Church Of Christ Canaan

08/06/2026

DEVOTIONAL: Credibility Is Your Currency
“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.”
Proverbs 22:1

In business, currency allows you to buy and trade.
In relationships, leadership, ministry, and life, credibility is your currency. People may initially listen to your words, but over time they place their confidence in your character.

Your credibility is built by: What you say. What you do. How consistently you do it. Whether your private life matches your public image.

A person with credibility possesses something more valuable than money:
Trust: A Good Name Is Earned. The Bible places enormous value on a good name.

Why?
Because a good name represents: Integrity. Reliability. Honesty. Consistency. Authenticity. It takes years to build and moments to destroy. Many people spend enormous effort managing their image while. neglecting their character. But image is what people think you are. Character is what you really are. Living an Authentic Life

An authentic life is one that can withstand scrutiny.
It is a life where: The public person and private person are the same. Words and actions agree. Convictions and conduct align. Authentic people do not need to remember which version of themselves they presented to others. They simply live the truth. But credibility is established by fruit, not leaves.

Sooner or later, life examines what appearances conceal.

Ask yourself:
Can my life withstand scrutiny? Do my actions support my words? Would people who know me privately describe me the same way as those who know me publicly?

Money can be lost and regained.
Positions can come and go.
Titles can be awarded and removed.
But a good name is priceless.
Protect it. Nurture it. Live authentically.
Because in the end, your greatest currency is not what you possess— It is the credibility you have earned before God and man.
And as Scripture reminds us:
“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.”

Michael A.T. Stewart
Minister, Church of Christ Canaan
Email: churchofchristcanaan@gmail.

07/06/2026

Diserning Good from Evil
Bro. Michael A.T Stewart

07/06/2026

Bible Class: The Carnal Mind; Worship Topic: In His Presence Is Fullness of Joy
Speaker: Bro Michael Stewart

05/06/2026

05/06/2026

DEVOTIONAL: When more is said than done
Mark 11:12–14, 20–21
One of the most surprising actions in the ministry of Jesus Christ is His cursing of the fig tree.
At first glance, it almost seems out of character. Why would Jesus curse a tree? The answer lies not in the tree itself, but in what it represented.
The Biblical Background: Mark records that Jesus saw a fig tree from a distance that was covered with leaves. In that culture, a fig tree with abundant leaves normally suggested the presence of fruit. The leaves advertised productivity. But when Jesus approached, He found nothing but leaves.
It had the appearance of fruitfulness without the reality of fruitfulness. So Jesus said: “No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever.” (Mark 11:14) The next day the tree had withered from the roots.
What Was Jesus Teaching? The fig tree was an object lesson. It represented Israel's religious condition at that time. The nation had: The Temple, The sacrifices, The ceremonies,The appearance of spirituality, But much of it lacked genuine righteousness, obedience, and faith.
There were leaves. But there was little fruit.
The Message for Us Today: The lesson is not primarily about trees. It is about people. God is not impressed merely by appearances.
A person may have: Church attendance, Religious language, Christian titles, Public reputation, Yet still produce little spiritual fruit. A tree is known by its fruit. Likewise, a Christian is known not merely by profession but by transformation. God looks beyond the leaves of religious activity to the fruit of godly character. The danger is becoming satisfied with appearances.
We can: Look spiritual, Sound spiritual, Appear active in ministry
While neglecting the inner life that produces genuine fruit.The fig tree's problem was not what it lacked outwardly. Its problem was what it lacked inwardly.
Jesus did not curse the tree because it was imperfect. He cursed it because it advertised fruit that did not exist.
Don't for like those who say more than they are prepared to do!
Michael A.T. Stewart
Minister, Church of Christ Canaan
Email: [email protected] See less

04/06/2026

DEVOTIONAL: Exchange Your Burdens
Matthew 11:28–30
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me... For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Many people read this passage and assume Jesus is saying Christians will have no burdens. That is not what He says. Notice carefully: Jesus does not offer a life without a yoke. He offers an exchange of yokes.

A yoke was a wooden frame placed upon oxen to direct their labour and carry loads. Everyone in life carries a yoke of some kind. Some carry: The burden of guilt. The burden of unforgiveness. The burden of anxiety. The burden of bitterness. The burden of trying to control everything. The burden of pleasing everyone.

