Woodland Hills Church of Christ

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Topical Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville Sewell Hall's Lesson on Dandelions Introduction: Philippians 3:17, ESV “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”  We are not too surprised when we hear Paul urging Christians to imitate him. In itself, it is amazing that God inspired Paul to write the words, “Imitate me.” None of us would dare urge others to imitate us. We are simply too aware of our own flaws. However, in this text Paul not only tells the Philippian Christians to imitate him, but also to “keep their eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” I would suggest that though all of us, including Paul, have flaws, nearly every dedicated Christian excels in certain areas of living, and therefore those qualities need to be observed and followed. For example, it is one thing for scripture to give us the command to love, but watching someone excel in loving others helps us see how to love. Sewell Hall passed away a few weeks ago after preaching for about 80 years. His first sermon was just before his 15th birthday. Recently, I found a short lesson by Sewell that was translated into Spanish by his son, Gardner as they taught people in New York City. The lesson was given not too many years before Sewell's death. As I listened, I thought about the above text. Of all people, Sewell Hall was a person to “keep our eyes upon” because of how beautifully he followed the example of Paul. The lesson Sewell gave was on Dandelions. He delivered it along side his son in front of a field of Dandelions. It was simple and to the point, but the message was unforgettable. This morning, I would like to give you his lesson. I can't do it like Sewell would, but it is the message that we all need to hear. All the main points made in this sermon are what Sewell said in his lesson. How Did All These Dandelions Get Here?  How could this beautiful field of dandelions have come about? Do you suppose someone hired a gardener to plant each flower? No, we would all understand that the labor involved would be overwhelming.  Maybe there was one pod of seed that grew up and a little boy plucked it and blew on it. Or, maybe the wind blew it, and next year flowers were everywhere. In Revelation 2-3 we read of seven churches. These were seven churches filled with many Christians scattered throughout a large area of Asia Minor. Where did all those Christians come from? In Acts 19:1, we read, “And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus.” Ephesus was a capital city, and from it there were roads that fed all the cities of Asia. As Paul would typically do, he went into the synagogue and boldly taught the about the kingdom of God for a number of months until the Jews became stubborn and began speaking evil of him. But Paul did not give up. He took the disciples he had made and began teaching/reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. Luke gives an amazing brief summary of Paul's work in Ephesus: “This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.” Later, in Acts 20, Paul tells the elders at Ephesus that in all he had spent three years with them. How do you suppose all Asia heard the word? Did Paul use Ephesus as a home base, traveling to city after city for those two years? No. We read in Colossians that Paul never went to Colossae. So how did all Asia hear the word? It was simple. There were men and women who traveled through Ephesus and heard the word from Paul. When they returned to their homes, they taught others, and the one's they taught also taught others until all of Asia heard the word. How long did that take? Two years. Just two years, and there were Christians everywhere. What we see illustrated in Asia is explained in the Parable of the Sower. The gospel is the seed. When it is sown in good hearts, it produces other Christians. Jesus was the original “Sower.” How did Jesus sow the seed in the whole world? Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (ESV) Before Jesus ascended, he told the apostles to go and make disciples of all nations. Well, how were twelve men supposed to do that?  It's fairly simple. The apostles started making disciples of anyone and everyone. When they baptized people who wanted to follow Jesus, they also taught them to observe all that Jesus commanded them to do. That included, “Go and make disciples…”  And the last thing Jesus said to give them confidence in their mission was, “and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” God's power and presence with us never fails. As the Messiah said in Isaiah 55:11, “my word will not return empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”  That's what happened in Asia. Paul made disciples and taught them to observe all that Jesus commanded, which included going and teaching others the same commandments they were taught. And that is how all Asia heard the word. Sewell's Account of His Trip to Zimbabwe Sewell discovered churches and Christians everywhere, and he inquired about how the gospel spread in the country. The Christians in Zimbabwe were traced back to one Christian man who came to