There's a Great Day Coming

We as human's don't like to hear disheartening news; and when it comes to truth, often times we'd just rather shy away from it, than face reality.  According to the Word of God we will all stand one on one with God in Judgement.  What a sad day that will be for some, and a happy day that will be for others.  Below are some excuses that the Word of God says won't work on that coming day:

Lord, I didn't know enough. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105).

Lord I didn't know which church to join. "And I say.... I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18). Search, and investigate to know the truth (John 7:52)

Lord, I didn't believe I could hold out. "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).  

Lord, I thought sincerity was all I needed. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter.... but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven (Matthew 7:21).

Lord, I thought my preacher was right. "They received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11).

Lord, I didn't think I was good enough. "Such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified" (1 Corinthians 6:11).

Lord, I was a afraid to offend my family. "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:37)

Lord, the church was not popular. "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth...but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord" (Genesis 6:5-8).

Lord, there were too many hypocrites in the church. "We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Lord, I thought there was plenty of time. "But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee..." (Luke 12:20).

- Author Unknown

For a free Bible Correspondence Course mailed to your home, please contact Seth Sullivan at the Waynesboro Church of Christ at 601-270-3270 or me at 601-517-6545.

The Church of the Bible

The following track was written by Allen Webster from "House to House Heart to Heart" regarding the church Jesus built: It's beginning, organization, name, worship, mission, and plan of salvation found in God's written and inspired word the Bible.

The church of the New Testament follows the Bible as its only creed.  No man-made creed should be used to supplement Scripture.  Instead it must follow the inspired word of God, which is the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25).  Anything else should be rejected (Galatians 1:6-9).

The Church's Beginning

Founder: Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:18)

Where: Jerusalem, as predicted in Isaiah 2:3 and fulfilled in Acts 2:5-47

When: On the Day of Pentecost, after the ascension of Jesus (Acts 2)

Organization

Head: Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23)

Elders: 

Oversee the local congregations (Titus 1:5)

Feed the flock (1 Peter 5:1-3; Acts 20:28)

Meet the qualifications (1 Timothy 3:1-7)

Members: 

Remain faithful (Acts 2:41-47)

Serve in the kingdom (Galatians 5:13)

Use talents (Matthew 25:14-30)

Name

As the bride of Christ, the church wears Christs name: (Romans 7:4; Ephesians 5:23; Revelation 21:9)

The Body of Christ (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:23)

Churches of Christ (Matthew 16:18; Romans 16:16)

The followers of Christ are referred to in several ways:

Disciples (John 15:8; Acts 11:26)

Saints (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Philippians 1:1)

Brethren (Luke 8:21; Galatians 6:1)

Children of God (Galatians 3:26; 1 John 2:1)

Christians (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16)

Worship

Singing (Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19)

Praying (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Teaching (Acts 20:7)

Communion (1 Corinthians 11:23-29)

Contribution (1 Corinthians 6:1-2)

Mission

Spread the gospel in order to save souls and glorify God (1 Timothy 4:16; Luke 19:10; Matthew 28:19-20).

Plan of Salvation

No one can join the church or be voted in by others.  God adds one to the church (Acts 2:47).  One must follow God's plan in order to be added:

Hear (Romans 10:17)

Believe: Must be an obedient faith, for even the demons believe (Acts 16:31; James 2:19)

Repent (Luke 13:3)

Confess Christ (Romans 10:10)

Be baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3-7; Galatians 3:27)

Persevere to the End (Revelation 2:10)

For a free Bible Correspondence Course mailed to your home, please contact Seth Sullivan at the Waynesboro Church of Christ at 601-270-3270 or me at 601-517-6545.

Ladies' Day Speakers & Theme Ideas!

If your congregation needs a speaker for your next Ladies’ Day event, there a large amount of wonderful women speakers in the brotherhood.  In case you are struggling with trying to figure out who to contact, below is a list of the lady speakers who live in the South; the majority speak at Polishing the Pulpit Lectureship and do an excellent job. These women would be great for Ladies' Days!  You can either find them on Facebook or Google their congregation to contact them via their home congregation or contact House to House, Heart to Heart.  I have heard several of these ladies speak and an * will indicate the ladies I have heard. 

