Settlement Road Church of Christ

March 29, 2015

The lesson for the week  is : "I Want to Thank the Lord for You"

Scripture: Philippians 4:10-11

 

Paul wanted to let the church at Philippi know how much he thanked them. Something had hindered the church in the past from supporting Paul; but when they had the opportunity to support Paul again, they did. And as a result, they would be blessed by God.

 

Paul didn't thank them because he wanted something - he appreciated all that they did for him.  Paul could make it whether he was on top of a mountain or down in a valley. He was grateful for the gifts he received; but he was even more grateful for the blessings that the church would receive.  If you sow a seed, it will come up and the reaping of that seed will be more than what was planted. 

 

 

Related scriptures discussed were:

Philippians 4:16-18

Ephesians, Chapter 6

 

 

 

March 22, 2015

The lesson for the week  is : "A Crap Game at Calvary"  - Guest Speaker: Bro. Micheal Sutton - Western Blvd. Church of Christ, Montgomery, AL

Scripture: John 19: 23-24

 

Soliders at the cross had the responsibility to watch over the prisoners being crucified. The road to Jerusalem from Golgotha was littered with corpses. Jesus was not the first to die in this manner.

 

But there was a purpose in the crucifixion of Christ. There can be no church without the cross; there can be no sanctification and justification; the bible would be no more than in intriguing book; prayer would go no higher that the ceiling.

 

Like the soliders who gambled over Jesus' garment, some people come to church and leave with no more than a souvenir.  For some people, being a Christian is just a game.

 

Jesus was stripped naked by the soliders before the world to humiliate and shame Him; perhaps we should appear before Jesus stripped of all covering.

 

Religion is not something to be worn on the outside, but to be imbedded in us.

 

The soldiers may have gambled for the garment of Jesus, but the ultimate gamble was that they believed they could live in a world without Him. 

 

Related scriptures discussed were:

Psalms 1:1-6

Isaiah 59:1

 

 

 

March 15, 2015

The lesson for the week  is : "Calling on the Name of the Lord"

Scripture: Romans 10:9-15

 

The Jews had rejected the message and the salvation of Jesus. They were holding on to the Old Testament. They had the zeal for God, but lacked knowledge.

 

Zeal without knowledge leads to:

1. making your own rules

2. calling people reverend

3. going by what man says

 

A Christian must have zeal and knowledge.

 

Knowledge leads to:

1. knowing that God loves to be praised

2. knowing to give God credit

3. knowing how to pray

 

A Christian will search the scriptures daily for knowledge (many people come to church with the knowledge tucked under their arm and will not search it).

 

A Christian will practice loving people; Christians love one another and will stand up for our brothers and sisters. The Holy Spirit helps us to learn how to act and think as a Christian.

 

Related scriptures discussed were:

Romans 10:17

John 14:1

John 5:39

Galatians 3:26-27

I Corinthians 13:1-8

Romans 12:9

Hebrews 10:25

I John 4:1

 

 

March 8, 2015

The lesson for the week  is : "As Thy Days, so shall Thy Strength Be"

Scripture: Deuteronomy 33:25

 

This verse will keep you from flip flopping about when life puts you through its ups and downs.  If you have the word of God in your life, you will have shoes of brass.

 

When you are going through difficulties and feel as if you are running out of spiritual oil - this verse will lift you up. With every difficulty that you have, stay in His word and God will give you the strength you need - your strength will increase.

 

Moses, the writer of the book of Deuteronomy, is saying that whatever you are going through you can handle it for that day; take things one day at a time.  God has given you what you need; sometimes you just need to stand up.

 

You can rest assured that if you obey God, He has already 'fixed' your day.  And if God's answer to you is "no" - deal with it and get your strength.

 

 

 

Related scriptures discussed were:

Romans 5:20

I Corinthains 10:13

Exodus 13:17

II Corinthians 12:2

Philippians 4:19

Hebrews 11:6

 

 

 

March 1, 2015

The lesson for the week  is : "When Will Jesus Come Back Again?"

Scripture: II Peter 3:1-10

 

No man knows the day or hour in which Jesus will return. It is a specific event that will occur at an unspecified time.