the country as a brick mason. He needed workers, so he hired men to work his quarry. As they worked together, he taught them the gospel. And those who became disciples went back to their villages and taught others. This single brick mason could not teach all of Zimbabwe, but he could teach those he met and worked with. In the same way, we cannot expect to employ one man to teach a whole community. But if each Christian followed the teaching of Jesus and taught one more person, and that person teaches one more, the kingdom multiplies, just as we see Luke recording time and again in the book of Acts. Conclusion: That's the lesson of the Dandelions. One little Dandelion in a field can spread to fill a whole field of beautiful Dandelions. Personal Note: My parents raised me to see neighbors and friends as opportunities. I repeatedly watched them teach others who later also taught others. When I began to work with Bernice, she taught me the how to open my eyes and see the harvest that was right in front of me. With her example, I began to teach others, and they have taught others, and they have taught others. There is no way to count the number of souls that have been saved simply because Bernice taught me to “open my eyes, the fields are white for harvest.”  Story of Art and Diane Parmentier The post Sewell Hall's Lesson on Dandelions appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

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New Testament Sermons / Speaker:David Desloge Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The post Distracted From God’s Presence appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

Bible Classes / Speaker:David Desloge Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The post 2 Chronicles 33 The Untold Story of King Manasseh appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

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New Testament Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville We Ought Always to Pray and Not Lose Heart Luke 18:1-8 Introduction: This parable is typically called “The Parable of the Persistent Widow.” I like studying parables. We typically think the message is simple to see, which can throw us off track from Jesus' greater intention. Also, in reading a parable, we often overlook Jesus' purpose to reveal a deeper message to an audience who are not strong seekers. Jesus is attempting to stir their dullness and discover the riches of God. Therefore, a parable screams, “Look again!”  As we read this parable, our thought is that the message is about prayer and the persistence of prayer. But of greater importance is this is a parable about God and one's estimation of God during the most difficult times. We think, and would readily say, that we have a high estimation of God. But how often have you felt like the woman in this parable? We come back repeatedly in prayer seeking to be vindicated for injustice we are suffering, but there seems to be no answer. Soon, we quit “beating on God's door.” And that response harms us deeply because the next time we need to be relieved of injustice, we simply default to our own attempts to solve the problem because, we reason, “why go to God? He obviously is not that concerned about these matters.” Introductory Observations We begin by highlighting two verses, verse 1 and verse 8. In verse 1, Jesus tells us upfront the purpose of the parable: we “ought always to pray and not lose heart.” Verse 8, “when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” These verses bookend the message of the parable. Jesus is urging his people that the answer to losing heart or “growing faint,” is prayer. What goes between that statement and verse eight is the concern that when he returns, will he find the faith in God extended by prayer, or will his people grow weary and lose heart? Will they “faint” on the way? To fully understand the text, we must connect it to the previous setting. In chapter 17, Jesus has been preparing the disciples for the coming judgment on Jerusalem. Though we might reason that the context therefore does not apply to us, we must always know that every “judgment” throughout scripture carries the same warnings and the need for preparation.  The connection between 17 and the beginning of 18 are fairly clear. Jesus speaks of the days coming on Jerusalem are like the days of Noah and the days of Lot. Life is going on as usual and there is nothing notable or threatening until it is too late. Jesus states in verse 30, “so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” In the midst of these judgment warnings, Jesus warns about how a person is living his life when the Son of Man comes/revealed —“whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.” With that, we can make the connection to 18:8 where Jesus again refers to his coming. Considerations: There is a big picture contrast between those who live for themselves in the world and those who are preparing for the Lord's return. Do you see the difference? Those who are of the world live for the present time with no consideration of the imminent judgment. They are eating and drinking and marrying as if they will live happily ever