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Tomorrow morning I will be preaching at Berea Church of Christ in Lebanon, TN.
The title of my sermon is…
“Joy in Trials”
James 1:2-12
This sermon looks at the reasons why James says that followers of Christ should find joy in trials (or suffering) of life.
If you are in the Middle Tennessee area, we would love to have you join us tomorrow morning at 9am for worship!
Berea Church of Christ
5555 Coles Ferry Pike Pke
Lebanon, TN 37087
(615) 443-2232
For students in my Wednesday night class on Paul’s letters to the Colossians & Philemon: Handouts and Notes for Philemon are now available online. Lord willing we will cover this text tomorrow night at 6:30pm in the auditorium at Bellevue Church of Christ!
For students in my Wednesday night class on Paul’s letter to the Colossians: Handouts and Notes for Colossians 4:7-18 are now available online. Lord willing we will cover this text tomorrow night at 6:30pm at Bellevue Church of Christ!
For students in my Wednesday night class on Paul’s letter to the Colossians: Handouts and Notes for Colossians 4:2-6 are now available online. Lord willing we will cover this text tomorrow night at 6:30pm at Bellevue Church of Christ!
For students in my Wednesday night class on Paul’s letter to the Colossians: Handouts and Notes for Colossians 3:18 – 4:1 are now available online. Lord willing we will cover this text tomorrow night at 7pm at Bellevue Church of Christ!
For students in my Wednesday night class on Paul’s letter to the Colossians: Handouts and Notes for Colossians 3:12-17 are now available online. Lord willing we will cover this text tomorrow night at 7pm at Bellevue Church of Christ!
For students in my Wednesday night class on Paul’s letter to the Colossians: Handouts and Notes for Colossians 3:1-11 are now available online. Lord willing we will cover this text tomorrow night at 7pm at Bellevue Church of Christ!
For students in my Wednesday night class on Paul’s letter to the Colossians: Handouts and Notes for Colossians 2:16-23 are now available online. Lord willing we will cover this text tomorrow night at 7pm at Bellevue Church of Christ!
I know I’m in the minority these days, but I still love to listen to music on vinyl records. The long play (“LP”) record, which was introduced by Columbia in 1948, was pushed to the brink of extinction by the cassette tape, the compact disc (“CD”), and now digital media. Today it is enjoying somewhat of a comeback, but is still little more than a small niche in the overall music industry.
There are two main reasons why I prefer the LP format. First, I love the warm, rich sound that is the hallmark of most vinyl pressings. Music just sounds more authentic on a record. Second, the LP puts the emphasis on listening to the album all the way through from beginning to end. When I listen to a record, I know I’m hearing the album the way the artist originally intended for it to be enjoyed.
This emphasis on the album as a whole has been slowly eroding with each passing generation of music recording technology. The cassette tape allowed for fast-forwarding or rewinding to a particular song on the album. The CD made it possible to “skip” straight to individual songs we wanted to hear. With digital media we can forgo the album altogether and merely purchase the tracks we want, assembling them together in any way our heart desires. The focus on the album is almost non-existent in today’s music culture.
Unfortunately, the same thing can be said regarding the trend of how the “Ancient Record” (i.e. the Word of God) is studied and taught. It used to be common for preachers and teachers to employ “expository” methods in presenting scripture. The aim of expository preaching is to dig deep into the Word of God and attempt to present a section of text in the way the author, and ultimately God’s Holy Spirit, intended for it to be received. This often involves the consideration of context, culture, original language, and other factors. In other words, expository teaching requires a willingness to work hard and dig deep to find the truth contained in God’s Word.
For students in my Wednesday night class on Paul’s letter to the Colossians: Handouts and Notes for Colossians 2:6-15 are now available online. Lord willing we will cover this text tomorrow night at 7pm at Bellevue Church of Christ!
For students in my Wednesday night class on Paul’s letter to the Colossians: Handouts and Notes for Colossians 1:24 – 2:5 are now available online. Lord willing we will cover this text tomorrow night at 7pm at Bellevue Church of Christ!
