The West Side congregation will be conducting a Vacation Bible School in June.
June 23-27, 2008
All are invited to come and benefit from the week of study! If there are any questions, feel free to email or call (817) 738-7269.
Check out the link on the top right of our Web Site:
The West Side congregation is now uploading all audio, Word documents, PDF’s and Powerpoint presentations of our Adult Bible Classes. At present this consists only of our Historical Study of the Book of Acts, but as time goes on, more classes will be included.
Check it out!
Thanks,
Stan
The third Saturday of March, June, September and December, the West Side church of Christ hosts a night of gospel singing.
The next scheduled singing:
June 21, 2008
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Everyone is welcome. Please come and lift your voices in praise to God!
Georgia executed killer William Earl Lynd last night, ending a more than seven-month nationwide hiatus on capital punishment prompted by the Supreme Court’s examination of lethal injection.
Lynd’s execution at 7:51 p.m. was the first since the court ruled April 16 that the three-drug protocol most commonly used in executions by states and the federal government did not constitute cruel and unusual punishment.
The court last night turned down Lynd’s last-minute request for a stay, as the Georgia Supreme Court had earlier in the day. He was executed at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson.
Robert Barnes
Washington Post, May 7, 2008
Analysis:
William Earl Lynd was sentenced to death by a jury of his peers because of the heinous nature of the crime he committed. He shot his live in girlfriend, Ginger Moore in the face while high on drugs. After Moore crawled from the house to the porch, he shot her again. He loaded her body into the trunk, then when he heard a noise from the trunk, he opened it and shot her again. After driving across state lines, he buried her, then shot and killed another woman. Since he took her across state lines, he was charged with kidnapping, and these extra circumstances were sufficient to get him the death penalty.
Philemon 8-11
In the eighth verse of his epistle to Philemon, Paul clearly reveals the purpose of his writing. Philemon’s slave, Onesimus, had apparently ran away from Philemon. He had met Paul, and Paul had converted him to Christ (vs 10). As Paul put it, “who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me” (vs. 11).
While Paul had the authority to command Philemon in his treatment of the slave, he did not exercise that prerogative. Instead, he appealed to Philemon as a faithful and loving child of God.
Onesimus had broken the law in running away. His return could have been dangerous for him, but Paul was convinced that the love of Christ, present in Philemon, would moderate his response to Onesimus’ return — especially since Onesimus was now a brother in Christ.
No matter our relative positions in life, when we are Christians, we are brethren.
A general sermon on the subject of Singing. Establishes authority for the act of worship, as well as showing how various innovations regarding musical worship over the centuries are unscriptural. The sermon shows why we sing, the benefits, and gives some practical suggestions to song leaders and the congregation.
Sermon PowerPoint: Click Here
Sermon Audio: Click Here
1 Timothy 2:1-4
Paul here exhorts Christians to pray for “all men, for kings and all who are in authority.”
The broad scope of such prayer clearly indicates the extent of the Christian’s charity. His desire is to be for the welfare of all men. As such, we are told even to “love [our] enemies” (Matthew 5:44).
The prayers are to include “supplications” (requests on behalf of another), and “intercessions” (an intervention for his benefit), as well as the giving of thanks. These are not imprecatory prayers (to invoke evil upon our enemies); rather they are petitions on their behalf and are intended to do them good.
Note also the benefit accrued to the Christian who prays, “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.”
God desires that all men be saved, including both those in authority, and those who would benefit from their righteous rule.
In the prim 1950s, college dorms were off-limits to members of the opposite sex. Then came the 1970s, when male and female students started crossing paths in coed dormitories. Now, to the astonishment of some Baby Boomer parents, a growing number of colleges are going even further: coed rooms.
At least two dozen schools, including Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania, Oberlin College, Clark University and the California Institute of Technology, allow some or all students to share a room with anyone they choose — including someone of the opposite sex. This spring, as students sign up for next year’s room, more schools are following suit, including Stanford University.