after. But on that very day, they will all be destroyed. But the opposite is taking place with those who are seeking the return of the Lord. Those forsake their goods and flee as the Lord commanded. The followers of Jesus are not living the easy life, nor unprepared. Their lives are like the woman seeking justice with an unrighteous judge. It is not that Christians never have good times, but a Christian whose goal is having an easy life enjoying earthly abundance does not fit descriptions of the righteous in scripture. The Christian life has always been lived in the presence of powerful forces that are opposed to it. Followers of Christ remain even today as the most persecuted in the world. This is the reason Jesus proclaims that a disciple “ought always to pray and not lose heart.”   Therefore, the Lord has given us two choices: it is either prayer or fainting and losing heart. Therefore, if one is fainting, he is not praying. And if he is praying, he is not fainting! Why is that true? For one, if he is praying, he is trusting! He knows the Lord and keeps his focus on God's word and God's promises. That's why he prays! Second, the one who prays knows that it is the Lord who gives justice and he will never succeed by his own wisdom or strength.  There is a third reason for following the Lord's command. We owe it to God, we owe it to our family, we owe it to the world in which we shine as lights, and we owe it to ourselves to pray and not faint!  The Judge and the Widow The judge is a reflection of the world around us. The very person that should be just and should give justice, is unjust! Therefore, we again see a revelation of a disciple in the midst of crooked and evil generation as Jesus often described it. This judge did not care about God, but even more surprising, he did not care about the condition of the weakest person in his jurisdiction, a woman alone, a widow abused, with no other option.  Now look at the widow. What does she do about her predicament? The beauty of this woman is that she understands that the judge is the only possibility of receiving justice. There is no other. So she keeps coming to the judge. She will not stop. She will not give up. She will not lose heart or grow faint! She just keeps coming. And what does the judge do? “For a while he refused.” He won't do anything for her. In other words, this judge is not going to be bullied into doing anything he doesn't want to do. But finally, after a period of time, and I would assume a fairly long period, the judge does something no one expects; he gives her justice. But why? Well it isn't because he cares about her! No, he cares about himself. Look at his words, “lest she beat me down by her continual coming.” Note the word “beat.” It means just that. This woman is beating him! She's bruising him! The Greek is, “to strike one upon the parts beneath the eye; to beat black and blue.” Do you feel sorry for this judge! A little, weak widow is beating him black and blue. And now he is the one who wants relief! Ha! The tables are turned. What Is Jesus Teaching? Most of you have heard the interpretation before. It is said that Jesus is telling us to do just what this woman was doing. When you don't get an answer to your prayer, just keep asking and knocking until he finally answers. For sure, it is not wrong to ask the Lord more than once. Paul asked three times for his thorn to be removed. But just as in Luke 11, that is not the teaching of the parable. The teaching is that there is a contrast between the judge and the Lord! How dare us go to God in prayer thinking that he is like this judge who does not care about anyone but himself, and therefore will only respond if you badger him. Indeed, how many times have you heard someone say, or maybe even thought it yourself, “I don't need to bother the Lord with this request. After all, he's really busy!” Ha! How foolish. That attitude is exactly what the Lord is urging us not to do.  Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”  Do we realize that God has bound himself to do for us the very things that this judge would not do? God's very character makes it impossible for him to ignore us. He made a promise to us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” But this promise can only be answered if we pray. Otherwise, we are trusting ourselves. 1 Peter 5:7 Again, look at the difference between the judge and God. The judge delays. Nothing in his being requires him to help. He acts to save himself. But God will not delay to give justice because of his elect. How could God not give justice to those whom he has chosen? “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32 ESV) Now, what of the elect? What are they doing? They “cry to him day and night.” That is not badgering and beating on God like the widow did the judge. Jesus is teaching the same thing Paul taught in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17, “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks.”  