The Encourager. You will seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13. July 1, 2018

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1 The Encourager Church of Christ 140 West 15th Street Front Royal Virginia FrontRoyalChurchofChrist.com SimpleBibleLessons.com We Welcome Our Guest! We are so glad you ve come for worship today! Our prayer is you will be blessed by your time with us. Please feel free to ask us any questions you may have concerning our worship. July 1, 2018 Sunday Service s Bible class 10:00 am Worship 11:00 am Afternoon 2:00 pm Tuesday Ladies Class 11:00 am Wednesday Service 7:00 pm Personal Bible Study SimpleBibleLessons.com Online Correspondence In Home RSW Jail Ministry Correspondence 2nd & 4th In House Food Pantry By Appointment Minister John Stephen Smith ministerfrcoc@gmail.com You will seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

2 Serving Today Eugene Tewalt Bob Baleskie Bill Adams Carson Van Arsdall Song Service Tim Tewalt Congregational Sing Scripture Reading Art Candenquist Cindy Candenquist 1 Deborah Baleskie 2 Kristie Tewalt 7 Hayden Tewalt 21 Jeanie Lichliter 21 Dylan Callaway 25 Art & Cindy Candenquist 3 Kelly & Susan Clark 22 June 24th, lesson 10 in the Christian Conscience lessons 2:00 pm service. The 3rd Quarter of teaching starts today! Attention!! Tuesday Ladies Bible class will not be meeting in the month of July. Next class starts August 7th. Get Ready for Family Feud Night!! Coming July 21st!! Please come and enjoy the fellowship. Everyone is invited. Look for more information in next weeks bulletin. Potter s Commodities collection came to $500+. The coin cans are in the foyer to begin filling, cans will be picked up in Dec. Thanks everyone who helped in this mission. Instant or Canned Potatoes, and Dry Cereal

3 The Cracked Acorn The Means July 1, 2018 c.r. van arsdall Imagine you have the means to buy anything you desire. This is assuming you are trying to be either happy or become happier, if possible. Will new cars do it? Here I can tell you to move on to something else. An acquaintance has made many a car salesman happy over the years. Has traded just to have fancier wheel covers on the same year, make and model. The "high" from a new car is unbelievable which lasts maybe 6 months. Another friend I know buys a new car and trades it off when it needs the least little repair. Sorry, I don't have friends that have boats or airplanes but I think the same template would apply. I do have an older friend who is much into his own "religion" but I wonder if he is really happy because he uses every occasion with a scripture of his choosing to predict the end of the world. I guess I am not ready for the end of time; it bothers me and doesn't give me a happy feeling when I see him. A popular magazine is once again exploring the science of HAPPINESS. I have always been interested in what makes a person happy (glad, joyful, delighted). Those who study this say everyone is yearning to be happy. And they are seeking spirituality and love of family. The seekers may not know how to find it but will recognize it once it has arrived. Everyone is desperately looking for the road map to happiness. Happy people experience better health and are optimistic about the future. These individuals count their blessings, practice kindness, learn to forgive, recognize stress and fight it, they keep smiling and practice the art of laughter. Pets may contribute to having a happy life style. Experts warn one should not get married with the thought in mind that together they will gain happiness. "Too many Americans have made materialism and the cycle of work and spend cycle their principle. Then they wonder why they don't feel happy." NEWSWEEK AND then there was a man who said, "I never knew what real happiness was until I got married; and then it was too late ; men may define marriage as a very expensive way to get your laundry done free." (from THOSE WHO ARE NOT PLAYING WITH A FULL DECK) Christians fare much better at achieving happiness. Note these scriptures: Psalm 128:2- For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Psalm 144:15-Happy is that people, whose God is the Lord. Proverbs 14:21b-but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he." James 5:11-" We know how happy they are now because they stayed true to Him then, even though they suffered greatly for it,. Job is an example of a man who continued to trust the Lord in sorrow; from his experiences we can see how the Lord's plan finally ended in good, for He is full of tenderness and mercy." HAPPINESS is: the memory of that happy time with friends; the delighted laughter that has no end; a red rose swaying in the breeze; funny jokes, mad antics, tricks and fun; an A grade for hard work well done; a holiday spent running up and down the beach; breathing in the scent of a beautiful summer's peach; a rainbow bright across the sky; gorgeous stars twinkling in the night sky; a candle burning in the night and a crescent moon burning very bright. (anonymous) All in How You View It An optimist stays up to see the New Year in. A pessimist waits to make sure the old one leaves. Perfect Timing The last time we changed from daylight saving time, a preacher friend posted, For those who habitually show up 15 minutes late to church, allow me to remind you that tonight is the night you set your clock back 45 minutes. Half It Your Way The food at the sandwich shop I frequent is good, but any deviation from the norm throws the staff. I once told a clerk I wanted only half a sandwich. His reply: What am I going to do with the other half? A week later, when I told another clerk the same thing, she responded, Do you want the top or the bottom? Hammering the Point A judge tells the defendant, You re charged with attacking your boss with a hammer. You jerk! yells a voice from the back of the courtroom. You re also charged with attacking a bartender with a hammer, says the judge. Jerrrrkkkk! bellows the same man. Sir, says the judge, one more outburst, and I ll charge you with contempt. I m sorry, Your Honor, says the man. But I ve been this jerk s neighbor for ten years, and every time I asked to borrow a hammer, he said he didn t have one.

