Is it a belief in the head?

Is it having good morals?

Is it selling all your possessions and believing God will provide?

Could it be none, or possibly all, of these things?

In John 3, a man well-respected in the religious community came to visit Jesus. Jesus told him to have faith to be saved, but he didn’t offer him a generic sermon on salvation. He made it deeply personal, asking him to be baptized (John 3:3-8) and live a pure life (John 3:19-21).

Does faith mean anything for you today, or is it something you left behind at baptism? Ask God to teach you some “faith” lessons. God might make it personal. You may be surprised what you learn.

Ryan Richardson

“The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!” was their rallying cry. God describes them like a gang, going out to hurt and harm, and then retreating to their hideout within the temple walls.

 Splashed across the newspapers of American last week was the obituary of John Fairfax, adventurer.

 At 9, he settled a dispute with a pistol. 

 At 13, he lit out for the Amazon jungle.

 At 20, he attempted suicide-by-jaguar. Afterward he was apprenticed to a pirate. To please his mother, who did not take kindly to his being a pirate, he briefly managed a mink farm, one of the few truly dull entries on his otherwise crackling résumé, which lately included a career as a professional gambler.

 He crossed the Atlantic in a rowboat because it was there, and the Pacific because it was also there.

 Sounds exciting doesn't it? But what does it matter in the end? 

 We're currently in a study called "40 Days in the Word." When we read the amazing stories of the Bible, we read about men and women who did amazing things because they lived for an amazing God. They spent the night with lions and lived to talk about it. They watched waters part with enemies hot on their heels. They saw a man die, and come back to life. 

 So what adventure does God have planned for you? Read your Bible, and you might find out.

Ryan Richardson

February 12, 2012 

Holmes Road Church of Christ

1187 East Holmes Road

Memphis, TN 38116

901-396-6722

rdrmemphis@gmail.com

holmesroadchurch.com

9:00 Sermon The reality and pervasiveness of pornography. (G-rated)
10:30 Class:  Suggestions for protecting your family. (G-rated)

Free Potluck Lunch

12:30 - 2:30  What Parents Really Need to Know about their kids and porn. (P-rated…Parents/Adults)

Pornography is the addiction of choice among Christians. It is destroying families, homes, and marriages and is setting up our children for failure in their marriages as well.

Every second of every day, there are over 28 thousand Internet users viewing pornography. The average age of first exposure to Internet pornography is somewhere between the ages of 8 and 11. The largest consumers of pornography are males between the ages of 12 and 17. More than 70% of all men ages 18 to 34 visit a pornographic site in a typical month.

Unfortunately, pornography is just as big a problem in Christian circles with study after study showing that over 50% of Christian men regularly view pornography. And it’s not just a problem for men as seen by the roughly 9.3 million females who view Internet pornography each year.

It is clear that we are in the midst of an epidemic. It is also clear that the majority of those searching for freedom are finding others with their heads buried in the sand, unwilling to acknowledge the problem. Many times these people are themselves lost in the same problem, not knowing where to go for help. Yet there are others who want to be helpful but feel overwhelmed having no clue as to how to provide relief.

The good news is that there is help. The good news is that there is hope. Sexual addiction can be life threatening, expensive and devastating both to the addict and his/her family. But there is HELP, HOPE & FREEDOM from this trap.

This short seminar is designed to inform & encourage; To educate & explore the hidden shame; To point the way to freedom & begin the process of providing real help; To equip the Saints with tools to fight the good fight against Satan, especially in the area of pornography and sexual sin.

VITA

Lou Butterfield is the Chairman of the Board of the Center for Christian Broadcasting, Inc., and the executive producer of The Mouse Trap, Dangers of Internet Pornography.

After working 38 years with Harding University, Lou chose early retirement as a Professor of Communication to work full-time with CfCB, Inc., the fulfillment of a life long dream.

Butterfield has also served as pulpit minister, elder, deacon and youth director in various churches in Arkansas, Mississippi and Indiana. For over 18 years he has served as pulpit minister for the Remmel church in Newport, Arkansas, 12 of which he also served as an elder. Under his tenure the church grew from just over 30 to nearly 200 in weekly attendance, which Butterfield attributes to “The work of the Holy Spirit, a lot of prayer and dedicated workers.”  Butterfield continues to be a columnist for the Newport Independent, where his weekly articles have appeared for over thirteen years. He is a sought after speaker on church growth and on the subject of pornography and sexual addiction. 

