We are currently looking for a gospel preacher to work with us.

If you are interested please contact Joe Cash at (205) 541-4346 OR Wendell Parrish at (205) 365-2622.

 

Welcome to Lay Lake
church of Christ, Columbiana, Alabama

You will be more than welcome at all of our services. Please come and bring your Bible to "search the Scriptures" with us.  

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Of all the commands in the Bible, which one is repeated the greatest number of times? I think you may be surprised! Love is the greatest command, but it’s not the one most often repeated. Writers often speak of pride as being at the root of human failures, but warnings against pride or encouragement to be humble are not the most often repeated commands. Neither are the warnings against sexual impurity or the urging to believe or repent.

The single command that occurs more often than any other is “Fear not.” There are other forms of this command: “Do not be afraid,” “Be strong and courageous,” etc. In fact, there are 366 “Fear not” verses in the Bible – one for every day of the year, including one for leap year!

Fear doesn’t seem to be the most serious vice in the world. It didn’t make the Seven Deadly Sins list. No one ever receives church disciple for being afraid. So why does God tell us to stop being afraid more often than He tells us to do anything else?

Someone suggested that the reason God tells us to “Fear not” so often is because “fear is the number one reason human beings are tempted to avoid doing what God asks them to do.” Fear causes us to lie to avoid pain or embarrassment. Fear of rejection causes us to listen to gossip. Fear of being poor causes us to neglect family, friends and God to work more hours. Fear causes us to flatter someone because we’re afraid they won’t like us if we don’t. Fear causes us to go along with the crowd instead of standing apart. Fear of being lonely causes us to justify unwholesome companions. Fear is the reason so many will not step out of their comfort zones and teach a class or lead a song or prayer. Fear is one reason so little evangelism is being done. Fear is the reason we deny the Lord in difficult situations. Fear is the reason the storms cause our faith to falter. Fear is the reason we betray our values and friends in times of need. Yes, I’d say fear is a major problem for us. We need to be told often to “Fear not.” At least I do.

Yet, there is another kind of fear that would help us overcome these other fears if we would learn to use it. Solomon wrote centuries ago, “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). In other words, we need to have deep seated reverence and awe of God in everything we do every day of our lives – to live by faith in God alone – to keep our eyes focused on Jesus and nothing else. Ironically, if we choose to “Fear God” in the sense Solomon said, we would be far less likely to need the 366 commands to “fear not.” Pity the person who is more afraid of the winds and the waves than he is of the God who created and controls them.

Articles

  Prayers pleasing to God need not be lengthy and must not be filled with “vain repetitions”. The Lord taught His disciples to avoid this common error of the Pharisees who, He said, use “vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking” (Matt. 6:7). The efficacy in prayer is not dependent on the number of words used, or the eloquence of the speaker who chooses them. One of the most poignant and impressive prayers in the Bible has in it only two words! David, facing formidable enemies, deeply troubled, uncertain what course would be best for him to follow and fully aware of his own inability to resolve his problems, cried out, “Help, Lord” (Psa. 12:1). This was no time for speech-making to God! All who face trials in life—and eventually all do—can fully empathize with the embattled Psalmist, and recall those painful occasions when in turning to the Lord, there was the sobering realization that there was no one else to whom to turn. The Bible abounds with these wonderful and precious assurances to the faithful. “All things work together for good to them that love God” (Rom. 8:28). “As thy day is, so shall thy strength be” (Deut. 33:25). “My grace is sufficient for thee” (2 Cor. 12:9). When sin-stricken, burdened, and weary, From bondage I longed to be free, There came to my heart the sweet message: “My grace is sufficient for thee”. Though tempted and sadly discouraged, My soul to this refuge will flee, And rest in the blessed assurance: “My grace is sufficient for thee”. ***

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