Cracked Pots

Cracked Pots 

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 
2 Corinthians 4:7 

Recommended Reading 2 Corinthians 4:1-9

Everyone knows what it’s like to be disappointed by someone we love or admire. Our husbands, wives, children, or parents sometimes let us down. Our heroes stumble. Our leaders falter. It can devastate us and damage our relationships because we place high expectations on those we love. Sometimes we forget they are broken people just like we are.

According to 2 Corinthians 4:7, we are all earthen vessels, jugs of clay, easily chipped. The Voice translates 2 Corinthians 4:7 like this: “But this beautiful treasure (the Gospel) is contained in us—cracked pots made of earth and clay—so that the transcendent character of this power will be clearly seen as coming from God and not from us.”

God blesses us cracked pots in spite of our sinful, undeserving nature; and high on His list of blessings is forgiveness. As we look to Him alone, He gives us grace (He imparts a million blessings we don’t deserve) and mercy (He withholds a million judgments we do deserve).

If He gives grace and mercy to cracked pots like us, perhaps we need to extend the same to those we love.

Let us make sure that we are not so hard on others because if the shoe were on the other foot, we would want someone to understand our circumstances and help us to redeem ourselves.
Jesse R. Watson, Jr., in Morning Coffee

Be Still and Know I AM your God

Be Still and Know I AM your God

Text: Psalms 46:10

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

Introduction:

We have heard many times: "Don’t just stand there! Do something!" Everywhere around us we see all this injustices, it's hard not to do or say something. It’s very difficult to just do nothing when we see so many injustices in this world. It’s hard to stay still.  We love to rant, to be the squeaky wheel, to try to make a difference. 

David was not the exemption He raves about the constant attacks from his enemies. Psalms 25:19 – Consider my enemies, for they are many; And they hate me with cruel hatred. God tells him “Be Still that I am your God” (Psalm 46:10). In the same regard God tells us Be Still. Let me be in charge. The battle belongs to the Lord. Let me be the judge.

Let Go and let God. 

The harder you try the worst it get to resolve your situation, until you let God to be in control and then it get better sooner or later. What it seems you lose all hope then everything turns around and you say "what happen?" The Lord is by your side. The Great I Am is there, The Great I Am is here. He's been here all along. So “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up”. (James 4:10)

Let God be the Avenger

The bible say that: For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” (Hebrews 10:30).

When you see that things become anti-Christian in the way of thinking...

When you see that they change the definition of marriage... Be still, and know that He is Almighty God

When you see that the Supreme Court want to take down the Judeo-Christian monument of the Ten Commandments in Oklahoma... Be still, and know that He is Almighty God

When you see that there no justice for the unborn... Be still, and know that He is Almighty God

When you see that that there's no more hope for mankind... Be still, and know that He is Almighty God

Be Still but Doing Something

All we have to do is pray and pray hard, pray constantly:  ^“not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; ¹² rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer” (Romans 12:11-12)

·         For our government

·         For the People...

·         All Men

1 Timothy 2:1-4 – Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, ² for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. ³ For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Be Still but Continue Preaching

The apostle Paul lived in a hostile world (evil Roman Empire) but he continue to preach the Gospel. The church grew. We are surprised for the things that happening but it wasn't a surprise for Paul. He kept on preaching and tell his apprentice Timothy to preach the word. Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching (2 Timothy 4:2) 

Don’t Make the Church Grow by your Own Efforts

That all we have to do is pray and Preach and let the Lord do the rest. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. ⁷ So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. We do our part and God will do his.

Be patient Faith will move mountains

The mountain might still be there when you wake up but the peace that comes when you watch and Pray would seem that the mountain is gone because the Lord is God almighty and He is on our side.

What Does the Bible say about the Kingdom of Christ?

What Does the Bible say about the Kingdom of Christ? 

