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Family Lines
Newsletter, March 28, 2010
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**The Beginning of
Faith**
By David
Chadwell
If asked how faith
begins, we would refer the asker to Romans 10:17. The immediate context
has to do with the message that Isaiah presented to Israel. Those who
listened to Isaiah trusted God. Those who did not listen to Isaiah
rejected God and His message.
The paragraph
previous to Romans 10:17 deals with the failure of the Jewish people to realize
that God’s great agenda included extending salvation to all people—even idol
worshippers who had the wrong concept of deity and no idea about godly morals.
God simply wants everyone to have access to Him. God through Christ
granted that access to all, in spite of where they were. It is not about
one’s education, or one’s society, or one’s material success, or one’s ability
to read, or one being primitive or advanced. It is about understanding the
message of what God did in Jesus Christ.
This article is
not about seeking to deny the message of Romans 10:17. It suggests faith
begins earlier. The message begins with God’s concern forming the basis
for God’s act.
To act to benefit
a perceived god was not unusual in any religion. For God to initiate an
act of compassion to benefit people was incredibly different. For God to
act on our behalf when we had done nothing to “obligate” Him was absolutely
amazing (Romans 5:6-8)! The message from an involved God was unique—but
true!
Faith begins with
understanding that God gave His most precious relationship to make our salvation
possible (John 3:16-21). Do you understand that God made a major sacrifice
to make salvation possible for us? He hurt first that we might rejoice in
Christ!
Do you understand
that God is even involved in our coming to Him? We are enabled to repent
through God’s support (2 Timothy 2:24-26)!
Do you understand
that entrance into Jesus Christ begins a continuing forgiveness for those who
refuse to reject Jesus Christ (1 John 1:1-10)? God is even involved (if we
permit) in our remaining in Jesus Christ. We are not “on our
own ”!
God is involved in
our salvation from A to Z—accepting God’s concern begins our
faith!
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**Order of
Worship**
March 28,
2010
Worship Leader --
Brent Evans
Welcome
Magnificat (on
screen)
#72 – Blessed Be
The Lord God Almighty
#202 – Joyful,
Joyful We Adore Thee (vs. 1, 2)
Jesus Loves The
Little Children (on screen)
Baby
Blessing
#176 – Lamb of
God
Table of the
Lord
Offering
#470 – Victory in
Jesus (vs. 1, 3)
Coins for Christ
Children’s
Worship
#508 – A Wonderful
Savior (vs. 1, 2, 4)
Message -- Chris
Benjamin
Song for
Responses
#111 – Grace
Greater Than Our Sin (vs. 1, 3)
Shepherd’s Prayer
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**Updated Prayer
List**
• Mary Burkett’s
niece, Amy, is with a medical team in Haiti this week.
• Ed Grist asks
for prayers for his mother, Eulonda. She will probably enter Baptist Hospital in
Little Rock Thursday (3/25/10). Her COPD has worsened, and she is having trouble
breathing.
• John Carson has
become ill while on a mission trip to Impact Church in Houston. He is in the
hospital and will have gall bladder surgery Thursday (3/25/10).
• Keith Davis
(Harold’s brother) is in St. Vincent’s Hospital in Little Rock after surgery on
Tuesday. He has many medical issues and his prognosis is not good.
• Kathy Rosalez
had her final chemotherapy treatment last week. She is grateful for all
the prayers and support.
• Layne Downs
requests prayers for the health of her daughter, Cheryl.
• Tammy Cypert
asks for prayers for strength for her father, Marlin Edens. A biopsy
result indicates cancer, and he will see an oncologist next week.
• Toka Beall has a
compressed disc in her back and will have lumbar laminectomy surgery at Baptist
Hospital in Little Rock on April 5.
**Continued
Prayers**
Aura Lee
Land
Caidan
Dockery
Carolyn
Harrell
Frances
Quenin
Inez
Hatfield
John
Gardenhire
Lela
Neal
Leon
Medlock
Margaret
Stone
Mary
Wray
Wendi
Murrell
Wilma
Son
**Prayers for
Nigeria**
Pray for the
recovery of Jacob Achinefu and also for the country of
Nigeria.
**Bereaved**
Our love and
sympathy is extended to Scott Hickey in the recent death of his father,
Elbert. The memorial service was March 21 in Gulf Shores,
Alabama.
Our love and
sympathy is extended to the family of Olan Nincehelser who died Friday at the
age of 92. Graveside service was March 23 at U.S. National
Cemetery.
**Due Date or
Adoption Date**
Do you have a
precious little one on the way or will you be adopting soon? Please send your
due date or expected adoption date to
dena@westarkkids.org.
**Baby
Blessing**
Sunday Morning,
March 28, for Jaxon Noah Reilly Daws, son of Brandon and Amanda
Daws
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**Bridal Shower
for Melinda Griffin**
Sunday, March 28,
2:00 - 4:00 PM
in the home of
Lucille Graves
Melinda is
registered at Target, Dillard’s,
Now & Then
Shoppe and Bed, Bath & Beyond
**Baby Boy
Shower**
There will be a
baby shower honoring Shelley McGehee on Sunday, April 11 from 2:00 - 3:30 PM in
the Annex. Shelley is registered at Target and Wal-Mart. It’s a
boy!
