Welcome my Friends - Happy Thanksgiving - Come and See at WT!

Hello!  Happy Thanksgiving this week and every week!

Tonight @ 7:00 at WATTERSON TRAIL CHURCH OF CHRIST at 9609 Watterson Trail in beautiful Jeffersontown, Kentucky we will be having a very special combined Bible study session, everyone together thinking about the four things Jesus asks of those who want to follow Him: 1) _______ yourself, 2) bear your ________, 3) ___________ Jesus, and 4) don’t be ___________ of Jesus.  We will then discuss just what it means to do these four things.

We will then ask ourselves if it is really “worth it” to do what Jesus asks us to do and learn about the definition of “worth” or “value.”  How can one determine the “value” or “worth” of something?  Value or worth can be determined by the following characteristics:

Age – Is it new?  Is it old?  How old?  Is it just “old” or is it “classic” or an “antique?”

Duration – What of its quality?  Will it last?  Will it hold its value or worth?

Brand – Some things are valuable or have a high worth due to the brand.

Time and Effort Involved – Consider the worth or value of a doctor, a lawyer, a professor, an athlete, a musician, etc. and why.

Supply and Demand – Why is gold so expensive?  And nurses, just apply and start to work.  Why?  A painting was recently sold at auction for more than $80 million.  Why?

Intrinsic Value – Why is your grandmother’s old “whatever” worth so much to you?  And why is a set of items often worth more than the value of individual items?

Jesus is worth it.  Worth whatever I have to think, say, or do in my life.  He is ageless, timeless, one of a kind, gave everything He had for me, supplies my every need now and forever, and His value is beyond my thoughts or imagination.

You are worth it, too.  If your value could be calculated, you’d be worth more than all the world.  Jesus said so in Matthew 16:26

“For what profit is it to a man, if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Come and join us at 7:00 for a spirited discussion.  And be thankful.

Fall...Election Day 2016...Question #2 - Who is the speaker speaking to?

November! Autumn! See the falling leaves?  Feel those cooler temperatures (Well, I guess we’ll have to wait a little while longer for this blessing.  It was 85 degrees on Tuesday.  Don’t fret.  Those cool winter breezes will soon arrive.)?  Smell the aroma of firewood burning in the fireplace. The turkey and dressing and pecan pie are just around the corner. The holidays are on the horizon.  Don’t you just love this time of year? 

Our “Trunk or Treat” went very well last Saturday along with our “Annual Chili Cook-off.”  Congratulations to Jane Johnson, our 2016 Chili Champion.  Jane’s chili held up against 12 entries.  Thank you to every member at Watterson Trail for your participation.

The Deacons’ Appreciation Sunday was a terrific success.  We had 100 members and guests assembled to honor our five hard-working deacons.  Thank you, brothers for your dedicated service: Ray, Jerry, Lee, Eric, and Denny.  Keep up the good work.

This Tuesday, November 8^th is Election Day in America.  We will be electing a new President who will serve our great nation for the next four years.  We will also cast our vote for others who will be leading our nation in their respective positions.  In Joshua 24:15 Joshua asked God’s people to “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” and then courageously announced; “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  Our choice on Tuesday is a little bit different.  We might say; “Choose for yourselves this day who will serve you, your family, and this great nation of ours, the United States of America.”  What a choice we have before us!  We have the privilege to cast our vote to elect the one who we trust to serve us for the next four years.  May God bless us with wisdom and courage as we cast our vote and then trust that His will be done.  God is our all in all.

Now to question #2 in the series: How can we correctly understand the Bible.

God has indeed given us a great promise in John 8:31-32;   “They Jesus said to those Jews who believed in Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’”

Jesus always keeps His promises.  Hebrews 10:23 tells us;   “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

We know that we can understand the Bible, because we are commanded to.  Ephesians 5:17 tells us; “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of Lord is.”

QUESTION 1 – WHO IS SPEAKING?

QUESTION 2 – WHO IS THE SPEAKER SPEAKING TO?

The Bible says in Genesis 6:14 “Make yourself an Ark of gopherwood.”  We know who the speaker was; God.  But who was God speaking to? We should ask ourselves this question in order to understand God’s will.  Must we make ourselves an Ark of gopherwood?  Of course we know that no one today must build an Ark, because God was not speaking to everyone.  He was speaking here to Noah.

Luke 18:22 says, “Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, and follow Me.”  To follow Jesus must we all sell all that we have?  Is Jesus speaking to us?  The answer is no, because Jesus was speaking to a certain ruler who was very rich and trusted in his riches to his detriment.  It is important to know who the speaker is speaking to.

It is very important to know who is speaking and who the speaker is speaking to in order to understand the Bible correctly. 

Understanding the Bible - Ask WHO IS SPEAKING?

How can we correctly understand the Bible?

