Portraits of Faith all around us...

Welcome.  Glad you came by for a glance.  July is slowly fading into August here in beautiful warm Louisville, Kentucky.  Our Watterson Trail Church of Christ Tuesday Summer Series is going well.  Our theme is “Portraits of Faith.” 

Noah showed his faith through his obedience to God’s command to build an ark to save the world.  Genesis 6:22 tells us “Thus Noah did according to all that God commanded him, so he did.” 

Abraham showed his faith by trusting in God’s promises.  God promised Abraham that all nations would be blessed through his family.  Genesis 15:6 tells us that “Abram believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.”  

Moses showed his faith in God through his longsuffering time and time again among the Israelites as they journeyed to Canaan, back into the wilderness for 40 years, and then back again to Canaan. 

Joseph showed his faith in God over and over again and learned humility through his suffering.  Read Genesis 45:5-8 to see the beautiful account of his testimony to his brothers concerning God’s providence for them according to His divine design. 

Esther showed her faith in God through her wisdom.  What a woman she was in her decision to fast before the Lord and risk her own life for her people!  Esther 4 highlights the circumstances of God’s people in Persia. 

Ruth:  What strength!  Wow!  She said to Naomi in Ruth 1:16-17; “Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your god, my God.  Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried, Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.”  No wonder King David was a man after God’s own heart.  Ruth was his great-grandmother. 

Peter showed his faith in God by not giving up on himself when he was afraid and doubtful and denied Jesus’ those three times.  Oh, how he wept and sorrowed over those words he spoke in Mark 14:66-72. 

John the beloved showed his faith by his love for Jesus.  He was not always so loving and kind.  Do you remember what he and brother wanted to do to Luke 9:54-56?  Jesus taught him and demonstrated to him what love really is.  He learned. 

Only 5 more sessions remain.  Next up will be perspectives of faith from Paul, Aquila and Pricilla, Timothy, the sinful woman, and Jesus, Himself.

May God bless us with wisdom and faith in Him as we prayerfully and carefully consider who will earn our vote to be our President of the United States of America.  There’s so much at stake, even our very Christian lives and the future we will be presenting to our children.  Listen closely without prejudice.  Look deeper and beyond the obvious.  Learn.  Be smart.  Be strong.  Trust God and in your own educated determination.  Don’t worry about what others might think, say, or do.  Don't be afraid.  God will provide.

We are ONE Nation Under God, Relatives, Family...

Hello and welcome!  We are the United States of America, a nation of people always living, working, growing, changing, hoping, and surviving in a chaotic world by God’s amazing grace.  Are there issues that need to be resolved?  Yes.  Has there ever been a time in history when we didn’t have issues that needed resolution?  Do we have problems as a nation of people?  Certainly!  We have been…We are and will remain a work in progress as human beings created in the image of God Himself. 

Jesus said that a kingdom, city, or house divided against itself will not stand (Matthew 12:25) and He is so right.  Even humanity’s real enemy, Satan will not stand if he is divided against himself.  And so, unity then becomes the real goal for every nation, city, or family. 

It seems that lately many in our nation have adopted an “us versus them” outlook toward each other, toward others, and toward the world in general.  Fact is; we are all one.  We are family; brothers and sisters with one Father, God.  Read the Bible and see what I mean.  Paul was in Athens in Acts 17:22-31 seeing the many “objects” of the Athenians’ worship.  After congratulating the people for their religious aims, he taught them about the one and only true and living God and His relationship to them and their relationship to each other.  God is Lord of everything since He made everything.  He is spiritual and doesn’t need the people to build Him a house to dwell in.  He is perfectly capable of handling every situation and so doesn’t need people to “help” Him since He “gives to all life, breath, and all things.”  God made from “one man” every man on the earth.  And so, we all are brothers and sisters, cousins, relatives, family.  Think about it.  Every person you meet is your relative, a brother or sister, auntie or uncle, niece or nephew or cousin.  To me this fact changes my way of thinking, speaking, and acting toward others.  How about you, brother?

Growing in Grace and Knowledge...

July in beautiful Louisville, Kentucky! Welcome family and friends! 

Our annual Tuesday Summer Series is going very well.  And what a challenge these “Portraits of Faith” are to every one of us!  Noah was challenged to obey God.  He did even though it took him 100 years to do it.  Abraham was challenged to trust God.  He did even though he was 100 years of age when Isaac came along.  Moses was challenged to be patient.  He was even though his mission to deliver Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land took 40 extra years.  Joseph was challenged to be humble.  He was even though he was sold into slavery, mistreated, imprisoned, and forgotten for 22 years.  Esther was challenged to be wise.  She was even though she had to risk her own life for her people.  On Tuesday (12^th) Brother Chad Landman from the Graymere Church of Christ in Columbia, Tennessee will be with us to show us how Ruth was challenged to be strong in the midst of the trials of life.  I hope you will make plans to be here for this great lesson from God’s word.  May we all decide to grow in our faith!  Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  The more of God’s word we read, study, hear, and reflect on the strong our faith will be.  Psalm 1 teaches us that when we delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on it day and night, we will prosper in all that we do.  How about it?  Come and hear and see!

The Watterson Trail congregation meets for worship on Sunday morning at 10:30 and again on Sunday afternoon at 1:30.  We meet in smaller age-appropriate sessions for Bible study on Sunday morning at 9:30.  Currently we are in the midst of our Tuesday Summer Series from June through August.  Beginning in September through May we will meet every Wednesday at 7:00 for Bible study. 

Someone might ask; “Why so many meetings?”  The answer is simple. Jesus said it best.  “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  He is our treasure.  His word is our guide.  His kingdom and His righteousness are our priority.  Where He leads we follow happily, securely, and with all the confidence in the world.