Tri-Annual Singing!
June 20, 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
Invitation: We Need to be Diligent
Invitation delivered by: Joshua Jackson
Joshua exorts us regarding the need for continual diligence and attention as we live each day as Christians.
Mining the Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 1:7-11
In the first verse of our text, Paul establishes a wonderful promise of God as a steadfast principle. If we suffer for the cause of Christ, we are guaranteed the consolation that comes with that relationship. In other words, the suffering is worth it because of the hope we enjoy.
Paul illustrates the principle by noting the “trouble” he had suffered in Asia. This seems to be a reference to the mob scene in Ephesus recorded in Acts 19. Paul and his companions were in mortal peril on that occasion, and it seems that Paul left the area in fear (cf. Acts 20:1).
That fear of persecution remained, as such suffering is inevitable for the faithful child of God (cf. 2 Timothy 3:12). However, Paul took comfort in the trust he placed in God. God is able to raise men from the dead, and so surely would be able to deliver Paul, if it be in accord with His will. So Paul believed, “He will still deliver us” (vs. 10). As such, he coveted the prayers of the Corinthians in his behalf, that their prayers for him and his companions would effect God’s protection in their ministry.
In the News: Printers and Accountability
I am sitting in my office, waiting for a call from a service manager about our broken printer. Yes, that printer which broke down back on January 22nd. I called on the following Tuesday morning to schedule a service call, and have been given the runaround since.
It is actually a humorous story. We originally bought the machine from a local company called Denitech rather than online. The reason was the salesman’s desire to “do me a favor” in the hope that if we wanted more expensive equipment in the future, we would contact him. We chose this particular printer because it had a 1 year warranty (rather than 90 days), and because Xerox equipment we used previously proved to be dependable.
From the Preacher’s Pen: Persecution on the Horizon?
Last week I engaged in an online discussion on a contentious topic that has polarized elements of our society. It is a political hot potato, but the discussion concerned the Christian’s response, based upon what the scriptures teach, so I took the time to respond.
My point here is not to argue the topic, but to note the response in the forum. My posts, though polite, were not well received. I argued from scripture. In response I was called ignorant, bigoted, prejudiced, and a few other adjectives that are not appropriate to repeat in this space.
Participants had an opportunity to “vote” on whether they found any particular post to be helpful to the discussion. The aspersions on my character and intelligence were roundly applauded, and few responded positively to what I had to say.
This is not surprising, but I believe many Christians are really not aware of just how unpopular the truth of God is in our society. We are in a distinct minority with regard to our views on morality and God, and it is very conceivable that this nation will one day no longer tolerate our free expression of God’s truths. Physical persecution is certainly possible on the horizon.
John recorded this warning from our Lord, “A servant is not above his Master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20).
Sermon: The Path of All Men
The sermon follows the path of all men, from birth to death to eternity, in chart form.
Note: In addition to the audio link, there is a link to a zip file which extracts to a self-contained Prezi presentation. Also, there is a link to a handout that was included in the sermon as a hardcopy reminder of the material.
In the News: Last Second Shot!
Friday night the Castleberry girl’s basketball team won a game with the most exciting finish you can imagine. They were playing Mineral Wells, and were shorthanded. One of their players had blown an ACL ligament the previous week, and was out for the season. Their best player had a virus, and though she was playing, was struggling physically. None of their shots were falling, and they were down 12 points to start the fourth quarter.
The deficit continued until about halfway through the quarter, and then all of a sudden the shots started falling. The girls knew they had to win to keep their hopes of going to the playoffs alive. They dug down deep, and narrowed the deficit to one point. With 2.6 seconds left, Castleberry had the ball out of bounds. Josh (my son is the coach) drew up a play, and their best player banked home the shot for the win. The stands erupted, the girls (and Josh) went crazy, and everyone cheered.
“I who speak to you am He”
John 4:25-26
At the end of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman in John 4, the woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (who is called Christ). When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus’ response was His most direct self-affirmation to date in His early ministry, as He said, “I who speak to you am He.”
Other words and phrases had earlier been used, by Jesus and others, that intimated His position. The first example, of course, was the angel’s words to the virgin Mary, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:31-33).
Mining the Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 1:1-3
Paul, in greeting the Corinthians in his first epistle to the church there, identifies himself as an “apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God.” This was his common greeting, necessitated by the Judaizers who constantly attacked his legitimacy as an ambassador of the Lord.
The letter is written to “the church of God which is at Corinth.” This is not a proper name for the church, but rather a phrase designating ownership. The church belongs to God. The church consists of those who have been called out of the world, separated through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. As such, it is proper only to refer to it as belonging to God, or Jesus (cf. Romans 16:16).
The Greek word ekklesia, from which the English term “church” derives, denotes sanctification. The church is called out, or separated from the world. This is accomplished when an individual, by calling “on the name of Jesus Christ”, is cleansed from sin. He is reconciled to God, and is rightly called a saint. This sanctification, as pointed out here by Paul, is accomplished in Jesus Christ. His sacrifice makes us holy, and separates us from the world.
Invitation: Do or Do Not, There is No Try
Invitation delivered by: Joshua Jackson
In our lives as Christians, we either do, or we do not. Too often Christians say that they “tried” to obey, or “tried” to avoid sin. Consider passages such as Matthew 25:34-46, either we will have done God’s will, or not. Our eternal destiny is at stake. Yoda had it right!
Sermon: The Ephesian Disciples
In Acts 19:1-7, Paul came across some disciples in Ephesus that knew only the baptism of John. An examination of the text allows us to refute some common religious error regarding the reception of the Holy Spirit, and the nature of authorized Christian baptism.
Invitation: Living for the Moment
Invitation delivered by: Jeremiah Cox
Jeremiah uses the text of Luke 16 (The Rich man and Lazarus) to point out the consequences of living life for the moment, without concern for the future.
Sermon: Peter’s Sermon
A simple examination of Peter’s gospel sermon in Acts 2, answering the five questions: 1) Who was it preached to? 2) When was it preached? 3) Where was it preached? 4) What was preached?, and 5) Why was the sermon preached.
Invitation: Saved in Childbearing
Invitation delivered by: Justin Carrell
Justin supplies an explanation of the text of 1 Timothy 2:11-15, as well as making proper applications regarding the teaching opportunities and responsibilities available to women.
Satan’s Deceptions
“Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly–and indeed you do bear with me. For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
(2 Corinthians 11:1-3)
The apostle Paul greatly desired the faithfulness of the brethren in Corinth. It was his intent that through his efforts they might fully please God. Therefore, he exhorted them, realizing that there were great impediments strewn by the Adversary.
In the News: Paraskevidekatriaphobia
Paraskevidekatriaphobia is a medical term, derived from the Greek language, used to nominate the fear of Friday the 13th. (paraskevi—Friday; dekatreís—13; phobia—fear). The day (one of which occurred this past week) is considered by many a day of bad luck, though such a correlation with the date seems to be of relatively recent origin, (the last 150 years or so).
The term phobia is used to designate an extreme or irrational fear or aversion. Consider the following quote from Wikipedia:
