Seffner Church of Christ

06/05/2026

Please mark your calendars for June 14-17 and join us for our Gospel Meeting with lessons covering how to live godly in a sinful world. The full list of subjects and times is below.

All are welcome, and we look forward to seeing you!

Please let us know if you have questions or need directions.

Date: June 14-17, 2026
Times: See flyer below
Location: Seffner Church of Christ
621 East Wheeler Road
Seffner, Florida 33584
Phone: 813-684-1297
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.seffnercoc.org

06/02/2026

In our previous study, we discussed Noah as a man and as a preacher of righteousness.

Today, as we enlarge upon the thoughts presented in the previous message, we call Genesis 6:14-16 to your attention: “Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks” (NKJV).

In some respects, the ark was to be like the hulk of a ship. It was not designed to sail upon the waters since there was no shore to sail to, but rather to float upon the waters, waiting for them to recede.

Concerning the ark, it was to be of gopher wood, 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. It was to have three stories, one door, and one window. Considering its size and the simple tools of that day, this was one gigantic undertaking.

And in view of the fact that the world had never before been destroyed by a flood, the making of the ark must have subjected Noah to much ridicule. One is made to wonder how many people laughed about "Noah's folly." However, there is no indication of hesitancy or quibbling on the part of Noah.

Genesis 6:22 simply says: "Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.” We are told in Hebrews 11:7 that Noah did it "By faith…" and this, of course, lets us know that the kind of faith which saves is the kind of faith that obeys.

Should anyone be prone to question this point, we ask what would have happened if Noah had simply said "Lord, I believe, and I have accepted you as my personal savior" -- and then neglected to build the ark?

Would he have been saved? Certainly not. Noah stood to benefit from the grace of God when he obeyed the instructions of grace.

In a very real sense, he had to work out his own salvation. And we also ask what would have happened if Noah had substituted a different kind of wood or changed the dimensions? Would the ark have floated? Surely we recognize that when God gave these instructions to Noah, he had no choice but to obey them if he wanted to spare his life.

But what about today? Is it any less important for us to accept the instructions of our Lord at face value, without equivocation, and carry them out precisely as the Lord has designated? In view of the fact that this Old Testament event is written for our learning, and in view of the fact that the Lord, according to Hebrews 5:9, is the “…author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him…,” what other conclusion can we reach? Thank you.

--Bobby Witherington.

If you live in our area, we invite you to visit with us!

Bible Study Sunday 10:00 AM
Worship Sunday 11:00 AM
Worship Sunday 6:00 PM
Bible Study Wednesday 7:30 PM

Seffner Church of Christ
621 E Wheeler Rd,
Seffner, FL 33584
Tel. 813-684-1297
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.seffnercoc.org
YouTube:

05/31/2026

05/20/2026

Today, in our continuing study of different characters and events which are recorded in the book of Genesis, we call your attention to Noah. Noah is first mentioned in Genesis 5:29 as being the son of Lamech. His name signifies rest, or consolation, and his life was full of significant incidents.

Noah also received a prominent place among the faithful Old Testament worthies which are mentioned in Hebrews 11. In verse seven of that chapter, we read: "By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (NKJV).

Much is implied about the private character of Noah in Genesis 6:8, wherein it is said that "…Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." At a time when the general wickedness of man was so great that God was even grieved that he had made man. Noah was the one man who found grace or favor in the eyes of the Lord.

However, his finding grace in the eyes of the Lord was not due to some arbitrary predestinarian plan on the part of God – rather, it was due to the high character of Noah.

Three significant things are said about Noah as a person in Genesis 6:9; he was described as "just," "perfect," and as one who "walked with God." As a "just" man, Noah was honest, straightforward, upright, and equitable in his dealings. Perfection on the part of Noah does not imply that he never stumbled or erred in any way whatever. Frequently, the word "perfect," as used in the scriptures, means maturity in spiritual matters, or completeness in overall righteous conduct. Noah was such a man. And as one who walked with God, Noah was in agreement with God. He walked as God directed, and he maintained fellowship or communion with God.

As a public figure, Noah is described in 2 Peter 2:5 as “…a preacher of righteousness…" Amid that generation of people, his voice must have seemed as the voice of one in the wilderness -- the voice of one preaching righteousness amid a society that was so intensely wicked that God, by means of a great flood, finally destroyed everyone on earth, except eight souls.

And this leads us to another point about Noah as a preacher. Noah probably preached longer than most people ever expect to live. Yet in all of those years, he only managed to save eight persons, and they were all members of his own family. Viewed in that light, many would consider him very unsuccessful. However, viewed in the light of future posterity, no preacher ever enjoyed greater success. In fact, you and I owe our very lives to his success.

I expect most people considered him some sort of oddball. They probably laughed at him a great deal. And he was in the minority. However, God's people have always been in the numerical minority, but as long as they walked with God, they were on the winning team.

--Bobby Witherington.

If you are in our area, you are welcome to visit our services.

Bible Study Sunday 10:00 AM
Worship Sunday 11:00 AM
Worship Sunday 6:00 PM
Bible Study Wednesday 7:30 PM

Seffner Church of Christ
621 E Wheeler Rd,
Seffner, FL 33584
Tel. 813-684-1297
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.seffnercoc.org
YouTube:

05/12/2026

In our study three weeks ago, we read from Genesis 4, which records the births of Cain and Abel, as well as the respective vocations they followed. Cain was a farmer, "a tiller of the ground,” and Abel was a shepherd, "a keeper of sheep.”

They were also men who worshipped God, as is evidenced by the fact that they both brought offerings unto the Lord. Concerning this point, we once again invite your attention to Genesis 4:3-5: “And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.”

According to Revelation 4:11, God is worthy to receive glory and honor and power, and all things were created for his pleasure. Our principal mission in life is thus to serve and to glorify God -- to engage in that which redounds to His honor. And one way whereby God is glorified is in our worship. Hence, He is pleased when acceptable worship is directed unto Him. Consequently, in Genesis 4:4 we read that God "…respected Abel and his offering…" This does not surprise us. We would expect God to be pleased when man worships Him. However, most people are unprepared for the statement in Genesis 4:5, which says, "…He did not respect Cain and his offering…" God was neither honored nor pleased in Cain's offering or worship.

Wherein lay the difference between Abel’s worship and Cain’s? The answer is found in the New Testament, in Hebrews 11:4: "By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain…” Abel offered by faith; the implications are that Cain did not. However, we read from Romans 10:17 that faith "…comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” This means then that God had revealed unto them how He wanted to be worshipped. Abel did what God said. Cain did not.

Regarding the Old Testament scriptures, Paul said in Romans 15:4 that they were "… written for our learning…" Hence, there is a lesson for us to learn in the Old Testament account of Cain and Abel and their respective offerings. The lesson is that when man attempts to worship and serve God, he must act in keeping with God's divine directions, or else the worship is vain, and God is sorely displeased. And this certainly harmonizes with John 4:24, wherein Jesus said, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Yes, friend, it does make a difference in how we serve God and whether it is done by divine faith or by human opinion. Please consider these things. Thank you.

-- Bobby Witherington

Do you have any questions or desire to have a Bible study? If so, please contact us.
Phone: (813) 684-1297
Email: [email protected]