FAMILY NEWS AND NOTES
Volume 10 06 April 2008 Issue No. 06
FIRST SUNDAY IN A NEW MONTH … a traditional day set aside for making contributions to our BUILDING FUND for those who are willing and able.
We had a great Gospel Meeting with Michael Light this past week, with the best attendance we have had in a long time, or maybe ever. Thanks to all who worked hard to make it a great occasion of spiritual edification, exhortation, and fellowship.
Bible Bowl study at 5:00 PM this evening before worship service. Everyone is invited to attend and participate.
We are just one week away from the final gathering of the 2007/2008 charter season of our Churches of Christ Bible bowl of North East Texas (BBNET), scheduled for next Monday evening, April 14th, at 7:00 PM. The last test will be given over Matthew 25-28, and the normal ribbon awards will be presented for the night’s testing. Also, some beautiful award plaques will be handed out to commemorate the overall team standings for the 2007/2008 charter season. Our team members are encouraged to study hard and prepare themselves to do their best on the final exam. Also, every member of North Jefferson is encouraged to attend in order to encourage our team and to hear the fine lessons that are presented at each month’s gathering. We now have a total of 8 congregations participating in our bible bowl, and we are hoping that even more will participate when we crank up the 2008/2009 season this coming October.
This afternoon (April 6 at 5:00 PM) is an important afternoon. All VBS Teachers and Helpers need to attend the important first planning meeting for this Summer’s Vacation Bible School . Since this is before the evening service we have lots to talk about … dates, theme for this year, and will begin making teacher, helper, craft, and refreshment assignments. Everyone who wants to help with this year’s school should make every effort to attend this meeting. If you cannot make the meeting, but intend to help with the school, please let either David or Janice McCain, know before the meeting so that you can be added to the worker’s list.
Mark your calendar for 7:00 PM Monday evening, June 2, when we will be kicking off our 6th Annual Summer Youth bible Series of North East Texas (SYBSNET), here at North Jefferson. Tyler Young from Roanoke, Texas will be our very special guest speaker that evening, on a theme and topic that is still to be decided at the first planning session for the 2008 Summer Series. Bob Hedges will be planning a hamburger and hotdog supper for that evening, so if you would like to help him with that be sure and let him know in the next few weeks.
George O’Neal’s mother is in the hospital in Houston. George and Elna were scheduled to go down there on Friday and return today. His mother is not doing well.
THANK YOU … “Dear Church Family: I hate to leave you all, but I knew I would leave here to go back home. So, I have found me a nice apartment and it’s hard to say no. My apartment names is Bunker Hill and it is about 5 years old. My new address will be:
Ettie Wright
1801 Lingleville Road, Apt. 503
Stephenville, Texas 76401
I love you all. Come to see me any time. I will only be about 230 miles away.”
PRAYER LIST
Justin Barker, Rachel Barker, Doris Bell, Louis & Nona Bell, Winell Blackard,
Billye Campbell, Patsy Duncan, Joyce Lee, Georgia Lide, Ben McCain, Charles Neal, Rebecca Tippitt, LaShedra Traylor
ALSO
Larry Clifton, Wesley DuBose, Betty Newman, Whayln Payne, Don Shuette, Paul Unger
Service Arrangements
COMMUNION FOR MARCH 2008
SOUTH SIDENORTH SIDE
AM
Jim Duncan Rance Robison
Rodney Cook Darrell Cooper
Austin Neal Ron Traughber
PM
Frankie Sargent Tim Jones
ANNOUNCEMENTS ….…..……..… Wayne Pickrel
SONG LEADER (AM) ………..................Hal Roper
(PM) …………..…......... Hal Roper
Wednesday Nite …...... Royce Armstrong
PRAYERS —– Sunday.
AM First Prayer …...……...............…Austin Neal
AM Closing…………….................... Doug Abbey
PM First Prayer………............. Wayne Charlton
PM Closing……………............. Ronnie Strewart
PRAYERS — Wednesday Nite
First Prayer……………................ Jimmy Jay Fox
Closing………………..…….............. Gene Garner
OFFERING INVITATION ON WEDNESDAY NITE:
Grady Duncan
Let Us Not Grow Weary In Well Doing
"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." …Gal. 6:9
It’s easy for us at times to grow tired of our day-to-day activities, isn’t it, as we wake up every Monday morning to another week of the never-ending rat race? Children must be cared for right now - they won’t wait. Meals need to be cooked, clothes and dishes must be washed, beds have to be made, and the house needs constant cleaning. The yard needs mowing, the car needs an oil change, and the house needs painting. The bills must be paid, often with too much month left over at the end of the money! Every time it seems you’re about to get ahead, something breaks down or someone in the family gets sick, and you’re hit with an another unexpected repair invoice or doctor’s bill. And don’t forget the ill-tempered boss you have to put up with, who leaves you wondering how long you can stand it before you explode. When will it all end?
Sometimes I wonder why we all don’t just throw up our hands and throw in the towel and quit? Well, I think you know the answer to that, don’t you? Our problems will not go away by quitting. In fact, quitting would just complicate things and add to our burdens. Besides, we live in hope of those occasional victories, which make the repetitive chores of life seem worth-while, like making the last installment payment on the fridge, or the car going a month without breaking down!
For just a moment I want you to consider the parallel of this situation in the spiritual realm and how God wants us to deal with it. I’m sure just like we all have problems in our physical lives that at times make us want to quit, we all likewise have problems in our spiritual lives, which cause us to grow weary of the struggle to live a faithful Christian life. Perhaps “the sin that so easily besets us” (Heb. 12:1), is just nagging away at us, nipping at our heels, and making us feel like it is impossible to be faithful to Christ. Or maybe the persecution of worldly folks (Mt. 5:10-12), or even ungodly brethren (II Tim. 3:2-5), seems like more than we can bear. Sometimes even family members let us down (Mt. 10:36), causing great pressure on our faith.
Even the more mature Christian, who perhaps is not troubled so severely by worldly temptations, must still struggle with “burnout.” The personal worker must deal with prospects who reject God’s Word. The elder must deal with the tremendous spiritual pressure of having to watch for the souls of God’s flock committed to his care (Acts 20:28, Heb. 13:17). The teacher often has to deal with apathetic or unruly students and uncooperative parental influences. The visit maker must deal with the sadness of the sick, the grief of the bereaved, the heartache of the downtrodden, and the pitiful excuses of the delinquent member. The deacon must deal with the challenges of his work as a special servant of the church. The preacher or missionary, who pours his heart into the work, must deal with the feelings of personal failure he has when his audience fails to hear and heed his messages from God’s Word.
But, brethren, no matter what the problems are we struggle with, nor the obstacles we face; no matter how severe the disappointment or discouragement, nor how great the stress of persecution heaped upon us, we cannot afford to quit. For you see, God has promised success only to those who carry on and are faithful to the very end. As the text under the title of this article admonishes, we must not grow weary in righteousness, for a day of reaping is coming. We must be faithful even in the face of death, if we want to receive the crown of life from Christ (Rev. 2:10). The promise of God is that we will eventually see results if we will patiently push on. What a great promise this is, that not only will we reap the personal reward of eternal salvation, but also that we can know our day-to-day endeavors for the good of Christ’s kingdom are not in vain (I Cor. 15:58).
Have you grown weary in well doing? Can you afford to quit? Why not hang in there, press on, and keep going forward for the Master, so that spiritual victory can be yours (I Cor. 15:57, Jn. 10:10). Just a few more days and we will reap the great reward, if we don’t fall out along the way! David McCain