Several DVD series have been produced by CfCB, Inc., with Butterfield serving as Executive Producer including Dating, Marriage, Sex - a 6.5 hour series by Dr. Adrian Hickmon; Two sexual purity series - Coming of Age for Boys and Coming of Age for Girls - each 3.5 hours in length; Three women’s series authored by Linda Smith – HiStory Through History, A Study of Jesus through the Old Testament; Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, A Study of How Jesus Valued Women; Keep Your Fork, Heaven’s Blessings Are Coming.

Butterfield received his Doctorate from Texas Tech University in 1989. Prior to this he received both the Master of Science degree (74) & the Educational Specialist degree (75) from Indiana University. Lou has been married for 45 years to Sandy Swann Butterfield, a retired schoolteacher and the mother of their three children all of whom are Marriage & Family Therapists. Butterfield and his wife live in Searcy, Ark., where they enjoy their six grandsons and one granddaughter.

Later in 1855 Joseph’s mother became ill in Ireland and he penned this poem to give her encouragement and comfort in her last days.

It is hard to imagine the depth of pain this man went through.  And like most long lasting songs one person’s pain becomes another person’s hope.

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and grief’s to bear.What a privilege to carry, everything to God in Prayer.O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,All because we do not carry, everything to God in Prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share?Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer;in his arms He'll take and shield thee, thou wilt find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised, Thou wilt all our burdens bearMay we ever, Lord, be bringing, all to Thee in earnest prayer.Soon in glory bright unclouded, there will be no need for prayerRapture, praise and endless worship, will be our sweet portion there.

Cameron Holland

I’ll pray for you” are words I have spoken and I am sure they are words you have spoken.  They are words we use to comfort someone who is hurting.  They are meant to be words of encouragement.  They are words that say “I care” and I will take your needs to someone who can do something about it.  It is good to know people care and for Christians there is peace in knowing so many people are taking your dilemmas to God.  I love the fact that people pray for me and I love it when others are encouraged when I pray for them.That is why John 17 is a passage that brings me incredible peace.  This morning we will look at Jesus’ prayer in the garden.  It is a prayer that came from the very lips of Jesus as he faced his earthly death.  And what did Jesus pray for in this great time of stress.  He prayed for me and He prayed for you.  That’s right, our Savior, in His greatest time of need thought of you and me and offered our needs to the creator of all things.  Christ loved us then and He loves us now.  Christ prayed for us then and He watches over us now.  We can find comfort and peace in the knowledge that Christ has always loved us and we can share in the hope that we will experience that love face to face one day.  Hopefully, as you read the words of Jesus in John 17 you will be filled with comfort, peace and hope.

Cameron Holland   

The following is a prayer that has touched me. It is from God Is No Fool by Lois A. Cheney.

Today,

For what I am that I ought not to be,

Forgive me.

For what I am not that I ought to be,

Forgive me.

Be with my mouth in what it speaks.

Be with my hands in what they do.

Be with my mind in what it thinks.

Be with my heart in what it feels.

Work in me

through me

for me

in spite of me.

Can our church have a similar prayer life? Consider these thoughts from part of an article I read today.

“What I have consistently noticed in almost all thriving congregations, however, is that what makes the difference is the extent to which the community is open to God at its core.

Many churches simply aren’t open to God. They let the will, ego, and purpose of the dominant voices in their congregation, whether the pastor’s or that of a few strong members, drive the agenda. Instead of seeking God’s call and purpose, they argue over who is right and wrong.

Declining churches tend not to be open to God’s presence. They worship, meet, and engage in ministry and mission, but their sense is that God is in heaven, we are on earth, and all that matters is doing good deeds. The congregants have no sense that Christ is in their midst, and that this presence of Christ can bless them and make their churches places of love. So they continue to engage in the practices of the church, but they don’t expect an encounter with Christ."

How can we make sure that God is working in our midst as a church? 

We will also have a special contribution for Agape, Hopeworks, Harding School of Theology, and other benevolent works. David Jordan will be our special speaker, and we will also have some special guests from Agape's Family in Transition program.