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Family
Lines Newsletter, April 8,
2004
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**Thinking Instead of Reacting Is Hard!**
David
Chadwell
Luke 13:14-16, But the synagogue official,
indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in
response, "There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them
and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day." But the Lord answered him and said,
"You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey
from the stall and lead him away to water him? And this woman, a daughter of
Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not
have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?"
Poor man! If anyone can sympathize with him,
we should! Jesus healed a woman in the synagogue on a Sabbath. The
man was a synagogue official (a "leader," not an "attender"; not uninformed but
knowledgeable). Was he upset! "Jesus cannot heal people in this
synagogue on the Sabbath! Not here! Not now! How
inappropriate!"
Inappropriate? God's power is inappropriate
in God's assembly among people who supposedly know God? The issue was not:
(1) Jesus' power to heal; (2) "What is the origin of Jesus' power to do good
things?" (3) the suffering woman; or (4) giving God glory for incredible
happenings. The issue was, "Not here and now!"
Surely we understand the man's feelings. Had
not God's law plainly declared, "Keep the Sabbath holy" (Exodus 20:8)? Had
not it clearly declared one keeps the Sabbath holy by refraining from work
(Exodus 20:9,10)? Had they not defined work? Had not those
definitions regulated activities among devout Israelites for generations?
How dare Jesus defile the Sabbath by performing a work of healing on the Sabbath
in this synagogue!
So in devotion to scripture he condemned God's Son
for doing a godly thing! He was indignant! This upset official told
the audience, "If you want Jesus to heal you, come on one of the other six days;
not on a Sabbath!" Interesting! Do not benefit from God's power on
the day set aside to remember God's creation power. The poor man knew more
about scripture than he knew about God. The result: he used scripture to
oppose God's purposes and values.
Jesus declared him to be
hypocritical. This representative of God did more for animals on the
Sabbath than for a suffering human. He championed his views, not God's
priorities.
I do not condemn the man. I sympathize with
him. May God's grace forgive me when I have the same attitude! May
His mercy cover my ignorance (which I consider "on-target" scriptural defenses)
when I use God's word to oppose God's priorities!
It is so easy to (1) view
scripture as an end in itself rather than a road map to God; (2) to hold
scripture in higher regard than God; (3) to miss God's priorities revealed in
scripture. It is so easy to react instead of think--even if it means we oppose
God's purposes in His Son.
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**Convention & Award Dates**
April 9-10
* LTC Convention in Tulsa. Leave
church parking lot Friday at 12:00 p.m.
April 11
* Pizza - LTC
Awards Presentations in FLC after evening service.
**Breedlove Family Honored**
Our congratulations
are extended to the Breedlove Family. Dr. Shelby Breedlove (deceased), the
husband of Norma Jean Breedlove and father of Steven Breedlove, will soon be
inducted into the Van Buren High School Hall of Honor.
Dr. Breedlove, former president of Westark
Community College from 1968 to 1974 will be one of the inductees to the Hall of
Honor and will be recognized on Saturday evening, April 24, at the Van Buren
High School cafeteria. He played football and basketball for the Van Buren
Pointers and was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team and played
one summer semi-pro in the Texas League. Among a number of awards and honors
earned by Dr. Breedlove was the Distinguished Service Award. He earned his
doctor of philosophy in 1972 from Florida State University. His doctoral thesis
was used by Governor Dale Bumpers to develop a system of community colleges in
the state of Arkansas.
Shelby Breedlove was a deacon at College Terrace
Church of Christ where he taught adult Bible classes and filled in for the
pulpit minister.
For information on attending the honorees banquet,
call Gloria Keifer at 474-7942.
**Happy Birthday**
April 11
Sarah Sallee Botteicher
Rachel
James
Greg Simpson
Duane Walker
April 13
Rick Carson
Rachelle Robison
Sara
Rye
Gina Williams
April 14
Tim Davis
Wilburn Howard
Don
Neisler
April 15
Tom Beard
Staci James
April 16
Chandler Harper
April 17
Dave Cogswell
Barry
Neal
**Sunday in Worship**
Morning
"20 Seconds
That Make All the Difference" (John 20:19-24)
Chris Benjamin,
Speaker
Evening
Coming to Christ, Part I, "Belonging to
God"
David Chadwell, Speaker
**"Peak" of the Week**
Wednesday, April
14
7:00 p.m. in the FLC
"The Lord Our Shepherd"
**Housing
Needed**
Housing is needed for Harding University Choir We need to provide
housing for a group of Harding Students when they visit with us the weekend of
April 24-25. Students will need to be picked up at the church building
Saturday night, April 24, and brought back to services on Sunday, April 25. If
you can be a host family, please call the church office.
**Coming Soon**
Harding University
Choir
Sunday, April 25
West-Ark Church of Christ
1:00 p.m. in the
Auditorium
9th Street Church of Christ
Spring Gospel
Meeting
Sunday, April 25, 3:00 p.m.
Monday, April 26, 7:00
p.m.
Tuesday, April 27, 7:00 p.m.
Speakers are: Tommy Brooks (Fort Smith)
and Will Smith (Hemphill, TX)
Spring Golf Tournament
Sponsored by Valley View
Church of Christ
Saturday, May 1, Tee time is 1:00 p.m.
Ben Geren Golf
Course, 4-man scramble
Call Niketa Stinchcomb (996-3001) to
register.
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**The Wonder Working Power of Prayer**
* Kerry
& Dena Jenkins took Adam to the Arkansas Children's Hospital Wednesday to
see a gastroenterologist. They hope/ pray to find answers that will enable Adam
to start eating foods and keep them down.
