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Family Lines Newsletter, July 19, 2007
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**Are You Passionate for God or a Slave to a Process?**
By David Chadwell
 
We have just finished thoughts on Holy Manners.  Holy Manners focused on the fact that there are ways to behave if you belong to Christ.  Why?  The reasons are numerous.  Heading that list is Jesus’ reason in Matthew 5:45, “... in order that you may be the sons (the children) of your Father who is in heaven ...”
 
In my understanding, the core of “The Sermon on The Mount” is found in Matthew 5:20: “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
 
The verses 21-48 illustrate the difference between people passionate for God and people devoted to a religious process. Jesus’ illustrations centered on murder, adultery, deceitful vows, retaliation, and love.  The basic distinction is this: there is a definite difference between passionate people who want to be God’s family and people who turn passion for God into a religious process.
 
Through generations, people with the scribes and Pharisees’ emphases turned God’s intent into a set of rules.  The rules focused on “dotting i’s and crossing t’s” instead of understanding God’s intent.  The result: They distorted God’s focus: concern for people. 
 
Jesus came to restore God’s focus. God does not want His people to be angry enough to murder; to want to commit adultery; to deceive through vows; to seek retaliation; or to hate anyone.  People passionate for God do not do those things!  Those things are not a part of the lives of people who passionately want to be family to God!
 
It is not about rules and regulations!  It is not about “How can I do evil and get away with evil acts.”  It is about being family to God.  It is about godly character.
 
That commitment takes a passion.  It is not a passion focused on “how you live.”  It is a passion focused on “how I live.”  If “I” behave like people who worship idols who do not even know the living God, how am “I” different from godless people?  This unique motivation comes from devotion to the living God.  It cannot be reduced to a religious process that seeks to do evil in “correct” ways.
 
What Jesus said to his Jewish audience is relevant to all who passionately wish to be God’s family in our society.  We are increasingly, rapidly becoming a pluralistic society that respects many gods and reacts with hostility to Christian values.  In definite ways, Christians bear some responsibility for the transition.  There are few godless behaviors (a) that Christians have not performed or (b) have not justified in self-interested concerns.
 
It is not that the living God is no longer attractive.  It is not that His blessings are no longer valuable.  It is that His people have changed the focus of His concern.  It is that too few want passionately to be His family. For many, Christianity is a religious process that too often condones evil.  Only by living in passionate devotion to God can we attract people to God again.  We must be a godly people of godly character!
 
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**Pray Without Ceasing**
• Aiden Scott (infant daughter of Randy & Ashley Scott) has had several EKG’s as doctors seek to rule out any heart abnormality. Prayers for Aiden’s good health and comfort for her concerned parents is requested.
• Bill Stokes was dismissed from the hospital this morning. He did have a stroke, but is recovering at home.
• Praise! The lung biopsy for Daphne Moore (Missy Blasdel’s mother) showed no cancer cells.  She will have future follow-up testing.
• Mary Broyles has asked we pray for comfort and recovery for her step-mother, Erva Tillery.
• Jim Pratt had a heart cath and received three stints on Monday. He went home on Wednesday.
• Lyndell Foster is not feeling well and requests no visits for a while.  He has prayer pager 441-1648.
• Ona Dickens is in Sparks Hospital, room 554. 
• Praise! Patty Kaiser has shown much improvement in the last week. She had a chemo treatment yesterday (7/18/07). 
• Roger Dicks (son of Charles and Jean) has had a relapse of pneumonia.  He is leaving Thursday (7/19/07) for tests at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He will be there approximately one week. 
• Rusty Howard (son of Wilburn & Louise Howard) is in his last week of a series of combined chemo and radiation treatments.
• Tonya Jenkins (Lila Hull's niece) is recovering from breast surgery and waiting on treatment options.
 
**Continued Prayers**
• Bob Callicott (Ann Combs' father)
• Bobbie Michael (friend of Donna Miller)
• Hunter Hesslen (Kevin and Christy’s 5-year-old son)
• Janet Tabor (friend of Missy Blasdel)
• Mary Wray (mother of Vicki Anderson)
• Paul Quenin
• Wendy Grist (Ed’s daughter-in-law)
 
**Bereaved**
Our love and sympathy goes out to Donna Roper in the recent death of her grandmother.
 
**Welcome, New Members!**
Cody & Olivia Casady
Children: Luke and Laynee
5100 S. Zero, #2901
Fort Smith, AR 72903
(417) 540-0051
 
**Prayers for Our Military**
"My grandson, Adam Morrisun, and his family are reunited thanks to God and your prayers!" ~~Florence Cotner
Please continue to pray for:
Bob Collier
Brian Perkins
Brian Harris
Jeff Amos
Jonathan Smith
Kyle Evans
Michael Anderson
Ron Wheat
Stephen McElroy
Stephen Christian
Thomas Lara
 
**Missionaries in Prayer**
• Our missionary families in Vietnam and Laos.
• John Paul & Ruby Lee Hundley in France.
• Steve & Colleen DeLoach, Operation Guyana.
• Evangelists and their families with whom we work in Ethiopia and Nigeria.
 