A few years ago I developed a medical condition with symptoms that began to significantly impact my life. During the process of undergoing test after test to discover the source of these problems, I had a discussion with a health provider who was advising me on how to cope with my symptoms, have more energy, and regain my strength. She asked about all of the things I was involved in related to work, family, church, and social life, and immediately said that I first needed to simplify my life and focus on those things that are most important.
Today I find myself in a different type of struggle, however this one is not related to my physical health. Instead, it involves my spiritual life. Once again, there are symptoms that are severely affecting me. I often find myself out of energy, frustrated, and overwhelmed. As with my health issue, I know the only way I’m going to break free of these symptoms is by simplifying my spiritual life and focusing on those things that are most fundamental to my Christian faith.
This challenge is mostly because the American execution of “Church” has become overly complicated. Anyone involved in the work of a local body knows that today’s church is often filled with politics, competing agendas, feuds, entertainment, marketing, denominationalism, and so many other things that take our focus off of what God intended His believers to be about.
These are the things that have me at a spiritual crossroads in my life, and yearning for simplicity in my church experience and my Christian walk. I want to stop worrying about things that ultimately don’t matter, and focus on the core fundamentals of Christianity.
For students in my Wednesday night class on Paul’s letter to the Colossians: Handouts and Notes for Colossians 1:15-23 are now available online. Lord willing we will cover this text tomorrow night at 7pm at Bellevue Church of Christ!
For students in my Wednesday night class on Paul’s letter to the Colossians: Handouts and Notes for Colossians 1:1-14 are now available online. Lord willing we will cover this text tomorrow night at 7pm at Bellevue Church of Christ!
For students in my new Wednesday night class on Paul’s letter to the Colossians: Handouts and Notes for the Class Introduction are now available online. Lord willing start this new class tomorrow night at 7pm at Bellevue Church of Christ!
For students in my Wednesday night class on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: Handouts and Notes for Ephesians Chapter 6:10-24 are now available online. Lord willing we will begin covering this text during class tomorrow night at 7pm at Bellevue Church of Christ!
From the August 2013 issue of Gospel Advocate Magazine…reprinted by permission
By Timothy Agee
1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. (Ecclesiastes 5:1–2, ESV)
The words “Guard your steps” could be a physical instruction offered to someone approaching difficult or dangerous terrain. However, the writer of Ecclesiastes uses them to represent a significant spiritual concept: the truth that approaching God is a serious matter.
How often in our Christian lives do we mindlessly perform the outward acts of worship or become satisfied with our own understanding instead of continually seeking God’s word? Going through the motions or being puffed up by our own pride may cause us to feel spiritual or religious, but this warning tells us that we might actually be offering up “the sacrifice of fools” because we do not have the proper appreciation for who God truly is or what He means to our lives.
When we look at the significant problems facing the Lord’s church, are they not all a symptom of the greater crisis of not having the proper reverence for the almighty God? Biblical illiteracy is rampant among our churches, but if we truly understood that God was the only hope of living beyond this earthly life, would we not “hunger and thirst for righteousness…” (Matthew 5:6, ESV) that only comes from the study of His word?
What about divisions and splits within our churches? Do these not arise because we focus so intently on ourselves instead of God almighty? If we truly understood that we are nothing without Him, would we not be filled with a spirit of humility that allows us to consider others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3, ESV) as prescribed by Paul to the church at Philippi?
When considering our own regard for God, and the impact this has on our lives (or lack thereof), we would be wise to remember the words Isaiah delivered prophetically to the children of Israel who were grumbling in the midst of Babylonian captivity:
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. (Isaiah 40:28, ESV)
For students in my Wednesday night class on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: Handouts and Notes for Ephesians Chapter 6:1-9 are now available online. Lord willing we will begin covering this text during class tomorrow night at 7pm at Bellevue Church of Christ!
