Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Contemplating Christmas

As we focus on Christmas, consider what I John 4:9 says, "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him." Charles Spurgeon said, "The holiday will come and go, so we must now take the opportunity to exalt Jesus Christ."

Christmas is not just a date on our calendar. Christmas is the heralding of the entrance of God into human history! It is heaven descending to earth in the person of Jesus Christ. Our response should be the same as the angels on Christmas Eve: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:14).

The Gifts of Christmas

The Magi had seen Christ's star in the east and had come specifically to worship the newborn King. They were humbled by Christ's coming and fell at His feet (Matthew 2:11). They presented to Him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Observe how these gifts symbolize precious truths concerning worship and sacrificial giving. Should we not fall down before Him and worship Him with our gifts?

1. Gold - Nothing less than a gift of gold was worthy of their act of worship. The dignity of the occasion required the best that they could give. Gold was a recognition of Christ's sovereignty. "What an indictment this is on our approach to worship in our day! So often we hurry to church without real preparation of heart and mind"(Olford).

2. Frankincense - This was used by the priests in connection with an offering of sacrifice to God. Figuratively, it speaks of devotional fervor and recognition of Christ's deity (Jesus is God).

3. Myrrh - Nicodemus brought myrrh and aloes to the grave to embalm the body of Jesus (John 19:39). Myrrh speaks of suffering. This was a recognition of Christ's humanity.

"And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." (Matthew 2:11)

Bible Verses for Christmas Evangelism

John 10:10,11
"… I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: The good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."

I Timothy 3:16
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."

Isaiah 9:6
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called wonderful, counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."

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."

I John 2:1-2
"And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

Fulfilled prophecies of Christmas

God never works haphazardly! He is a God of order. At precisely the right time in history, Jesus Christ was born (Galatians 4:4-5). Furthermore, Isaiah predicted that the Messiah would come at just the right time in Israel's history (Isaiah 49:8). As the Jewish fathers choose the time for their sons to become adult sons, so the Heavenly Father chose the time for His Son to arrive.

The message of Christmas was prophesied over 700 years before the birth of Christ. The theme of Old Testament prophecy is the coming of a king. There are at least 189 prophecies in the New Testament that associate Christ to His coming as King.

1. He would be born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:5). "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." (Micah 5:2)

2. He would be called out of Egypt (Matthew 2:19-21).

3. There would be weeping in Rama (Matthew 2:17-18). " Rachael weeping for her children" (Jeremiah 31:15)

4. He shall be called a Nazarene (Matthew 2:23).

5. He shall be virgin born and rise out of Israel. "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6) "…there shall come a star out of Jacob and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel." (Numbers 24:17)

As you contemplate Christmas this year, make sure that your focus is on the CHRIST of Christmas.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

THANKSGIVING REMINDERS

Ephesians 5:20
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God…”

I Thessalonians 5:18
“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Colossians 3:17
“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”

Psalm 95:2
“Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.”

How should Christians be thankful?

1. Continually- Hebrews 13:15

-“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”

2. In everything- I Thessalonians 5:18

-“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

3. Always for all things- Ephesians 5:20

-“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

4. In the midst of many- Psalm 109:30; 105:1

-“I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.”

5. In church- Psalm 100:4

-“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

6. Among the people- Psalm 57:9

-“I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.”

What are you thankful for?

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Dedication Service & Baptism Pictures

Monday, September 21, 2009

DEDICATION SERVICE- SUN. SEPT. 27TH (10:30 AM)

Come and join us this Sunday for our official dedication service in our new church facility at 1810 Brown Trail, Bedford, TX 76021.

1. We will dedicate our building and our lives to the service of the Lord.
2. We will present our local officials (i.e. Mayor, City Council Members, Fire Chief, etc.) with a "thank you" gift for making "Life Better in Bedford."
3. We will sing songs that praise our God for His marvelous works.
4. We will preach the Word of God that provides hope, peace, life and stability in a time of economic instability in our country.