Jesus uses this parable to teach us that we ought always to pray. We are to always pray, not because God answers when we are persistent, but because he is always listening and always ready to give justice. Consider! What happens when we do what the Lord has taught here? Oh my! What contentment! What joy! What peace! When we pray and never cease to pray, there is no fainting; there is no losing heart! “…but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31 ESV) Conclusion: Note Jesus' final words, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” There are two lessons:  Jesus has circled back to his coming. When he returns, will he find his elect continuing to pray and trust and put their lives and needs in the Lord's hands? Or will they faint? That brings us to the second message. For Jesus to make this parable such a priority in his teaching, sends a strong message of the troubles his people must endure before that day comes. We are so often at ease and confident that tomorrow will be no different. How foolish we are in those thoughts. Jesus is warning. Times will come that will bring us to the brink of fainting and losing heart. There is one answer: “we ought always to pray and not lose heart.” Berry Kercheville The post Luke 18:1-8 We Ought Always to Pray and Not Lose Heart appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

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New Testament Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville Lord, Teach Us to Pray Luke 11:1-13 Introduction: We have talked quite a bit about the working relationship God has asked us to have with him. It is a challenging thought, and to many of us a concept we simply didn't know or understand. Remember in our previous lesson from Hebrews 2, Jesus calls us brothers. In other texts, we are called the family of God. In 2 Corinthians 6:1, Paul referred to us as “working together with God…” We often forget that the nature of God has always been to include angels and humans in his work. God could certainly do anything he desired independently of us, but that is not his choice. We are called to work together with him because he is growing us so we are prepared for the world to come. That brings us to the question of the his disciples. Pay careful attention to this request. The question is not “Teach us how to pray,” the question is “teach us to pray.” The difference between how to pray and learning to pray will become evident in Jesus' answer. Growing up as Jews, the disciples certainly would have known how to utter a prayer. We also are in a similar position. Most here would know how to pray. But just because we know how to pray, does not mean we actually pray as we should. Teaching us to practice prayer is what we need to most because of our consistent weakness of primarily praying when we experience a need. In other words, we fight against dependency on anyone other than ourselves. We think prayer is nothing more than making requests when we cannot figure out any other way of solving a problem. Three Parts to Jesus' Answer First, the model for prayer. We think we are acquainted with it, but this is revealed to us a different context than Matthew's account and a different purpose.  Then there is the parable of the friend at midnight that often confuses us. Is he telling us we are praying too much or praying too little? How does the parable answer the question? Finally, there are illustrations, primarily of a father with a son. The Model of Prayer You will notice it is a shortened version of the one in Matthew's account. It is very brief and to the point. But keep in mind, Jesus is answering the question, “Teach us to pray.”  There are two principles in the prayer that are subtle, but are foundational to the question of the disciples: Notice Jesus begins his answer with, when you pray say, “Father.” Addressing God as Father is not surprising to us; we have heard it all our lives. But that is the problem. We are so accustomed to it that it becomes an introductory title instead of a description of a description of our relationship with him. The word “Father” bookends the entire text. In verse 11, Jesus concludes with, “What father among you…”  With that said, how does “Father” teach us to pray? The answer right before us. We are not addressing a distant God. We are not trying to get the attention of monarch who is so busy running the world that it will take forever to get his attention. This is our Father. He is a Father far greater than any earthly father. Thus, verse 13, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give…” If any of my sons or grandchildren call me and ask me to do something for them, there is no question in their minds as to whether I will do it. Therefore, the Lord just taught us to pray!  The use of the plural in the prayer: “Give us…forgive us…” Our prayers are not to be self-centered. It is not “I,” “me,” and “my,” it is us. That will certainly teach us to pray. The Lord wants us to beware of selfishness in our prayers. If we are always thinking of others as we pray, we will have a lot to pray about, and we will be thinking more broadly about kingdom needs and not just personal needs.  