 

The book of II Peter deals with false teachers and prophets. They will pervert the word of God. Christians must study the word of God as not to be taken in by their false words. False teachers will use Matthew 24:20 to determine the date of Christ's return. However, this scripture is actually refering to the destruction of the nation of Jerusalem.

 

Jesus' return will be as a thief in the night to the enemy , but not to prepared Christians.

 

 

Related scriptures discussed were:

II Thessalonians 1:7-8

Psalms 90:1-4, 9

Luke 21:20

Acts 17:30-31

Isaiah 13:9

I Thessalonnians 5:1-2

 

 

February 22, 2015

The lesson for the week  is : "In God We Trust" - Guest Speaker: Gerald Thomas - Coosada Road Church of Christ, Montgomery, AL 

Scripture: I Timothy 4:10

 

Children can't wait to grow up, but if they only knew about the problems ahead! Everyone has problems and sometimes we need to be reminded to trust in God.

 

When we seek God first, we don't have to worry about anything. He already knows what we need.

 

How do we put our faith in God?

1. put our trust in His word

2. must be 'in' Christ

3. humble ourselves before God - bring Him all problems that we face

 

Christ is the ultimate example of trusting in God.

 

 

Related scriptures discussed were:

Matthew 6:25-34

Romans 10:17

John 10:38; 14:1

Romans 15:13

Galatians 3:26-27

Hebrews 11:6

I Peter 5:6-7

Luke, Chapter 2

 

 

Week of February 15, 2015

The lesson for the week  is : "Oh Wretched Man That I Am!" 

Scripture: Romans 7:12-25; 8:1-3

 

What does condemnation look like?

1. the law is good, but there is another law fighting against my mind

2. I try to do right, but end up doing wrong due to my carnal flesh

3. sometimes my fleshly appetite wins the battle

4. sometimes I feel like a prisoner with a dead man strapped to my back

 

Christ is the only one to help us win this spiritual fight. Everyone has an 'appetite' that keeps him/her coming up short and Jesus is the ladder that allows us to reach toward the righteousness of God.

 

What Jesus did while here on Earth:

1. He kept the law perfectly

2. the wrath of God was not kept back- it was redirected to Jesus; Jesus put His righteousness on us

3. He died for us

 

We have to determine not to walk after the flesh.

1. this is our responsibility as Christians

2. it is a battle

3. we must submit to the guidance of the Holy Spirit

4. if you don't change your mind, you will never change your attitude

5. you must be able to control your fleshly appetite

6. we will never be sinless, but we can sin less

 

 

Related scriptures discussed were:

Romans 8:12-13

Galatians 5:16

 

Week of February 08, 2015

February 8, 2015

The lesson for the week  is : "How Christian Young People Should Live"

Scripture: Proverbs 22:6

It is important to raise our  children right. They should be taught to live triumphant over temptation. Young people do not have to lose the battle over Satan. Children need to be taught about God; they must use the word of God to defeat Satan.

 

 

Five steps to living a successful life in Christ as a young person:

1. Young people need to be in church and in Bible study.

2. Young people need to live in obedience to parent(s).

     ***Parents - know your child's friends

3. Young people need to live in separation from sinners - you can't hang with the world.

4. Young people need to separate from homosexuality.

5. Young people need to learn and know that you have to go after your dream.

 

Related scriptures discussed were:

Matthew, Chapter 4

Luke, Chapter 4

Proverbs 31:28

Ephesians 6:3-4

Ephesians 5:11

James 4:4

Acts 5:29

Leviticus 20:13

I Corinthians 6:9

Deuteronomy 8:18-19

Proverbs 16:3

Matthew 6:33

 

Week of February 01, 2015

The lesson for the week  is : "Use It or Lose It"

Scripture: Matthew 25:14

 

So many people are in debt. They cannot give to God as they should. As a result, they miss out on God's blessings.

There are four lessons found in this verse:

1. God owns everything. He is the Master, we are the managers entrusted with take care of things on earth (Psalm 24:1).

2. We do not receive the same amount of blessings. A person's responsibility is tied to his ability (Matthew 25:15).

3. We must invest what God has given us.

4. We must use it or lose it (Matthew 25:28-30)

When God gives us something, we must know how to use it.