**Congratulations!**
Alice Jean Rogers
has a new great-grandson. Kosten William McKinney was born March 2 to
Jeana & Kelsey McKinney. The grandparents are Brian & Matha
Rogers.
**God’s Temple
Bible Study**
This new Bible
study by David Chadwell will be in participating adult classrooms on Sunday
morning, March 28. The series begins on Sunday, April 4. It will be
available soon online at
www.westark.org/chadwell/temple.
**Car
Clinic**
Calling all 60+
and single women: the CAR CLINIC will be open Saturday, April 3 in the Annex
parking lot from 8 – 11 AM, unless of course an April shower
occurs.
**Widows/Widowers**
April is the month
for our annual trip to Parks Brothers’ Greenhouse. We will eat a sandwich
lunch at noon before loading on the van for the trip to Van Buren.
If you do not plan to purchase, you might enjoy going to just look
at the beautiful flowers, but please do join us for the meal. Call Bobbie
or Mary if you need transportation to the building.
**New On the
Bulletin Board**
Thank you from
Jane Binyon and all of the Harold Binyon Family
**King's Kids
Calendar**
Mark your
calendars for the following upcoming events:
• April 11 -
Bridge 56 Hosts “Welcome Back Lunch” for Houston Mission
Team.
• May 16 - 7th
Grade/Senior Sunday (This will also be promotion Sunday for all ages except
Nursery and 2-year-olds.)
• August 7 - Faith
Fusion 2010
(Stay tuned for
more details!)
**Reminders**
Join King’s Kids
on Facebook at www.westarkkids.org and get weekly updates by joining our mailing
list at dena@westarkkids.org.
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**Youth Group
News**
Youth Event at
Ben Geren Park - Sunday, March 28
Two of our SLAM
Team members are putting together a great event for us. We will go to Ben Geren
Park to play outdoor games! We have Pavilion 2 reserved for our group. Everyone
will need to bring enough meat to grill for themselves and one other person.
Also, we need the guys to bring a 2 liter drink and the girls to bring either
chips or dessert. We have one adult with a grill, but we still need volunteers
to grill as well as a couple of van drivers. (If you can do this, contact Rick
or Jackie.) We’ll leave from the church building at 6 p.m. and be back by 8 p.m.
Youth Group -
Wednesday, March 31
We have been
having a ton of students show up... don’t miss out as we continue our new study
on “Identity in Christ” and fellowship together! Youth room, 7-8 p.m.
Bulgaria
Mission Trip Meeting - Sunday, April 4
Make sure your
fundraising letters are sent, passports ordered, homework finished. We are
moving closer to the meat of our preparation classes, so start getting more
focused! Youth room, 5 p.m.
Family Clusters
- Sunday, April 4
We realize this is
Easter Sunday, but we are still planning on having this event so mark your
calendars! It will be from 6-8 p.m. We still need a host home for the Van Buren
cluster. PLEASE contact Rick or Jackie if you can host. A couple of groups did
NOT meet last time due to the lack of a host home. Please consider serving as a
host.
SLAM Team
Meeting - Wednesday, April 7
Student Leadership
Action Ministry meeting at 6 p.m. in the youth group room. Open to all WAYG
7-12th graders.
PST+ Team
Meeting - Wednesday, April 7
This is a meeting
for the Parent Support Team plus other interested adults at 8 p.m. in the youth
group room. Open to all WAYG parents.
OKC Thunder
Basketball Game Time Change! - April 9
The vans will
leave the building at 3:00 p.m. (instead of 3:45) and return after midnight. We
are leaving earlier because if we get to the stadium by 6:15 the teens will be
able to high-five the Thunder players in the tunnel as they run out onto the
court. Bring money to get food at the game. If you haven’t given your $16 to
Rick do so as soon as possible!
SNL in
Bentonville - Sunday, April 11
Theme: “I am the
way, the truth, and the life.” John 14:6 Vans will leave at 4:30 p.m. and
return at 9:30 p.m. We’ve been having great attendance at all of our youth
events... don’t miss out on the time you can spend with YOUR youth group and
fellowship that is available at this Area Wide! It’s
free!
**Happy
Birthday**
March
28
Tammy
Keller
Glenda
Lewis
March
29
Hope
Evans
Forrest
Hickey
March
30
Alyssia
Beneux
Daniel
Tignor
March
31
Chuck
Combs
Jarek
Davidson
Harold
Gouty
Lauren
Hankins
Ken
Hollomon
Trenton
Schien
**Attendance and
Contribution Count**
Bible
Classes...………....185
Sunday AM
Attendance..294
Sunday PM
Attendance....96
Wednesday
Classes…...N/A
Contribution………..$11,930
Children’s
Homes……..$175
Coins For
Christ.............$15
Lao
Worship
Attendance……………......17
Contribution……………$151
Iglesia de
Cristo
Attendance………………..52
Contribution……………$229
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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