The Hillsboro Christian

The Hillsboro Christian February 2022 - Volume 62

1 Corinthians 16:14

CIY SuperStart March 18-19, 2022 (Registration Deadline is February 11th) This is for 4th through 5th-grade students.

You can sign up now on our website: hillsborochurch.net/events CIY SuperStart is a 2-day event held in Cincinnati. Preteens will encounter Christ through worship, interactive teaching, and small groups, all designed with their unique needs and maturity in mind.

In This Issue of The Christian

By Brad Clouse

There is an old fable that tells how different instruments tried to master a piece of iron. The blows of the ax fell heavily, but its edge became more and more blunt.

The saw's relentless teeth worked until they were worn down or broken. The hammer's head flew off at the first stroke. Despite all their efforts, the iron remained.

Finally, the flame curled gently around the iron, embraced it, and never left until the iron melted under its irresistible influence. Much like the flame which melts the iron, the love of God can melt the hardest of hearts.

The apostle John is a testimony to the transformative power of God’s love. He is known as the apostle of love; however, this is not how he would be described from the very beginning. He and his brother James were known as the Sons of Thunder, who at one point wanted to rain down fire upon a Samaritan village (Lk.9:54).

John also had a selfpromoting ambition which was expressed when he and his brother asked their moth

er to ask Jesus if they could sit on the right and left of Him in His Kingdom (Mt.20:20 -28). The love of God would not allow John to remain a Son of Thunder.

As the apostle of love, John has much to say about God’s love: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

No one has seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (I John 4:10-12). God has expressed His love to all of mankind through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ.

By putting our trust in Jesus Christ, we experience the transformative power of God’s love. With His love working in our hearts, we can love one another.

Through our love for one another, we act as witnesses to the transformative power of God’s love: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone

will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).

In this edition of The Christian, Micah encourages us to spend quality time with God in His Word – If we really love God, then we must spend time with Him.

Also, we are challenged by Adam to evaluate our love for God – How connected are we to Him?

Our guest writer too this month is Alex Eddy, the Executive Director of Person to Person Ministries, located here in Hillsboro, Ohio. With the theme of our newsletter being IN ALL THINGS LOVE, Alex shares with us some characteristics of love as seen from the words of Jesus in Matthew 22:37-40.

This month, we begin a new sermon series entitled THE UPPER ROOM. For the next several months, we are going to be camped out in John 13-17 as we look at the last words of Jesus to His disciples right before He is betrayed and crucified. As God’s people, we must be totally committed to the teachings of Christ: February 6, 2022

– “A Basin and A Towel” (John 13:1-17)

February 13, 2022

– “Loving Like Jesus” (John 13:18-34)

February 20, 2022

– “The Way” (John 14:1-14)

February 27, 2022

– “Love and Obedience” (John 14:15-31)

March 6, 2022

– “The Vine and The Branches” (John 15:1-11)

March 13, 2022

– “In The World Not Of The World” (John 15:12-25)

March 20, 2022

– “Never Alone” (John 15:26-16:15)

March 27, 2022

– “Take Heart” (John 16:16-33)

April 3, 2022

– “The Lord’s Prayer” (John 17:1-19)

April 10, 2022

– “For Those Who Believe” (John 17:20-26)

In Christian love, Brad

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brad and his family, including his wife, Julie, son Will, and daughters Annaleigh and Samantha, live just outside of Hillsboro. They spend most of their free time at sporting events for the kids or cheering on the Louisville Cardinals.

They view themselves as a ministry family that wants to set an example for others while knowing they need the grace and mercy of Jesus each day!

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind” Matthew 22:37

by Alex Eddy

In All Things Love Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your [38 mind.’

This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Love is Commanded There are 613 commands in the Old Testament Law (the first five books of the Old Testament). This figure does not include the rest of the Old Testament; still, 613 is a significantly large number.

Jesus takes all 613 commands of the Old Testament Law and places them

in two categories: loving God and loving people. We see this in the structure of the Ten Commandments.

The first five commandments reveal how God wants us to demonstrate our love for Him. The next five commandments reveal how God wants us to love and relate to others. Love God. Love People. It sounds so simple, yet we struggle to consistently follow through.

