2011 - University Church of Christ

Bulletin Articles - 2011

“BIG” Words

Jack H. Williams
18 Dec 2011

I’m not talking about the size of the letters, nor about how long the word is. In fact, some of the biggest words I can think of in the Bible are all our letters or less. What I mean by “BIG” is that many people simply can’t get over them; they stumble and reject them. Let me give you some examples. “NOT” All of us know that one of the most prevalent doctrines in religion today is that salvation is by “faith only.” But did you know that in order to teach that you have to stumble over and reject the word “not”? James said, “by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (James 2:24). I guess it is just too big of a word for many to handle. “OBEY” So many in the religious world are “turned off” when they hear someone speak of doing something in response to God. But what do they do when Paul says Christ is the “author of salvation unto all them that obey Him,” (Hebrews 5:9)? Guess that is another too big to understand. “FOR” When you begin to teach about baptism most reject it or will teach baptism is because one is already saved. Strange then that Peter would say we are to be baptized “for the remission of sins,” (Acts 2:38). Now, lest some try to change the meaning of “for”, look to the exact same phrase in Matthew 26:28. Here Jesus shed His blood “for the remission of sins.” Now, is that “because of” sins already forgiven or is it looking forward to remission of sins? The word must be too big for some. “ONE” Many cry, “Attend the church of your choice” as if there were many, but God has told us in Ephesians 1:22-23 that the church is the body. When Paul wrote the Ephesians, he told them there is “one body” (Ephesians 4:4). That’s not that hard to understand. In the same context we are told there is “one God.” Will those who have trouble with “one body [church]” tell us to “worship the God of your choice?” Surely not, but still the word is too big for them. Yes, there are “BIG” words in the Bible, but if we will humble ourselves to God, we can understand and obey them.

Look What It Does For The Cat

Neal A. Thurman
4 Dec 2011

Curiosity is certainly not a bad thing. God gave us minds that can consider, ponder, and explore. Man has a desire to investigate and obtain knowledge. Curiosity would seem to be a foundation principle in the discovery of truths that have led to great advancements in medicines and medical treatments. Curiosity caused man to look into the skies and seek to travel outside our normal realm. Ground breaking technologies in transportation and communication were powered by the forces of curiosity. Yet, with these truths considered, we should recognize the need for restraint and wisdom when it comes to curiosity. The old saying tells us that it killed the cat. This would imply that the cat did not know when to stop or be cautious. If not controlled, our curiosity can get us into trouble. On Galveston Island, two forms of jellyfish wash up on the shore. Ones that look like thick translucent pancakes in the sand, and others that resemble bright blue bubblegum with the bubble sitting atop the blob of gum. The pancakes are pretty boring, but evidently the little blue bubble ones peaked the interest of my youngest son. So, he decided to touch one to see what it felt like. To his surprise, the jellyfish was not dead yet, because a moment later his finger began stringing, harshly. We all know, as he did, that jellyfish can provide nasty stings. “I didn’t think I had touched a tentacle,” he would say later. Interesting enough, he was stung anyway. His curiosity caused him to do something, he knew he should not do. It came back to bite or sting him. Too many of us treat sin this way. There are so many good, wholesome, and interesting things to stir our curiosity, but too often we seem drawn to that which we have been warned to avoid. In Gen. 3, do we read of the serpent forcing or even enticing Eve near the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Did the serpent trick Eve into thinking the tree or fruit was something other than what she believed it to be? Did the serpent force her to eat the fruit? No, no, and no. Maybe she was curious what it might look like, so she drew near the tree. Maybe she wondered about its scent, so she stepped ever closer. What must it taste like? It was forbidden fruit after all. Image, the first one to ever feel its juices on the lips. Would it be sweet or bitter? Eve “saw the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise,” (Gen. 3:6). I wonder if later she thought its taste was worth the cost. Beloved, let us be curious to know God, His ways, His creation, but let us have the wisdom and restraint to curb our curiosity when the warning sign says, “Stop, Halt, Alto!” We do not want to become like the cat, nor Eve.

