Family News and Notes
If you are able and have made plans then today is the day you may contribute to our Building Fund. Thanks.
Men's Business Meeting following evening services, next Sunday. All men are encouraged to attend.
There are couple of publications on the round table in the foyer: "Seek Ye First" and "Fulton County Gospel News." These are interesting publications. Please feel free to take one, as long as they last.
OK, so we've mentioned it before but Ladies don't forget the Planning Session this evening at 5:00 PM in the Multi-Purpose Room to help prepare for the upcoming Ladies Day Seminar. If you would like to have input into the activities for that day please attend. (See below)
Attention Young People & Parents: There will be a Saturday Work Party, February 11th at 1:00 PM, to prepare for the banquet for Sunday. Please be present to help set up and decorate the Multi-purpose Room.
Next Sunday, February 12th, following the morning worship service our youth will be hosting a banquet for all the widows, widowers, and single ladies. It will be a fun afternoon with lots of surprises, an after-dinner Word of Encouragement from one of our elders and some light entertainment. Widows and single ladies please sign up on the list on the table in the foyer so we'll know how much food to prepare.
Remember April 01 is our Annual Ladies Day Seminar. Iris Ramsey has agreed to be the speaker. Ladies, please mark your calendar and try to attend. This will be a day of edification and fellowship!
Need New Recruits . anyone who is willing to assist in preparation of the Communion trays for Sunday mornings. please contact Ronnie or Connie Stewart.
Address Changes . Please correct your Church Directory:
Todd & Jeanie Pat Jaggers (moved to Daffany Prairie)
754 CR NE 2170
Mt. Vernon, Texas 75457
903-537-3617
Rhonda & Marty Newman
112 Margaret
Mount Pleasant, Texas 75455
(They moved to the East side of town)
Alice Lovelady
1706 Harkrider Lane
Mount Pleasant, Texas 75455
(Alice didn't move city changed the name of her street)
Nona Bell is still in the local hospital and was in Room 512 at last account.
Djuana Thomas had surgery this past Friday and came through it OK. She was scheduled to go home later Friday evening.
Billye Campbell has been sick and having problems. She is at home and feeling better.
Ola Mae Simpson and Thelma Reed have been dismissed from the hospital and say they are doing better.
Doris Bell has been ill at home.
Have you noticed? Mike Shedra Traylor has been sporting a "Big shoe" on her foot. She broke it recently.
Ben McCain is being treated for an intestinal infection and may have more tests this next week if the antibiotic the doctor is giving him does not work soon.
Meagan Biesemeyer has been experiencing some health problems this past week.
Wayne Lineberger got a good report from his doctor this past week. His cancer is in remission and no more Chemo treatments are scheduled at this time. He will be monitored.
Alice Freeman's dad, Tillman Ethridge, has been in the local hospital with intestinal problems. He was transferred to Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler on Friday.
Sunset Church of Christ in Shreveport will have their 13th Annual Shreveport-Bossier City Lectureship March 3-5, 2006. If you are interested in this please check the round table in the foyer for brochures.
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PRAYER LIST
Justin Barker, Rachel Barker, Louis Bell, Winell Blackard, Annah Brown,
Billye Campbell, Perry Cooper, Irene Duncan, Patsy Duncan, Betty Ferrell, Hollis Lee, Joyce Lee, Georgia Lide, Courtney Marshall, Elna O'Neal, Wayne Pickrel,
Marie Plemmons, Thelma Reed, Helen Roper, Dorothy Sargent, Alva Mae Sheets, Edith Shiflet, Ola Mae Simpson, Julia Terrell, Rebecca Tippitt, LaShedra Traylor
ALSO: Melba Boyd, Terri Cautomanous, Cristell Cato, Austin Cody,
Tillman Ethridge, Letha Fomby, Ruby Jeffery, Chuck Kyle, Wayne Lineberger,
Lee Moses, Lonita Thompson
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Faithful Servants Of God
The Lord's church cannot go forward without these members! These are the brethren who are always there to help with the Lord's work whenever and wherever they are needed. They are always ready to use their talents, when the Lord calls for volunteers. These faithful servants are the backbone of the growing congregation. When there is work to be done their response is always, "I'll try to help."
