The Gooch Lane church of Christ is a group of people in Madison, Alabama seeking to study the Bible and put God’s teachings into practice. We’d love to have you join us for Bible study and worship.
All in Service
When a humble soul surrenders to the Savior in baptism and is raised to walk in the newness of life, His call has been answered. The door is then opened to become a faithful servant and to direct one’s abilities to work in His kingdom
I often think of the hymn that has the line: “This world is not my home, I’m just a’passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.” It and other similar sentiments can be helpful to us. It is especially helpful to me when I find I become too attached to this world. I have this bad habit of following politics. Politics has this tendency to make you angry, and if it doesn’t make you angry, it makes you depressed. It is helpful to be reminded in those times that the troubles of this world are temporary (and politics is often the most temporary of problems). The reminder that there is a permanent home of joy awaiting us can be of extreme comfort.
Every year is unique and 2021 was no different. Within the past 12 months, the United States inaugurated a new president, faced variants of the COVID-19 virus, ended a war in Afghanistan, and sought to restart an economy that had been quarantined. One year ago, the Gooch Lane church met in the parking lot for worship, conducted classes online, and listened to sermons via podcast. Throughout this time, we had many join us in our work for the Lord, had couples who expanded their families through birth and adoption and lost some of our fellow soldiers of the cross. To say the least, it has been a memorable year.
Generosity is a quality that is not achieved by accident; it requires the desire to put others first, the humility to seek no praise, and the strength to give away what could be personally enjoyed. Whether it is money or time, generous people give freely and seek nothing in return.
A few years back, a rather non-subtle bumper sticker stated, “If you can read this, thank a teacher.” This pithy statement was a reminder that many of the skills we take for granted are owed to someone taking the time to help. This is certainly the case when it comes to our biblical training.
Service is serving--sometimes voluntarily, sometime involuntarily. In service one is enslaved to someone or something--sometimes voluntarily, sometimes involuntarily. Slavery is not all bad. For instance, Paul, inspired by the Spirit, said, “being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” (Romans 6:18). One may be freed from one slavery, but he will inevitably be brought under the control of another slavery. The black people who were made free by The Emancipation Proclamation, were not free to do as they pleased. They ceased being mere chattel for their masters; but they were brought under the laws of the land. If one is free from righteousness, he is the slave of sin; if he is freed from sin, he becomes the servant of God. Everyone serves someone.
