Bulletins 2011
2-13-2011
A DAY YOUR FRIEND COULD REMEMBER FOR ETERNITY
As you have probably seen in our bulletin, on February 27, we are going to have a Friend’s Day and Mobberly Church of Christ Reunion here at Chandler Street. Our theme for the Adult Bible Class with be “Unity” and for the morning sermon will be “Friends Together”. Just so that you have a glimpse into what your friends will be hearing, we will be focusing on Jesus’ words in John 15:12-13
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
For preparation for that day, we are calling on you to “lay down your life for your friends.” Sometimes we are afraid to invite our friends to church, for a whole lot of reasons. So what I want to do is assure you that your friends will feel welcomed and loved and that at no time will they be embarrassed. Also, I want you to know that they will hear the Word of God proclaimed and they will know that Jesus is their friend.
So what can you do? First, start praying for your friends, relatives and neighbors. Ask God to open a door for you to invite them to worship that day. Think about people that you work with or people you know from different businesses around town. Pray for these people every day. Begin praying for their spiritual needs as well.
Then, sometime soon, invite them, even let them know you have been praying for them. It really is simple. “We are having a ‘Friend’s Day’ at our church and I would like to invite you to come with me” or “I’ve been praying that you would come with me.” Encourage them to come for Bible class and to stay for the meal and devotional afterwards as our honored guests.
We are willing to talk to our friends about sports or the weather, maybe about the kids or our families, but we are afraid to open up to them about their spiritual needs. A lot of people are hurting in this world and we know that Jesus can help them with their pain. Proverbs 17:17 says “A friend loves at all times.” We want people to know that we are their friends, that Jesus wants to be their friend and that we have a loving, friendly church family that wants them to be a part of us.
As the saying goes, “A friend is one who comes in when everyone else is going out.” A friend is one who makes you feel good inside. They are there when no one else will be. You see their good points when everyone else is focusing on their negatives. But a friend especially prays for their friends and cares about their spiritual needs.
Most of all, you need to make plans to be here on the 27th. When you see someone with a friend, you tried to be a friend as well. The more friends a person feels that they have, the more likely they are going to come back and come to the Lord.
Start preparing and praying for your friends.
Chris Vidacovich