There are reasons it is so difficult.

Love is Comprehensive The emphasis of Christ’s statement of our love for God is totality. “All your heart; all your soul, all of your mind.” A preacher stated in a sermon, “Too many Christians treat their faith and scripture like it’s a

buffet. You can pick and choose whatever meets your desire. ”Scripture does not present this as an option. There is nothing we can withhold from God. He wants all of us. He wants all our thoughts, all our emotions, and all our actions to reflect this divine reality: God is love.

Love is Challenging I John 4:7-12 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows 8 God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through

him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Following Jesus is difficult.

There are challenges and obstacles to our faith all around us.

The culture works against us.

Society works against us. But, the greatest challenge lies within us. The Bible tells us to, “Guard your heart.” It is far too easy to become cynical and calloused toward others, especially those who have wronged us in the past. The Bible tells us to love our enemies. Sometimes it’s hard to love our friends, let alone our enemies; yet this is the example Christ has set for us. We were enemies of God, yet He loved us enough to send His Son to die for our sins.

We didn’t request it. We didn’t initiate it. We didn’t earn it. Romans states it this way, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

God has placed his Spirit within us that we might become more like Him. The first fruit of the Spirit which is mentioned is love. It is only

by His power at work in us that we might hope to love as God does, In All Things!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex Eddy is the Executive Director of Person To Person Ministries. He has served in this capacity since April of 2020. Alex and his wife Missy currently reside at Restoration Acres.

LITTLE LAMB CHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL RUMMAGE SALE SATURDAY, MARCH 5TH 9:00 TO 3:00 Collections will start on Monday, February 28th.

Also, please NO winter clothing at this time.

Our next MOPS meeting (Mothers of Preschoolers) will be Thursday, February 24th, 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM We meet in the Connection Café and babysitting is available We gather to provide encouragement, community and support specifically for new moms.

If you are a new mom and would like to join us, just RSVP at hillsborochurch.net/mops

TRANSFER LOVE

by Adam Steele

If you spend any lengthy amount of time with me, you will inevitably hear me quote a comedy bit that I heard one time. Growing up, I was first introduced to stand-up comedy through listening to a cassette tape of Mark Lowry, and to this day, I will still discuss the bits from that cassette regularly. They are ingrained in my perceptions of particular circumstances, or experiences and I cannot help but bring them up. I enjoy stand-up comedy and have for a long time. One of my favorite moments is when a comedian can make a joke about something that is insightful and important. The type of joke you continue to think about even after you are done laughing at it.

The comedian Pete Holmes once described in an interview what he calls "Transfer Love." This describes a time when we express love to someone not because we are thinking about them specifically but because we are happy about something else. Peter Holmes says, "You get very, very hungry, you pick up the phone, you're going to order a pizza, and

you start getting really happy that a pizza is coming… and you get so flooded with joy, that a pizza is coming, you hang up that phone, turn to your wife, girlfriend, or lover, and you just go, 'I love you so much.' Because the love needs to go somewhere…You don't love me; you love pizza!" Once I

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam Steele has served with Hillsboro Church of Christ since 2016 as our Associate Minster — Discipleship & Youth and Family Minister.

heard about this idea, I started to notice when I would do it to my wife and kids. I was really excited about something that had happened or was going to happen, and I expressed my love for them even though they were not the reason I was happy or excited. I also believe that it is very easy to do this with our love for God as well.

Have you ever experienced a "Camp High"? That is where you go to camp, a conference, or some sort of Christian event and have a great time and feel so much closer to God as a result…until you get home. Not too long after returning from that event, the feeling fades, and you go back to life as normal. If we are honest, we had a great time with our friends and all that the event had to offer and simply transferred those good feelings to our relationship with God. We often do this with worship as well. If we go to a church and their worship service is to our liking, we say, "You could just really feel the Holy Spirit moving." It is easy to experience an event about God without really connecting to him

personally. Not every conference is fake or phony, camp is not always just a manufactured Christian experience, but sometimes we simply transfer our love for something else to God.

