Submitted
Warsaw Christian Church
How important is the church? I find people who declare their Christian faith but haven’t attended church in many years. I am in no position to pass judgment on those who do not see the importance of the church. It does, however, puzzle me that so many profess faith in the Savior but rarely are seen worshipping with the people of God. I have heard many “reasons” over the years for why some avoid the church. “I was forced to go as a child.” “The church is full of hypocrites.” “I can worship God in my way without the church.” “Church is boring.” “I get my religion on the TV.”
Yes, there are legitimate reasons why some are absent on Sunday morning. People with poor health and some vocations call for Sunday work (police, doctors, etc.). My puzzlement pertains to those professing Christians who could be in church but choose not to come.
I like the old story of the deaf lady in church faithfully every Sunday. She could not hear a thing. One day, she was asked why she came to church since she could not hear. She responded, “I want Satan and everyone else to know whose side I am on."
If you are an unfaithful church member, I recommend that you consider who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for you. If that doesn’t inspire you to be as active as you can be in His church, what good would it do for anyone to try and lay a guilt trip on you? After all, going to church is a “want to” event, not a “have to” duty.
From The Pastor's Desk
Funerals
I heard this past week that several people wouldn't attend a friend's funeral because they had three preachers scheduled to speak. They thought it would be too long so they didn't go. Someone said to me that a funeral should be short and that we should hurry and get things over with and bury the person and be done with it .
My cousin, Lesia, always said that if something is worth doing then it is worth doing well. I would add that is especially true when doing it for the Lord.
From a preacher's perspective, you get one shot to reach people for the Lord who never go to church. So here they are with their emotions running high. As Paul said, do I seek to please men or do I seek to please God?
Do you think your loved one deserves the best funeral we could give them? If, yes, then let the preach do his thing as led by the Spirit of God. He will sit down eventually.
For me, preaching at a funeral is like a two- edged sword. They can be extremely difficult emotionally but to preach a funeral is also a great honor and a great privilege.
Some people don't like going to the cemetery. No one does. There are things in life you do because it is simply the right thing to do. However, it is a choice.
Another thing I want you to know is that if you are the one paying for the funeral, then they (funeral employees) are working for you. You also have the say over the other family members. Sometimes funerals bring out the best in some people and the worst in others.
One of the greatest things you can do at a funeral is to be there. Things people say are usually redundant and of little or no comfort in my opinion, but to make a point of being there says a lot.
Having said that, I recently didn't attend a funeral because it was 100 miles away. I didn't know the family or anyone that would have been there. What I did do was to send a picture of myself and the deceased to the wife. They hung the picture on the wall and sent me a thank you card. I plan on going to the grave in the near future which is another 100 miles away to a place I've never been.
So there are times when you can't go. You have a job, etc. My car was in the shop the day of Ron Gross' funeral but I bummed a ride with another preacher.
I have the desire to preach or say something at every funeral I attend.Naturally, I am not always afforded the opportunity.
I am Pastor Johnie J. Logue of Grace Baptist Church at 31046 Hwy MM. Services Sunday are 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM and at 4:00 PM. Call me at (660) 281-4775.
Lincoln First Baptist Church
Hello everyone. We have been having great discussions in our adult Sunday School class. The children and youth classes are going well also. Happy birthday to Wilbur Wright, Jim Heim and Josh Kauffman. There was a lot in worship service today. Some were new faces and some who have been gone awhile.
October is Pastor Appreciation Month. Don’t forget to honor your pastor this month. Operation Christmas Child box collection is starting up. Please pack one for a child.
Please think and pray about attending Sunday school and worship at a church of your choice. Jesus is coming back soon and no one knows when except God. Make sure your are right with God and doing what you should for Him. Remember there is a heaven and there is a hell.
We took communion today. Pastor Jesse read a passage concerning the last supper and explained what it meant for those who didn’t know. All need to examine themselves before taking communion.
Pastor Jesse talked about setting our sights on what we want to be. The world always has a different plan. Jesus Christ is the only thing that is eternal. The order of the church is God, Jesus and man. Jesus and Satan can’t dwell in the same vessel. You need to change to make a change.
Are you a warrior for God? Cleave to your sword as the mighty men of David did. Your sword is the Bible. The closer you get to God the more the devil chases you. There is more conflict with the devil than with God. God will build a hedge around you. David’s mighty men clave to the word of God and they had Jesus on their side. You have to belong to Jesus to go to heaven. God gives us each day, don’t waste it. You have to run the race with God. Cleave to your Bible.
I hope as you read this column you get something from it. JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL AT 9:30 AND WORSHIP AT 10:30. CHURCH AND YOUTH ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT 6. YOU WILL BE BLESSED. UNTIL NEXT TIME GOD BLESS.
Unity Of The Lakes
This Sunday 10/8/23 Rev. Don will be at Unity of the Lakes. His service is "Why Jesus Came". What did Jesus say? Please join us as we take an in depth look at this important question and what it means for us. Service is 11 am, dress is casual and all are welcome. We are located 8 miles south of Warsaw on highway 65. Our physical address is 34948 Hwy 65 South.
On the Sundays of 10/23/23 and 10/29/23 Rev. Don will have a class after service on Jonathan Livingston Seagull. If you are like me and read this several years ago, you may want to read it again. Jonathan can teach us many things about ourselves and our potential. Please join us for this fun, interactive, and informative class. We would love to have you join us.
Hopewell Baptist Church
Matthew 9:18-26 tells us about two woman who encounter Jesus at a vulnerable time. At the town synagogue, a ruler kneels beside Jesus and tells Him his daughter has died and he needs Jesus to come with him and heal her. To have faith there must be a reason to believe and it must be real. The man comes not just because he believes, but because he has faith. The Bible makes it clear that Yahweh has power over life and death. This man knows, if Jesus comes, his daughter will be well. Jesus gets up and goes and, on the way, he comes across a woman who has bled for 12 years. Nothing about her encounter with Jesus was normal – she is alone, she should not be out, and everyone who looked at her, saw broken. She believed in who Jesus was because she had faith. She believed if she touched His cloak, she would be healed. Jesus turned around and tells her that her faith has healed her. He then continues to the house where the girl has died. For seven days they have played music and were mourning. Jesus sees the crowd and sends them away saying “the girl is not dead, she’s sleeping”, and they laugh at Him. The girl’s father clears everyone with no concern for what others think. He has real, genuine, justifiable faith. Jesus lay hands on her and she gets up. Jesus is the God of the universe, and at His word, even the dead are alive again.
These stories demonstrate who Jesus is and how Jesus does things only God can do. He is not just a man; He is the Messiah. It’s the proof of who Jesus is and what He is capable of. Jesus offers all of us the exact same thing. He calls us His sons and daughters. He made us, knew the mistakes we would make, yet He loves us. We are His workmanship. When we have faith, it motivates what we do. Do we really have faith today? If we don’t, why not? What are we waiting for? He’s real and He means it!
Join us Sunday mornings for Sunday School at 10 a.m. with Worship at 11 a.m., and Sunday and Wednesday Bible Study at 6 p.m. Watch us live at 11 a.m. on Hopewell Baptist Church Facebook page.
