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Family Lines Newsletter, March 15, 2007
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**Do You Fear Doing Good?**
By David Chadwell
 
“You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”  (Acts 10:38)
 
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”  (Matthew 5:16)
 
Peter made the first statement to a group that Cornelius assembled.  Jesus made the second.
 
Were we in a situation for you to ask me questions, many would be answered with an “I do not know.”  The longer I live, the more impressed I am with the enormity of evil, the enormity of caring people, the enormity of need, and the enormity of our mission.
 
Before you say, “You are weird!” let me confess at times I even think of myself as weird.  Because I know specific individual Christians in struggling nations, I am troubled by a question.  It is not, “Why do they have it so rough?”  It is, “Why do I have it so good?”  Some of them look at me as being powerful.  I look at myself as powerless.  Then I realize, “It is all a matter of perspective combined with need.” 
 
It often troubles me to learn of others’ expectations and focus.  Why? Because I remember when I had similar expectations and focus.
 
Perhaps I can focus you on this dilemma by challenging your perspective.  Did Jesus raise every dead Israelite?  Heal every sick person?  Feed every hungry Israelite?  Did every blind person he passed see?  Did every lame person he saw walk?  Did he come for a bigger purpose than raising the dead to die again, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, or curing the blind and lame?  What about those who were NOT helped?
 
Can you personally teach every person who needs to be taught?  Give guidance to every person who needs insight?  Have the answer for every spiritual dilemma?  Respond usefully to every situation?  Solve complications created by poor choices?  No!
 
Is everything just a matter of perspective? Or logic? Or “correct” responses? Or “sound” answers?  If the destination is A, is it just a matter of plotting the human steps necessary to reach A?
 
If it is all up to us, why do we keep making messes?  If it is not all up to us, how do we determine God’s role?  Where is the balance between our efforts and God’s efforts?
 
You cannot do it all!  You can let God work!  How?  By making sure you do what Jesus did—go about doing good.  Let God use your good for His purposes!
 
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**In Our Thoughts & Prayers**
• Benjamin Jablonski, age 2, who was hit by a car, is much improved! Ben is breathing on his own now and physicians are working on fixing his broken bones. His mother is a friend of Shelly Robbins.
• Jean McConnell is scheduled for gall bladder surgery Tuesday (3/20/07) at Sparks Hospital.
• John Holley is scheduled for surgery Friday (3/23/07) at UAMS for an abdominal aneurysm.
• Linda Jackson (member of The Way) has been dismissed from the hospital.
• Malcomb Gordey’s pneumonia is improved. He is in Fianna Hills Nursing Home, room 300.
• Mary Francis Jackson is in St. Edward Hospital, Room 5119.
• Praise! Mary “T” Kolb is much improved.  She has 24/7 care in her home, but misses her church family. Cards or visits would be greatly appreciated.
• Patti Kaiser (chemotherapy) has prayer pager 441-2387.
• Roger Dicks (son of Charles & Jean) has been moved to Sparks ICU. He is very ill. The type of pneumonia has not yet been diagnosed. He has also developed a blood clot in his left leg. 
• Sedalia Douglas has been dismissed from the hospital.
• Starr Pistole (chemotherapy)
• Teresa Beam (daughter-in-law of Pearl Beam) is in ICU at Sparks Hospital, #211.
 
**Bereaved**
Our love and sympathy is extended to Vicki Anderson in the death of her brother, Gordon Wray, after a long illness. Gordon’s funeral was Monday at the Prattville Church of Christ, Prattville, OK.
 
**Prayers for Mission Efforts**
• Welcome home! Thomas & Kindy Kweekul -- March 12th
• Continue to pray for our missionary families in Vietnam and Laos.
• John Paul & Ruby Lee Hundley are home from France for a visit.
• Steve & Coleen DeLoach, Operation Guyana
 
**Military in Our Prayers**
Adam Morrissun
Brian Harris
Charles Hardy
Jeff Amos
Jonathan Smith
Kyle Evans
Michael Anderson
Mitchell Bryant
Stephen McElroy
Wes Roper
 
**Baptism**
Thresa DuMond
Sebastian County Retirement Center, Room 40
115 Fort Street
Barling, AR 72923
Thresa was baptized Wednesday night by Jack Lewis.
 
