Here are the workshets we’ve covered so far — in case you’re missing some. The files are in 2007 Microsoft Office files and Adobe PDF files. If necessary, free viewers are available.
Verse of the DayHere are the workshets we’ve covered so far — in case you’re missing some. The files are in 2007 Microsoft Office files and Adobe PDF files. If necessary, free viewers are available.
Money doesn’t buy happiness. It’s true-even when you’re talking about lots of money! Andrew Carnegie, the steel tycoon-turned-philanthropist is certainly qualified to talk about money and happiness: his net worth was a massive $309.2 billion (with a b!) dollars, adjusted for inflation. To put that in perspective, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet each have a paltry $40 billion in assets today.
Here’s what Carnegie had to say about money: “Millionaires who laugh are rare. My experience is that wealth is apt to take the smiles away.”
Someone whose name has been lost in time captured the essence of his thought more clearly: “Money will buy a fine dog, but only love will make him wag his tail.”
God’s love is even more satisfying. The Hebrew author wrote, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he [God] has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Heb. 13:5-6 ESV)
I pray that our nation, our churches, and our families will turn from seeking joy in things to seeking the face of God-and finding unending and incomparable joy! I pray that we will learn to “owe no man anything-BUT to love one another” (Rom. 13:8). I pray that we will look for joy in the arms of Jesus. It is he who became poor for our sake – and gave us the greatest riches ever known!
This year’s Bible Bowl theme sponsored by the Sycamore Church of Christ will be the Gospel of John. If you’re a regular Burns attender, you’re in luck, because we just finished a 5-month class on John and a 2-month sermon series on John.
If you’re interested in particpating, contact Matthew or Butch. Classes begin the first Sunday of July.
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!
Our facilities here have a fire alarm system. It exists is to let us know if there’s a fire, so that we can exit safely. Our bodies have systems that let us know about dangerous situations, too. We have pain receptors that detect pressure, heat, and the presence of caustic chemicals that could harm us. Our nervous system is designed just so to deliver these signals as high priority messages to our brains-which process these signals as quickly as possible in a way that makes pain virtually impossible to ignore.
The system is wonderful in the way that it works-but not so wonderful when it’s sending false alarms. What is hard for me to believe is that it is even worse when it doesn’t raise any alarms at all.
Leprosy is caused by bacteria which cause the immune system to attack the nerves in your skin, beginning with your extremities. The first victim of leprosy is your ability to feel pain. You become, quite literally, desensitized. Ask a leprosy patient-this isn’t a good thing. This desensitization makes it easy for you to hurt yourself without ever knowing it. You’d never know that you stubbed your toe or that your shoes were wearing blisters into your feet-until the damage had long been done. Leprosy invites other infections and diseases into your now mangled body-which is ultimately the cause of death.
1 Timothy 4:2 describes a similar situation, a time when folks depart from the faith through the teaching of insincere liars whose consciences have been seared. They no longer can feel! No pain and no pleasure. As a result, their “insensitivity” has caused them to be agents of Satan who are actively tearing apart the church.
We need this reminder to be sensitive. We need to be sensitive to detect false teaching. We need to be sensitive to see problems in our families. We need to be sensitive to see opportunities and teachable moments when we spread the gospel. May we never lose our Christ-centered sensitivity!
When do you talk about Jesus?
Do you talk about Him at work? Do you talk about Him in your free time? What about with your family? Outside of our worship assembly and Bible study periods, how often do you speak about Jesus with the church?
I’m convinced that one of the great plagues of the modern church is our inability (read: unwillingness) to speak about Jesus! I’m not great at talking about church events or programs. I tend to get worse at talking about church in general, and far worse when it comes to talking about God. Isn’t this backwards?
It’s not a cat that has our tongues, I’m afraid!
