Author: janicevance

A Few Takeaways from Romans

Last quarter, the Sunday evening auditorium class focused on the book of Romans.  Romans has so much for us to take away, and Romans influences how one views other parts of scripture.  In case you weren’t in that class, this article will recap some takeaways.  For those who were in the class, consider this another reference to aid in further study.

First, we can’t make ourselves righteous.  God does that through Jesus Christ (3:21-26).  Chapter 4 shows that we cannot stand before God pointing to our good deeds to claim He owes us anything.  We are justified by Him alone on His terms, not because of our works.

Second, we serve a Benevolent Master.  As Paul explains, we’re slaves to either sin, leading to death – or obedience, leading to righteousness (6:15ff).  While we can’t make ourselves righteous through works, recognizing what He has done for us ought to cause us to want to do everything we can do in service to the Good Master, who spared nothing from us (8:32).  At the same time, we should strive to leave who we used to be behind (6:4-10).

Third, we can be confident in God’s promises – chiefly, that He will save us eternally.  We should avoid saying things like, “I hope I’ve lived good enough to get into heaven,” which seems to come from belief that our works make us righteous before God.  Instead, we should renew our commitment daily to serve the Good Master who has done and continues to do so much for us.  Biblical hope includes an expectation – and the way we live should demonstrate that we confidently expect God to deliver on His promises – our lives should exemplify the “Blessed Assurance” we sing about.

Fourth, we’re all in the same boat when it comes to sin and justification, regardless of background.  The church at Rome included individuals from both Jewish and Gentile backgrounds, and Paul’s letter indicates they tended to divide along those lines, effectively rebuilding walls that Christ had torn down with His work on the cross.  Who you were before your conversion is not who you are now, and our transformed lives (12:1-2) ought to demonstrate full belief that God’s promise of salvation is open to all (4:9-12; 9:24-26; 10:12).

Fifth, it is critical to understand the context of any book you read.  Without contextual understanding, one might think they’ve found contradictions between scriptures where none exist.  For example, 1 John 3:7 says “Whoever practices righteousness is righteous”, and Romans 3:10 says, “None is righteous”.  Which is right?  They both are, as a contextual understanding of both passages demonstrates.

It’s been said “If you get Romans, Romans will get you.” It’s our hope that these thoughts will help you in your study of Romans and other books of the Bible.

by Justin Morton

We are so grateful for your presence with us this morning.  Whether you are a visitor or one of our members, we are glad you have chosen to be here with us today.  You could have chosen to be in many different places, but you made a point to gather with fellow believers to worship and honor God.  That says so much about you and your desire to please your heavenly Father.  So thank you for making this wonderful decision.

Today, we are beginning a brand new sermon series called “Still God. Still Good: Faithful through the Fire.”  Over the course of the month of September, we are going to address the topic of evil, pain and suffering.  We are going to consider some reasons why we suffer and look at some of the benefits to our suffering.  We will explore the lives of others who suffered and hopefully see that even through all the evil, pain and suffering, God was, is and always will be good.  I hope you will make plans to join us for this important series.

Tonight we start a new quarter for our Sunday night Bible school program.  We have a variety of classes being offered that I think you will find beneficial.  If you have not been attending a class, tonight is a great opportunity to start.  Just decide right now that you will join us and pick a class topic that sounds interesting to you.  Many of us tend to sit in the same spots and in the same classes out of habit.  Why don’t you consider a new classroom, a new teacher or even a new seat?  Going to classes with different people and different teachers can challenge all of us and help us get to know other members of our Walter Hill family.

If you have any questions about what you see or hear this morning or you just want to know more about Walter Hill, please let one of us know.  We would be happy to spend some time talking with you about why we believe and do things the way we do and answer any questions you may have about our Walter Hill family.  Our prayer is that everyone’s faith is strengthened.  Again thank you for your presence with us today!

by Chris Elrod

Our young men are back at it again today!  After today, we will have had nine teenagers deliver a message from God’s Word publicly just in the month of August, and at least three teens have participated in private Bible studies helping lead others to Christ during this same span.  Once again, they will be leading us in worship, this time during a 1 p.m. service.  Please stick around for this special occasion.  Of course it is always special to worship God, but our youth leading us provides an extra dose of encouragement.

Your presence and encouragement at these services are vitally important.  They provide hope for the future as we recognize these young men will one day soon be leading regularly, in significant roles of leadership.  But perhaps most important at these services the young men develop a confidence that they can indeed lead in the Lord’s church.  Not once a year, but on a regular basis.  This confidence comes not from the experience alone, but from the experience paired with your encouragement!

