Page 44 | The Watford Church of Christ Podcast

Episodes

Tuesday May 28, 2019

”Journey to Joy”, Acts 13.13-52, Stefan Wolmarans, Watford church of Christ

Tuesday May 28, 2019

“And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 13:52 NIV11-GK)
Reading backwards from this joyful experience.
How did they end up in a state of joy?

Persecuted and expelled. vv50-51
Was that why they were joyful?
Something else must have been going on.

Listen to me, vv13-16
Reminding them of their spiritual heritage
Yet joy missing
Why?
Still waiting for Messiah
Asked them to look forward, not back.
Told them about Messiah, vv32-33, 38-39
Good news of forgiveness and freedom from sin

Joy interrupted, vv45, 50
Joy due to changed lives, not experience of persecution
Persecution did not steal their joy
What happens when difficulty comes into our lives?
Is our joy stolen by the challenges?
How can we respond?
Sometimes our friends are less than helpful. They don’t always listen well or understand.
Truth is not helpful when not accompanied by allowing our sadness to exist without censure.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” (Rom. 8:28–30 NIV11)
Context of God’s appeal is in that he has a plan to conform us to the image of Jesus
The way to handle sadness is to remember that God plans to mould us into the image of his Son.

Choose Joy, James 1.2-4
Because we know what God is doing, we can chose joy even before the process is completed.
Not an emotion, but a choice
Can be joyful and sad at the same time
No pretence - like Jesus
“Consider” it joy is a decision.
Jn 12.27; Matt 26.38; Heb12.2
Choice of joy is choosing a state of being.
Ann Voskamp quote. ....
Where does this joy come from?

Joy from the Spirit
Rom 15.13; Acts 13.52 - joy from the Spirit

Join us in our adventure: 10.30 AM on most Sundays at Laurance Haines School, Vicarage Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 0DD.

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.

Do you have a question about the Bible or the Christian faith? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send us your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: thewatfordchurch@gmail.com.

Thanks again for listening. Have a super day.

God bless,

Malcolm

Watford, Watford church of Christ, Malcolm Cox, mccx, Croxley Green, Bushey, Leavesden, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, ICOC, ICCM, Chesham, Chorleywood, Aylesbury, Croxley, Laurance Haines School, Vicarage Road, Bible teaching, Sunday School, Youth Ministry, Watford Church, Churches in Watford, Churches in London, Churches in Hertfordshire, Watford UK, Holywell, Watford England, Watford in Hertfordshire, West Watford, Churches of Christ,

Monday May 20, 2019

"Allotment Service", May 2019, Watford church of Christ

Monday May 20, 2019

Excerpts from our "Allotment Service". Songs, a lesson, worms, wood lice, planting, Isaiah, the FA Cup Final, prayer, communion and more.....!

Thank you for listening to this podcast. You can find more episodes in our feed. Our web site is http://www.watfordchurchofchrist.org.

Join us in our adventure: 10.30 AM on most Sundays at Laurance Haines School, Vicarage Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 0DD.

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.

Do you have a question about the Bible or the Christian faith? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send us your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: thewatfordchurch@gmail.com.

Thanks again for listening. Have a super day.

God bless,

Malcolm

Watford, Watford church of Christ, Malcolm Cox, mccx, Croxley Green, Bushey, Leavesden, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, ICOC, ICCM, Chesham, Chorleywood, Aylesbury, Croxley, Laurance Haines School, Vicarage Road, Bible teaching, Sunday School, Youth Ministry, Watford Church, Churches in Watford, Churches in London, Churches in Hertfordshire, Watford UK, Holywell, Watford England, Watford in Hertfordshire, West Watford, Churches of Christ,

Sunday May 19, 2019

The Watford week ahead, 20 May 2019

Sunday May 19, 2019

The Watford week ahead

Thank you for listening to this podcast. You can find more episodes in our feed. Our web site is http://www.watfordchurchofchrist.org.