One By One

Neal A. Thurman
20 Nov 2011

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, (Ephesians 1:3). Maybe I am just getting older and maturing to recognize those things in life that are most important. Maybe trial and tribulation have caused me to push the frivolous outside my focused attention. Perhaps things have truly changed. Whatever the cause or explanation my be, I seem to have a heightened awareness of individual blessings. I am taking fewer things for granted today than I ever have. I am noticing smaller things in life, both positive and negative. I am giving more thought to one day that I know have, today. Whether it is good or bad, I seem to be becoming more sensitive to most things in life. Discussing the crucifixion of Christ, often creates a lump in my throat. Looking into the starry sky causes me to press the pause button on life and my mind is flood with thoughts of God awesome power and might. The smiles or laughter of a small child sends me reminiscing of days gone by. Seeing the flag waving as the national anthem is played commonly brings a tear to my eye. My heart is strongly moved by the sight godly servants at work. I have learned to appreciate every conversation with my teacher. Shared words of wisdom should not only be consumed but cherished. Questions should be asked while answers are available from the source. I have learned that the passing moments shared with the one you love should be held like precious jewels and never wasted. I have learned that time will not wait for the distracted. Lessons that need to be taught, should be taught promptly. Kindness needing to be shared should not be withheld from the immediate. Loving word should be spoken freely and often. I have learned to always give thanks to God for the real friend who stands true, even in the darkness. Always remembering and appreciating that what God has given, cannot be taken away by anyone or anything, (Romans 8:38-39). The song says, “Count your blessings, name them one by one.” Recently, I have learned to truly notice the one-by-one. Happy Thanksgiving!

A Life of Lessons

Neal A. Thurman
9 Oct 2011

Do we really take advantage of all the lessons that life has to teach us? Perhaps we miss out of some of life’s best lessons because we never get passed the moment. Sure, we all had a parent or teacher who suggested that our struggles build character. We have all heard saying such as, “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” But most of these things seem to focus on the lesson of survival and strengthening of resilience. Obviously, these are important in building the person we want to be. Yet, I wonder if we are still missing something. In scripture, Peter provides us with a portrait of epic failure in Matthew 14:25-31. We are very familiar with the facts of the story: Peter walked on the water, Peter lost his focus, Peter sank, Jesus saved him, Jesus rebuked him. From this event, we all want Peter to learn if he keeps his eyes on Jesus and he can do great things. Yet, is this all that Peter had to learn? Is the lesson completed? Let us take a moment to ask a few questions for Peter benefit. Why was Peter walking on the water in the first place? Some might say that Jesus said, “Come.” Yet, this was only after Peter initiated the trial of faith. Was Peter trying to prove his faith to the Lord, who already knew of its depth or lack there of? Was he trying to prove his faith to himself? Or maybe he was trying to impress the others. We should all recognize that the easiest way to get out of trouble is to avoid it altogether. Though Jesus did not stop him, his trial of faith was unnecessary. Perhaps one of life’s lessons: trials and temptations are plentiful, we need not create them ourselves. Why did Peter sink? He took his eyes off of Jesus and doubted. Yes, but why? His faith failed, sure. He was overwhelmed by the ominous power of the environment, I believe so. Yet, perhaps even this failure resides in pride. Peter was unable to fully subject his will and thoughts to that of Christ. No doubt, Satan whispered in his ear, but Peter’s own mind told him that he had no business walking on the water. Though we do not always recognize it as pride, Peter would not yield what his mind told him the facts were. He would not give up what he (thought) knew to accept what Jesus was already doing. This will not be Peter’s last failure caused by his pride. Beloved, there are lessons to be learned in almost everything we do. There are lessons in success and lessons in failure, and there are also lessons to be learned in our reaction to each. Seek the answers that do not immediately reveal themselves by asking the questions that do not force themselves into awareness. In so doing, we open ourselves to not only learn lessons of life, but to live a life of lessons.

Blessed Are The Meek

Neal A. Thurman
18 Sep 2011

The scriptures tell us, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,” (Matt. 5:3). Obviously, the world in which we live, tells us that the meek or gentle will get ran over by the force of life. The world definitely teaches the old principle of “might makes right.” Perceived force and intimidation seems to be valued more that depth of character. Of course, this does not fit within the image of Christ. Jesus said of Himself, “Take My Yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart…” (Matt. 11:29) Jesus has a gentle spirit. He was gentle with the weak and struggling. He was gentle with those overcome by sin, (John 8:11). He was pointed and tough on the religious elite and legalistic, (Matt. 23:2-36). At times, he was hard on his disciples, (Matt. 8:26). To be like Christ, we need be gentle in our ways. We need to be gentle as we spread and proclaim the gospel. As Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica, “But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children,” (1 Thes. 2:7). We need to offer the gospel in a manner that can be easily received and accepted. We are to be gentle as servants toward one another. “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all,” (2 Tim. 2:24). We must not forget that gentleness is needed when offering correction. Correction is needed at time, so we must consider how we offer that correction. “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,” (Gal. 6:1). Gentleness is the Lord’s way. Let us also recognize, that gentleness has a connection with wisdom. “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy,” (Jam. 3:17). Let us be those who inherit the earth by means of our meek and gentle spirits that other may see Jesus in us.