I believe many of our young men will recognize they have a gift to preach and teach God’s Word and pursue opportunities in ministry all because they participated, maybe even reluctantly, in one of our teen led worship services.  Opportunities like these had a tremendous impact on my walk with Christ and in deciding to be a youth minister.

I think we can all see how God is working in the lives of our young people as our group continues to be evangelistic and continues to grow.  But let’s not miss how God is working in you, using you to encourage these young men (and young ladies also) to continue to serve the Lord boldly, publicly, and full heartedly!  You are making a difference in our teen’s lives, through your encouragement and by providing them the opportunity to lead you in worship.  Thank you, for allowing God to work through you for His glory!  Ephesians 3:20-21

Young Men Lead Worship

Welcome to Worship: Chris Elrod

Opening Prayer: Jacolby Rainey

Song: Elijah Phillips

Lesson 1: Danek Smith

Song: Braden McNabb

Song: Braden McNabb

Lesson 2: Will Cooper

Song: Eli Mitchell

Scripture Reading: Isaac DeMario

Lesson 3: Grant DeMario

Song: Billy Hutchens

Song: Billy Hutchens

Lesson 4: Bennett Morris

Song: Braden McNabb

Lesson 5: Carson McNabb

Song: Braden McNabb

Closing Prayer: Samuel Swift

by Justin Morton

When you think about an enemy, what comes to your mind? Maybe an enemy is someone who has harmed or hurt you, someone who has set out to make your life miserable or just someone you clash with for whatever reason. Sometimes our enemies are intentional, strategic and relentless in their pursuit of destroying us. Satan, the great adversary of our souls, is no different. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…” (John 10:10). We must not forget, Satan’s ultimate goal is our spiritual ruin.

And while we would like to think that Satan only sets his sights on the weak and immature, that is not the case. He attacks those who are strong and faithful too. Throughout Scripture, we see Satan attacking individuals and causing them to stumble. David, a man after God’s own heart, fell into the sin of adultery and eventually murder (2 Samuel 11). Ananias and Sapphira were deceived into lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5). Demas, who at one time was a coworker of Paul’s, abandoned Paul and the ministry because of his love for the world (2 Timothy 4:10). And then there is Diotrephes, a brother who fell into the sin of pride (3 John 9). Each of these are examples who allowed themselves to be overpowered by the evil one.

We know our enemy is on the prowl, looking to destroy us (I Peter 5:8), but how does he do that? According to Paul, he disguises himself as “an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). In the garden, he took on the form of a serpent, a creature made by God, to attack Eve (Genesis 3:1). Today Satan attacks us through our friends and relationships, our culture and society, and even our own greed and selfishness.

Satan is a great schemer and while some of his attacks are obvious, other times he attacks us in very subtle ways. Sometimes he uses schemes like distraction to shift our focus to worldly things (Colossians 3:1-2) or to become more focused on ourselves (Philippians 2:3-4). Other times, he uses something like discouragement to try to make us give up because of our physical suffering (Hebrews 12:3). Satan is crafty and looks for any and every opportunity to attack us in such a way that it will lead to our spiritual ruin.

In sports, knowing your opponent’s next move is invaluable. The more you know how your opponent operates, the better you can defend against them. The same is true spiritually. The more we understand Satan’s attacks, the more equipped we are to resist him. So, as you walk out the door every morning preparing for battle, be mindful of the schemes of the devil and how he will attack you. Pray that God will help you to resist the enemy.

What a remarkable group of young people we have at Walter Hill!  Our ladies are encouraging servants.  I am thankful for their love for Christ and the way they demonstrate the love of Christ to others.  Our young men are attentive to God’s Word and talented.  This will be demonstrated this morning as our young men lead in worship.

The lessons presented this morning will show their love for the truth and for God’s Word.  We will see their love for God demonstrated as we see the songs they have chosen and hear the words they lift to the Father in prayer.  We will see an eagerness to serve as they wait on the table and read Scripture.

I hope we will encourage these young men as they lead worship today.  While at the same time recognizing all our youth deserve encouragement.  Not everyone has a comfort or ability to lead in public worship.  Some folks are more comfortable serving in the background.  It takes both in the Kingdom of God.  While the teens leading worship today, must be commended for the way they are serving, all our teens are worthy of commendation.  Whether it’s a willingness to show up and move tables and chairs or to take out the trash, it is no less a way in which they are serving the Lord.  For all service in the Kingdom, we must be thankful!

