Christmas Service and Invitation

Who Celebrated Christmas in Jesus' Day?

It has been stated that every personality attached to the birth of Christ worshiped God with jubilation and sincerity of heart. The proper emphasis and spirit of Christmas is always worship! It is an attitude of the heart that is so filled with wonder and thanksgiving to God that it simultaneously comes out in adoration and praise to the Lord.

Here are a few biblical examples of those who celebrated Christmas in Jesus' Day:

1. Elisabeth (mother of John the Baptist)
"And she spake out with a loud voice" (Luke 1:42)

2. Zacharias
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people." (Luke 1:68)

3. Angels
"A multitude of the heavenly host praising God" (Luke 2:13)

4. Shepherds
"And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen." (Luke 2:20)

5. Simeon
"Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God." (Luke 2:28)

6. Anna
"She coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord" (Luke 2:38)

7. Wise Men
"Come to worship him" (Matthew 2:2)

8. Mary
"My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." (Luke 1:46-47)

Are you celebrating Christmas properly? May our main focus this Christmas be centered on the worship of our King of Kings!


Galatians 4:4-5
“But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

II Corinthians 8:9
"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."

Matthew 1:21
‘And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

Missions to Russia and Native America

Post Election Reminders

Now that we have a new President, here's a few reminders for God's people:

1. "...the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will" (Daniel 4:32).

2. "The King's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water he turneth it withersoever he will" (Proverbs 21:1).

3. "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained (appointed) of God" (Romans 13:1).

4. I Timothy 2:1-3 admonishes us to pray regularly for those in authority.

5. Every believer should be a law abiding citizen. When the Christian obeys civil government, he is actually obeying God because the government is only exercising authority which God has delegated.

6. The Christian's ultimate duty is to always obey God!

7. How do we get involved in Government?

a. Write letters or e-mails to legislators.
b. Make phone calls to your representative.
c. Visit with your legislator or local official.
d. Support a good candidate and VOTE!
e. Share the Gospel with local, state, and federal officials.

New Life Pictures/Church Calendar

CHURCH CALENDAR:

Oct. 26th – Congregational meeting near the end of our AM service (discussion & voting in regards to the new Bedford leasing location)

Nov. 23rd - Guest Speaker missionary Tom Watson, Bended Knee International

Dec. 7th - Annual church Business meeting

Dec. 14th - Christmas Sacred Music Concert

Making Prayer a Priority in Your Life

Why should you and I make PRAYER a priority in our lives?

1. We are commanded to pray “without ceasing” (I Thess. 5:17).

- The word “pray” or “prayer” is mentioned 164 times in the Bible.
- I Chron. 16:11 says: “Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.”

2. We are told to pray so the Word can have “free course...” (I Thess. 3:1).

- “Free course” means to run, spread rapidly, and inundate lives.
- If we want to see the Word of God have free course in our community, outreach ministries, families, etc., we must make prayer a priority.

3. We are to pray so we can be watchful and offer “thanksgiving” (Col. 4:2).

4. We are instructed to pray so we can understand the Bible (Eph. 1:18).

- Prayer gives us wisdom and provides enlightenment in regards to the Bible.

5. We are told to pray because our “flesh” is weak and temptations are all around us (Matt. 26:41).

6. We are commanded to pray to “the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:38).

7. We are charged to pray because it is a heavenly requirement (Luke 18:1).

- Jesus said, “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint”. Prayer is not just a privilege; it is a divine requirement. The believer must cultivate persistence in prayer. Prayer is hard and strenuous work. If we wait until we feel like praying, it will seldom happen.

- Samuel Chadwick once said: “The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we PRAY.”

8. Here are other examples of why we should make prayer a priority in our lives:

• Parable of the Unjust Judge (Luke 18:1-7)
• Peter’s release from prison (Acts 12)
• Prayer activates the power of God (James 5:16; Jer. 33:3)
• Jesus gave us a pattern to follow (Luke 6:12)
• Prayer protects us from having an unforgiving spirit (Mark 11:25)
• God commanded it (I Timothy 2:1-3)

Isaiah 65:24
“And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”


Come join us for our 10:30 AM worship service, or our 1:00 PM prayer service at New Life. We look forward to studying God's Word with you!

Music Ministry Team at NLBC

Bob Jones University Music Ministry Team

The Bob Jones University Music Ministry Team will minister at New Life Bible Church on September 18th at 7:30 PM at our normal location (Black Belt Academy/Taekwondo Building) in North Richland Hills, TX.

REAL PEOPLE. REAL STORIES. Bob Jones University students present music and testimonies illustrating God's sufficiency and provision for His children in a variety of life experiences.

