Tue, 06 Oct 2026 02:55:07 -0500WeeblyThu, 01 Oct 2026 20:59:09 GMThttps://www.14thmaincoc.com/bulletin-articles/talking-with-your-heavenly-fatherPrayer isn’t performance or panic. It’s a relationship. Because of Jesus, we get to talk to God
like a child talks to his dad. The disciples watched Jesus pray and finally asked, “Lord, teach us
to pray” (Lu. 11:1). They heard Him teach on a variety of topics, but they wanted this skill
most. We treat prayer like a last resort, a duty or a wish list. So, we either feel guilty for not
doing it, or frustrated when God seems silent.

Prayer is access to the Father. Before Jesus, only the High Priest had access to God but
through Him, we all can approach the Father (Heb. 10:19–25). When we pray, we say
FATHER. That was radical. The Jews didn’t call God “Father.” A five-year old doesn’t need
perfect words to speak to his father, he just needs his attention. We have the Father’s
attention (1 Pet. 3:12).

Prayer is shaped by God’s kingdom, not just our needs. In the model prayer in Matthew 6,
you have six lines. The first three are God focused: Your name, Your kingdom and Your will.
The last three are us focused: bread, forgiveness and deliverance. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus tells
us to seek first the kingdom of God. God wants conversation, not the same old thing every
time I come before Him.

Prayer is persistent trust, not perfect technique. In Luke 11:5–13, Jesus tells the story about a
man banging on a friend’s door at midnight. Point: Ask, seek and knock. Then in verse 13,
Jesus says, “How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask!”

There are three enemies to prayer:
Distraction: Set a time and place to pray.
Discouragement: God hears even weak faith.
Doubt: Ask in faith (Jas. 1:6).

Father, teach us to pray like Jesus did. Forgive us for treating you like a vending machine. Give
us hungry hearts for your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Ray Rose
]]>Wed, 23 Sep 2026 22:08:36 GMThttps://www.14thmaincoc.com/bulletin-articles/a-god-centered-view-of-relationshipsNo one can take Jesus and the gospel seriously who doesn’t also take relationships seriously.
We were made for relationships – a relationship with God, the church, our families, our
fellow man and even our enemies (cf. Gen. 2:18). Every painful thing we experience in
human relationships is meant to remind us of our need for God and a relationship with Him.
Here’s 7 relationship principles from our Lord and Savior.

The Principle of Love – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just
as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you
are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). Does Christ’s love
impact my relationships?

The Principle of Humility – “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and
you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew
11:28-30). Does the humility of Christ help me deal with my selfish pride and ego?
The Principle of Service – “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and
to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Does the servanthood of Christ teach me
to emphasize the needs of others more than myself?

The Principle of Patience – “Love is patient and kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4). Does the
patience of Christ help me to be patient with people and with circumstances?
The Principle of Brotherly Affection – “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo
one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10; Matthew 22:36-40). Does the affection of
Christ motivate me to treat others as He would? (cf. Philippians 2:1-4).

The Principle of Acceptance / Welcome – “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has
welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Romans 15:7). Does the acceptance and welcome of
Jesus cause me to be gracious in my treatment of others?

The Principle of Forgiveness – “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). Does the forgiveness of Jesus cause
me to be slow to take offense or to hold grudges and to be quick to forgive?

Mike Vestal
]]>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 17:07:40 GMThttps://www.14thmaincoc.com/bulletin-articles/cut-the-noise
My wife and I love visiting the mountains. We love the scenery and
serenity that you find there. One thing that really makes a visit to the
mountains special is how quiet it is. You don’t realize how loud living in
the city is until you are out there in the mountains, far from any cars or
people. In the mountains, you get to slow down, calm down and relax.
This makes me think of just how much noise we have around us all the
time. And I’m not just talking about sounds. We have TVs, cell phones,
work, bills, recreational activities, sports, and the list goes on. None of
these things are evil in and of themselves, but they can take up
tremendous amounts of our time.

The latest numbers show that Americans spend about 5 hours and 16
minutes on their phones every day. That comes to nearly 80 days or
two-and-a-half months a year! If our eyes are looking at a screen for
two-and-a-half months of a year, what things might we be missing?
How much noise is distracting us every day?
The Bible tells us that there are some things that we need to be
listening for. If we don’t learn to cut out the noise, we will miss them.
In Psalm 46:10, the Bible says, “Be still and know that I am God.” The
knowledge of God isn’t going to come to us while we are running about,
engaged in all the distractions of the world. In 1 Kings 19:11-12, Elijah
went out to stand before the Lord and He was not found in the wind, the
earthquake or the fire, but in “…a still small voice.” Elijah needed to cut
through the noise and listen for it.

We cannot let ourselves be so distracted that we never hear the voice
of God. Now, we are not going to hear God’s voice like Elijah did. As
Hebrews 1:1-2 tells us, the time of prophecy is past. If we want to hear
the voice of the Lord today, we will find it in the Bible.

We need God’s Word to guide us. When Jesus was fasting in the
desert and being tempted by Satan, He relied on the Scriptures to keep
Him from sin. In Matthew 4:4, Jesus rejected Satan, saying, “Man shall
not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the
mouth of God.” We will not find comfort or answers in the things of this
world. We will only find them in the Word of God. Psalm 119:105 tells
us, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” If our eyes
are constantly consumed by the glow of a screen, will we trip?
This week, dedicate some time to go to the mountain of the Lord. Pick
an hour each day to take a break from the noise. Put down the phone,
turn off the TV, and spend some quality time with the Lord.

