Spiritual Lessons Learned from an Ox (Part 1)
By Mike Riley
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In Isaiah 1, we see a pronouncement of judgment by God upon Israel. Even though God had provided for their every need, the nation rebelled against God’s law and became corrupt and sinful. They are described as a person with open sores, with no ointment to heal them (Isaiah 1:1-6). Because of their sinful rebellion, God basically describes the nation as being “as dumb as an ox.”
Through Isaiah, He tells them:
“The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider [understand] (Isaiah 1:3).
Thus, as God’s children today, it behooves us to look at some spiritual lessons we can learn from an ox:
The Ox Teaches Us a Lesson About Salvation
As the above Scripture attests, the ox knows his owner and obeys him, but the children of Israel did not obey God. In Isaiah 1:10-15, we see a courtroom scene with God as judge. He indicts Israel for disobedience and pronounces the verdict (Isaiah 1:16-18). One would think that God would pronounce a “guilty” verdict and pass sentence. Instead, He tells Israel:
“Come now, and let us reason together, Says the Lord, Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18).
Predicated upon Israel’s repentance, they were to be made free from sin and “eat the good of the land” (Isaiah 1:19). The purpose of life is not to find liberty (do anything we want to do), but to find the right master. If we find the right Master, then we will have found true liberty(John 8:31-36; cf. Romans 8:2; Gal. 5:1).
God is telling us the same thing He told Israel — that without Christ, we are dumber than an ox, because the ox knows its owner. Do we know our Owner who purchased us with His own blood? Have we experienced salvation from sin? (Acts 20:28; cf. Ephesians 1:3-7; Hebrews 9:11-12).
The Ox Teaches Us a Lesson About Separation
In Deuteronomy 22:10, we learn another lesson from the ox — a lesson about separation. God instructed His people to “not plow with an ox and a donkey together.“ God knew (as every farmer knows) that two beasts of a different species cannot comfortably associate or work together, because they are always at odds with one another — they will never be able to successfully pull a cart or plow. Thus, we have to separate the two conflicting animals in order to plow successfully.
Making a spiritual application, Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 6:14-15:
“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?”
A good example is a Christian living with a non-Christian in marriage. Because of different purposes and beliefs, it is more difficult for them to successfully “plow” well together (live for God’s purposes) simply because the non-Christian is living for a “different” purpose than the Christian. Thus, a good rule of thumb is, “Don’t marry a non-Christian” (an apostolic example – 1 Corinthians 9:1-5 NASB). We must separate ourselves from worldly thinking folks (Romans 12:1-2).
Continued next week.
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Elders
Leon Cort
Mark Craigwell
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Minister
Mark Craigwell
Assistant Minister
Denver Simmons
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Deacons
Raleigh Gallington
Anthony Johnson
Gregory Johnson
Carlfred Malcolm
Albert Martin, Jr.
Walter Maxwell
Richard Meuse
Barry Person
Jason Reid
In Memoriam
Gone, but never forgotten, our beloved brother,
James W. Wade, Sr.
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Sermon for Sunday, March 24, 2024
Title: No One, "But God..."
Text: Ephesians 2:4-5
Speaker: Bro. Mark A. Craigwell
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Young Adult Ministry Events:
· March 29th @ 7:30pm: YAM Movie Night. Signup Here.
· April 19th @4pm: Volunteer Event at Community Servings. Signup here.
Youth & Family Ministry Game Night for ages 5-19, Friday, March 29th, 5-9 p.m. at the church building. See Bro. or Sis. Morrison for details.
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Don't Miss Out! Please scroll through the entire e-bulletin each week to be certain not to miss any important announcements or links. Many items are repeated each week, but there are also new announcements that you'll miss if you don't scroll through the entire bulletin.
Current and Upcoming Events
Drop-In Baby Shower for Baby Adams: Saturday, March 30th, 21 Torrey Street, Brockton. See Upcoming Events for details.
The New England Lectureship: Friday, May 3 - Sunday, May 5, 2024, at the enVision Hotel and Conference Center in Mansfield/Foxboro, MA. Don't wait until the last minute to register and book your hotel room. Details below in Upcoming Events section.
Ministry Meetings and Events
The Singles’ Ministry will next meet on Monday, April 1 at 6 p.m. at the church building.
The Couples’ Ministry meets the 2nd and 3rd Friday of the month via Zoom. See Couples' Ministry section below for connection information.
Tech Day: 3rd Saturday of the month, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the church building. Bring your cell phones, tablets, and laptops for help with your tech issues. See Bro. Javier Jackson, Jr., or Bro. Jerard Samuel for details. Sign-up sheets will be posted monthly. The April session is scheduled for Saturday, April 20th.
Community Outreach: Our monthly community outreach grocery distribution will take place on Saturday, April 27th at 9:30 a.m. at the church building. All are welcome to participate.
Young Adult Ministry (YAM) Upcoming Events
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March 29th @ 7:30pm: YAM Movie Night. Signup Here.