Welcome: Randall Smith

Song: Will Cooper

Song: Will Cooper

Opening Prayer: Grant DeMario

Scripture Reading: Jacolby Rainey

Song: Blake Lancaster

Lesson 1: Carson McNabb

Song before Contribution: Will Cooper

Prayer before the Contribution: Bennett Morris

Contribution: Eli Mitchell, Braden McNabb, Tyler Lancaster, Jacolby Rainey, Caleb Ellis, Danek Smith

Song before the Lord’s Supper: Will Cooper

Prayers for the Lord’s Supper: Bennett Morris

Lord’s Supper: Eli Mitchell, Braden McNabb, Tyler Lancaster, Jacolby Rainey, Caleb Ellis, Danek Smith

Song: Blake Lancaster

Song: Blake Lancaster  

Lesson 2: Martin Nance

Scripture Reading: Elijah Phillips

Song: Danek Smith

Song: Danek Smith

Lesson 3: Henry Nance

Song: Billy Hutchens

Song: Billy Hutchens

Lesson 4: Blake Lancaster

Song: Will Cooper

Invitation: Chris Elrod

Invitation Song: Will Cooper

Closing Song: Braden McNabb

Closing Prayer: Eli Mitchell

TRANSFORMED

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  Romans 12:2

This was the theme for the Connect Conference held last week at Crieve Hall church of Christ in Nashville.  This year marked the fifth year for this conference.  There were some seventy sermons or Bible classes taught by men and women from congregations of the Lord’s church from across the United States.  These sessions began at 8:00 AM each morning and ended each evening with a Keynote speaker.  On Wednesday evening Hiram Kemp had an outstanding lesson on “Transformed By Salvation”.  He began by giving a “crash course” on the book of Romans and followed that with five points how we are Transformed by salvation.  In this lesson he reminded us of where we came from prior to our obedience to the gospel and where we are now after obeying God’s word and His plan of salvation. 

The other keynote speakers were Justin Rogers whose lesson was titled “Transformed For The World” and Dan Chambers whose lesson was titled “Transformed Forever”. 

All the lessons are on the Connect Conference website under “Videos”.  I would encourage you to go to their website at www.connectcon.org and listen to these lessons.  Our own Justin Morton had a great lesson on “The Goodness of God”.  He asked a very thought-provoking question “We say God is Good, but do we truly believe that God is Good all the time?”

Plans are being made for next year’s conference which will be held July 29, 30, and 31.  The theme will be “ONE” Lord. Faith. Baptism.  Start making plans now to attend next year’s conference. 

by Justin Morton

             As our students, teachers and other educational workers step into a new school year, they experience a mix of emotions: anticipation, excitement, anxiety and even some fear.  My prayer for each of you is that this year will be a blessing in your life and that you will find ways to share the goodness of God with those around you.

With the beginning of this new school year comes the opportunity for our staff and students to be a light in the middle of a sea of darkness.  Not everyone in your school shares the same values as you.  Not everyone has the same morals as you.  And sadly, not everyone desires to live their lives in accordance with the will of God the way you do.  This means our students, teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and other support staff have a great opportunity to be a light for Jesus.

As Christians, whether we are in the school system or in other areas, we should think of ourselves as a lighthouse.  One of the purposes of a lighthouse is to help guide ships safely through the darkness and fog by providing a bright light to help aid when visibility is limited.  Christians are kind of like a lighthouse.  We have the opportunity to help give light to our fellow students and teachers in the middle of the sea of darkness.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

As you embark on this new school year, allow yourself to be a lighthouse in your school.  Use your influence to be positive, compassionate, kind, trustworthy and faithful.  As the apostle Paul would say, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:14-15).

We are praying for all of our students, teachers and staff this school year.  Let us all shine brightly as a lighthouse of hope and faith in our schools and workplaces, guiding others towards the goodness of God.

by Justin Morton

Have you ever been fishing?  My first experience with fishing was in the pond behind our house; a pond I knew very well.  Not only was it just 50 yards from my back door, but over the years I had lost several baseballs in that pond.  Despite that familiarity, I had never spent much time fishing.  Then one day, all that changed.  My uncle came to visit and decided to teach me the finer points of the sport.  He spent time teaching me about the various baits, the technique of casting the line into the water, and the actions to take once you hooked a big one.  Within minutes, I had caught my first fish, a bass.

