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FAMILY NEWSPOTLUCK NEXT SUNDAY: Bring a dish and plan to stay and enjoy time with your brothers and sisters in Christ. You will not find better food or better company anywhere. TIMBERS DEVOTIONAL: Next Sunday is our time to conduct a short worship service at the Timbers Nursing Home. Last time we were short on singers, so please plan to join us at 2:30 in the afternoon and sing with us and spend a few minutes visiting with the residents. This is a wonderful opportunity to serve, so please be a part of it. CASS COUNTY FAIR is this week. If you did not sign up to man the booth and want to help, see Bill Gibson. If you are there, please stop by the booth under the Grandstand and give the workers a rest break. See the back cover for more on this effort. THANKS to everyone who brought in paper goods for Shults-Lewis. We had quite a stash of vital materials for them and for the children they care for. TODAY'S LESSON
INTRODUCTION
A. Looking at the lives of great biblical heros is useful.
I. JOHN'S INTEGRITY WAS BEYOND REPROACH.
B. Matthew 11:11 — Jesus praised John as “none greater.” C. What made John great? D. Setting for John — no prophet had existed for 400 years. 1. Matthew 3:5 — Huge response from the common man
E. Four things about John we need to learn from.2. Herod jailed John — politicians fear holy people 3. Herod eventually kills John — Mark 6:14 – 2. A. Wall of China was never breached militarily.
II. JOHN WAS A MAN WHO FINISHED WELL.
1. Breached three times by bribing gate keepers
B. John had courage without compromise — Mark 6:14ffC. Our best silent sermon is our integrity. A. John 3:26 – 30 — John pointed the way to Christ.
III. JOHN LIVED HIS MISSION.
B. We need to have a legacy that points the way. What is your legacy? — See last week's bulletin in The Back Page section.
A. Matthew 3:11
IV. WE ARE GREATER THAN JOHN — MATTHEW 11:11.
B. Matthew 11:7 – 10 — He lived his role. C. Matthew 3:4 1. Clothes of camel's hair — 2 Kings 1:8; Zechariah 13:4
D. He was 100% prophet — “Flash” is not God's way. 2. Leather belt — common laborer 3. Locusts — Leviticus 11:22 — Honey — rocks swarming A. Only in what God has done for us.
1. Hebrews 11:32 – 40 — How special the church is.
B. Hebrews 12:1 – 2 — We too have a mission, a race.
2. What we have is what they wanted. 1. Paul talked about his race — 2 Timothy 4:6 – 8
C. Romans 6:4 – 7 — Dying to sin means doing what John did — Do not deny what John accepted!2. 1 John 1:7 – 9 — God is with us. Song: "I Am Thine, O Lord" THE BACK PAGEOUR FAIR BOOTH OUTREACHTomorrow we begin a week of reaching out to the people of Cass County. There are a lot of good reasons for us to be doing this booth. It is the most economic way that we can put the church in front of the community. To have an ad in a newspaper, put spots on radio or television, or do mass mailings is frightfully expensive, and we have determined that we would rather use that money to provide winter coats to kids in the county and to operate our food bank to feed people needing food to eat. We have had the same location now for several years, and people have learned who we are and many of them will stop by to say hello. Our booth this year has a new theme that involves providing a response to the pluralism that is considered politically correct in today's world. Showing people that what Jesus said and did was unique and that it demonstrates God's wisdom and planning for mankind is important. What is also important is to realize that according to the 2010 census there are 41,919 people in Cass County who say that they have no religious affiliation or ties to any church. That is 84% of the population of this county. In addition to these numbers we have a large number of young people who attend the fair and who have questions about the kind of material that we have in our exhibits. What we are doing this year is asking questions about the unique teachings of Jesus. There are five easy questions, five average questions, and five difficult questions on the question boards. We have a booklet that has the answers and explanations for each of the questions along with an invitation to visit us or take one of the free courses that we offer. We also have some give-away items for people to take home with them, which we believe will remind them of their visit with us all year long. We have some quality pens with our name and address on them, and the emery boards, balloons, magnets, etc., that we have used in the past. Everyone should help by spending some time greeting visitors and passing out materials. Pray for this effort! — John Clayton Our sign by the street!
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