Further the model prayer tells us a lot about prayer and how we approach it in our lives. While our prayers are typically filled with thanksgiving—and so they should be—this brief model highlights what should be on our hearts. The prayer is all about God. The first two requests shows us where our heart ought to be in regard to God's purposes for himself and for us. God's name being holy and God's kingdom/kingship in the world being the end goal of God's whole creation purpose should be the burning desire of our hearts. I would say that if we listen to our own prayers, what are we learning about where our treasure is? Consider for a moment the phrase, “Your kingdom come.” The meaning of that phrase has utterly been destroyed. For at least 100 years now we have been told we cannot prayer that prayer since the kingdom came in Acts 2. That is such a poor understanding of God's kingdom and a poor understanding of what Jesus is asking us to do. The kingdom refers to Jesus' reign, a reign that has a purpose not yet fully accomplished. “He will reign until all enemies are put under his feet.” That has not yet happened. Further, the “restoration of the kingdom” (Acts 1:6), is still happening since Jesus' reign has to do with capturing the hearts of all mankind as indicated in the Parable of the Sower.  Therefore, we must connect the “kingdom” to Jesus' work in bringing his reign to completion. In Luke 19:10-11, Jesus proclaims that “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Jesus follows that statement with an explanatory parable of the kingdom of God. Praying for the Kingdom to come is essentially a prayer for the success of the Kingdom in seeking and saving the lost. Please consider the word “lost” that Jesus used. How do you think of that word? When Jesus speaks of the lost, it is not just that a person has lost their way, it is that Jesus has lost a person. In the Parable of the Prodigal, who was suffering the most pain, the father or the one who had gone astray? It is without doubt the father! In every case, it is the parent that is enduring the most agony. Therefore, to pray your kingdom come is to share in the agony of our Father who has children he has lost.  Now remember Jesus is answering the question, “Teach us to pray.” Well, now how much do I have to pray for? I am at least praying for every person with whom I have a connection. “Teach us to pray!” Well, there you are, he just taught us. The second two requests are also about God, but in this case God's desire for us. What is God's primary concern for us? It is physical sustenance coupled with spiritual sustenance. Without physical sustenance/health we are unable to serve God with our strength. When Jesus healed people, what was their typical response? Their response was to serve the Lord and serve his kingship. That is our purpose, and we cannot do it without the physical, nor can we do it unless our sins are forgiven. Those are God's concerns and ought to be ours as well.  Therefore the question, “Teach us to pray,” is first answered by fixing the desires of our heart. We are good at quoting from Ecclesiastes that all is vanity. Yes, we know that everything outside of our pursuit of God and his kingdom is but a breath and there is no permanence to be found in it, but then we pray for the vanity!  The Parable of the Friend at Midnight The parable is an enigma to many people because it is typical to conclude that that Jesus is urging persistence in prayer. Not so! As G. Campbell Morgan states, “It teaches nothing of the kind. It teaches that there is no need when we are dealing with God, to hammer and hammer at the door. God is not asleep.” This parable is a contrast to how God would respond. God is not troubled by our knocking! God does not answer because our persistence is wearing him out and he wants it go away so he can go back to sleep! You will notice in the parable, that the friend does not get up and give his friend bread because he is a friend! It is on the basis of his “impudence,” or some versions, “shamelessness” (literally meaning of the word) that he answers the request. That is not God! In fact, Jesus explains the contrast when in verses 11-13 he refers to God as our Father, not friend, but Father. It is not necessary to beat on a father's door to get help. A father does not answer his son/daughter because there is no other way to get rid of him beating on the door in the middle of the night. And even if that were true of some fathers, it is certainly not true of our heavenly Father. Finally, we note the contrast between an earthly father and our heavenly Father. Earthly fathers, whom Jesus describes as “evil,” still know how to give good gifts to their children. Then he offers another contrast: “…how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”  To explain the above quote, consider the subsequent message in verses 14-23. Jesus is being accused of casting out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons. Jesus explains that it is impossible that Satan would destroy his own kingdom. In fact, he is protective of his kingdom. Therefore, there is only one alternative. If Satan won't cast out Satan, then “the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Notice Jesus' words in verse 20: “but if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” What is the “finger of God?” Matthew 12:28 translates, “the Spirit of God” instead of finger of God.  