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June 22, 2008TO OUR VISITORS
The family of God here at Dowagiac Church of Christ wishes to extend to you a warm welcome. If you have questions about our worship services and why we do what we do, we will be glad to give you a biblical answer. The uniqueness of the Church of Christ is that we are trying to restore to the best of our ability those things that we see the first century Church doing. We are also working hard at building the spirit, unity, and love that Jesus taught and prayed for. We have no clergy, but are working together as equal co-workers trying to serve one another and the area in which we live. Come study with us, grow with us, and serve with us as we strive to do God’s will in all things.
CLASSES
We have started new classes and want to encourage everyone to come and be a part of these new studies. On Sunday morning we are studying the parables of Jesus with Jim Harasewicz leading the class. On Wednesday night we are continuing a series of studies in Corinthians taught by John Clayton. These are important classes with a lot of information being conveyed. We encourage you to come and participate and make sure your kids come for their classes.
FAMILY NEWS
Ella Quick is home recovering from her surgery. The doctors feel they got all of the cancer, so the news is good so far.
Remember that next Saturday, June 28, at 11:00 there will be an "Appreciation Brunch" for the men of the congregation. This is being done by the ladies and everyone is invited to come and be a part of the celebration.
You have probably noticed today that the concrete work under the canopy has been completed. The next step is to blacktop the parking lot, and work is being done with the contractor to get that completed soon. The repair and upgrading of the sign in front is the other project that we hope to complete this summer. Our thanks to everyone that has been involved in getting this work done.
TODAY’S LESSON
The Prodigal Father--Luke 15:11-31
Who does the Father represent in this Parable?___________________________________________________
This past Sunday was Father's Day. There have been lots of jokes made about Father's Day and how poorly it compares to Mother's Day. Some of those jokes may be justified, because women have generally done a better job of fulfilling the role God has given them as mothers than men have done with being fathers. Fathers are entrusted by God with the spiritual leadership of the family (1 Timothy 2:12) meaning fathers should take the lead in teaching and motivating the family to serve God. In Ephesians 5:23-33 that relationship is described as being so strong that a man would give his life for his family, and would love his family as much as himself and in fact the statement made is "He that loves his wife loves himself"(vs 28). In Ephesians 6:4 fathers are charged to not provoke their children but to bring them up "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
When you nurture something, you care for it, you feed it and protect it. In this day of conflicting values, alternative life styles, and redefining of our institutions, children need special help to understand what God's will is for them and why it is important to follow that will. What God has told us to do makes sense. The prevailing unhappiness in our culture is because we have not followed God's teachings. The sexual revolution, drugs, pornography, and materialism have failed. Many of our men have been a part of that, and their shame and frustration has paralyzed many of them so that as fathers they are inoperative leaving it all to women.
The Bible presents child raising as a team event, and when a child is growing up in a home where the father has left or been removed, there is a need for active Christian men to fulfill the father role. On my trip to Texas the past two weekends I got 14 father's day cards--and only one from my own kids. The others were kids who had come to my presentations and had bonded with me as a father (or grandfather) image. I answered their questions and shared my experience with them and they interpreted that as a father thing. In 1 Timothy 1:2 Paul used an image like that, and all men can be in that role. Every day can be "Father's Day" if we will let it.
The Prodigal Father--Luke 15:11-31
Who does the Father represent in this Parable?___________________________________________________
Who does the Prodigal Son represent?_________________________________________________________
Who does the older brother represent?_________________________________________________________
God, like the father, is the source of all we have.Acts 17:28
Two choices given in Luke 15.
God seeks us--wants to help us
be successful.Two choices given in Luke 15.
1. Squander it.
2. "Never disobey your orders" (verse 29).
God gives us freedom in how we use HIS blessings.2. "Never disobey your orders" (verse 29).
He does give us advice as to what
is best.
How we use blessings shapes us.Acts 20:35
Luke 6:38
Luke 6:38
Verse 20
We have to decide when we will turn it over to God.
Notice the separation God feels
when we live our own way--verses 24, 31.We have to decide when we will turn it over to God.
God will not force us--but He
runs to us.
When we squander what God gives
us we become dead.
No sin is too great for God to
forgive.Squandered his wealth in wild
living (verse 13).
Wasted his inheritance on prostitutes.
Considered himself unworthy of any relationship.
God lets us hit bottom, then He lifts us up.
God pleads with immature
Christians to share in the joy of saving souls.Wasted his inheritance on prostitutes.
Considered himself unworthy of any relationship.
God lets us hit bottom, then He lifts us up.
Verse 29--Older brother--typical
immature reaction.
We tend to want to be cared for.
Notice God comes out and pleads with us.
Verse 31--You are secure (Ever with me).
Everything I have is yours.
Can you find yourself in this
parable?
We tend to want to be cared for.
Notice God comes out and pleads with us.
Verse 31--You are secure (Ever with me).
Everything I have is yours.
FATHER'S DAY
This past Sunday was Father's Day. There have been lots of jokes made about Father's Day and how poorly it compares to Mother's Day. Some of those jokes may be justified, because women have generally done a better job of fulfilling the role God has given them as mothers than men have done with being fathers. Fathers are entrusted by God with the spiritual leadership of the family (1 Timothy 2:12) meaning fathers should take the lead in teaching and motivating the family to serve God. In Ephesians 5:23-33 that relationship is described as being so strong that a man would give his life for his family, and would love his family as much as himself and in fact the statement made is "He that loves his wife loves himself"(vs 28). In Ephesians 6:4 fathers are charged to not provoke their children but to bring them up "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
When you nurture something, you care for it, you feed it and protect it. In this day of conflicting values, alternative life styles, and redefining of our institutions, children need special help to understand what God's will is for them and why it is important to follow that will. What God has told us to do makes sense. The prevailing unhappiness in our culture is because we have not followed God's teachings. The sexual revolution, drugs, pornography, and materialism have failed. Many of our men have been a part of that, and their shame and frustration has paralyzed many of them so that as fathers they are inoperative leaving it all to women.
The Bible presents child raising as a team event, and when a child is growing up in a home where the father has left or been removed, there is a need for active Christian men to fulfill the father role. On my trip to Texas the past two weekends I got 14 father's day cards--and only one from my own kids. The others were kids who had come to my presentations and had bonded with me as a father (or grandfather) image. I answered their questions and shared my experience with them and they interpreted that as a father thing. In 1 Timothy 1:2 Paul used an image like that, and all men can be in that role. Every day can be "Father's Day" if we will let it.