Posts by Woodlawn Church of Christ (Page 56)
“Be A Servant”
DISCUSSION: Are you a people pleaser? You know what I’m talking about, always trying to make everyone else happy, wanting everyone to like you. We read in Galatians1, as the apostle Paul is writing to the church in Galatia, telling them he is trying to please no one except God. He goes on to say in verse 10 that if he were trying to please men he would not be a servant of Christ. It can be…
“Strength”
DISCUSSION: When I think about all the pain and sadness Naomi must have felt after losing her two sons and her husband, I am amazed she found the strength to keep going. Of course, she wasn’t alone. Ruth, the widow of one of her sons, decided to stay with Naomi instead of leaving her alone. She basically told Naomi, “No way am I leaving you! I want to be a part of your people and to worship your…
“Look Again and Think”
DISCUSSION: A warning which needs to be repeated is that “the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches,” and the lust for other things, will choke out the life of God in us (Matthew 13:22). We are never free from the recurring waves of this invasion. If the frontline of attack is not about clothes and food, it may be about money or the lack of money; or friends or lack of friends; or the line may…
“Transformed by Beholding”
DISCUSSION: When we talk about the call of God, we often forget the most important thing, namely, the nature of Him who calls. There are many things calling each of us today. Some of these calls will be answered, and others will not even be heard. The call is the expression of the nature of the One who calls, and we can only recognize the call if that same nature is in us. The call of God is the…
“Are You Fresh For Everything?”
Sometimes we are fresh and eager to attend a worship service or Bible class, but do we feel that same freshness for such mundane tasks as polishing shoes? Being born again by the Spirit is an unmistakable work of God, as mysterious as the wind, and as surprising as God Himself. We don’t know where it begins—it is hidden away in the depths of our soul. Being born again from above is an enduring, perpetual, and eternal beginning. It…
“Love and serve Him and always put our faith in Him”
: Visualize this: the time is April 1945. The place is the Pacific Ocean around the island of Okinawa. A small navy ship, the USS Cross, a destroyer escort, is participating in support of an invasion of the island. The crew of the ship is at battle stations. Suddenly, numerous sailors see the terrifying sight of a torpedo coming straight for their ship. Unexplainably, there is no explosion. Whether the torpedo was too deep, or whether the small…
“Put Your Trust and Your Life in God and His Inspired Word”
Are there times when you don’t like what the Bible says? Are there times you wish it would say more? Are there times when you just have to admit that, from your point of view, the pages of Scripture seem unfair? If that is the case, how do your feelings translate to how you deal with your reading? The Bible is no fairy tale. It’s not Disney. It’s not absolutely permissive. Its truths are striking and transforming. The…
“Put your trust in God and store your treasures in heaven”
Where were you when the world stopped turning? This popular song by Alan Jackson comes to mind for many of us each year around this time. We can probably all remember where we were and what we were doing when the terrorist attack came on September 11 in 2001. Now 20 years later, the world still has an abundance of evil people committing unspeakable evil actions. When I watch or read the news, I often just want to…
“Encourage”
We talk about being a good Christian almost every time we go to church or hear a lesson from the Bible. There is nothing wrong with talking about Christianity, but we need to concentrate on things that are emphasized in the Bible. You can find the word Christian three times in the Word. Perhaps the thing we need to concentrate on is the thing that is mentioned 109 times in the Bible. ENCOURAGE! If we encourage, maybe we will…
“A Deeper Relationship”
As a child, I remember on Friday night I would sit as close as I could to the television while watching my favorite show: “The Dukes of Hazard.” One of my favorite characters was Sherriff Rosco P. Coltrane. In almost every episode, he would jump into his squad car, pick up his CB radio, and say”I’m in a hot pursuit!” He certainly wanted to catch the Duke boys! Have you ever wanted something so badly, that is was all…
How Healthy Are You?
How is your health? Overall, most people consider themselves to be fairly healthy. They do think that they could stand to lose a few pounds, probably because they enjoy occasional fast food lunch; but overall..healthy! If we were totally honest with ourselves, most of us are not in as good of health as we could be. Also have you noticed that people even go in denial when the doctor says they have health concerns that need to be addressed?…
“The Epic Destruction of the Flood”
DISCUSSION: Some teach the false doctrine that all men will be saved by God, regardless of rebellion or righteousness. This section of scripture continues God’s teaching with regard to the consequences of disobedience. I realize that the death and destruction portrayed here are physical but they are a shadow of judgment to come (implied by Peter in 1 Peter 3:20-21 ). Moses shows the children of Israel that when…