Are your prayers acceptable to God?

Here's a helpful older article about prayer on Bible InfoNet--"Prayer," by Louis Rushmore. Here's the first paragraph:

"God communicates with mankind today through the
Bible. Christians speak to God through prayer. Further, prayer is an expression
of the heart to God and may include praise, requests and thanksgiving. However,
not all prayers are acceptable to God."

Click here to continue reading article.

Polishing the Pulpit

The 2009 Polishing the Pulpit Conference will be held Sevierville Events Center, August 28-September 3. Here's the tentative schedule and more information about past conferences.

Problem Solutions: Training Preachers

Of course if one is going to mention the idea of preacher problems, one has to offer up problem solutions. Some things must be taught before a brother is hired to fill the pulpit.

There are schools of preaching across the brotherhood. Here are links to a few preaching schools affiliated with or overseen by the eldership of different congregations of the churches of Christ.

1. Brown Trail School of Preaching, Bedford, TX
2. East Tennessee School of Preaching, Knoxville, TN
3. Florida School of Preaching, Lakeland, FL
4. Memphis School of Preaching, Memphis, TN
5. West Virginia School of Preaching, Moundsville, WV

Preacher Problems

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”-Isaiah 52:7

Yes preachers' feet are beautiful, so beautiful in fact that this idea is repeated in Romans 10:15. Sometimes, though the feet get ugly. Here's a great article by Bill Nicks on how both a pulpit minister and the congregation should handle their problems, presented in this Carolina Messenger article, Preacher Problems.

Church folks laughing at ourselves...(or You Might Be a Member If...)

This post from the February 2006 edition of The Christian Chronicle is still funny three years later. (You Might Be a Member (of the Church of Christ) If...)

A few items from the list were read aloud during our church announcements on Sunday Morning. Amazingly...

• Many of us do know the first and third verse of most every song.

• Lots of us know about that "ready recollection" and being "guide-guarded-and directed" between the end of service and "the next appointed time."


• Of course, the Bible questions on Jeopardy aren't challenging. (Or as the Chronicle put it..."You think the Bible questions on Jeopardy are way too easy.")


• And, as you can tell by this blog, though we are the church of Christ, or the Lord's church, area congregations do refer to us as the Jefferson Street Church of Christ.

Enjoy the whole list of "You Might Be a Member If..." (compiled by Bobby Ross, Jr.), at the Christian Chronicle's website. See if more than half the list doesn't have you laughing with tears.

Quality Christians

Last week Brother Patterson’s lesson, “Quality Christians,” was tied into Matthew 4:18-22, with a concentration on verse 19: “Then He (Jesus) said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’”

Here are a several points from his sermon:

• “One thing about having quality—if you don’t have it, you can’t give it.”



• “We are quality. We are prime. We are the best for God.”


• “To use proper lure and endure discomfort…these are some things we must go through.”


• “When you get out on the battlefield and folks are shooting back at you, you need to be qualified. You need to get qualified.”


• “Quality counts in the church.”


• “Some folks try to focus on quantity, but quality counts.”


• “Heaven is big enough for all of us. That’s why we’re working together making one another quality Christians.”


• “You’ve got some who don’t want to be taught. Just like you’ve got some who only want to teach all the time. Be able to be taught.”


• “We need to be quality Christians, teaching one another to be the best we can be.”


• “If God can’t depend on us, who can He depend on?”

Brother Patterson also read Titus 2:1-15, which gives instruction for sound doctrine, sound living, behavior and relationships for people in all walks of life. He also referenced Matthew 9:37-38 about how the “Harvest is great but the laborers are few…"

Are We Loving?

Are We Loving?

I Corinthians 13:4-8

"4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it
is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails…"

Are we patient in the grocery store line, or slow moving traffic, or with elderly or disabled people? I Thessalonians 5:14 tells us to “encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”

Are we kind even to our enemies?” Luke 6:27-36 explains how to love and treat everyone because that is how we want God to be with us, merciful, “kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.”

