Monthly Archives: June 2009

A Spiritual Check-up

June 30, 2009
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By the time you read this, our summer campaign will have been completed for several weeks. We will have met and studied with many of our readers-and we hope you were one of them! Our door and our hearts are always open to you. We don’t want to be strangers to our neighbors; come by any time, or if you have a specific need, give us a call and we’ll be glad to help wherever we can.

In the meanwhile, how about a spiritual check-up? It’s good to look inside and see how you’re doing.

  •  My Spiritual Heart: Do you “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”? (Matthew 22:37) Jesus said that this was the first and greatest commandment, and that all of the rest of the commandments of scripture are based on it and the second commandment to love your neighbor as yourself.  Do you have a passion for God-and the things of God? Is He real to you? Love produces obedience, by the way. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) Based on your lifestyle, is it evident that you love God?
  • My Spiritual Mouth: Do you pray early and often? We communicate with the ones we love; God is not different! Paul said that we should “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). He told the church in Philippi “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Is prayer a natural part of your life?
  • My Spiritual Ears: God speaks to us today through his inspired word-the 66 books of the Bible. Are you quiet long enough to listen to those words? Do you have a hearing disorder that keeps you from listening to him? Do you have selective hearing which picks and chooses scripture to suit you – rather than God? We believe “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
  • My Spiritual Hands: How do you spend your time? It’s good to relax, it’s necessary to work, it’s important to be with you family-these are all biblical teachings – but the Bible teaches that nothing is more important than the kingdom of God, and all of our other priorities circle around this chief goal. We serve-as Christ served! As the old song says, “We’ll work ’til Jesus comes!”

We hope that you’re spiritually healthy. There’s certainly more to spiritual health than we could put on this check list! We haven’t talked about the importance of real and meaningful faith, the necessity of confession, the totality of repentance, or the beauty of our new birth in baptism-and these are all absolutely necessary!

Don’t like your answers to these questions? Do you have questions of your own? Come see us-and we’ll be glad to help point you towards the Great Physician we know and love.

Feeling and Knowing

June 26, 2009
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You who believe in the name of the Son of God . . . May know that you have eternal life.  1 John 5:13

“I’m afraid to die”, says Bobby. “I wish I didn’t have that fear but it is real and I have it deep in my soul.”  Bobby has read the scriptures time and time again about the assurance that we have in Christ.  His religion is not totally performance based but there is a little bit left in him.

Bobby goes on to say, “I can’t imagine what God will do with a skunk like me.” It is easy to argue from scripture that salvation is by grace. The death of Jesus secured our forgiveness and his resurrection assures us of victory over death.  Our own baptism placed us in his family and the same power that raised Jesus from the death worked in us as we were buried with him and raised with him from the grave of water. 12 Having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. (Colossians 2:12)

But all arguments fail because this is not a logical decision but an emotional one.  All arguments fail to convince one when the decision was reached emotionally rather than logically. Logical argument cannot change the emotional mind.

Sometimes there is some emotional event in the past that still controls one’s thinking in the present.  Until this is overcome one will continue to act on that buried emotion.

When one is saved by the grace of God all sins are gone and forgiveness is ever occurring. Whether we think clearly about the subject does not change the fact.  We are saved and God will today welcome us into His heavenly home.

Jesus brings salvation down to us and when we are covered by his blood, there is no fear in death.  “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” It’s good to believe it and to feel it.  Whether we feel it completely or not it is still real.  I Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Bible Bowl 2009 Topic Released

June 23, 2009
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The Sycamore Church of Christ has announced the topic for this year’s Bible Bowl competition in Cookeville. We will be studying the gospel of John from the New King James Version! Check back soon for more information!

Revival 2009 Report

June 21, 2009
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Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make our 2009 Revival and Campaign a success. The teams from Burns and from all over the southeast (Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas) knocked on over 2,500 doors. The seed of God’s word has been planted all over, and we know that as we and others water, God will grant the increase.

