Read the Proverbs through in a month,
one chapter per day.
Read the Psalms through in a month,
five Psalms per day.
See today's reading schedule & excerpts from the Psalms & Proverbs at the bottom of this page
Our congregation is dedicated to worshipping God in spirit and in truth as closely as we can ascertain from the New Testament. We search the scriptures for guidance and authority on how we ought to live our lives in order to be pleasing to God.
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We have all heard the term, “that’s a four-letter word”. It is almost always used in a negative sense, as in swear words or profanity. But there are several good four-letter words found in the bible. Here are just a few:
From Jay Launius, 2023, Maud coC, Maud, Texas
A couple of weeks ago, I looked out the front door and saw a small mound of dirt toward the front of the yard. I thought it was a new ant mound and said to myself, "I'll put some ant killer on that thing tomorrow." Well, as it would be, I forgot about it for a couple of days and the next time I looked it was now three mounds of dirt. "That's a gopher run and he's heading straight toward Ms. Janet's daylily bed!" Funny thing about those gophers, they make their advancements incrementally instead of one straight shot. They move toward their goal a little at a time and before you know it they're in your garden or flower bed.
There's another pest that uses incremental steps to achieve his goals, the old devil himself, Satan. He places small temptations in front of us like bread crumbs on a lost man's trail. Just little indiscretions, nothing terribly noticeable, like an advancing gopher hole. It may be a wanting glance at the pretty girl, excusing the curse words we hear on our favorite TV series or movie. It could begin with missing a church service or not reading our bibles daily. The thing is, Satan is most successful when he works slowly and gradually. As we get used to these "little sins", we become desensitized and as 1 Timothy 4:2 says, we'll have our conscience seared with a hot iron so that sin no longer bothers us. We must be constantly on guard of Satan's devises (2 Cor. 2:11) and the tricks he uses to fool us into complacency (Eph. 6:11).
So when you see one of those gopher holes Satan is putting in your way, remember the words of James, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)
From Jay Launius, 2023, Maud coC, Maud, Texas
If there's one thing that can distract us more than any other during Sunday worship is the question, "Where should we go for lunch?" As the preacher preaches on, we continue to ponder what our bellies are hungry for, Tex-Mex, home-style, or maybe burgers? As you walk into any given restaurant on Sunday after 12 PM, you'll see "church folks" dressed in their Sunday best feasting on chicken fried steaks, enchiladas, and sipping their iced tea. Seated at the tables are large groups of worshipers who have checked the "worship box" and are now satisfying their own desires. Before we go any further, let it be known that there's nothing wrong with enjoying a nice meal at a restaurant with family and friends. However, there may be some spiritual things we should consider.
First, if we allow ourselves to be distracted by our physical desires during worship, then we may need to take a step back and consider our spiritual maturity. As we worship the God of all creation, one must "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." (Colossians 3:2) We need to especially concentrate during the Lord's Supper. "For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body." (1 Corinthians 11:29)
Secondly, have we ever considered that by our Lord's Day patronage to our local eating establishments, we are actually requiring people to work at preparing our meals instead of giving them the opportunity to go to worship? By fulfilling our own hungry desires, we could very well be hindering the furtherance of the gospel message!
From Jay Launius, 2023, Maud coC, Maud, Texas
The most important question a person can ever ask is, "What must I do to be saved?" The gospel accounts and the book of Acts are full of examples of people who asked this important question. The rich young ruler asked Jesus, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said, "Give to the poor." (Luke 18:18) A lawyer asked Him, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" The response was to love God and your neighbor.(Luke 10:25) The people, tax collectors, and soldiers all asked, "What shall we do?", in which Jesus gave them all instruction to go and do good. (Luke 3:10-14) The people who heard Peter’s sermon were moved in their hearts and asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Peter responded, "Repent and be baptized." (Acts 2:38) The jailer of Philippi brought out Paul and Silas and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Paul said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. "(Acts 16:30) By these examples and more, we can easily see that God requires us to "DO" something in order to receive salvation.
Through the scriptures we learn that [we] are saved by God’s great love, mercy, and grace through the sacrifice and blood of Jesus Christ. (Titus 3:5; Eph. 2:4-5,8) Once a person learns that spiritual salvation is available, they must act in faith to receive God’s wonderful gift. Acts of obedience have always [been] required by God, even Jesus had to obey the Father’s will. "Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him." (Hebrews 5:8–9)
From Jay Launius, 2023, Maud coC, Maud, Texas
The New Testament has a lot to say about faith. Many of us may think that faith is simply believing and accepting the existence of God and that Jesus Christ is His Son. But a close study of the Scriptures will reveal that faith is much, much more. The 2nd chapter of James spends quite a bit of time explaining that faith must be coupled with good works, else, it is dead and useless. (James 2:14-26) We may want to argue that we can’t "work" our way to heaven and that’s absolutely true. (Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:4-5) However, when considering the message of the New Testament as a whole, we learn that we must possess a faith of action in order to be pleasing to the Lord.