…Parents aren’t necessarily thrilled with boy-girl housing.
Debbie Feldman’s 20-year-old daughter, Samantha, is a sophomore at Oberlin in Ohio and plans to room with her platonic friend Grey Caspro, a straight guy, next year. Feldman said she was shocked when her daughter told her.
“When you have a male and female sharing such close quarters, I think it’s somewhat delusional to think there won’t be sexual tension,” the 52-year-old Feldman said. “Maybe this generation feels more comfortable walking around in their underwear. I’m not sure that’s a good thing.”
Still, Feldman said her daughter is partly in college to learn life lessons, and it’s her decision. Samantha said she assured her mom she thinks of Caspro as a brother.
“I’m really close to him, and I consider him one of my really good friends,” she said. “I really trust him. That trust makes it work.”
May, 3, 2008 ~ Associated Press
Analysis:
Young men and women who believe that they can live together, and not fall into temptation to sin sexually are most certainly (as mother Feldman in the article states) delusional. Such living arrangements ignore the dictates of the Spirit to “flee sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18); and to “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22).
Numerous times in the Old Testament the term “woe” is used with respect (most often) to sinful practices. Physical consequences, as well as the judgment of God upon the wicked makes the term appropriate. A list of 8 “Old Testament Woes” are discussed in the sermon.
Sermon PowerPoint: Click Here .
Sermon Audio: Click Here .
The Sermon reveals and explains 5 Bible based techniques a child of God can use to help him resist the temptations common to all men.
Sermon PowerPoint: Click Here .
Sermon Audio: Click Here .
Jesus, in John 3, had a conversation with a ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus. While it is obvious by Nicodemus’ words he was impressed with Jesus, it must be noted that he was ignorant of who Jesus truly was, and was a bit cautious in his approach.
Nicodemus referred to the Lord as a “rabbi” (teacher), and acknowledged that the miracles Jesus performed marked Him as a man from God. However, the fact that John revealed the ruler’s approach to be “by night” indicates that Nicodemus may have desired not to be seen talking with such a controversial man.
1 Thessalonians 4:9-12
In this text, the apostle commended the Thessalonians for the love they exhibited in their lives, especially toward all the brethren in Macedonia.
It is interesting that their expressions of brotherly love extended beyond congregational boundaries. While our work is centered within the congregational construct, we have a brothers or sisters wherever God has children.
Though Paul was impressed with their expressions of brotherly love, he exhorted them to more lofty heights; both in the expression of that love, and in their execution of the Christian life.
They were to avoid conflict and gossip. They were to be industrious. They were to develop a good reputation, even toward those who were not Christians.
Such admonitions are important as we consider that our faith impacts every part of our lives. Only when we give each area sufficient attention can it be said that we “lack nothing” (vs. 12).
Last week a letter came in the mail, addressed to our congregation, from a group called “New Testament Church … Today.” The writer of the letter, Howard W. Norton, identified himself as the Chairman of the “Planning Committee.”
This organization describes itself in the letter as “a group of concerned Christians” meeting to “plan a Biblically-based search for the truth of God’s plan.” They call their efforts a “desire to educate congregations and Christians”, and the “touchstone” of their emphasis is the present “softening of a cappella singing in worship” that is happening in some of the more liberal churches of Christ. Notice the following paragraph:
Passages such as 2 John 9-11, and Romans 14 help to establish the bounds of Christian fellowship. We must limmit our fellowship to those who are in fellowship with God. Conversely, we have no right to fellowship those who have severed their fellowship with Christ.
Sermon Audio: Click Here .
Ephesians 4:1-16. The text indicates that there are certain attitudes necessary for Christian Unity (lowliness, gentleness, longsuffering, and love); and certain doctrinal truths upon which the unity of the Spirit is based (cf. 4:4-5)
Sermon PowerPoint: Click Here .
Sermon Audio: Click Here .
