[Biblemat] Walking in the Light (8/17/08)

Sun Aug 17 17:54:55 CDT 2008

Walking in the Light

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105)

August 17, 2008

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

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INFORMATION:

Walking in the Light is published each week by Richard Thetford. You are
encouraged to visit the web site at www.thetfordcountry.com
<http://www.thetfordcountry.com/>  and then click on "Richard's Home Page"
to view numerous sermons, articles, radio program scripts, class material
and other information. If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
"Walking in the Light," please send their name and e-mail address to
richard at thetfordcountry.com

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CONTENTS:

"What Manner of Persons Should We Be? (Richard Thetford)

"Complacency" (Glen Young)

"Ain't It Funny (Selected)

"Duck Church" (Selected)

SENTENCE SERMONS

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WHAT MANNER OF PERSONS SHOULD WE BE?

Richard Thetford

In 1 Peter 3:14 it says: "But even if you should suffer for righteousness'
sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be
troubled."  We need to be a child of God with a faith like that of Abel,
ready and willing to suffer any kind of persecution for the sake of Jesus.
Jesus gave His all for us - we should be willing to give our ALL for Him!

We Should Be....

Here are several scriptures that we can look up and be familiar with that
will show us what manner of persons we should be. From God's Word we can see
that we should be attentive (Heb 2:1), obedient (Matt 23:23), one who
imitates Christ (2 Thes 3:7), holy (2 Pet 3:11), pleasing to God (1 Thes
4:1), helpful (Acts 20:35), godly (2 Pet 3:11), prayerful (Luke 18:1),
peaceable (2 Pet 3:14), humble (John 13:14), blameless (2 Pet 3:14), loving
(1 John 3:16), and faithful (Matt 25:14-27) to name just a few.

Why Should We Be This Way?

We should strive to be this manner of person because we know that "all
things will be dissolved" someday (2 Pet 3:11). Christ is going to come
again (2 Pet 3:12), and we want to gain a home in heaven with Him (2 Pet
3:13). May we all strive to live a good Christian life here on earth so we
can live with our Father forever (Rev 2:10; 2 Pet 3:8-9).

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COMPLACENCY

Glen Young

The greatest problem facing the church, today, is complacency. The
dictionary defines complacency as, 'a feeling of quiet satisfaction.' Some
may ask, "What is wrong with that?" Where complacency exists, there is no
hunger or thirsting for righteousness (Matthew 5:6). Only those who have an
overwhelming desire for righteousness will give the necessary effort to
succeed. To possess something, we must first want it. I am afraid that we
have become so oriented to the pleasures of this world that we no longer
want to possess Heaven.

The feeling of quiet satisfaction produces self-righteousness. We have
become like the Pharisees of old. Although we don't put it into words, our
hearts pray, "God, I thank you that I am not like other men, robbers,
evildoers, adulterers. I attend services three times a week and give a tenth
of all I get." Our hearts have forgotten how to pray, "God, have mercy on
me, a sinner."" See Luke 18:10-13.

The feeling of quiet satisfaction cause us to demand of others what we do
not demand of ourselves. This is spiritual suicide. "Do not judge, or you
too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be
judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you
look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to
the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the
speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will
see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Matthew 7:1-5

Now you, Christian, if you call yourself a child of God, if you rely on the
Scriptures and brag about your relationship to God, if you know His will and
approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the teachings of
the New Testament, if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind,
a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a
teacher of infants, because you have in the doctrine of Christ the
embodiment of knowledge and truth, you, then, who teach others, do you not
teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, cheating, or breaking the
law, are you dishonest in your dealings with others? You who say that people
should not commit adultery, are you in a marriage which is adulterous
because you have an unscriptural divorce? You who abhor idols, do you
worship the gods of materialism and pleasure by devoting to them the
majority of your time? You who brag about book, chapter and verse, do you
dishonor God by your failure to handle aright the Word of Truth? As it is
written: "God's name is blasphemed among the ungodly because of you." See
Romans 2:17-24.

Complacency will destroy the Christian because it is like the Judas goat
which leads lambs to their deaths. The Christian follows, feeling satisfied
and happy, then comes destruction. "Then I will tell them plainly, I never
knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" Matthew 7:23.

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AIN'T IT FUNNY

Selected

* How we set our clocks to arise at 5:00 A.M. to be at the job by 7:30; yet,
when Sunday comes we can't get to the church building for the 9:30 A.M.
Bible study to learn more about the one who gave us our jobs.

* How we call God our Father and Jesus our brother; but find it hard to
introduce them to our family and friends.

* How small our sins seem; but how big ""their" sins are.

* How we demand justice for others; but expect mercy from God.

* How much difficulty some have learning the gospel well enough to tell
others; but how simple it is to understand and explain the latest gossip
about someone else.

* How we can't think of anything to say when we pray; but don't have any
difficulty thinking of things to talk about to a human friend.

* How we are so quick to take directions from a total stranger when we are
lost; but are hesitant to take God's direction for our lives.

ARE THESE THINGS REALLY FUNNY?

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DUCK CHURCH

Selected

One fine Sunday morning, the ducks gathered for duck church. They waddled
into their duck pews, sang from their duck song books, and listened to their
duck preacher. The duck preacher said, "Ducks, you don't have to waddle. You
have wings like eagles. You can fly! Fly, ducks, fly! The ducks all said,
"Amen, Amen!" Then, when the service was over, the ducks got up and waddled
home.

New Testament Application: "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer,
he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes
himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was." (James
1:22-24)

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SENTENCE SERMONS

God puts the church in the world, but Satan puts the world in the church.

To grow tall spiritually, a man must first learn to kneel.

Jealousy is to the soul what sickness is to the body.

Revenge is sorta like biting a dog because the dog bites you.

If you must kill time, be sure it is your own.

People look at preachers out of the pulpit to know what they mean when in
it.

Experience should increase our wisdom and reduce our follies.

If we let God guide, He will provide.

Even folks on the level will have their ups and downs.

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SERMON

Our Priorities of Life (With PowerPoint Charts) 

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

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1414 Hawk Parkway, Unit C

Montrose, CO   81401

(970) 626-5558

www.sanjuanchurchofchrist.org <http://www.sanjuanchurchofchrist.org/> 

ASSEMBLY SCHEDULE

Sunday

Bible Study..........10:00 A.M.

Worship......11:00 A.M.

Wednesday

Bible Study......6:30 P.M.

Evangelist/Editor

Richard Thetford

Building: (970) 249-8116

Home: (970) 626-5558

E-Mail: richard at thetfordcountry.com

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

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RICHARD THETFORD

1491 Canyon Drive

Ridgway, CO  81432

(970) 626-5558

E-Mail:  <mailto:richard at thetfordcountry.com> richard at thetfordcountry.com

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

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