[Biblemat] Walking in the Light (2/18/07)

Tue Feb 20 23:46:40 CST 2007

Walking in the Light

"For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light."
"The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the
simple." 

"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with
one another...."
(Psalm 36:9; 119:130; 1 John 1:7a)

February 18, 2007

www.thetfordcountry.com <http://www.thetfordcountry.com/> 

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INFORMATION: My WEB Site  <http://www.thetfordcountry.com/>
www.thetfordcountry.com has just been updated to include the articles and
sermons listed below. All the sermons posted each week to my web site are in
.pdf format.  The PowerPoint charts are also included with ALL the sermons
that are posted to the web site. To access the sermons page, visit the site
and click on "Richard's Page" and then click on "sermons." Please visit the
"Reference Works" links page for updated links to various Bible study
resources. If you are a newcomer to the area or wanting information
concerning the Valley church of Christ here in Grand Junction, Colorado,
then click on the Valley church of Christ Web Site,
<http://www.valleychurchofchrist.net/> www.valleychurchofchrist.net. Thank
you for visiting my web site and as always, your comments are welcome. 

If you know of someone that would like to receive the "Walking in the Light"
electronic bulletin each week, please send an e-mail message to
<mailto:Richard at Thetfordcountry.com> Richard at Thetfordcountry.com  with their
name and e-mail address and I will add them to the list.

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CONTENTS:

"The Parable of the Talents" (Richard Thetford)

"Worry, Anxiety" (Hoyt Houchen)

"Avoiding Temptation" (Richard Thetford)

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THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS

Richard Thetford

In the book of Matthew, chapter 25, verses 14-24 we can read the parable of
the talents. In this parable one individual received five talents, another
two and another one. Some may question whether the distribution of the
talents given these individuals was just since there was unequal
distribution. In this parable, verse 15 says "to every man according to his
ability." This was an exhibition of divine economy. Each man received all
that he was competent to use. In other words, they only got what they could
handle.

How did the servants use the talents that were given them? We read where the
one that had five gained five more. The one that had two gained two more and
the one that had one buried it and gained nothing more. When the man
returned to find how his servants used their talents we read where the five
and two talent men were blessed because they put their talents to use and
gained more. But the man who buried his only talent was cursed. 

What lessons can we learn from this parable? First of all the Lord fully
expects every man to act in His service according to his ability. God never
has expects us to do more than we can do, but He certainly expects us to do
the best we can with what we have. Secondly, limited talent is no excuse for
not doing the Lord's service. Each of us has some talent and that talent
should be used for the Lord. Finally, we will be rewarded according to our
faithfulness and not according to the results. God expects Christians to
plant the seed and do the watering. When we do that, then we give God the
opportunity to increase.

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WORRY, ANXIETY

Hoyt Houchen

Question: How can I deal with worry, anxiety?

Reply: Worry is a common problem and no doubt a reason that the Scriptures
say so much about it. For example, Jesus taught in Matthew 6:31, "Be not
therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or,
Wherewith shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles
seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of these things."
This is the conclusion of what Jesus had said in the previous verses about
worry, or anxiety. He had shown his disciples that they should trust in God
and not uncertainty. The principle is that God will provide the necessities
of life if we will place confidence in him. The problem with most of us is
that we given more attention to the everyday physical necessities such as
food, clothing and shelter than to spiritual matters. Our Lord climaxed his
teaching on worry, or anxiety, when he said: "But seek ye first his kingdom,
and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (v.
33).

Paul admonished his brethren at Philippi: "In nothing be anxious; but in
everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7,8).
How do we cope with worry? How do we overcome it? Both in the teaching of
Jesus in Matthew 6 and that of Paul in Philippians 4:6,7 is the solution to
worry. It is trust God. Most of us make God powerless by supposing that he
is not capable of ruling his universe. We take life's situations into our
own hands and forget that God has promised to supply our needs.

The basic cause of worry is a lack of faith in the promises of God -- a
failure to trust God. Our lack of faith results from not studying the word
of God which supplies faith. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the
word of God" (Rom. 10:17).

When we trust God we will take our burdens to him in prayer. Hear Paul
again: "In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Phil. 4:6). The
idea is to let the things we seek be made known to God. Thanksgiving should
accompany our requests -- not only for the many blessings which our Heavenly
Father has already bestowed upon us, but for the very privilege of being
able to make our requests known. He is "able to do exceeding abundantly
above all that we ask or think" (Eph. 3:20).

We all need to stop this foolishness of worrying ourselves into nervous
wrecks and remember that God is on his throne; he is capable of running his
affairs; he is always accessible and he never becomes weary from our
requests. When we trust in God and believe his precious promises, we will go
to him in prayer. This relieves us of worry, thus giving us "the peace of
God, which passeth all understanding" (Phil. 4:7). In place of being ruled
by fear, worry and anxiety, our hearts and our thoughts will be guarded by
"the peace of God." This peace is another of the great promises which God
will keep, if we will but trust him. Jesus told his apostles: "Peace I leave
with you; my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto
you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful" (Jn. 14:27).

Let us trust God, go to him in prayer and believe that his promises are
true. It is only when we do these things that we can deal with worry,
anxiety.

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AVOIDING TEMPTATION

Richard Thetford

Oh how much easier A Christian's walk would be if there was not any
temptation confronting us that we had to deal with. James 1:14 says "But
every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed".
Temptation is an enticement that appears so appetizing to us that often
times we get carried away with it and give into it. Is God tempting us? No.
God cannot be tempted by evil (James 1:13). Satan is the one that puts those
"dangling carrots" in front of us (1 Cor 7:5; Mar 1:13) so that we will turn
from God. Life is a test of endurance for the Lord and we will prevail if we
overcome temptation. We are tempted in various ways such as through our eyes
(1 John 2:16), the lust of the flesh (Jam 1:14), the pride of life (1 John
2:16), and through our own covetousness (1 Tim 6:9). How do we avoid
temptation? By trusting in God and keeping Him in our lives daily. We need
to strive to be godly as Peter emphasizes in 2 Peter 2:9. WE can further
avoid temptation by: Not giving Satan the advantage (1 Cor 7:5), prayer
(Matt 6:13; Luke 22:40), and by taking the way of escape (1 Cor 10:13).
Remember, temptations are set before us to test us. Are you passing the
test?

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SERMONS

NO NEW SERMONS THIS WEEK

Sermons can viewed at my web site:  <http://www.thetfordcountry.com/>
www.thetfordcountry.com

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Valley

CHURCH OF CHRIST

Meets at:
491 Sparn Street
Grand Junction, CO   81504
(970) 245-5112

 <http://www.valleychurchofchrist.net/> www.valleychurchofchrist.net

ASSEMBLY SCHEDULE

SUNDAY
Bible Study..................9:45 A.M.
Morning Worship.......10:45 A.M.
Evening Worship.........5:00 P.M.

WEDNESDAY
Bible Study..................7:00 P.M.

Evangelist
Richard Thetford

Building: (970) 245-5112
Home:     (970) 314-7261

E-Mail:  <mailto:Richard at Thetfordcountry.com> Richard at Thetfordcountry.com

Web Site:  <http://www.thetfordcountry.com/> www.thetfordcountry.com

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Richard Thetford

E-Mail:  <mailto:Richard at Thetfordcountry.com> Richard at Thetfordcountry.com

1918 Barberry Court, Grand Junction, CO  81506

Home: (970) 314-7261

Please visit my web site:  <http://www.thetfordcountry.com>
www.thetfordcountry.com

Evangelist, Valley church of Christ

 <http://www.valleychurchofchrist.net> www.valleychurchofchrist.net

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