Historical Posts
Getting on Target
Have you been getting on target to reach the important goals you set for your life?
What do you want out of life? How do you define success? What goals have you set for yourself? How are you getting on target to reach them?
- Wealth?
- Happiness?
- Power?
- Success?
Those are the targets many people shoot for, and there is nothing inherently evil in any of them. But, when they become the central focus of our life, our definition of success, they take on a whole new meaning.
Look at money. In and of itself it is neither good nor evil, but when we become obsessed with the desire to have more and more of it, it takes on a sinister note. “The love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). It promises much but delivers little of lasting value. Many a life has been ruined by greed.
The same could be said of happiness. Those who make their chief aim in life the quest for happiness are never happy for long. It was the Greek philosopher, Epicurus, who said: “To whom little is not enough nothing is enough. Give me a barley cake and a glass of water and I am ready to rival Zeus for happiness.” When someone asked him the secret to happiness and contentment, he responded: “Add not to a man’s possessions but take from his desires.” Happiness, in and of itself, is not a worthy goal.
Helen Keller wrote: “Many persons have a wrong idea about what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” With that in mind, listen to the Apostle Paul: “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14 NASB).
Heaven was his goal. It should be ours! Have you started in the right direction? Have you been getting on target for the goal of heaven? Can we help?
Salvation: Hear - Believe - Repent - Confess - Be Baptized - Live Faithfully
Content by Roger Rush
Visit Roger at the 6th and Washington Street Church of Christ in Marietta OH.
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How to be Blessed – Psalm 1:1-6
Text: Psalm 1:1-6
We Christians sort of throw the word “blessed” around somewhat flippantly, don’t we?
- “How are you?” “Oh, I’m blessed.”
- “Have a blessed day.”
- “Bless you.”
- “He’s been a real blessing to me.”
It’s definitely a powerful word, but sometimes using a word too much, especially without thinking about it, robs it of its true significance.
Of all the words he could’ve chosen, the psalmist uses “blessed” as the first word of the first psalm:
Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish. (Psalm 1:1-6)
What does it mean to be blessed?
Sometimes we associate it with material prosperity… “The Lord has blessed us with so many things.”
Or maybe physical well-being… “I’m blessed to be cancer-free.”
There’s nothing wrong with using it like that, but blessed is so much richer.
In this psalm it means to be favored by God.
It means to live the life God called you to live.
It’s related to the word “happy,” but it’s so much richer than the fickle, tied-to-today’s-fortunes kind of happiness that characterizes many folks.
The psalmist makes it quite clear: the blessed person is the one who avoids the choices of the wicked but instead chooses to delight in God’s law.
God always blesses that person.
- Will he be rich? Probably not.
- Will his health be good? Not always.
- Will his life be struggle-free? Rarely.
But he’s blessed.
God always blesses those who seek him more than anything else.
If you’re looking for this, you won’t find it in a financial windfall or a clean bill of health or a streak of good luck.
You’ll find it when you seek God above everything else.
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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2 Timothy 03:14-17 Why We Need the Bible
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Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-17
Introduction
1. We began this series of lessons by illustrating why we need God
a. He is our Creator, who knows us better than we ourselves
b. He is our Redeemer, who seeks to save us from ourselves
c. He is our Provider, who is willing to meet our every need
2. Now I wish to focus our attention on why we need the Bible
a. Both the Old and New Testaments
b. As the guide to salvation and comfort
3. Assuming that one believes in the Bible as the Word of God, we need the Bible because:
Body
I. IT IS GOD’S POWER TO SAVE
A. BY CREATING FAITH
1. Without faith it is impossible to please God – Hebrews 11:6
2. Without faith in Jesus we cannot be saved – John 8:24
3. It is the Word of God that produces such faith – Romans 10:17
4. For example, the gospels were written to produce faith – John 20:30-31
B. BY CAUSING ONE TO BE BORN AGAIN
1. Jesus taught the necessity of being born again – John 3:3-5
2. The rebirth involving water and the Spirit is produced by:
a. Receiving the “incorruptible seed” of God’s Word – 1 Peter 1:23-25a
b. In particular, that word proclaimed in the gospel of Christ – 1 Peter 1:25
3. Which gospel calls for one to be baptized – Mark 16:15-16
a. As proclaimed by Peter – Acts 2:38
b. The washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit – Titus 3:5
C. BY KEEPING ONE SAVED
1. Paul emphasized this value of the Scriptures
a. To the Corinthians – 1 Corinthians 10:11-12
b. To Timothy – 2 Timothy 3:14-17
2. The saving value of the Word of God is for both young and old
a. The young can keep their ways pure by it – Psalms 119:9
b. Elders were commended to the Word for their salvation – Acts 20:32
d. Lack of knowledge concerning God’s Word destroyed Israel – Hosea 4:6
e. But when received with meekness into our hearts, the Word of God has the power to save – James 1:21
II. IT IS GOD’S POWER TO COMFORT
A. THROUGH THE HOPE IT GIVES
1. Paul wrote of the hope provided by the OT scriptures – Romans 15:4
2. The OT provides assurance of our hope in Christ, because it illustrates how God always keeps His promises
3. How much more so the NT, providing hope by revealing the grace to be shown when Christ comes again! – cf. 1 Peter 1:13
B. THROUGH THE PEACE IT GIVES
1. Especially as it reveals the means and source of true peace – Philippians 4:6-9
2. With such inner peace, nothing causes one to stumble – Psalms 119:165, 92-93
3. “In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength.” – Robert E. Lee
C. THROUGH THE HAPPINESS IT GIVES
1. Blessedness through the stability and nourishment it provides – Psalms 1:1-3
2. Note that this comes to the one engaged in daily Bible reading
Conclusion
1. To fulfill our need for God, we need the Bible
a. For God has spoken through prophets and His Son – cf. Hebrews 1:1-2
b. He has made His Word accessible to every nation and tongue – Romans 10:17-18
2. With the aid of the Bible, we can experience God’s power in our lives
a. As we learn the way of salvation, and accept it with an obedient faith
b. As we walk in the way of salvation, and receive the hope, peace, and happiness God gives
c. Great men have spoken of the value of the Bible:
– “Within the covers of this one single book, the Bible, are all the answers to all the problems we face today. If only we would read it and believe.” – Ronald Reagan
– “I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book.” – Abraham Lincoln
– “The Bible is worth more than all other books which have ever been printed.” – Patrick Henry
3. Is that our attitude toward the Bible?
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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