June 29, 2025

Home

Worship Services

Sermons

Location

Contacts

Bulletins

Links

THE CHURCH OF CHRIST ON M 51 S

We welcome you to our worship services this morning. We hope that you will be encouraged and uplifted by our time together. We have no creed or set of rules to force on you. We simply rely on the Bible to tell us what to do and try to copy what we read the church in the first century did. We meet here every Sunday, but we also have Zoom available for those who are interested. Just ask and we will include you in our Zoom services. Call Karl Marcussen at 574-514-1400 for information.

FAMILY NEWS

AREA SINGING WORK: Our thanks to everyone for a great job in hosting the areawide singing this past Sunday. Brenda, Julie, Lana, and Patty cleaned and polished the building in preparation for the singing and the building looked great. Bill did his usual good job of being the master of ceremonies and we had a great response from everyone with a wide assortment of cookies. Our count of six congregations and 56 people was good considering the heat, and the singing and unity was outstanding.

POTLUCK AND TIMBERS NEXT SUNDAY: Our monthly potluck, worship at Timbers nursing home, and preparation for our food pantry is next Sunday. Please plan your day so that you help in all these projects.

BUSY JULY: July 4 at 6:00 P.M. we will have our annual summer picnic at Gibsons followed by fireworks at “Dark O' Clock.” July 10 we are scheduled to unload the Feeding America truck at A.C.T.I.O.N. and starting July 12 our highway cleanup project will be accomplished. There is much to do, so especially plan to be a part of the work we do.

SIGNS: We are working on updating our signs on the highway and hope to have them done in July.

TODAY'S LESSON

THE POWER OF CHANGE
John Clayton

“Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”

INTRODUCTION: Matthew 4:19 — a challenge given by Christ

A. Christ says he will MAKE them into something.

He can also make us into something.

B. There are amazing changes in men in the Bible.

MOSES — FROM WEAKNESS TO WONDER

A. Exodus 2:11-12 — Weak Egyptian prince who flees.
B. Exodus 3:1-14 — God calls Moses to do a job.

1. Moses rejects God's call (Exodus 3:11), gives excuses.
2. Do we want to do what God calls us to do?
3. Moses had to make a choice — Hebrews 11:25-27.

JONAH - FROM ESCAPEE TO EVANGELIST

A. Jonah 1:1-2 — Asked to do an incredible job.

Tries to run away from God (Jonah 1:3). Do we?

B. God rescues Jonah twice — 1:17 and 3:1-4.
C. The church is full of people running from God.

PETER - FROM REED TO ROCK

A. Matthew 26:69-74 — a weak reed bending to pressure

1. Jesus forgives Peter — Mark 16:7.
2. Peter preaches on Pentecost — 3000 respond.

PAUL — FROM PERSECUTOR TO PREACHER

A. Acts 9:1-9 — God gets Paul’s attention.

Acts 22:16 — Ananias calls on Paul to make a decision. You are also called to decide.

B. Paul spent three years preparing — Galatians 1:13-24.

1. We frequently need time to grow. Moses took 40 years, Jonah took 3 days and 3 nights, Peter took 3 days.

2. 25 years ago I could not do what I do today.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

A. Romans 1:16 — We cannot be ashamed of the gospel.
B. Are you allowing God to work in your life?

1. Follow God's commands — obey God.
2. Work at growing, maturing, advancing — change!

3. Do not reject God's call to change and act. You have a ministry that God is calling you to do.

THE BACK PAGE

THE NECESSITY OF CHANGE

In today's lesson we have seen four biblical examples of men who accomplished great things because they were willing or able to change. In reality we all know that change is a necessity in every aspect of our lives. We would not want our children to remain unchanged from birth on. We want change in our jobs and if that change does not come fast enough we find another job. Not all change is positive. In the last election we saw change in politics and that is not something we were all happy about. In our jobs we are constantly confronted with change, and having to learn how to use our cell phones drives many of us to high levels of frustration.

With all this change in our world, why is it that many individuals oppose change in what we do in the church? Jesus was about change. The preaching of the gospel is built around change. In fact “repentance” is changing the way we think and it always precedes baptism. John the Baptist preached repentance, and the religious establishment of his day fought against him. Change in what we do religiously seems to be one area where many do not want change of any kind. “Give Me That Old Time Religion” may be a good song, but it conveys a false message, and I am glad it is not in our song book.

We have to change some of what we do to reach out to the world in which we live. We cannot just “keep house,” meeting in our building, singing the same songs, hearing the same sermons, and being isolated from the issues of our day.

The food pantry, loading the Feeding America truck, highway cleanup, having a sign in front of our building that is attractive and up to date and which teaches, these all involve change. In the future helping people who are fighting family issues, marriage problems, mental issues, old age problems, medical issues and the complications of being in a nursing home or assisted living are things the church must be involved in. Coming alive in 2025 is not just a cute motto, it contains the changes we face as a congregation.

Scripture links/references are from BibleGateway.com. Unhighlighted scriptures can be looked up at their website.