FAMILY NEWS AND NOTES
Volume 10 30 NOVEMBER 2008 Issue No. 40
Service Arrangements
COMMUNION FOR NOVEMBER 2008
SOUTH SIDE NORTH SIDE
AM
Jerry Freeman
Royce Armstrong
Roger Grimes David Neal
Ronnie Stewart Sid Charlton
PM
Frankie SargentFred Harkrider
ANNOUNCEMENTS ……………… Wayne Pickrel
(Sunday and Wednesday)
SONG LEADER(AM…….… Royce Armstrong
(PM) …….. Royce Armstrong
Wednesday Nite ….…. Grady Duncan
PRAYERS —– Sunday.
AM First Prayer ……...… Weldon Miller
AM Closing…………....…. Sid Charlton
PM First Prayer………….. Doug Abbey
PM Closing……………..… Jody Sparks
PRAYERS — Wednesday Nite
First Prayer…………..…. Grady Duncan
Closing………………...… Wayne Pickrel
PRAYER LIST:
Justin Barker, Rachel Barker, Louis & Nona Bell, Doris Bell, Billye Campbell, Suzanne Charlton,
Steele Cooper, Irene Duncan, Ben McCain, Thelma Reed
ALSO: Wesley DuBose, Wayne Lineberger, Jesse & Jacob Massey, Yvonne Waldrup, Linda Wysinger
And now for … FAMILY NEWS AND NOTES
Rance Robison will be our main speaker this morning in David’s absence.
Tonite, Grady Duncan will be our speaker.
Mark your calendar and keep Friday evening December 19 open for a Holiday Family Get-together for all age groups … at the Civic Center (Walnut Room). Details of the event will follow.
If you wish to participate in the Holiday Gifts project for our shut-ins, please contact Ann Pickrel or Amy Jones.
Wade Miller is back at home and working. He got shots in his eyes to help control the problem with the blood vessels in his eyes. He returns to his doctor on December 10 for a laser procedure.
Wayne Charlton surprised his family this past week by coming home for Thanksgiving. He has to return to work, tho, so won’t be hanging around. He hopes to return for the Christmas holidays.
At the printing of this bulletin no other news has been reported on any of our congregation, and friends. I suppose that NO NEWS is GOOD NEWS!? I feel certain there are others we do not know about.
Remember to keep those on the PRAYER LIST in your prayers each day.
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Take Courage
—David Dirrim
[Guest article from The Southwesterner]
[Southwest church of Christ—Ada, OK]
As the story goes, a fairly wimpy looking man arrived at the pearly gates and met Peter. Peter found his name on his list and then asked the man, “Have you ever done anything truly noble in your life?”
“Well, as a matter of fact, yes.” said the man. “I was walking down the street and saw this gang of big thuggy looking guys. They were all dressed in leather, had multiple body piercings, tattoos, all that kind of stuff. Then I noticed they were approaching a young lady and starting to harass her. It was obvious that something really bad was about to happen so I walked up to the biggest, meanest looking thug in the whole bunch. I grabbed his earring and ripped it right out. Then I said to him, ‘Listen buddy, if you’re going to cause trouble for this girl you’re going to have to deal with me first!”
“Wow,” Peter said. “That really was noble. When did you do that?” The wimpy man replied, “About 30 seconds ago.”
I like that. That’s funny — at least to me. But there is something else great about the story. I suppose I’m reading more into it that was intended, but here is a guy who looked at the situation and for a minute forgot about the consequences to himself. All that he saw for the moment was what needed to be done and he did it. Ok, maybe he could have done something wiser than ripping a big thug’s earring out. But my point is that he let courage direct his heart to do what was noble and right regardless of the outcome.
I think this is one of the greatest challenges to our Christianity today. It’s not enough just to know what is right or talk about what should be done. We need to have the courage to step out and do the right thing without evaluating all the consequences beforehand and deciding if it’s prudent or not. The question shouldn’t be, “What will my friends think; How will this affect my job; How much will it cost me; or, is this going to hurt me in some way?” The only question we should ask is, “What is the right thing to do?” Then we need to muster the courage that God provides to us and do it.
What if a young boy named David had cared more about his own safety than the reputation of God? What if Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had cared more about the consequences? What if Paul had just considered the personal effects of his decision to preach the gospel? What if Jesus had looked at the cross and thought, “You know, this doesn't really look too beneficial to me personally?” What if we all just kept our noses out of what is going on in the world and never spoke up, never stood up, never did anything too risky? What would our world be like?
