 |
April 18, 2021
CORONA VIRUS ISSUE 44
FAMILY NEWS OF
THE CHURCH OF CHRIST ON M 51 S
This is the church bulletin for the congregation of the Church of Christ that meets in Dowagiac, Michigan, on M 51 just south of the city. Ordinarily we meet on Sunday morning for Bible study and worship and also on Sunday evening and Wednesday night for a Bible study. Since the pandemic forced us into not having meetings at our building we have been meeting via Zoom on our smartphones, tablets, and computers. After almost two months of worship under the trees we have moved into the building with our Zoom meetings for those who are not able to meet in person. Everyone is welcome to participate in this worship service at 11:00 on Sunday morning. If you want to participate with Zoom, contact Karl Marcussen at marcusen@michiana.org to get the information to join us. |
DUE to the COVID-19 pandemic
and government mandates we
will not have some
of Bible classes until further notice.
FAMILY NEWS
OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST ON M 51 S
APRIL 18, 2021
This bulletin is distributed in a variety of different ways. It is distributed during our worship services at the church building; it is made available on the web at our dowagiaccoc.org website; and it is sent by e-mail/messaging in connection with our Zoom broadcast invitations. However you receive it, we hope it will be informative and encouraging. We are not a denomination, but a local effort to encourage people to follow what the church was like in the first century. We have no man-made creed and only follow the Bible. We do not have religious titles and do not solicit donations. Come and learn more by visiting with us, e-mailing us, or calling us.
LADIES: The congregation in Holland, Mich., is having a “Ladies Day of Inspiration” April 24 with Becky Blackmon of Hewitt, Tex., the speaker. She is well known and does many women's retreats. The program starts at 9:00 A.M. and lunch is provided. If you are interested in going, please contact Patty Gibson for more information. (Social distancing is encouraged and masks will be available). They are also hosting a meeting with Joe W ells titled “Faith Over Fear” on May 2-5.
We recently received a generous gift from the estate of Sandy Haffner. She attended here many years ago on occasion with Julie Marcussen.
THANKS to everyone who showed up yesterday and worked on the road cleanup. This is the best advertising to the community we could have that we can all participate in.
Remember: The FOOD BANK TRUCK will be unloaded in our parking lot on April 27 at 4:00 P.M. and given to those in need. This is an outside activity and we need all hands on board. Please plan to help.
BESIDES OUR MEETINGS IN THE BUILDING we have these meetings on Zoom:
- Sunday @ 11:00 A.M. — our Sunday worship service
- Wednesday @ 7:00 P.M. — our Wednesday Bible study — our study about the history of Israel and a great learning
opportunity.
TODAY'S LESSON
|
 |
John Clayton |
I. INTRODUCTION
A. DEFINITION — a behavior based on dos and don'ts.
1. Things people did to you. You want revenge.
2. Things someone did not do they should have.
B. How do you respond to someone hurting you?
Want to hurt them as much as they hurt you?
C. Christians should live a resent-free life.
Beatitudes of Matthew 5 – 7
II. CASE STUDY — 2 Samuel 16:5-8 — David’s worst day
A. Absalom rebels, takes throne. David flees.
1. Relative of Saul named Shimel torments David.
2. Abishai voices normal world response (2 Samuel 16:9).
3. David turns it over to God. Refuses to kill Shimei.
2 Samuel 19:16-23; 1 Kings 2:8 - David's pain
B. There will be a “Shimei” in your life.
C. Matthew 5:38-48 — Jesus calls us to shed resentment.
D. What does resentment do to you and to others?
Getting even does not work.
E. We do have control over resentment.
Prayer and the Holy Spirit’s help can do it.
III. ANSWERS TO RESENTMENT
A. Understand that God does not resent us.
1. God could justify resenting us.
2. We do not do what we should.
3. Matthew 6:15 — We need to dump resentment.
B. Understand that God uses even the bad for good.
Romans 8:28
C. Case study Genesis 45 – 50; Note: Genesis 45:1-5
Genesis 50:15-21 — Note the normal human response.
D. Practice “Agape” love — 1 Corinthians 13:3-7
1. Follow biblical examples — Steven — Acts 7:59.
2. Jesus shows it — Luke 23:34.
Matthew 26:53 — He had the power to stop it.
3. Ephesians 4:31-32
E. Turn it over to God — Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30.
F. Use the 1/4-second lag before obeying impulse.
THE BACK PAGE
OUR FAITH AND OUR EMOTIONS
To what extent does your relationship to Christ affect your mental state and emotional makeup? How are you different because you are a Christian than you would be if you were not a Christian? That is a challenge for all of us. In today's lesson we are talking about a part of our makeup that has a real relationship to our mental health. How you handle resentment has a direct bearing on your mental makeup and how you handle life.
In Galatians 5:18-26 we see a list of what the Bible calls “the fruit of the spirit.” Have you ever thought about what these things have in common — “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance”? What do these things have in common? How have they changed in you since you became a Christian?
There is an old story about a man named Sam. The story goes that Sam was the roughest, toughest, meanest man in town. He was a bully and was constantly in fights with someone. The story goes that Sam was baptized into Christ and made a real change in his life. One day Sam was waiting to get on a city bus, and when the bus pulled up people standing with Sam got on the bus taking up all the remaining seats. As Sam got on the driver said to him, “you'll have to wait on the next bus, I don't want to have people standing.” Sam responded, “But I will get off as soon as you cross the bridge. It is less than a mile but there is no pedestrian traffic on the bridge!” The bus driver responded, “I told you I don't want anyone standing” and he put his hand on Sam's chest and pushed him down the steps and onto the street. Sam stepped back and the driver closed the door and resumed his path down the street. A little old lady sitting right behind the driver leaned over and said to him, “If you had done that six months ago before that man became a Christian YOU would be the one standing on the curb.” Being a Christian should make a difference.
— John Clayton
Our sign by the street!
Sign saying from www.sayingsforchurchsigns.com.
Scripture links/references are from BibleGateway.com. Unhighlighted scriptures can be looked up at their website.
www.dowagiaccoc.org
04/20/2021
|