Please come and worship with us! And call me if you have any questions...we would love to meet you.

Pastor John
817-876-9901

Monday, August 24, 2009

Church Family & Services

Thursday, July 30, 2009

New Church Facility/Location- 1810 Brown Trail, Bedford




Please come and join us at our new church facility at 1810 Brown Trail, Bedford, TX 76021! It's not far from LD Bell High School and the Half-Priced Bookstore. Call us if you have any questions- 817-876-9901.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

New Summer Sermon Series

This summer we have started a new sermon series on "End Time Events" in Revelation. Please come and join us as we meditate upon future happenings that should have a profound affect upon our present-day living for Christ.

The book of Revelation reveals some unimaginable things that are going to happen in the future...and that future may be sooner than we think. Knowing this information, how should you and I live? What should the priorities be in our lives? How should we pray?

Monday, May 18, 2009

Avoiding the Obstacles to Prayer

1. Unforgiving Spirit

This is one of the most common hindrances to answered prayer. When we nurse a grudge or harbor ill will toward someone else, God will not deal favorably with us. This is the predominate barrier to all prayer, which is delineated in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13).

Mark 11:25 (Jesus said)
“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

2. Sinful Life

Unconfessed sin in the life becomes a serious roadblock to the praying Christian. Idols in the heart cause God to turn away and allow prayers to go unanswered.

Psalm 66:18
“ If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”

Isaiah 59:2
“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

3. Unbelieving Petitions

Prayers are often halted by unbelief. We read and accept God’s promises, and yet our hearts doubt their truth. It has been said that faith is only omnipotent when on its knees.

James 1:6-7
“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.”

4. Selfish Requests

Before we approach God with our self-gratifying list, we must learn that prayer is basically asking what we already know God’s will to be. And His will is contained in the revelation of His Word. The life of the Apostle Paul is an example of this principle. He does not pray for material possessions or consumable items. His petitions are never selfish or shortsighted. Paul prayed with eternity’s values in view. Too often our prayers are filled with personal comforts, earthly possessions and our desire for happiness.

James 4:3
“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

5. Lack of Marital Unity

Our prayers can go unanswered due to problems in our marriage relationship. Incidentally, the strength of a couple’s prayer life reveals the spiritual health of the marriage. When disharmony occurs, prayer is impeded.

“If unconverted people can have happy homes without prayer (and they do), how much happier Christian homes would be with prayer” (Weirsbe).

I Peter 3:7
“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.”

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Mother's Day History & Family Quiz

1. She was the mother of Moses, wife of Amram. (Ex. 6:20) ___________________

2. She was married to a fool (“churlish & evil”). What was his name? (I Sam. 25:3) ______________

3. She was a submissive, obedient wife. She was also a prayer warrior and the mother of Samuel. (I Sam. 1) _________________

4. She taught her son the Scriptures, and her mother, Lois, helped as well. (II Tim. 1:5) _______________

5. She was the mother of the mighty John the Baptist. (Luke 1:41) __________________

6. She said, “My soul doth magnify the Lord.” (Luke 1:46) ______________

7. “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is __________; but a woman that _______________ the Lord, she shall be praised.” (Proverbs 31:30)

8. Of David’s eight wives, she had the greatest influence on him. She spared him from many hardships. (I Sam. 25) _______________


9. She was the mother of twins (Jacob and Esau). She was guilty of favoritism with her children. (Gen. 24) _________________


10. Proverbs 31:26- “She openeth her mouth with ______________; and in her tongue is the law of __________________.”


11. BONUS: She was the mother of a large family who was quoted as saying, “I will not have a godless child.” ______________________________


Did you know that the idea for Mother's Day was born in a small Methodist church in West Virginia? It was 1876 and the nation still mourned the Civil War dead. While teaching a Memorial Day lesson, Mrs. Anna Reeves Jarvis thought of mothers who had lost their sons. She prayed that one day there could be a "Memorial Day" for mothers. Her prayer made a deep impression on one of Mrs. Jarvis's eleven children. Young Anna had seen her mother's efforts to hold the war-split community and church together. As she grew into adulthood, the younger woman kept Mrs. Jarvis's dream in her heart. On the day of her mother's death, Anna was determined to establish Mother's Day in her honor.