In this series of articles we will consider several questions, answers, and comments that will help us to understand the Bible correctly when we sit down to read it.  God has given us a great promise in John 8:31-32:

“They Jesus said to those Jews who believed in Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’”

Jesus always keeps His promises.  Hebrews 10:23 tells us:

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

We know that we can understand the Bible, because we are commanded to.  Ephesians 5:17 tells us:

“Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of Lord is.”

QUESTION 1 – WHO IS SPEAKING?

The Bible says in Job 2:9; “Curse God and die.”  The rest of the Bible teaches us to worship God, not to curse Him.  What shall we do?  After reading Job 2:9-10 we should ask ourselves, “Who is speaking?”  The answer here is Job’s wife.  She told her husband Job to “Curse God and die,” and was speaking foolishly.

Psalm 14:1 says, “There is no God.”  But who is speaking?  The passage shows us this is a statement of a fool.

In Acts 4:18 we read a command to not “speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.”  We are not to obey this command.  Why not?  Because when we read the chapter, and ask ourselves who is speaking, we learn that the enemies of Christ gave this command.  Therefore, we teach because Jesus gave the command to teach (Matthew 28:19).

Next time:  QUESTION #2 – Who is the speaker speaking to?

Honor to God - Devotion to Christ - Love to All

Good day to you!  Welcome.  Our motto at Watterson Trail is “Honor to God – Devotion to Christ – Love to all.” 

Think about these principles. 

What does it mean to show honor to God?  Honor is defined as “special esteem and respect.”  When we check the thesaurus we find the words; admiration, reverence, devotion, pride, and graciousness as equals to “honor.”  God, our Father is worthy of honor.  In Him we live and move and have our very being.  He is our Creator, our sustainer, our provider, our hope, and our deliverer.  The Psalmist wrote long ago, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 146:1).  He is so right.  Check yourself.  Do you honor God in your thinking?  It certainly is a challenge in our day to remain positive and faithful with so much negative around us.  Do you honor God in your speech?  Read Colossians 4:6.  “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”  Check your words.  Are you honoring God?  Do you honor God in your life, in your everyday decisions?  Where we are in life is a result of our choices.  Do your choices honor God?

What does it mean to show devotion to Christ?  Devotion defined is “ardent attachment or loyalty.”  Other words that describe devotion are dedication, commitment, love, adoration, admiration, and enthusiasm.  Jesus is worthy of our devotion.  What is most important to you?  Make a list.  Where did you put your Lord and Savior, your Friend and Confidant, Jesus Christ?  When Jesus is first, everyone and everything else fits perfectly in order.

Love to all!  This can be tough!  However, when we seek to honor God and devote ourselves to Jesus, showing love to all will simply be the next step to take.  Two days before Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, He spoke to His disciples and described a time in the future when He would return and what would happen.  He spoke about sheep and goats and the difference.  Note the text in Matthew 25:31-46.  When we honor one another, we honor God.  When we devote ourselves to each other, we devote ourselves to God.  When we love each other, we love God.

Fall is Just Around the Corner, then Election Day!

Hello family and friends.  Goodbye July.  Welcome August.  One morning very soon we’ll walk outside and feel the change of seasons in the air.  Leaves will begin to change into the vibrant colors of fall and we’ll be reminded of God’s power and promises once again.  Autumn is still seven weeks away (September 22) and yet those yellow school buses running up and down our streets picking up children for school is one of the many marks of the end of summer.  Time for our schedule to change again; up and out earlier and to bed earlier, homework, better preparation and better organization, patience and Christian character, a little more kindness and the mind to help each other.  May God bless us as we make the changes we need to make!  Stop.  Look.  Listen.

Our Tuesday Summer Series “Portraits of Faith” continues with the final four sessions this month. We’ll be looking at the final four portraits:  (9) Aquila and Priscilla’s Committed Faith – Dean Beard (Borden Springs, Piedmont, Alabama), (16) Timothy’s Learned Faith – Steve Johnson (North Lexington), (23) The Sinful Woman’s Serving Faith – Brent Donoho (Martinsburg, Indiana), and (30) Jesus’ Redeeming Faith – Michael Galloway (Cedar Springs/Louisville).  Come and enjoy hearing God’s word read and taught by four great gospel preachers.  You'll be so very glad you came.

Election Day (November 8) is 92 days away.  We, the United States of America will be electing a new president along with other politicians to serve in the various capacities of our government.  How will you cast your vote?  I pray that we all will take these 92 days to open our eyes, think for ourselves, and decide what is best for our country and our world.  We must look past all the political rhetoric and the media bias to get as informed as possible about the candidates that are vying for our vote.  We must not be dismayed, discouraged, or deceived.  Take a look at God’s council to Joshua when the leadership over Israel was about to change; “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).  God will give us the wisdom (James 1:5). We need it.