FAMILY NEWS AND NOTES
Volume 11 29 March 2009 Issue No. 05
If you have something that needs to be included in the announcements...please make certain you get it to the person making the announcements...in legible written form …prior to announcement time.
PRAYER LIST:
Justin Barker, Rachel Barker, Louis Bell, Doris Bell, Billye Campbell, Suzanne Charlton, Steele Cooper, Irene Duncan, Vernon Garrett, Jan Hargrove, Dorothy Kyle, Wade Miller, Elna O’Neal, Thelma Reed, Bud Roach
ALSO: Beth Adams, Carolyn (Katy) Cabell, Wesley DuBose, Ronald Duncan, Ercell Fetters, Kenley Jay Hedges, Donald Johnson, Janice Lineberger, Wayne Lineberger, Ben McCain, Yvonne Waldrup, Charlie Whitney
Service Arrangements
COMMUNION FOR MARCH 2009
SOUTH SIDE NORTH SIDE
AM
Weldon Miller Wayne Pickrel
Wade Miller George O’Neal
Jimmy Jay Fox Ron Traughber
PM
Tim Jones Charles Kyle
ANNOUNCEMENTS …………......….Grady Duncan
(Sunday and Wednesday)
SONG LEADER
(AM)………………….…............... Randy Eubanks
(PM) ……………...............……… Randy Eubanks
Wednesday Nite …........….……… Cody Sparks
PRAYERS —– Sunday
AM First Prayer ……............….…. Bob Hedges
AM Closing………….............. Royce Armstrong
PM First Prayer ………...............… David Neal
PM Closing…………............……….Austin Neal
PRAYERS — Wednesday Nite
First Prayer……….................. Frankie Sargent
Closing…………………...............… Sid Charlton
And now for … FAMILY NEWS AND NOTES
CHILDREN’S BIBLE HOUR today …. As this is the last Sunday in the month. Leave your little ones with us from 11:00 AM thru about 12:30 p.m. so you can have an enjoyable lunch without all the hustle and bustle. There will be Bible study, age appropriate games and a meal will be furnished for the children.
Don’t forget … VBS is coming! If you would like to be a teacher, teacher aide, or volunteer, please contact Bob Hedges for info.
MEN’S BREAKFAST FELLOWSHIP 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., Saturday, April 04, in the Multi-Purpose Room. Bring your appetite and a friend! A full breakfast will be served.
The Egg Hunt is on … at the Stewart home ...and is scheduled for Saturday, April 4th from 2:30 p.m. until everyone goes home. There will be food, fun, and fellowship. This is open to everyone who wants to come. Bring something to sit on … and a basket if you want to hunt eggs. Please sign the list in the foyer and be sure you show your contact phone number incase it rains, so we can contact you because if it rains we will have to postpone. Additionally we need to know how many to plan for. Bring your favorite beverage ... and chips, water, tea, coffee will be provided.
“There will be a “progressive Dinner” on Saturday April 18th for Junior High thru College age. More details to come regarding time, etc. Michelle Pickrel”
North Jefferson's Spring Gospel Meeting - Set for April 26-29. On Sunday, April 26 we will have a noon Luncheon in the Multi-Purpose Room. Please mark your calendar for both events.
Spring 2009 is going to be chock full of Spiritual food and growth opportunities. With the events we have planned for the North Jefferson congregation and the area congregations, we would do well to be involved and use these evangelistic events as tools to reach our friends and neighbors who have not obeyed the Gospel of Christ. Kris Groda will be preaching our Spring Gospel Meeting, this will provide an opportunity for outreach and spiritual edification. It will also serve as a good opportunity for our community to get to hear and know our new preacher. Please save these dates and purpose to support our Spring Gospel Meeting!
Janice Lineberger was air flighted to Houston last week for surgery to correct a leak in her heart. Doctors have tentatively scheduled her surgery for Monday. She is sitting up and eating but they are having to remove fluid from her lungs.
Kenley Jay Hedges (granddaughter of Bob & Rhonda Hedges, has been in the hospital in Texarkana. No update on her condition.
Vernon Garrett was admitted to the local hospital last week, into room 334. He was scheduled to return to his home on Friday. No further updates on his condition.
Ercell Fetters, Jim Duncan’s mom, is having some health challenges and needs our prayers.
Wade Miller has been sick. He was unable to attend services last week.
THANK YOU … “I would like to thank the congregation for the many prayers you have offered up in my behalf, and for the grace of God that I am able to attend
services again. May God bless each and every one of you.
—Rebecca Tippitt”
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Johnson Street church of Christ
3401 Johnson Street
Greenville, Texas
LADIES DAY
April 22, 2009
With
Registration beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Topic will be
“Lessons from Sewing”
with
Guest Speaker
Mary Alice Wilhelm.
RSVP by March 31st.
info@jscoc.org or call 903-455-3170
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The Honeymoon
By Kris Groda
Consider the etymological history of the word “honeymoon”. This word dates back to 1546, (hony moone), maybe older. Honey is probably in reference to the new marriage's sweetness, and moon in reference to how long it would probably last, or from the changing aspect of the moon: no sooner full than it begins to wane. Interesting huh?
We know one modern definition is: “a period of time spent alone together, especially away, by a newly-married couple, usually immediately following the wedding or reception”. God’s word places a lot of emphasis on marriage and stresses a positive working relationship based on the pattern of Jesus and His church (Eph 5). God’s design is good, but man doesn’t always live up to and choose His pattern. However, it is interesting to note, in Old Testament times, “When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken” (Deuteronomy 24:5). It could be said that a new wife was entitled to the companionship of her husband for at least one year without being drafted to the military or taking a job that required him to be gone. How about that for a honeymoon? God’s law provided an opportunity to spend time getting to know your spouse and adjusting.
But let us also consider a second modern definition: “a short period of harmony or goodwill at the beginning of a relationship, especially in politics or business”. In the church setting, we usually think of the preacher/congregation relationship. When the new guy comes in, everyone is on fire, attendance up, the sermons are interesting. New is nice. It’s good for the preacher and good for the congregation. But after a time, the newness wears off, the high settles and we are back to reality. And if time doesn’t wear off the new, just sit through a few sermons that are more challenging, pointed, and leave your toes throbbing.
While, I suppose I am making an appeal for each member of the North Jefferson congregation to tolerate me what ever the Biblical subject, I am making a much bigger appeal, because, really it has to do with our relationship with Christ. Is our attitude about congregational life based upon how we feel about the elders, deacons, or new preacher? Or, is it based upon our relationship with the Lord and our knowledge and acceptance of His Word?
The Bible speaks of Christians living under a “new covenant” (Jeremiah 31:31; Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 8:8). The Lord’s mercies and compassions fail not, “they are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23). Christians are those, “walking in the newness of life” (Romans 6:4-ff), we put off the “old man” and put on the “new man” (Eph 4:24). Paul declared, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Living by the faith of the Son of God is experiencing that, “new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us” (Hebrews 10:20). Since the church is the bride of Christ (Rev. 21:9; Eph 5:32), shouldn’t our congregational zeal and fervor reflect how we feel about Christ, His Word, and our relationship with Him? Remember, new is nice?
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