Alabama:

• Mallory Baker: Dalraida church of Christ, Montgomery
• Kelli Barker: Midway church of Christ, Trinity
• *Cindy Colley: West Huntsville church of Christ, Huntsville
• *Jana Lyons: Wetumpka church of Christ, Wetumpka
• *Celine Sparks: Mastin Road church of Christ, Huntsville
• Teresa Taylor: Northport church of Christ, Northport
• Melissa Webster: Jacksonville church of Christ, Jacksonville
• Wendy Wadley: Hoover

Florida:

• Luverne Shepherd: Westside church of Christ, Pensacola

Georgia

• Sameea Collins: Woodstock church of Christ, Woodstock (scollins127@windstream.net) 

Mississippi:

• Sami Nicholas: Foote Street church of Christ, Corinth
• Bonnie Rushmore: Winona church of Christ, Winona
• *Betty Choate: Winona church of Christ, Winona
• *Virginia Hamblin: Lake Harbour Drive church of Christ,  Ridgeland
• June Franks: South Huntington Street church of Christ, Kosciusko
• *Teresa Hampton: Siwell Road church of Christ, Jackson
• Sandra Foster: Iuka Church of christ Iuka, Mississippi 

Tennessee:

• Shanna Anderson: Zion church of Christ, Gainesboro
• *Evelyn Apple: East Tennessee School of Preaching
• Renita Archey: East Side church of Christ, Cleveland
• *Sheila Butt: Anderson Bend church of Christ, Hickman County
• *Janie Craun: White Bluff church of Christ, White Bluff
• Leah Faughn: Lebanon Road church of Christ, Nashville
• Amy Judd: Overton County
• Beverly Meadows: East Tennesse School of Preaching
• *Jane Washington: Sevierville church of Christ, Sevierville
• *Diane Winkler: Huntington church of Christ, Huntington

Arkansas:

•  Dr. Wyveta Kirk: Benton

Ladies’ Teacher’s Workshop

• April Meacham: Batesville, MS
• Teah McWhorter: Pell City, AL

Ladies' Day Themes (decoration theme in parentheses):

If your congregation is looking for a good theme for your Ladies' Day, here is a list of ideas. Feel free to post ideas that are not listed in the comment box.  

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade (lemons)

The woman's armor (armor)

Seeking Spiritual Beauty (cosmetics)
Keeping it Sweet and Simple (Cupcakes)

A Light Guiding Me (Lighthouses or candles)

Who is Your Anchor (Nautical)

Jesus, the Master Teacher (School house)

This is War (army)

Showers of Blessings (rainy day, umbrellas)

Fill Your Bucket (Flowers in buckets)

Healthy mind, healthy body, healthy soul (fitness)

Remove the rocks and the brook stops singing (nature)

Seasons of Thanksgiving (fall)

Balancing Your Act (circus, trapeze)

From Trash to Treasure (trash and treasure)

Finding the time... (clocks)

How Does My Garden Grow? (garden)

Sister to Sister

Fashioned by the Master (clothing and fashion)

Women at Work (construction)

Reflections (mirrors)

Just How Much Can We Bear? (bears)

A Day at the Spiritual Spa (spa)

What's in Your Bag? (purses)

Believe, Belong, Be Changed

Beautifully and Wonderfully Made

The Potter and the Clay (clay pots)

Packing for the Trip [to our eternal destination] (luggage)

The Woman Behind the Mask (masquerade)

A Virtuous Women Who Can Find, For Her Worth is Far Above Rubies: “A Checklist for Christian Women”

Do you desire to be a woman who is far more precious than a ruby, which in fact is the most valuable jewel on Earth? If we want to be valuable in the sight of our husband, children, family, neighbors, and most importantly God; His Word gives us an example of such a woman in Proverbs 31:10-31. This scriptural example will guide Christian Women in becoming a woman who is worthy of praise and honor. 

Below is a checklist of the traits of the virtuous woman, which will be helpful in examining whether we truly portray these traits in our lives as Christian women:

Virtuous Woman Checklist:
by Amber Gilreath

• Strong: "Who can find a virtuous woman" (31:10) is rendered "woman of strength", literally strength of character. This woman fears God, loves Truth, and hates sin. (Ruth 3:11, Prov 12:4). This type of woman with strong moral character (virtuous) will not make her family ashamed... "She Girdeth her loins with strength and strengtheneth her arms" (31:17) and "strength and honor are her clothing (31:25). To be girded is to be ready for action. She is ready with strength that energizes her to be able to accomplish physical tasks that need to be taken care of because she is not weakened by sloth or laziness as we will see.

• Valuable: "Her price is far above rubies" (31:10). Why are precious stones so costly? Because they are so rare. This woman is not like everyone else: her moral strength and character and inner beauty make her like a rare gem that is very valuable.

•  Trustworthy: "The heart of her husband doth safely trust her" (31:11). This woman has done things that cause her to be worthy of her husband's trust. Examples include not being wasteful with money (31:11) and knowing she has good intentions always for him (31:12) which we will discuss further. Do we give people reasons to trust us? Or are we deceptive, selfish and wasteful?

• Thrifty, Frugal: "So that he shall have no need of spoil" (31:11). She does not waste her time or money on unproductive, slothful activities: she is a productive asset to the family. She is not a financial liability, wastefully shopping too much, incurring credit card debts, and causing financial loss; rather, she even contributes to the finances with her industrious talents from the home as we will see.

• Good: "She will do him good not evil" (31:12). Her life and her deeds are a constant blessing to her husband. She always wants what is best for him, and he never has to worry that her intentions are bad.

