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What Builds A
There are two divine institutions - the home and the church. A
third institution exists with God's approval - government. God desires strong
homes and strong churches. Both are an honor to His name. Following are some things that will contribute to building strong
churches:
Prayer builds strong churches: When Peter was released from
prison by the angel of the Lord he went to a home where the church was gathered
for prayer. "So, when he had considered
this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark,
where many were gathered together praying." (Acts
Friendliness builds strong churches: "Let brotherly love
continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels." (Hebrews
13:1-2.) People who attend our
assemblies should be overwhelmed with kindness and friendliness. Brethren should greet them with smiles,
greeting and hand shakes in the parking lot, foyer, as they enter and leave the
auditorium, and those that sit near them should give them special attention.
When visitors leave our assemblies they should be glad they came to be a part
of our church service.
Faithfulness builds strong churches: You may suffer for a
little while, but if you will remain faithful to God the church will be strong
and you will be blessed. "Do not fear any of those things which you are
about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison,
that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful
until death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Revelation 2:10.)
Those willing to teach God’s word, those that work and serve with Christ-like
hearts build strong churches.
Liberality builds strong churches: The liberality spoken of
here is liberality in giving, not in doctrine. Strong churches must be loyal to
God's word! Liberality in giving is a quality that builds strong churches. "He who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with
liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness."
(Romans 12:8.)
Some members build the
church. Others tear down what is built. Are you a builder? "Finally, my
brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." (Ephesians
6:10) Salvation is available through the precious blood of Jesus. Each person
should obey the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark
- - - -
Charles Box
Are You Growing Spiritually?
Spiritual growth is an essential part of preparing for heaven.
"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen."
(II Peter 3:18.) Paul described spiritual growth by saying, "but, speaking
the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head -- Christ
--" (Ephesians
You grow spiritually by producing the fruit of the spirit in your life.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there
is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23.) Love is affection, good will or
benevolence toward others. Joy is
gladness both received and shared with others.
Peace is tranquility, harmony and concord. Long-suffering is patience or
endurance. Gentleness is goodness and kindness. Goodness is uprightness of
heart and life. Faith is the conviction of the truths we hold. Meekness is
gentleness or mildness. Self-control is temperance. As the
fruit of the Spirit increases in life spiritual growth is taking place.
You grow spiritually by increasing in love for lost souls. "I
am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the
gospel to you who are in
You grow spiritually by faithful attendance at all the assemblies of
the church. Christians must assemble faithfully, with the right attitude,
having a strong desire to worship and serve God. (Hebrews 10:24-25.) Faithful
attendance provides an opportunity for growth and also an opportunity to
edify others. Never allow yourself to be guilty of willfully forsaking even one
assembly.
You grow spiritually by developing Christlikeness. "My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until
Christ is formed in you." (Galatians 4:19.) Christians must have the mind of Christ and
follow His example. (Philippians 2:5; I Peter 2:21.) The moon reflects the
light of the sun. Christians reflect
the light and likeness of God's Son. Has
Christ been formed in you?
You grow spiritually by developing a stronger desire to go to heaven. "This
world is not my home." (Philippians 1:21-24.) Our desire for that heavenly
home must be strong. "But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly
country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared
a city for them." (Hebrews 11:16.) Do you really want to go to heaven? And
are you willing to do what is necessary to get there?
Other indicators of spiritual growth are: (1) Developing the right
mindset (Colossians 3:1-4), (2) Giving liberally and cheerfully (II Corinthians
8:1-5; II Corinthians 9:7), (3) Regular, daily self-examination (II Corinthians
13:5), (4) Gaining knowledge of God's word (II Timothy 2:15), (5) Steadfast
involvement in the Lord's work (I Corinthians 15:58), (6) Praying constantly
(I Thessalonians 5:17-18), and (7) Developing a stronger fellowship with the
brethren (Romans 12:10; John 13:34-35.)
You are either growing or dying spiritually. Which direction is
your spiritual life headed? Obey the gospel (Mark
- - - -
Charles Box
News & Notes
1. Prayer
List: In Need Of Prayers: Jerry Barr, Linda Bender, Dawn Bradley, Emily
Cain, Marie Curlee, Benjamin Faulkenberry, Evie Fisher, Roy Goodwin, Montine
Hardin, Evan Hartsell, Billy Heartsill, Darrell Jones, Mary Lawrence, Carson
O’Connor, Steve Osborne, Mary Powell, John Reynolds, Olivia Reynolds, Ottey Simno, Joe Smith, Peggy
Stabler, Roger Strange, Doris Taylor, Bobby Terrell, Brittany Till, Leroy
Waller, Barbara Walker, Evi Whittington, and Pam
Whittington. Crowne Health Care: Kathy Johnson, Myrtle Perdue, and Iva Lou
Wright.