**Letters of Thanks**
Dear West-Ark Christian friends:
So many of you do good works daily to glorify our God and His Son Jesus, our Savior. This past week my family and I were recipients of your good works with the passing of my dear sister, Marceil Stevens. Thank you ALL so very much for your prayers, visits, calls, cards, food brought to our home, and your many hugs. Special thanks to Paula May, Dale Mason, and ALL the other ladies who provided, prepared, and served us the delicious meal.
 In Christian love,
 Anetia Livesay
 
Dear West-Ark Family,
Thank you for all the Christian love you have shown us and our mother over the years. We were so thankful that Mama was able to have her funeral service there. Your prayers and kind thoughts really gave us comfort during these sad times. The food that you gave us after the service was great and gave us time as a family to visit with one another. Thank you so much for the donation of the books to the Library in Mama’s name.
 In Christian love,
 Alice Anderson &
 Charles Stevens Family
 
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**JOY Bunch!**
Saturday, July 21
Join us for a “Christmas in July” gift exchange. Each person should bring a wrapped gift, not to exceed $7.00.
 
**Bridal Shower**
A shower honoring Katy Selby, daughter of Marilyn and Jerry Selby, is planned for Sunday, July 29, from 2:00 to 3:30 PM in the Annex. Katy is registered at Dillard's, Target, Now & Then Shop, Linens 'N Things, and Wal-Mart.
 
**New Bible Study**
David Chadwell's new Bible study, "Peter: The Importance of People to God" is available in participating adult classrooms (rooms 100, 203, & 211).  The Teachers' study guides are also in these classrooms.  The new lessons begin August 5. The series is posted online at: www.westark.org/chadwell/importance3.
 
**Child Care Needed**
Ugo & Bonnie Akoma are seeking a Christian caregiver for their two small children. If you are interested or would like more information, please call the Akomas.
 
**Self-Defense Course for Young Women**
Saturday, July 28, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Greg Null will offer a self-defense course to high school and college age young women of West-Ark.  There is no cost.  Please call either Gina Williams or Greg with questions or to reserve your spot.
 
**Motherly Love Dinner**
Theme: Christmas in July
July 31, 6:30 PM, Coleen Shirley’s Home
6021 Uniontown Hiway, Van Buren, AR 72956
Phone: (479) 474-5256
At the Motherly Love Dinner, we attempt to fulfill the admonition of Paul in Titus 2:4-5 that the “older women” teach the “younger women.”  On July 31, we’ll have a meal hosted and served by the older women for the younger women that will include a devotional and prayer time. After the meal, a lesson about the responsibilities of the Christian woman toward her family and home will be presented. The evening will conclude with a time for dessert and discussion. If you would like to attend, please sign the list in the Information Center. For more details, call Coleen.
 
**Coming Events**
• July 22 -- Meeting for Elders, Deacons, & Ministry Leaders, 4:00 PM in the upstairs room of the FLC.
• July 29 -- 6:00 PM Family Meeting followed by a fellowship meal in the FLC. Please bring desserts!
 
**Abilene Christian University’s 90th Annual Lectureship**
September 16-19, 2007
Topics include: Do Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly; Eighth-Century Prophets; Swords Into Plowshares
www.acu.edu/lectureship
(325) 674-3750
 
**The 84th Harding University Lectureship**
September 30 – October 3, 2007
"Near to the Heart of God: Reflections on the Psalms"
www.harding.edu/lectureship
(501) 279-5123
 
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**Family Life Ministry**
By Brad Pistole
 
This coming week, July 21st – 28th, a group of 40 teens and adults from Fort Smith and Rogers, AR will be traveling to Duluth, Minnesota, to participate in their 17th Annual Work Camp.
 
We will be working through the East Duluth Church of Christ with minister Danny Jaekel. Danny has ministered for the East Duluth congregation for many years.  He told me that this one annual outreach event has done more for image of the church in Duluth than any other thing they have done over the years.
 
Over the past 17 years, groups that have attended work camp have helped paint over 100 homes in the Duluth area. Danny works with several individuals to find the people that need help the most. They mainly target widows and single parent families.
 
We will be leaving this Saturday morning, spending the night in Iowa, and we will arrive and worship with the East Duluth congregation on Sunday. We will participate in various work projects inside and outside of several area homes Monday through Thursday.  We will leave on Friday to begin our trip home.
 
I am truly thankful for all of the opportunities our teens have had to help serve this summer. They have led through Vacation Bible School, Fort Smith work camp and several different individual projects (like the one we will be doing on Thursday, July 19, when we help one of our teachers move from her old classroom to her new classroom). We will wrap things up with Work Camp in Minnesota.
 
Please keep our group and the group from the Southside Church of Christ in Rogers in your prayers throughout this coming week. May our Lord be honored by all that we do and say with those we come in contact with through our service!
 
**Happy Birthday**
 
July 22
Colleen Frost
Brynn Walker
 
July 23
Maile McDonald
Oscar Nolasco
Ian Smith
 
July 25
Bob Fisher
 
July 26
Carol Evans
Joe Rosalez
 
July 27
Lou Winchell
 
July 28
Miriam Gunn
Terri Parker
Retha Wood
 
**Morning Nursery**
Sharon Faries
Berniece Rogers
Kristin Smith
 
**Evening Nursery**
Angela Dunavant
Denise Lusby
 
**Attendance and Contribution Count**
Sunday AM Worship 648
Sunday PM Worship 245
Bible Classes 465
Life Groups 9
Contribution $17,303
Children’s Home $165
 
**Lao Worship**
Attendance 36
Contribution $206
 
**Iglesia de Cristo **
Attendance 55
Contribution $187
 
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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