• Consistent: "All the days of her life" (31:12). This woman does good to her husband every single day. He can count on her today, tomorrow, and always to be there and be good to him. He doesn't have to worry that she will threaten to leave or quit. She is going to be there "until death do us part". She will not break her vows.

• Diligent, Hard-working: "Seeketh wool and flax and workethwillingly with her hands" (31:13) and "riseth also while it is yet night" (31:15) and "her lamp goeth not out by night" (31:18) and "eateth not the bread of idleness" (31:27). Over and over again, we see that this woman is not lazy! She finds the things she needs and then works with them, not with a forced, bad attitude, but willingly with delight or pleasure. She uses her time and resources to benefit her family at all hours of the day. She is not one to stay up all night and sleep in all day, like a lazy person.

• Provider of Food: "bringeth food from afar" (31:14) and "giveth meat to her household" (31:15). She goes and gets food for her family to eat and serves it to them. Many wives today neglect providing food for their families, making their children or husbands find their own food.

• Careful Decision-Maker: "considereth a field, and buyeth it" (31:16). The word consider here demonstrates careful thought into the matter of the field. She does not make rash, impulsive decisions.

• Purposeful Buyer: "with the fruit of her hands, she planteth a vineyard" (31:16). She bought the field carefully and with a purpose: a purpose that had the benefit of her family and the future in mind-- she planted a vineyard there.

• Industrious:  "Sees that her merchandise is good" (31:18). She purchased a field, planted a vineyard, and was able to experience the rewards of her hard work. Her reaping is good because her sowing was good... "she maketh fine linen and selleth it" (31:24). She used her talents to make money for her family.

• Provider of Clothing: "Layeth her hands to the spindle" (31:19) and "Not afraid of the snow for her household for her household are clothed" (31:21). She provided the necessities of life for her family, including clothing. Not only did she make sure they had it, she made it herself, another example of her hard work and resourcefulness. She was not afraid of them getting sick or dying in the cold because she was taking care of them.

• Charitable: "Stretcheth out her hands to the poor" (31:20). This woman had a drive to help those in need, even outside of her own house, that could only be driven by a sincere compassion and sense of mercy for others.

• Supporter and Contributor to her husband's successes: "Her husband is known at the gates" (31:23). Isn't it interesting that we find this phrase among a description of this virtuous woman. The old saying goes, "Behind every good man is a good woman". A woman can be a tremendous influence for good or ill on her husband. Where would this man be without his Godly, industrious, faithful, loving, hard-working wife (Prov 12:4)? Are you a hindrance or catalyst to your husband's success and happiness?

• Confident in her future: "She will rejoice in time to come" (31:25). This woman can be happy about the future because of her choices she has made in the present. She is working hard and knows that the rewards of her labor are yet to come, physically and spiritually.

• Wise: "She openeth her mouth with wisdom" (31:26). This woman knows when to speak and what to say. She is careful with her word choices. She relays instruction from her mouth. She uses her mouth to teach her children (Prov 1:8).

• Kind:  "in her tongue is the law of kindness" (31:26). Our speech reveals our heart. Out of a kind and loving heart will come kind and loving words. This woman was kind and spoke kindly to others.

• Guardian: "She looketh well to the ways of her household" (31:27)."Looketh well" is rendered "spieth" in psalm 37:32 and a watchman in Ezekiel 3:17. This woman is watching out for anything that might endanger her family. Some parents don't watch their children: they don't know where their children are, what they do, what they watch, or who they hang out with. I love this quote;"Parents should be looking well to their moral habits, their religious instruction, and attendance on the means of grace; giving them time for secret prayer, and reading the Word of God, bringing them to the daily ordinance of family worship; inculcating the careful observance of the Lord's Day; anxiously watching over their manners, habits, and connections...Who can have the claim to a virtuous woman, who does not feel this weight of family responsibility?" (Charles Bridges, Proverbs)...She is also concerned about the well-being of her family. We have already seen examples of her providing food and clothing for her family. She watches out for them and makes sure they have what they need.

• Loved by her children and husband. "Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her." (31:28) "Many daughters have done virtuously but thou excellest them all" (31:29). She has invested herself into the ones she loves, and she is rewarded with their praise and adoration. They thought of her as the best wife and mom ever. Do your husband and children love, adore, and praise you?

 Finally, this woman is praised and will be rewarded for choosing godliness, hard work, kindness, wisdom, charity, thriftiness and good over worldliness, laziness, meanness, ignorance, greed, wastefulness and evil:

 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Give her of the fruit of her hands,
    and let her works praise her in the gates.

Prov 31:30-31

This is the woman who God wants praised. A virtuous woman. We see here how we can be the woman that God wants us to be. We should strive to be pleasing to God and seek his praise by following the example of the virtuous woman.

References: http://www.salinechurchofchrist.org/articles/view/virtuouswoman, http://www.thewestsidechurch.us/images/Sermons%201/virtuous_woman,_the.htm,  http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/homefam/prov31.htm,