**Spring Break!**
The following groups will not meet next week:
• March 18: LTC Rehearsals
• March 20: Tuesday WINGS
• March 21:  Ladies’ Bible Class
• March 21: Wednesday WINGS
 
**JOY Bunch!**
Potluck Supper, March 17
6:00 p.m. in the FLC
It’s “Wear Your Hobby” Night!  Show and tell us about your hobby.
 
**The FLOCK Needs You!**
Teachers are needed in the FLOCK.
All materials and supplies are provided.
We have an immediate need for a Wednesday Night Teacher (3 years old through 1st grade).
Contact Staci James, Dena Jenkins or Melody Priester if you can help.
 
**Notes of Thanks**
 
Dear West-Ark Family,
I can’t say enough thank you’s for all of the prayers, cards, phone calls, and food you have given me the last few weeks -- before and after my surgery. The prayers have been answered! I am healing great, and I do not have to take chemo or radiation, only the hormone therapy pills. I thank God I am a part of such a wonderful church family who cares so much.
 Love,
 Coleen Shirley
 
[Edited for length]
Tuesday Morning WINGS Class,
The power of prayer has truly manifested itself, as it applies to me. I found myself in the hospital on February 20, after a couple of months of steadily going downhill physically.  Five different specialists were planning to put me on dialysis right away. I was discharged from the hospital on the 26th. All but one of my kidney function and blood tests returned to what had been normal for me the last two years! I am thankful to the Dear Lord for bringing me back from the depths of despair, physically, mentally and emotionally. Your prayers during this time have proven most powerful – I truly believe that, without them, and the Good Lord listening to them, things would have not turned out this well.
Thank you and God bless you!
 Harvey Clements
 (Father of Lisa Broom)
 
West-Ark,
Thanks for remembering my brother, Rodney, with a book for your Library in his memory. He was a special person and is missed.
 Thanks again,
 Bob Mason
 
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**LTC Art Work**
Please get your artwork to Shanna Davis by March 25. If you have questions or need help, please call Shanna.
 
**Sermons Also on CD’s!**
Don’t forget – in addition to cassette tape, Chris’s Sunday AM & PM sermons are also available on CD (2 sermons on one CD).  In addition, each week an audio link is posted with Chris’s sermon notes on the church’s web site at http://www.westark.org. If you would like a CD, please call the office.
 
**CURE (Compassionate Utilization of REsources)**
By Ron Moreton
 
CURE has been going in all directions this month picking up and delivering supplies and medical equipment. 
 
A truck load of medical supplies and equipment was picked up at Sparks Hospital; the supplies were taken to Vicksburg Warehouse for sorting and packing.
 
Hospital beds were picked up in Crossett, AR and delivered to Judsonia, AR to be shipped to the Ukraine. 
A truck load of medical supplies was delivered to Columbus, MS for shipment to Western Ukraine.
 
Hospital beds were picked up in Harrison, AR and delivered to Judsonia, AR. While our truck was being unloaded in Judsonia the hospital in Searcy, AR called to schedule a pick up of hospital linen.  Linens were picked up and returned to Fort Smith for sorting and repacking.
 
Hospital beds were picked up from Smithville, MO and returned to Fort Smith. 
 
CURE has submitted a manifest for a container going to Honduras and is waiting for a loading date.
 
CURE trucks will be traveling to El Dorado, KS and Marion, KS to pick up beds this week.
 
Prior to going to pick up hospital beds from a nursing home, CURE has asked members of local congregations to go to the nursing homes and remove headboards and footboards from the beds prior to our truck’s arrival.  CURE has had a good response, and it has been a tremendous help to our truck drivers. 
 
**CURE Work Opportunities**
Sunday, March 18, 2:30 p.m.
• Men are needed at Building 326, Fort Chaffee, to unload hospital beds (this will only take 30-45 minutes if enough men come).
• Women are needed at the Vicksburg Warehouse to sort and fold hospital gowns and some linens.
 
**CURE Works Locally With the Hope Chest**
 
The outreach efforts of CURE are also shared locally as they work closely with the Hope Chest.  On Sunday, Bob Fisher reported several trips had been made by the CURE trucks the previous week. 
 
