Honor Bus and Great Race Winners - July

Congratulations to the Green Bus for winning the Honor Bus award for July 2013 and congratulations to the Blue Bus for winning the Great Race award for July. We appreciate the volunteers on these Bible School on wheels and we thank the breakfast cooks for their kindness and sacrifice.  The birthday cakes were delicious and again we appreciate those who help bake, serve and clean up. The puppeteers, monitors and teachers in Bible Hour all help the Ministry pull together. Thank all of you who help bring the people in to hear the Word of God. We pray that souls will be sought, brought and taught to bring Glory to Gods name.

India News

Greetings to you from Sullurpeta. We are all doing fine here and we hope same with you all there. I have good news to share with you yesterday (August 10), 2 souls were added to the church. This is new work from the Sullurpeta church Sunday evening and I am preaching here. So far 12 were baptized please pray for them 

~S.Dhananjaya
Preacher , Church of Christ

Monroe County Fair Gospel Sing

A Gospel Sing, sponsored by area Churches of Christ will be held at the Monroe County Fair, Tuesday, August 20 at 7:00 pm in the pavilion.  Song books will be provided.  For more information, call Mitch Fetzer at 472-0520.

Slow Down Therapy

1. Slow down; God is still in heaven. You are not responsible for doing it all yourself right now.
2. Remember a happy, peaceful time in your past. Rest there.
3. Set your own pace. When people push you, it’s ok to tell them.
4. Don’t take simple things for granted: watch water flow, com grow, leaves blow, and your neighbor mow.
5. Taste your food. God gives it to delight as well as to nourish.
6. Notice the sun and the moon as they rise and set. They are remarkable for their steady pattern of movement, not their speed.
7. Talk and play with children. It will bring out the unhurried little person inside you.
8. Create a place in your home. . .at your work..in your heart...where you can go for quiet and recollection.
9. Allow yourself time to be unproductive, Rest is a necessity, too.
10. Talk slower. Talk less. Don’t talk. Communication isn’t necessarily measured by words.
11. Give yourself permission to be late sometimes. Life is for living, not scheduling.
12. Listen to the song of a bird — the complete song.
13. Learn to stand back and let others take their turn as leaders. There will always be new opportunities for you to step out in front again.
14. Divide big jobs into little jobs. God took six days to create the universe.
15. When you find yourself being anxious stop and ask "Why?" The best musician is one who plays with expression and meaning, not the one who finishes first.
16. Take time to read the Bible. Thoughtful reading is enriching reading.
17. Take a day off alone; make a retreat.
18. Pet a furry friend. You will give and get the gift of now.
19. Once in a while, turn down the lights, the volume, the throttle, the invitations.
Sit in the dark. It will teach you to see and hear, taste and smell.
20. Take a walk-but don’t go anywhere. Journey is often better than destination.
21. Count your friends. If you have one true friend, you are unusual. If you have more you are blessed. Bless them in return.

Psalm 46:10

10 Ways to Find Time to Read the Bible

1. Wake up ten minutes earlier each morning and read.
2. Put a Bible portion under your pillow to read each night before sleep.
3. Talk less and you will have a few more minutes to read.
4. Keep a copy on hand in the kitchen, or at the telephone to read while you "hold".
5. Carry a copy of the Bible in your purse or pocket to read while waiting for doctors, unpunctual people, etc.
6. Never go on a  trip without your Bible.
7. Keep a copy in the glove compartment of the car.
8. Remember, a Bible in your hand is worth two on the table.
9. Turn the TV off and read to your children.
10. Read a verse or two at meal time when all the family is together.

Don't Take God Out of Your Plans

 The youth are getting ready tor 4-H, football, cheerleading, band, and fair projects. Parents are busy and with all the activities. I am so proud of the Church Youth Group for being faithful to Bible Classes and Worship services. The world can fill up your schedules but it’s great to see the children of God always finding time to study and learn more about the life of Jesus. Stay faithful to the worship services. We need to be fed spiritually or we will die spiritually. Thank God we have teachers who dedicate themselves to the study of God and is willing to share it with their students.

World Bible School

There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, Leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat, And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.

This famous quote from Shakespeare means "take your opportunities when the tide rises, the ship floats clear of obstacles. When the full tide turns towards the sea launch your ship! Miss the moment, and you will be left behind. I believe we now have an opportune tide that begs to be taken.

First, we must have a flood of preparation: consider the timeline today! Where do we stand in relation to that timeline? At the end..meaning we benefit from all preceding progress. Decades of hard-won advances have positioned us well to surge forward.

Second, we have a flood of need. In some ways the tide has run against us for 20 years. During that period, Churches of Christ in the United States appear to decline by 1.5 % per year, while the U.S. population grew by 35%. We witness urgent needs within the church and greater needs among those suffering for lack of hearing the Gospel. . .enough of "shallows and miseries! Lord, grant us a mighty tide to lift and launch us!

Third, we have a flood of opportunity. . .here is the proof:  Every 30 seconds, another person applies for World Bible School studies. Each year over 800,000 ask for printed lessons. Past studies may be slower and less convenient, opposites of what our culture wants. But please remember a small group sent over WBS intros lessons to be distributed in the schools in Ghana, to well behaved, attentive students. The Spirit was truly at work while teaching and answering the many questions of students and teachers,. The poor cannot afford access to the internet...paper is their way to learn, and they come to us by the millions! . As for the internet’s rise is meteoric. Every 4 minutes, a seeker enrolls online. A recent week saw 5,800 student logging on from 161 nations. As we pay Google there seems to be no ceiling.

