“Why You Should Be a Christian”

There are many reasons why one should be a Christian. We all want to know reasons ‘why”?

Children learn early in life to ask, “Why?” In this lesson we will look at several reasons one should

be (or remain) a Christian!

One should be a Christian because a sinner is unfit to meet God! Man is separated from God

by sin. Isaiah 59:1-2. “Behold the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save; neither

His ear heavy that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your

God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear.” All accountable

people have sinned. Romans 3:23. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of

God”. 1 John 1:8. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not

in us.” A sinner is in a lost condition. Ephesians 2:12-13. “That at time ye were without

Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of

promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” One cannot live in sin, and be a

Christian at the same time! Matthew 6:24. “No man can serve two masters; for either he

will hate the one, and love the other; or he will hold to one and despise the other. Ye cannot

serve God and mammon.” A choice must be made by all. It is either the lord’s way, or else.

One should be a Christian, because God has provided salvation. Even when we were lost,

God loved us. Ephesians 2:4. “But God who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith

He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by

grace ye are saved).” The blood of Christ is necessary to our salvation. Hebrews 9:22.

“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood and without the shedding of blood

Cla

ss &

Serm

on T

itle

s

Marc

h 2

0,

2016

Sun

day A

M C

lass

“O

ur

Con

gre

gati

on

”

Sun

day A

M S

erm

on

“Wh

y Y

ou

Sh

ou

ld b

e a

Ch

risti

an

”

Sun

day P

M S

erm

on

“Serv

ice H

eld

– B

y t

he Y

ou

ng M

en

“

“Wedn

esday P

M C

lass –

3/23/16

“2 C

ori

nth

ian

s, C

hapte

r 8”

****

****

****

Hea

r:

Ro

man

s 1

0:1

7;

Mat

t. 7

:24,

25

Bel

iev

e:

Heb

rew

11

:6;

John

3:1

6

Rep

ent:

A

cts

2:3

8,

Act

s 1

7:3

0;

Lu

ke1

3:3

Co

nfe

ss:

Mat

thew

10

:32

; A

cts

8:3

6, 3

7

Be

Ba

pti

zed

: A

cts

22

:16

; 1

Pet

. 3

:20

, 2

1;

Mar

k 1

6:1

6;

Gal

atia

ns

3:2

7

Rem

ain

Fa

ith

ful:

R

evel

atio

n 2

:10

EL

DE

RS

Jim

Gro

ves

417-2

56

-50

92

Jam

es T

. G

un

ter

4

17

- 25

7-7

785

L

arr

y H

all

4

17

- 2

56

-85

13

To

m M

cGo

ldri

ck 4

17

-25

6-3

44

5

DE

AC

ON

S

Bil

l A

lsu

p

4

17

-293

-56

25

Mic

ha

el C

ock

rum

417

-27

4-3

295

Ch

uck

Hu

bb

ell

8

70

-378

-76

09

T

on

y K

erle

y

573

-71

4-2

09

6

Cla

y M

orr

iso

n

4

17

-256

-36

57

Hen

ry P

erry

4

17

-25

6-2

10

9

Cli

ff S

hip

ley

4

17

-25

7-8

99

1

La

nce

Sh

iple

y

41

7-2

93

-93

65

Bil

l S

tin

e

417

-29

3-0

01

6

Aa

ron

Sy

do

w

4

17

-24

7-1

97

1

Jef

f W

ood

4

17

-27

4-1

50

5

PR

EA

CH

ER

La

rry

Ya

rber

Ho

me:

41

7-9

62

-52

29

larr

yya

rber

@ce

ntu

ryte

l.n

et

Loeta Barr, Floyd & Marcella

Brown, Ted Clarke, Imogene Dold,

Monna Farmer, Melissa Givens,

Larry Grisham, Wayne Halford,

Mary Henry, Everett Johnson,

May Ann Legler, Kelly Marsh,

Mary Sue Marsh, Bettie Maxwell,

Linda Perry, Charles Riley, Gerry

Roberts, Eddie Robinson, Betty

Sage, Gene Shellabarger, Lois

Shelton, Donna Shipley, Linda

Ward, Leona Willard, Gail Wolff

& Sibyl Wright.

