Imagine if all Christians, as a part of their discipleship, were caught up in a web of regular Bible reading—not only digging into the Word privately, but reading it with their children before bed, with their spouse over breakfast, with a non-Christian colleague at work once a week over lunch, with a new Christian for follow-up once a fortnight for mutual encouragement, with a mature Christian friend once a month for mutual encouragement.
It would be a chaotic web of personal relationships, prayer and Bible reading—more of a movement than a program—but at another level it would be profoundly simple and within reach of all.
– Colin Marshall & Tony Payne, The Trellis and the Vine
I occasionally use this simple illustration in sermons or Bible classes. Today I ran across a video version of the modern parable. It ought to provoke honest reflection on the mission of our local churches. I’ve included the audio and outline from a sermon delivered in 2008 below.
What happens when a church loses sight of its greatest goal? What happens when believers completely forget why they have been redeemed? This lesson reminds us that we are to serve as servants through whom others might be brought to Jesus. It reminds us of the urgent need to get the greatest of messages out to the world. We are God’s fellow workers and it’s time for us to fulfill His commission in our own generation.
For more interactive outlines and mp3 recordings, be sure to visit the Sermons archive.
NOTE: Advertisements on the above player are randomly generated by the service provider and do not necessarily imply endorsement of the material advertised. Readers are always encouraged to apply the “Berean test” (Acts 17:11) to all that they see and hear.
It’s not uncommon to hear people say things like, “I want Jesus, but not the church.” “I’m spiritual, but not religious.” “I’m interested in the Bible, but not in organized religion.”
One of the goals of this sermon is to help you grow in your love for and commitment to the local church. Why is this difficult? Because sometimes, the church doesn’t meet our expectations. Sometimes, our brothers and sisters in Christ disappoint us.
The church and her leaders should be willing to ask the tough, honest, revealing questions that are raised when criticism is leveled about being unloving and unconcerned:
- Do we personally know “the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made us overseers”? (Acts 20:28)
- How are we doing when it comes to recognizing and responding when a member of the flock is showing signs of weakness or has wandered away altogether? (Matthew 18:12)
- How can we confront and dispel cliquishness within the local church? (James 2:9)
- Have we communicated to the shy, the non-go-getters, the more reserved that we value them and want them to get involved? (1 Corinthians 12:21-22)
- Is it possible that we are more at fault than we think? (James 1:19)
So also, the hurting and the disappointed, before they criticize, should ask themselves some tough, honest, revealing questions.
- Am I adorning the gospel by my manner of life? (Titus 2:10)
- Am I nurturing the familial aspect of congregational life? (Ephesians 2:19)
- Have I yet to ask for help? (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
- Have I overlooked opportunities to become more connected? (Proverbs 18:24)
- If I really want to be loved and noticed, is creating distance between myself and my brethren the wisest course of action? (Hebrews 10:24-25)
- Could I be more at fault than I realize? (James 1:22-24)
Disappointment in the church is bound to happen from time to time because every single member of the church is a justified sinner. And yet, the church is an indispensable part of God’s eternal plan for mankind. This study is about how we, as justified sinners, can continue to grow closer together and closer to God’s ideal, for God’s glory.
For more interactive outlines and mp3 recordings, be sure to visit the Sermons archive.
NOTE: Advertisements on the above player are randomly generated by the service provider and do not necessarily imply endorsement of the material advertised. Readers are always encouraged to apply the “Berean test” (Acts 17:11) to all that they see and hear.
at the meeting place of the Laurel Canyon church of Christ in Columbus, Ohio
FRIDAY, AUGUST 13
- 6:30 pm — Doors open / Registration
- 7:00 pm — Singing
- 7:45 pm — Session 1: Secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven
Jesus, His Parable, and Why It Still Matters [Devin Roush]
SATURDAY, AUGUST 14
- 10:00 am — Session 2: Fortifying Our Hearts Against the Evil One
Seeds Along the Path [Jason Hardin] - 11:00 am — Session 3: Establishing the Roots of Enduring Joy
Seeds Among the Rocks [Devin Roush] - 1:30 pm — Session 4: Avoiding the Chokehold of American Prosperity
Seeds Among the Thorns [Devin Roush] - 2:30 pm — Session 5: Cultivating a Good and Honest Heart
Seeds Within the Soil [Jason Hardin]
Corresponding Study for PARENTS Led by David Pike
SUNDAY, AUGUST 15
- 10:30 am — Sunday Morning Assembly
Blessed Are Your Eyes, For They See, And Your Ears, For They Hear [Jason Hardin]
While people of all ages are invited to attend, the lessons presented on Friday and Saturday will be specifically designed with high school and college-aged young people in mind. A corresponding study for parents is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at 2:30 pm.