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April 19th @4pm: Volunteer Event at Community Servings. Signup here.
Youth & Family Ministry:
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Northeastern Youth Conference, Newark, New Jersey, April 12-14
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Youth & Family Ministry Game Night for ages 5-19, Friday, March 29th, 5-9 p.m. at the church building. See Bro. or Sis. Morrison for details.
2024 Mature in Heart Pennsylvania Dutch Country Excursion: We are still accepting registrations for this year's excursion to see a live performance of "Daniel" and the Sight & Sound Theater. See Mature in Heart Ministry section below for details and link to registration form. Registration form and deposits were due by 12/31/23. If you have not yet submitted your deposit, please see Bro. Gallington, Sis. Nagarajah, or Sis. Keitrice Johnson to do so ASAP. Please note that we need a minimum of 30 participants. We currently have 21 participants who have paid the required deposit. Please let us know immediately if you plan to participate but have not yet paid your deposit.
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The congregation is requesting member support of its Mission Fund as we provide an educational stipend to Bro. Phillip Morrison while he attends Sunset International Bible Institute full time for the next 18 months to train as a minister. We are asking members to commit/pledge at whatever amount your heart and ability can provide for this period of time. This is a commitment over and above your regular giving and we hope all members will participate to the level of their ability and heart for God. Our target is to provide $3,000 per month and all commitments, whether large or small, are helpful and appreciated.
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Please make checks and money orders payable to Church of Christ in Roxbury and write Mission Fund in the memo line.
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Electronic donations may be made via the E-Giving option at ChurchofChristinRoxbury.org/e-giving, followed up with a text or email to Bro. Gallington [(617) 922-4598, mrcg13@hotmail.com].
Click here to complete the pledge form electronically.
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If you haven't already registered for this year's New England Lectureship, scheduled for Friday, May 3rd through Sunday, May 5th, at the enVision Hotel & Conference Center in Mansfield-Foxboro, MA, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible. For detailed information and links to the schedule, registration, vendor, souvenir book, and hotel information, please visit the New England Lectureship website at Home | New England (newenglandlectureship.org). All souvenir book ads are due by April 1st. If you would like to be a vendor and have not yet booked a table, you need to do so immediately before space runs out. | |
OUR CURRENT COVID PROTOCOLS | |
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Effective immediately, and until further notice, we have suspended the requirement for attendees to sign up in advance to attend Sunday worship. We have also suspended attendance taking at our in-person services, classes, and events. Masking remains optional.
Remember that although COVID numbers are down, COVID has not gone away, and is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Please protect yourself and those around you by adhering to the guidelines below.
If you test positive for COVID after attending an in-person church event, please notify us by email at cocroxbury@gmail.com or by text to Sis. Gloria Gallington at 617-922-5987 so that notifications can be made as needed.
For up-to-date information regarding COVID in Massachusetts, click the link below:
COVID-19 Updates and Information | Mass.gov
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We will continue to offer two Sunday morning worship services to accommodate in-person attendees
The first service begins at 8:30 a.m. and runs until approximately 9:45 a.m.; the second service begins at 11:00 a.m. Our weekly Bible classes for all ages begin at 10:00 a.m. We will continue to livestream the 11:00 service on our YouTube channel, and we encourage members to utilize e-giving, even when attending in person. As noted under News & Notes, it is no longer necessary to sign up in advance to attend worship services in person.
E-giving link
https://churchofchristinroxbury.org/e-giving
Livestream link
Church of Christ in Roxbury - YouTube
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Our next monthly community outreach grocery distribution will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. at the church building. All are welcome to participate. Distribution will begin at 11:00 a.m. | |
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Remote & In-Person
Class/Meeting Schedule
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Wednesday Night In-Person & Dial-In Bible Study
Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. in-person and via freeconferencecall.com.
Dial in number: 978-990-5000
Access Code: 261232#
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REMINDER: Please remember to mute your phone or computer when joining any of the above conference calls to avoid interrupting the class or service you are entering, particularly if you are joining the call after the event has started. | |
The Couples' Ministry meets the second and third Fridays of the month at 7:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted. | |
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Our February Women's Class will take place on Sunday, March 24th at 5:00 p.m. at the church building and via Free Conference Call.
Dial in number: 978-990-5000
Access Code: 261232#
Or join the class online at join.freeconferencecall.com/carl95fred
If you would like to present a lesson for our Women's Class in 2024, please see Sis. Wendy Craigwell.
