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OUR ROOTS
An Enduring Beacon
The Antioch Church of Christ in Milton is one of the oldest congregations in Rutherford County, with its history deeply intertwined with the restoration movement in Middle Tennessee. As a prominent Christian church, it serves as a vital faith community and place of worship for many.
Historical Foundations
Organized in 1833 by Barton W. Stone, the Antioch Church of Christ stands as a historic cornerstone of Rutherford County's faith community. This Christian church continues to worship in its original 1854 building, which was constructed on land generously donated by Jacob Wright. After modernizations in 1954 and 1966, this cherished Place of Worship remains beautifully preserved today.
Antebellum Survival
Antebellum Survival
By 1860, Antioch was one of just four Church of Christ congregations in Rutherford County. While the Civil War devastated many local sanctuaries, Antioch’s 1854 meetinghouse survived completely intact. Today, this active congregation still worships inside this rare, pre-war landmark.
The Romans Road Guide
The Context Behind the Letter: Why Paul Wrote Romans
Understanding why the Apostle Paul wrote this letter makes its theological roadmap even clearer. Written around 57 AD, the Epistle to the Romans was addressed to a church experiencing intense cultural and religious friction.
- A Divided Church: Roman Emperor Claudius had previously expelled all Jewish residents from Rome. When they returned years later, they found a church run entirely by Gentile (non-Jewish) believers. This created deep divisions over traditions, customs, and laws.
- A Level Playing Field: Paul wrote Romans to prove that everyone stands on equal ground before God. In the opening chapters, he systematically argues that neither religious heritage nor worldly philosophy makes anyone superior. All have sinned, and all require the exact same Savior.
- Legal Clarity for a Roman Audience: Because Rome was the center of the world's most sophisticated legal system, Paul purposely used courtroom and financial terminology—such as justification (acquittal), wages (payment), and redemption (buying back freedom)—to explain spiritual truths in a language Roman citizens perfectly understood.
Because this letter so logically and beautifully dismantles human pride while offering a clear remedy for our brokenness, its core chapters provide the ultimate step-by-step guide to reaching salvation.
The Romans Road to Salvation: A Comprehensive Study Guide
This guide traces the theological journey of the Gospel through Paul’s letter to the Romans. Follow these scripture passages to discover the biblical path to peace with God.
🛑 Part 1: The Human Problem (The Reality of Sin)Before we can appreciate good news, we must understand our spiritual condition. Paul establishes that no human is inherently innocent.
- Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
- Romans 3:10: "As it is written: 'There is no one righteous, not even one.'"
- Romans 5:12: "Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned."
- Romans 1:20: Explains that God’s creation leaves humanity "without excuse" for ignoring Him.
Summary: This first step establishes that sin is a universal human condition, leaving everyone spiritually broken and separated from a holy God, regardless of their background.
🛑 Part 2: The Divine Penalty (The Consequence of Sin)Sin is not a minor mistake; it carries a legal weight under God’s holy justice.
- Romans 6:23a: "For the wages of sin is death..."
- Romans 2:5: Warns against a hardened heart that is "storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath."
- Romans 7:24: Captures human helplessness: "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?"
Summary: Because God is perfectly just, He cannot overlook wrongdoing. The ultimate earning or penalty for human sin is spiritual death and eternal separation from Him.
🛑 Part 3: God’s Loving Provision (The Solution)We cannot earn our way out of our spiritual debt. God proactively intervened while we were completely helpless.
- Romans 5:8: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
- Romans 6:23b: "...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
- Romans 5:6: "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly."
- Romans 4:25: "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification."
Summary: Rather than leaving humanity to pay its own debt, God demonstrated His love by sending Jesus Christ to die in our place and rise again, offering eternal life as a completely free gift.
🛑 Part 4: The Personal Response (Faith and Surrender)Belief requires a personal choice to trust in Jesus’ sacrifice and publicly declare His authority over your life.
- Romans 10:9: "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
- Romans 10:10: "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."
- Romans 10:13: "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
- Romans 4:5: "However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness."
- Romans 10:17: "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ."
Summary: Salvation is received not by human effort or good works, but by personally trusting in Christ's resurrection, surrendering your heart to Him, and openly confessing Him as Lord.
🛑 Part 5: The Immediate & Eternal Results (Our New Reality)Once we respond in faith, our legal standing before God changes completely, offering permanent safety and a transformed life.
- Romans 5:1: "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
- Romans 8:1: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
- Romans 8:38-39: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life... nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
- Romans 12:1-2: Directs us to live a changed life: "...offer your bodies as a living sacrifice... be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
Summary: True faith brings immediate peace with God, permanent freedom from condemnation, absolute security in His love, and a daily, lifelong transformation of mind and character.
The Antioch Weekly
July 19, 2026 | Volume 11, Issue 28
THE ANTIOCH WEEKLY
July 19, 2026 | Volume 11, Issue 28
►WELCOME VISITORS
• We are so glad you are here with us today! Our goal is to simply open the Bible and study God's Word exactly as it is written. Please stay after service so we can meet you, answer any questions you have, and welcome you to Antioch.
