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By Larry Dickens

Benchley, March 4, 2012

• There are two parts to faith:
• That God is (Genesis 1:1; Psalms 86:8-10; 19:1-3; John 10:37-38; 14:11)
• God is a rewarder (Matthew 16:8-10; 6:28-31; Psalms 37:25-26; Acts 27:25; I John 5:10; Hebrews 11:6)
• Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:5-6; Colossians 1:10; I Thessalonians 4:1; Romans 8:5-8)
• Without faith, sin reigns (John 16:8-9; II Thessalonians 2:11-12; Genesis 3:1-5; Hebrews 11:7-8; Genesis 39:9; Daniel 1:8; Hebrews 11:24-26; Numbers 20:12; John 8:24)
• Without faith, prayers go unanswered (Mark 11:24; Luke 11:9-13; James 1:6-8)
• Without faith, good (and great) things become impossible (Hebrews 11:5-6; Matthew 14:30-31; Mark 11:22-23)
• Without faith, there is no courage (II Peter 1:5; Mark 4:36-40; I Samuel 17:8-11,36-37; Daniel 3:16-17)
• Without faith, there is no basis for hope (Hebrews 11:6; Romans 6:23; Hebrews 11:1; Hebrews 6:11-12,17-19; John 4:34-39; I Peter 1:8-9; Hebrews 11:39)

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By David Watson

Benchley, February 5, 2012

• Get on God’s side by reading and praying.
• Ezra 7:10; 8:21-23; 9:6
• From reading God’s law, Ezra knew what he had to teach the people and what they were doing wrong.
• Acts 8:34-35 – The Ethiopian started by reading God’s word and Philip started teaching him based on what the Ethiopian had read.
• Surround yourself with people who will help.
• Ezra 7:28; 8:1,15-20
• Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 – the advantage of having a companion who will help
• II Corinthians 7:5-7 – Paul was comforted by the arrival of Titus.
• Learn your lesson from last time.
• Ezra 9:13-14
• Acts 8:9-24 – Simon tried to return to his old ways when he tried to buy the power of God from the apostles, but Peter refused and rebuked him.
• Acts 5:27

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By Jesse Jenkins

Benchley, January 29, 2012

• Prayer is one of the greatest privileges that God has given His children. (I Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:25)
• He speaks to us through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2).
• His children speak to Him through His Son. (I Timothy 2:5)
• “The Man, Jesus Christ” made this possible.
• He is mediator of the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6) by means of death (Hebrews 9:15).
• Elements of acceptable prayer
• To Deity (Colossians 1:3; John 15:16; I John 5:11-15)
• Through our mediator, the MAN Jesus (I Timothy 2:5)
• In faith (James 1:6-7)
• If it be God’s will (I John 5:14)
• With the spirit and understanding (I Corinthians 14:15)
• With the right motives (James 4:3)
• Be forgiving (Mark 11:25-26)
• Be a doer of His will (I John 3:22)
• Pray frequently
• Romans 12:12 – Continue instant in prayer.
• Ephesians 6:18 – Pray always.
• I Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray without ceasing.
• Luke 11:1-8 – Be importunate in prayer.
• But how and whose prayer is answered?
• How?
• We can only know that which is revealed.
• In spiritual things (Luke 23:34; Acts 2:36-38)
• In physical things (James 5:17-18; I Kings 18:41-46)
• Whose?
• I Peter 3:12 – If one is not a Christian, he is void of all spiritual blessings, including prayer and hope of eternal life.

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By Jesse Jenkins

Benchley, January 8, 2012

• To study the Bible regularly, frequently, and diligently. (I Timothy 4:13; II Timothy 2:15)
• To pray often and fervently. (I Thessalonians 5:17)
• To teach the word more (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 10:24-25)
• To give liberally and willingly.
• To have fellowship in all scriptural functions of the congregation when possible.
• To love my brethren and work in unity with them in all things in the Lord. (Romans 12:18)
• To serve in such a way as to cause the congregation to grow; not to live so as to hold it back.
• To keep self pure in manner of living.
• To keep church pure.
• To become more Christ-like day by day.
• Summed up: to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. (II Peter 3:18)

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By David Watson

Benchley, January 1, 2012

• Lamentations 3:40
• Have I lived more righteously?
• Romans 6:12-13 – We need to use our bodies in righteous ways to serve God.
• I Timothy 6:11; II Timothy 2:22
• Have I gotten better about reading the Bible?
• Luke 10:38-42 – It is important to make God a priority in our lives.
• Bible reading has a long term positive impact on us.
• Deuteronomy 17:18-20 – God’s rules for Bible study for rulers. They were to write their own copy of the law and read it all the days of their lives. This was to help the king fear God and keep him humble.
• Have I increased my prayers?
• Daniel 6:10 – Daniel refused to stop praying, even when the king passed a law against it.
• Romans 12:12; I Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray without ceasing.
• James 5:13
• Have I done better in sharing the gospel?
• Mark 12:41-44 – God considers one’s abilities and not just the amount that he serves.
• I Corinthians 3:6 – God causes the growth. We don’t have to do everything ourselves – just what we can!

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By David Watson

Benchley, November 20, 2011

• Romans 12:12; I Thessalonians 5:17
• We figure, “God already knows all of this.”
• Matthew 6:8 – This is true. God is omniscient.
• God tells us to.
• It’s not about the giving of information, but about the giving of our heart. Prayer is a sincere expression of our love and need for Him. Matthew 6:6-8; Romans 10:1; James 4:2-3; Acts 17:24-27
• We get tired of praying for the same old thing.
• Ephesians 6:18-20 – Better awareness of what we can pray for and what we really need can help us pray sincerely.
• Philippians 1:3-5 – Like Paul, we have many people to be thankful for.
• Things we can include in our prayers:
• Adoration (praise) – Matthew 6:9
• Confession – Luke 18:13; Acts 18:22
• Thanks – Colossians 4:2; I Thessalonians 5:16-18; Romans 1:21
• Supplication (petition) – I Timothy 2:1-2; Philippians 4:6
• Luke 18:1-8 – Don’t lose heart. Keep praying!

