Tri-Annual Singing!
February 21, 2026
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Category: Edification
Subject: Edification
Sermon: Be Strong and of Good Courage
Lessons taught from Joshua 1: God keeps His promises. We must be faithful and obedient to Him. God is always with us. We need to encourage one another!
Is Church Important?
In answer to the question above, it certainly is important to God! The act of His son’s sacrifice on the cross was to, “purchase with His own blood” the church (cf. Acts 20:28).
The term church, used correctly, refers to the redeemed. “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47).
There is no more important fellowship of which to be a part. And, understanding the importance of the church, perhaps it is good to consider the purpose of its establishment.
Men have ideas about this. They believe the church should be an agent of societal change. Of course, there are many such organizations that exist, so the church would only be another voice in the crowd.
Some think the church is simply a community of people who enjoy each other’s company. The church is a place to visit, eat and play together with people you like. A kind of social club. Many congregations make socializing the primary emphasis.
God said the church was established to save people. “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned'” (Mark 16:15-16).
The Lord’s church is unique in the world. It is the divine institution given the responsibility by God to share the precious message of salvation. It is disturbing that men would trivialize it by giving it purposes and works that are neither unique nor divinely authorized.
The West Side church of Christ focuses on God’s work. We would love to have you come visit our worship services. If you do, you have this promise – the effort to save and strengthen souls will be the focus of our worship, teaching and work. That’s what God wants, what we want, and we hope it is your desire as well. Please come join us!
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Sermon: How to Make a Local church Grow
Speaker: Josh Jackson
Josh discusses scriptural principles to encourage the brethren in growing as a congregation.
Sermon: The God of Comfort
In 2 Corinthians 7, the apostle noted the comfort he received from Titus, when told of the Corinthians penitent hearts. God supplies comfort to His people. Often the people themselves are the source of that comfort, as they supply support and help to each other.
Sermon: Establish and Encourage
The actions of Christians throughout the world, who show themselves examples of purity, faithfulness and zeal, serve to encourage and establish their brethren.
Sermon: Barnabas – Son of Encouragement
Barnabas stood out as an encourager of his brethren. He had a benevolent nature, a helpful spirit, and a loving nature that helped him to encourage the people of God. We must strive to be as he was!
Sermon: The Church – God’s Family
The lesson discusses the various attributes that should be present in the church, which is described as God’s family. They are Love, Selflessness, Unity, Affection, Dependability and Encouragement.
FB: Edification – A Shared Stewardship
Paul took seriously God’s call for him to preach the gospel of Christ, saying, “Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2). While that passage specifically references Paul’s stewardship as Christ’s apostle, the principle regarding stewardship is valid, not matter the responsibility given.
One responsibility we all have is to edify (cf. Ephesians 4:16). Every part must do its share in the work of edification. It is only in this way that the body of Christ can grow in the way God intends.
Consider this truth in light of the Holy Spirit’s call to assemble. “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
While it is personally beneficial to attend worship services consistently, that is not the Hebrew writer’s point. Rather, he is referring to the stewardship of edification. We have a responsibility to encourage and build up our brethren! God has supplied the assembly to help us to accomplish this task. To forsake the “assembling of ourselves together” is to be unfaithful in that stewardship.
Let’s say that you are a part of a congregation that has 100 members. When you come to assemble, you do so with the primary purpose of edifying the other 99. The wonderful part of God’s plan is that while you do so, you have 99 brothers and sisters in Christ whose primary purpose is to edify you!
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Spiritual Navalwatching
I came across a quote from 1970 by a denominational writer that indicates a problem that, in my opinion, is applicable to the Lord’s church today. The quote is below, with some of my own comments after.
“…(We) of the late twentieth century contribute to the falsifying of the church’s proper function through our subjectivism … (The present) is possibly the most subjective period in all of church history. Today everybody talks in psychological terms. We enjoy nothing better than to probe our inner life and its real or imagined frustrations. We wallow in our misery. We go to psychologists, we go to psychiatrists, we go to counsellors. This predilection has been called “navelwatching” by some people; that is, we enjoy nothing better than to sit down narcissistically and look at our own psychic navels. This delightful activity allows us to become completely involved in ourselves. We enjoy our problems. Someone has called our epoch “the Age of Analysis” . . . and it is that, for we want to solve all our problems by subjective concentration upon them.”
John Warwick Montgomery
So much of the Christian’s responsibility is focused outward. We can become so entranced by our own spiritual “navels” that we leave the greater commands to “love God” and “love our neighbor” undone. It seems to me important to focus on God’s commandments, and our responsibilities to Him and others, and spend less time focused inwardly – “paralysis by analysis.” Now, I am not objecting to examining ourselves (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:5), but rather noting the destructive tendency to focus on self rather than others.
Are your insecurities, feelings, musings, captivating your attention? Does they lead to missed opportunities to do the Lord’s work? Does your faith consist predominately of introspection – whether of your failings or your strengths? If so, perhaps you need to look outside of yourself, and get busy doing “the work” (cf. James 1:25).
Some thoughts that came to my mind while reading the quote above:
- Truth is objective, not subjective.
- Selflessness is seen in our actions toward our fellow man.
- The spiritual works of evangelism and edification are indicators of a faithful, zealous Christian.
- Intellectualism does not equate to strength in faith (“…and the common people heard Him gladly” Mark 12:37).
Sermon: The Results of Encouragement
Sermon by Brantley Gallman.
A survey of the book of Acts shows the benefits of offering encouragement to brethren.
The Christian’s Responsibility to the Brethren
The Christian has the responsibility to be hospitable, to see unity with fellow believers, to edify his brethren and to love them as well.
Invitation: Let Each Please His Neighbor
Invitation delivered by: Stan Cox
Paul, in Romans 15:2 admonishes each of us to please our neighbor. However, the context indicates that pleasure to be by way of edification, exhortation and even needed admonition.
FB: Epaphras – Example of Encouragement
Little is known about the man Epaphras. He was a Christian in Colosse describe by Paul as “a faithful minister of Christ” (Colossians 1:7). He also is mentioned in chapter 4, and Philemon 23. Colossians 4:12-13 states:
“Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis” (4:12-13).
The terms “servant”, “minister”, “bondservant”, and “fellow prisoner” are used to describe the man. Also, words such as “dear”, “faithful”, “laboring”, “fervently”, and “great zeal” indicate his desire to serve the Lord.
Finally, the phrases “on your behalf” and “for you”, “one of you”, indicate that his labors in the Lord were personally beneficial to his brethren.
One of the most important benefits of serving Jesus is the blessings such labor brings to our brethren and others. May we all be so giving, humble, and concerned about the welfare of all men. This is a true indication of a diligent servant of Jesus Christ.
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“Come over … and help us”
While in Troas during his second preaching tour, the apostle Paul had a vision in the night. In the vision, “A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us’” (Acts 16:9). The text reveals that Paul was obedient to the vision, Luke recording him as having concluded “that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them” (10).
The journey took Paul and his companions to Philippi, where they were beaten with rods, and placed into prison (cf. 16:22-24). After traveling through Amphipolis and Apollonia they went to Thessalonica, where again they fell afoul of the enemies of the cross (17:5). This necessitated a departure under cover of darkness to Berea. Some from Thessalonica followed them, and stirred up the crowds against Paul yet again (17:13). Finally Paul traveled to Athens, where his message was met with mocking (17:32).
