Our_Bulletin_8_29

Family News and Notes

Next Sunday is Building Fund contribution day.

Ladies Bible Class will resume on September 14th. Janice McCain will be teaching from a book entitled "Would You See Good Days" by Lottie Beth Hobbs

Everyone needs to begin making plans for our Gospel meeting October 10 thru 13th. Brother Jack Orbison (Janice's dad) will be preaching. We'll be posting this reminder from time to time preceding the meeting.

Visitation Team No. 4 (Grady Duncan's team) meets after services Sunday evening. There will be sandwiches, chips and dips.

Annah Ruth Brown's new address is:

Annah Ruth Brown

2007 North Edwards

Apt. 26

Mt. Pleasant, TX 75455

Phone: 903-572-2890

We have a new address for Deborah Rios and Meghan:

Deborah & Meghan Rios

416 Capers

Mt Pleasant, Texas 75455

Phone: 903-575-9802

Please mark your records. This is located behind the Dairy Queen in the Mt Pleasant Housing Authority.

Bonnye Horton has been in Room 323 at Titus Regional Medical Center this week undergoing tests. She returned home Friday morning.

Jonathan and Benjamin McCain will be leaving Wednesday afternoon (Sept. 1, 2004, for DFW for a 5-week mission trip to Bangor, Northern Ireland and Tanzania, East Africa. They are going with the McCain's missionary friend Ken Upchurch of Hattiesburg, MS. They will be working with Irish missionaries Colin & Lisa Graham in the Bangor (Belfast) areas of Ireland and with Tanzania missionaries Cyd & Stephanie Stafford in Arusha and Moshi, Tanzania. Lord willing, they will return on October 6. Pray for them and for their "concerned" parents.

THANK YOU "Dear Christian friends: Thank you so much for the donations you made to the Building Fund in my mother's name (Aresser Thursby). I love and appreciate each one of you so very much.

In Christian Love

Mary Glover & Family"

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PRAYER LIST

Justin Barker, Louis Bell, Annah Brown, Sue Browning,

Darrell Cooper, Josephine Cooper, Perry Cooper, Pat Dillard,

Barbara Duncan, Zenith Hargrove, Howard Horton, Ruby Lawhon,

Elna O'Neal, Winnie Patton, Dorothy Sargent, Ola Mae Simpson

ALSO: Tom Dooley, Lavonne McClish, Kelsey Meyers, John Moses, Marty Newman, Lynn Parker & his family, Lois DeWahl

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Sacred Worship

Sacred worship deserves our very best effort at promoting an atmosphere of reverence, respect, and honor to Almighty God. Logic dictates that God deserves "at least" as much honor and respect as we would show at a funeral, a wedding, a symphony concert, or a speech by an important political figure. In fact, a careful study of the Scriptures clearly shows us that God deserves, and in fact demands much more reverence than any earthly figure or event. That being the case, our worship should be carried out in the most decent, orderly, and reverent manner we are capable of offering Him. We dare not disrespect God, by treating worship casually in our appearance, in our attitudes, or in our actions.

Consider the following Scriptural admonitions. "Be still and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10). "...Reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord" (Lev. 19:30). "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all..." (Ps. 89:7). "But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son" (Mt. 21:37). "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace..., Let all things be done decently and in order" (I Cor. 14:33, 40). "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?" (Heb. 12:9). "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:28-29).

Both Old and New Testaments are filled with examples and instructions which teach that worship is a most sacred and serious matter, and is to be entered into only with great reverence. In I Corinthians 11:17 - 14:40, we find 102 consecutive verses of Holy Writ on the subject of public worship. The Corinthians had cheapened holy worship by not giving God the respect He deserved. In writing to correct their abuse, Paul noted that worship must be conducted in an atmosphere of decency and order, if it is to be acceptable to God.

How can we make our worship pleasing in God's sight? First, we should remember that we have come together for the primary purpose of offering acceptable praise, adoration, and worship to Almighty God (Jn. 4:24). A secondary purpose of public worship is to edify and exhort one another in faithful Christian living (Col. 3:16, Heb. 10:25). If we will concentrate on why we have assembled to worship, this will help us to eliminate distractions in the assembly.

Secondly, we should remember that every part of our assembly is worship to God, and is to be participated in reverently by all present. We should all be just as respectful and reverent during the sermon, the singing, the collection, the closing song, and the closing prayer, as we are during the Lord's Supper. We should strive to stay alert and keep our minds and thoughts focused on honoring God.

Finally, we must absolutely remember that our attitude, and the condition of our heart (Mt. 15:9), will to a great degree determine whether or not our worship is acceptable and pleasing to God, and whether or not we will get anything of value out of worship. If worship is important to you, and if you believe God cares about how you participate in it, then you will strive to offer God the very best you are capable of producing. You will be a participant, not a spectator, to the ultimate glory of God, and to your own personal benefit. Let us worship God acceptably with reverence and with godly fear, for indeed our God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:28-29).

David McCain

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ATTENTION STUDENTS: ON BEING BACK AT SCHOOL

(Guest Article from Bangs Church of Christ, Vol. 21, Issue 35)

1)Be the best you can be Remember, ability often begets opportunity (Matt. 25:15). The harder you work, the more you will be able to accomplish through life.

2)Treat your fellow students with respect and compassion. Show Christian kindness to those who others shun for being different. You will never regret treating the unpopular person like you would want to be treated if you were unpopular (Matt. 7:12).

3)Rise above the worldliness. Remember Daniel who lived in the King's palace, but didn't defile himself with the king's sinful ideas. Rising above the worldliness will affect:

The way you talk. I have walked the halls of our schools and been at sporting events of our schools and know what kind of language is constantly used. Such foul language is a sign of immaturity; not intelligence, but of smallness. Christians practice control of the tongue (James 3:2).

The way you dress. A teenage girl or boy who dresses scantily shows more than flesh. They show what is on the inside, too. Dressing will demonstrate moral strength that isn't pushed around by "everyone else is doing it." Dress like a Christian and you will be fine.

The company you keep. While we should be friendly to everyone, we should select people for our close friends who have qualities we would like to develop. Humans have a funny way of acting like the people they spend the most time with. "Be not deceived, evil communications (companions) corrupt good manners" (1 Cor. 15:33).

The way you treat your parents. While many teenagers are good to their parents, every generation also produces those who use these years making scenes that they regret the rest of their lives. The right way to treat you parents is summed up in these five words, "Honor your father and mother" (Eph. 6:2).

4) Be happy. Each day is a gift to be used for good. Whatever things are turn, honest, just, lovely, and are of good reports; if there be any virtue, think on these things (Phil. 4:8).

5) Remember that your Christian family loves you and is behind you. Do your best every day.

Parents, be involved with your children. Learn of their trials, successes, and failures each day. Love, teach, and support them so they have the confidence to succeed when you are not present. Build a relationship where they will communicate with you inn time of need (Eph. 6:4).

(Via the Eastside Edifier (Muskogee, OK)

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