Based on that context, Jesus is teaching that it is the power of the Spirit that is by which Satan's kingdom is being destroyed. Compare this with Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21. Vs. 16-17 “…according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…” Vs. 20 “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us…”  1 John 4:4 “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”  What then do we need most? We need power, power to overcome sin, power to comprehend and understand God's will as we study the words of the Spirit. Jesus says that power is a gift that comes from the Spirit of God. Ephesians 1:17, which is the beginning of Paul's prayer, states, “…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened…” That is our goal in Bible study, but that is also our goal in prayer! Does that not teach us to pray? Conclusion: We are back to the question, “Lord, teach us to pray.” What did the Lord teach that instructs us concerning our regular need to pray? We will be eager to pray because we have a perfect, heavenly Father.  Praying has to do with God's kingdom, which is our eternal home. Praying for our physical and spiritual welfare is necessary for us to serve God. God's answer to our prayers is always for our good so that we are prepared to work together with him both in this life and the life to come. Berry Kercheville The post Luke 11:1-13 Lord, Teach Us to Pray appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

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Old Testament Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville The post Fixing Our Heart appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

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Topical Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville Every Member Has a Part: Can You Invite? Luke 5:27-32 What do we learn from this text? Levi was proactive and used an opportunity instead of having a private dinner party with Jesus. A meal together draws people closer to one another. Jesus came to call sinners to repentance. Who are the best opportunities? We are “salt.” We must touch the lives of “sinners” for them to be saved. There are two scriptural approaches churches and individuals have used to get Bible studies: Personal & Impersonal. Impersonal approaches are where we are inviting people to “come and see.” (Invitations to attend a church worship, group Bible study or via social media),  Jesus used an “impersonal” approach when he preached the parables in Matthew 13 to thousands. He transitioned to “personal” when some came into the house and asked the meaning of the parables. Personal approaches are more private, personal studies with one or two Christians. In these studies we can directly deal with the individual needs and questions of our friend. Opportunities may be created for this invitation by developing personal relationships and friendships. Do you need any more friends? (Example of the elderly group in Oregon)  Advantages and disadvantages:  The advantage of an impersonal approach is (1) that it is easier and less intimidating to inviter and invitee to offer a group Bible study than to be more direct with an individual “one on one” study. (2) Large groups of people can be invited at once.  The advantage of a personal approach is that the teacher can gain a deeper friendship or relationship that is so helpful in bringing a person to Christ. When we read 1 Thessalonians 2, we see the deep love between Paul and the church that was developed through Paul giving his life and soul to them.  Enables “reasoning” & answering personal questions. This exhibits Paul's teaching style: Paul “reasoned” (exchanged thought with thought) with the people he taught. As did Jesus, he often started with an impersonal approach (preaching to a synagogue group), but conversions came from the discussions from individuals who approached him after the sermon. Which approach should we use? That depends on the circumstances. Both approaches are needed. Impersonal approaches offer widespread invitations that can lead to personal studies. However, the most successful Bible studies in terms of coming to Christ, comes much easier from the personal approach. What is the best and easiest way to get an and opportunity to invite? Do you need any more friends?  Berry Kercheville The post Reaching The Lost: Every Member Has A Part: Can You Invite? appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

Bible Classes / Speaker:Adam Malone The post 2nd Timothy (Intro – Pt.2) appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