Here’s what we did…

  • Summer Revival: It is a revival because we want to bring new life back to the Burns community. It’s obvious that even in this economy, our town is continuing to grow. We want to make sure the town’s numerical and fiscal growth is outpaced by it’s spiritual growth. Join us for five special preaching sessions
    • “But what does Jesus say?” Wednesday, June 17th at 7:00pm
    • “The Gospel by Grace through Faith” Thursday, June 18th at 7:00pm
    • “Born Again of Water and the Spirit” Friday, June 19th at 7:00pm
    • “Almost Persuaded” Saturday, June 20th at 7:00pm
    • “The Power, the Pain, and the Price of the Cross” Sunday, June 21st at 10:00am
  • Here’s a postcard invitation to our revival

Look below for all of Eddie’s sermons from the revival:

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Sermons (5)

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The Power, the Pain, and the Price of the Cross (Eddie Lawson): (Revival 2009) by Guest Speakers on June 21, 2009.

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God's Amazing Grace (Eddie Lawson): (Revival 2009) by Guest Speakers on June 20, 2009.

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Born Again of Water and the Spirit (Eddie Lawson): John 3:1-17 (Revival 2009) by Guest Speakers on June 19, 2009.

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The Gospel by Grace through Faith (Eddie Lawson): (Revival 2009) by Guest Speakers on June 18, 2009.

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How a Prodigal Comes Home

June 20, 2009
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When he came to his senses, I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Luke 15

The road back to the Father’s house is long and hard.  It is filled with doubt and despair.  It depresses and decomposes.  It works on every part of the human creation.

Physical, spiritual and emotional reconditioning requires one to address each area.  When one leaves the Father’s house and goes into a far country. He is “aching for a breaking”.  He may not end up feeding hogs but the pigpen will await.  Living away from the Father’s house is not that easy.  Some can drift for years and not reach the bottom. The time will come when all must face the ordeal of the Father’s house.  What will is be then?

Rejuvenating one’s spiritual life involves at least these two things: 1) returning to God’s primary desire for my life, 2) listening for God.  The prodigal remembered the father and listened for him.  He followed that still small voice all the way from the pigpen to the Father’s house.

Sin can black out the Fathers’ will in our lives. Many can live with little or no attention to their true spiritual nature.  The soul can be starving to death and the rest of the human creation seems to work okay.  However, nothing will totally satisfy until we find our connection with the Father.

The man who knows his sins is greater than one who raises a dead man by his prayer. He who sighs and grieves within himself for an hour is greater than the one who teaches the entire universe.  He who follows Christ, alone and contrite, is greater than one who enjoys the favor of crowds in churches. - St. Isaac the Syrian

How can they hear without preaching?

June 11, 2009
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And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Romans 10:14

It is impossible to believe something you have never heard.  Faith comes by hearing. When something is presented we can decide then whether to believe or reject what we have heard.

The Christian religion is a taught religion.  “Go and teach!” is the way of Christ.  It is the way to get the message of hope to a hopeless world.  It is the way of salvation to a lost world.  It is the way to heaven for a world that is headed in the other direction.

Christians are not to be soil inspectors; they are to be seed sowers. The seed is the word of God.  Jesus wants everyone to hear the message of his love.

How can they hear without someone preaching to them?

We are presently engaged in a massive outreach activity.  This involves many of our members who will work alongside of our visiting campaigners.  This will also involve many in cooking and serving in the Name of Jesus.  The effort is intended to let the Burns community know that we care.

When the week is finished we will have done what Jesus commanded.  The seed will have been sowed.  The soil will either bring forth good crops or bad.  The response is dependent on the hearts of the people that we contact.

We thank all who are having a part in this outreach.  We continue to pray for our community.  We believe that the Burns community is one of the best places to live in Tennessee.  We believe that the Burns church is one of the positive influences in this community.  May God be glorified!

Summer Classes Begin TONIGHT!

June 3, 2009
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summer-bible-class

New Summer Bible classes begin tonight! Here’s what you have to look forward to:

Sunday Morning at 9am:

Auditorium: Glenn Buffington “Grace and Works”

Downstairs: James Hinkle “You and Your Bible”

Wednesday Evening at 7pm:

Auditorium: Jerry Hall “Great Passages of the Bible” (Gospel Advocate quarterly)

Downstairs: James Hinkle “The Minor Prophets”

Bible Bowl 2009 will begin in July with a study of the Gospel of John from the New King James Version.

Hope to see you there!

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