As thrilling as it was to catch that fish, what stands out most in my memory is the fish’s struggle for survival.  The fish fought and desperately wanted to return to the water, it’s essential source of life.  Once a fish is out of water, it is unable to survive for very long.

Sometimes I feel as though Christians have a lot more in common with fish than we realize.  Like fish, we sometimes allow ourselves to be drawn away from our source of life into a world that threatens our spiritual well-being.  James writes, “You adulterous people!  Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

As Christians, we often find ourselves like fish out of water.  We allow ourselves to be enticed by the bait the world dangles before us, leading us away from obedience and faithfulness to God.  In doing so, we give our friendship and loyalty to the world, making ourselves adversaries of God.  Like fish, we take the bait and are drawn into a world that not only threatens our well-being, but our eternal survival as well.  God does not want His people to be conformed to the world (Romans 12:1-2).

Although the bait may look appealing to the fish, it is merely a deception.  By the time the fish realizes its mistake, it is already gasping for air and struggling to survive.  Let us remain vigilant so we do not take the bait and become like fish out of water.

Grace: God’s Gift of Salvation

Grace is one of the most powerful and transformative truths in all of Scripture. It is the unmerited favor of God—His loving kindness extended to humanity, not because we earned it, but because of His own goodness and mercy. We recognize grace as central to the gospel message and to our lives as followers of Christ.

The apostle Paul describes grace beautifully in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” This passage teaches us that salvation is not something we achieve through our own efforts. It is a gift—completely undeserved and entirely dependent on God’s love.

However, while grace is a gift, the Bible also makes clear that receiving this gift requires a faithful response. Titus 2:11-12 says, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.” Grace is not a license to live however we please; it is a call to transformation. God’s grace teaches us how to live in a way that honors Him.

We emphasize the balance between grace and obedience. Some misunderstand grace to mean that God overlooks sin or that baptism, repentance, and faithful living are optional. But Scripture is clear that our response to grace involves submitting to God’s plan of salvation. This includes believing in Jesus as the Son of God (John 8:24), repenting of our sins (Luke 13:3), confessing Christ before others (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). These are not works that earn salvation but expressions of faith made possible through grace.

Once we are saved by grace, we continue to live under grace. Christians are not perfect people, but forgiven people. 1 John 1:7 reminds us that “if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” This ongoing grace strengthens us, forgives us when we fall short, and empowers us to grow in holiness.

Grace also shapes how we treat others. Just as God extended grace to us, we are called to be people of grace—offering forgiveness, patience, and kindness. Colossians 4:6 urges us, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt…” Our lives should reflect the same mercy and compassion God showed us.

In conclusion, grace is more than a doctrine—it is the heart of the Christian life. It reminds us of God’s deep love, calls us to faithful living, and gives us hope even when we fail. May we always be grateful for His amazing grace and strive to live in a way that honors the gift we’ve been given.

by Justin Morton

Jesus loved to tell stories. Those stories, often called parables, were moments where Jesus took something His hearers were familiar with and used it to teach a powerful spiritual lesson. In Mark 4:26-29, Jesus told a parable that was unique to the Gospel of Mark. In that parable, Jesus used the picture of a farmer scattering seed to teach us the importance of the Word of God in growing His Kingdom.

As Christians, we are called to scatter the seed. According to Jesus, the seed is the Word of God (Mark 4:14; Luke 8:11). Notice, we are never asked to create the seed or even to begin germinating the seed. We are simply told to “spread” the seed, the Word of God, all around, to every creature (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15).

Jesus expects His disciples to be people who go about sowing the seed in our daily lives. And while this is something we are called to do, many followers of Christ struggle to faithfully live out this important command. There may be a multitude of reasons why disciples struggle to sow the seed, but perhaps one of the more common reasons is because many people feel they are incapable of “leading someone to Jesus.” They feel as though they don’t “know enough” to help bring someone to faith in Christ. The problem with this attitude is that it places power in the wrong source. The power is not in the individual scattering the seed; the power is in the seed itself.

In the parable of the growing seed (Mark 4:26-29), the farmer scattered the seed and then Jesus said, “He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how” (Mark 4:27). The man scattered the seed and then went about his business. He did not know how the seed grew. The reason is because the power is not in the farmer, but in the seed itself.

The Hebrew writer said, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). The power is in the Word of God!

Our job is not to figure out how to get the seed to grow. Our job is simply to sow the seed and watch what happens because of the power of the seed.  We must never forget the power God’s Word can have on a person’s heart. Let’s stop relying on our own ability and power to try to save people, and instead rely on the power of the Word of God.