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Family Lines
Newsletter, January 17, 2010
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** “Wish I
Could Have Been Abraham!” -- Really? **
By David
Chadwell
Other than
Jesus, there are few (if any) people in scripture more prominent than Abraham
is. He is prominent in both the Old and New Testaments. He was the
source of the Jewish people. The promise of the Christ is evident in the
promises God made to him (Genesis 12:3). This one man became a nation, and
through that nation God sent His Son, the Christ. Abraham was wealthy with
a name that lives among the Jewish, the Christian, and the Muslim peoples.
His recognizable name has endured for around 4,000 years. (Who will know your name
in 150 years?)
Abraham
performed some of the most astounding acts of obedience that occurred in
scripture! Yet, scripture does not use Abraham as an outstanding example
of obedience, but as an exceptional example of faith.
“Oh, I wish I
could be Abraham!” Really? “Yes!” Do you mean you wish you had
what Abraham had materially, or do you mean you wish you could develop the faith
that led Abraham to do what he did?
Do you mean
you wish you could leave your homeland and your family, recover from mistakes,
make huge material sacrifices for a self-centered nephew, tell your son
(Ishmael) good-bye, knowingly be prepared to kill your son whom God promised
(Isaac), and have serious conflict with your spouse?
Abraham had
an astounding faith in God which resulted in astounding obedience.
However, without that remarkable faith there could not have been the remarkable
obedience. Because he had that faith, he simply did what naturally
expressed his trust in God. His faith demonstrated itself through his
obedience. As James said:
“You see that
faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was
perfected (completed) . . .” James
2:22, NASV
Walking with
God in genuine trust commonly requires great costs. Spiritual maturity is
neither simple nor easy. No matter what we do as Christians, salvation
always will be a product of God’s mercy and grace. Never will it be a
matter of what we have done for God, but what God did for us in Jesus’ death and
resurrection.
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**Order of
Worship**
Worship
Leader -- Brent Evans
#155 –
Highest Place
Welcome
How Great Is
Our God (on screen)
#76 – How
Great Thou Art (vs. 1)
#77 – Glorify
Thy Name (vs. 1, 2 , 3)
#364 – Come,
Share The Lord (vs. 1, 2, 3)
Table of the
Lord
Offering
#800 – What a
Friend We Have In Jesus
Coins for
Christ and Dismiss for Children’s Worship
#23 – Our God
He Is Alive (vs. 1, 2, 3, 4)
Message –
Chris Benjamin
Song for
Responses
#478 –
Nearer, Still Nearer (vs. 1, 2, 3)
#711 – Blest
Be The Tie That Binds
Elder’s
Prayer
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**In Our
Thoughts & Prayers**
• Earl Flood
was dismissed from the hospital on Saturday. Calls and visits are
welcomed, but please call first so that it does not conflict with home health
care appointments.
• Kim Shawver
had surgery on January 7 and is recovering at home.
• Lynnette
Purvis (aunt of Dena Jenkins and sister of Carolyn Harrell) was hospitalized
last weekend with kidney failure. She is home now and feeling much
better.
• Prayers are
requested for Michael McGehee & family as Michael embarks on a new career
path.
• Remember
Ray House in your prayers. He has been diagnosed with a brain tumor and will be
having surgery on Tuesday at St. Edward Hospital.
• Richard
Broyles is still in Covington Court, room 120 for rehab.
**Continued
Prayers**
Continue to
pray for Aura Lee Land, Bobbie Bolinger, Caidan Dockery, Eleanor Casey, Geneva
Shepherd, Grace Peters, Marta Fischer & baby Joshua, Inez Hatfield, Lela
Neal, Margaret Stone, Mary Ann Scholle, Wilma Son, and Wendi
Murrell.
**Bereaved in
Prayer**
Our love and
sympathy is extended to Leon Medlock in the death of Sue. The funeral
service was January 14 at Lewis Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers,
donations may be made to aid cancer or Alzheimer’s
research.
**Prayer
Pagers**
• Ruby
Nichols, 441-1648
• Mary Ann
Scholle, 441-6639
• Earl
Flood, 441-2381
• Geneva
Shepherd, 441-2378
• Dialing
(479) 441-2395 will contact all West-Ark prayer pagers at
once.
**Military
Prayer List**
• Johny
Lindgren, son of John & Donna, has been deployed to Iraq and will be there
at least a year.
• Alex
Adams
• Jeremy
Grist
• John
Clark
• John
Lemley
• Josh
McLaughlin
• Lance Hurst
• Michael
Anderson
• Michael
Priester
• Mitchell
Bryant
**Welcome,
New Members**
Kyle &
Brittanie Stinchcomb
9500
Meandering Way - Apt. 5
Fort Smith,
AR 72903
Phone:
479-462-2729
**New on Our
Bulletin Board**
Leadership
Seminar at Sallisaw Church of Christ, January 22-23.
**Elder
Nominations, January 17 - 24**
Elder
Nomination forms (printed on gold paper) are available in multiple locations --
the Information Center (foyer), and all adult classrooms. Nomination forms
should be signed and returned to one of the designated drop boxes in the foyer
by the evening of Jan. 24. Unsigned nominations will be
discarded.
