NEED TRANSPORTATION? Call............Frankie Sargent
903-572-2647
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Our Family News
If you are able and have made plans you may contribute to our Building Fund today.
Young People Saturday is the day for the "Amazing Race" from 4PM7PM with a meal and fellowship to follow, here at the building. If you plan to come, please sign the list on the table in the foyer or let Janice know by Wednesday evening. This is for Pre-School High School. Lots of fun to be had
Check out the round table in the foyer there is a publication entitled Fulton County Gospel News from the Mammoth Spring congregation. Lee Moses is the editor. Interesting reading.
REMINDER: ...We STILL need Volunteers to help clean the building for the month of November. If you are willing and able to help with this good use of your talents please sign the sheet on the table in the foyer.
MARK YOUR CALENDER FOR THESE UPCOMING EVENTS:
THANKSGIVING WEEK We will meet on Tuesday, November 23rd instead of Wednesday of that week.
December 4 & 5, 2004 "Leadership Training" with Wendell Winkler, at Johnson Street church of Christ in Greenville.
On Wednesday December 29, we will have singing in the auditorium. Also, all classes will meet in the auditorium on that nite.
Narci Cooper' has returned home from the hospital. She may still have to have further treatments but is doing OK.
Johnny Barrett had a stroke early last week on top of all his other problems. He is in room 415 at Titus Regional Medical Center.
Marie Holloway of Odessa (sister of Nelda Dunn and Elna O'Neal) is back in the hospital in CCU. She is not doing well at all.
Perry Cooper is still in rehab at Titus Regional Medical Center, Room 515.
Glenn Parham has returned home following his recent surgery in Tyler.
Ercell Fetters (Jim Duncan's mom), diagnosed with slow acting leukemia. Doctors say she may outlive the progression of the disease.
Autumn Miller has been sick at home this past week.
There has been no change in the condition of Wesley DuBose (brother of Judy Freeman).
Alice O'Neal (mother of George O'Neal) was involved in a auto accident in Houston early last week and when the air bag deployed she broke her hand in several places requiring surgery. She is back at home.
Edith Shiflet and Hollis Lee were able to be back in services last week.
Howard Horton (who is in Titus Regional Medical Center) continues to have additional health problems, especially his mobility.
Zenith Hargrove has been ill for several weeks. She continues to need our prayers.
Ronald Duncan (brother of Jim Duncan) had a heart attack last week and after initial treatment and diagnosis here at Titus Regional Medical Center was taken to Tyler for further treatment.
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PRAYER LIST:
Justin Barker, Johnny Barrett, Louis Bell, Annah Brown,
Sue Browning, Josephine Cooper, Perry Cooper, Narci Cooper,
ALSO: James & Marie Butler, Tom Dooley, Wesley DuBose, Ronald Duncan, Ercell Fetters, Marie Holloway, Lavon McClish, Patricia McCracken, Kelsey Meyers, Alice O'Neal, Lynn Parker & his family, Lois DeWahl
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Building Up The Church
The church is the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23, Col. 1:18), with Christ as its wise and loving head (Eph. 5:23). The local church is made up of many different Christians (I Cor. 12:12-14), who have many different talents and abilities (Rms. 12:4-6), which are to be used to promote the growth and edification of the body of Christ in love (Eph. 4:12-16). The day of miraculous gifts has long past (I Cor. 13:8), but many non-miraculous gifts remain, which are to be used in the Master's service, and for the cause of increasing His body, the church, both in size and in spirituality (Eph. 4:16, II Pet. 3:18).
God's Word says, "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality" (Rms. 12:4-13). Surely, all of us can find our non-miraculous gift/s somewhere in the boldfaced type above (emphasis mine - D. Mc.).
Brother or sister in Christ, according to God's Word, you must have at least one gift, talent, or ability, to offer the body of Christ. The truth is, most folks have a multiplicity of gifts, which could be used to help build up the body of Christ, if they would only put them to work for the Master. But, even if you are only a "one talent" man or woman, don't bury that talent in the affairs of this earth (Mt. 25:18). If you have buried it, dig it up immediately, and start using it for the cause of Christ and the good of His church. And, don't you dare say you have nothing to offer, or that the church doesn't need your talent or ability. Please read I Corinthians 12:12 - 13:13. Everyone has something to offer the Lord and His church. At the very least and most, everyone can practice the most excellent gift of all: LOVE!!!
Are you afraid to use your gift? Are you fearful someone might laugh at your attempt to use your abilities in God's service? Are you afraid your talents are not up to the job? The Bible says, "perfect love casts out fear" (I Jn. 4:18). What if Jesus had been so afraid of Calvary's cruel cross, that He had decided just to forget it and go back home to the Father? Where would we be? It's terrifying to contemplate the answer, isn't it?
The simple truth, though, is He let His perfect love for humanity cast out His fear of the cross, and so He prayed, "Father, not my will, but thy will be done." When we, like Jesus, start practicing the will of the Father before our own, and when we let the perfect love of Christ be our example and our primary motivation, then we will truly be ready to offer the Lord something of value for the building up of the body of Christ. Until then, we are just spinning our wheels, and playing at being a Christian, and sadly, we may well be "rutting up" and destroying the precious church for which Jesus gave His life and blood. David McCain
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The Preacher and the Druggist
(Guest article from Jacksonville church of Christ)
A preacher's baby was extremely sick so he took it to the doctor. After careful examination he prescribed a medication. While filling the prescription, the druggist said, "Here is an item the doctor specified, but I do not think it is essential; the baby can probably get well without it."
The preacher asked, "Do you have it in stock?" "Yes, but I think it is unnecessary." The preacher replied, "I want you to give me the exact medicines the doctor prescribed." "Well, I have another drug here that the doctor did not call for. I really like it. I'll just give it to you instead." "No," the minister replied, "I wand EXACTLY what the physician specified, that and no more." "But the doctor did not say not to use it," the druggist replied. "Nevertheless, I can only accept the prescription as the doctor gave it, and it must be filled that way or not at all."
The following Sunday the druggist went to hear the preacher and he happened to be preaching on "the Great Physician Healing the Sin-Sick Soul." In the course of the remarks, the preacher stated that although the Bible taught that all should be baptized, and although Peter commanded "every one of you" to be "baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38), he thought that one could be saved without baptism. Later
the minister affirmed that the addition of instrumental music in the worship without a specified command was entirely safe and sound. "Though in the teaching of Christ," he said, "we do not find where He ever commanded us to use instrumental music. We know that He did not say not to use it."
As the druggist shook hands with the preacher after the service, he quietly said, "Surely the legs of the lame are unequal."
It is strange that many sincere people can go to churches not found in Scripture, and listen to preachers change add to and take from the Bible in sermons without ever questioning it. Preaching that changes God's Word will harm the mind, heart, and soul as much as poison will the body. Let us all take heed what we hear (Mark 4:24), and carefully search our Bibles (Acts 17:11).
"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add until him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."