These burdens become heavy because they were never intended for us to carry alone. The Great Exchange is Jesus says: “Take my yoke upon you.” In other words: "Stop carrying what is crushing you and take what I am offering you instead." Christ does not remove responsibility.
He replaces destructive burdens with redemptive ones. He exchanges: Anxiety for trust. Guilt for forgiveness. Fear for faith. Bitterness for grace. Self-reliance for dependence on God.

Every Life Has Burdens. One of life's great truths is that everyone carries something. The question is not:
"Will I carry a burden?" The question is: "Which burden will I carry?" The burden of unforgiveness is heavy. The burden of bitterness is exhausting. The burden of pride is crushing. The burden of Christ is obedience, discipleship, faithfulness, and trust, but it produces peace instead of destruction.

Why Is His Burden Light?
Because when Christ carries the greater weight, we are no longer carrying it alone. The burden becomes lighter not because life becomes easier, but because the Lord walks with us beneath it.

You were never meant to carry every burden by yourself.
Jesus offers an invitation, not merely to rest, but to exchange. Because some burdens break people.
But Christ's burden builds them. And the yoke He gives ultimately leads to peace of mind.

Michael A.T. Stewart
Minister, Church of Christ Canaan
Email: churchofchristcanaan@gmail.

03/06/2026

DEVOTIONAL: Choose Your Problems Wisely
One of life's realities is this:
Every problem has a solution but, every solution creates a new set of challenges.
Luke 14:28
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?”

Jesus teaches that every worthwhile decision comes with a cost. Before choosing a course of action, a wise person evaluates the challenges that accompany it. The principle is: Every choice solves one problem but introduces responsibilities and costs that must be counted beforehand.

Many people spend their lives believing that somewhere there exists a perfect situation with no problems. The truth is: There are no problem-free lives, relationships, jobs, ministries, or circumstances.
The question is not whether you will have problems. The question is: Which problems are you prepared to live with?

Marriage
Some people struggle in marriage and imagine that being single would eliminate their difficulties.
But singleness has its own challenges:

Work Life
Many people dislike aspects of their job: So they leave.
Then they discover new problems: unpaid bills, working with people in another organisation that they cannot get along with.
Personal Growth
Suppose you decide to improve your health. The solution is exercise and better eating. But that solution introduces new challenges: Waking earlier or the struggle of resisting eating temptations.

Before making major decisions, ask: What new challenges will this solution create? Am I prepared to live with them? Does this new problem move me closer to God's purpose?

A problem free life thou shalt never find. Every door opens into another room with its own challenges. Let them grow you and bring you closer to God. Every solution carries a price tag. And every decision comes with a new set of responsibilities.

The secret to wisdom is not eliminating all problems. It is choosing the problems you are prepared to live with.

Michael A.T. Stewart
Minister, Church of Christ Canaan
Email: [email protected]

02/06/2026

The Priest Then & Now
Bro. Michael A.T Stewart

02/06/2026

DEVOTIONAL: Growing Beyond Childhood
1 Corinthians 13:11
“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
Paul is speaking about maturity. While the immediate context concerns spiritual understanding, the principle applies powerfully to life in general.

Notice that Paul identifies three areas of growth:
1. I Spoke as a Child. Children speak from limited understanding and limited experience. Spiritually and emotionally immature people often: Speak impulsively,
React before thinking, Gossip unnecessarily, Use words to wound rather than heal. Maturity is reflected in speech. The mature person learns: When to speak, What to say and How to say it. When silence is wiser, choose it!
2. I Understood as a Child. The word "understood" refers to reasoning, perception, and interpretation.
Children see life through a narrow lens. Likewise, some adults remain trapped in: Old assumptions, Old hurts, Old prejudices, and Old ways of interpreting events.
They continue to see people and situations through yesterday's bad experiences.

3. I Thought as a Child
Thinking shapes behaviour. Some people remain stuck in thinking patterns developed years ago. They think:
Like victims instead of victors Like fearful people, instead of faithful people. Like defeated people instead of redeemed people. They never allow God to renew their minds. Scripture says:
“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2) The Danger of Stagnation
One of the tragedies of life is that a person can: Age without maturing, Learn without growing, Experience life without gaining wisdom. Growth is not automatic.
Maturity requires intentional change.

God's goal is not simply that we age.
His goal is that we mature.

Michael A.T. Stewart
Minister, Church of Christ Canaan
Email: [email protected]