Washington Street Church of Christ

Redemption is the greatest theme of the Bible, Restoration is the second. 

It is interesting how such simple phrases can have a huge impact. A certain church had a sign out front that said, “God wants soul custody not weekend visits.”. Though the message is very simple it rings loud and clear. When parents end up getting divorced they go through a court system to battle over who gets custody of the child. This process can at times turn ugly. Unfortunately, when the endeavor is finished one parent will gain custody of the child while the other one might get times where the child can visit. This can become painful to one parent as the other parent might try to talk down their ex in front of their kids or convince them that the other parent is a horrible person. This can cause a negative influence on the child and how they would view the parent that they hardly ever visit.

It seems that the world has won custody over mankind’s hearts. People no longer want to walk in God’s path but would rather love the world more than God. The world will try to convince people not to follow God. People have been led to believe that God is harsh, uncaring, evil, and a tyrant who wants to condemn everyone. One thing to note is that the world will hate Jesus (Jn. 7:7) because He testifies against it. Jesus shines like a light when the world wants to dampen and darken him. Christians are also able to shine like lights (Matt. 5:14) when they follow Christ.

The world does not want Christians to follow God because the world and those of the world suddenly seem not as great. All the forces of evil and the forces of the world will try to separate mankind from God. One thing about certain divorced parents is that they might try to keep the kid from the other parent with every force imaginable. Some parents make up lies that the other doesn’t want to see them just to not let the kid leave. The child then grows up hating the other parent because they believed a lie their whole life. The world will lie to Christians. It will throw distractions in front of Christians to steal their hearts. Christians must remember to give their hearts to God (Deut. 6:4-5) and worship Him above all else. Christians must be willing to allow God to have reign over their lives and be in control.

By: Kevin Maul

What does one believe in? What is the thing that drives and motivates a person to action? All people have things they believe in. Some believe that they evolved from apes. Other people believe that they were created in some form or shape. Belief doesn’t stop there. People who are on a team believe in a person who will carry them to victory. Some children wake up scared at night because they find themselves believing that the boogeyman is creeping under their bed. What one believes in drives them to act in a certain way. When one believes that their country is worth fighting for, they go to arms to defend those living there. When one believes that they could find a medical breakthrough they study and research diligently to obtain results. Certain people are hypochondriacs which means that they believe they are sick to the degree that they actually develop those symptoms. When someone truly believes in something it shows.

The true question remains in how many people actually believe in Jesus. Many people claim to believe in Jesus. They claim to believe in God. People claim to believe in the Bible; however, if one truly believes in Jesus, God, and the Bible it would show in their actions. One must assess themselves and wonder if they are truly living their lives as if they believed in Christ.

After He resurrected, Jesus claimed that those who did not believe and were baptized would perish (Mk. 16:16). One must believe that Christ resurrected from the dead. A person cannot doubt the resurrection. Paul thoroughly discussed how hopeless Christians would be if Christ never raised. If Christians do not believe that Christ has been raised then they are most pitiable. Their faith is futile and their walks are futile in all aspects (1 Cor. 15).

Being a Christian means being moved by that belief. If one truly believes in Christ and God then they are moved to follow God. Yet some live their lives as if they truly do not believe in Christ. They would never claim it openly, yet they walk complacently. Those people have no true fear and reverence for God. It is the same as a child who believes that their parents would never punish them. Perhaps the mother has tried counting to three and ended up on three then did nothing. When a kid believes that their parent does not care how they behave, they end up spoiled, uncaring, and eventually in prison because they have no regard for authority.

If one believes in God, then they believe in Heaven (1 Pet. 1:3-4). If one believes in God then they must also believe in Hell (Rev. 21). The true question is how diligently Christians are trying to make others believe. Christians have the special task of being motivated to bring others to Christ. It is not only a task for the preacher to bring others to Christ. Believing in Christ means being Christ like in all aspects. If one is Christlike they realize that Christ wants everyone to hear the word.

Christians should spread the word with love and grace. When others see how much Christians care they will care and be more apt to listen. One cannot make it to heaven without believing in Christ and being moved to baptism; however, believing does not end there. Christians must continue believing lest they slip away (2 Pet. 2:20-22). If one lives most of their life until the very end and slips away at the last moment, they will regret knowing that they lost their salvation. Continue always believing in Christ. Never let the faith in Him waver.

By: Kevin Maul

Peter Ray Cole and Joe Moon discuss Psalm 88

In Matthew 8:23-27 the disciples of Christ find themselves in a fearful situation. Recently, some of the disciples tried to zealously declare that they would follow Christ. Their faith was now being tested. Christ and his followers were on a boat that was being tossed about by a massive tempest. The disciples feared for their lives; however, Christ was sound asleep. The disciples rush to wake Him up frantically asking if He can do anything. Christ then rebukes them for having little faith before calming the sea.