Old Testament Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville Apathy Brings Judgment Jeremiah 16 Introduction: Have you ever noticed how difficult it is for us to accept a coming major change in our wellbeing? After Enoch and Noah had warned for 1000 years of the coming judgment, Jesus said, “For as in those days before the Flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark…” And so it was with Nineveh, Jerusalem, Babylon, Persia, and Rome. The same was true in 1929 and the Great Depression and the murder of six million Jews in Nazi Germany. When we are comfortably living in peace and prosperity  with a mighty military, it seems unimaginable. Paul urged Christians in 1 Corinthians 7, to not marry because,“the fashion of this world is passing away. What we tend not to consider, is that “world” passing away did not happen by an invasion, it happened internally by a corrupt empire.  We can't imagine it in America, but that doesn't mean it isn't happening or won't happen, whether by trials on an individual, national corruption, the temporal judgment of a nation, or the final judgment, apathy will leave us unprepared.  This is the Lord's message in Jeremiah 16. But the apathy and disbelief of the people will lead to their utter destruction.  Joy and Gladness Will Soon End (1-9) Jeremiah was given three restrictions in order to get the attention of the people. Do not marry and have children—all the fathers, mothers, and children are going to die of deadly diseases, sword, and famine. They will not even be buried, and animals will eat their dead bodies. “Do not enter the house of mourning, or go to lament or grieve for them.” To understand this better, consider the purpose of going to a funeral. We are hoping to give those who grieve some peace and love. But in this case that would be a lie. Things are only going to get worse. All peace and love has been taken away by the Lord.  “You shall not go to the house of feasting to sit with them, to eat and drink.” No, even though the invasion had not yet happened, Jeremiah's refusal to participate in a simple dinner party indicates the coming doom. As the NIV translates, God will “bring an end to the sounds of joy and gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.” Just imagine, no one will even dream of marriage or dinners or rejoicing together! Everyone's joy will be gone. ESV, “I will silence in this place.” What is the point? God wants Jeremiah to show the people the reality of what is coming. God used Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, to demonstrate their coming destruction through various signs but to no avail. It illustrates the difficulty of humans to accept a world that is about to turn upside down.  “What Is Our Iniquity?” 10-13 The people obviously see the meaning of Jeremiah's refusal to participate in the normal activities of a culture. They get that Jeremiah is predicting their doom. So they ask, “What is our iniquity?”  How could they even ask that question! It illustrates how easily our minds become calloused when we begin compromising God's commands. We convince ourselves that what we are doing is not that bad.  There are three points God we need to consider:  Their extreme callousness began in previous generations, two to three hundred years previous! If nothing else will wake us up to the way we are living our present lives, this should. A Christian's mediocrity and compromises today will produce a downward spiral of wickedness and godlessness long after we are gone. In other words, this isn't just about you!  Notice the phrase, “you have done worse than your fathers.” As we see throughout scripture, fathers are the primary key to the spiritual future of their children. A spiritual upbringing cannot be left solely in the hands of mom. This does not simply mean that fathers should teach their children the scriptures!! The teaching of a father is near worthless without the example of a father who is passionate about his own service to God.  As Malachi 4:6 “The hearts of the fathers must turn to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” A rigid rule-making, authoritarian father will simply drive his children away.  Then notice, “…everyone of you follows his stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me.” When I read this I was immediately reminded of Christians who left the Lord and the local church. In many cases, the reason was because they either did not like what a fellow member said or did or a well-meaning Christian saw that they were slipping and  attempted to help. So they got mad and left. The surprise was their attitude even years later: STUBBORN! “I'll never go back!” We often forget that serving God is not simply prohibitions against sins. Peter insists that we must grow in faith, virtue, knowledge, godliness, perseverance, self-control, brotherly love, and love for all people. If we do not, we are denied entrance into the everlasting kingdom (2 Peter 1:10-11). “…if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Verse 9 states that if we do not grow in these things we are blind and forgotten that we were cleansed from our sins.  God's Purpose in Judgment, Now and at the End 14-15 Inserted in the midst of God's promised judgment, is his announcement of a new exodus. Two things are impressive: God just announced to these people what they are going to miss. It is the same way the Hebrews' writer approached the Christians who were slipping away from the Lord. The motivation of hell is one thing, but the more powerful motivation should be what we will miss. Luke 13:28 “In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out.”  