Join us in our adventure: 10.30 AM on most Sundays at Laurance Haines School, Vicarage Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 0DD.

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.

Do you have a question about the Bible or the Christian faith? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send us your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: thewatfordchurch@gmail.com.

Thanks again for listening. Have a super day.

God bless,

Malcolm

Watford, Watford church of Christ, Malcolm Cox, mccx, Croxley Green, Bushey, Leavesden, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, ICOC, ICCM, Chesham, Chorleywood, Aylesbury, Croxley, Laurance Haines School, Vicarage Road, Bible teaching, Sunday School, Youth Ministry, Watford Church, Churches in Watford, Churches in London, Churches in Hertfordshire, Watford UK, Holywell, Watford England, Watford in Hertfordshire, West Watford, Churches of Christ,

Monday May 13, 2019

The Watford week ahead, 13 May 2019

Monday May 13, 2019

Tuesday May 07, 2019

The Watford week ahead, 07 May 2019

Tuesday May 07, 2019

Monday May 06, 2019

“How to find people who want to listen”, Acts 13.3-14, Malcolm Cox, Watford church of Christ

Monday May 06, 2019

“How to find people who want to listen”, Acts 13.3-14
Introduction, vv3-5
1. Be Active in the Spirit’s Mission, vv3-5 A. Partnership B. Proclaiming
2. Trust God to Connect You with People (who want to hear the Word), vv6-7 A. An unlikely introduction B. Who is God connecting you to?
3. Take Opportunities God Provides to Display His Power, vv8-12 A. To be expected B. Against God, not us C. God is more powerful
Conclusion, vv13-14We will find people who want to listen
Thank you for listening to this podcast. You can find more episodes in our feed. Our web site is http://www.watfordchurchofchrist.org.
Join us in our adventure: 10.30 AM on most Sundays at Laurance Haines School, Vicarage Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 0DD.
Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.
Do you have a question about the Bible or the Christian faith? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send us your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: thewatfordchurch@gmail.com.
Thanks again for listening. Have a super day.
God bless,
Malcolm
Watford, Watford church of Christ, Malcolm Cox, mccx, Croxley Green, Bushey, Leavesden, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, ICOC, ICCM, Chesham, Chorleywood, Aylesbury, Croxley, Laurance Haines School, Vicarage Road, Bible teaching, Sunday School, Youth Ministry, Watford Church, Churches in Watford, Churches in London, Churches in Hertfordshire, Watford UK, Holywell, Watford England, Watford in Hertfordshire, West Watford, Churches of Christ,

Monday Apr 29, 2019

The Watford week ahead, 29th April 2019

Monday Apr 29, 2019

"Jonah - the prophet who hated the God who loved", Malcolm Cox, Watford church of Christ

Monday Apr 29, 2019

JonahThe subversive story of a rebellious prophet who hates God for loving his enemies
Why does Jonah run?
Why does Jonah tell the sailers to kill him?
What was it like for Jonah in the fish’s stomach?
Why does he not say sorry?
What is odd about Jonah’s message?
Why does God provide the shade and then take it away?
In what ways is Jesus like Jonah?
In what way is Jesus different from Jonah?
In what ways are we like Jonah?
How can we be more like Jesus?
ConclusionAre you OK with the fact that God loves your enemies?
Join us in our adventure: 10.30 AM on most Sundays at Laurance Haines School, Vicarage Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 0DD.
Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.
Do you have a question about the Bible or the Christian faith? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send us your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: thewatfordchurch@gmail.com.
Thanks again for listening. Have a super day.
God bless,
Malcolm
With many thanks to "The Bible Project"
Watford, Watford church of Christ, Malcolm Cox, mccx, Croxley Green, Bushey, Leavesden, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, ICOC, ICCM, Chesham, Chorleywood, Aylesbury, Croxley, Laurance Haines School, Vicarage Road, Bible teaching, Sunday School, Youth Ministry, Watford Church, Churches in Watford, Churches in London, Churches in Hertfordshire, Watford UK, Holywell, Watford England, Watford in Hertfordshire, West Watford, Churches of Christ,