Please contact Pastor Lutz by phone or email if you'd like more information...and plan to join us for this soul-stirring musical presentation.

New Faces Among the Regulars at New Life

unChristian

I had a lady in the Metroplex tell me recently, "A lot of people know the Lord around here, but their lives do not change." That's an interesting statement with a lot of truth to it. It reminds me of a recent, popular book called, "unChristian." A synopsis of the book reveals that most young people today (ages 16-29) perceive Christians as "hypocrites", and that Christianity has taken a "giant step backwards."

What is God's definition of a Christian? How are you and I to live for Christ in this world? What are the real SIGNS OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY? Below is an article that I recently sent to our church family:

Am I growing in Christ? Am I closer to the Lord this year than I was last year? Am I resisting more temptations? Do I look more and more like Jesus each day...in thought, word, and deed?

Ephesians 4:15-“But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.”
Psalm 92:12-“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.”

The New Testament charges the believer to live in a way that is consistent with his identification with the Lord who saved Him (Eph. 4:1; Phil. 1:27). Spiritual fruit is the by-product of this righteous life. The Bible identifies spiritual fruit as the following:

1. Partaking in the deeper truths of Scripture (Heb. 5:14)
2. Pointing people to Christ (I Cor. 16:15)
3. Praising God (Heb. 13:15)
4. Sacrificial giving (Rom. 15:26–28)
5. Living a godly life (Heb. 12:11)
6. Displaying holy attitudes (Gal. 5:22, 23)
7. Increasing in the knowledge of God (Col. 1:10; I Pet. 2:2; II Pet. 3:18)
8. A deeper love for God’s Word (Ps. 119:97)
9. A more perfect obedience (I John 2:3–5)
10. A strong doctrinal foundation (I John 2:12–14)
11. An expanding faith (II Thess. 1:3; II Cor. 10:5)
12. A greater love for Christ and others (Eph. 3:17-19)
13. Overcoming temptations (I John 2:14)

What are the SIGNS OF SPIRITUAL IMMATURITY?

1. Inability to receive strong doctrine (I Cor. 3:1-2)

“And I (Paul), brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.”

2. Inconsistency in faith and practice (Eph. 4:14)

“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”

3. Not cultivating an understanding of Scripture (I Cor. 14:20)

"Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men."

4. Not putting away childish things (I Cor. 13:11)

“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”

5. No spiritual progress, and the need to be taught again and again (Heb. 5:12)

“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”

Forgive and Forget

Are you struggling to forgive someone who has injured you? Are you having a hard time forgiving yourself? C.S. Lewis had this to say about forgiveness: "I think that if God forgives us we must forgive ourselves; otherwise, it is almost like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than God."

Genuine forgiveness is an inner change of the heart toward the offender. Too often we think we have extended forgiveness, but we continue to harbor ill will or resentment toward others. Matthew 18:21-22 says, “Then came Peter to him (Jesus)...Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, until seven times: but, until seventy times seven.” This is how often you and I should forgive ourselves or those who have harmed us. The number seven was not to set a limit on the number of times to forgive (Psa. 119:164), but it meant the opposite. Jesus was stating that forgiveness should be granted unendingly. The phrase “seventy times seven” speaks of innumerable times. Paul told the Ephesian believers: “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32).

Do you need forgiveness? Are you having trouble forgiving and forgetting? Here’s how our Heavenly Father forgives:

1. God refuses to remember our sins. Jer. 31:34- “…for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
2. God throws our sins behind His back. Isa. 38:17- “…for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.”
3. God casts our sins into the depths of the sea. Mic. 7:19- “…thou wilt cast all their sins in the depths of the sea.”
4. God places our sins under His feet. Mic. 7:19- “…He will subdue our iniquities.”
5. God removes our sins as far as the east is from the west. (Psa. 103:12)
6. God completely cleanses us from the soiled spot of our sins. Is. 1:18- “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

Come and join us at New Life Bible Church as we search the Scriptures to study subjects like forgiveness and various others.

We're Unique!

We would love for you to join our family this Sunday for worship. What makes New Life Bible Church unique? It's our practical application of the Word of God, our close fellowship, our uplifting Christlike music, and our freshness and spontaneity as a young church. Please come a little early and enjoy a cup of coffee and refreshment as we get to know each other better.

Hope to see you this Sunday! Call or email if you need directions or more information.

10 Ways On How To Interpret the Bible

Proper Hermeneutics- Nehemiah 8:8; I Timothy 4:13

1. Don’t make the Bible say what you want it to say.
a. This is making a point at the price of losing the right interpretation.
b. Don’t force the Bible to fit your message.