2. Please
Pray For: The following people are serving in Iraq: Sam Sanders, son of
Jerry Sanders, Jason Godwin, son of Barbara Walker, Michael Howell, grandson of
Clifford and Ella Mae McCarter, Kimberly Williams, cousin of Marie Owens and
Brenda Herring, and Taylor Bodie, grandson-in-law of William & Margaret
Pierce. Pray for them often!
3. Sympathy Expressed: Our
love and sympathy is express to Horace Martin in the death of his nephew, Danny
Stuckey. Send sympathy notes to Horace and Danny’s mother, Myrtle Stowers,
4. Visiting Speaker: One of
our new endeavors for 2007 is to support Kelly Windham as he attends Northwest
Florida School of Biblical Studies. He will preach for us Sunday night, March 4th.
5. Birthdays: Celebrating
birthdays this week are: March 4th Marty Sexton, March
6th Holley Arnold and Kenneth Smith, March 7th Jason
Owens, and March 10th Dixie Black.
6. Thank You: (a) We are so grateful for all that you
have done for us. Thank you especially to the ladies for all your hard work in
preparing food for the reception. Everything was delicious! We are so blessed
to have such a wonderful church family. We love you and miss you all! In Christian Love, Jeremy & Beth Day (b) Although the words are short and few, this brings the
warmest thanks to you for your prayers, calls, and visits at the time of our
son Tommy’s heart attack. He will be going back for more tests in a few weeks.
We ask for your prayers that he will have a complete recovery. In Christian
Love, Jimmy & Betty Hobbie (c) We just wanted to thank you for all
your thoughts and prayers during this special time. We really appreciate
everything. Everyone has been great. Please continue to pray for Jason while he
is away. Thanks again, Jason & Meredith Godwin (d) To
our Walnut Street Family, Thank you so much for everything you did for Beth
& Jeremy’s wedding. Everything was wonderful. With
heartfelt thanks and love. Tim & Trina Croley
7. 2007 Church Budget: Our
Elders have challenged us with a weekly budget of $6,427.38 for 2007. If we all
give as God has blessed us that will be no problem. “Give,
and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and
running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you
use, it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38)
8. Resource Room: (a) The
resource room is in need of a few items: strawberry baskets, detergent scoops,
clothes pins, calendars, plastic oranges or grapefruit bags, and magazines. If
you have any questions please see Lisa Bagents. (b) Supplies for new bulletin boards are in the resource room.
Please try to have the bulletin boards completed by the end of the month.
9. Put These Dates On Your Calendar: (a) Mar
5-8 – Faulkner University – Annual Bible Lectures – Theme: Our God, He is Alive (b) Mar 18-21 – Century Church of
Christ, Century, Florida – Gospel Meeting – Speaker Philip Box – See bulletin
board for details. (c) Mar 18-21 –
County Line Church of Christ – Gospel Meeting – See bulletin board for more
details. (d) Mar 25-29 – Memphis
School of Preaching – Theme “Epistles To Corinth” (e) April 27-28 – Marriage Seminar – Walnut Street Church of Christ
– Speakers Glenn & Cindy Colley (f)
Sept 24-26, 2007 – Regions University – Spiritual Enrichment Forum – Embassy
Suites, Montgomery.
Influence In The Community
Our influence in the community is of irreplaceable importance to
our Christian duty. The great commission given in Mark
Be sure that your actions comply with your words. A man at a sporting event on Sunday morning will have little success trying to convict the other attendees of the importance of faithful church attendance. Likewise, a Christian wearing an immodest bathing suit or one of the scant uniforms worn in certain sports will find that his or her appeal for others to remain pure, or abstain from fleshly lust will go unheeded. Do you go about saying, “This or that is wrong,” yet you yourself do the very thing against which you teach? (Romans 2:21-24) Practice what you preach.
Be friendly. I don’t know many people who like to listen to someone whom they could not or would not consider being a friend. “A man who had friends must himself be friendly.” (Proverbs 18:24) We should want the community to like us, not for popularity’s sake, but so that through us they might come to knowledge of the truth.
Return good for evil. “Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.” (I Peter 3:9) This practice will set you apart in the eyes of the community and of God. This truly is an effective way to win souls for Christ.
I charge you to help answer the spiritual needs of your community. Let your influence be one that will attract lost souls and cause them to obey the will of God. “Let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:20.)
- - - - Darrell Powell
Is the life and death of Christ dear to you?
Don’t just own a Bible; read it!
Walnut Street Church of Christ
P.O. Box 551
Greenville, Alabama 36037-0551
(334-382-3001)