Monday Apr 22, 2019

"Dead or Alive", Easter Sunday 2019, Watford church of Christ, Malcolm Cox

Monday Apr 22, 2019

Introduction
Early church certainly thought he was alive:
Acts references to resurrection/Jesus raised:
Acts 1.3, 22; 2.24, 31, 32; 3.15, 26; 4.2, 10, 33; 5.30; 10.40; 13.30, 34, 37; 17.18; 23.6; 24.21; 25.19

Central message of early church.
Jesus is alive and victorious
Victorious because alive
Because God vindicated his sacrifice

Christianity stands or falls on the fact of the physical resurrection:
“If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” (1 Corinthians 15:13–14 NIV11).

Without the resurrection we cannot explain the existence of the early church:
“If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”” (1 Corinthians 15:32 NIV11).

When a conspiracy is formed, three motivating factors are behinds such a move—power, greed, and/or lust.
Disciples achieved none of those

What would motivate those early Christians to not only be persecuted for their faith, but to do it asserting that they were confident of a belief in the resurrection which they claimed to have witnessed.
Why would anyone die for something they knew was a lie?

How could Paul write to these words if he knew they could be contradicted?
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.” (1 Corinthians 15:3–8 NIV11)

We are left with no other option than that the early Christians truly believed that Jesus was resurrected.

Not a fairy tale but a fact;
Paul does not give us the option of allowing it to be metaphorical.
The likelihood of them being mistaken about this is beyond fanciful.

What are we to make of this?

The Apostle Paul: Acts 26.1-32

“they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.” (Acts 25:19 NIV11)

Question: “What impact has seeing the living, risen Jesus had on Paul?”

He is: humble, bold, clear, urgent, obedient, courageous, faithful, risk-taking, change belief system, change religion, risk life, risk future, risk livelihood

Application
We’ve seen what the experience of the resurrected Jesus did for Paul.
What does the Resurrection do for us?

1. Confidence

a. In Jesus - he predicted this
“He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.”” (Mark 9:31 NIV11)
Therefore we trust him for other things he promised and predicted

b. In God hearing our prayers
“…because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Hebrews 7:24–25 NIV11)

c. In our eternal destiny. It is why we do not fear death.
“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 NIV11)

2. Motivation

a. Following - Motivation for a life of discipleship.
“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.” (Romans 6:3–10 NIV11)

b. Persuading - Motivation for trying to persuade people.
“Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5:11–15 NIV11)

It is why we do not live for what we have here, and why we do not fret over what we do not have here.

Communion/conclusion
Confidence in Jesus, prayer and our eternal destiny.
Motivation to follow Jesus and persuade people to follow him.

“This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” (Acts 2:23–24 NIV11)

Thank you for listening to this podcast. You can find more episodes in our feed. Our web site is http://www.watfordchurchofchrist.org.

Join us in our adventure: 10.30 AM on most Sundays at Laurance Haines School, Vicarage Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 0DD.

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.

Do you have a question about the Bible or the Christian faith? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send us your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: thewatfordchurch@gmail.com.

Thanks again for listening. Have a super day.

God bless,

Malcolm

Watford, Watford church of Christ, Malcolm Cox, mccx, Croxley Green, Bushey, Leavesden, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, ICOC, ICCM, Chesham, Chorleywood, Aylesbury, Croxley, Laurance Haines School, Vicarage Road, Bible teaching, Sunday School, Youth Ministry, Watford Church, Churches in Watford, Churches in London, Churches in Hertfordshire, Watford UK, Holywell, Watford England, Watford in Hertfordshire, West Watford, Churches of Christ,

Monday Apr 22, 2019

The Watford week ahead: 22 April 2019 - news about our "allotment service"

Monday Apr 22, 2019