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November 9, 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.
FAMILY NEWS
We are working on reprinting our congregational directory. One thing we want to add is everyone’s e-mail address to improve communication among us. We also would like to e-mail the bulletin to you when you are unable to attend, and notify you when there has been an emergency among us. There is a clip board for you to give us your e-mail address. If you do not have one or do not want your e-mail to be used by us to communicate, just write N/A in the blank and we will not list it. Please do this today so we can get the directory done and in your hands.
Our next potluck is December 7 and the theme for the potluck will be Christmas Dinner. Donna Pickens is coordinating this, so see Donna as to what you should bring or what you can help with. Plan to come and enjoy an old fashion Christmas dinner early--before the hassels of the season begin.
The planning session last Sunday produced a number of plans, suggestions, and long term ideas. We plan to have a booth in the Cass County Fair. What we do is still being discussed. If you have not read through the World's Fair book by Batsell Barrett Baxter, which we have, get one and see what you think. We will have more on this shortly.
TODAY’S LESSON
CREED = BELIEF SYSTEM
THE
DEMON’S CREED
James 2:19
James 2:19
CREED = BELIEF SYSTEM
We all have a belief system.
Satan has a belief system--as do his followers.
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THE SATANIC CREED INCLUDES
BELIEF IN GODSatan has a belief system--as do his followers.
Spirit beings have a belief
system.
Called demons or unclean spirits.
Do you know what yours is? Can you write it down?Called demons or unclean spirits.
__________________________________________________
James 2:19
James 2:14-17 and 20, 26
Faith is worthless if it does not DO anything.
Is your belief any stronger than the demons?
Hebrews 11:6
If you have doubts--address them!--Note “SEEK!”
THE SATANIC CREED BELIEVES JESUS
WAS DIVINE.James 2:14-17 and 20, 26
Faith is worthless if it does not DO anything.
Is your belief any stronger than the demons?
Hebrews 11:6
If you have doubts--address them!--Note “SEEK!”
Mark 1:21-24; 3:11--notice
again--no action.
Acts 8:37
CS Lewis--was Jesus a poached egg or God?*
Do you have doubts about Jesus? Address them !
THE SATANIC CREED ACCEPTS THE
AUTHORITY OF CHRIST.Acts 8:37
CS Lewis--was Jesus a poached egg or God?*
Do you have doubts about Jesus? Address them !
Luke 8:26-31
Matthew 28:18-20
Why does it take a crisis for us to accept Jesus’ authority?
Listen to our music. (We sang "It is well with my soul" by Horatio Spafford.)
SATAN AND HIS ANGELS KNOW
JUDGMENT IS COMING. Matthew 28:18-20
Why does it take a crisis for us to accept Jesus’ authority?
Listen to our music. (We sang "It is well with my soul" by Horatio Spafford.)
Matthew 8:28-29
2 Corinthians 5:10-11
2 Corinthians 5:10-11
Accountability is a part of life.
You were GIVEN life--existence--you did not earn it.
1 Thessalonians 5:9; 2 Peter 3:9--God wants you to live.You were GIVEN life--existence--you did not earn it.
He will not force those whose
creed excludes Him.
What Creed are you living by?
What Creed are you living by?
*A man who was merely a
man and
said the sort of things Jesus
said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a
lunatic--on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg--or else
he
would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice.
Either
this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or
something
worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and
kill Him
as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and
God. But
let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great
human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not
intend to. --C. S. Lewis
KNOWING YOUR TERRITORY
Two city boys were visiting their
grandmother on the farm. She asked them to get the cow in the
barn while she got supper ready. The two boys went out and tried
to lure the cow into the barn with handfuls of grass. They tried
pushing her into the barn only to get kicked. For over an hour
they tried everything they knew to do and just could not get the cow
into the barn.
The little girl from the farm next door had been watching all of this with a great deal of laughter. Finally one of the boys said to her “Listen, if you think this so simple, you come and do it.” “What will you give me if I do,” she responded. The boys were pretty sure they were safe, so they emptied their pockets and offered to give her every penny they had if she could do it. She agreed and walked over to edge of the barnyard, picked up the cow’s calf and gently carried it into the barn. The cow immediately followed.
One of the blessings that we have in this congregation is that we are very diverse. We have people with enormous talent, and what is happening is that they are willing to use their talent. The great progress that has been made in improving our facility has been noticed by our neighbors and by the community. In our planning meeting this past Sunday some short term and long term plans were made. Our short term plans involve some special benevolent helps to some of our members and to the community at large. We have some members who in their jobs are aware of some special needs in our community, and we have some other members who know how to get groceries and other commodities to address those needs.
Another short term opportunity is to present educational material at the Cass County Fair this next summer. We have some materials that are good teaching materials that along with our New Testaments and Does God Exist? courses can be made available. We will be reserving a booth and setting up schedules for all of us to work at this booth. A very long term goal which has been discussed is to build and operate a day care center on our property to serve the community. We have members with experience in this, folks who know the territory!
The little girl from the farm next door had been watching all of this with a great deal of laughter. Finally one of the boys said to her “Listen, if you think this so simple, you come and do it.” “What will you give me if I do,” she responded. The boys were pretty sure they were safe, so they emptied their pockets and offered to give her every penny they had if she could do it. She agreed and walked over to edge of the barnyard, picked up the cow’s calf and gently carried it into the barn. The cow immediately followed.
One of the blessings that we have in this congregation is that we are very diverse. We have people with enormous talent, and what is happening is that they are willing to use their talent. The great progress that has been made in improving our facility has been noticed by our neighbors and by the community. In our planning meeting this past Sunday some short term and long term plans were made. Our short term plans involve some special benevolent helps to some of our members and to the community at large. We have some members who in their jobs are aware of some special needs in our community, and we have some other members who know how to get groceries and other commodities to address those needs.
Another short term opportunity is to present educational material at the Cass County Fair this next summer. We have some materials that are good teaching materials that along with our New Testaments and Does God Exist? courses can be made available. We will be reserving a booth and setting up schedules for all of us to work at this booth. A very long term goal which has been discussed is to build and operate a day care center on our property to serve the community. We have members with experience in this, folks who know the territory!