Bill’s Bestowals:
“The Eleventh Commandment”
“A new command I give you: Love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples,
if you love one another.”
(John 13:34-35)
As most know, we started a sermon series entitled “The Eleventh Commandment” this past month. The series is based on the above scripture. Those who were unable to be in worship for the series introduction (Sept. 19) will be at a disadvantage since the principle behind it was explained that day. Therefore, I am using this article to catch you up if you were not present (and to refresh you if you were).
Remember that God gave the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel immediately after He used Moses to bring them up out of the land of Egypt (the Exodus). The first four of the commandments focus on expressions of love for God, and the remaining six focus on expressions of love for people.
The Ten Commandments were central to the law, and the law was kind of like the glue that held the people of Israel together. For 1,400 years or so the commandments had been revered and (to varying degrees) followed. The problem was that they never really understood that the commandments were about love. They started seeing them as a matter of personal pride, thinking thoughts like, “I’m better than you because I follow the commandments better than you.” Truth: there is no love in that kind of thinking.
Enter, stage right: Jesus. He knows that people have a tendency to follow the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law (see Matthew 5:17-20), so He adds a commandment that is clear and concise: “A new command I give you: Love one another ….” After that, He adds HOW we are to love people: “Love them as I (Jesus) have loved you.” Then He also adds that it is by loving others that we will be recognized as being God-followers.
Question: Do people around you – Christian and pre-Christian alike – recognize you as a God-follower because you are so full of Jesus’ kind of love? It is a question with which every Christian should wrestle.
Now, we preachers are really good at telling congregations to love. The problem is that we don’t always tell them HOW to love in a practical way. Come to worship during the next few months, and you will hear the “how.” Each week, we will be focusing on a different “One Another” found in the New Testament. For instance:
“Accept one another” (Romans 15:7)
“Encourage one another” (I Thess. 5:11)
“Forgive one another” (Eph. 4:32, Col 3:13)
“Admonish one another” (Col. 3:16)
“Pray for one another” (James 5:16)
There are 35 total “one anothers.” “Love one another” is the overarching one, but “love” is hard to define. The other 34 – each of which is both easier to define and quite practical – are ways in which we may express love. Additionally, there is Biblical evidence that Jesus Himself practiced most of the “one anothers.” Therefore, when we make them a part of our character, we grow in the character of Christ. (“Love one another as I have loved you.”)
We are disciples of Jesus. That means that we discipline ourselves by the thoughts and actions of our Master. Let’s do it together during these months to come. See you in church!
“May the Lord bless and keep you …” always! Pastor Bill
Shalom! Pastor Bill
P.S. – This month contains Halloween, of course! Our Fellowship Committee will be hosting our annual “Trunk or Treat” event in the church parking lot (although there is still a slight chance it will move to Janssen Park), and they would be ever-so-grateful if you, SWEET members of the congregation, would be willing to donate massive amounts of candy! (Of note: last year we gave away nearly $1000 of candy in about an hour, and we had to turn away a number of unfortunates who arrived too late.)
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October, 2025 Calendar:
Sunday: Fellowship Hour at 9:00 a.m.
Sunday School at 9:45 a.m.
Worship at 11 a.m.
Wednesday: LIFT (Living in Faith & Trust) at 5 p.m.
Oct. 2: Worship Committee Meeting – 12:15 p.m.
Oct. 4: Presbyterian Women’s Meeting – 10 a.m.
Oct. 5: World Communion Sunday
Oct. 7: Mission Committee Meeting – 5 p.m.
Oct. 11: Presbytery Meeting in Little Rock
Oct. 14: Building & Grounds Committee Meeting – 10 a.m.
Oct. 14: Membership & Evangelism Committee Meeting – 5 p.m.
Oct. 19: Presbyterian Women’s “Souper Sunday” following Worship
Oct. 20: Stewardship, Finance and Administration Committee Meeting – 1 p.m.
Oct. 21: Fellowship Committee Meeting – 1 p.m.
Oct. 23: Session Meeting – 5:30 p.m.
Oct. 31: Trunk or Treat – 4:00 p.m.
BIRTHDAYS:
6 – Cindi Hernandez 21 – Paula Dearing
8– Pete Chambers 22 – Nicole Edwards
10 – Dorothy Venable 27 – Mira Robins
17– Raleigh DarDar 28 – Tims Edwards
18 – Janise Ross
SERVING THIS MONTH:
Ushers: Bailey Sullivant & Mira Robins
Communion Preparers: Linda Murphy
Communion Servers: Wes Stiefer, Linda Murphy,
William Edwards II, & Pastor Bill Seitz
SPECIAL COLLECTION SUNDAYS:
Oct. 5: Personal Care Collection
Oct. 26: Goodland Academy
