March 20, 2011-Bulletin.html

March 20, 2011

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.

FAMILY NEWS

LOTS OF THINGS GOING ON. Friday March 11 eight of us went to the singing at Portage. There were 128 people there and the singing was incredible. There has been some discussion about us hosting a singing this summer. Patty Gibson took the state-required test for the purchase of food bank food for our pantry, so we are able to continue to get discount food to distribute to the needy in our area. Bill Gibson received the forms for the Cass County Fair for this summer, so we need to decide soon if we will do a booth again this next summer. We need to decide on carpet for the downstairs classrooms. There are swatches in the fellowship area, so take a look and give us your opinion about what would be the best for us to get and what carpet width to start with.

IN NEED OF PRAYERS. Be sure to pick up the sheet that Julie and Karl Marcussen have prepared. Dave Pickens has had great success with the work on one of his legs, and will be going back in for the other leg soon. Patty Gibson is getting treatment for the foot problems she has had by using an orthodic shoe. Surgery is not planned for now. Cynthia Clayton leaves tomorrow to go back to Colorado to care for her mother and hopefully get things set up so she will not have to go back for a while. Janice Love has been having a difficult time with the large health issues she is facing. Keep Janice in your prayers. Larry Fox has been calling regularly. He is ready to come home, but Lana is still enjoying the Florida sun. Herb Reasons passed away this past week. He was an elder, many of us knew, at the Currant Road Church of Christ in Mishawaka, Indiana. His funeral was Thursday.

TODAY'S LESSON

THIS ISN'T THE END OF IT--JOHN 11

I. THE REALITY OF IT--WE WILL ALL DIE John 11:11-14

A. Verse 3--Lazarus is sick--we all get sick.
B. Verse 3--Sickness does not always end in death.
C. Verse 14--Lazarus is dead--this is as far as we can go, but this is not the end.
D. Verses 25-26--We do not have to die eternally.

II. IT IS AN APPOINTMENT.

A. Job 7:1-2--Life is hard, it is not endless.
B. Hebrews 9:27
C. Job 14:1-2
D. 2 Samuel 14:14

III. WE ARE IGNORANT ABOUT DEATH.

A. John 11:20-27--What is Mary thinking about?
B. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14--There is hope.
C. Job 14:14..The answer is "yes!"
D. 1 Corinthians 15:51-54--The new body

IV. THE PAIN OF IT

A. John 11:30-35--Mary and Martha wept.
B. Jesus wept--why? The uniqueness of Christ
C. Psalm 30:5

V. THIS IS NOT THE END OF IT.

A. 1 Corinthians 15:19, 32--If it were, we would be pathetic.
B. It is not--Jesus overcame death.

1. John 11:28b
2. Job 19:25

VI. THE END OF IT

A. Philippians 1:22-23--"I'm ready to go," Paul says.
B. 2 Timothy 4:6--"I'm done," Paul says.
C. What do you say?
D. 2 Corinthians 5:8--"As long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord."
E. We say, "He's gone," or "She's gone." In Heaven they say, "He's home," or "She's home."
F. WHAT IS YOUR VIEW OF DEATH? WHY WOULD YOU NOT WORK TO MAKE SURE YOUR VIEW IS THE SAME AS PAUL'S?

IF YOU WANT TO KEEP IT GIVE IT AWAY!

By John Cooper

One of my greatest desires in life is to increase my faith. I want to be strong, to rely completely on God. I do not want to worry or be anxious. I want to stand firm for Him and for truth no matter what others may say. I want God to direct my every decision. I would like my thoughts and attitudes to be completely under His control.

How can these things happen? I certainly need to pray about it happening. I need to let God speak to me through His word, the Bible. I need to be around godly people at Church assemblies and throughout the week. No doubt there are other things I can do to keep my faith strong. The one thing that can probably help me the most to keep my faith strong is often not mentioned--try giving it away! It is strange, but true, "If you want to keep it give it away." Philemon 6 says "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ."

You see, when we give our faith away, we first have to know what we have. We have to know why we believe and why we live in a certain way. Giving our faith away makes us examine it and verify it so that we will value it and be able to defend it. People will question us when we share our faith. That can cause us to question it ourselves and decide whether or not it is worth having and sharing. If we will answer these questions honestly and completely our faith will be stronger because it is built on Truth--on God's Word.

Peter wrote, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15). Paul wrote, "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone (Colossians 4:5-6).

GIVE IT AWAY.