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August 18, 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

SHULTS-LEWIS COMMODITY DUE TODAY: We have been accumulating frosting and fruit cocktail for Shults-Lewis, and everyone has been generous in building up these food sources for that good work. They are coming Wednesday to get these items, so if you want to add to what we have, be sure to bring it before Wednesday.

TUESDAY DEVO: The third Tuesday of each month there is a class/devo at John and Cynthia Clayton's. This month a picnic dinner is planned starting at 6:00. Meat, buns, and drinks are provided. Bring a dessert, salad, or veggie dish and plan to stay for a short Bible study and fellowship. Christians from all over Michiana come, and you are welcome. If you need directions, see John or Cynthia.

THANKS: Steve gave two great lessons these past two Sundays and people could actually tell me what they were on (which they can rarely do on my lessons). Thanks Steve, and thanks to Walter for the vivid contribution to Richard's class on what bondage is really about. What a great personal testimony.

TODAY'S LESSON

ARE YOU UNFINISHED?

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Luke 14:27 – 30
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Franz Schubert's very famous piece — Why unfinished?
1. 2 Timothy 4:6 – 8
B. What kept Schubert from finishing his symphony?
1. What keeps us from “finishing” our lives?
II. FAILING TO COUNT THE COST — Luke 14:27 – 30
III. OPPOSITION
A. Nehemiah — Nehemiah 2:17 – 20; 4:22 – 23; 6:2
B. Paul — Acts 20:22 – 24
1. Acts 17:5, 10, 13 – 14, 32 – 33 — Intellectuals
C. We can expect opposition.
IV. CONFLICT OF INTEREST — 2 Timothy 3:10 — Demas
V. TOO MANY IRONS IN THE FIRE.
A. Exodus 18 — Jethro taught Moses to delegate.
B. Ephesians 4:11 – 13 — Christ has jobs for each of us.
1. Do what you are called to do.
VI. WEARINESS
A. “In well doing” — 2 Thessalonians 3:13
B. Christ gives strength — Philippians 4:13
VII. LONELINESS — Hebrews 13:5
A. We are not alone — 2 Timothy 4:7; 16 – 18
B. Elijah — 1 Kings 19:14 – 18
VIII. GOD AND HIS WORKERS FINISH WHAT THEY START.
A. Genesis 2:1 – 2 — the cosmos
B. Exodus 39:32; 40:33 — the tabernacle
C. Jesus on the cross — John 17:4; 19:30
IX. GOD WILL FINISH HIS WORK IN YOU (Philippians 1:6)
A. Schubert lost interest — never finished his life's work.
B. Will you finish yours?
(This sermon was introduced and concluded by the singing of the song "Live for Jesus."


THE BACK PAGE

BE THANKFUL FOR THE CHURCH HOME YOU HAVE

Cynthia and I are really glad to be back after a long trip that took us to DeQuincy, Louisiana, for a lectureship, and then on to Texas to visit one of our coworkers, our two daughters and five grandkids. I always return to Dowagiac thankful for the church here and for the great spirit and fine cooperation that we have on all the work that we try to do together.

All four places where we were had large southern congregations of the church. In DeQuincy where we did our program the congregation numbered close to 200 on Sunday morning, and we worked with a number of people struggling with personal issues including everything from the paranormal to struggles with what different members expected of the full time preacher and how he opposed those expectations. In Temple, Texas, the congregation had resigned itself to going out of existence as the leading members were dying off, and there was no interest in reaching out to the young or to the community at large. In Dallas and Abilene where the congregations numbered over 1000 there were major issues involving modernizing the worship so that the beliefs of all the small groups in the congregation could be met. Both congregations are having multiple worship services with different forms of worship being observed in each different time slot. The sermon topic was “Stay” urging people not to leave the congregation. As I talked to one leader in the church there he mentioned that small groups had been the answer to their dilemma, and I thought to myself — yes — we have a small group and that has avoided all of this posturing done to satisfy everyone's desires.

In 1 Corinthians 14 – 15 Paul addresses similar issues in the church. In verses 19 – 1 Corinthians 15:7, he offers the solution to all of these issues. Read those verses and thank God that we have a spirit here to “make effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (verse 19) and that we have “a spirit of unity among” ourselves (15:5). Read those two chapters, and thank God that we have this wonderful spirit of cooperation and love that allows us to worship in Spirit and in Truth.

— John Clayton