Leanna church of Christ

Today is Father’s Day. I hope that you will have the opportunity to visit with and express your love and appreciation to your dad today. However if that’s not possible, be sure to thank God for your dad and all he did for you while you were growing up.

As fathers we have a tremendous blessing and responsibility as a result of the children God has placed within our hands. The blessing of children is wonderful. The responsibility of raising these children is challenging. We can’t do it alone. We must rely on God to help us. He will if we’ll simply reach out to Him for help. In striving to be the fathers God wants us to be, may we always remember:

1. to pray to God for wisdom and guidance in raising our children. (James 1:5)
2. that little eyes are watching and hearing everything we do and say. Therefore let us strive to follow Jesus’ example in our own lives and thus teach our children to follow Him as well. (1 Corinthians 11:1)

What a great Vacation Bible School we enjoyed together this past week! Attendance was great every night reaching a high of 141 on Wednesday night. Thank you so much to everyone who worked so hard in all aspects of VBS to make this the greatest VBS we’ve had in years! It is truly a joy to work with you and serve among you here at Leanna. Please remember in prayer this morning about 25 of our number who are returning today from a weekend of fellowship and fun at Holiday World in Indiana.

I hope and pray for you a very Happy Father’s Day. I also hope that we will all allow the Father in heaven above to help each of us to be the children of His that He wants us to be. Keep looking to Jesus this week striving to Imitate Him in 2010. God bless you. I love you.

Kevin

Theme: Jungle Journey – Exploring the Nature of God
2 Samuel 7:22; Psalm 9:10
Ken Thomas Teaching the Adults Each Evening

Classes for All Ages

Lesson One: Sunday Morning 9:00 a.m. – God, Our Creator (Genesis 1:1-2:3)
Lesson Two: Sunday Evening 6:00 p.m. – God, Our Father (Genesis 2:7-3:24)
Lesson Three: Monday Evening 7:00 p.m. – God, Our Provider (Genesis 22:1-14)
Lesson Four: Tuesday Evening 7:00 p.m. – God, Our Strength (Exodus 17:8-16)
Lesson Five: Wednesday Evening 7:00 p.m. – God, Our Shepherd (Psalm 23)

What an exciting week we have before us with VBS starting this morning and continuing through Wednesday evening. May we all take advantage of every opportunity to be here to learn all we can about the nature of God and having a better relationship with Him through His Son Jesus. Let’s all strive to bring others with us each evening. Stay after VBS each evening for continued fellowship and food. Throughout each day of the week ahead, continue focusing on Jesus and His example He left us to follow as we strive to imitate Him more and more in our daily lives. God bless you. I love you.

Kevin

Theme: Jungle Journey – Exploring the Nature of God

Lesson One: Sunday Morning 9:00 a.m. – God, Our Creator (Genesis 1:1-2:3)
Lesson Two: Sunday Evening 6:00 p.m. – God, Our Father (Genesis 2:7-3:24)
Lesson Three: Monday Evening 7:00 p.m. – God, Our Provider (Genesis 22:1-14)
Lesson Four: Tuesday Evening 7:00 p.m. – God, Our Strength (Exodus 17:8-16)
Lesson Five: Wednesday Evening 7:00 p.m. – God, Our Shepherd (Psalm 23)

With Vacation Bible School one week from today, I want to encourage us all to make every effort to be a part of the whole week’s Bible School opportunities. What a great opportunity is before us to grow in our understanding of how our God is there for us to help and be with us in our daily lives! What a great opportunity is ours to bring others with us to help them learn of our great God and Savior and how He can be their God and Savior too! Pray for God to bless our Vacation Bible School in every way to His glory. Be here to get VBS kicked off during the Sunday School hour next Sunday morning starting at 9:00 a.m.

I want to commend you as a congregation for the great response in our missions contribution last Sunday. Over $5300 was given for local mission work efforts. Pray for our missions committee as they strive to use this money toward the growth of God’s kingdom here and Leanna and throughout Murfreesboro.

Continue to remember Trey Neal in your prayers and encourage him as he came forward last Sunday morning seeking the prayers of the church for God’s forgiveness and for help to be a better Christian as well as making better decisions in his life. Trey lives at 572 Meadowview Dr., Christiana 37037. Keep praying for Trey and encouraging him.

As we each go forth this week, let us not lose sight of Jesus. Keep focusing on Him as you strive to imitate Him a little more this week. God bless you. I love you.

Kevin

The letter to the Hebrews speaks often of what Christ has done for you and me. “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” (10:14) “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.” (10:12) Once you have come to Christ in faith and baptism, you are saved. (Gal. 3:26-27) “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” (10:17)

The work that Christ has done for you and me leads to the work He continues to do in each of our lives. “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.” (13:20-21) The good Shepherd died for us, and He continues to work in us to make us more like Himself in the world today.

Jesus works in us by His Spirit, and the Holy Spirit uses the word to work in us. (Rom. 8:9, 13; Eph. 6:17) All that the Holy Spirit does in our lives will be to bring glory to Christ. (Jn. 16:14) May we spend time in the word and allow the Spirit to work in us through the word. (1 Thess. 2:13) Then as we become more aware of God’s will for our lives, let us strive to put it into practice and allow the Spirit to produce His fruit in us. (Gal. 5:22-23)

Have you benefited from the work that Christ has done for you? Are you also continuing to benefit from the work He is now doing in your life as well? Keep striving to imitate Him more and more each day as you give yourself to benefit from the work Jesus has done and continues to do for you. God bless you. I love you.

Kevin

The sword of the Spirit is the word of God. (Eph. 6:17) “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12) We must remember that the Spirit of God uses the word of God to accomplish the will of God.