**Elder
Selection Timeline**
Jan. 25 –
Feb. 6: Elders will process the nominations and consult with the top
nominees.
Feb. 7:
Nominees willing to serve will be presented to the congregation as candidates
for shepherds.
Feb. 7 - 20:
Concerns about any candidate should be submitted in writing to the elders for
review. Unsigned letters will be discarded.
Feb. 21-28:
Affirmation of candidates and re-affirmation of current elders. Forms will be
available giving members the opportunity to affirm elders and candidates.
It should be returned to the drop box on or before Feb. 28.
March 7:
Dedication of elders during worship assembly.
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**Singing
Devotional**
January 24 at
6 PM in the Auditorium
followed by
supper in the Family Life Center (gym).
Please bring
desserts!
**Elders,
Deacons, Ministry Leaders’ Meeting**
Sunday,
January 31, 4:00 PM in Room 203
** JOY Bunch!
**
Ever wonder
why brides carry bouquets? Find out more about this tradition and others during
our interesting “historical trivia” meeting on Saturday, January 16th at 6 PM in
Family Life Center (gym).
**Please Save
the Date for Our Double Wedding**
Saturday, May
15, 2010
Ellen Marie
Kamp to Clay Alan Smith
Emily Kathryn
Kamp to Jeffrey Wade Pressley
**Dave Ramsey
Simulcast**
Saturday,
March 13, 2010
West-Ark
Auditorium, 12:00 - 5:00 PM
Tickets on
Sale NOW!
Call the
church office at 452-1240.
**Confidential
Financial Counseling**
Jeff &
Michelle Lovelace
Phone: (479)
883-5542
mmlovelace [at] sbcglobal.net
**King’s Kids
Calendar**
To see event
photos, faith@home activities and more, join King’s Kids on Facebook at
www.westarkkids.org/facebook.
See our
January newsletter at www.westarkkids.org/news.
Saturday,
January 16 - Family Mystery Dinner
Don’t miss
this fun, family event!
More info at
http://www.facebook.com/eventphp?eid=214932091026&index=1
RSVP at
www.westarkkkids.org/mystery
**West-Ark
Online Church Calendar**
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**Youth Group
News*
Congratulations!
Congratulations
to Eric Berger for making 1st band, 6th chair at the All-region band
competition. In February he will travel to Jonesboro for All-state band
try-outs.
Winterfest
2010! - January 15-17, 2010
We leave for
Winterfest at 2 PM on Friday, January 15. Make sure you have eaten lunch, are
packed up and at the church by then. We will return Sunday afternoon.
Bowling
Night! - Sunday, January 17
$7 cash is
all it takes to participate in a full 2 hours of non-stop fun! And, shoes, pizza
and a soda are included! You won’t want to miss this event! We’ll
leave from the church building at 4:45 PM sharp and return by 7:30 PM.
Bring a friend!
Youth Group -
Wednesday, January 20
Join us as we
continue our study on “My Own Jesus”, about how we need to develop our own faith
in Jesus Christ! Bring your Bible and be here at 7
PM.
“To Save a
Life” movie - Friday, January 22
Although
Malco does not yet have exact movie times, we will try to attend the 7 PMish
showing of this movie. It will definitely impact you and how you see the
world. Made by the producers of Fireproof. Cost is $8.50 per student.
Check your Facebook messages and email for more details next
week.
Mexico
Mission Trip Meeting - Sunday, January 24
For those
interested in going on the mission trip to Mexico make sure to attend this
meeting at 4 PM in the youth room.
Bulgaria
Mission Trip Meeting - Sunday, January 24
If you are
interested in going on the mission trip to Bulgaria this summer make sure to
attend this meeting at 5 PM in the youth room.
Home Devo -
Sunday, January 24
Join us for
our home devo. The vans leave the church at 6 PM and will return at 8 PM. Dinner
will be provided. Please bring $3 to contribute to the cost of food.
Mid-South
Girls Conference - January 29 - 30
Attention all
youth group girls: you won’t want to miss this conference, it is just for you!
We will travel to Memphis on Friday, January 29 and return Saturday night.
Applications are available in class and near the bulletin board. The deadline is
Wednesday, January 20!
UPCOMING
EVENTS!
Look for more
information, applications, etc. for the following events coming
soon.
- Christeens
(9-12th only), February 26-28, 2010
- Mexico
Mission Trip, March 20-27, 2010
**Happy
Birthday**
January
17
Ollie
Amos
January
18
Tatum
Thompson
January
19
Linda
Davis
John
Lindgren
January
20
Rose
Davis
Beverly
Lankford
January
21
James
Anderson
Christopher
Belt
Janice
Lowry
January
22
Ted
Knight
January
23
Race
Burns
Ellen
Kamp
Tom
Porter
**Attendance
and Contribution Count**
Bible
Classes...………....394
Sunday AM
Attendance..618
Sunday PM
Attendance..N/A
Wednesday
Classes…...N/A
Contribution………..$15,780
Children’s
Homes……..$408
Coins For
Christ.............$30
Lao
Worship
Attendance……………......30
Contribution……………$166
Iglesia de
Cristo
Attendance………………..68
Contribution……………$189
**Nursery
Workers**
Morning
Flora
Johnson
Betty
Callicott
Linda
Wilson
Evening
Sheila
Vaught
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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