|
"...Shepherd the flock of God which is among
you, serving as overseers..." (1 Peter 5:2)
Elders
Morris Bass, Rick Holt , Joe
Price |
"...let them serve as deacons,
being found blameless..." (1 Tim. 3:10)
Deacons
Aaron Bass, Rich Brooks, Mike Finn
John Hague, Dan Head |
"And take...the sword of
the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17)
In this issue:
Gospel Meeting Sept.
25-30, 2005
Looting
(Steve Klein)
Sermon Outlines:
Noteworthy News:
Remembering
Gospel Meeting Sept. 25-30, 2005
THE
MT. BAKER
CHURCH OF CHRIST
(1860
Mt. Baker Highway, Bellingham, WA)
Invites you to our
GOSPEL
MEETING
with
Evangelist
Dennis
Scroggins
(Lometa, Texas)
Sept.
25–30, 2005
Monday-Friday: 7:00 PM
(Sunday: 9:30 & 10:30 AM, 6:00 PM)
Sunday:
9:30 AM: This man is the Great Power of God
10:30 AM: Noble Hearts
6:00 PM: The Race is not to the Swift
Monday: Recognizing the Tares
Tuesday: No Other Name!
Wednesday: Give Me Strength!
Thursday: The Fear of Hell
Friday: Zeal Without Knowledge: A Spiritual Killer
(From
I-5 take Exit # 255 and go East 4.2 miles)
more information: please call (360) 752-2692
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Looting
Steve Klein
Among the more disturbing things occurring
in New Orleans this past week was the rampant looting of stores and homes
that had been abandoned in the hurricane. Is it right for people who have
been left destitute by a storm to take things that don’t belong to them? Is
it OK for them to take things so long as they are only taking necessities?
Can they take things with the intention of coming back later and paying for
them? What, if anything, should law enforcement do to stop the looting?
If you are like me, you’ve probably heard many different opinions in answer
to these questions over the past few days. It is evident that some are
confused about what is right and what is wrong, and that others just don’t
know what to think. As always, I am thankful to have God’s word, which
tells us what is right, what is wrong, and how we as God’s people should
think. Here are just a few observations from Scripture:
1. Robbing those who are already afflicted
is wrong, and God will punish those who do it. “Do not rob the poor because
he is poor, nor oppress the afflicted at the gate; for the LORD will plead
their cause, and plunder the soul of those who plunder them” (Proverbs
22:22-23). “The LORD will enter into judgment with the elders of His people
And His princes: ‘For you have eaten up the vineyard; The plunder of the
poor is in your houses’” (Isaiah 3:14).
2. People who steal food because they’re
starving should be made to make restitution.
“People do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy himself when he is starving. Yet when he is found, he must
restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house”
(Proverbs 6:30-32).
3. Instead of stealing from others, the
person with the Spirit of Christ will work to have something to give to
others. “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor,
working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him
who has need” (Ephesians 4:28).
4. If we love others we will not steal from
them, covet what they have or do them any harm. “For the commandments, ‘You
shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’
‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘You shall not covet,’ and if there is
any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall
love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore
love is the fulfillment of the law.” (Romans 13:9-10).
5. The government has the God-given
responsibility to use lethal force to protect good people from bad people.
“For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid;
for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger
to execute wrath on him who practices evil” (Romans 13:4).
As we live in this world filled with moral
and ethical questions, let us always remember that “the word of the LORD is
right” (Psalm 33:4).
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You can find the
complete outline of this sermon at
BIBLE ANSWERS
The Devil's Desires
Scripture Reading:
Ephesians 6:10-13
1. We wrestle against
the devil & evil forces, Eph. 6:12.
2. The devil is the father of lies, Jno. 8:44.
I. DEVIL DESIRES
LIES WHERE THERE SHOULD BE TRUTH,
Jno. 8:44-47 (8:37-38, 31-32); Honest speech, Eph. 4:25.
-Gird your loins with truth- (Eph. 6:14)
II. DEVIL DESIRES
DARKNESS WHERE THERE SHOULD BE LIGHT,
2 Cor. 4:3-4 (Jno. 3:19-21; 2 Cor. 4:6; Eph. 5:8).
-Shod your feet with…gospel of peace- (Eph. 6:15)
III. DEVIL DESIRES A
PLACE TO STAND WHERE NONE SHOULD BE GIVEN,
Eph. 4:27 (25-26); Lk. 22:31-34; 1 Cor. 16:13; Col. 2:6-7.
-Shield of faith- (Eph. 6:16)
IV. DEVIL DESIRES
CONFUSION WHERE THERE SHOULD BE ORDER,
1 Cor. 14:33; Jas. 3:13-16.
-Breastplate of righteousness- (Eph. 6:14) –
V. DEVIL DESIRES
PEACE WHERE THERE SHOULD BE WAR,
Jer. 6:14 (2 Cor. 10:3-5).
-Whole armor of God, to stand- (Eph. 6:13)
VI. DEVIL DESIRES
WAR WHERE THERE SHOULD BE PEACE,
Jas. 4:1 (Rom. 12:16-21).