BrookeHaven Sue Ellen Moore

National HealthCare Loeta Barr

Imogene Dold

Jackie Wells

Velnora Wilkening

Pleasant Valley Manor Leota Crawford

Dorothy Luna

Pat McFarland Joe Powell

West Vue Louise Cook

Elsie Croney

JoAnn Eagleman

Bobby Jo Gish

Hazel Henry

Dennis Smithson

Lucy Tackitt

Charlie Ward

CHURCH OF CHRIST “I was glad when they said unto me; Let us go into

the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1)

111 South Curry St.

West Plains, MO 65775

417-256-3925

currycofc@centurytel.net

Office Hours 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. / T - F

COME JOIN US IN OUR

WORSHIP!

Sunday Bible Study 9:30 a.m.

Classes for all ages!

Morning Worship 10:30 a.m.

Evening Worship 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday

Bible Study 7:00 p.m.

KJV Requested For Pulpit, Classrooms & Scripture Reading.

Ch

urc

h o

f C

hri

st

11

1 S

. C

urr

y S

t.

We

st

Pla

ins

, M

O

65

77

5

R

eturn

Ser

vic

e

R

eques

ted

No

n-P

rofi

t

Org

.

U.S

. P

ost

ag

e

PA

ID

Perm

it N

o. 95

West

Pla

ins,

MO

6

577

5

Those We Love In

Need Of Prayer

Nursing Home

Residents

Volume 30, No. 11, March 20, 2016

www.cschurchofchrist.church

Room 201

Room D11

Room D2

Room A13

Room C12

Room 206

Room 405

Room 505

Room 404

Room 327

Room 425

Room 404

Room 412

Room 713

Room 411

Room 602

Room 808

By: Gene Bench

Continued on page 3

AREA WIDE MEETINGS

(Flyers posted on bulletin board in the foyer)

Gospel Meeting with Ivie Powell

March 20 – March 23

Gospel Hill Church of Christ

Pottersville, MO

21st Annual Doniphan church of Christ

Ladies Day

“Think on these things”

Saturday, April 2, 2016

Fordland church of Christ

Annual Ladies Retreat

April 1-2, 2016

“Let the Beauty of Jesus Be Seen In Me!”

Guest Speaker: Cindy Colley

Crider church of Christ

Gospel Meeting

April 10-13, 2016 lectures

Bill Dillon

Mammoth Spring church of Christ

3rd

& Bethel

April 17 – 20

Billy Bland Instructor at Memphis

School of Preaching

Annual Ladies’ Day

East Oakland church of Christ

Saturday – April 16, 2016

March

Birthdays &

Anniversaries

March 20 - 26, 2016

20 – Shelby & Evonna Adkisson

22 – Randy Griffin

23 – Anna Lee Cherry

24 – Elberta Biltoft

Ashley Cotter

Gene & Louise Ledbetter

26 – Marietta Caldwell

A Warm Welcome To Our Visitors!

We want to welcome each and every one

of you to our worship services today! We

hope you will stay after services, so that we

may become better acquainted with you! If you would, please fill out an attendance card

located in the pew in front of you and drop it into

the collection plate, so that we may have a record of

your attendance.

Happy Anniversary to

Shelby & Evonna Adkisson!

Groups 1 & 2 and Groups 3 & 4

**If you have not picked up your directory

pages, they are located in the foyer.

WORKDAY HERE AT THE CHURCH BUILDING 8:00 AM SATURDAY, APRIL 2ND

Fill in the Blank:

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise,

and the ____________shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the ______ that are therein shall be ________ ___. Answer from last week: repay

Congregational News

PLEASE KEEP

IN PRAYER

Loeta Barr, Imogene Dold,

Mary Sue Marsh, & Gene Shellabarger

(Sara Sydow’s dad)

Remember all those who are having struggles at

this time.

