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December 4,
2011We are a group of believers who simply try to follow the Bible as a guide for all we do. Everything done in our worship service is something we have a Bible basis for. You are welcome to participate as much or as little as you wish. We will sing hymns together and we will observe the Lord's Supper or Communion together. We will also have an opportunity to give to the work of God in this area. This collection is for the members here, and if you are visiting you should not feel any pressure to give. Our lesson time will be divided into two groups. The young children will go to our classroom area in the basement where they will be taught the Bible at a level they can understand. The adults will stay in the auditorium for a lesson at an adult level. We do try to serve the community, and if you have some needs that we can help you with, mention it to one of the members. Thank you for worshipping with us.
FAMILY NEWS
POTLUCK TODAY. It is the first Sunday of the month, and our tradition here is to have a potluck dinner after services each first Sunday of the month. We always have plenty of food, so please honor us by staying and eating with us. We have lots to talk about connected with the work here, so please stay.
USE OUR WEBSITE. Most of us are online at one time or another, and some of us may not know that there is a website that is maintained for the congregation by Karl Marcussen. The bulletin is always provided on the site, plus any special announcements or current news. If you are unable to get to services, you can use the web site and the sermon outline for your own private study. In your personal quiet time this can be a great tool. The address is dowagiaccoc.org. Take a look at the site and use it. Our thanks to Karl for managing this site.
PARADE PARTICIPATION. I am writing this before December 2 when the congregation will have a float in the Dowagiac city parade. Our thanks to Bill Gibson who has done a lot of the leg work in getting us into the parade as a float, and to everyone who helped decorate and sing as we interacted with the people of our community.
TODAY'S
LESSON
INTRODUCTION
THREE
WOMEN OF FAITH
INTRODUCTION
One
uniqueness of the Bible is its relevancy
to today.
Another is its recognition of the worth of women.
Another is its recognition of the worth of women.
Compare it
to Islam--Galatians 3:26-28.
Jesus brought women's rights to mankind.
Jesus brought women's rights to mankind.
We can see
some incredible lessons in Bible women.
A WOMAN
WHO HAD COMPLETE FAITH IN CHRIST.
Mark
5:25-34
Lost her life's savings on health care (sound familiar).
A WOMAN
WHO PERSISTED.Lost her life's savings on health care (sound familiar).
Doctors
took "all she had."
Bleeding got worse and worse.
Believed that touching Jesus in any way
would heal.Bleeding got worse and worse.
We can
touch Jesus today--spiritually.
What went out of Jesus?
Did Jesus know who touched him?
Why did he put her through this?
What went out of Jesus?
Did Jesus know who touched him?
Why did he put her through this?
God's
work needs to be publicized.
Luke 8:47; Matthew 10:32; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 8:37
Luke 8:47; Matthew 10:32; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 8:37
Matthew
15:21-28
Not a Jewish woman
A WOMAN
WHO HANDLED HER SIN.Not a Jewish woman
Jesus
primary mission was to the Jews.
She did not get mad, was not offended.
Statement of humility--content with crumbs.
She did not get mad, was not offended.
Statement of humility--content with crumbs.
Luke
7:36-50
She was a
known sinner--no doubt about it.
She learned where Jesus was--made a response.
She learned where Jesus was--made a response.
Believed
Jesus could save her.
Came to serve the Lord.
Stood behind him showing respect.
Wept--showing repentance.
Ministered to his feet showing humility.
Notice the contrast to Simon. Came to serve the Lord.
Stood behind him showing respect.
Wept--showing repentance.
Ministered to his feet showing humility.
HOW MUCH ARE
WE LIKE THESE WOMEN OF FAITH.
What
response do we make to the same
situations?
USING ALL OUR TOOLS
It is no secret that
Dowagiac, Michigan, is a mission field for members
of the church of Christ. Unlike Tennessee or
virtually any state in the southeast,
congregations in Michigan are small and generally
do not have much money to work with. Most
congregations either have a huge mortgage on their
meeting places, or are meeting in rented
facilities or in homes. Having a full time worker
who prepares and delivers lessons, visits the
sick, studies with seeking people in the
community, and coordinates Bible school classes is
beyond the reach of most congregations in this
area.
When you look at the obstacles that the Lord's work faces in this state, and the small size and limited resources of congregations, it is easy to get discouraged and feel that the task of "preaching the gospel to every creature" is beyond us. The fact of the matter is that we are enormously blessed in our work and in our circumstances. Look at how we here at Dowagiac are blessed. We have a very high rate of involvement of our membership because there is no one able or willing to do all the work by themselves. Every member of the church has an opportunity to get involved, and we know we cannot pay someone else to do it. We do not have a large fancy building, but we have a very functional building that is easy to improve, easy to care for, and which is debt free. No one in this congregation has any reason to be jealous or to feel that they are excluded from any opportunity to serve, because there are always jobs waiting for someone to take them on and no one is elevated or given special recognition here. Any strife or acrimony that might have existed in the past is long gone and forgotten, because the participants are no longer here for the most part, and the stress on our work is so large that no one has the time or energy to live in the past. We are enormously blessed!
With all of that going for us, why are we not growing faster than we are? There are many answers to that question, but one of the main reasons is that we are not using all of the tools that God has given us. We have a bulletin that can be taken and mailed to people. We have a website that visitors and members can go to and keep in touch with news, the lessons, and spiritual growth material. We have regular Bible studies taught by qualified teachers. What we lack is the manpower to use these tools--all of our tools. Get involved. Help use what God has given to us as tools to reach the lost, and be a tool of God yourself! If we all use the tools we have been given, the church here will grow.
When you look at the obstacles that the Lord's work faces in this state, and the small size and limited resources of congregations, it is easy to get discouraged and feel that the task of "preaching the gospel to every creature" is beyond us. The fact of the matter is that we are enormously blessed in our work and in our circumstances. Look at how we here at Dowagiac are blessed. We have a very high rate of involvement of our membership because there is no one able or willing to do all the work by themselves. Every member of the church has an opportunity to get involved, and we know we cannot pay someone else to do it. We do not have a large fancy building, but we have a very functional building that is easy to improve, easy to care for, and which is debt free. No one in this congregation has any reason to be jealous or to feel that they are excluded from any opportunity to serve, because there are always jobs waiting for someone to take them on and no one is elevated or given special recognition here. Any strife or acrimony that might have existed in the past is long gone and forgotten, because the participants are no longer here for the most part, and the stress on our work is so large that no one has the time or energy to live in the past. We are enormously blessed!
With all of that going for us, why are we not growing faster than we are? There are many answers to that question, but one of the main reasons is that we are not using all of the tools that God has given us. We have a bulletin that can be taken and mailed to people. We have a website that visitors and members can go to and keep in touch with news, the lessons, and spiritual growth material. We have regular Bible studies taught by qualified teachers. What we lack is the manpower to use these tools--all of our tools. Get involved. Help use what God has given to us as tools to reach the lost, and be a tool of God yourself! If we all use the tools we have been given, the church here will grow.