[Biblemat] Walking in the Light (1/14/07)

Sun Jan 14 22:48:27 CST 2007

Walking in the Light

"For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light."
"The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the
simple." 

"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with
one another...."
(Psalm 36:9; 119:130; 1 John 1:7a)

January 14, 2007

www.thetfordcountry.com <http://www.thetfordcountry.com/> 

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INFORMATION: My WEB Site  <http://www.thetfordcountry.com/>
www.thetfordcountry.com has just been updated to include the articles and
sermons listed below. All the sermons posted each week to my web site are in
.pdf format.  The PowerPoint charts are also included with ALL the sermons
that are posted to the web site. To access the sermons page, visit the site
and click on "Richard's Page" and then click on "sermons." Please visit the
"Reference Works" links page for updated links to various Bible study
resources. If you are a newcomer to the area or wanting information
concerning the Valley church of Christ here in Grand Junction, Colorado,
then click on the Valley church of Christ Web Site,
<http://www.valleychurchofchrist.net/> www.valleychurchofchrist.net. Thank
you for visiting my web site and as always, your comments are welcome. 

If you know of someone that would like to receive the "Walking in the Light"
electronic bulletin each week, please send an e-mail message to
<mailto:Richard at Thetfordcountry.com> Richard at Thetfordcountry.com  with their
name and e-mail address and I will add them to the list.

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CONTENTS:

"Our Christian Development and Growth" (Richard Thetford)

"What is the True Church?" (Richard Thetford)

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OUR CHRISTIAN DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH

Richard Thetford

Before an individual can grow as a Christian they must first be free from
sin. Peter writes: "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all guile,
hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure
milk of the word, that you may grow thereby" (1 Pet 2:1-2). Later he says:
"by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises,
that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped
the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Pet 1:4). Many
Christians seem to be "spinning their wheels" when it comes to Christianity.
They want to be an active Christian, yet they also want to continue to
entangle themselves with worldly things. We cannot develop and grow into the
Christian that God wants us to be if we are not willing to give it 100%
effort! Only when we truly "desire" for the righteousness of God will we
become a mature, seasoned, responsible, and respected Christian in His
service. We must be determined to escape the world's lusts and have a living
faith toward Christ. James writes: "For as the body without the spirit is
dead, so faith without works is dead also" (Jam 2:26). Our true character,
development and growth as a Christian will be evident to all based upon our
works. Our Christian growth will be seen by all without us having to ever
say a word. Remember the words of Paul? "Let no one despise your youth, but
be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in
faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to
doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by
prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these
things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to
all" (1 Tim 4:12-15). A Christian's development, growth, and progress will
be evident to all that see him.

Conditions of Growth

We can only grow in Christ when we place our trust and cares on Him.
"casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Pet 5:7). Jesus
pleads with each of us to "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matt 11:28-30). When we cast
our cares on Jesus, and lean on Jesus, then we are on our way to developing
as a Christian ought to. The worrier, the pessimist, the negative individual
will not grow spiritually because they have not learned to let Christ be the
center of their life. When we try to go through our daily tasks without
including God, then we have miserably failed. Each and everyone of us when
asked if we would like to grow up to be a strong, active, knowledgeable,
fruitful Christian would probably answer YES! What we say we WANT to be and
what we actually ARE, often times are two different things. You see, our
growth is conditional. Conditioned that we STRIVE to be what we say we WANT
to be! 

Steps to Christian Growth

So how does an individual grow to become the Christian that God would
certainly be proud of? The answer is found in the Bible. Peter writes: "But
also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue,
to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control
perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness,
and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound,
you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus
Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness,
and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore,
brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if
you do these things you will never stumble" (2 Pet 1:5-10). We learn that
the individual that really wants to develop and grow into a servant of God,
a dedicated Christian, then there is active work to do. A Christian is one
who is virtuous, longs for knowledge (Eph 3:19; Prov 24:5), exercises
temperance (1 Cor 9:25; Gal 5:23), is patient (1 Thes 5:14; Jam 5:8), godly
(1 Tim 4:7-8), shows brotherly kindness always (Gal 6:10), and understands
that all things must be done first of all because of LOVE (1 Cor 13:1-13).
Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit informs us that if we are actively
pursuing these things then we will never stumble! The apostle Paul wrote to
the Philippians and encouraged them to remain faithful and to develop and
grow as Christians by saying: "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true,
whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are
pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if
there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-- meditate on
these things" (Phil 4:8). May we all strive to develop and grow by putting
on the fruits of the spirit (Gal 5:22-23), and meditating on the good,
positive aspects of Christianity. As a result, people will be edified by
your growth and encouragement!

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WHAT IS THE TRUE CHURCH?

Richard Thetford

Everywhere you look these days there seems to be another church. There are
well over 1,500 different so called churches in the world today. So one
should be asking "what is the true church?" The true church was built by
Christ - not man (Matt 16:18). The true church is comprised as Christ as the
head (Eph 1:22), and Elders (Bishops) (Phil 1:1; Tit 1:5-9), Deacons (Phil
1:1; 1 Tim 3:8-13), and Christians (Acts 11:26; Phil 1:1). When one attends
a church that does not have Christ as its head but rather man and man made
headquarters, then it can in no way be the church that Christ built. Christ
established the terms of membership into His church. These are faith (Acts
16:31; 2:47; Heb 11:6), repentance (Acts 2:38; 17:30), confession (Rom
10:10; Acts 8:37), and baptism (Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16; 1 Cor 12:13: 1 Pet
3:21). Jesus Himself was baptized to show total obedience to God's word
(Matt 3:16). Yet there are still those who say that baptism is not necessary
for salvation. These have not found the true church. Are you a member of the
true church today, the only church found in the New Testament?

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SERMONS

The Resurrection of Man (with PowerPoint Charts)

The Nobleman's Son Healed (with PowerPoint Charts)

Sermons can viewed at my web site:  <http://www.thetfordcountry.com/>
www.thetfordcountry.com

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Valley

CHURCH OF CHRIST

Meets at:
491 Sparn Street
Grand Junction, CO   81504
(970) 245-5112

 <http://www.valleychurchofchrist.net/> www.valleychurchofchrist.net

ASSEMBLY SCHEDULE

SUNDAY
Bible Study..................9:45 A.M.
Morning Worship.......10:45 A.M.
Evening Worship.........5:00 P.M.

WEDNESDAY
Bible Study..................7:00 P.M.

Evangelist
Richard Thetford

Building: (970) 245-5112
Home:     (970) 314-7261

E-Mail:  <mailto:Richard at Thetfordcountry.com> Richard at Thetfordcountry.com

Web Site:  <http://www.thetfordcountry.com/> www.thetfordcountry.com

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Richard Thetford

E-Mail:  <mailto:Richard at Thetfordcountry.com> Richard at Thetfordcountry.com

1918 Barberry Court, Grand Junction, CO  81506

Home: (970) 314-7261

Please visit my web site:  <http://www.thetfordcountry.com>
www.thetfordcountry.com

Evangelist, Valley church of Christ

 <http://www.valleychurchofchrist.net> www.valleychurchofchrist.net

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