The tide is lifting already. . .ride the turning tide "which leads on to fortune", or let it pass, consigning ourselves to "shallows and miseries". Ten wanted something better. Two saw the reality of what God had promise and prepared for now The Bible says the difference turned out to be conquest in Canaan or death in the wilderness. Each leader made his choice. Now is our time, "there is a tide in the affairs of men" and it is flowing now. So what will it be for us? Obey or delay? Launch or languish? Decide or die'? Faith knows the right choice. Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2

For World Bible School
Brady & W.B.S Team

The Reality of Hell

In Matthew 25:31-46 the Bible teaches that at the final judgment while the righteous will enter heaven to enjoy everlasting life, the wicked will go into eternal punishment. The thought of everlasting suffering is repulsive to many. No doubt this aversion lies at the bottom of much of the indifference to what the Bible teaches about hell.

Hell, despite the denials of many, is real. Sin demands it. Sin is a violation of the law of God (I John 3:4). lf there were no punishment for sin, then there could be no law for law without penalty is null and void. If there is no law, there would be no sin. That would make the death of Jesus useless because if there is no sin there is no responsibility to save anyone from it.

The reality of life after death also demands the reality of hell. Jesus taught, in Matthew 22:23-33, that there was life alter physical death. In the account of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31, two distinct destinies are presented, comfort for the righteous but punishment for the wicked depending on whether or not one serves God while living on earth.

Hell was not originally prepared for man. It was prepared for Satan and his angles (Matthew 25:41). Jude 6 states that fallen angels are placed in chains awaiting judgment. Yet, when men and women join the devil in his work and live in servitude to him, they must suffer the same fate that will befall him.

Hell is not contrary to the Nature of God. Many people find it difficult to accept the reality of hell because they cannot understand or believe that a loving merciful and forgiving God would create such a place and then place people in it eternally. lf no punishment were given for violation of his law, then God would not be just. Being a just God, He will reward the righteous and punish the wicked Hell is to punish the wicked.

What Hell is like. Hell is eternal. It is described that way in Matthew 25:46. In Romans 16:26, God is said to be eternal. The Holy Spirit, in Hebrews 9: 14, is also described as eternal. The same Greek word is used in all three passages. The word means "eternal, everlasting, without end, never to cease". Hell and the punishment meted out there will last as long as God forever.

Hell is a place of darkness. Jude 13 speaks of "the blackness of darkness" to which false teacher will be confined forever God is light (1 John 1:5) and the Father of light (James 1:17). Hell is described as darkness because it is the place farthest removed from God.

Hell is a place of fire. Matthew 13:42 speaks of it as a furnace of tire. Mark 9:44-45 says the tire is A never quenched Revelation 21:8 refers to it as the lake of fire. There will be no relief from its fires because Revelation 14:11 says the smoke from the fires of torment ascends forever and ever.

There is no rest there. Revelation 14:11 says the wicked will have no rest from their torment day or night. Hell is a place where there is no hope. The punishment is everlasting (Matthew 25:46) with no chance of pardon or parole.

Who will go there? As already noted, Satan and his angels will be there (Matthew 25:41, Revelation 21 :8 says the "cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars” will be there. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 says that those who do not know God and those who will not obey the gospel of Christ will be punished with everlasting destruction. In short, all sinners who choose to remain in their sin will be found in hell.

Why people will go there. People will not be in hell because God wants them to be there. His desires that all be saved (1 Timothy 2:1-4). They will not be there because God cannot save them. God is all-powerful and the gospel, His power to save (Romans 1:16), can save to the uttermost. God sent His Son into the world so that all might have salvation (John 3:16) and He has extended His invitation to all who would come to him (Matthew 11:28-30). If a person ends up in hell, he is lost by his own free choice. He has no one to blame but himself.  Many see no need to be interested in spiritual things and are indifferent to the pleas of the gospel. Others refuse to obey the gospel or submit to the will of God. Some refuse to believe. Others just love sin more than righteousness. Some, though once obedient become unfaithful in service.

Conclusion. Hell is real. The suffering of it is waiting for the sinful. You can escape the torment found there by giving obedience to Christ now. He will wash away the guilt of your sins and grant you hope of a life of eternal bliss in His presence.

Magi Project

The mission of this project is to make a God impact on children in Honduras Dominican Republic, Romania, and Texas/Mexico. It is a box filled with a simple message of God’s love. The program allows Christians to experience the blessing of giving, while partnering together with local churches and enhancing opportunities in their communities to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

Suggested items are: Hygiene items like mild bar soap, tooth brush, (no shampoo or conditioner), toothpaste, comb, wash cloth, band aids (place in a plastic bag) and brushes.

Clothes: age appropriate size T shirt, ball caps, underwear, flip flops, caps, and dresses.

Candy: gum, individually wrapped hard candy (no chocolate), please pack in Ziploc bags.

The church will provide Bibles and containers to send gifts in. Feel free to send school supplies and personal notes, sun glasses, necklaces, earrings, toys, flashlights with batteries.  Do not send toy guns, knives, war-related items, perishable food items, medicines, used items, fragile items, mouth wash or nail polish remover.

If you are interested in helping with this years Magi Project please sign the sheet in the foyer. Thanks for all your compassion to help others.

Fishing At Broken Timber

On July 14, 2013 the family was invited to Broken Timber Outdoor Education Center following morning worship. The Joy Buses drove down and all the children were served food, taught safety fishing, and had a fishing contest at the pond. Broken Timber and the Ohio Division of Wildlife provided the fishing poles for ages 6 thru 16. There were a over 100 people and a total of 63 children in attendance and 88 or so fish were caught in 1.5 hours.  Thanks to all that helped.  May God be honored with your compassion to share the love of Jesus with others.