Christians and resolutions

Have you ever made a New Year’s resolution? You might want to lose weight, kick a bad habit or even plan to read the Bible through in one year. Resolutions come in all sort of shapes and sizes. But is there anything wrong with making resolutions?

From a Biblical standpoint, there is nothing wrong with setting a goal to do something. We even sing a hymn containing the words, “I am resolved no longer to linger…”  Making up our mind to stop doing something bad or setting goals for self-improvement is actually commanded by our Lord. However, these activities are not limited to the start of a new year.

Christians have a duty to keep growing (I Pet. 2:2), so we know we should always look for opportunities for improvement. Obvious places to start include parenting (Eph. 6:4), being a better spouse (Eph. 5:22-28), helping our brothers and sisters in Christ (Gal. 6:2), becoming apt to teach (Heb. 5:12-14) and spreading the good news (Mark 16:15). Finding opportunities for improvement is one thing – actually accomplishing them will require planning and effort.

Resolutions often fall through because of a failure to prepare. Like someone once said, “people don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan.” It easy to say I am going to stop doing something bad or start doing something good. How can we prevent ourselves from coming up short with our goals?

There is no secret to success – the answer is to use a support system. For Christians, it starts with turning to the Lord. Praying and asking for help is essential (I Thess. 5:17; Phil. 4:13). We can also turn to brethren (James 5:16). Fellow saints can encourage and pray for you. It is easy to quit and admit defeat after a short period of time. Success comes with determination and deciding that failure is NOT an option. Victory is attainable if we stay the course and use our faith properly (I John 5:4).

                                                                                      Chuck

What will happen in 2016?

Another year has come and gone for the River Ridge church of Christ. It was filled with many efforts that helped the church grow and spread the word of God. We do not know what is in store for this coming year, but let’s look back over 2015 and reflect.

Planting and watering

Reaching the lost continued to be one of the main things we focused on as a church (Eph. 3:10). These efforts did not slow down, and we need to continue to press ahead in this area. Here is a list of things which we were engaged in:

1. Weekly TV program of Study the Word on FOX.
2. Daily TV program of Study the Word on WOW cable.
3. Weekly radio program on 98.5 FM.
4. Bi-weekly mailing of our weekly bulletin to over 100 people in the community.
5. Streaming our services live online.
6. Held our first gospel meeting in the building at 5600 Vann Road
7. Sent out numerous Bible study courses to those who requested them.
8. Arranged personal home studies with many folks throughout the year.
9. Mailed several DVD copies of our TV program to viewers throughout the year.

Providing edification for the members

Building the local church up spiritually is another huge responsibility of the church (Eph. 4:12,16). As a body of Christ, it is essential that we continue to strengthen our faith. Here is a list of things we engaged in to help the members grow:

1. Gathered together as a church 156 times for Bible study and worship.
2. Offered monthly ladies classes and a monthly Friday class.
3. Created preaching and teaching opportunities for the members.
4. Encouraged the saints via our gospel meeting
5. Members requested some personal Bible classes to help them grow (this is open for all)
6. Members mailed the bulletin and helped with the radio program every week.
7. Members visited with other members and prayed for one another throughout the year.

Allowing members to use their talents

No congregation is a “one man show”. To function effectively, all of the members should do what they can to help the church (I Cor. 12:12-14). This list is just a small sampling of the jobs done throughout the year that allow members to contribute:

1. Cleaning the building.
2. Taking care of the communion prep.
3. Looking after the landscaping.
4. Greeting visitors and making them feel welcomed.
5. Praying earnestly for the church and the lost.
6. Encouraging one another and building up that bond of love.

May we set goals to do even more in 2016, if the Lord wills.                                                                                

Chuck