On May 12, 1907, a local observance was held which later spread to Philadelphia. By 1910, Mother's Day was celebrated in forty-five states. On May 8, 1914, President Wilson designated the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day "for displaying the American flag and for the public expression of love and reverence for the mothers of the country."

Proverbs 31:10, 11
“Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her…”

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Recent Worship Service

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Come Join Us For Our Easter Service (10:30 AM)!

The message of Easter is all about Christ and our deliverance! Because He lives, you and I can live! Job asked, “If a man die, shall he live again?” Easter answers Job’s question. The resurrection is the core of our faith. The Apostle Paul stated: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9,10). Jesus said: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15).

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is foundational. It is the cornerstone of Christianity. Just as our heart pumps blood to every organ in our body, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the heart of the Gospel that pumps life to every doctrinal truth. It is central! In the New Testament alone it is referred to 104 times. Peter’s first message at Pentecost that led to a great revival was founded and built around the truth of the resurrection. I Corinthians 15:12-19 reveals that everything stands or falls with Christ’s bodily resurrection. If Christ did not conquer death by rising from the tomb, we would all be false witnesses still dead in our trespasses and sins.

I Corinthians 15:17- “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain (worthless); ye are yet in your sins.”
Acts 4:33- “And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.”
Matthew 12:40- “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
I Corinthians 15:3-4- “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”
Charles Spurgeon once said, “We gather together on the first rather than the seventh day of the week, because redemption is even a greater work than creation; and more worthy of commemoration, and because the rest which followed creation is far outdone by that which ensues upon the completion of redemption.”

The proclamation of Christ’s resurrection was the very heart and theme of the early church. The fact that He arose was the motivation behind every suffering and sacrificial endeavor for Christ. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the fundamental doctrine of Christianity. The following passages reveal it is clearly an essential part of the Gospel. May we at New Life Bible meditate upon these Scriptures and search our souls during this crucial and blessed time of the year.

1) Anticipated and announced in the Old and New Testament

· Psalm 118:22-24

“The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

· Isaiah 52:13; 53:10-12 (Isaiah spoke of a future day of redemption)
· Jonah 2:1-9 (Jonah is a type of Christ- Matthew 12:39-41)
· Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:17-19 (Jesus regularly referred to this before His disciples)
· John 2:22 (The disciples finally remembered after it was a fact)
· Acts 13:33
· Matthew 27:63-64 (The enemies of Jesus remembered)

2) Post-resurrection witnesses

· 1st appearance- Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9-11)
· 2nd appearance- Other women (Matthew 28:8-10)
· 3rd appearance- Peter (I Corinthians 15:5)
· 4th appearance- Two men on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32)
· 5the appearance (Sun. PM)- 10 Apostles in the Upper Room w/out Thomas (Jn. 20:19-25)
· 6th appearance (The following Sunday)- 11 Apostles and Thomas believes (John 20:26-28)
· 7th appearance- 7 disciples by the Sea of Galilee (John 21:1-14)
· 8th appearance- 500 at a mountain in Galilee (Matthew 28:16-20; I Corinthians 15:6)
· 9th appearance- Half-brother James (I Corinthians 15:7)
· 10 appearance- The disciples again in Jerusalem (Acts 1:3-8; Luke 24:44-49)

3) Christ’s Ascension to Heaven

· Acts 1:11
“Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

· Mark 16:1-20
· Luke 24:50-53

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Fun and Fellowship Activities

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Church The Way It Used To Be

Please come and join us at New Life Bible Church...