4 Gloria Van Arsdall, is in hospice care. Debbie Martin John Woodall, is home. Glenn Roush Linda Sullivan Rich Steele Ramey Family Richie and Michelle Morris and children. Moving to Malaysia. Vickie Petrow, on ankle and knee healing Nikki Michelucci Janet Jones, healing of ankle. Remi Wines Jeff Robbins Bobby Jo Henderson Sammy Campbell Philip (Pop) Funk in Lynn Care #247 Ray Stelzl Becky Hawes Margaret Lantz Woody Bolton Diana Wines Tim Gunter Kenny Henderson Jr. Ruth Brooks Sharon Jenkins Jamie Shell Marty Jones Jamie James John Taylor Irene Alger Lisa Settle Scott McCool Jaden Turner Kim Wines Doris & Donald Jones Carol & Doug Ritenour Dolores Williams RSW Jail Ministry Our nation and lawmakers The Lord s church Military men and women First Responders Our missionaries Our Homebound Audrey Herring John Woodall Nancy Barnes Cancer Diagnosis Jerry Eubanks C.R. Newlin Priscilla L Ron Parks Philip Funk Jr. Jackie Barbe Frank Couto Ryan Denharat Sandy Holzhauser Vita Torres Jeff Pingley Wendy Willoughby Elaine Appleton Robert Jenkins Come unto to me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. says Jesus, our Lord. Matthew 11:28 Names On This Page Will Periodically be removed. Please Keep Tenia Informed as to there Condition & or Status

5 BSGFAA Jude Lesson 205 Contend for the Faith Jude Bible Quiz: 1. Yes, or no, was the woman, who David saw bathing, married? Did he have her brought to him anyway? 2 Samuel 11: Did David marry Bathsheba after her husband Uriah s death? 2 Samuel 11:27 3. What did Jesus tell His disciples would happen to the temple? Matthew 24:2 4. Children of God should love with (a) words, (b) actions, (c) tongue, or (d) truth. 1 John 3:18 5. Yes, or no, Jesus Christ came in the flesh? 1 John 4:2 6. Who is the Savior of the world? 1 John 4:14 7. Of what people do the twelve books of Old Testament History tell? (a) the Canaanites, (a) the Babylonians, (c) the Israelites 8. After a person has first obeyed the teachings, what must he do in order to have the Father and the Son? 2 John 9 9. How should persons not teaching truth be treated? Why? 2 John Yes, or no, should hospitality be shown to preachers of the truth? Why? 3 John 5-8 According to the Dictionary: Jude was written by Jude, the brother of James and writer of James. Both Jude and James were brothers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus brothers were not believers till after the resurrection (John 7:2-5). Jude was not an apostle (Jude 17). Jude wrote the letter to Christians probably between 67 A.D. and 69 A.D. He, like James, described himself as a servant, not fleshly brother, of Jesus Christ. Jude intended to write this letter about the Christians shared fellowship with God, however he was compelled to forewarn them to contend for the faith (Jude 3) in the presence of false teachers (Jude 4). Jude said to contend in a non-contentious way (Jude 9, 22-23). These false teachers had left Jesus (Jude 12) and were denying Him, not with words, but life style (Jude 4). Jude told the Christians to remember examples from history, so they could please the Lord. Questions: 1. Jude said that the faith was once for all delivered to. Jude 3 2. Not an example of the eternally lost included by Jude is (a) nonbelievers led out of Egypt, (b) unfaithful angels, (c) the Philistines or (d) inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. Jude was used as an example of being courteous in his defense. Jude 5-10 How should Christians treat false teachers? Jude 9, Jude did not compare the false teachers of his time to (a) Absalom, (b) Cain, (c) Balaam, or (d) Balaam, or (d) Korah. Jude What did the false teachers say about Jesus? Describe these characteristics of the false teachers: (a) immoral, (b) unreasoning animals, (c) hypocrites, (d) murmurers and complainers, respecter of persons, and (f) divisive. Jude 4, 12, 16, Describe the talk of false teachers. Who caused divisions? Jude Who is the only one who can keep Christians from stumbling? Jude 24 Application: on how to contend for the faith Jude 22-23

