The Weapon of the Word
The Armor of GodEphesians 6: 10 -18
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people
A Thought From the Pastor
My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.Trust in the Lord with all your heartand lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him,and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3 : 1 – 6
Her name was Mrs. Foster. She was my elementary school teacher in a small schoolhouse in Alaska. Kids from grades 1-6 were all taught together by her and she had a passion for God. She had a passion for the Bible. She had a passion for placing his words in my heart through the daily reading of God’s Word and memorizing scripture. These scriptures and the words of many hymns that we sang together have been the sword of the Spirit in my life. They often would surface when I was making a difficult decision or was in a dark place. They often would surface when blessings and joy occurred in my life as well.
As we conclude our study of the Armor of God in Ephesians you will notice that the sword of the Spirit is the only offensive tool in the armor. The rest are defensive and meant to protect you. To defeat doubt, fear, and anxiety, you cannot simply defend yourself, you must actively push back against the evil one using God’s truth. Church family, let’s be in the Bible, let’s memorize scripture, let’s speak the word of Truth against the lies of this world. Hebrews reminds us again that the word of God is alive and active and is sharper than any two edged sword. Let’s act like Jesus when he was tempted by Satan and simply say…….“It is written.” Jesus relied on the Word of God to battle the evil one. He did not argue with the enemy or rely on his own strength. He modeled how we must face our own spiritual battles today; by going to the Bible for the truth and our answers to this broken world. Start getting in the Word today and see how it changes you.
Prayerful Planning
- Please don’t forget that we will be having our church service next Sunday at Petosega Campground at 11 am. It takes about 22 minutes from the church to drive to the campground. The address is 11000 Camp Petosega Road, Alanson, MI 49706. We will have a special kids program during the service and also lunch and games afterwards. If you need a ride, please meet at the church at 10:30 am and we will provide transporation for you.
Plans and Events at PCOC
- 7/5 - Our food pantry is open today from 12:30 - 1:30 pm at PCoC.
- 7/6 - Community Lunch @ 11:30 - 12:30 @ PCoC.
- 7/8 - Women’s and Men’s Bible Studies @ 6:30 pm @ PCoC.
- 7/9 - Church Prayer Group @ 10:30 am @ PCoC.
- 7/12 - Church Service and lunch/games at Camp Petosega at 11 am.
Purpose For This Week
- Pray that we would submit our will to God.
- Pray that we would seek the truth in God’s Word daily.
Praise Reports & Prayer Requests
- Please pray that the Rochester Church of Christ Youth Group will have a blessed stay here in Petoskey during the week of July 12th. Please pray that together we can serve our church and community. Please pray they will have a blessed week and that God will show our groups meaning in our service to the Petoskey community.
- Please pray for Pastor Trip and his family as they will be coming to Petoskey from July 7th - 14th to enjoy some Petoskey time and be part of our Homecoming Service.
- Please pray for Ruthie Eby and her continued health problems. Please pray that they can determine causes and that Ruthie will return to her previous health. Please cover the Eby family during this time as well.
- Please pray for Edmond Ames as he needs our prayers during his time in jail. He is asking for prayers for his endurance and that he can overcome some anxiety and worry that he is encountering.