• Sunday Worship: 10:00 AM
• Children's Bible Class: 11:00 AM
📦 Operation Mailbox: Mapping Our Mission!
The mission field is mapped and ready! We have officially divided our local community into strategic neighborhood zones. Stacks of localized street routes and our brand-new visitor welcome letters are waiting on the foyer table right now to guide visitors straight to our front doors. Even better, the church has already paid for all the postage. That means your wallet is completely safe, and you cannot use the rising price of stamps as an excuse to avoid your neighbors! We have legally removed all financial roadblocks, so do not leave the building today without stopping by the table, selecting a route, and taking a packet to mail this week. Let’s work as one body to ensure every single door in our community receives a clear, unyielding invitation to come and study God's Word with us!
◆ WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL
• The Blueprint vs. The Breeze: Human traditions, feelings, and popular opinions change like the wind, shifting back and forth over time. But the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit is not a vague feeling or an energy wave—He is God. He has a perfect, unchanging mind and divine authority. To know the truth, we must stop guessing based on our emotions and start looking strictly at the permanent blueprint of written Scripture.
◆ WEEKLY SCRIPTURE MEMORY
• Adult Verse - Acts 5:4: "Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God."
• Bible Class Verse - John 14:17: "...ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."
◆ WEEKLY BIBLE READING PLAN
• Monday: Acts 5:1–11 (Lying to the Holy Ghost)
• Tuesday: 1 Corinthians 2:9–16 (The Spirit searches all things)
• Wednesday: John 14:15–26 (The Promise of the Comforter)
• Thursday: Acts 13:1–5 (The Holy Ghost speaks and directs)
• Friday: Psalm 139:1–12 (The omnipresence of God's Spirit)
• Saturday: Acts 7:51–60 (The danger of resisting the Holy Ghost)
◆ NEW 3-WEEK SERMON SERIES STARTING NEXT WEEK
By the Book, Not the Breath
What does the Bible actually teach about the Holy Spirit when we set aside human opinions, traditions, and feelings? Join us for a new three-week series as we look directly at the clear, factual text of the Bible. We will discover what God’s Word says about who the Holy Spirit is, why we must trust written Scripture over our own emotions, and how to follow the exact pattern for Christian living found in the New Testament. No personal stories or opinions—just the plain Word of God.
• Week 1: The Blueprint vs. The Breeze (The Bible's Facts on Who He Is)
• Week 2: The Ink vs. The Vibe (The Bible's Facts on How He Speaks)
• Week 3: The Anchor vs. The Wave (The Bible's Facts on Salvation and Fruit)
Next Week's Sermon (Week 1):
• Sermon Title: The Blueprint vs. The Breeze
• Main Text: Acts 5:3-4 / 1 Corinthians 2:10-11
• Big Idea: The Holy Spirit is God, possessing an unchanging divine mind and sovereign authority that cannot be replaced by human opinions or feelings.
• Key Points:
- God the Spirit, Not a Vibe: Recognizing the true deity and identity of the Holy Spirit.
- The Perfect Mind: Relying on the absolute knowledge of God rather than human imagination.
- A Divided Line: Understanding why the world cannot receive the Spirit of truth.
■ PRAYER & PRAISE
• Intercessions: Please remember our shut-ins and those currently facing health struggles in your prayers this week. Pray for comfort, strength, and patience for our members and their families as they recover and heal.
• Celebrations & Thanks: We have a massive "thank you" to issue from two of our members who shall remain strictly nameless online. Let's just say that "A Net" and "A Nurse" are completely overwhelmed by the mountain of cards, texts, calls, visits, and enough food to feed a small army. They deeply appreciate the congregation's incredible kindness and love—though rumor has it they might need to start running laps around the building just to work off all those casseroles and desserts!
■PREACHER'S NOTE
• The Tomato Fiction
I recently heard about a well-meaning gardener who was absolutely convinced he had cultivated a rare, exotic variety of smooth, red squash. He spent weeks bragging about it, tracking its growth based entirely on his own observations, and passionately defending its identity to anyone who visited his backyard. He even started planning recipes around this marvelous new vegetable.
Finally, a local farmer walked over, took one look at the plant, and delivered the cold, unyielding truth: "Sir, that is a standard, everyday tomato." All of that intense passion, creative imagination, and personal certainty didn't change the biological facts printed right there in the seed catalog. He was operating on pure fiction.
It is easy to laugh at gardening mistakes, but people do the exact same thing when it comes to the Holy Spirit. Evolving human traditions and subjective feelings lead many to paint a highly imaginative picture of the Spirit that completely contradicts God's actual text. Next week, we start our new series, By the Book, Not the Breath, with our first sermon: The Blueprint vs. The Breeze. We are going to bypass human imagination and look directly at what the Bible factually declares. See you next Sunday!
💻 Scan & Connect: Our Digital Space
• Go Digital: View our digital bulletin and sermons online at antiochchurchofchrist.com—and share the link with others!
• Privacy Note: To protect our members, personal names are omitted from our news sections as this bulletin is published online.
✉ CONTACT & INFORMATION
Joe Rice: 615-904-5446
Website: antiochchurchofchrist.com