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March 2024
Visitor Thank You Letters: Sis. Sharee Farley
Visitor Gift Bags: Sis. Sandra Wade
Baptistry: Sis. Wendy Craigwell
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2024 Mature in Heart Pennsylvania Dutch Country Excursion:
We are accepting registrations for the 2024 trip to Lancaster County Pennsylvania to see the September 19th showing of "Daniel" at the Sight and Sound Theater. The bus will be scheduled to leave at 4am on the 19th and estimated to return between 9pm and 10pm on the 20th. A minimum initial deposit of $120 is required to secure a spot. This should be completed by December 31, 2023 to allow us to plan for the number to attend. The deposit (and subsequent payments) can be made by cash, check (payable to Church of Christ in Roxbury), or electronically via our e-giving link: churchofchristinroxbury.org/e-giving. If you make your deposit or any subsequent payments electronically, please follow up with an email to cocroxbury@gmail.com with the subject line 2024 Pennsylvania Trip, and your name and payment amount in the body of the email.
The number of participants is limited by bus capacity. The overall cost of the charter bus, show ticket hotel and banquet has increased by $54 per person from 2023, however we have made some changes and restrictions to try to reduce the impact.
1. The minimum number for the event is increased from 24 to 30 (bus passengers). This will ensure that the bus cost per person is no more than $145.
2. The family-only restriction is removed for triple and quad hotel accommodations. However, we are requiring that all roommates be identified at the time of registration and the spots are not confirmed until all roommates have registered. There are also restrictions on refunds to make sure room costs are covered. More details are available upon request. Please see Bro. or Sis. Gallington, Sis. Keitrice Johnson, or Sis. Elizabeth Nagarajah with any questions.
Based on the changes described above, the following are the trip costs for 2024:
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Quad Occupancy hotel room, banquet seat, bus seat and theater seat -- $352
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Triple occupancy hotel room, banquet seat, bus seat and theater seat -- $371
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Double occupancy hotel room, banquet seat, bus seat and theater seat -- $408
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Single occupancy hotel room, banquet seat, bus seat and theater seat -- $535
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Grand king hotel room, two banquet seats, two bus seats and two theater seats -- $859
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Banquet seat and theater seat only -- $120
Please note that we need a minimum of 30 participants. We currently have 21 participants who have paid the required deposit. Please let us know immediately if you plan to participate but have not yet paid your deposit.
Please click here to access the online registration form.
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March men's class is Sunday, March 24th at 5 p.m. at the church building.
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Young Adult Ministry (YAM) | |
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Upcoming Events
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March 29th @ 7:30pm: YAM Movie Night. Signup Here.
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April 19th @4pm: Volunteer Event at Community Servings. Signup here.
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Monthly Ministry Meeting
1st Sunday of each month at 1:00 p.m.
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Meetings & Events
3/3 - Youth & Family Ministry Meeting, 2pm @church building.
3/4 - Singles' Ministry Meeting, 6pm @church building.
3/4 - Ministers'/Elders'/Deacons' Meeting, 7pm
3/10 - Deacons' Meeting following 11:00 service @church building.
3/10 - Spiritual Development Class, 5pm @church building.
3/16 - 2024 Roxbury Ladies' Day, Tirrell Room, Quincy, 9am-1pm
3/16 - Tech Day, 11am-1pm
3/17 - Retention Ministry Meeting following 11:00 service @church building.
3/23 - Community Outreach, 9:30am @church building.
3/23 - Youth Job Fair, Reggie Lewis Center, details above.
3/24 - Men's & Women's Classes, 5pm @church building.
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Ministry Meetings - Please contact your ministry coordinator for remote meeting schedules.
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- Sunday New Converts' Class, 10:00am @church building
- Sunday Bible Class (children) Sundays at 10:00am @church building
- Sunday Adult Devotional/Bible Study, 10:00am @church building
- Sunday Worship Service 8:30 and 11:00am in person and 11:00am via livestream on YouTube. See above for details.
- Men's/Women's Classes, 5pm (4th Sunday of the month) @church building
- Youth & Family Ministry (1st Sunday of the month at 2pm)
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Mature in Heart Women's Prayer (Tuesdays @ 10:30am) VIA TELECONFERENCE (connection info above)
- Prayer Meeting (Tuesdays @ 7pm) VIA TELECONFERENCE (connection info above)
- Mid-Week Bible Study (Wednesdays @ 6:30pm) in person and VIA TELECONFERENCE (connection info above)
- Mid-Week New Converts' Class (Wednesdays @ 7pm) @church building
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Healing Hearts (Thursdays @6:15pm) VIA ZOOM
- Choral Ministry (Thursdays @7:30pm) in person @church building
- Couple's Ministry (2nd & 3rd Fridays @ 7 pm)
- Retention Ministry (3rd Sunday following 11:00 service)
- Women's Prayer (Saturdays 9:30am) VIA TELECONFERENCE (Connection info above)
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Bro. John Kurpiel, minister for the Lawrence congregation, hosts an international radio program, “Soul Food,” on Mondays and Tuesdays from 11AM until 3PM. The program airs on Ignite Radio Broadcast via Mixlr, an interactive internet radio platform. Use the link below to tune in to listen, or to participate in the conversation. Always free to listen. https://mixlr.com/ignite-radio-broadcast.
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Church of Christ in Roxbury
81 Walnut Avenue
Roxbury, MA 02119
617-442-5826
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