What Can You Do?? 

By: Carroll Sites – Adapted

Our upcoming gospel meeting scheduled for October 4-8, 2009 with brother Kevin Rhodes doing the preaching can be a great outreach effort with the gospel. But, someone says, “What can I do to help make the meeting a success?” Good question. Consider the following: 

• Realize Your Own Need: Even the most mature Christian needs to hear the word of God preached. This will fortify your faith and add to your spiritual fitness BUT – only if you realize your need. 
   

• Attend Each Service Expectantly: Come with a heart filled with gratitude for the privilege of hearing the Word – not from just a sense of duty. Come expecting to receive a blessing. 
   

• Prepare Yourself: STUDY the Bible prayerfully. Concentrated Bible study will whet your spiritual appetite and intensify your interest in the salvation of souls. PRAY for the salvation of all – but – select one or more persons as the special object of your prayers and your interest.

•  Put First Things First: Set your own house in order. Make up your mind that nothing will be allowed to take precedence over this gospel meeting. If it is necessary for you to change some plans or to make some other sacrifices in order to place spiritual affairs in top place, do it cheerfully. Place God and His work where it belongs in your life. Crown Him as King of your heart. 
   

• Accept Responsibility For Saving Souls: Being a Christian involves more than refraining from evil. You must do positive good. 
   

• Be Enthusiastic: It’s contagious! Talk the meeting up! Invite! Attend! Encourage! Pray! 

Working and serving together we can accomplish much good. Will YOU do YOUR part? 

“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”                                                                                              1 Corinthians 1:18-21

“Give Diligence”
2 Peter 1:8-11

By: Keith McNeely

            How is your Christian life?  When was the last time you took, or have you ever taken, inventory of your Christian life?  Inventory can be tedious; for example, I observed an individual counting the various items on a local convenience store shelf. Yet inventory can be effective. Imagine a convenience store that had nothing but gum on their shelves. Such a store would not be very “convenient” to those that choose not to chew gum.  Notice for a few minutes some brief points that God gives us, through the pen of Peter, to help us inventory our Christian lives.

            Abundant Christian Living-is the first principle Peter lays out in our text. He writes, “...if these things be in you and abound” (2 Peter 1:8). Peter had just completed a list of Christian characteristics that we often refer to as “Christian Graces”.  Inspiration teaches us that we can “abound” in these virtues.  The word “abound” means to “superabound” or to exist in abundance. Christian, it takes time and effort to be a faithful child of the Lord.  QUESTION: How much time and effort are you willing to devote to being a Christian? I hope you realize it takes all of our time to seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33).

            The Knowledge of Our Lord-is the goal that Peter sets for our minds. That means we are to apply our minds to the study of Christianity (2 Peter 1:8). We can learn various details about our daily jobs, our favorite players on numerous sports teams, and even the ingredients to our favorite dish. We devote so much time and energy to so many trivial matters, yet we spend only a fraction of our time on studying and learning about Jesus. QUESTION: When was the last time you opened your Bible to read, study and even memorize a portion of God’s Word?

            Spiritual Vision-is the next technique Peter offers that we should endeavor to have as faithful, developing Christians. Peter says when we lack these characteristics we are “blind, and cannot see afar off” (verse 9). Myopia is an actual physical condition where we can only see things close up, but distant objects appear blurred. Peter here is telling us that without development of our Christian lives, and a spiritual focus, we will indeed loose our clear vision of our future Christian lives.

            Diligence-is the next technique Peter gives to aid in our spiritual development.  Diligence is the idea of never ending determination. OBSERVATION: If you allow me to see how you spend your money I will be able to accurately assess the skills that you have. For example, hours upon hours on the golf course will make you proficient at the sport.  Likewise with Christianity, if you are willing to give diligence to your Christian life, it will show. You will begin to mature, going on to being a profitable servant for the Lord.

            Are you serious about your Christian life?  If someone came in with the calculator, and began to inventory your Christian life, would they give the report that you are giving diligence to your Christian life?