* Carol Fields (daughter of John
& Hazel Richards) is recovering from surgery in Oklahoma City. She expects
to be in the hospital until the weekend.
* Russ McConnell (Sandy Berger's
father) has a staph infection that is causing considerable pain. He is in a
Maryland hospital.
* Judi Green had her first of four chemotherapy treatments
on April 8th.
* Hesslen Family
* Maile McDonald (chemotherapy treatments
every three weeks)
* Don Green (recovery from cancer)
* Joe Jones
(continues in chemotherapy treatments)
**Sympathy**
Our love and sympathy is extended
to Doyle and Judy Wright in the death of Doyle's mother, Odessa Wright. Funeral
services were Wednesday morning in Cheyenne, Oklahoma.
Our love and sympathy is also extended to the Randy
English family in the loss of mother and grandmother, Mary Bogner. Funeral
services were Wednesday in Fort Smith. The English Family work in the mission
field of American Samoa.
**Baptism**
Tyler Robbins (son of Brian and
Shelley Robbins) was baptized Sunday morning by his father. If you would like to
send Tyler a card, his address is 340 N. Webster, Greenwood, AR
72936.
**Note of Thanks**
We would like to thank
everyone who attended our wedding and helped make it the best day of our lives.
Thanks to everyone for the wonderful cards and gifts. A special thanks to
Darrell Moses who ran the sound system, to the quilting ladies for the gorgeous
quilt, and to the ladies in Wings for all their love and support. God has
blessed us with wonderful friends. Thank you all once again.
Daniel
& Amanda Edwards
**60+ Potluck**
Our April dinner is planned for
Saturday, the 17th at 6:00 p.m. in the Annex.
**CURE Work Night**
Monday, April 12
7:00
p.m. at the Windsor Building
Contact Bob Fisher, Kevin Vaught, or Jim Selig
for more information.
**Bridal Shower**
A shower honoring Amy Mason is
planned for Sunday, April 18th, from 2:00-3:30 p.m. in the home of Diane Arnold.
Amy is registered at Dillard's, Linens & Things, and Amazon.com .
**Lost and Found**
Please check in the office if
(in the last several years) you have lost a man's wedding ring, a woman's
wedding ring (older set), or a bracelet. We have several items that remain
unclaimed.
**Wedding Invitation**
Mr. and Mrs. Dale Dwayne
Lusby
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their
daughter
Danyelle Denise Lusby to
Brandon Ray Lupkey
son of Mr. and
Mrs. Mark Alan Stitch
Saturday, the twenty-fourth of April
at one o'clock
in the afternoon
West-Ark Church of Christ
Fort Smith,
Arkansas
*Reception to follow in the Family Life Center
**60+ Trip **
We are going to the Muskogee
Azalea Festival on Monday, April 12th. The sign-up sheet is on the information
board. Come and go with us!
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**Family Life Ministry**
By Brad
Pistole
*Attention Parents and Teens*
This past week, I
received an email from one of our parents. They wanted to share with me an email
they had received containing a warning to parents and families from Dr. James
Dobson. After reading the email, I realized I was familiar with the information
he had shared and I thought I would share it with you due to its very sensitive
nature.
Here is part of what Dr. Dobson had to
say:
"Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, please pay
special attention not only to what your kids watch on TV and in movie theaters
and the music they listen to...but we must also be alert regarding the books
they read. Two particular books, "Conversations with God" and "Conversations
with God for Teens," written by Neale Donald Walsch sound harmless enough by
their titles alone. These books have been on the New York Times best seller list
for a number of weeks. These publications make truth of the statement "Don't
judge a book by its cover/title." The author purports to answer various
questions from kids using the "voice of God." However, the "answers" that he
gives are not biblically based and in fact go against the very infallible Word
of God."
Let me just say that I have had recent personal
experience in one-on-one studies with young people that help prove the accuracy
of the above statement from Dr. Dobson. I have recently learned about the book
series "Conversations with God." I have met some young people from our local
area who have read these books and who are currently living their lives based on
what these books teach.
Let me say it is a very hopeless and messed up way
of life. It is a life that is not based on obedience to Jesus Christ. It is a
life that teaches a person to "pick and choose" what may or may not be true in
the Bible. It teaches that all truth is relative and depends upon the person and
what they believe. It teaches there is no devil, there is no hell, and there
will be no eternal punishment. It teaches that everyone will go to heaven, no
matter what.
While these books may sound very pleasant to the
ears and look very pleasant to the eyes, don't be fooled! Now, more than ever,
we have to be on our guard as parents, leaders, and disciplers of our children.
We must take initiative and be proactive instead of reactive. Know your kids.
You can start by paying close attention to what they watch, read and listen to.
Don't ever forget the words of Deuteronomy 6:4-9.
Today is the best day to start leading your family
closer to Jesus Christ!
**Nursery**
A.M. Nursery
Trish Carson
Jane
Dunavin
Morgan Dunavin
Dwonne Cogswell
Vicki Anderson
P.M. Nursery
Marquetta Walker
Sheila
Vaught
**Attendance and Contribution Count**
Sunday A.
M. 656
Bible Classes 397
Sunday P.M.
29
Small Groups 27
Wednesday P.M.
340
Contribution $15,800
Children's Home
$256
The Way 62
Hispanic Attendance 42
Hispanic Contribution
$186
Laotian Attendance 25
Laotian Contribution
$140
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