One of those trips was made by Ron & Betty Moreton to Columbus, Mississippi, to deliver medical supplies to be used as fillers for a container being shipped by Project Hope to the Ukrane.  Lakeland Church of Christ is the overseeing congregation for that effort.  
 
As a result of the relationship established between CURE and Lakeland Church of Christ, Project Hope often shares its excess items with the Hope Chest.  This time they sent, via the CURE truck, boxes of men's and children's clothing, sleeping bags, diaper bags, duffle bags, and some kitchen items.  The Hope Chest committee appreciates the generosity of Project Hope and thanks CURE for transporting the items.
 
**Needs at the Hope Chest**
The room for household items is bare!!!   We especially need kitchen items of all kinds (dishes, pans, utensils, small appliances, etc).  Just place your items in the container in the church foyer and they will be delivered to the Hope Chest. 
 
**Hope Chest Work Opportunities**
We will be closed to the public for the next two weeks in order to restock with spring and summer clothing.  However, there will be workers there 9:30 to 2:30 on regular work days. Any amount of time you can give to this will be greatly appreciated.  Leaders are:
• Genneil Nye, Tuesday
• Betty Moreton, Wednesday
• Kathy Rosalez,  Thursday
 
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**Family Life Ministry**
By Brad Pistole
 
*“I’d like one God in a box...to go please?”*
 
Wouldn’t it be great if it were that easy? What if we could just pull up to the drive through and ask for God “anyway we wanted Him?” What if we could make Him comply with all of our standards? What if He had to “fit” into all of our religious concepts and “act” according to our understanding of who He is?
 
What if He handed out grace and forgiveness to others “when we told him to” or “when we thought it was deserved?” What if God was whoever WE made Him out to be based on our imperfect, limited understanding of scripture? Wouldn’t that be great?
 
In today’s world of “drive through religion,” we often forget that God is still the ONE in charge. We see virtually every kind of church and every kind of God on every single street corner. If we’re not careful, we just might find ourselves in the same trap as the Pharisees.
 
They often thought their superior knowledge of the law made them the judge and jury. In many cases, they didn’t need God. They had the “right religion” and their knowledge and good behavior gave them everything they needed to survive.
 
Therefore, they felt like they could “play God” and know exactly what He would do in certain situations. Why not, they had been religious for years. They knew exactly how to handle difficult situations. (John 8:1-5)
 
Their God was a God of the past. He set things in order and then handed things off to them. They were the ones in charge and they liked it that way.
 
When I was little, we used to sing this catchy little song, “God’s not dead…He is alive!” Do you remember it?
 
It says God is active! It describes the many different ways you can feel Him and see Him. It suggests He is present tense, alive, and in charge…not someone “who used to be active at some point in the past.”  
 
Mike Yaconelli wrote, “Mistaking the active life of faith for an institutionally backed and culturally bound belief system is similar to reducing the Mona Lisa to "paint-by-numbers.” 
 
The living Jesus is a problem in our religious institutions. Yes! Because if you are having a funeral, a nice funeral, and the dead person starts to move, there goes the funeral! Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus is moving!”
 
“Where is your God? In a box? Or where He belongs?” (Psalm 115:3)
 
**Happy Birthday**
 
March 18
Caitlin Kleman
Austin Sawyer
Linda Shank
Suzette Todd
Brad Walker
 
March 19
Marie Arnold
David Berger
Shirley Bullard
Meg Canfield
Wendal Hull
 
March 20
Blake Frost
 
March 21
Courtney Griffin
 
March 22
Linda Allen
Debra Gail Hatfield
Donna Roper
Helen Walker
Greg Wewers
 
March 23
Diane Arnold
Garrett Keller
Kimberly Layman
Troy Sweeten
 
**Morning Nursery**
Elaine Hill
Flora Johnson
 
**Evening Nursery**
Carolyn Hankins
Sheila Vaught
 
**Attendance and Contribution Count**
 
Sunday AM Worship 618
Sunday PM Worship 469
Bible Classes  405
Life Groups 48
Contribution   $16518
Children’s Home $230
 
Lao Worship
Attendance 29
Contribution $175
 
Iglesia de Cristo
Attendance 69
Contribution $278
 
Office Phone (479) 452-1240
Fax  (479) 452-5767
office@westarkchurchofchrist.org
www.westark.org
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"Making disciples for Jesus who are eager to serve others."
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