Tri-Annual Singing!
October 17, 2026
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Author: Stan Cox
Minister, West Side church of Christ since August of 1989 ........ Editor of Watchman Magazine (1999-2018 Archives available online @ http://watchmanmag.com) ........ Writer, The Patternists: https://www.facebook.com/ThePatternists
The Condition of the Erring
It can be rather unpleasant to correct an erring brother in Christ. If the brother is unrepentant, he may resent any admonition, and even become contentious. Too, others who do not recognize the importance of such correction may object. Such responses may cause hesitation, or even dereliction of duty on the part of the spiritual despite the instruction of the Holy Spirit, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2).
As one who is striving to serve God and your fellow man, the next time you feel such a hesitation to fulfill your duty, perhaps it would be good to see the erring one as God sees him. Consider the following:
Invitation: Do It and Like It!
Invitation delivered by: Stan Cox
Unlike parents who will say, “You will do it, whether you like it or not,” God calls for us not only to do it (obey Him), but requires that we like it as well!
“Be Strong and of Good Courage”
When Moses was 120 years old he called Israel together, and told them that their sojourn in the wilderness was coming to an end. Because of his sin at Kadesh (cf. Numbers 20), Moses would not be allowed to lead the people into the promised land. After promising the people that God was with them, he anointed Joshua as the new leader of the fledgling nation. He told Joshua in the presence of the people, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:7-8).
From the Preacher’s Pen: Be Humble!
“But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28).
We have been studying the subject of humility quite a bit in our Wednesday evening class. You might remember the point I made about pride being a characteristic of the world. Jesus establishes that truth in the text above. “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them.” Not much has changed in the intervening centuries.
Our Lord’s attitude toward pride and oppression has not changed either. 2,000 years ago Jesus said, “Yet is shall not be so among you…” 2,000 years later He expects the same thing of His people. His example as our Savior, coming to earth in the service of man, is a compelling one.
Do you want to please God? Do you want to be exalted in the final day? Then live a humble and consecrated life of service to others! “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:5).
Invitation: Don’t be Afraid to Miss
Invitation delivered by: Armando Vera
Too often people allow fear to paralyze them to inaction. Christians can be cheated out of character building, becoming what God wants us to be, and becoming successful even to the point of obtaining heaven, all because they are afraid to put forth the effort to succeed. (Matthew 25:14-30)
Sermon: Can you get away with it?
It is childish. Like a kid wondering if he will get caught with his hand in the cookie jar. But, many men are more concerned about getting caught than they are being truly righteous. The lesson concludes that with God, you can’t avoid the consquences of sin, death and judgment.
Sermon: The High Cost of a Free Gift
The sermon describes a popular, present day view of Grace (sometimes referred to as the Hyper-Grace movement), showing its fallacies, and establishing what scripture teaches regarding man’s response to the gift of salvation.
Invitation: One Way to Salvation
Invitation delivered by: Josh Cox
The world tries to convince us that there are many ways to reach heaven. In this lesson, Josh reveals the one way to be saved.
Mining the Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 1:8-11
The apostle Paul suffered through many dangerous and difficult circumstances in Asia. He was persecuted in Lystra (Acts 14); there was a plot against his life in Macedonia (Acts 20:3); he fought against wild beasts in Ephesus (1 Cor. 15:32). Here he refers to one, or perhaps all of those troubles, stating that the “sentence of death” was in him, and that he “despaired even of life.” A more complete list of what Paul suffered is given in 2 Cor. 11:22-29.
Paul wished to share the information regarding his struggles with the Corinthians, that they might know of his trust in God, as the one “who raises the dead.” Paul knew that his life had been spared many times by providence, God having a further purpose for him. Even on the occasion where he was left for dead (cf. Acts 14:19), his life was spared.
Paul also attributed his rescue from peril to the petitions made for him by others (11). In thanking them for their prayers, he shows us the power of prayer too, and encourages us to pray for others.
Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner
God hates sin. There is no doubt concerning this, as the scriptures use that very term to describe God’s attitude toward various sins. For example, the sin of idolatry. Deuteronomy 16:21-22 records, among other admonitions in that context, “You shall not plant for yourself any tree, as a wooden image, near the altar which you build for yourself to the Lord your God. You shall not set up a sacred pillar, which the Lord your God hates.” Likewise, in Malachi 2:16, it is written, “‘For the Lord God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,’ Says the Lord of hosts. ‘Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.’”
In the News: Desire the Word!
From time to time it is difficult for me to decide what to write for my frequent “In the News” articles. Sometimes there is so much to choose from in current events, that it is hard to decide what to write about. Other times I struggle to find anything that I feel would help those who read my articles.
Sermon: The Human Heart
The heart, as the term is described in scripture, encompasses the intellect, emotions, conscience and will of man. As such, it must be kept pure. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
Sermon: The Resurrection Day
The sermon examines four things we can expect at the Day of Resurrection:
- To hear Christ’s voice commanding death to give up its captives
- The dead to be raised incorruptible
- Individual judgment of our lives on this earth
- It to happen in the twinkling of an eye
In the News: 41 Years of Roe v Wade
This week I came across a powerful video on YouTube, titled, 41 Years of Roe v Wade. It was produced by the Texas Alliance for Life, and consisted of 41 different women, born from 1973 to 2014, each giving a statistic or fact about the fight for unborn lives since that time. The video can be found with a simple search using the title, or by typing in the following URL:
Here are a few of the points made in the video:
Drops of Dew
Deuteronomy 32 records the song that Moses spoke to assembled Israel just before his death. Joshua took over as leader of the people, as they crossed over the Jordan and at long last entered the promised land of Canaan. There is a beautiful sentiment expressed in the opening words of the song:
“Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak;
And hear, o earth, the words of my mouth.
Let my teaching drop as the rain,
My speech distill as the dew,
As raindrops on the tender herb,
And as showers on the grass.
For I proclaim the name of the Lord:
Ascribe greatness to our God.
He is the Rock, His work is perfect;
For all His ways are justice,
A God of truth and without injustice;
Righteous and upright is He.”
(Deuteronomy 32:1-4)
Notice that Moses characterized his speech, where he proclaimed “the name of the Lord,” as words of freshness and revival, likening them to rain and dew.
Dew, (tiny drops of water that form on cool surfaces during the night, as water vapor condenses) has always been portrayed as beautiful and rejuvenating. In the very beginning, God used such to water the ground, “but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground” (Genesis 2:6).
