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Family
Lines Newsletter, April 22,
2004
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**God, Please Hear My Prayer**
By David
Chadwell
"Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your
name.
Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in
heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, but
deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory
forever. Amen."
(Matthew 6:9-13)
"God, open my eyes to Your holiness, purity, and
goodness. Help me not make You as I wish You to be in order to serve my
own interest, but help me see You as You are. Help me realize that it is
in seeing You as You are that enables me to see myself as I am. Help me
understand that it is only in seeing You as You are that I become aware of how
desperately I need You. Help me never doubt that You seek my eternal best
interest.
"My world is such a confusing place! It so
easily deceives me! It makes me think that the destructive is good for me,
that the unimportant is the important, that the temporary is forever, that
physical pleasure is my ultimate good, and that security is found in possessions
rather than in You. The more physical things I have, the emptier I
become. The only enduring peace I experience is the peace that comes when
I am full of You. It is Your kingdom, not my wants, that gives my life
meaning. It is your will, not my physical desires, that give my life
purpose. Help me find my meaning in You!
"Give my mind the eyes to see that every truly good
thing that exists in my life is a gift from Your hands. I have so much
that it is easy to be selfish. Because so much is available to me daily,
it is simple to depend on "my abilities" rather than Your love. As You
said to Abraham, may I hear You say to me that I am blessed to be a
blessing. May I not search for my meaning in wealth, but in
You.
"May in my experiencing Your grace, mercy,
forgiveness, and compassion I ceaselessly be challenged to fill my life and
actions with grace, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion in all my interactions
with others. May I know You made me to reflect You. May I know the
only one who reflected You perfectly was Jesus. May I increasingly yield
myself to mirroring You in my life. May I understand that if I fail to
reflect You to others, I fail in the basic purpose You give my
existence.
"I have no hope when I confront Satan in my life and
my world unless You are with me. Keep Your promise to never desert
me. Give me the courage to trust this promise. Because of this
promise, may I never stop using Your strength to confront evil in my life and my
world. In the hope of my forgiveness, may I live in and share Your
joy!
"Through my perfect mediator and intercessor I come
to Your throne of grace in boldness, awe, and reverence!"
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**Sunday, April 25th**
Morning
Being Christ's Witnesses
Chris
Benjamin, Speaker
Fellowship Meal at Noon
In the Family Life
Center
All who can please bring desserts!
(Hint: Our cook Curtis McDonald
loves banana pudding!)
After our meal,
Return to the Auditorium to hear
the
Harding University Chorus at 1:00 p.m.
Evening
We'll
meet at 6:00 p.m. for 4th Sunday Singing and devotional.
**Disciples Deeply Involved**
By Derrick
Jones
Jesus was always involved in something. Involvement is the key to
accomplishment. We need more people to get involved in the Lord's work. What are
you involved in? Is your focus on serving God or just letting everybody else
work? Disciples are people who want to follow after Christ and His commands.
There are four aspects of involvement that should be thought of in our daily
Christian living.
First, involvement means belonging. When you are
involved, it feels that you are part of it. When involved you will really care
(John 6:5-13; Matt. 14:13-21).
Secondly, involvement helps commitment (Matt.
6:19-34). It will help you grow spiritually and strengthen your walk with
God (Luke 17:5). It will give you greater love and support. Prayer will be
the focal/vocal point of your life.
Thirdly, involvement enlarges vision. Your vision
toward the church will be focused on saving souls and keeping the saved
saved.
Finally, involvement costs. When you decide to
follow Christ, you make a vow to God that you are going to do His commands. You
are making a vow that involves loving people, working to help expand the Kingdom
of God, and sacrifice your time so people can know God.
**Lions for Christ (LFC)**
* April 30th - Last
day of class
* May 3-7- Final Exam Week
**VBS Recruiting Station**
Sunday, April 25th in
the Foyer
Any talent you have, we can use!
Are you interested? Any
questions?
Come and visit with us this Sunday!
**Gospel Meeting**
Muldrow Church of
Christ
Dale Brown, Speaker
Thursday, April 29
Friday, April
30
Saturday, May 1
7:00 p.m. each night
Theme: God's Eternal
Family
**Happy Birthday**
April 25
Karen Carter
Adriane Martin
Edith
Marymont
Madine Rose
April 27
Clark Risley
April 28
Michael Cole
Janet Gunter
Genneil
Nye
April 29
Jim Selig
April 30
Rebekah Broom
Matthew
Carson
May 1
Evan Foley
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**The Wonder Working Power of Prayer**
* Maile McDonald will go to Children's Hospital
Monday (26th) for a treatment. In addition, she will have a spinal tap and an
echo cardiogram.
* Bobbie Hughes is in St. Edward Hospital, room 3407.
*
Leo Atkins is in St. Edward, room 3315.
* John Hawkins is in St. Joseph
Hospital in Bryan, Texas, with pancreatitis.
* Sanh Luongvan is in St.
Edward, room 5214.
* Jabin Huff (praise -- his kidney function is much
improved!)
* Helen Branum is being treated at the Mayo Clinic.
* Judi
Green will have another chemotherapy treatment on Thursday.
* Hesslen
Family
* Toby Taylor Jones
* Brian Perkins requests your prayers for Nick
Brandt and his family. He is the little boy who escaped a fire in Greenwood
Sunday morning, but lost his mother and step-father in the fire. Nick is
in Brian's Boy Scout troop.