1. In Matthew 16:18-19 the Church and Kingdom are put in the same context. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 
2. When we are baptized into Christ we are reborn spiritually from the darkness of this world into the church (Kingdom). Acts 2:47 – And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Colossians 1:13 – He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.  
3. The Kingdom (Church) is to be delivered to the Father by Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:24-26 – Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 
4. The Kingdom of Christ was present in the first century – “For so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:11). It’s talking about the Kingdom as if it was currently present in those days.  
5. Jesus said that some of the listeners will not die until they see the Kingdom of Christ. “And He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.” (Mark 9:1) 
6. Christ promises us a spiritual Kingdom not a worldly one. Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now my kingdom is not from here.” (John 18:36) The church is the spiritual Kingdom of Christ.  
7. The Kingdom of God is to be established during the last kingdom from Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the Roman Empire (Iron and Iron mixed with clay). And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever (Daniel 2:44).  

Julio Garcia 

Hispanic Ministry Deacon and Minister of Jesus 

Sanford Church of Christ 

1500 S. Park Ave. 

Sanford, FL 32771 

http://sanfordchurchofchrist.blogspot.com  

Sacrifices that Costs

Sacrifices that Costs Text: 2 Samuel 24:24 – “But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver”. Introduction:. A man forgot his wife birthday, he finds a flower on the side of the road. “It’s not much but I hope you like it”. What do you think ladies? David a man of God felt responsible for the death of 70,000 men in Israel because of a plague among several things that David. He was sent to Araunah’s place to offer a sacrifice. Araunah was going to supply what David needed for free, but David felt that he needed to pay for the offering stating: “I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.” Sacrifices are not sacrifices if it doesn’t cost you anything. David didn’t want to offer to God a sacrifice that didn’t cost him anything. It would not be called a sacrifice. Among all the sacrifices we can mention for a Christian I will indicate 3 of them in my lesson. God does want from you something that didn’t cost anything. We are called to take our cross, and follow Him. “I gave my life for thee” Sacrifice of Forgiveness Compassion for one another – Just like Jesus had compassion for the souls around Him. For the bible say: “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25-26). There are consequences for not forgiving. It’s hard to forgive sometimes – Why is it? According to experts for some people personal justice weighs more forgiving. When you see an injustice done to your own person it’s harder for you to forgive the offender. But we are not like this, Brothers and Sisters. Right? Jesus’ personal justice was violated when they spat on His face; when they placed a thorn crown on His head, when the crowd yelled out “Crucify Him, Crucify Him!” When all he would say from the Cross, “Father forgive them, because they don’t know what they do”. If we are to be like Jesus, when we learn to be forgiving. Philippians 2:5-8 reads: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross”. Don’t let “Personal justice” be stronger than your forgiveness. By learning to be like Jesus we will learn to forgive. Learn to forgive before presenting your gift to the Lord – “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24). Sacrifice of Fellowship Sacrificial Love – Once again Jesus said that “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). We demonstrate our love to God if we love our neighbor. Doing Good is to care for the needs of others. Everywhere we go we must do good. In Romans 12:20 reads: “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” This is consider a sacrifice because the tendency of a worldly person is to cause harm to his fellow human being, to his family. They get out of bed in the morning to see what harm they can do for that day. But we are not like that my brothers and sisters. The next verse in Romans 12 say Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21) Spock Quote: Like one famous science fiction character said once: “The needs of many outweighs the needs of the few or the one”. We must look out for the needs of others instead of our own. Show example of our dear young brother Austin Dill. This is going his to be his home for the next 3 months; I’m sure it’s a great sacrifice for him. Not anyone could do this. I’m sure that we would rather have him in the comfort of his parent’s home in Debary but he chose to “Do Good to others” in Panama. Isn’t that GREAT! Sacrifice of Frugality Self Control, Abstinence, and Self –denial – Abstain from Evil. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thes. 5:22-23) Self-Control and abstinence – Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. – 1 Corinthians 9:24 State of Mind – Think and be like Christ and to be a living Sacrifice – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:1-2) Conclusion: It’s costly but it’s worth it. Are you willing to pay the price of your sacrifice to the Lord? I’m sure that there’s a struggle to do good or evil before God. I’m sure you are saying: “Lord, there is still a great conflict in me. Between opposite sides of my faith. There is a selfish self that does not give you another and me who want to obey. I know it’s a struggle inside of you. Is this happening to you? The Lord wants to help. The Lord wants to take that load. Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). Let the Holy Spirit take control of that struggle. Sacrifice yourself and submit to Christ as the Lord and King of your life. You can accomplish this by meeting Christ at the waters, and be baptized for the remission of your sins (Act 2:38). Sin is weighing you down, put that Extra weight in the hands of Jesus. It’s costly but it’s worth it. Then you can start a new life of Sacrifice, to forgive, to do good and to Love God and to LOVE each other.

