Family News and Notes
MEN'S BUSINESS MEETING following evening services tonight. All men are encouraged to attend.
There will be a Egg Hunt / Weiner Roast / Devotional on Saturday, March 19th at 3:00 PM at Connie and Ronnie Stewart's. This will be for Toddlers thru High School. We are in need of 8-dozen plastic eggs and bags of individually wrapped candies to fill them. If you are willing to help with this, please bring them by this evening's services.
Ladies Devotional this afternoon at 4:30 PM. All ladies are invited.
Lessons for the Ladies Bible Class are on the table in the foyer. Ladies please take one.
There is now a "sandbox" for the teachers to use in teaching their classes. It is in the Air Conditioner closet between classroom No. 1 and No. 2.
Ladies don't forget to mark your calendar Our LADIES DAY has been scheduled for Saturday, April 2, 2005, beginning at 10:00
AM here at the building. Sister Sarah Fallis of Forth Worth will be guest speaker. If you would be interested in working on one of the committees please let Amy Jones know. There is plenty of work for everyone to do. Sign-up sheets for the salads for lunch will be put out in March. All ladies are invited to attend.
AND THEN Area Wide Singing on Saturday, April 09, 2005 from 7:00 PM9:00 PM at North Jefferson Church of Christ. Everyone is invited.
LADIES DAY AT PITTSBURG CHURCH OF CHRIST April 16, 2005 from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM. Lunch will be served. Guest speaker will be Sarah Fallis from Fort Worth, Texas. If you have any questions you can call:
903-856-2115 or 903-856-5355
Billy Carter had surgery last Tuesday, as an out-patient, but he is now at home.
Hazel Phillips was in Room 2280 at East Texas Medical Center in Tyler. She was scheduled to be moved to a new therapy wing last Thursday.
Ralph Phillips is still in the Dubuis Hospital in Paris, and is not doing well.
Helen Roper had knee surgery last Friday at the Paris Hospital to clear up an infection. She will be there several days. Karen says she will try to furnish a room number and address today.
THANK YOU "Words can say so little when someone has done so much, but We thank you with all our heart!
Ettie Wright
and Yvonne White & Family"
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PRAYER LIST
Justin Barker, Rachel Barker, Louis Bell, Annah Brown, Sue Browning, Billy Carter, Perry Cooper, Zenith Hargrove, Howard Horton, Ruby Lawhon, Hollis Lee, Joyce Lee, Glenn Parham, Winnie Patton, Hazel Phillips,
Ralph Phillips, Helen Roper, Dorothy Sargent, Alva Mae Sheets, Edith Shiflet
ALSO: Ercell Fetters, Marie Holloway
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Rhodney's "Funny Bone"
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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IN CHARGE OF SELECTING MEN TO MAKE
ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR MARCH
Tim Jones
IN CHARGE OF SELECTING MEN TO LEAD PRAYERS FOR MARCH
Grady Duncan
IN CHARGE OF SELECTING MEN FOR COMMUNION TABLE IN MARCH
Rhodney Freeman
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THE BE$T INVE$TMENT
"Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting" (Luke 18:28-30).
Jesus' call to those who would be His disciples is to forsake all that would hinder us from fully serving Him (Lk. 14:33). Those who would follow Christ must learn the attitude of self-denial (Mt. 16:24), and must daily bear the burden of the cross (Lk. 9:23). The cross is an instrument of death. The call of Jesus is the call of death. If we would be His disciples, we must be willing to give up anything and everything that separates us from Christ, as we daily die to self.
That's quite a risk to give up all! Yet, the return is so great the risk is well worthwhile. Salvation is at stake. Peace, hope, and happiness hang in the balance. Jesus makes this offer, "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it" (Mk. 8:35). In other words, Jesus said, you can't lose, if you're willing to lose yourself in me, because I won't let you lose! Do you have enough faith to let go and let God? You should, for no one will ever be able to out give God (Malachi 3:10).
Only a fool would pass up Jesus' offer. Give up everything and get it all back a hundred times over in this life (Mt. 19:29), plus inherit eternal life. Think about it: "unending life." Turn the concept over in your mind. Life that goes on forever, and forever, and forever, without end. Immortality! Isn't that what all of us, deep down, really want more than anything else in all the world? And Jesus said, I have it, and I'll give it to you if you will follow me. And not only that, but I'll make the act of following me worth your while in and of itself, because it's the very best life this world has to offer.
Isn't that what Jesus was talking about when He said. "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (Jn. 10:10), He was not just speaking of eternal life in heaven, but also promising that Christianity would be the best life one could live while here on this earth. The apostle Paul reiterated that thought when he wrote that, "godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come" (I Tim. 4:8).
Really then, all of life is boiled down in the question Jesus asked, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mt. 16:26). Think about it! How much would you be willing to give up, to gain the world's only priceless possession - eternal salvation and eternal life?
Poor Peter! He thought he had sacrificed everything to follow Jesus. Little did he know, at the time, that he had made the best investment one can ever make, for he had made an investment which brings untold rewards in this life, and finally, eternal bliss in the heavenly life which is to come!
May God help us to trust His promises, as we step out in faith to do His bidding. Indeed, may we invest ourselves in the victory of the Gospel through daily surrender, sacrifice, and service to Christ! David McCain
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DOING GOOD
(Borrowed from Bangs Church of Christ Bulletin)
One night, at 11:30 PM, an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm.
Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help hergenerally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960's.
The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxi cab. She seemed to be in a big hurry! She wrote down his address, thanked him and drove away.
Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home.
A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes but my spirits. Then you came along.
Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others." Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.
We are not always aware of the lasting good we can produce by little deeds of kindness. Of Jesus it was said that He "went about doing good" (Acts 10:38).
Doing goodshowing acts of kindnesscan be of great benefit to those to whom they are intended. The greatest benefit, though, is seen in the words of Jesus, "Even so let your light shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Mat 5:16).
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