People have always struggled with this idea. In Isaiah 29:13, God says of Israel, "Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men.” Jesus also quotes this passage when speaking with the Pharisees.

They knew God’s word and taught it all the time, but

they had no real connection with God himself. This is such an easy mistake to make in our walk with Christ. That is why Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Mt 7:21-23).

We need to be on guard that we don't love God with

"Transfer Love." We need to be sure that we are connecting with God himself, not just with the music or a verse we like. We need to spend time, just us and God, enjoying being together. For you, that might mean meditating on a passage of scripture or going on a walk in the woods alone to just "Be with God." It might mean you spend time singing to God all by yourself so that you are not distracted by anyone else. God has such genuine love for each of us that we must strive to love him back in the same way.

Grace and Peace, Adam

Intercessory

Prayer

02-01-22

requests

Health and Other: Sue Bryan Denver Conley Jim Cook Ohio Mission Bible Training Center Janet Pence Shalom Orphanage Wayne Wiedenbein Tammy Wilson

Family Loss: Angela Ruble family Roger Earley family

Shut Ins: Barbara Boris Jewel Calmes Marvin Gotherman John Porter Carol Setty Ruby Wallingford

HCC Leadership: Steve Allen Brad Clouse Roger Epley Dan Fauber Micah Herrick Mike Labig Adam Steele Richard VanZant

Cancer: Jeffery Aurigema Vicki Butler Kari Crafton Bob Fisher Judy Roush Mark Sears

Missions: The Brittons, The Millers, The Newmans,

Military: Tyler Amos Ryan Burns Mark Conover Thadeus Conover Corey Hughes Phillip Mycroft

Average attendance for the month of January was: 244 Average weekly giving for the month of January was: 13,556.75 Our weekly need is: 11,229.13

On January 16th, Sidney Brown made the decision to give her life to Christ through baptism. Sidney began attending our church with James and Krystal Scott. We are delighted to welcome her into the family of God! Sidney was baptized by Brad Clouse.

Chris Johnson made the decision to be immersed into Christ on Jan 2nd.

God has been speaking into Chris' life in a variety of ways for several months and he really felt like the time had come for him to be obedient to what God was asking him to do. Congratulations! Chris and his wife Lucy and daughter Susie are all new to our congregation so if you see them take a moment to introduce yourself.

We are looking for someone to head the Penny-A-Meal ministry as Larry Holladay has retired as the leader.

If you would be interested in leading this ministry, please contact Susie Burns by phone (937-393-1752) or by email (susie@hillsborochurch.net).

This is one of the oldest ministries here at HCC. Members pay monthly dues (usually $5.00 a month) and they donate their Community Market grocery receipts, which are placed in the brown Church box pictured above (this is in the main foyer). Actually anyone can donate their Community Market receipts.

Penny-A-Meal receives 1% of the total eligible amount on the receipts. This doesn’t sound like much, but this ministry has done so many different projects over the years, the most recent being; the new ice machine, new stove in the kitchen, helped pay for the carpet in the nursery, etc.

The Penny-A-Meal ministry team leader would be responsible for collecting the monthly dues, collect the receipts from the brown church box, total receipts and fill out a form to submit to Community Market for re-imbursement (this is very simple to do and we can show you how).

DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, AREA 937 IS COLLECTING PANCAKE MIX. YOU CAN BRING YOUR DONATIONS IN TO THE CHURCH AND DROP THEM OFF IN THE AREA 937 BARREL LOCATED IN THE SOUTH ENTRANCE

A RELATIONSHIP REQUIRES TIME

When you love someone, you spend time together.

When you love someone, you quiet yourself down and listen to what is important to their heart. This month, as we grapple with love and all that it means, I have to ask do we truly show our love for God in these ways? Do we spend quality time with God? Do we quiet ourselves down and really listen to Him? Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.

Psalm 119:105-106 (NIV) A great way is to sit long with the word. We know that the word of God is living (1 Peter 1:23) and a two edged sword (Hebrews 4:12) and is now the way that God communicates best to His people. In our modern world, however, we must be careful not to fall into a 5-minutedevotional lifestyle. If you only listen to someone long enough each day to feel better, that’s not a deep and intimate relationship.

