Central Haywood church of Christ – Page 10 – Central Haywood Church of Christ

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Central Haywood church of Christ

What We Need to Succeed

Brian R. Kenyon

Being successful in anything constructive does not just happen accidentally. Not only does being successful in a business or profession take hard work and sacrifice, other things also must fall into place, without which, success would be impossible. Being successful in the Lord is no different. Not only does it take deliberate effort and sacrifice, but success also involves the right things falling into place. Fortunately for the Christian, those necessary things falling into place are provided by the Lord. Let us consider three things that are needed in order to succeed in the sight of the Lord.

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October 9, 2022

A prayer for growth.

Eph. 3:14-19.

I am certain that you, like myself, are praying for the growth of the Lord’s church here and throughout the world. Regularly, I am praying for growth especially in the ways that the Lord wants us to grow but what is that. True growth is so much more than simply metrics like attendance numbers or contribution amounts. Real growth is growing in grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18). It is growing in our understanding of and imitation of Jesus (Eph. 4:15-16) in our daily lives.

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October 2, 2022

Introduction to 2 Peter.

Although it is often overlooked, 2 Peter is an important book and makes several significant contributions to the New Testament. It was written by the apostle Peter to a group of Christians who were facing increasing hardships for their faith. Interestingly, it was written as more of a farewell address (2 Peter 1:12-15) than a letter. It was as if Peter knew his time was ending and he wanted to take what time remained to reinforce the church. This letter follows a simple rhetorical style that itself is a great outline.

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September 25, 2022

The challenge of Christian growth.

One of the things I learned to enjoy in my life is my quiet time. During this time, usually the first hour of my day, I read scripture, pray, and write in a journal. My goal for this is simply to write down how I’m feeling about life, faith, and struggles, reflecting on my actions and feelings. I will write down verbatim the prayers for the Lord’s help in the areas I am struggling. I shouldn’t be but often I am surprised that during that quiet time, I find comfort and wisdom for the very things that are hurting me. I’ve come to accept that the Lord uses this time to help me reflect on His will and Word and how that should be used during the struggles.

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September 18, 2022

An introduction to 1 Peter.

The epistle of 1 Peter was written to Christians living in the northern part of Asia minor called Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. These Christians were facing persecution because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Peter writes to encourage them to stand strong amid the persecution that was coming. He wanted them to stay fully committed to Jesus no matter the cost.

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September 11, 2022

An introduction to the book of James.

This little book was written by James, the half-brother of Jesus and a leader in the church at Jerusalem. Despite its connection to Jesus and the early church, James has never enjoyed the devotion and praise of books like Romans or Galatians. Yet its impact and place in Scripture cannot be denied. While Hebrews was written to discourage Christians from returning to Judaism, James was written to correct bad attitudes and actions that had arose during life’s difficult struggles.

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September 4, 2022

When God feels distant.

We’ve all been there at some point in our journey. One day everything is great and the next, we find ourselves feeling lost and distant from God. There can be many reasons for feeling like this but most often, it is a result of some struggle we are facing in life. Sometimes it isn`t that God has moved away from us but that we’ve moved away from Him and sometimes it is simply a matter of how we’re feeling in the midst of the struggle. No matter the reason or if the distance is real we should all want to be closer to the Lord. Feeling closer to the Lord gives us comfort when life gets crazy, when we`re struggling with some sin in our life, or when we simply need more strength.

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August 21, 2022

The Need to be close to the Church.

Anytime a Christian creates distance, whether intentional or not, between themselves and the church, they are in danger. They are in danger of falling away from the church, the family of God, and eventually from the Lord Himself. Some prefer to keep their distance, not get too involved with the work of the church. Instead, they chose to be something between a member and a visitor. They come on Sundays to the worship services, which is good, but have little or no interactions with the church the rest of the week.

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An introduction to the letters to Timothy and Titus.

As far as New Testament letters go, first and second Timothy and Titus have probably dominated more of my time and study than any other books. To be perfectly honest, I’m not entirely certain why I’ve had such a fascination with these letters. Perhaps it’s because they were written to young preachers struggling to adapt to new towns, churches, and still faithfully deal with the struggles and challenges associated with ministry. To that I can relate. Not that I haven’t loved it with my whole life and heart, but it has been challenging to say the least.

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Introduction to 1 & 2 Thessalonians.

Most know Paul wrote 1 &2 Thessalonians, but many forget that Timothy and Silas are also named as authors (1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1).

Something that’s interesting is that most people agree that the letter to the Thessalonians is the oldest letter in the New Testament.

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Introduction to Colossians.

Colossians focuses on Jesus as the head of the church and the focus of all things.

Colossae was a small, minor city located about 100 miles inland from Ephesus in what is modern day Turkey. It is located by an important mountain pass and once was a very populated city with a thriving economy. By the time Paul writes to them it had withered, due in part, to the success of neighboring cities like Ephesus and Hierapolis.

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An Introduction to Philippians.

The city of Philippi had a long and interesting history. It was initially colonized by the people of Thasos around 360 BC. It was renamed “Philippi” by Philip of Macedon in 356 BC and was eventually abandoned in the 1 4th century after the Ottoman conquest.

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An introduction to Ephesians.

Paul first arrived in Ephesus on his second missionary journey (Acts 18). He visited a second time during his third missionary trip (Acts 19) which proved to be a tumultuous time for the church. People were baptized, silversmiths were infuriated, and a riot even broke out. Paul’s relationship with Ephesus was interesting, to say the least.

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A special man.

Father’s Day is here. For most dads, it is just another day in the great and rewarding journey of doing the best we can for our families. Like Mother’s Day, we celebrate this day as an opportunity to honor the contributions dads, all over the world, play in the life of the family. Dad’s should be honored and encouraged every day for the role they play in this life, society, and the church. My grandmother used to say, “Anyone can have a child, but it takes a special man to be a father.” I agree wholeheartedly.

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An introduction to Galatians.

The book of Galatians is challenging and powerful. Written by the apostle Paul early in his ministry (around 49-50 AD), it reveals one of the first serious doctrinal struggles in the church. The main issue at stake was legalism vs. grace.

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