Benchley church of Christ

Who are we?

Students, teachers, engineers, retirees, technicians, nurses, salesmen, husbands,
wives, sons, daughters; in a word: people.

But, what connects us one to another and sets us apart from the world isn't ours jobs or
familial relationships - rather it is our mutual love, faith and obedience to God and His
Son, Jesus the Christ, in Whom we find salvation (Acts 4:12).   

We are, in a word: Christians (Acts 11:26)

 

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What do we believe?  In a phrase: The Bible.

 

The Bible says that God created the world and all in it.
(Genesis 1-2)

The Bible says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) but that
He has extended a plan of salvation:

"Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it
cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear ...
Now the LORD saw, and it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice. And He
saw that there was no man, and was astonished that there was no one to intercede;
then His own arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness upheld Him. He put
on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; and He put
on garments of vengeance for clothing and wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle"
(Isaiah 59:1-3,15-17).

The Bible says that God's plan of salvation was realized through His Son, Jesus:

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

The Bible says that God asks us to live for Him:  

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to
deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the
present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great
God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every
lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for
good deeds." (Titus 2:11-14).

 

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To receive salvation the Bible says we must:

Hear:
"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17)

Believe and Confess:
"...If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God
raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes,
resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."
(Romans 10:9-10)

Repent and be Baptized:
"...Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness
of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
(Acts 2:38)

Seek to live faithfully to Him as prescribed in His word:
"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
(John 4:24)


We believe all this, because we believe the Bible:

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent,
equipped for every good work." (2nd Timothy 3:16-17).

 

 

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How do we worship?

We assemble on the first day of every week to:

Pray:
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6)

"Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;
praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word,
so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I [Paul] have also been
imprisoned..."
(Colossians 4:2-3)

Sing hymns of praise a cappella (without instruments):
"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and
admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
thankfulness in your hearts to God." (Colossians 3:16)

"What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also;
I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also." (1st Corinthians 14:15)

Observe the Lord's Supper:
"On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread..." (Acts
20:7)

"For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death
until He comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an
unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord."
(1st Corinthians 11:26-27)

Lay by in store:
"Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so
do you also. On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as
he may prosper..." (1st Corinthians 16:1-2)

Study and make application of God's word:
"And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word
of God." (Ephesians 6:17)

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to
be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." (2nd Timothy 2:15)

"For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach
His statutes and ordinances in Israel."(Ezra 7:10)

We worship Him daily in our lives:

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living
and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable
and perfect. For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to
think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound
judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the
same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members
one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each
of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his
faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in
his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who
shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;
not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope,
persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints,
practicing hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice,
and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be
haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly.
Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect
what is right in the sight of all men.  If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace
with all men.       
Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is
written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.
“BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A
DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD." Do not
be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12)