Search a Word

PROVERBS, CHAPTER ONE

F E F I L M I F F U S E D A E H

N O B L O U T E N O S P L E E T

I N O D T U C K B L E I I S P O

A U S R R I G A I L O R O R E O

G I R N P N O S E P O O E M I F

W H I M O E A R S C H O O H O T

U N A M B L R O N C H I D E T O

G O A K L A W F Y L I V I R P Y

O D E S U F E R B U G G E D A W

K W I L Q U A I R B A R K S O T

R M I U A N T A E L E C A L O E

U S I T S U L K V W O H L C L D

L E T W H I G U O M H A O P E E

T R E E V O T H R O W O M L I T

F R E E Z E U A P S T I L E D A

S O S O H W I T H E S T N E T H

ALIVE PRIVILY AMONG PROVERB

ANSWER QUIET BEHOLD REFUSED BLOOD

REPROOF CHOOSE SIMPLE FOOT SPIRIT

FORSAKE SPOIL GAIN SWALLOW GRACE

THEREOF HATED TURNING HEAD WALK

LAUGH WHOLE LIFE WHOSO LURK WISDOM

MOCK WITHOUT

“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead,

being alone. James 2:17

*****************************

A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. James 1:8

Reminder: The visitation groups will meet after evening services in the small auditorium.

*****************

Mark Your Calendar!

Gospel Meeting at

Curry Street

April 3 – April 6, 2016

“Revive Me Oh Lord!” Sunday AM Class: “Little Known Facts about

the Bible”

Sunday AM Sermon: “Were You There When

They Crucified My Lord?”

Sunday PM Sermon: “Up From the Grave

He Arose!”

Monday PM Class: “Jesus Loves Me”

Tuesday PM Class: “5 Views of Mk 16:16”

Wednesday PM Class: “Words Written on an

Asylum Wall”

*“STRENGTHENING YOUR MARRIAGE or I MARRIED WHO?” *7:00 PM – Small Auditorium *MARCH 24TH *IVIE POWELL - INSTRUCTOR. (Week 5)

is no remission.” Thus our Lord shed His blood on the cross, that all men, by obedience to

His will, may be saved. 1 John 1:7. “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we

have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanseth us

from all sin.”

One should be a Christian, because life is uncertain1 Life here is uncertain, but the

hereafter is certain! Life is a vapor. James 4:13-15. “Go to now ye that say, today or

tomorrow we will go unto such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get

gain. Whereas ye know not what is on the morrow, for what is your life? It is even a

vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanishes away. For that ye ought to say, if

the Lord will, we shall live and do this, or that.” The Apostle Peter reminds us how brief

our stay is in this life. 1 Peter 1:24. “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man is

as the flower of grass, the grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.” When we

realize how brief our time is, we should see the urgency of our need to prepare!

One should be a Christian, because certain punishment awaits those who reject Christ!

Hebrews 9:27. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment!”

We will all be there to receive judgment according to our works. Revelation 20:12. “And

I saw the dad, small and the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things

which were written in the books, according to their works.” We are told the righteous will

“scarcely be saved” 1 Peter 4:17. “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the

house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall be the end be of them that obey not the

gospel of God! And if the righteous “scarcely be saved”, where shall the ungodly and the

sinner appear?” It will be by God’s grace that any will be saved! That will be a fearful

time to stand before our Lord unprepared! Hebrews 10:26 – 27. “For if we sin willfully

after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice

for sins. But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall

devout the adversaries.”

There are many reasons why one should be (or remain) a Christian. Only the Christian has

the promise of eternal life in Heaven. Why would you risk another moment in failing to do

the Lord’s will? Obedience to Him now, will by God’s grace give you access to that

wonderful place that Christ has prepared for all the obedient!

YOU MAKE THE CHOICE Toney L. Smith

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods” (Joshua 24:15 16).

Multitudes are yet standing at the crossroads of decisions… deciding which road to take. The prophet Joel penned these words, “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision” (Joel 3:14). Every person must answer the question found in Matthew 27:22, “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?” We cannot make this soul-saving decision for our families nor any of our loved ones. Every man must decide which master we will serve (Luke 16:13). We often sing a song that asks the question; “What will ye do with Jesus…?” What we do with Jesus demonstrates the choice we have made.