The Secrets of Life

Neal A. Thurman
10 Jul 2011

As we seek men to serve as elders to oversee our congregation, it is necessary to look past their public persona and, at least to a measure, consider their private lives. This is quite uncomfortable for most of us and rightly so. Yet, as we consider things seldom discussed, we each need to keep a few things in mind. One, we need to remember that there are no perfect people on the earth. The only One, who ever was, has ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. With this in mind, we must be careful not to become judgmental or haughty. It is certainly true that we are to judge with a righteous judgment (John 7:24), but we must also consider ourselves (Gal. 6:1). We should always be fair and honest when holding a man to the scrutiny of the scriptures. We should also keep in mind that not meeting God’s stringent qualifications for elders does not mean that a man is sinful or in need of correction. He simply may not be cut out be an elder at this time. Second, we need to take heed and care of our own lives; not so we can be considered for a role of leadership, but for righteousness sake. The world or our brethren not knowing our secrets does not mean they do not exist. We need to take heed to ourselves. Let us call to remembrance the words of the wise man. “For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil,” Eccl. 12:14. We should remind ourselves of the facts of Hebrews 4:13, “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” This is not to say that we should openly discuss or expose the private things of our lives. Rather we should work on those secret things that are less than godly, knowing that Someone is watching. And we should use the utmost care when considering the lives of others.

The Door To Opportunity

Mike Vestal
26 Jun 2011

Could it be that we as members of the Lord’s church are missing out on incredible opportunities to “let our light shine?” (Matt. 5:13-16). A teen-aged girl responded to a sermon I once preached on the “Good Samaritan.” What she had written on a piece of paper was something that touched everyone present very deeply. And it is something every Christian should stop to consider- Sometimes I feel like I’ve been beaten by bandits, and am lying on the road half-dead and alone—only no one stops to help. No Samaritan comes along. Most of my friends betray me, and I have no more trust in them. Some of them don’t even believe in God. Sometimes, I think maybe I’m not good enough to be a friend, that I’m ugly or scary. Sometimes, all I need is a Samaritan to stop by and help—someone who sees through the skin to the heart. Someone who takes the time from their life to get to know the real me. There are times I feel like giving up on friendship...sometimes on life itself. Please pray that I never give up on friendship, life, but most of all God. Pray that I will trust and obey the Lord, and that He will send a “Good Samaritan” into my life. It was beautiful to see many Christians reach out to this young lady as she cried out for help. And I believe her prayer is being answered. But the question remains, “Are we seizing the opportunities to bring people to Christ?” Could the “priest” and the “levite” sometimes be us? Maybe the investment in others might prove unpleasant, time consuming or costly. Or maybe, we were just oblivious to opportunity and didn’t see. How can we better see opportunity and answer when it knocks? Love sees opportunities, not just difficulties. Isn’t that one point of the story of the Good Samaritan in the first place? (Luke 10:25-37). Love will cause Christians to seek out opportunities and not just to “stumble into” them. The Good Samaritan saw an opportunity to show compassion. Great attitudes precede great opportunities. Our outlook or disposition determines what we see (Pro. 23:7; Phil. 2:5). The “priest” and “levite” certainly had a vision of problem, even if they had 20/20 eyesight (see 2 Pet. 1:5-10). Opportunities may not present themselves at what seems to be ideal times for us. Sincere self-examination is in order here. (2 Cor. 13:5); Gal. 6:9-10). Rarely does an “ideal time” ever come! “Now” is the right time to take advantage of opportunity (2 Cor. 6:2). Opportunities can be lost. It has been said, “Abandoned opportunities are never lost—they are simply pursued by the competition.” And in our case as Christians, that “competition” is the devil. What we fail to properly use, he will certainly try to pounce upon and destroy ( 1 Pet. 5:8). The more opportunities we pursue to truly glorify God, the more opportunities we will find. And God will be honored, people will be helped, and we will know greater joy (1 John 1:4).

