Merkel Church Of Christ

Sin distances God from sinners, and God’s commands declare His holiness and the sinfulness of sin. They always have. God’s declared holiness and the sinfulness of sin can be and is a very terrifying thing. However, God is never satisfied with sinners knowing their sin and the consequences of it. What God wants is for His people to come to Him and know His blessing on His terms by the access He affords them. This was true in Israel’s day ...

Acts 16: 20-35

The early Jewish Christians who received the letter called Hebrews had faced difficult times of hardship and they were about to face even more hardships nationally, emotionally, and physically. This letter reminds and encourages them that they have in Jesus Christ what is much more valuable than anything they will ever lose to hardships in this world, and that God will indeed use their hardships to train them for a harvest of righteousness and peace (Hebrews 10: 32-39; 12:1-11).

Seeking the Lord: Be Rich Toward God Our graduating seniors are enjoying the fruits of their labor, in graduating. However, they are now facing a time of uncertainty as they begin new chapters in their life’s journey. Whether we think about it or not, Jesus faced things like beginning new chapters in life and preparing His disciples for the new chapter in theirs (Luke 9:51-62; 12:1-21; Heb 4:15). Lessons From Jesus on How to be Rich Toward God Set your ...

Seeking the Lord: Repentance Repentance – every Christian has heard the word, you can’t come to God without it. God demands it, and we know that. However, do we believe that repentance is something that is only done, initially? Is it to us a one and done, ideal? Do we think that because everything is going well for us that we do not need repentance? Repentance comes from our faith (Rom 10:17; Heb 11:6), and faith is not a one-time ...

Proverbs 1:8 says … “do not forsake your mother’s teaching.”   We would do well to hear the king’s advice to his son on how to be a godly king and leader of God’s people. Mothers are to thank for so many godly characteristics and principles in our lives. We ought to give glory to God and remember to follow the teaching of godly mothers!

Seeking the Lord: Worship Not in Vain God, our God, the Living God is not like idols that He should be worshipped by human hands, as if He needed anything. We do not worship God in order to obligate Him to save us (Matt 15:1-9; Acts 17:24-28). True worshipers worship God in spirit and in truth. They are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks because they are seeking Him (John 4:23-24; Acts 17:27).

Seeking the Lord: Victory by Our Lord Jesus Christ In seeking the Lord, we find the streams of life giving water Jesus promised (Jn 7:38-39), the Spirit. The Spirit gives life to our mortal bodies, the flesh counts for nothing (Jn 6:63). Jesus, Himself is the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor 15:45). And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven (1 Cor 15:49). So by the ...

Seeking the Lord: Life by the Spirit Are we afraid, angry, and frustrated? If these words mark us, then you and I need to hear and answer this question: W____ are you c__________ on? Are you and I counting on m____, flesh and b_______, our s________? Human effort, flesh, can never accomplish God’s purpose for us. God said: C________ is the one who trusts in m___ and depends on f_________; But blessed is the man who t_______ in the LORD, ...

Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them. (Luke 8:1-18, NIV) 6Sacrifice and offering you did not desire  but my ears you have opened  burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.  7Then I said, “Here I am, I have come  it is written about me in the scroll. 8I desire to do your will, my God;  your law is within ...

In order to seek the Lord, we must humble ourselves in obedience to Him. Christ is our ultimate flesh-n-blood example of faith, holiness, and commitment to God. Our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus, as He humbled himself in obedience to God (Philippians 2:5-8). Christ’s food, the thing that sustained Him, in this world was to do the work of God, His Father (John 4:34). We may think of Jesus as having magically overcome the desires ...

We do not like to do more than we have to do. So, a closer look at the attributes of those who are blessed by God in seeking Him and the kingdom of the Son He loves will help us to know the value placed on humility. The attitude of the humble servant avoids selfishly being the first or the greatest and trying to do no more than necessary. (Mark 9:34-37; Matthew 5:1-12; James 4:6, 10; Matthew 10:25; Micah 6:8)

Deuteronomy 27-30

Romans 12:9-ff

Seeking the Lord: Obey God The Devil tells us that this world should work on our terms. It does not! Moreover, he tries to deceive us into believing that faith and salvation should be on our terms. They are not! God’s word clearly states we cannot justify or save our selves by human effort (Gal 3:11; Eph 2:8-9 et al.). Our obedience offered to God will never be e________ to satisfy God’s just nature (see Isa 55:11). However, a saving ...

We all want to have much faith, but when Jesus apostles faced an overwhelming command to forgive others, He reminded them that the power of faith comes from the object of faith, not from the size or amount of the faith itself. The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. ...

The Jews were given great divine privileges, the greatest being the very words of God. Yet, largely, they missed God’s purpose for themselves as an example to the world of what life with God would look like. We ought to study God’s word in a way that accomplishes His purpose and glorifies Him in our lives. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from Him comes ...

NOTE:  Due to technical issues this recording is low quality, we apologize for any inconvenience One practical part of our seeking God is fleshed out in how we think about and act toward one another in the church. God has purpose in our seeking of Him, and He also has a purpose in our loving one another. God has always searched for the individual who will do His will for the protection and provision of His people. As the people ...

Even when we face difficult times, we worship God. If you are a Christian, you worship God; it’s just what you do. We understand a practical part of seeking the Lord is developed in every aspect of our worship. However, most of our lives are not lived in acts of formal or cooperate worship, and God wants to bless every element of our daily lives. God’s own word tells us that God works in the trials of this life to ...