I suppose immorality would go unchecked. I suppose innocent people, even babies, would be abused. I suppose the truth would get twisted, and lies
would often rule the day. I suppose there would be a whole world of people confused and lost, not knowing what was right or wrong. I suppose things might look a lot like they do today. Maybe the time has come for us to talk less and do more about what is wrong in our world.
Jesus says we are to be salty salt, a visible city and a light shining brightly so the world can see God (Matthew 5:16-16). That will never happen unless we take courage, do what God tells us is right and then worry about the consequences later. I know that’s not easy and I’m not claming to have mastered the attitude. But none-the-less, it is still right and we need to encourage (as in put courage into) each other to love people and do what is right, regardless. (See Hebrews 10:24)
So let’s be people who are truly noble. Let’s have the courage not only to study and know what is right, but to also put it into practice in whatever situation God puts before us each day. Take courage, “because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
Does It Make Any Difference To You?
Many years ago while living in Tennessee, I attended a Gospel Meeting to hear my favorite preacher and good friend, Johnny Ramsey preach on the subject which is the title of this article. The point of Johnny’s lesson was that if we don’t take advantage of the grace, blessings, and opportunities of spiritual service that God gives to us each day, then as far as we’re concerned, God might as well have never extended them to us in the first place, for they are wasted on our lethargy.
Johnny made a number of valid points to illustrate what he was talking about, then asked some poignant questions. For instance, he asked, “Does the Gospel make any difference to you?” He pointed out that if we don’t obey the Gospel, then as far as we’re concerned, it wouldn’t make any difference if the Gospel had never been given. He went on to point out that if we fail to avail ourselves of the saving blood of Jesus through faithful obedience, culminating in baptism, then we are guilty of wasting the sacrifice of Christ’s precious blood. If that is the case with you, then as far as you’re concerned, Jesus might as well have stayed in heaven and never endured the cross, since that outpouring of love makes no difference to you.
He then asked, “Would it make any difference to you if the elders cancelled all but the Sunday morning worship service?” The truth is, if you’re not in the habit of attending any other service than the Sunday AM service, then as far as you’re concerned, it wouldn’t make a lick of difference. Then he quit preaching and went to meddling when he asked, “Does it make any difference to even faithful attendees that God said, ‘Go teach your neighbor the Gospel?’” He pointed out that if we don’t bring our friends, neighbors, and loved ones to Christ, then we might as well just rip the Great Commission out of our Bibles, because as far as we’re concerned, it doesn’t seem to make any difference to us that our friends are lost and going to hell. Like all of Johnny’s preaching it definitely called for some serious soul-searching.
It just so happened the very next week, that another preacher friend of mine, brother Charles Collett, was holding a Gospel Meeting at another area congregation, so I also went to hear him preach. Low and behold, if Charles didn’t preach on, “The Distinctiveness of the Lord’s Church,” and in so doing, asked some of the very same questions Johnny had asked the previous week. Evidently, they both must have been reading from the same Book! Charles wanted to know if it made any difference to us, that Christ had set down a pattern for His church, in name, in creed, in doctrine, in worship, in organization and government, in mission and outreach, and in practice? Again, it was a very stimulating lesson, straight from the Scriptures, and remembered by me to this very day. Both of those lessons have often stirred in my heart, and they form the basis of my article this week, as I ask all of us to answer this most serious question.
Brethren, does it really make any difference to you? That is a most thought-provoking question isn’t it? In fact that question, regularly asked, could provide a great standard by which to measure all the activities of your daily life. Whenever you are faced with a decision, ask yourself, “does it make any difference what God has said about the matter?”
Let me give you one last illustration of the point and I’ll be done. Think about this as you make your decisions about whether to attend our services. Would it make any difference in your attendance, if you knew ahead of time that Barack Obama was planning to visit one of our evening services? Oh, you’re a Republican? Well, what if you knew John McCain was planning to drop by North Jefferson for a visit at one of our evening services, where he had heard there was a college student and car salesman who was going by his name? Would that make any difference in your plans for attendance?
Oh, so you’re one of those independent types, who wouldn’t be swayed by Obama, or McCain! OK, how about if I told you God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit were all planning to pay a special visit this Sunday evening, just to check and see who really loves them at North Jefferson? Would it make any difference to you? Guess what? I’ll let you in on a little secret! They told me they are planning on being here this Sunday evening. They really did, unless I misunderstood Matthew 18:20. Does it make any difference to YOU? I hope it does! See you Sunday, and Sunday night! How about Wednesday too, just in case I got the day wrong, or if they happen to return for a surprise inspection! David McCain
