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November 1, 2009TO 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
POTLUCK TODAY
Today is our monthly potluck. Be a part of this. We have lots of food, so there is no problem if you did not bring anything. After we have eaten together we have some proposals (see the last page of this bulletin) and hope to plan for the future work of the Church here.
FAMILY NEWS
We welcome the Mathis family back from their travels to Tennessee. Janice Love is doing some better, but is not driving now so the Marcussens are bringing her. Dave Pickens is still wrestling with what appears to be neuropathy and is waiting for lab reports. Several of our number have been down with the flu.
BUSY MONTH FOR THE CLAYTONS AND DOES GOD EXIST? WORK.
Tomorrow the Claytons will leave for a lectureship in Fort Collins, Colo., at the Colorado State University there, which will run from Wednesday through Sunday. They will then drive to Winnipeg, Manitoba, in Canada for a program the following weekend with the Church in Winnipeg. The third Sunday they will do a one day all day program with the Church in Simi Valley, Calif. They plan to spend Thanksgiving with Cynthia's father who lives in Riverside, Calif., and then head home driving from the Los Angeles area. Keep them in your prayers. Fortunately they do not have any programs in December, and they will be more than ready to stay home by that time.
TODAY'S LESSON
JESUS
AND THE SAMARITAN WOMAN
John 4: 4-42
John 4: 4-42
INTRODUCTION--Remember when this is.
Samaritans were descendents of
the Northern Kingdom.
Greatly hated by the Jews--would not talk to them or stay in their cities.
LESSON 1--Jesus was blind
to all prejudice Greatly hated by the Jews--would not talk to them or stay in their cities.
This was a highly immoral woman
(verses 16-18).
These were the untouchables of Jewish society.
Jesus saw the Samaritans as ripe for harvest (verses 34-35).
LESSON 2--There is no
satisfaction in the physical.These were the untouchables of Jewish society.
Jesus saw the Samaritans as ripe for harvest (verses 34-35).
Who are the untouchables of
today?
This woman is preoccupied with
the physical (verse 20).
Have you ever been thirstt and could not quench it?
LESSON 3--God seeks a
certain kind of worshipper (verses 23-24). Wants what makes her comfortable.
Even her worship is centered around the physical (verse 20).Jews had the same problem.
We have the same problem--what do megachurches offer.
Jesus' water becomes a spring welling up from within (verse 14)We have the same problem--what do megachurches offer.
Have you ever been thirstt and could not quench it?
Living water comes from within us.
Holy Spirit is the reference.
Holy Spirit is the reference.
Notice what Jesus does not say--
Bible condemnations concern people who do worry about these things (see 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, 11).
God seeks us to worship for our benefit--not His.
What structure--buildings are not
important.
Who--the preacher is not of significance.
How--our traditions must not be added to God's word.
Issues are never mentioned by Jesus in the context of worship.Who--the preacher is not of significance.
How--our traditions must not be added to God's word.
Bible condemnations concern people who do worry about these things (see 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, 11).
God seeks us to worship for our benefit--not His.
What do you think of when you
think of God's Spirit?
Romans 8:16
Our worship is to be in Spirit and in Truth.Romans 8:16
John 17:17--the Bible is the key.
How do we become spiritually oriented?
How do we become spiritually oriented?
MOVING
FORWARD
Today we will have our monthly potluck, and after enjoying food and fellowship we will get together to discuss the work of this congregation in 2010. Cynthia and I got a chance to see a program of work in Indianapolis, that we would like to share with you called a "Teddy Bear Program." The Eagle Valley Church in Indianapolis was doing this, and we got the pattern and some samples to show you. These little teddy bears can be made very inexpensively. They can then be given to children in the pediatric ward of the hospital, to kids going to the dentist or doctor, to kids at the homeless shelter, to kids where we deliver food from our food pantry, or even to adult cancer patients. A message is attached to the bear and we let people know we care, we are here to serve, and we want to invite them to come and study and worship with us. We feel this is something that might work very well in this area.
Another major point we all need to discuss is what to do with our children. Our basement is now dry, and there is an egress window installed so that we are legal and safe. We have a growing number of children who come to worship, and since the sermons are at an adult level the kids get very little out of the worship service. We have tried to do a little with the kids right before worship starts, but it is too short to do much good and does make our closing time later.
One solution which many congregations have found works well is to have a children's worship concurrent with the adult service. This would not only allow the children to be in a worship they can understand and participate fully in, but it would help eliminate a distraction for the parents when they try to worship. We have some teachers who are willing to do such an activity, and now we have a facility that can be set up and left ready for the next activity. Our young people need more consistent and thorough Bible teaching. The Church as well as parents are charged by God to do this, and even with our classes being available most of our children are not learning much about God and His Word. Having an extra hour every week would be a huge help in this problem.
Please stay for the meeting this afternoon and contribute your thoughts and ideas to the discussion. We also are working on a post-class fellowship in our fellowship room in the evenings on Wednesday and Sunday. Please join us!
Today we will have our monthly potluck, and after enjoying food and fellowship we will get together to discuss the work of this congregation in 2010. Cynthia and I got a chance to see a program of work in Indianapolis, that we would like to share with you called a "Teddy Bear Program." The Eagle Valley Church in Indianapolis was doing this, and we got the pattern and some samples to show you. These little teddy bears can be made very inexpensively. They can then be given to children in the pediatric ward of the hospital, to kids going to the dentist or doctor, to kids at the homeless shelter, to kids where we deliver food from our food pantry, or even to adult cancer patients. A message is attached to the bear and we let people know we care, we are here to serve, and we want to invite them to come and study and worship with us. We feel this is something that might work very well in this area.
Another major point we all need to discuss is what to do with our children. Our basement is now dry, and there is an egress window installed so that we are legal and safe. We have a growing number of children who come to worship, and since the sermons are at an adult level the kids get very little out of the worship service. We have tried to do a little with the kids right before worship starts, but it is too short to do much good and does make our closing time later.
One solution which many congregations have found works well is to have a children's worship concurrent with the adult service. This would not only allow the children to be in a worship they can understand and participate fully in, but it would help eliminate a distraction for the parents when they try to worship. We have some teachers who are willing to do such an activity, and now we have a facility that can be set up and left ready for the next activity. Our young people need more consistent and thorough Bible teaching. The Church as well as parents are charged by God to do this, and even with our classes being available most of our children are not learning much about God and His Word. Having an extra hour every week would be a huge help in this problem.
Please stay for the meeting this afternoon and contribute your thoughts and ideas to the discussion. We also are working on a post-class fellowship in our fellowship room in the evenings on Wednesday and Sunday. Please join us!