Family News and Notes
Baby Shower tonite, following evening services ... meet in the Multi-Purpose Room for David & Janice's daughter.
Oversight failed to put in last week's bulletin Johnny Rex Phillips requested the prayers of the congregation on his behalf for his upcoming surgeries, and also on behalf of his mom and dad, Josephine and Perry Cooper, and the rest of the family, during this time following the death of brother and son, Bobby Joe Phillips.
Helen Roper asked for the prayers of the congregation Sunday during her recovery period. She expressed appreciation for all the calls and cards she has received.
James Butler was scheduled to go to M.D. Anderson this past week for more tests. He and Marie have asked for our prayers on his behalf.
Absent from services the last two weeks is Mary Hall, who has not been doing very well. She is scheduled for tests to try to determine her problem.
Annah Ruth Brown will be having hip surgery on Monday.
Jody Sparks will have a hip replacement on May 24. He will do the other one later.
Gertrude Evans (age 90) of Newbury, Ohio (Mom and Mother-in-law of Mike and Kalyn Fox Evans, passed away on Saturday, May 14, 2005 inn Arcadia, Florida. A memorial service will be held in Newbury, Ohio at a later date.
THANK YOU "To My Church Family Thanks for the visits, calls, and especially the prayers. It is a blessing being a part of such a loving group of people.
In Christian Love
THANK YOU "Thank you so much for honoring me with good fellowship and the Bible that was given to me. Thanks to everyone who attended and prepared it for us.
In Christian Love,
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IN CHARGE OF SELECTING MEN TO MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR JUNE
David Neal
IN CHARGE OF SELECTING MEN TO LEAD PRAYERS FOR JUNE
Roger Grimes
IN CHARGE OF SELECTING MEN FOR COMMUNION TABLE IN JUNE
Rhodney Freeman
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PRAYER LIST
Justin Barker, Rachel Barker, Louis Bell, Annah Brown, Sue Browning, Billye Campbell, Billy Carter, Perry Cooper, Josephine Cooper,
Zenith Hargrove, Howard Horton, Hollis Lee, Joyce Lee, Winnie Patton,
Johnnie Rex Phillips, Helen Roper, Dorothy Sargent, Alva Mae Sheets
ALSO: Melba Boyd, Denise Dering, Wesley & Juanita DuBose, Ruby Jeffery, Bascom Perkins
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Can He Depend on You?
Jesus said, "Whosoever forsaketh not all that he has, cannot be my disciple" (Lk. 14:33). The simple truth is, Jesus, as commander and chief of His army, expects absolute loyalty from His troops. The Lord demands first place in your life, or He wants no place at all. You can't be a wishy-washy, on-again off-again friend of Jesus. If you value any relationship, any possession, or any position more than you value Christ, and your standing with Him, then you are unworthy to be His follower.
Loyalty as the friend of Christ means complete obedience to his commands. Jesus said, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you" (Jn. 15:14). Loyalty to Christ means complete allegiance to His cause. In other words, Christ and His church must come first, before school, work, hobbies, vacation, recreation, friends, relatives, - before everything! Sometimes that requires sacrifice, but if we truly love the Lord, we'll be willing to sacrifice for Him, even as we do for any person or cause we truly care for in our lives.
If we love other people more than Christ, then we are unworthy of Him (Mt. 10:37). If we care more about our earthly relationships than we do about our heavenly relationship, then we are unworthy of the Lord's love. If we give temporal, earthly things more value, time, and care than we do eternal, heavenly things, then we cannot be His disciples. Jesus said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up His cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it" (Mt. 16:24-25).
Brethren, are we willing to deny ourselves anything, in order to promote the cause of Christ? Or, have we saved our lives for our own selfish purposes, only to lose them eternally? We sometimes wonder why the cause of Christ does not prosper, when the answer glares before our eyes. The problem lies with a lack of loyalty to Christ. Across our brotherhood, attendance at worship, Bible study services, and Gospel Meetings wanes. Why? The answer is obvious, isn't it? It's because too few are loyal to Christ. As the old saying goes, "Most of the time in life, you do what you really want to do," which is just as true in religion as it is in any other realm.
Are you loyal to Christ? Can He count on you to put Him first, before all other people, things, or commitments? Are you loyal to Him in attitude, articulation, and action? Does your attendance, giving, love towards others, and willingness to share the Gospel with those who will listen, prove, or disprove your loyalty to Christ? Can He really depend on you? Think about it!
David McCain
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EXPRESSIONS
LEAVE IMPRESSIONS
(Selected)
Guest article from
Bangs Church of Christ Bulletin
While there is certainly a sense in which Christians are not to be people pleasers (Gal. 1:10), there is no doubt that the actions of God's people leave an impact on others. After all, Jesus did say people would "see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). Our expressions of worship and service as Christians do leave impressions! How do our expressions impress? How are our guests affected when they worship with us? Consider the following:
(1)Do we try to pay attention while the preacher preaches, maybe even by taking notes on the sermon, or do our actions reveal that our attention is far removed from the study of God's word? (Mark 4:24; Luke 8:18; Heb. 5:11-14).
(2)Do we sing praise with enthusiasm and thoughtfulness, or do we sit silently without any real reason for our non-participation as hymns are being sung to God? (1 Cor. 14:15; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).
(3)Do we reflect a sense of preparation and zeal in our worship, or do we give the sense of being unprepared and lethargic? (Rom. 12:11-12; Eph. 5:16).
(4)Do we try to sit near the front, to provide an atmosphere of closeness, warmth and fellowship, or does a "great chasm? exist between the pulpit area and where the people are sitting in the pews? Brethren might assemble together in the same building without really being "together" (Heb. 10:25). Evidently some brethren hold to a form of the "gap" theory when it comes to being near one another in public worship! Yes, even where we sit in congregational worship leaves an impression on others.
(5)Do we exude a spirit of love, friendliness and concern, or do others feel a spirit of aloofness and coldness on the part of members? (Prov. 17:17; 18:24; Phil. 2:19-23).
(6)Do we actually appear to enjoy being together to worship God, or do the concerns of the world reign supreme, causing us to feel disinterested and rushed? (Matt. 12:21-22; 1 John 2:15-17).
(7)Do the sounds of Bible pages being turned as people look up references serve as the backdrop for the sermon while it's being delivered, or are the scriptures seldom opened? (Acts 17:1; 2 Tim. 3:15-17).
(8)Does one hear the sounds of young moms and dads training their small children how to behave in the assembly, thus reflecting life and vigor in the congregation, or is it as silent as the tomb? (Prov. 22:6; Eph. 6:1-4; Deut. 6:4-9). Reverence is a must in worship, but there's nothing scriptural or desirable about lifelessness! How do our expressions impress others? Even more important, how do they impress the Lord? After all, He is a faithful guest to every assembly of the saints.
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