Home

Worship Services

Sermons and Classes

Location

Contacts

Bulletins

Links
Bulletin cover

September 24, 2017

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

We have a lot going on. Please mark these events on your calendar and plan to be a part of them.

POTLUCK NEXT SUNDAY: Next Sunday is October 1, so it is the first Sunday in October. Please plan for potluck and plan to stay to enjoy time with your brothers and sisters in Christ. We will also be conducting a worship service at Timbers at 2:30 and need singers and folks to greet the staff and patients there.

SENIORS' DEVOTIONAL TUESDAY NIGHT: The monthly devotional at the Claytons' is this Tuesday at 7:00 PM. Bring your Bible and enjoy an evening of singing, a short devotional, fellowship, and prayer. Everyone is welcome. If you need directions, see John Clayton.

JOHN COOPER: We enjoyed John Cooper's lessons last Sunday. John will be working with the Does God Exist? ministry in the coming months doing some videos and articles with us. His specialty is archaeology as a proof of the biblical account, and evidence for Jesus as the Son of God. John has also done work with congregations for marriage enrichment seminars. One thing we discussed was the possibility of a community marriage seminar program. Do some thinking about whether this is a tool we might use to reach out to the community.


TODAY'S LESSON

PRAYER IN THE TRENCHES

Sound on icon

John Clayton

INTRODUCTION — Ephesians 2:2 – 3
A. The world is made up of “children of wrath.”
B. Satan messes with our minds and uses sensual and mental desires to control us.
C. Our prayer life needs to help us avoid this. Our prayer time needs to be devoted
....to specific temptations that we face.
I. OUR PRAYERS MUST BE PERSONAL PRAYERS.
A. Matthew 6:5 – 7 — Temptation is a personal thing, especially big sins.
B. We have numerous examples of prayer life.
1. Acts 10:1 – 9 — Cornelius and Peter
a. Verse 4 — “your prayers have come up … ”
b. Verse 9 — “Peter went up … to pray”
2. We can profit from both of these.
II. OUR PRAYERS MUST BE FROM THE GUT.
A. 2 Corinthians 6:11 – 2 — Bowels
1. Acts 1:18 — Same word
2. Prayer is gut deep — not superficial.
3. We have to want to be close to God.
4. 1 Corinthians 15:33 — Pray about the people around you.
B. Hannah and Samuel — a prayer from the gut — 1 Samuel 1:10 – 16 — Pour out your soul
C. Paul and Silas — Acts 16:23 – 25 — How would you pray?
III. WE MUST PRAY ON THE FRONT SIDE OF TEMPTATION.
A. David and Bathsheba — 2 Samuel 11:2 – 3 — What response should David have made?
B. Psalm 51:1 – 3 — What side is David praying on? — Luke 22:40
IV. WE NEED TO PRAY FOR WISDOM — Genesis 39:9 — Joseph.
A. Compare with David's response.
B. Matthew 6:13 — Ask God to make us wise, to see sin.
V. WE HAVE TO BE BOLD IN FIGHTING TEMPTATION.
A. Hebrews 10:19
B. Philippians 4:13 — We can pray our way out of temptations — We are not robots — 
....powerless.


THE BACK PAGE

LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES IN REVELATION

Revelation 1 – 3 contains letters to “the seven churches of Asia.” The term “Asia” did not mean the same thing in the first century that it does now. There was a Roman province called “Asia” of which Ephesus was the capital. The seven churches listed in verse 11 were all in that Roman province; but, there were churches in other locations within the province — Colossae, Miletus and Hierapolis being named in the New Testament (Acts 20:17 and Colossians 4:13).

It is agreed by scholars that the number 7, which meant perfect and sacred, was chosen because the seven symbolized the whole church of Christ. Every problem we see in the church today was present in the time in which John wrote Revelation. Consider the churches:

  • Ephesus — backslidden, persistent in service, strong in discipline but growing cold
    .... in love.
  • Smyrna — poor, but rich spiritually, facing persecution.
  • Pergamos — in evil surroundings, steadfast but infected with heresy.
  • Thyatira — doing good works, but having a false prophet.
  • Sardis — a dying congregation.
  • Philadelphia  — weak, but faithful.
  • Laodicea — lukewarm, self-satisfied, boasting, had money but spiritually very poor.

It is hard to miss the intent and purpose of this part of the book of Revelation. The question that all of us need to think about as we read what Christ says to these congregations is “which of these letters would apply to us here at Dowagiac?”

In reality they all do. The church is made up of people (1 Corinthians 3:16), and within every congregation we have all of these characteristics. We can read the descriptions Christ gives, and we can read in Acts the history of many of these congregations. In our Bible classes we frequently talk about how we fit into the kind of challenges that Christ gives us in this book and in Paul's letters. Our discussions are about us as a congregation, but in reality we will stand before God as individuals. Those condemned to hell will not be a group nor will those going to heaven. The congregation can help us as we strive to become what God wants us to be, but our destiny is in our own hands. How do you fit into the descriptions in Revelation?

— John Clayton

Our sign by the street!

Thank you, Red Cross blood donors! Pray/help earthquake & hurricane victims!