Robert Lupo
]]>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 13:45:13 GMThttps://www.14thmaincoc.com/bulletin-articles/introducing-a-congregational-evangelism-seminarWe are thankful to announce that you have been enrolled into the House to House/Heart to Heart School of Evangelism!  This will provide your congregation with a total of 12 months of preparation, promotion, training, and support.  Our goal is to transform the culture within congregations to be focused on local evangelism and church growth.  In order to accomplish this mission, we will be conducting a seminar soon and we need your help.  “Go Ye” means “Go All.” The word, “ye” is plural and thus requires the mobilization of every Christian in the local congregation to reach the lost in your community.
 
            There was a time in our not so distant past when these types of seminars were being held all over our nation.  Christians carried film strips (Jule Miller) in the back of their trunks and went house to house teaching anyone who would listen the Gospel of Christ.  Now most of our training is inwardly focused and are geared towards keeping the saved, saved.  Success is seen in how many sister congregations attend our events and rarely on how many non-Christians attend.  A few years ago, a brother called and invited us to come do this seminar.  He said, “Brother Rob, we have not had an evangelism seminar in central Texas in over 20 years.”  We are at a crisis stage for churches of Christ in America, but it is not too late. 
 
            What is an evangelism seminar? It is an effort to train the saved to teach the lost.  We will spend time equipping Christians with a soul winning strategy.  We will relay stories of real people who are coming to know their Savior and provide you the simple principles used to get them into a Bible study and help them obey the Gospel.  We will spend time with elders and preachers and help them develop a winning strategy for the local congregation. 
 
            What can you do?  First, please attend every session as each build upon the other.  Second, come ready to learn with Bible in hand, and ready to take notes.  This is not just a lecture.  It will be both principle and practice.  Third, please be praying about souls to save.  Since this focuses on training Christians how to reach the lost, it is not recommended that you invite your non-Christian friends and family.  After being trained, you will have plenty of opportunities and a working method to reach them. 
 
            This seminar is having a great affect upon congregations.  Hundreds of souls have been saved in just the past year, and if we all work together, and follow the Great Evangelist (Jesus), many more souls will be saved. The Lord is depending upon you for this evangelistic effort to be successful.  The Gospel is not a passive process.  It is an active process that will work when we are willing to work it.  Below is a schedule of topics.  My family will be willing to answer any of your questions and materials will be available to help equip you with all the tools needed. 
 
Saturday
6:30 PM – Let's Get Motivated: This session will relay several personal accounts of conversions. It has worked and is still working. 

7:30 PM – Let's Stay with the Message: This session focuses on the power of the Word. We must put the Bible back into Personal Bible studies! 
 
 
Sunday
9:00 AM - Let's Not Argue About the Method:  It’s time to introduce "Back to the Bible" and demonstrate how to use it along with charts from my PE workbook. 
 
10:00 AM – Let's Talk About the Manner: How do you get into a Bible Study? We will look at Jesus and how our Master Evangelist was able to develop such a large following. 
 
1:00 PM – Let’s Apply the Model: In this session, we discuss difficult situations and take your questions. How does this work in my world?

2:00 PM – Let’s Make the Application: Rob sits down with elders, preachers, and deacons to provide practical suggestions on how to implement this program and train Christians in the congregation. 

2:00 PM – Recipes for Evangelism: In this special ladies’ session, Nicole will provide practical suggestions on how to apply what you have learned. This is based on her book, “Recipes for Evangelism” (ladies only).
 
 
Every Saint on this of Heaven must be concerned about every sinner on this side of Hell.

Written by Rob L. Whitacre

]]>Wed, 26 Aug 2026 20:03:00 GMThttps://www.14thmaincoc.com/bulletin-articles/too-much-religion“It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem.”
1 Kings 12:28
Those were the words of King Jeroboam to the people of Israel. He knew God
said to come to Jerusalem and worship Him at the temple. That didn’t stop
him from changing what God commanded.

He made it easy for people to “worship.” He told them they didn’t have to
travel all the way to Jerusalem. Just go to Dan and Bethel. They’re much
closer. But he didn’t stop there.

He made golden calves and told the people they could worship them. Then he
made men who were not of the tribe of Levi priests and ordered a festival of
worship at a time the Law of Moses didn’t authorize.

His main reason for making these changes was political. The motivation of
the people was personal. This popular religion was convenient. It was new
and different. It was creative. And it was not “legalistic” and strict like the old
way. Moreover, it worked. People flocked to engage in idolatry, and, even
sadder, this trendy worship continued for several generations.
The sales pitch of old Jeroboam still works today. The biblical way is “too
much” for many today. The masses are looking for a religion that is
convenient, entertaining, and tolerant.

To this generation we ask: Is it too much to require that men lead as
preachers, elders, and deacons (1 Timothy 2:8–3:13)? Is it too much for you
to listen to a sermon that reproves your heart instead of a nice little talk that
tickles your ears (2 Timothy 4:2–4)?

Many today are oblivious as to what worship is. We are to worship God.
Worship is not for our convenience. It is not about pleasing us.
But as long as people look for bread and fish instead of the Truth, the way of
Jeroboam will live on.

By Kerry Duke
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