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June 9, 2013

WELCOME!
WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE

We 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 for which we have a Bible basis. 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 and 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

PRAYER SHEET: Until Karl and Julie return at the end of June, John Clayton will maintain the prayer sheet. Call him when you have information to be added: 269-687-9426. If the phone is not answered, leave the message on the machine and we will get it on the sheet.

THANKS: To Richard Hoyt who has been taking care of the yard in addition to all the other things he does for the work here — from teaching the Sunday night class to coordinating our classes and worship. We need to relieve Richard on some of these things so we don't work him to death.

PICKENS MEMORIAL SERVICE: On Saturday, June 22 at 5:00 there will be a memorial service here at our building for Dave Picken's sister. Patty Gibson is making the arrangements for the meal, so please see her so she can assign you a job. Bill will be conducting the memorial and we expect a large turnout from Dave and Donna's family. Please be available during that time period so we have plenty of help.

TODAY'S LESSON

WHY BELIEVE IN GOD

 Sound on icon
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Fastest growing faith in America today is “None.”
B. Militant atheism is growing more and more aggressive: “In a universe of blind physical
forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, and other people are going to get lucky; and you won't find any rhyme or reason to it, nor any justice. The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at the bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and no good. Nothing but blind, pitiless indifference. … DNA neither knows nor cares. DNA just is” (Richard Dawkins, River Out of Eden, 1995).
C. Biblical morality is ignored in our culture.
D. Why do you believe or disbelieve in God?
II. CREATION IS ONLY ANSWERED BY GOD'S EXISTENCE.
A. Creation — To cause to exist (Webster).
1. Evolution assumes creation.
2. Revelation 22:12; 21:6; 1:8; 1:17
3. Proverbs 8:22 – 23
B. Genesis 1:1 — “Reshith Elohim bara shamayim erets”
1. Reshith — “that for which there was nothing before”
a. Supported by “big bang,” 2nd Law, fuel
2. Elohim — God, not Yahweh — power, creation
3. Bara — created not asah — to make
4. Shamayim — “heaved up things” — all that is above
5. Erets — earth not ara or adamah for soil
C. What does it take to create time, energy, space, life?
1. Acts 17:24 – 28 — God is the Creator of space.
2. 1 Corinthians 2:7 — God is the Creator of time.
a. 2 Peter 3:8; Psalm 90:4
3. See A Help in Understanding What God Is
III. GOD GIVES PURPOSE TO OUR EXISTENCE.
A. Atheism — no purpose, no evil, no good
B. Romans 1:20; Psalm 19:1; Psalm 139:14
1. The creation is full of purpose
C. Man is special — you are special.
1. Genesis 1:26 – 28
2. Job 1:8; Acts 9:15 – 16; John 9:1 – 3
D.John 3:16 — “Whosoever believes”
1. Do not just accept it — believe it.


THE BACK PAGE

BUILDING FAITH

Do you believe in God? Why or why not? The fact that you are reading this probably indicates that either you believe or someone you know believes in God and in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. The problem in America and in the church today is that a large number of us have accepted the idea that there is a God, but we do not have faith. We will not say we are an atheist or an agnostic, but the only reason we come to church or that we make any pretense at having faith is because we have relatives or friends who say they believe in God, and we go along with it. I have had young people say to me “I go to church because it is a small price to pay for peace at home.”

God does not want us to put on an appearance of faith just because it is expected of us, or because our family has always done it, or because we submit to pressure. Acceptance of God instead of faith in God means we will not get involved, we will not use God's word as a guide to what we do morally, and we will not make any effort to share our faith with anyone else. Acceptance leads to apathy and a lack of involvement. It is acceptance that makes our participation in worship and in the work programs of the church irregular and sporadic.

We live in a world that is doing its best to destroy faith in God. We are surrounded by people who not only do not live moral Godly lives, but ridicule and demean those who do. Our television sets and movie screens are full of programs that portray every biblical standard of morality as archaic and out of date. Now we are seeing laws and politically motivated attacks on Christianity throughout the world including the United States.

We cannot just sit back and wring our hands about all of this. We need to know why we believe what we believe, and “give an answer to anyone who asks you of the faith that is within you” (1 Peter 3:15). Our fair booth and our lesson today are a start on teaching people how to build faith. Build yours! Know what you believe and why!

— John Clayton