April 26, 2015 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.

POTLUCK NEXT SUNDAY: It is hard to believe after having snow this past week that we are almost into May. Next Sunday will be the first Sunday in May and so we will have our monthly potluck. Plan to bring something if you can, but if you cannot, that is no problem — just come and enjoy a meal together.

WE NEED HELP in getting the property ready for summer. There is loose wood to be picked up under the trees, flower beds need to be weeded and planted, the play area needs leaves raked up, and there is trimming needed around the fence and building. We may have to plan a work day, but it would be better if anyone who has some time can come over anytime and take care of some of these maintenance items. Richard is going in for knee replacement, so see Bill Gibson or John Clayton if you can help in any way.

TODAY'S LESSON

WHAT KIND OF CHURCH ARE WE?
Revelation 2:12 – 17
John Clayton

Probably the most volatile issue of our day is the issue of homosexuality. Indiana's recent political flap over what constitutes religious freedom and the fall out from the law's passage clearly speaks about how hot an issue homosexuality is with the press and the politicians. Any moral issue will have a connection to the Bible, and Romans 1:24 – 32 and the story of Lot in Genesis 19 seem to leave little doubt that God does not condone homosexual behavior. Religious leaders who embrace homosexuality maintain that these passages are condemning rape and promiscuity, not homosexuality; but, reading the passages does not make that clear at best, and really does not support it in reality.

It is obvious that not all humans have the same libido. There are men who are very effeminate and women who are very masculine. I have a male Christian friend whose interests include knitting, sewing, needlepoint, cooking, and decorating. He has five children and has been married for some 50 years to the same woman. He has had a strong Christian influence on children spending his whole career as a elementary school teacher. We are not mindless robots who have no control over our desires and how those desires are expressed.

Our government has decided many things that fly in the face of what God tells us to do — abortion being at the top of the list, but a woman still can choose not to have an abortion — there are other options out there. Matthew 22:21 and Romans 13 tell us that we are not to declare war on the government in such cases. Recreational marijuana is now available, but that does not compel us to use it. We are to respect the rights of people to do what is legal — be it mariguana, homsexuality, or gay marriage; but that does not mean we must engage in it.

Our sign by the street!

Sign saying from www.sayingsforchurchsigns.com