-Praying always…watchful…- (Eph. 6:18)
VII. DEVIL DESIRES
SENSELESSNESS TO ABOUND WHERE MEN SHOULD COME TO THEIR SENSES,
2 Tim. 2:24-26.
-Helmet of salvation- (Eph. 6:17)
VIII. DEVIL DESIRES
TOLERANCE TOWARD SIN WHERE THERE SHOULD BE RESISTANCE,
Jas. 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:9 (Jas. 4:6-10; Jude 3; Gal. 2:4-5).
-Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might- (Eph. 6:10)
Top
You can find the
complete outline of this sermon at
BIBLE ANSWERS
Dating: The Protection of Purity (#2)
(If you love Me, you will follow Me)
Scripture Reading:
Proverbs 1:8-16
1. Continue study on
self-control, lust & pre-marital relationships.
2. Dating is a new experience, Eccl. 11:9-10; 1 Jno. 3:3.
3. World’s view & God’s view very different, 1 Cor. 15:32; 2 Tim. 2:22.
4. Heart protection (Psa. 119:9; Prov. 4:23; 1 Pet. 5:8).
I. “DO YOU WANT TO
GO ON A DATE?”
A. Pressures &
Boundaries of Dating, Rom. 12:1; Eph. 5:3.
B. Dating Decisions (SS 2:7; 8:8-9).
1. “Healthy dating relationships aren’t just about finding the right
person; they’re about being the right person—conducting oneself in ways that
reflect God’s character” (Shawn McMullen, “Dating relationship-when God is
in control”).
2. Dating is a matter of respect.
3. Attracting the opposite sex.
4. When you date, 1 Cor. 10:13 (Gen. 39:12); Prov. 6:27; 1 Ths. 4:3;
5:22 (Lk. 7:37, 50).
C. Can you Stop, Really? (Reality checks)
1. The guy (Heb. 12:16; Gal. 6:7-8).
2. The girl (Prov. 7:7, 5, 15-18, 21-22; cf. Gal. 4:17; Eccl. 11:9).
II. THE PROTECTION
OF PURITY:
A. Protect your
Soul, Psa. 119:9 (11); Job 31:1; Rom. 6:23.
B. Protect your Body, 1 Cor. 6:12-20 (2 Pet. 1:3; Rom. 1:27).
C. Protect your Influence, 1 Cor. 15:33-34; 1 Pet. 2:11-12.
D. Protect your Happiness, SS 8:6 (Phil. 4:8).
E. Protect your Future, Heb. 12:14-17 (11:25).
Conclusion
No defilement; no
regrets, 2 Cor. 11:2. If there is sin, it can be cleansed! (Acts 22:16;
8:22)
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NOTEWORTHY NEWS
(Current events in the
light of Scripture)
Remembering
Joe R. Price
Sunday, September 11, marks the fourth anniversary of the terrorist attack
on America that murdered almost 3,000 people in New York, Washington D.C.
and Pennsylvania. 9/11 has become a time of solemn remembrance for
Americans; a time to remember the lives of fallen citizens and their
families, who bore the cost of freedom that day.
Memory is more than an instinctive trait; it is the
capacity to recall words, sights, sounds and smells, as well as the
attitudes, motives and objectives associated with them. God created humans
with the ability to remember – just one of the features of being made in His
image (Gen. 1:26-27).
The Bible frequently speaks of God’s memory (Gen. 8:1;
9:15-16; Exo. 2:24; etc.). God has commanded men to remember many things
throughout the ages; He commanded Israel to remember the day He delivered
them out of Egypt (Exo. 13:3; Deut. 16:1-3), to remember the Sabbath day
(Exo. 20:8), and to remember how He cared for them when they wandered in the
wilderness (Deut. 8:2-4). Such memories served to help Israel be obedient
to God (Deut. 8:5-6).
God commands Christians to remember the death of Jesus
Christ by eating the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:23-25). We are taught to
remember the words of Christ’s apostles (Jude 17-18; 2 Pet. 3:2). Jesus
said to “remember Lot’s wife” (Lk. 17:32).
When sinners refuse to repent, God remembers their sins
and carries out punishment (Hos. 9:7-9; Rev. 16:19; 18:5-6; Rom. 2:1-6).
But, in accord with the new covenant, God no longer remembers the sins of
those who are saved by the blood of Christ (Heb. 10:11-18; Acts 22:16).
Christians take comfort in knowing that God remembers
His people and His promises (Psa. 105:8, 42; Lk. 1:72; Heb. 6:10). We, in
turn, are to continually remember Him and His will for us (Psa. 77:11-12;
105:5; Rev. 2:5).
There is a sense in which we must “forget the things
which are behind” as we reach toward heaven (Phil. 3:13). But, may we
always honor Christ by remembering Him; His sacrifice and His new covenant
that frees us from our sins (Lk. 22:19-20; Heb. 10:12-18; Rev. 3:3).
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