The “sword of the Spirit” must be used along with other tools for good to come forth. In Neh. 4:17-18, we see that Nehemiah had learned that the sword alone was not enough. Other tools were needed by his men for the task at hand. You can fight with the sword, but you can’t build with it by itself. As you use the “sword of the Spirit,” be sure to use other tools available so that building will occur at the same time.

The “sword of the Spirit” must be combined with prayer. After telling the brethren to put on the whole armor of God in Eph. 6:10-16, Paul concluded by saying, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit …” (Eph. 6:17-18) Praying always in the Spirit means that we will have God’s power at work in us to help the “sword of the Spirit” serve its intended purpose in our own lives.

The “sword of the Spirit” must also be combined with gentleness, patience, humility, and love. (2 Tim. 2:24-26; Eph. 4:14-16) We must always think about the other person when using the “sword of the Spirit.” Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Reach out to them in gentleness, patience, humility, and love, and they will be much more likely to listen and respond.

The “sword of the Spirit” is the word of God. It is to be used by every Christian to accomplish the will of God in our lives and the lives of others. It must, however, be used along with other tools to build up for good. Always pray for the sword of the word to penetrate your own heart in the way it needs to. Then go forth in gentleness, patience, humility, and love with the “sword of the Spirit.” God will then be working in and through you to bring forth fruit to His glory. As you strive to imitate Him a little more in the week ahead, do so with the “sword of the Spirit” leading you forth at all times. God bless you. I love you.

Kevin

I hope for all mothers here today a very Happy Mother’s Day. This day to honor mothers by expressing our love to them in word and action is something we should strive to do not just today but every day. “Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise.” (Eph. 6:2) Remember to honor your mother throughout the whole year, and allow today to be a springboard to do so.

As we go through the week ahead, may we each continue to look to Jesus and His example striving to Imitate Him a little more in our daily lives. God bless you. I love you.

Kevin

The month of May is already here. One third of 2010 is history. Oh how time continues to fly by! First I want to remind you to keep on striving to “Imitate Him in 2010.” Look to Jesus daily, especially focusing on His life and example. Keep trying to walk in a few more of His steps each day.

Next, with May here before us, I want to encourage you to Make Marks for the Master throughout the month. Do so this month by thinking of those graduates among us who are finishing high school or college and be listening for times to gather together and rejoice with them. Do so by participating in our church picnic at Barfield Crescent Park on Sunday, May 16, following morning worship. Bring friends with you to enjoy the fellowship and food. Finally do so by planning to give generously on Sunday, May 30, as the entire contribution on Sunday, May 30, will go toward missions and local evangelism efforts.

Commit now to Make Marks for the Master in May by sharing His love and giving of self to help and encourage others. God bless you. I love you.

Kevin

What a great day last Sunday was! I appreciate each of you who worked so hard inviting, preparing, and praying for Friends’ Day. Most importantly thank you to God for blessing our efforts as 282 assembled together to worship Him. A special thank you to all among us who worked so hard preparing so much delicious food for the fellowship and meal shared together following morning worship. God was truly glorified and all of us were built up in our faith. In going forth for our God today and every day in this beautiful time of year, remember to be a friend to everyone you come in contact with for Jesus, especially to those who are visiting our assembly to worship God with us each Sunday.

Much rejoicing took place last Sunday as one was restored to the Lord and three more confessed their faith in Jesus and were baptized into Christ. Jason Wrather responded to the Lord’s invitation for forgiveness and the prayers of the church Sunday morning. Carolyn Kelly, Allie Ross, and Shirley Thompson each confessed their faith in Jesus, repented, and were baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of all their sins by the power of His blood. Please continue to keep Jason, Shirley, Carolyn, and Allie in your daily prayers and encourage them as you have opportunity. Notice their addresses in today’s bulletin and drop them some notes in the mail too.

As we go forth today from worship, may God help each of us as His children to keep on imitating Him a little more this week in daily life. Make sure and block out Sunday afternoon, May 16, for our church picnic at Barfield Crescent Park following morning worship. God bless you. I love you.

Kevin

What a wonderful day this is to worship God! Some of you are visiting with us because a friend invited you to come and be with us to glorify God together. However you may be here because you saw an advertisement about Friends Day or are just visiting us because of your interest to worship God thinking about all He has done for you through the gift of His Son, Jesus the Christ. We do welcome you and hope that as we give glory and praise to God together, you will be encouraged in your faith and drawn closer to Him who died for you and rose again.

As we all go forward from our worship to God today, let us each renew our commitment to show Christ how much He is our friend by obeying His commands. (John 15:14) In so doing we will likewise be a friend to others as Jesus also said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

May Christ be our focus each day of this week as we strive to Imitate Him a little more. Be sure and stay after worship to enjoy continued fellowship and a meal together in the fellowship area of our education building. God bless you. I love you.

Kevin

Friends Day is next Sunday. I am very excited and looking forward to this great morning of worship and fellowship. What a great opportunity to bring a friend with you to worship God and think about Jesus who died for each of us and rose again. With 160 as our average attendance the last few weeks, we’ll have 320 here worshipping God next week with everyone bringing one friend with them. Let us each commit to doing our part by personally being here, bringing a friend with us who needs more of Jesus in their lives, and beseeching the Father in heaven to bless our worship to Him and efforts to encourage others to make Jesus their friend for life. Let us all plan on bringing food for ourselves and our guests as we stay for continued fellowship and a meal together after worship.

Each day of this glorious week before us, remember to focus on Jesus imitating Him in your daily life. I look forward to seeing you tonight for continued worship and study of God’s word. God bless you. I love you.

Kevin