There is a major difference in how we serve God when we are just thinking about escaping hell and serving God because we love him and want to please him and desire to be with him. When we are just trying to escape hell, the tendency is to ask questions about how much God really expects from me. “You don't really think I would be lost just because…”—fill in the blank. That isn't loving God. Notice that this new exodus will cause the people to forget the first exodus. This is obviously our exodus from the bondage of Satan. We do not talk about the God who brought us out of Egypt, we glorify God and always remember how he brought us out of the captivity of the devil.  16-18 But in spite of God's promise of a new exodus, these people have made their decision and will be judged. Fishers and hunters will be sent to find the wicked and bring judgment on them. God says, “They have polluted my land, … and filled my inheritance with their abominations.” Wherever we are in the world, we are living in God's land. The realm of the Kingdom is the world, and we must not fill it with abominations. (Parable of the Tares). “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.” 2 Peter 3:13  19-21 Israel has rejected God, but the nations will see the foolishness of their fathers' idols and will confess their  desire to serve God: “my strength and my stronghold, my refuge…”  It is a beautiful picture to see even the nations coming to the Lord and confessing the wickedness of their father's gods. “Such are not gods!”  The greatest turning point in a person's life is learning that the “gods” of our fleshly desires are not gods.  The Lord concludes that when the nations come to him, he will have shown the world his power and might, and that his name is Yahweh (his covenantal name)  Berry Kercheville The post Apathy Brings Judgment appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

Bible Classes / Speaker:David Desloge The post 2 Chronicles 17 & 18 Jehoshaphat – Part 1 appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

Topical Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville Reaching the Lost: Prayer Introduction: In my opinion, the major issue Christians have had when considering the work of reaching the lost would be that most do not understand that everyone has a part to play (Ephesians 4:16). Most have thought that only Christians who know the scriptures well and can teach it, are responsible for doing this work. That understanding is far from true. In fact, a church will have very limited success if the work is left to the few who are considered qualified to teach. Therefore, we want to explore the importance of how every member has a part. Prayer We have already talked partially concerning the important of prayer. Let's note a few more passages that we did not get to in our last lesson. John 15:7-8  Key goal of the text? Bearing fruit. What is “fruit” in this context? See verse 16, “…and that your fruit should abide…” [that's us!]—therefore we also bear fruit—“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” Can you think of things you would pray for as you seek the lost? 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 “Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you…”  Colossians 4:2-4 [NET: “Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.”] Vs. 2: “Continue (be devoted to, attached to, persevere in) in prayer.” A once in a while prayer is not sufficient! We need to be disciplined and committed to prayer. Being “alert” or “watchful” in prayer literally means to stay awake in prayer. Have an awareness of spiritual needs (“your kingdom come”) so that your prayers are effective. “With thanksgiving”: All prayer must include thanksgiving lest our prayers simply turn into personal demands— “Lord give us this; Lord give us that; Lord, I need this…” Thanksgiving presupposes humility.  Vs. 3: The request is to open a door for the word. We should be praying for opportunities. In Ephesians 6:19, Paul adds, “…making supplication also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.” [an open door does not necessarily mean an absence of opposition (1 Cor. 16:8-9, “But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”)] Vs. 4: “…that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.”  Consider how important our prayers are! Ephesians 6:19, “…making supplication also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.”  Ezekiel 36:37-38 What is striking to you about this text? God telling us to ask him to do something that he already wants done.  Why would God tell us to ask? Why wouldn't he just do it? We know how important it is to him. So just do it!  We are his servants. Are we going to serve him in all the ways that he asks of us? God wants us to work together with him (2 Cor. 6:1-2). Conclusion: All members should participate in prayer for lost souls. Let me encourage all prayer leaders to ask God for help in having and utilizing our opportunities.  Berry Kercheville The post Reaching the Lost: Prayer appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

Bible Classes / Speaker:Adam Malone The post 2nd Timothy (Intro) appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

Old Testament Sermons / Speaker:David Desloge The post Abraham’s Final Test appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.