Let’s consider the "Heroes of Faith" listed in Hebrews Chapter 11:
The Old Testament heroes did not live to see the promise of Jesus Christ come to pass, but now we can look to the "author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:1-2) and access the mercy, love, and saving grace of God through an action-packed faith. (Ephesians 2:4–5)
From Jay Launius, 2023, Maud coC, Maud, Texas
A few weeks ago, a dear old friend asked if I would make him a walking stick. I went to the barn and found a maple stick that I’ve had drying for several years. Taking it to the workshop, I peeled the bark away, sawed off the knots, and sanded it down smooth. Several coats of finish were then added along with a paracord wrap for a handle. I even took the wood burner and put his initials near the top. I believe it will be a good walking staff and serve him well.
The walking stick is a great tool for the walker and can lend great assistance. The use of a walking stick or staff has been around for a long, long time. Early in the bible record, Jacob said that he used his staff to assist him in crossing over Jordan (Gen. 32:10). In many ways, the use of a staff can be compared to the bible, God’s word.
The shepherd’s staff provided protection and comfort to the flock (Ps 23:4), God’s word gives us comfort as well with His promises of love, forgiveness, and eternal life. The walking stick can prevent the traveler from stumbling and falling. Developing the godly characteristics described in the bible will also prevent us from spiritual stumbling (2 Peter 1:2-10). The staff can also be used as a weapon to ward off danger. Having God’s word in our minds and hearts will help us defeat the devil when he tries to destroy our faith (1 Peter 5:8). A good, strong walking stick can serve you for many years. The inspired Scriptures, once learned and applied, can and will take us through our lives and into eternity (2 Tim. 3:15).
From Jay Launius, 2023, Maud coC, Maud, Texas
As you look at the contents most church bulletins, you'll find a list of people who need prayer. Most of the time these folks are sick, battling a serious disease, they are shut-in and unable to leave home or in nursing facilities. Some may need prayers of encouragement as they go through a difficult time. The prayer list can be quite long, with some names staying on the list for many months. Sadly, we may become accustomed to the list after seeing the names reappear each week and don't give it much thought. Even worse, we may not look at it at all.
New Testament Christians are instructed by the scriptures to pray and pray often. Jesus said we are to pray to our Father in heaven (Matthew 6:9) and thank Him for the blessings of life (Colossians 4:2). We are to come boldly before God with our request (Hebrews 4:16), yet with an attitude of humility (James 4:10). Christians are to pray for each other and also pray for the sick and unfortunate. "The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (James 5:15-16)
What a great privilege is to be able to go to God firsthand and pray on another's behalf. So who did you pray for today? Remember, our prayer life is to be constant and consistent, so let us all "pray without ceasing." (1 Thess. 5:17)
From Jay Launius, 2023, Maud coC, Maud, Texas
There is a current trend among believing Americans in which they claim to be followers of Christ but have no desire to have a relationship with the church. In 2014, a YouTube video entitled "Why I Hate Religion But I Love Jesus" received some 30 million views. In this man’s attempt to call out false teaching, people have misunderstood the intended message and begun to say, "I can follow Jesus without the church. Why would I want to be a part of an institution that requires me to attend its services, give my money to support its preachers? Why would I want to be part of a group of hypocritical and judgmental people? I can still love Jesus, accept God’s grace, have a private personal relationship with Him and be His disciple on my own terms with no strings attached."
Perhaps many of these folks have had a bad experience with other Christians, been treated with a mean spirit, or ignored by the church when they were in need. Maybe the idea of "Jesus Yes, Church No" comes from ignorance of what the bible has to say about the church. A recent survey said that only 3 out of 10 believing Americans attend at least one church service a week. That’s over 80 million people who say they believe in God but make no attempt to worship Him.
Jesus Christ purchased the church with His own blood (Acts 20:28) and He is the Savior of the body, the church (Ephesians 5:23). Therefore any attempt to separate Christ and His church is to promote false teaching. Rather we should all say,"Jesus, Yes! His Church, Yes!"