6 BSGFAA Revelation Lesson 206 chapter 1 John s Vision Revelation Bible Quiz: 1. Bathsheba gave birth to a second son whom David named. 2 Samuel 12:24 2. What is the only thing which Jesus said would not be destroyed? Matthew 24:35 3. Which of the following knows when Jesus will return? (a) the devil, (b) the angels, (c) Jesus or (d) God 4. Love comes from whom? God is. 1 John 4:7-8 Therefore, who ought we to love? 1 John 4:11 5. An individual who has has eternal life; the one who does not have does not have eternal life. 1 John 5:12 6. All wrong doing is. 1 John 5:17 7. In the time of John there wer people teaching that Jesus did not. 2 John 7 8. What was Diotrephes sin? 3 John Jude said that the faith was once for all delivered to. Jude Jude did not compare the false teachers of his time to (a) Absalom, (b) Cain, (c) Balaam, or (d) Korah. Jude 11 Additional Scriptures: Jesus is appointed by God to execute judgement. John 5:27 Jesus has all authority. Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus is ruling now 1 Corinthians 15:25 According to the Dictionary: Revelation means a revealing of something. The letter was written by John, who was exile on the Island of Patmos, in the Mediterranean Sea. He wrote the letter to the seven churches of Asia to encourage those Christians, who were about to undergo heavy persecution. John wrote that the events were going to occur soon. Suggested dates for the writing are before 70 A.D., 77 A.D., to and 96 A.D. Much of the book is written in symbols, Apocalyptic language, that had meaning to those whom John was writing. The letter is written in both prose and apocalyptic languages. In apocalyptic, the reader should take the words figuratively unless there is reason to take them otherwise. Apocalyptic is made up of colors, animals, numbers, bizarre events, imagery; not ordinary talk symbols. Revelation points a picture; the reader should stand back and see the whole picture: have comfort, because in the end Jesus church will win. Questions: 1. Who wrote the book of Revelation? From where? To whom? 2. How did God reveal the things contained in the book to John? What did John hear? What did he see? 3. When were the things to occur which John wrote? 4. How did Jesus free us from our sins? 5. In what manner will Jesus return? Who will see Him? 6. How long did God say He had existed? 7. Who holds the keys to death and Hades? Application: on God is everlasting Revelation 1:8

7 Who s in Charge? A certain sea captain and his chief engineer argued as to which of them was more important to the ship. Failing to agree, they resorted to a unique plan of swapping places. The Chief engineer ascended to the bridge and the captain went to the engine room. After a couple of hours the captain suddenly appeared on the deck covered with oil and soot. Chief! he yelled, wildly waving aloft a monkey wrench. You ll have to come down here; I can t make her go! Of course you can t, replied the chief. We re aground! That argument between the captain and the chief engineer and its results mirrors the struggle that you and I face when it comes to who is in charge of our lives. Jeremiah spoke the truth when he wrote, O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Jeremiah 10:23. In fact, when you own ships, we often run it aground, for there is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death Proverbs 14:12. We need direction! The real issue is Lordship. Who is going to be the lord of our lives ourselves or the Lord?

8 NICODEMUS; Pharisee to Follower July 1, 2018 John 3:1-16 Scriptures Worthless No More I read a story recently about an amazing dog. He s been trained to sniff out the unique chemical compounds found in electronic items like memory cards, flash drives, and other storage media that might have criminal evidence on them. He s only 18 months old, but this was the second time he d been adopted from the pound. The first owners returned him because he was untrainable. This untrainable dog went through intense training and was sold to a Narcotics Strike Force for $10,000. What made the difference? What caused the shift from worthless to valuable? He got a new master. In the right hands, the dog s true value and potential were realized. You may have been called worthless by others. You may think of yourself as worthless. But no one is worthless when they re adopted by the Father. When we re in his hands, we have a future. When we re in his hands, we have worth. We re children of the King. And like any good father, he takes the training of his children seriously. For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Heb. 12:10-11). When you look at the lost in the world, don t see worthlessness. See the need for a new Master who can restore the priceless value of a soul. Kevin Hahn via Brown Trail church of Christ Bedford, TX