For The Right Reason

Neal A. Thurman
10 Apr 2011

Consider the impact on our lives if we could find within ourselves to always act out of pure motives. It is true that having proper motives will not make us perfect or sinless, because we are human beings who fall short of the glory of God, (Rom. 3:23). Yet, if we live in purity of heart, our sins will be due to our weakness and ignorance rather than wickedness and maliciousness. I certainly realize that all sin, regardless of motive, is repulsive to God and can defile one before His eyes. Still, sins of weakness or confusion can be more easily be laid to rest with teaching and encouragement. In contrast, sins motivated by maliciousness reach down and take hold of a man’s very heart. The willful sinner is not mistaken, he is choosing to do that which he readily understands to be wrong or evil. Such correction will require more effort. Please consider the sin of Moses in Numbers 20:10-11, as well as, Peter’s denial of Christ recorded in the each of the accounts of the Gospel. Did Moses want to be considered as God? This is not what the scriptures would seem to bear out. Rather, it seems that this great leader became worn down and frustrated with his people, and he lost it for a little while. It was wrong, and he paid dearly for it. Yet, his character remained true to God. In like manner, Peter will be remember for all of time for having denied the Son of the Most High God. Yet, what happened to Peter? His pride caused him to believe and proclaim that he was stronger than he truly was. Then when the moment of truth arrived, he was overwhelmed with fear, maybe even cowardice. How shameful, but his heart did not live Christ. He would later endure a restoration that caused him to ache in his heart, (John 21:15-19). Let us not dismiss the seriousness of these sins. Yet, for our understanding, hold them in contrast to the sins of others. In Genesis 4, Cain murder Abel out of envy for Abel obeying God when he himself did not. Aaron and Miriam wailed against Moses with hearts motivated by bigotry, (Num. 12:1-2). Gehazi (2 Ki. 5:20ff), Judas Iscariot (Matt. 26:14-15), and Ananias & Sapphira (Acts 5:1ff) all defiled themselves with the lust of greed. Beloved, all sin unacceptable to God. Yet, let us consider how much easier our lives would be to live and to correct if only we consistently sought to act for the right reason.

Proper Perspective

Neal A. Thurman
3 Apr 2011

Perhaps we all have dreams of material or earthly things that we would like to possess . We should not feel guilty about these dreams or the realization of such a dream, as long as we keep these earthly things in the proper perspective. I spent time pondering these thoughts this week. As a young boy, my brother, as many other boys, dreamed of one day owning a Chevrolet Corvette. That dream did not dissipate through the years of adulthood, but means and priorities kept such in world of fantasy. Yet, about five years ago, as one son was off to college and the other soon to follow, the dream began to resemble a plan. Then two years ago, fate smiled on his life. Means and opportunity blended together and the dream became reality. He bought the car of his dreams. It was just as he had dreamed. It was shiny! It was loud! It was fast! And being given the opportunity to drive it, I can say, “It was way cool!” He loved it. His family loved it. Even my mother said, “It’s really neat.” My brother took care of that car like it was a new born baby. He kept in the garage with a car cover on it and was reluctant to drive it in the rain, because it could get water spots. I thought he may asked to be buried in the car. And then Saturday, he sold it! I called to see if he had lost his mind or had been hit in the head. He calmly explained how driving it was a blast; but he did not get to drive it enough, and too often he needed more than two seats, and he sold it for more than he paid for it two years ago. He went on to explain that it was about to pass a mileage barrier that would diminish it value and the next year it would have needed a set of very expensive tires. So, it was time. I looked at the phone to make sure I had dialed the right number, but I then pondered what he had said. I still think he has a screw loose, but I understand the maturity of the decision. It is a thing that is here for a little while. What if the rich younger rule of Matthew 19 had possessed such a perspective about his things? Could he have perhaps been a great asset to the Lord? We will never know because his materialism stopped his progress. What if Demas had kept a proper perspective of the world verses a life in Christ? Maybe he would have continued to labor with Paul and had a positive effect on the spiritual lives of many. By contrast, imagine how terrible it would have been if Paul have loved his earthly status that he mentions in Philippians 3. I am sad that my brother no longer has the Red Rocket, maybe selfishly. But I am proud that he has the depth of character to keep such a toy in proper perspective and keep his priorities in the right order. Let us all make sure that we possess our things, and not the other way around.

What Does It Take To Make Us Happy?

Neal A. Thurman
13 Mar 2011

What makes us happy? Perhaps, we first need to understand what sort of happiness we are seeking. Are we looking for laughter and giddiness, or are we in pursuit of satisfaction and peace? Things that produce laughter can vary greatly from individual to individual. In fact, some things that bring laughter to one may be offensive to another. We certainly are not trying to define what is funny? We seek a deeper meaning of happiness, one that last and sustains. Some of us rely solely on our environment to provide us a sense of happiness. The children of Israel who fled Egypt could perhaps be described this way. When matters of life developed as they desired, they rejoiced greatly, as in Exodus 15. Yet, when life turned difficult, they murmured, complained, and plotted against their leadership, as in Exodus 14, 16, 17. This roller coaster journey of emotion was a hindrance to their efforts as a people, as well as, to their relationship with God. They were richly blessed of God, but did not seem to appreciate His graciousness. Their ways of life made peace and harmony next to impossible to maintain. In contrast, the earliest Christians seem to have found joy and happiness from within themselves. Though many had left their homes and it was necessary to count on one another for the necessities of life, they were happy because they understood how they had been blessed in Christ Jesus. The scriptures tells us, “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people.” Acts 2:46-47 They found a peace and happiness that was beyond their immediate environment, and thus they were able to face the challenges that would come their way. What does it take to make us happy?