If you are planning to attend, we ask that you please take the time to let us know in one of a variety of ways.
- Take 30 seconds to fill out the Online Registration Form.
- Send an e-mail to lectureship@lccoc.net indicating your name, whether you are a student or parent, and if you need a place to stay for the weekend.
- Call 614-868-1375. If you reach the voice mail, please leave a message with your name, contact info, and whether you are a student or parent planning to attend.
Each attendee will receive a workbook that complements the lectureship sessions. Your registration will also aid in arranging space for the afternoon small groups study.
Studies will break for lunch. Several restaurants are available in the immediate area. Please make your personal plans accordingly.
If you are traveling long-distance and need a place to stay, a number of members at Laurel Canyon are freely opening their homes for visitors. If you need a place to stay, please be sure to indicate that need and your contact info when you register.
We hope to see you August 13-15!
Help us spread the word! And special thanks to Narrow Way for permission to use “Shine On Us.”
From the Laurel Canyon website:
Single people of all ages are invited to join us in a specially targeted study on Saturday, February 20th from 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Jason Hardin will lead the discussion on “Bearing Fruit for Christ as a Single Person.”
Jesus commanded in John 15:4, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” What will the single person who takes that commandment seriously look like? How will he act? How will she talk?
Bring a Bible, bring a friend, and join us in this encouraging and interactive opportunity.
For more information, visit our Contact Us page.
As promised in the previous post, here is the sermon audio that introduces our congregational theme for 2010 — “I Am Of Christ. Every day. Everywhere” — with inspiration from John 15:1-11. We handed out the booklets prior to the AM assembly and encouraged the audience to follow along, so there is no accompanying outline.
One other note: in order to turn the booklets into an effective PDF, we had to change the page numbers for the online version. The graphic above is in the centerfold of the actual booklets. That detail is relevant if you follow along in the sermon with the page numbers referenced. They will be slightly different in the PDF version.
SERMON AUDIO :
- Download the mp3 file
- Click the PLAY button for streaming audio
Every first Sunday of a new year at Laurel Canyon, we hand out a booklet detailing our practical plan for personal and congregational growth. While some of the specifics obviously apply only to our local congregation, perhaps you could profit from some of the more individualized goals and suggestions in our booklet for 2010.
Our theme for the year is, I Am Of Christ. Every Day. Everywhere. It is rooted in Jesus’ words from John 15:1-11, especially verse 5.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
My emphasis on Sunday morning to our members was, you’ve got to WANT to grow in 2010! The scheduled opportunities (assemblies of worship, Bible classes, reading calendars, gospel meetings, our youth lectureship, the targeted men’s and women’s studies) are like a trellis—a frame or structure used to support a growing vine and its branches. They will not, on their own, cause people to grow any more than trellises will grow vines. These opportunities will form a framework or structure for 2010 that can enhance and encourage growth in individual lives. But true growth in Christ will happen on a personal basis. If you are going to grow to God’s glory in 2010, it will require conviction, character, and discipline on your part.
It will be relatively easy to call yourself a “Christian” in 2010. There are some “Christian-type” things that might even come easily and naturally to you. But to be truly “of Christ” … now that’s a different story.
If I am “of Christ” in 2010…
- I will be intimately connected with him (Romans 11:17).
- I will draw new life and identity from him (John 1:4).
- I will abide in him (John 15:4).
- I will depend on him for everything (John 15:5).
- I will filter all things through him (Romans 12:1-2).
- I will trust his providential pruning (John 15:2).
- I will bear the fruit of his Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
- I will thirst for his words (John 15:7).
- I will fertilize my life with prayer (John 15:7).
- I will follow his loving and wise direction (John 15:10).
- My Father will be glorified (John 15:8).
- My joy will be full (John 15:11).
Those are the truths we aim to cling to, grow in, and pass along throughout 2010.
Download our 2010 Practical Plan for Personal and Congregational Growth booklet. To God be the glory!
UPDATE: the audio of the accompanying sermon is now available HERE.
As a complement to the Bible class material I mentioned here on the life of Jesus, here is our Bible reading calendar for the month of January. The daily readings correspond with the flow of the class material. Sections of Scripture beyond the gospels should deepen an appreciation for the context of some quote or referenced prophecy. In addition to the gospels material, we are making our way through the book of Psalms in 2010 by reading a psalm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
It’s not too late to join us! “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Let’s remember that in 2010.
Download the January Bible Reading Calendar.
Single people of all ages, you’re invited to join us on Saturday, October 3rd for a few hours of Bible study, discussion, and prayer. Our goal is to encourage Christ-exalting, covenant-keeping obedience among singles.
Afterwards, all are invited to a cookout at the Hardin house. Please let me know (jason@ingodsimage.com) if you’re planning to attend. We’d love to have you join us!
