Home
Worship Services
Location
Contacts
Bulletins
Links
February
19, 2012The family of God here at the 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
FAIR IDEA. We need to get your input on the latest fair idea, or some other possibilities. Another idea that has been suggested is that we set up a tent booth and provide a good film on christian values for people to come and watch. We have to get our space reserved soon and need to know if everyone is on board with what we will do to reach out to our community. If you did not get the two idea sheets, be sure to pick them up today and discuss it with John or Bill G.
SOUND SYSTEM. Our sound system continues to improve, and we are gradually getting our worship leaders to use it effectively. If you are not hearing well, please see Karl Marcussen for a personal receiver.
MATERIALS IN LOBBY. We have a number of periodicals in the lobby that are there for you to take home and read and make available to family and visitors. The Gospel Herald and Christian Chronicle are newspapers that have news and good Christian articles in them. Gospel Minutes and Does God Exist? are ministry magazines that answer difficult questions and have biblical material on specific topics of interest to many people. Please help yourself to these free magazines and have good Christian literature available in our home.
LOTS OF SICKNESS. We have a lot of people who are ill or having surgery. Be sure to get the list of people needing attention from Karl or Julie and send cards, pray, and help with needs.
TODAY'S LESSON
WHO'S YOUR BEST FRIEND?
It has always interested me that adults make statements to teenagers about how they should make decisions and choose companions and somehow feel that what they are saying to the teens applies only to teenagers. If you have raised a teenager you have probably known the sinking feeling when you see your child involved with someone you know will tear them down. Paul said it well in the passage we are studying on Wednesday night in our study of 1 Corinthians. Paul says in chapter 15 verse 33 "Do not be misled: bad company corrupts good character."
The interesting thing about that verse is that it is written to Christians in the city of Corinth who lived in a city of "bad company." Prostitution, drugs, alcohol, genocide, and sexual deviancy was rampant in Corinth and the church struggled with all of the bad things that kept creeping into the church from the community around them. Much of the problems that existed within the Corinth church was attitude problems that came from the people around them.
One of the things we have tried to do here at the Dowagiac church is to provide a way that we can all form friendships and associations among Christians so that we are less vulnerable to the chaos of the world around us. We not only have our monthly potlucks and visitation after services, but many of us eat lunch together on Sundays and go out for light refreshment on Sunday and Wednesday nights. Come and join us! If money for food is an issue let us know and we will make sure it is not an issue. We all need to be together as we face the challenges of the world we live in.
DIVES
AND LAZARUS
Luke
16:19-31
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
We are
all experts at avoiding things we do
not want to do.
There are some things that ultimately we have to do.
Dives is a name (a traditional name from the Latin Bible for "rich man") given to a man in a parable by Jesus.
Lazarus is Greek for "without help."
SOME
THINGS THAT DIVES AVOIDED-There are some things that ultimately we have to do.
Dives is a name (a traditional name from the Latin Bible for "rich man") given to a man in a parable by Jesus.
Lazarus is Greek for "without help."
-Having
personal contact with anyone unlike
himself.
SOME
THINGS THAT DIVES COULD NOT AVOID-Verse
19--How he dresses and parties set
him apart.
-Did not see his possessions as
something to be used.Luke
12:16-21--How do we use
possessions?
We
must be rich toward God
-Dealing with people is frustrating.
Someone
else's problems seem weird.
-Avoiding people in need does not
solve the need.Lazarus
was a need Dives avoided.
What do we avoid?
-Dives avoided having a relationship
with God.What do we avoid?
Verse
31--Faith messages were available
to Dives.
He relied on family tradition for spiritual well being.
Was a typical man of the world.
He relied on family tradition for spiritual well being.
Was a typical man of the world.
-Death--He
had shoved death out of his mind
(Have you?).
RIGHT
NOW YOU CAN AVOID HELL Hebrews
9:27
Death ends your obituary--and everything else.
-The consequences of this life in
the afterlife. Death ends your obituary--and everything else.
It
makes sense that if we have been
given life, we give an account of
what we did with that life.
Dives rejected people's needs in life.
In the afterlife his needs were rejected.
Hell is not a torture chamber--it is separation from God.
Matthew 10:28--Spiritual death is eternal punishment.
-He could not avoid the harm brought
to his family. Dives rejected people's needs in life.
In the afterlife his needs were rejected.
Hell is not a torture chamber--it is separation from God.
Matthew 10:28--Spiritual death is eternal punishment.
Verses
27-28--How we live is a major
effect on loved ones.
Proverbs
27:1--Do not put off doing God's
will.
Joshua 24:15--It is each person's personal choice.
Profit from Dive's misguided actions.
Joshua 24:15--It is each person's personal choice.
Profit from Dive's misguided actions.
WHO'S YOUR BEST FRIEND?
It has always interested me that adults make statements to teenagers about how they should make decisions and choose companions and somehow feel that what they are saying to the teens applies only to teenagers. If you have raised a teenager you have probably known the sinking feeling when you see your child involved with someone you know will tear them down. Paul said it well in the passage we are studying on Wednesday night in our study of 1 Corinthians. Paul says in chapter 15 verse 33 "Do not be misled: bad company corrupts good character."
The interesting thing about that verse is that it is written to Christians in the city of Corinth who lived in a city of "bad company." Prostitution, drugs, alcohol, genocide, and sexual deviancy was rampant in Corinth and the church struggled with all of the bad things that kept creeping into the church from the community around them. Much of the problems that existed within the Corinth church was attitude problems that came from the people around them.
One of the things we have tried to do here at the Dowagiac church is to provide a way that we can all form friendships and associations among Christians so that we are less vulnerable to the chaos of the world around us. We not only have our monthly potlucks and visitation after services, but many of us eat lunch together on Sundays and go out for light refreshment on Sunday and Wednesday nights. Come and join us! If money for food is an issue let us know and we will make sure it is not an issue. We all need to be together as we face the challenges of the world we live in.