Every person will be called upon to choose between two opposing rulers. It is utterly impossible to render acceptable service to both at the same time. Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). He alone has the authority to reign and rule in our lives, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). Of Paul addressed this subject in 1 Corinthians 15:25; “For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.” Yes, Jesus Christ is the supreme ruler and master. As such, we should serve Him with joy, loyalty, and undivided allegiance. However, we must remember the presence of another who wants to be our ruler. He continually seeks to take over our lives and become our master (1 Peter 5:8). Satan is the master and rulers in the lives of men who love the world (1 John 2:15-17). Paul describes him as the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:1 2). Therefore, we must face the fact, the inescapable fact, that there are two who rule in the lives of men, and we must choose one or the other. There are no other choices! The choices we make have far-reaching rewards as well as consequences. In this life, the path we take will most assuredly affect the lives of others. Paul said, “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men” (2 Corinthians 3:2). We are all writing an epistle. It will be either a good one or one that could lead others astray. Our homes today are desperately in need of parents who are teaching their children what it means to make right choices. They should be guided in the ways of

“Why You Should Be a Christian: (Acts 26:27-29) ” By Gene Bench

the Lord, “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

Many will stand in the judgment, facing eternity realizing that they had lived their lives following the wrong master. They built their lives upon an improper foundation and will recognize their fatal mistake far too late. We must realize that we build our lives upon the gospel of Christ or based on the doctrines of men. Every life sits upon one of two foundations. “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:24-27). Joshua encouraged Israel to “choose ye this day whom ye shall serve.” Choices are extremely important for both today and eternity. Remember… “There is just one way to the pearly gate.”

THE DIVISIONS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT Jesse Stephens

No doubt each of us, to some degree or another, can recall our younger days when we were sitting in a

Bible class and someone taught us that the New Testament can be divided into four sections: the

Gospels, History, Letters, and Revelation. Most adults understand the divisions of the New Testament,

as well as their importance. Sadly, however, far too many do not understand the importance of keeping

everything in its proper place and viewing it from the proper perspective. When you apply statements

made to Christians to non-Christians, you run into serious contextual problems. In this article I want

look at the divisions of the New Testament and examine why they are important.

Every trip that we take, we make plans to get from point A to point B. We will systematically set down

and plan our trip. When you think about it, you will see that the divisions of the New Testament are

actually systematic plans, from start to finish, for our trip to heaven.

The Gospels tells us of the life, actions, and teaching of Jesus the Christ, the Messiah of God. Without

the Gospel accounts of the events in the life of Christ, we would not know who Jesus is. John, an

apostle of Jesus Christ, gave us the purpose of the gospel when he stated, “And many other signs truly

did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that

ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through

his name.” (John 20:30-31).

The next section commonly called history records the beginning and growth of the church. It’s

interesting to note, that this is the only book in the Bible that gives comprehensive, detailed

instructions on becoming a Christian. What is also interesting is the fact that each step in the

conversion process can be traced back to the teachings of Jesus. The steps of salvation are:

1. Hearing the message from heaven. Jesus said, “… blessed are they that hear the word of God,

and keep it. (Luke 11:28). Compare that to Acts 2:22, “…hear these words…”

2. Faith or believing that Christ is the Messiah. Jesus said, in John 8:24, “…ye shall die in your

sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” Compare that to Acts 8:37,

“If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest…”

3. Repentance is another step toward heaven. Jesus said in Luke 13:3, “…except ye repent, ye

shall all likewise perish.” Compare that with Acts 2:38, “…repent and be baptized for the

remission of sins…”

4. Confessing Christ as the Son of God. Jesus said, Matthew 10:32, “Whosoever therefore shall

confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.” The

Ethiopian stated, “…I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” (Acts 8:37).

5. Baptism. Jesus commanded his disciples to preach the gospel and that, “He that believeth and

is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16:16). We see

this put into every example of conversion recorded in the book of Act. For example, compare

Acts 2:38, “…repent and be baptized for the remission of sins…”

The letters is the division of the New Testament. They are important because they teach us how to live,

and worship as Christians. 1 Tim 3:15, “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest

to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of

the truth.”

The last division of the New Testament is the book of Revelation. Revelation is very important to you

and I is Christians as well as as to those who are not Christians. It has been stated that the core of

Revelation is simply “a warning to the sinners and a comfort to the Saints.” Rev 22:14-15, “Blessed

are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in

through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers,

and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”

In light of what we have just stated, it’s easy to see why the divisions of the New Testament

truly are an explicit roadmap to heaven.