The Champions Spirit
Volume 68, Issue 40
Oct. 11, 2009
In This Issue
What's so great about...
Truth for Today?
Truth for Today, housed in Searcy, Ark., is a work Eddie Cloer and his wife Susan began in an effort to share biblical resources with missionaries and native preachers throughout the world. Champions has been blessed to be the overseeing congregation of this work. This week we continue in our "What's so great about" theme by asking, "What's so great about...Truth for Today?"
Truth for Today is great because it is a fundamental resource for missionaries and native preachers throughout the world. The publication generally focuses on one particular book, or section of a book of the Bible, for each edition. The materials are arranged to give the preacher or native convert resources to use in sharing the gospel in that particular land-often in the speakers' native language.
Truth for Today is great because it is a free resource for the missionaries. The funds raised by Eddie and others in special collections-such as we are having today-are used to put these materials into the hands of those who often could not afford them, but need them desperately.
Truth for Today is great because it is financially responsible. Every effort is made to be faithful stewards of every dollar given.
Truth for Today is great, most of all, because it is faithful to the Word of God! Truth for Today materials can be trusted as they are prepared by those who are making every effort to be sure of the accuracy of the message, first and foremost, to the Word of God, and then to the language in which the publication is translated. Both are vital to the success of the work.
Indeed, Truth for Today is a great work of the Lord.
-Larry Keele
FAMILY MATTERS...
Guests are welcome here! We are so glad you have come this morning. If you have any question about the service today or other spiritual matters, we would love to visit with you further. Just note your question on your visitor’s card and someone will be happy to get in touch with you at your convenience.
We welcome Rosalanda Zarate to God’s family at Champions, and we want to welcome back Gary, Vicki and Sydney Flenniken.
Sunday evening, Lauren Freeman and Kelsey Miles both had special prayer requests. Lauren for her relationships and Kelsey for a medical need for a friend. Aren’t we glad that we have the wonderful avenue of prayer!
The angels in heaven rejoiced with the baptism of Derek Smith who was baptized into Christ Jesus early Friday morning. Derek has been studying with Jeremy Geurin, Kendall Willis and Nathan Thompson. Welcome, Derek, into the family!
This morning we will be blessed to hear Eddie Cloer speak of the Truth for Today work. We are blessed when Eddie and Susan come to visit. We will be blessed with an opportunity to have a special offering in support of this great work of God.
I have heard great reports about Jerry Tallman who will bring an Evangelism Workshop here October 25-28th. I understand that he is not only a great motivational speaker, but that he practices what he preaches! Plan now to be a part of every service!
Parting Thought: The first consume on record was a hand-me-down—from a fig tree.
HAVE A BLESSED WEEK!
Jeremy's Junction
I have a new set of headphones I bought from Best Buy recently. I really enjoy them because the details in the music that I listen to are really incredible. Sometimes, I hear instruments and vocals that I hadn't even noticed before. In many respects, listening to my music with these new headphones is like hearing them again for the first time. I am really enjoying them. Everyone who comes over gets to listen with them on. I like showing people the difference in sound clarity. I enjoy watching them enjoy them. It is really cool.
Some of you have probably had similar experiences with new audio and video devices. Many of you who have purchased a new HDTV's in the last year have probably noticed a lot more detail in your movies, shows, and sports than you had before. It is neat watching or listening to something you love and finding new things about it every time you experience it.
The Bible. No matter how many times I read it, I always find something new. Key words and phrases sometimes seem to jump out at you leaving you with the thought, "How have I not noticed this before?" With all that we have learned about the Word of God, we continuingly are learning more ways in which to use it in our daily lives. We get inspiration, correction, instruction, and love every time we pick it up. I would like my experience in reading the Bible to be exciting and full of discovery. In order for this to happen, I have to read my Bible. I have to study what it says. I have to take time and it takes sacrifice. But, what could be more worth sacrificing for than the opportunity to grow closer to God and to understand God's will for my life more clearly? I think that it is well worth it!
Next year we are going to study the "Look at the Book" curriculum. It will give us a chance to look at each book in the Bible and understand the settings in which it was written. It will give us the chance to look at key themes and writings. With this study comes a challenge to read the Bible! Not just a little bit, but all of it. Read the entire Bible during the year. Sacrifice time to read it. Be ready in class to contribute the to study of the Word.
Take this opportunity to renew your passion for the Word of God. Let's show our Father what we mean when we say we will "surrender all to Him." Someone who is passionate for God is passionate for his Word. Someone who is passionate for his Word is dedicated to the reading of his Word. Let's work together to help each other dedicate ourselves to the goal of getting back to the Bible in 2010!
—Jeremy Geurin
John's Jogs
ARE YOU A CONSERVATIVE OR A LIBERAL CHRISTIAN?
This is a question each of us must ask ourselves and find the correct answer and then compare it to the biblical model. First, we need to define the terms.
Conservative: Tending to preserve established traditions or institutions and to resist and oppose any changes in them.
Liberal: Not restricted to the literal meaning; free and unconfined; broad minded.
What does this mean when applied to Christianity? Obviously conservatism will tend to hold on to all aspects of what has gone before and liberalism will tend to change things along the way. I’m not sure any of us are truly conservative or truly liberal in the true sense of the words.
In my “short” lifetime I have observed and worked with all stripes from “one cup,” “no Sunday School” to Christian Church – Disciples. About 15 years ago doing visitation we had a couple from a no Sunday School congregation and a couple from a Christian church place membership with Champions the same week. I once attended a church in Tennessee where I was asked to preside at the Lord’s Table. I knew about the one cup concept but I was bewildered removing the covering to find a bottle and two cups. Being a reasoning person it quickly occurred to me that the two cups applied to the two sides of pews.
Well to answer my question – I am neither a conservative nor a liberal Christian. I am both a conservative and liberal Christian. Conserving or preserving the biblical message concerning the plan of salvation, the worship of God in His prescribed manner and His relation to the church and its conduct of its business must be adhered to without deviation. We must be very liberal in our time, money and service. We need to be both liberal and conservative when dealing with traditions that are not prescribed biblically. Methodology is a matter of prerogative to be arrived at in harmony.
There is a great danger when we go to either of these extremes. Carried to its extreme the conservative becomes so entrenched in its preservation that it stops doing anything worthwhile. Thus it becomes involved in the “sin of do nothing.” On the other hand, going to the extreme liberalism results in accomplishing a great deal and building large congregations but having left the biblical foundation has accomplished nothing worthwhile for the cause of Christ.
Therefore, let us just be CHRISTIANS period.
—John Qualls