You do not know that person. If I just read a verse each day as my only connection to God, that is simply for my own selfish benefit.

It is the height of narcissism

to believe that I know God with such a minimal connection. To know God, I must be drinking deeply from the well of His word. I should be challenged by my sinfulness when exposed to that light. I should be finding new insights into the person of God so that I delight more in Him each and every day. As my knowledge of the word increases, I should be finding the best ways to live for His kingdom and glory as I more clearly see the application of His truth, the truth, to each moment of life. We desperately need to hear Him speak. The first and best way is to read and know His word.

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 (NIV).

Another way that we can be with God is through Christian meditation. Often when we hear this word, we conjure up images of eastern monks sitting in lotus poses and emptying their minds.

But as Christians, our meditation is radically different.

Rather than emptying our minds, we fill our minds with God and His ways and purposes. We do this by taking a revelation from the Lord, His word or aspect of creation, and dwell on what it teaches us about His person and character. For example, after recently reading through the book of Ezekiel, I noticed that with each new prophetic word that Ezekiel received, he made the statement that “the Word of the Lord came to me.” Forty-nine times Ezekiel uses that exact phrase within his book. I have spent time sitting with that phrase. Why is it that God revealed Himself to Ezekiel using that particular concept? Was the Word of the Lord that Ezekiel experienced just a concept that rushed his mind, or was this a person that he

experienced?

What connection does this phrase have to other moments in scripture? By spending time in the quiet pondering these questions, I lose myself within thoughts of the Most High and find a deeper connection than I’ve ever had before. It is ok to spend quality time with God and lose yourself for a bit within thoughts of Him and His person and His revelation! Here is something for you to ponder “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘S p e a k , Lord, for your servant is listening’ 1” Samuel 3:9b (NIV).

You cannot have a relationship with someone if you cannot hear them. You cannot have a relationship with someone if you do not spend time with them. You cannot have a relationship with someone if you do not know them. When asked what the most important command in scripture was, Jesus’ response was to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30 NIV).

Spend time pursuing the one who relentlessly pursues you.

Pour all of yourself into this endeavor. You will not regret it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Micah Herrick, along with leading our worship service, teaches a theology class each week at Ohio Mission Bible Training Center.

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THEO will meet the last Sunday of the month, February 27th, right after 2nd worship service.

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Faith in Action will be meeting February 3rd at 6:00 PM at AREA 937

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CIY (Christ in Youth) Fundraiser: Starting Sunday, February 6th, and every Sunday in February during the Connection Café time, kids will be in the Café selling special treats to raise funds to help defer the cost of CIY. These are treats you can take home with you, please check it out and help support our youth!

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Hey, Camp Sunday is coming! February 6th. If you have not signed your kids up for camp yet, you might want to wait till then!!

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Received from the family of Betty Wilkin: The family of Catherine Elizabeth “Betty” Wilkin would like to donate money towards sending a child to camp in honor of her 100th birthday that she is celebrating with Jesus. Thank you for being her church family.

Angie & Asa Page, Michele & Terry Roush, Cathy Raisor, Steve & Cathy Walsh, & Janet & Mark Childress

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Do you ever wonder if your time, talents, or gifts (physical or spiritual) make any impact on our church community and the community around us? This should help answer that question. We received the following in the mail. I left names out for privacy reasons.

To the members of HCC involved in the Angel Tree:

I am ( __) and you helped me from prison to provide gifts to my son (________) I am beyond just grateful you did this as a fellow child of God, I know how truly wonderful the Lord is. This is nothing short of a sign of his love and mercy to us. Thank you to whoever got my son, but I also want to thank any other people who were involved in the Angel Tree program. Thanks for still shining God’s love, light, and compassion into the world by doing what you do. I hope you all had great holidays and all have a blessed year. Again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Sincerely,

155 W. Walnut St. Hillsboro, Ohio 45133 937-393-1752 hillsborochurch.net

COME JOIN US SUNDAY MORNING! 9:00 am or 10:30 am