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We want to offer an alternative, not a replacement, to allow members to share our worship experience. We encourage the following of the pattern of new testament worship which includes, preaching, prayer, communion, singing, and giving. Any prayer requests or desires to be baptized can be made online below.
To view past services, click HERE.
To View Our Services
Please see below instructions to view our live services. Click one of the media icons below to view services.
Instructions for someone not on the website yet:
Go to the Wheless Lane Church of Christ website (www.whelesscoc.org). Click on the Online Worship menu item or click one of the social media icons (Facebook/You Tube) in the upper right hand corner of the screen to access the online area.
The New Testament gives the acts of worship in which Christians are to engage. The acts of worship mentioned in the Old Testament such as dancing, instrumental music, animal sacrifices, special singers, and the burning of incense, were commanded only of the nation of Israel. The Old Testament as a binding law for God’s people ended at the cross (Colossians 2:13,14). Christians must learn from the New Testament, the law of Christ for all people today, how God wants to be worshipped today. The acts of worship required by God are plainly set forth in the New Testament.
Two things are required of worshippers if our devotions are to be acceptable to God:
- We must worship in spirit. That is, our hearts must be right. We must be right in life. We must have the correct attitude. We must be thinking of what we are doing (Isaiah 1:11-20; Proverbs 28:9; Matthew 15:8).
- We must worship God in truth. To worship God in truth means that we will worship God according to the truth. God’s Word is truth (John 17:17). Therefore, for our devotions to be acceptable to God, they must be offered in accordance with His Word.
Jesus said, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23,24).
COMMUNION
To participate on Sunday with us, please have unleavened bread (unsalted crackers will work) and unsweetened grape juice ready before the service starts. Members can come by the building on Saturday between the hours of 10:00AM and 12:00PM on Saturdays to pick up free communion sets as well.
The Lord’s supper or communion (1 Corinthians 10:16) consists of two things: (1) unleavened bread (without yeast) and (2) the fruit of the vine (grape juice). The purpose of the Lord’s Supper is to bring to our remembrance the sacrifice of the body and blood of Jesus on the cross for our sins (Matthew 26:26-29). We must be very careful when we partake of the communion that we discern the blood and body of Jesus so that we partake in a worthy manner (1 Corinthians 11:23-30). Christians are to eat the Lord’s Supper every first day of every week (Acts 20:7).
Acts 20:7 7On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.
I Cor 11:23-30 23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, [d]“Take, eat; this is My body which is [e]broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and [f]blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks [g]in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the [h]Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many [i]sleep.
GIVING
Click on the Online Giving icon below to give online. As always we encourage members to reference Gods word regarding worship practices.
Giving of our means is a part of our worship to God. This is the way Christ’s church gets the necessary funds to do its work. God has given us the perfect plan for giving (1 Corinthians 16:2). We are told who is to give, “Let every one of you.” We are told when we are to give, “Upon the first day of the week.”
I Cor 16:1-2 1Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
We are also told how much to give, “As God hat prospered us.” We show our love for God when we give cheerfully and willingly to Him (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).
| 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 New International Version (NIV) 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. |
Please click the Icon above to give online.
PREACHING
To view this and past lessons, click HERE.
God has commanded us to teach His Word (Matthew 28:19,20). Both saved and sinners need to be taught. Therefore, a lesson from the Bible is one of the acts of worship in which Christians are to engage (Acts 2:42). We must learn God’s Word so that we can grow stronger in Christ, teach others, and overcome false teachings (1 Peter 2:1,2; 2 Timothy 2:2; 4:1-5). This is a very important part of our worship and must never be overlooked.
SINGING
At this time, we encourage you to sing with your family or on your own. We will eventually have songs played during our online services.
Christians are commanded to praise God in song (Colossians 3:16). The kind of music God has commanded for His church is vocal music only, that is, singing. There is no command or example anywhere in the New Testament for the use of mechanical instrumental music in Christian worship. To add instruments of music to our singing is a sin for it is adding to what God has told us that He wants. No man has the right to do this (Revelation 22:18, 19; 2 John 9-11). We are to “make melody in our hearts” (Ephesians 5:19), the instruments made by God, not instruments made by man!
Neither has God commanded us to have special singers in our worship such as choirs. Every Christian must praise God in song just as every one must partake of the Lord’s Supper for himself. The purpose of our worship to God is not to entertain ourselves. Therefore, what we do in worship is not based on that which appeals to our physical senses, but must be based upon what pleases God!
True Christians want to worship God. In fact, it is impossible for a true Christian not to worship God. When we understand God’s greatness, His glory, majesty, wisdom, and strength, and reflect upon His infinite mercy in giving His only begotten Son to save us from our sins, our hearts will overflow with a “sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of the lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15).
PRAYING
We encourage you to pray with us as we pray during our live services.
Prayers offered to God are to be a part of our public worship as well as our private daily devotions. There are many examples and precepts concerning prayer in the New Testament (1 Timothy 2:1,2,8; Philippians 4:6, etc.). In our prayers to God we give thanks and praise His name. In our prayers we can pray for our needs and for the needs of others. Jesus gave us a “model” prayer in Matthew 6:5-15. He did not intend for us simply to repeat this prayer by rote but gave it as an example by which we could pattern our own prayers. Jesus Christ is our mediator and high priest. Therefore, our prayers must be addressed to God in the name of Jesus (John 16:23; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 John 2:1,2).
PRAYER/BAPTISM REQUESTS
All prayer requests will be shared with the congregation. Baptism requests will be accommodated and coordinated as soon as possible. Click the email address below.