2. Don’t seek to support your own views.
a. Be ready to always have your own views challenged.
b. Be unbiased and impartial; listen to the Word. Let it strip down your walls.

3. Don’t be guilty of the superficial approach.
a. “What does this verse mean to you?”
b. Be careful of non-structured Bible studies and group get-togethers (“little pools of ignorance”).
c. II Timothy 2:15

4. Don’t spiritualize the text.

5. Diligently study the passage, meditate and pray.
a. Acts 17:11…The Bereans “searched the Scriptures daily.”
b. Psalm 1… “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
c. Example: Like the cow chewing its cud
d. Real Bible study is hard work; it is treasuring God’s Word- Psalm 119:103; Proverbs 2:4.
e. Pray for the Holy Spirit to illuminate you.

6. Define key words.
a. Dictionary, Bible dictionary, concordance, commentary…Bible software (i.e.- E-sword)
b. Dig deep and use cross-reference verses.

7. Ask yourself questions.
a. Who is speaking here? To whom and why? What’s the context?
b. Are there any words repeated for emphasis (i.e. “verily, verily”).
c. Are the problems here similar to mine? What do I need to do or change?
d. What are the verbs?

8. Look for comparisons, commands, warnings, promises, etc.
a. Personalize God’s truth; don’t generalize.
b. Be careful not to substitute emotion for action.
c. Use the Scriptures as the benchmark, not other Christians.

9. Draw conclusions with personal application.
a. Here is a promise I need to cling to.
b. Here is an action I need to perform.
c. Here is a sin habit I must forsake.
d. Here is an attitude I must remove.
e. Here is an imperative I must obey.

10. Teach what you learn to others.

NLBC Welcomes You!

Please accept our personal invitation to visit with us at NLBC! We are a friendly, people-oriented church burdened for the spiritual needs of those in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Our worship services promote biblical preaching, uplifting music, and a friendly atmosphere.

We believe that the Bible is God’s revelation to man (II Timothy 3:16, 17); it is the panacea to all of our problems. Our main objective is to promote the person and work of Jesus Christ by evangelization and edification (Ephesians 4:11-15). We believe that preaching and spiritual growth are primary! The Bible says, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (I Corinthians 1:18).

If you are looking for a good church that cares about people and is committed to exalting Christ, not just personalities or entertainment, please come and join us this Sunday. We look forward to your visit.

Pastor John

High Attendance at NLBC

What a blessing to see God grow His church in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Thanks to the Lord, we had a high attendance of 31 in our worship service last Sunday. Please be in prayer as we continue to preach the Word, share the love of Christ with others, fellowship together, support missionary endeavors, and prayerfully seek a new meeting location.

To God be the Glory!

Fellowship & Fun Activity

First Communion Service

February NLBC Updates

1. God is building His church as we grow spiritually and numerically in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Last week two precious souls joined in membership with us. Also, we continue to see a few visitors each week as the news of NLBC is spreading by word of mouth.
2. We just purchased new padded folding chairs for our meeting place.
3. In the next few weeks we will have our first communion service together.
4. Please continue to pray for Sunday visitors, the pulpit ministry, evangelism outreach opportunities, salvation decisions, and personal contacts.
5. We thank the Lord for our good offerings, and the opportunity to give a monthly missions gift to those in need.

New Life Update and Activities

God continues to bless our church family as we faithfully worship, serve, and fellowship together each week in North Richland Hills. Please consider visiting us this Sunday as we exegete and apply the book of Philippians to our lives. Here are a few upcoming activities:
1) Membership class- Please contact Pastor John if you would like to join.
2) Feb. 3rd church lunch to follow the morning service. Everyone is invited.
3) Feb. 17th church activity after the AM service. We will eat lunch at CiCi's Pizza, and then we will go ice skating.
4) Feb. 24th communion service. This will be our first one at NLBC!

New Life Bible Church Blessings, Updates & Prayer Requests

1. On New Year's Eve our family had an opportunity to minister with the Browns at UBH (University Behavioral Health) in Denton. It was a sweet time with the residents as we sang Christmas songs and taught from Matthew's Gospel on the birth of Christ.

2. Pray for our Saturday visitation as we canvass the surrounding communities of North Richland Hills to share the love of Christ with folks.

3. Our church will have its first business meeting after the AM service (Jan. 13th) to discuss and vote on the 2008 budget.

4. The response to the preaching and teaching of God's Word has been encouraging as we strive to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3:18).

5. Pray as we search for a more permanent meeting facility for our church services.