Are we envious of our neighbors’ new cars, or of Sister Sally’s extravagant wardrobe, or our recently promoted co-workers? I Timothy 6:6-10 states “(6) But Godliness with contentment is great gain. (7) For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it, (8) But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”

Are we boastful or arrogant about our circumstances, accomplishments, or possessions? James 4:6, 10—“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble…Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

Are we rude? Follow Matthew 7:12, also known as “the Golden Rule.” Even when we correct each other, we are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15-16) We should never belittle or tear each other down. We should edify and build each other up (Ephesians 4:29-32)

Are we self-seeking? Is it all about us or is it all about God? Philippians 2:3 says “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” Verses 1-11 talk about how even Jesus, who was crucified for our sins, gave God the glory.

Are we easily angered? Are we quick-tempered? Remember what James 1:19-20 says: “…Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”

Are we keeping records of wrongs? Are we holding grudges or not forgiving people who offended us today or 10 years ago? Matthew 18:21-22 tells us to constantly forgive people—so that we will also be forgiven by God for our own offenses.

Do we delight in evil or do we rejoice with the truth? Are we happy with our enemies’ misfortunes? Study Romans 12:9-21—“(9) Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good…(14) Bless those who persecute you and do not curse.(15) Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn…(21) Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

I John 4:10-12: “ This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.”

As Christians, we should make sure our definition for love matches the scriptures, and that our actions show love—not just speak about love. I John 3:18 states “Let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.”

--S.J. Harris, January 2009

One on One: Bible Verses

"One on One” Verses of the Bible

• HAVE PEACE WITH ONE ANOTHER. (MARK 9:50)
  LOVE ONE ANOTHER (JOHN 13:34-35; I PETER 1:22; 1 JOHN 4:7-12).
• GIVE PREFERENCE TO ONE ANOTHER (ROM.12:10).
• RECEIVE ONE ANOTHER (ROMANS 15:17).
• ADMONISH ONE ANOTHER (ROMANS 15:14; COLOSSIANS 3:16).
• GREET ONE ANOTHER (ROMANS16:16; 1 CORINTHIANS16:20; 2 CORINTHIANS13:12).
• HAVE THE SAME CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER (1CORINTHIANS 12:25)
• SERVE ONE ANOTHER (GALATIANS 5:13; 1 PETER 5:5).
• BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER. (EPHESIANS 4:32).
• FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER (EPHESIANS 4:32).
• SPEAK TO ONE ANOTHER (EPHESIANS 5:19-20).
• BE SUBJECT TO ONE ANOTHER (EPHESIANS 5:21).
• BE TRUTHFUL WITH ONE ANOTHER (COLOSSIANS 3:9).

• COMFORT ONE ANOTHER (1THESSALONIANS 4:18).


• EDIFY ONE ANOTHER (1THESS. 5:11)


• EXHORT ONE ANOTHER (HEB. 3:13).


• CONSIDER ONE ANOTHER (HEB. 10:24).


• REFUSE TO SPEAK EVIL OF OR GRUMBLE AGAINST ONE ANOTHER (JAMES 4:11; 5:9)


• CONFESS OUR TRESPASSES TO ONE ANOTHER (JAMES 5:16)


• BE HOSPITABLE TO ONE ANOTHER (1 PETER 4:9).


• HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER (1 JOHN 1:7).
  
  MAY YOU HAVE ENOUGH HAPPINESS TO MAKE YOU SWEET,
  ENOUGH TRIALS TO MAKE YOU STRONG,
  ENOUGH SORROW TO KEEP YOU HUMAN AND
  ENOUGH HOPE TO MAKE YOU HAPPY.
  
  --G. White

God is in Charge

"God Is In Charge"

People feel times are hard because of the recession we are in. People are losing their jobs (it seems like daily), and food prices are rising, too.

But through it all we must always remember to put God first. God is still the Alpha and Omega, and the trials we go through should make our faith even stronger.

Psalms 27:1 states, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

If our faith is grounded and we are committed to the Lord, no matter what is thrown in our direction we must stay faithful.

Philippians 4:6-7 is a constant remainder of the kind of Christians we must be. It states:

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God; and the peace of God which
surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and mind through Christ
Jesus.”

We must give God the trials and tribulations we go through. God has not forgotten or forsaken us. So don't throw in the towel but always be prayerful, and remember God loves you no matter what you are going through.

---M. Smith