From Jay Launius, 2023, Maud coC, Maud, Texas
As the old hymn begins, “The Great Physician now is near, the sympathizing Jesus.” There’s no doubt when William Hunter penned the lyrics to “The Great Physician”, that he had the following passage in mind.
Hebrews 4:14–16It has been said that sympathy is one of the most important emotions because from it comes understanding, help, and support to those in need. Sympathy is certainly easier to extend when we ourselves have firsthand knowledge of the situation. Hebrews 4:15 explains that Jesus Christ, our High Priest, can sympathize with us when we are faced with temptation. Not only does He have knowledge of those challenges, but has empathy, having experienced all temptation Himself. With such an inclusive statement, we have to conclude that Jesus faced temptation from all aspects of the world. Yes, that means Jesus was tempted to be dishonest, immoral, and to neglect His service to God. As a young boy, He resisted the temptation to disobey His parents, as a teenager He turned down opportunities to run with the crowd into mischief. As He grew into adulthood, He was tempted to be lazy, break His promises and follow popular culture. He faced it all yet without sin. Jesus was the human that the Lord God created us all to be, but because sin entered the world long ago, we’re unable to live up to that faultless design and that is why we need a sympathizing Savior.
From Jay Launius, 2023, Maud coC, Maud, Texas
(John 4:39-42)
I've heard it said, "If only we could work miracles today, imagine how many would believe and follow Christ." However, think of the many people who actually saw Jesus perform miraculous works but still did not believe that He was the promised Messiah. Many folks use the word "miracle" to describe an unusual occurrence that has a positive outcome, like someone who recovers from a serious disease. But the thought conveyed in the opening statement of this article describes the type of event that defies the laws of nature (like bringing the dead back to life).
The truth is you don't need a miracle to bring others to Christ, because we have the blessing of His written word. In John chapter 4, we have the story of the Samaritan woman who Jesus meets at Jacob's well. As most Christians, I know the story well, but as I read it again today, I discovered an interesting end to the events described in John's account. Beginning at verse 39, we see that many believed in Jesus because of the testimony of the woman who said, "He told me all that I ever did." After meeting Jesus, the Samaritans urged Him to stay with them and He stayed there for two days. During His stay, John does not describe an occurrence of any miracles, instead he states that "many more believed because of His own word." (John 4:41). So here we have the proof by Jesus Himself, you don't need a miracle to make disciples. Later in John's gospel, Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." (John 5:24) We ought never sell short the power of God's word because as the Hebrew writer states, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword..." (Hebrews 4:12). No, we don't need a miracle, but we do need to be skilled in the use of the sword of the Lord and as skilled workers we can win many disciples to Christ.
From Jay Launius, 2023, Maud coC, Maud, Texas
Do you remember the first time that you were given responsibility by your parents? If you were like me, it may have been to clean your room, make your bed, or put away your clothes. If you had a pet, it may have been your responsibility to be sure the animal was fed and watered. As we got to our teenage years, we were given more and more responsibility. When I got a car, it was up to me to check the coolant, oil, and air in the tires. I remember my first job as a cook at a popular chicken restaurant, in which I was responsible for keeping up with my schedule and getting to work on time. This childhood training taught us that we are accountable for ourselves, therefore we learned to take responsibility for our successes as well as our failures.
Just as in life, Christians have spiritual responsibilities and we are accountable for our spiritual success or failure. As members of the body (church) of Christ, we have certain responsibilities according to abilities we have been blessed with, such as the story of the talents told by Jesus in Matthew 25:14-30. The Lord does not expect us to do something that we are incapable of doing, however we are expected to serve within our capacities. "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.' " (Luke 17:10). So then men, if you are responsible to teach, serve in worship, or care for church facilities, it is your duty to accomplish that calling. If you are unable to do so, it is your responsibility to assure that someone will take your place. Ladies, if it is your responsibility to teach a class, prepare communion, or provide benevolence, then you, just as the men, must assure the work is complete. God's people are not lazy nor irresponsible, but are diligent and enthusiastic in spirit, serving the Lord. (Romans 12:11)
From Jay Launius, 2023, Maud coC, Maud, Texas
As we begin a new year, we typically make resolutions and set goals to accomplish during the coming 12 months. They tell us that goal setting is important for us and helps us maintain forward mobility in our lives. No one ever improves while sitting still. Christians should set spiritual goals for themselves in order to continue the journey of spiritual maturity which is, by the way, a journey of a lifetime. Here are a few suggestions for our spiritual goals:
From Jay Launius, 2023, Maud coC, Maud, Texas