TODAY’S LESSON
TURNING THE RAT RACE INTO A PILGRIMAGE
Proverbs 14:23

How do you see your job? _______________________
Necessary Evil        A cruel master       A god    
For the early Church being a slave was the job many had.
Home maker is a job, being a student is a job.
Our Christianity should impact our attitude and conduct at work.  It is a partnership with God.
Your job is a part of your Christianity             
Colossians 3:22-23
Does Paul qualify anything?  Good master?  
People who will not work are at odds with God.
2 Thessalonians 3:10-13
Talking about those who can work.
1 Timothy 5:8
There are many way to provide.
Ephesians 4:28
We need to progress toward independence.
See your job as a ministry and be faithful
Ephesians 6:5-7--Joyful service  God views our work as a means of serving Him.
John 17:16--You are not of this world.  Our time and our money are not under our ownership.  They belong to God.
Philippians 2:14-16--Light of the world.  How do we shine as lights in the world?  By being in darkness.
1 Timothy 3:7--“Be of good report of those who are not Christians.”  This is a ministry!
Four thing not to do at work.
Don’t brag--Matthew 5:16.
Arrogance destroys the good you try to do.
Don’t nag--Colossians 4:5-6.
You cannot nag someone into heaven.
Being of “good report”  means treating people well.
You do not have to be wishy washy to be kind.
Don’t lag--“as unto the Lord.”
Work harder than anyone else.
Don’t sag--stay positive.
Don’t give up.
TEN SIGNS YOU’RE NOT READING YOUR BIBLE ENOUGH
  1. The preacher announces the sermon is from Genesis and you check the table of contents.
  2. You think Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, may have had a few hit songs during the 1960s.
  3. You open to Psalms and a WWII savings bond falls out.
  4. When asked, you say your favorite Old Testament patriarch is Hercules.
  5. Your favorite Bible verse is “Cleanliness is next to godliness.”
  6. Your become frustrated because Charles Heston is not listed in either the concordance or the table of contents.
  7. Catching your kid reading Song of Solomon, you demand “Who gave you this stuff?”
  8. You think the Minor Prophets worked in the quarries.
  9. You keep falling for it every time your wife tells you to turn to First Hezekiah.
  10. Your kids keep asking you to read “Jonah, the Shepherd Boy and His Ark of Many Colors” for their bedtime story.
    We smile at these rather silly examples, and yet the ignorance of the Bible in our culture is astounding.  Most Americans cannot tell you the difference between the New Testament and the Old Testament.  They cannot tell you who wrote the book of Acts, or what the difference is between the synoptic gospels and John’s gospel.  They can not identify for you why there are four gospels or why they are different.  Why does Matthew give a different geneology for Abraham to Jesus than Luke does.
    The result of this ignorance is that people get sucked into religious systems that are destructive and exploitive.  Jim Jones, Marshall Applewaite, the Branch Davidians, and the Mormon Polygamists all preyed upon people who did not understand the Bible or what their response to God should be.  Our children can be victimized in the same way, and that is why this congregation works very hard to educate children and adults in what the Bible actually says.  Come and be a part of our Bible classes.