My challenges for you this week: don’t leave this assembly without talking about Jesus to someone here. Second, continue your normal foyer conversations-but move them forward. It’s time to get past small-talk and move to spiritual talk within the family! Third, intentionally talk about Jesus away from the assembly. Talk with your family, your friends, or your fellow employees.
You don’t have to say something profound, but you do need to say something!
I’ll tell you one thing I know for sure: He loves you!
The Bible says, “With the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:10) What will you confess this week?
So give the order for the tomb to be made Secure until the third day.Matthew 27:64
Before Jesus was killed on the cross he had several times predicted that he would rise from the dead. Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days. (John 2:19) For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:40) He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. (Mark 8:31)
Those who were responsible for the death of Jesus knew about his claims that he would rise the third day. They go to Pilate and say, “Sir, we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ (Matthew 27:63)
They wanted to be sure that the tomb of Jesus was secure enough that the body could not disappear. Trying to out fox God is always a disaster.
We know the rest of the story. The “secured” tomb was found empty on the first day of the week. Imagine that. To detractors it is still the nemesis of the unbelieving world. To us who believe it is the power of the Living God. When you believe in an almighty God, Resurrection is a piece of cake for Him.
Little minds think in little ways and do little things that accomplish little good. It is tough for little minds to get a grip of big ideas like the resurrection. Little people try hard to negate the power of God but all attempts still fail miserably. Evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (II Timothy 3:13)
They made it as secure as they could but Jesus came forth as he had said, Come and see the place where he lay. (Matthew 28:26)
“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24
A person with a small faith may act on that smallness and lack any real commitment to God. It may be that one with little faith will not exercise any of that faith and be living in a state of denial of our Lord Jesus Christ. It could be that one is exercising that little faith and developing and growing.
Whatever is happening in our life, there are times when we feel a bit like the father in Mark 9: I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief. I need more trust in the Savior. I need more faith to move me to greater service. I need help with dealing with unbelief that creeps back into the recesses of my soul on too numerous occasions.
I wonder what could happen if we could increase our faith a degree or two? Would that make a big difference in our churches and our world? If 100 people increased their faith just a degree would it mean that those 100 people have increased their faith by 100 degrees?
The intention of preaching and teaching is to increase faith. There are times when we see our faith grow and our actions show it. There are other times when we struggle and our faith seems to wane.
Enter opportunity for March-May at the Burns Church of Christ. Each Sunday night at 6:00 for three months we are providing a grand opportunity for us as a church, and for the community we serve, to increase our faith. What can happen is we can raise the level of faith in our community. Maybe there will not be a need for a bigger jail. We know that only good can come when we are get help for our unbelief.
You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Matthew 5:13, 14
As I drive by the Discovery School, where four of my grandchildren go, I always pray for each of them as they spend their day in learning and interaction. My prayer is simple. “Father, will you bless each child in the school? Will you make this day a good day for my four grandchildren? Will you help them to be safe, have a love for learning and make their school a better place because they are there?”
It is easy to buy into the diabolical lie that the world is coming to no good and Christians must hide their lights in little cubby holes and talk about how bad the people in the world are. “Look what the world is coming to? Our country and all other countries are going to the Devil and we can’t do anything so let’s hide our salt and light so we won’t become contaminated. “‘The Sky is falling’ and we can’t do anything about it.”
The first century church met a world as bad as any that’s has ever existed. (Read again the Book of Revelation.) They went everywhere saying “Look what has come to the world.” They believed that God was in charge of our world and that we need to infect the world with the virus of Christian teaching. (Per Matthew’s class Sunday night,)
Who rubs shoulders with men and women of the world every day? Who works and plays with men and women of the world every day? Whose kids interact with boys and girls of the world every day?
Why is our light not shining? Why is our salt not working? Why are we backing away from telling the story of a Crucified and risen LORD? Why sit back and curse the darkness when we have the light?
We have the opportunity to bring light into the lives of men and women, boys and girls of Dickson County. Sunday nights – March- May – The Case for Faith. Be here and bring a car load.
