Satan’s Thinking Traps for Relationships…Feb. 15th

Waterview church of Christ is excited to host the 2nd Annual Marriage Enrichment Seminar; One Man, One Woman, For Life. This year we are proud to welcome one of the outstanding professors from Harding University, Joe BrumfieldDr. Joe Brumfield. His topic Sunday morning will examine some of the ‘thinking traps’ Satan has set in an attempt to derail our marriages.

And since we are daily bombarded by a culture that embraces anything but “One Man, One Woman, For Life,” we must be all the more diligent to hold fast to God’s plan for marriage. We say we value strong marriages, but are we preparing for Satan’s attacks on our relationships. Are we on the alert for the snares the devil has laid out?  Sunday morning we’ll examine some of “Satan’s Thinking Traps for Relationships.”


“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.”
I Corinthians 14:15

Sunday morning, February 15, 2015

The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.

Strong tower“The Lilly of the Valley” – 548

A spiritual song that has been in our hymnals since the late 1800’s. Perhaps we sing these old songs without much thought, but notice what we’ll say in the second verse; “…in temptation He’s my strong and might tower (Proverbs 18:10); I have all for Him forsaken and all my idols tore from my heart, and now He keeps me by His power. (Now notice this…) Tho’ all the world forsake me, and Satan tempt me sore, through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal…” When we realize our strength comes from God, and when we rip the ‘idols’ from our life, we are heaven bound regardless of the traps Satan sets for us. But we’ll only make it ‘through the blood of Jesus Christ!’

 

“Great Are You Lord” – no book

A simple but clear proclamation we sing in this contemporary hymn,“Holy Lord, Most Holy Lord. You alone are worthy of my praise! Holy and true…Great are You, Lord!”

“In Memory of the Savior’s Love” – 335

Remembering our Savior’s sacrifice we also remember His commandment; “This is My body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” I Corinthians 11:24 and “This is cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” I Corinthians 11:25. So we sing together…“In memory of the Savior’s love we keep the sacred feast…”

“Lead Me Gently Home, Father”823father and son

While the collection plate is being passed we’re reminded that this world is temporary. As a matter of fact, as we face ‘life’s toils,’ ‘life’s darkest hours,’ and ‘sore trials’ we have hope in knowing that our Father is leading us gently home. Only never forget; “Be Thou near to keep me, take me as Thine own, for I cannot live without Thee…Lead me gently home.”

“None of Self, And All of Thee” – 695

Before our lesson this morning, and as we consider the traps Satan has laid out, we must never forget his attempt to distract us with our greatest struggle…self. This spiritual song takes us from self worship to Godly worship. Sadly, too many of us would stop after verse 2 or 3. But without completing this song with verse four…we rest comfortably in Satan’s snare.

“Purer in Heart” – 671

Perhaps this wouldn’t classify as your typical invitation song, but notice the message; “Purer in heart, O God, help me to be…”  That’s the opening line, the initial statement from each of the verses we’ll sing this morning. And the the message contained in the last verse is clear; “Keep me from secret sin, reign Thou my soul within…” Will we admit, do we truly believe, that there is secret sin in our life? When we do, we’re on our way to recognizing and overcoming, through Christ, Satan’s traps.

“When Morning Comes” – 985

I like how this closing song starts off; “Trials dark on every hand and we cannot understand all the ways that God will lead us to His blessed promised land…” But perhaps more fitting is the reminder that we will understand it better soon (by and by). And just to get one more push for our message this morning, we’ll sing the 3rd verse too; “Temptations, hidden snares, often take us unawares…” Husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, be prepared for Satan’s Thinking Traps for your Relationship. With Christ to guide us, with our Christian brothers and sisters to encourage us and with God to lead us…we will understand it better by and by!

What We See…Feb. 23rd

One of the associate ministers at Waterview church of Christ, Robert Taylor, will bring the Sunday morning lesson as he combines the Word of God with a report of his latest mission trip to Nicaragua.

As a disciple of Christ, we are called to take the gospel to the world, whether that Nicaragua1‘world’ is across the alley or across the equator. Giving a quarter on Sunday morning (during our ‘quarterly’ quarter collection) will help feed hungry children in the breakfast program that we support in Nicaragua. So as I give a quarter, or give my time, to show someone Christ I must first be willing to open my eyes to a lost and dying world. Then we must be prepared for what we will see.

“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.”
I Corinthians 14:15

Sunday morning, February 23, 2014

The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.

“To God Be the Glory” 4

“Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord! Let the earth hear His voice…” A beautiful song (hymn) of praise. But ask yourself, ‘how great is YOUR rejoicing?’ We conclude the third verse with the assurance that when this life is over and when we see Jesus, our joy (our rejoicing) will be, ‘purer and higher and greater.’

“Thomas’ Song” – 269

A moving, spiritual song that takes the account of John chapter 20 and recalls what Thomas might have said/thought during the days after Christ’s death. Remembering the death of my parents, I would often think how comforting it would be to see them again. To reach out and touch their hands and talk to them again. Perhaps Thomas had the same thoughts as we sing, ‘…if I could only hold Your hand…’

“I Love to Tell the Story” – 659

Just singing the third verse of this old hymn we’ll be thinking about giving to help the work in Nicaragua. We love to tell the story, but why? This verse makes it clear, ‘…for some have never heard.’

“He Is Able” – 213

New to some, this song accentuates the message from the scripture reading this morning, Ephesians 3:20, 21. “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think…” Our God is able to take these few small quarters and change the lives of so many lost ones. Robert will report that at least two have been baptized into Christ through this breakfast program. He is able, more than able…

open our eyes

“Open Our Eyes” – 766

Open our eyes that we may see and open our ears that we may hear…a message many of us should do more than just sing. But what am I looking for? What should I be listening to? The simple, short answer: Jesus

“There is a Redeemer” – 287

Before our lesson this morning we’ll echo the praise from this contemporary song. The soprano and tenor voices lead us through the verses, but we all join together in the chorus as we proclaim, “Thank You, oh my Father, for giving us Your Son, and leaving Your Spirit till the work on earth is done!”


“None of Self and All of Thee”
– 695

Not under compulsion, but willingly do we sing this commitment. Notice the building of our ‘faith’ (and volume) as we go from all of self to none of Thee, to some of self and some of Thee, to less of self and more of Thee.  But without this final verse the whole song is empty. Our voices ring as we praise our God with a commitment to Him; “Higher than the highest heavens, deeper than the deepest sea, Lord, Thy love at last has conquered, “None of self and all of Thee!”

“The Lily of the Valley” – 548

As we pass the collection plate on Sunday morning we sing a ‘love song’ finding it’s root in Song of Solomon. Perhaps the most stiring of the words within this song come in the second verse. We sing of how He has taken all our griefs and our sorrows to bear for us. And when we’re tempted, He’s our strength. But when you sing the next line notice your resolve, “I have all for Him forsaken and all my idols torn from my heart…” Will you, have you, torn the world out of your life, or does it still hold on?

“Let the Lower Lights Be Burning” – 642

We’ll conclude our time together with a song that encourages us to keep shining our lights to a dark and desperate world. We are the lower lights that direct lost souls to the Lighthouse. The question you have to ask is whether or not you’re keeping the watch for some poor fainting, struggling seaman. Trim your feeble lamp, my brother!