**Dismissed from the Hospital**
* Paula May
*
Ruth Burns
* Dave Moore (Missy Blasdel's father)
* Doy Wilkins (father of
Nancy Dockery)
**Change of Address**
Leroy Null
Hope's
Creek, Apt. 118
2502 Fayetteville Road
Van Buren, AR 72956
Phone:
410-5459
**Bridal Shower**
A shower is planned for
Stephanie Gueck, bride-elect of Brandon Pistole, on Sunday, May 2, from 2:00 -
3:30 p.m. in the home of Danna Turpin, 2405 Rannoch Lane. Stephanie and Brandon
are registered at Dillards, Linens & Things and Wal-Mart.
**60+ Potluck**
Our April dinner is planned for
Saturday, the 17th at 6:00 p.m. in the
Annex.
**Widows/Widowers**
We will be going to Fin & Feather
for lunch Saturday, May 1. The van will leave the annex at 10:00
a.m. Call Mary, Bobbie or Janice if you need transportation to the
annex.
There will NOT be a Car Clinic for the month of
May.
**Notes of Thanks**
Dear Quilting
Ladies,
Thank you so much for all the time and love you placed into the
beautiful quilt. I love it and know it will get a lot of use in Colorado. My
grandmother loved being a part of the quilting ladies (Lou Porter) and it means
a lot to receive such a wonderful gift from you all. You definitely touch many
lives by the work you do and time you give. May God bless you for all your good
deeds.
Love,
Danyelle
and Brandon
Dear Family,
We would like to express our
thankfulness to all of you for helping us to bear this burden. We feel God's
comfort and presence every second because of the love you have for Him that
you've extended to us. You truly have been His hands, feet, and mouth. Your
light is shining so brightly to us and to the community around us. May we
reflect His nature to the world in this situation, and in all situations. To Him
be all the glory and praise! We love you all more than you'll ever
know.
Kevin, Christy, Hope, Hannah &
Hunter Hesslen
The expression of your sympathy with the
presentation of the peace lily is very much appreciated and appropriate. Ada is
now at peace with the Lord.
Jerry & Sherry
Hart
(for the Ada Roose Family)
Dear Church Family,
Thank you for all the
expressions of concern and prayers for my mother, all the cards, and all other
acts of kindness. It is comforting to know that we have such a caring church
family. Also, thank you for the memorial that will be paced in the library; Mom
was an avid reader. She is in a better place now.
In
Christ,
Doyle and Judy Wright
**Wedding Bells**
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
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**Family Life Ministry**
By Brad
Pistole
If you're like most people, "you want to go where
everybody knows your name." Have you ever heard that saying? This phrase is so
famous, it ended up being the main line in a song for the most famous sitcom of
the late 80's and early 90's.
In reality, time hasn't changed this
need much at all. We still live in a world where everyone wants everyone else to
notice them. We'll do just about anything to be noticed. We'll change the color
of our hair and our eyes. We'll go through major diets and exercise programs.
We'll even go through major surgeries in today's world, just to be noticed by
others.
We want to be famous. We don't want to be the ugly
duckling. We want to be the swan ... the princess ... the knight. I guess it's
human nature.
But as much as the desire for greatness and notoriety
may strike a chord with some of us, all of us have a much deeper need: the need
to be known and loved on a very intimate level. Many times our cries for
attention aren't about fame and notoriety at all. It's really about the need we
have to belong to something that has value and meaning. We all want to
belong.
Since the beginning of time, people have wanted to fit in
to a group. We all want a close knit relationship with those around us. Adam and
Eve certainly learned this the hard way when they lost their sense of belonging.
Cain certainly reacted negatively when he thought he had lost his sense of
belonging. And it has been that way ever since.
We serve a God who
understands this need. From the beginning of time, He has provided the intimacy
each of us need by placing us into various groups. He is the creator of
families, clans, tribes, small groups, house churches, etc. He even showed us
the importance of working in small, intimate circles when his own son, Jesus,
selected 12 men to follow his every move for 36 straight months.
We
all know there is something much more important to us than simply being noticed
as we walk down the street. We are all touched on a much deeper level when
we learn that someone knows our name. It gives us a sense of
belonging.
Thank God we serve a creator who knows our needs
and who knows our name. As a matter of fact, He's even given each of us a
special name to show everyone else that we belong to Him. Just look what He did
for Jacob and Saul. His intimacy with them transformed them into Israel and
Paul.
Are you still searching for that sense of belonging? Then
turn to the One who already knows your name. As a matter of fact, He wants to
give you a new name that can never be taken away from you. To Him be the glory
and honor forever and ever!
**Fourth Sunday Nursery**
A.M. Nursery
Berniece Rogers
Sharon
Faries
Tracy Risley
Larry & Donna Roper
P.M. Nursery
Marjorie Blake
Angela Dunavant
**Attendance and Contribution Count**
Sunday A.
M. 729
Bible Classes 475
Sunday Night 323
Small
Groups 33
Wednesday P.M. 334
Contribution
$16,746
Children's Home $253
The Way 44
Hispanic
Attendance 47
Hispanic Contribution $162
Laotian Attendance
23
Laotian Contribution $136
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