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By Jesse Jenkins

Benchley, November 13, 2011

• Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:17-20 – Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper.
• Luke 22:17 – The initial drink was the completion of the Passover Feast. It is not an example that we need to drink, east, and then drink again.
• I Corinthians 10:16; 11:23-29 – further instructions regarding the Lord’s Supper
• A communion
• The bread – communion with the body of Christ.
• There is also a secondary communion between all the members that partake of the Supper, but the primary communion is vertical between us and Jesus.
• The fruit of the vine – communion with the blood of Christ.
• A proclamation
• The Lord’s Supper proclaims:
• Jesus’ life and death
• His mission
• His kingdom has been established.
• We are not under the Old Covenant.
• That He has not come the second time.
• That He is coming. I Thessalonians 4:13
• Our love for Him.
• A memorial
• I Corinthians 11:24-25
• The bread – memorial of His body
• The fruit of the vine – memorial of His blood
• To forget is one of the greatest dangers, thus we need this memorial.
• In view of this, how must we partake?
• Discerningly
• Reverently
• Regularly
• An anticipation
• “Till He come”
• A reminder that He is coming
• The prayer of thanks
• Be sure to offer thanks for the bread and fruit of the vine when you pray.
• Make the prayer to the point. This is the purpose of the prayer.
• Is one pleasing to God when he or she:
• Plans a trip on Sunday and misses the Supper?
• Deliberatelyy misses one Sunday, then takes the next Sunday without repenting?
• Misses the Lord’s Supper to prepare a feast for guests?
• Deliberately misses the Supper Sunday morning then partakes Sunday evening?
• Who can commune with Christ in the Supper?
• Those in His kingdom (Matthew 26:29)
• Not all who were once baptized into Christ, but those who are living lives subject to the King.
• When is the Supper to be taken?
• Matthew 26:26-29; Acts 20:7 – On the first day of the week.
• How much does the Lord’s Supper mean to you?

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By Jesse Jenkins

Benchley, October 30, 2011

• To be sons of God – John 1:11-12; Matthew 5:45; John 8:41-47
• To eat the Lord’s Supper – Matthew 26:26-29; Acts 20:7
• Of prayer – I Peter 3:12; II John 3:22; I John 5:14
• To expect our brother to be our keeper – Galatians 6:1; James 5:19-20
• To be our brother’s keeper
• To be a worker together with God – II Corinthians 6:1; Matthew 20:1-16
• To assemble with other Christians to worship God and edify one another – Hebrews 10:24-25
• To sound forth the Word of life – I Thessalonians 1:8; Matthew 28:18-20; II timothy 2:2 Titus 2:1
• To heaven – Matthew 25:23; I Thessalonians 4:13-18
• Summed up: we have the right to every spiritual blessing available in Christ.

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By David Watson

Benchley, August 24, 2011

• Mark 14:22 – Jesus meant that the bread and fruit of the vine were memorials of His body and blood. This was a figure of speech. He did not mean that the bread and fruit of the vine literally became His body and blood.
• I Corinthians 12:27 – a similar figure regarding Christ’s body
• I Corinthians 11:23-26
• Mark 14:25 – Jesus did drink of the fruit of the vine again on earth after His resurrection. “That day” shows that Jesus was pointing to a specific day when He would drink it again, which ties in with the examples we have of early Christians partaking of the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week.
• Mark 14:33 – See Philippians 4:6. Jesus did not violate this verse by being anxious about His impending crucifixion because the verse is stressing the importance of bringing our troubles to God. This is exactly what Jesus did by praying in the garden.
• Mark 14:36 – In a similar way, we must deny ourselves and obey God’s will in order to be pleasing to Him. Jesus may simply be praying that the whole ordeal would pass quickly, rather than praying that He would escape it completely. He knew it was His mission to die on the cross, so it would not make sense for Him to pray against His mission.

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By Luke Stevens

Benchley, June 19, 2011

• Ecclesiastes 3 – God shows us the need for balance and the cycles that exist in our lives.
• Acceptable prayer
  • In faith – James 1:6-8
  • For God’s will to be done – II Corinthians 12:7
  • Through Jesus – John 14:13; I Timothy 2:5
  • For rules, brethren, the lost, sick, suffering, material necessities, enemies, forgiveness – James 5:16; Romans 10:1; John 17:20-21; James 5:13-14; III John 1-2
• The alien sinner should quit praying for salvation.
  • Saul, Cornelius – Acts 9:10-12; 22:12-16; 10:1-14; 11:13-14
  • No Sinner’s Prayer – There is no such prayer in the Bible!
  • Must truly call on the name of the Lord – Romans 10:13-17
• People should quit praying for the kingdom to come.
  • Jesus prayed for it to come. Matthew 6:10
  • It would come during the lifetime of those with Jesus. Mark 9:1
  • It has already come. Colossians 1:13; Revelation 1:9
• Persistent, sinning Christians
  • John 9:31,16,24; Proverbs 28:9; Psalms 66:17-18
• The unforgiving
  • Matthew 5:23-24; 6:12,14-15; 18:21-35
• The hypocritical member
  • Matthew 6:5-8; Mark 12:40