It seems that the world has become faced with a tempest and many followers of Christ are in a panic. What should people do now that they are unable to find work? What if somebody gets ill? How long will this quarantine last?

It can be seen that many variables in life are causing great uncertainty. What is the Christian to do during moments of fear? The answer is having faith. Faith in God is comforting (2 Cor. 1:3-4), faith in God is powerful (Matt. 17:20), and faith in God is desirable (Heb. 11:6).

Now that the power of faith has been discussed, it is time to discuss the importance of faith. Faith in Christ is the foundation of the Christian religion (Eph. 2:19-22). A building cannot stand without its foundation. Every Jewish structure started with the cornerstone. Therefore, trusting in Christ over everything else necessary.

Faith also involves servitude (Rom. 10:17). Christian faith means following God’s commandments (1 Jn. 2:3-4). When one becomes baptized, they enter a lifetime of serving God. No longer bound by the chains of sin, one becomes a servant of righteousness while faithfully being dedicated to Him.

Faith in God means knowing that nothing on earth can hinder a Christian’s soul. Satan will try to use every means to make a follower stumble (1 Pet. 5:8). He uses fear, enticement, pain, and various other objects to try to lead one away from God. During this time of fear and concern Christians must not let that happen.

In conclusion, Christians can allow themselves to find comfort in God. Christians should also work to comfort others. During this time of crisis, Christians should not neglect God. If one is unable to make it to service, there are many means to tune in and serve via virtually. Christians can show their faith by calling elderly members and checking in on them. Allow this time to bring each other closer rather than distant. Never neglect to serve God.

By: Kevin Maul

Fear is sometimes called the mind killer by my father. It can take hold of us and stop us from achieving our most cherished goals. Many people deal with fear in different ways. Some people seem to never be scared while others suffer from chronic anxiety. When asked what it is that they are so worried about, sometimes it is claimed that they can’t put their finger on it, they just feel anxious.

Being in a social situation where we must interact with new people makes most of us a little uncomfortable. And this is normal. However, add to that the need to talk to these new people about something as personal and important as religion, and the fear level immediately goes up. Add to this the possibility of having to confront someone who may have been taught wrongly about religion, and letting them know in as loving a way as possible that they need to change their whole life, and the anxiety level can go through the roof. 

In order to avoid this fear we usually, much to our shame and eternal regret, choose simply not to evangelize. We would rather play it safe and just avoid the uncomfortable social situation that evangelism brings to us and opt instead to either talk about more neutral topics or not talk to the person altogether.

But this is not going to get the church to grow. We have a God-given duty to go into all the world and preach the gospel. This is not just the preacher’s job, a task to be farmed out to the local minister so we can sit back and rest easy. It is a task that all Christians are charged with, and it should be the focus of our lives. 

Realizing this, how do we overcome fear of evangelism? How do we get past our discomfort and become a soul-winner for Jesus?

We can start by realizing that fear can be used as an acronym. FEAR.

“F” stands for “Focus of God.” Heb. 13:5 says “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” We must know first of all that God is always with us. This focus on God lets us know we are not small and powerless. We have the most powerful being in the Universe to help us in our times of need, so we need not fear.

“E” stands for “Eliminate the negative.” Phillipians 4:6-8 tells us to think on good things. It is very hard to be afraid when we are focused on good things instead of evil things. When we are focused on what is going right in our life it increases our sense of well-being and our confidence to be able to reach out to others. 

“A” stands for “Act in faith.” Military commanders know that action is required in life or death situations in the blink of a eye. Sometimes an opportunity must be seized and a decision must be made before the moment passes. In evangelism, there are moments when religion is brought up in conversation and we have an opening to tell someone something about the gospel. Are we using those moments? We must act in faith relying on our study of God’s word to help furnish us with the things to say in the situation, and know that God wants us to succeed in our evangelistic outreach.

“R” stands for “Remember Jesus.” He is our great example. He is the master Teacher. It is from His lips that we get the most wisdom and can find the right things to say for any occasion. He felt fear but went to the cross anyway. We too must feel the fear of talking to others about Jesus but push through the discomfort anyway. Souls are on the line. We must take every opportunity to evangelize so that we can help others get to heaven and go there ourselves. 

Finally, please do not let the fear of social situations or confrontations with others about their faith dissuade you from speaking the truth. If we speak the truth in love, people will respect us for it. The church of Christ is the Lord’s body and therefore let us all be busy members of that body bringing in the souls for the kingdom of God. 

– Kenny Barcroft

The Washington Street Church of Christ is a family of obedient believers in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of the faithful. We are bound together by the grace of God and united under the authority of the inspired teachings of the Bible.
Together, we seek to honor Jesus with the praise of our hearts, our words, and our actions, and to act as His voice, His hands and His feet in serving others and one another. We seek to accomplish these tasks in our homes, in the church, in our neighborhoods, in our city, and around the world as God gives us opportunity.