Principles of God's Investment

1. invest sacrificially - the first 10% belongs to God already (Leviticus 27:30). We must give to God above what the Pharisees did (Matthew 5:20).

2. invest confidently - God will only give to those what He knows will flow through them.

 

Related scriptures discussed were:

Haggai 2:48

Luke 16:10-13

Matthew 25:16-30

II Corinthians 9:10

Matthew 23:23

Hebrews 8:6

II Corinthians 9:8

Luke 6:38

Malachi 3:8

 

 Weekof January 25, 2015

The lesson for the week  is : "In Times Like These, Hold on to Your Faith"

Scripture: Hebrews 10:22-25

 

 

Faith is a committment, believing in the bible and the bible is right. Faith is the belief that tomorrow will be better. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). If you can see it, it is not faith. Faith is steady, sure consistent.

 

Focus on what is in front of you, not behind you. Just thank God you are not who you used to be.

 

In order to hold on to your faith, you must stay close to God. Make sure you are pleasing God, not man.

 

Related scriptures discussed were:

Romans 1:1-2

Hebrews 2:1

Daniel 6:22

 

Week of January 18, 2015

The lesson for the week  is : "Worry Less, Pray More" - Guest Speaker: Deacon Clement Gamble

Scripture: Matthew 6:25

 

We are living in perilous times. We don't know when death wil come, but as Christians, we must be ready at all times.

 

With God as our heavenly Father, Christians don't have a right to worry.  However, we must seek God first.

 

There are three categories of worry:

1. worrying about something that has already happened

2. worrying about something that is going to happen and things that are beyond our control

3. worrying about something that may never happen

 

There are two things that Christians should never worry about:

1. things we can change

2. things we can not change

 

People who worry about tomorrow can not enjoy today.

 

You have two options in life, you can worry or pray. But remember that God has promised to take care of us and it is our job to let Him.

 

Related scriptures discussed were:

Matthew 24:4-13

Matthew 6:26-30

Psalm 25:1-4

I Peter 5:7

Philippians 4:6-7

Psalm 118:24

I Thessalonians 5:18

James 1:2

Ecclesiastes 8:11-13

Ecclesiastes 9:7-10

 

 

Week of January 11, 2015

The lesson for the week  is : "What is My Mission as a Christian?"

Scripture: I Timothy 3:14-15

 

The mission of the church is to preach the gospel.

 

Everyone who is a Christian has a job to do - a mission.

 

Through the Church of Christ, God's wisdom is to made known to the world. Christians must have a zeal to teach others about Christ. All Christians have different 'worlds'. The people in your 'world' should know the gospel through you.

 

There are other missions of a Christian -

1. to edify one another

2. to care for the poor and needy

3. to study  the Bible and through it, learn how to live life

4. to let your light shine and the world see the good in you

5. to love one another - Christians may not always agree with one another, but love is always present

 

 

Related scriptures discussed were:

Ephesians 3:10

Matthew 28:18-19

Acts 28:31

Romans 14:19

James 1:26-27

Romans 12:1

Matthew 5:16

I John 4:7

Galatians 6:10

Romans 15:1

 

 

Week of January 04, 2015

The lesson for the week  is : "You Don't Have to be a Star to be in God's Show"

Scripture: Luke 19:30-31

 

To appear at the Oscars or the Emmys, you have to be a star. But you don't have to be a star to be in God's show. God was and is concerned about everyone.

 

Christians, no matter where they are from ought to be light shiners. To be in God's show, a Christian can't be tied up with the devil.

 

The world was looking for Jesus up high, but He came in low.  Jesus came out of the ghetto of Nazareth.

 

Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey - a beast of burden used by the poor.

 

Jesus's religion was a stooping religion - there is a need for more feet washers and less face washers.

 

Related scriptures discussed were:

Matthew 5:14-16

John 1:46

Matthew 21:7

Luke 19:30

John 13:15

John 4:9

John  - Chapter 4