1. Where the main emphasis is practical preaching and teaching of the Bible, not entertainment.
2. Where the music is joyful and mirrors Christ, not American Idol.
3. Where the focus is on fellowship, family, and foreign missions, not felt needs.
4. Where the philosophy of ministry is pleasing Christ, not pragmatism.
5. Where the main goal is the Glory of God, not the praise of men.

If this is the kind of church you are looking for, give us a call at 817-876-9901. We would love to worship with you. For the Apostle Paul admonished us, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears" (II Timothy 4:3).

Friday, January 30, 2009

Signs of Spiritual Growth- Col. 1:9-14

Take your spiritual pulse and see if you have these "signs of spiritual growth" in your life (Col.1:9-14)? Ephesians 4:15 says, "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him (Christ) in all things…"

1. Am I cultivating a deep, growing, personal knowledge of God (v. 9a)?
- Are you stagnant spiritually? Is your love for Christ growing daily?

2. Does that knowledge control my life (v. 9a)?

- Are you dominated by it? Is it producing a Christlikeness in you?
- "filled" means consumed or controlled completely

3. Does that knowledge translate into action (v. 9b)?

- Do I get defensive? Do I get angry? Do I feel slighted or worry?
- Do I respond poorly to criticism? Am I highly opinionated or critical?
- I Cor. 14:20- “Brethren, be not children in understanding..."

4. Is my conduct continually pleasing to the Lord (v. 10a)? What is not pleasing?

- Any ambitions or attitudes or music or thoughts displeasing to God?
- "worthy" means humble, appropriate, loving and pleasing
- Psa. 66:18- “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”

5. Am I bearing fruit regularly (v. 10b)?

- Examples:

Pointing people to Christ (I Cor. 16:15)
Overcoming temptations (I John 2:14)
A deeper love for God’s Word (Ps. 119:97)
A more perfect obedience (I John 2:3–5)
A greater love for Christ and others (Eph. 3:17-19)
A strong doctrinal foundation (I John 2:12–14)
Sacrificial giving (Rom. 15:26–28)
Godly living (Heb. 12:11)
Displaying holy attitudes (Gal. 5:22, 23)
Praising God for passionately (Heb. 13:15)
An expanding faith (II Thess. 1:3; II Cor. 10:5)
Partaking of the deeper truths of Scripture (Heb. 5:14)
Memorizing more Scripture

6. Am I growing in love and understanding of God’s Word (v. 10c)?

- Is the Word becoming a part of me? (see Col. 4:16 & Heb. 5:12)

7. Is there a continuous supply of God’s power in my life to deal with difficult people and difficult circumstances (v. 11)?

8. Am I a grateful person on a regular basis (vs. 12-14)? Do I complain and have a negative attitude? Am I thankful?

Monday, January 12, 2009

New Year's Goal: Follow the "One Anothers" of the Bible

If you want to be more like Christ in 2009, live and follow these "one anothers" of the Scriptures. They are powerful, convicting, and full of wisdom for everyday living. The answers are below if you need them.

1. ______________ one another- I Thess. 5:11 (build up and encourage each other)

2. ________________ to one another- Eph. 5:21 (“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”)

3. ______________ one another- Gal. 5:13 (“by love…”)

4. ___________ one another’s burdens- Gal. 6:2 (“…and so fulfill the law of Christ.”)

5. ________________ ye one another- Rom. 15:7 (“…as Christ also received us to the glory of God.”)

6. _________________ one another- Rom. 15:14

7. _________________ one another- Rom. 12:10 (“in honor…”)

8. Kindly ____________________ one to another- Rom. 12:10 (devoted to one another)

9. _______________________ one toward another- Rom. 15:5 (“according to Christ Jesus”).

10. ____________ __________ one another- Eph. 4:2 (“With all lowliness and meekness…forbearing one another in love.”)

Answers:
edify
submit
serve
bear
receive
admonish
prefer
affectionate
like-minded
bear with