Sometimes, you will find them in public leadership roles, but not always. Sometimes, they are the unassuming ones, who quietly go about doing the work of the Lord, even though no one is watching. Every time the doors are opened, their pew is warm, because they are in their place ready to worship the Lord, and exhort their brethren. They are ready to joyfully participate in the singing, ready to bow their heads in fervent prayer, ready to humble themselves at the Lord's table, ready to eagerly listen to every word of the sermon, and ready to contribute beyond their prosperity to see the Lord's work go forward. Their chair is never empty at the Bible study hours, because they truly enjoy feasting on the Word of God!
When the sign-up sheets go out on the foyer table asking for help with food preparation for the sick or bereaved, or assistance with transportation for the elderly, or for someone to visit the hospitals and nursing homes, or for a teacher for a kid's class or someone to host the teen devotional, or for someone to sit with the sick, or for a thousand and one other menial chores, these are the brethren who always volunteer. You won't hear them complaining about being "bored," because they're too busy working for the Lord. When they see something that ought to be done for the Lord's cause, they just do it, most often without a lot of fanfare.
When you are sick, sad, downtrodden, or bereaved, don't be surprised when a card of encouragement arrives in your mailbox, penned by one of these sweet and loving "Barnabuses" (Acts 4:36). When you need some help, don't be surprised when these folks show up at your door with food, or when they come to clean your house, or do your wash, or just to sit with you for an hour, to help you get through the day. And, please don't destroy their joy of service by rejecting their kindness or offering to pay them for whatever they've done for you. We all need to learn the grace of giving and doing for others, but we also need to learn the art of graciously receiving the acts of service which others render in our behalf.
In John 13:12-35, Jesus, after washing the feet of His apostles, gave the following admonition, "Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. ...A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." When the world observes Christians lovingly serving each other, they will perceive that we are truly the followers of Christ, and many of them will beat a path to our door and want to join us in serving Him.
Faithful servants of God - God bless you! Where would we be without you? May your tribe increase! Please know your work is not in vain, and your humble service will not go unrewarded (I Cor. 15:58, Heb. 6:10). Indeed, your reward will be great in heaven, when you hear the Lord say, "Well done good and faithful servant, ...enter thou into the joy of thy Lord" (Mt. 25:23)!
David McCain
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HOMES THAT HONOR GOD
Johnny Ramsey
In building homes that honor the creator we must break the ties that bind us to materialistic goals. Nothing hurts young couples more than craving finer houses, fancier cars and clothes, prestige in the community and so forth. False standards that pander the flesh have ship-wrecked many marriages. Setting our affections on things above (Colossians 3) will buttress the solid foundation of the home that glorifies God. A failure to emphasize eternal values has been the basic error of thousands down through the years. Selfishness is at the heart of the unrest in American homes.
The 1,500,000 divorces each year in American would soon be a thing of the past if each couple could sincerely repeat the sterling words of Psalm 34:3 "Oh magnify the Lord with me; let us glorify His name together."
Since God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16) we dare not put asunder what heaven has joined together (Matthew 19:6). In a beautiful and precious passage we read that Christ and the church are perfect parallels to the bridegroom and the bride. In that powerful setting of Ephesians 5 we rejoice to learn anew that the wife is subject to the husband just as the church is to Christ. Truly, the groom loves his bride as Jesus adoringly loved the church and gave himself for it." When such affinity exists we clearly see a forecast of glory divine. Young couples who have never seriously studied Ephesians 5:22-33) are not fully prepared for God's first divine institutionmarriage (Genesis 2).
The bulwark of righteousness in any nation is a home as God intended it to be. (Psalm 127 boldly states "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it."
So many couples today marry mainly for lustful reasons and then pursue a materialistic, hedonistic life-style. Is it any wonder that such homes, built upon the sinking sands of time, crumble into dust and debris of carnality? In Proverbs 12:7 and 14:11 we learn that the house of the righteous stands firm while the abode of the wicked deteriorates!
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