Presiding the Lord’s Table

 

Presiding the Lord’s Table

 

 

Breaking of the Bread

A small piece of bread and a thimble full of grape juice doesn’t sound like a great big meal but for those who are Christians has much more meaning than a satisfying meal. This has been of great significance for Christians though out the centuries until today, especially when we come together in fellowship. In the Old Testament celebrate the Passover as a commemoration of how God saved his people from the slavery of Egypt. In a typical Jewish home as they celebrate the Passover, the

child asks why we do this. And the father responds because God has freed us from the hand of Pharaoh and brought us to the Land of Milk and Honey and we must remember this. Why do we celebrate the Lord’s Supper? Because God has freed us from the slavery of sin and He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son. (Colossians 1:13) Let’s break the bread and fellowship together.

Prayer: Lord, ABBA Father, we come to you with humble hearts, grateful for your Loving Grace. We thank you for giving us your only and begotten Son, Jesus, who made this happen. And we thank you for the bread and as we partake of it, we will do it in a manner pleasing in your sight. In Christ Jesus we pray, AMEN.

The Cup

According to Hebrews 9:22 - without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. The Blood of Christ represented in this little cup is more precious than gold and silver. It has done more than to just make us wealthy. It has rescued us from our futile ways and gave us hope. It reads in 1 Peter 1:18-19, You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.

Prayer: As we drink together, our Lord God and King of the universe, help us be mindful of the things that really matters in regard to our salvation. We thank you for the fruit of the vine, thank you for the Love and we thank you for the great Salvation that was foreordained for us before the foundation of the world.  In Jesus name we pray, AMEN.

Caring for each other

We usually say that the collection is separate and apart from the Lord’s Supper. I will be bold and say that GIVING is part of fellowship that demonstrates that we care for one another. As an outward sign of Salvation, the New Testament Church made sure that no one lacked of the necessary daily needs. (Acts 4:34) “No one needy among them” Lets Pray

Our Small Group Bible Study in Sanford Florida

Our Small Group Bible Study in Sanford Florida

Our Small Group Bible Study in Sanford Florida
The early church met “in the temple courts and from house to house.” (Acts 5:42; see also Acts 2:46; Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Philemon 2; Colossians 4:15). Meeting together and in homes is closer to what the First Century church actually did than what we currently do. Our current tradition of meeting at a church building twice on Sundays actually goes back only about 50 or 60 years in most places.

For more information on how to start a Home Bible Study at your home contact:
Julio Garcia, Hispanic Preacher
Sanford Church of Christ
1500 S Park Ave.
Sanford FL 32771
321-262-8903

YOU'RE INVITED

YOU'RE INVITED

YOU'RE INVITED

 

Come visit our church family.

A place where you are always welcome.

We believe you will want to stay.

We would love to meet you.

 

Sanford Church of Christ

Iglesia de Cristo en Sanford
1500 S. Park Avenue
Sanford, FL 32771

Phone: 407-322-7781
Español: 321-262-8903

Email: julio5082@gmail.com
Web: http://www.sanfordcoc.org/
En Español - http://iglesiasanford.blogspot.com/

Bible Classes

Sunday Morning - 9:30 AM
Wednesday Evening - 7:00 PM

Worship

Sunday - 10:30 AM

Grupo Agape en las casas

Domingos - 4:00 PM