Twelve Inches of Snow in the Country!

     Country living in Enola, Arkansas!  What a beautiful experience!  We had a rare occurrence this week with more than 12 inches of snow falling on Christmas day in the country.  I couldn’t get out of my driveway until one of our neighbors came with his tractor and blade.  Neighbors in the country are certainly different from neighbors in the city.  I know and so do you, if you have ever lived in the city.  Utility trucks have been working tirelessly trying to get our roads cleared and our utilities back up and running.  We still don’t have any electricity at the main building and education building at Enola.  Hope everything will be back up and running before Sunday.  We can determine and manage many things in life.  Weather is not one of them.  All we can do is prepare and pray, then adjust.  No use complaining and worrying.   God is still in control.  I’m glad.

     A brand new year – 2013 is only a few days away!  What chances, challenges, and changes will come our way?  God knows.  We do not.  Of course, our own thoughts, dreams, words, actions, and decisions go a long way in determining the chances, challenges, and changes that we will face.  Maybe we will have to face a job change.  Maybe we will face sickness, or maybe we might have to face a financial crisis.  Maybe we will experience grief or sadness.  It could be that we will experience times of great success or pleasure in this new year.  That is my prayer for you and for me.  It is true that we may not be able to determine these things but we can certainly determine the attitude we have in facing these things.  Will we face these chances, challenges, and changes in faith or in fear?  We can decide.  Our happiness and our success are often determined by our decision.

     My last blog was posted just before I heard about my grandmother’s death.  My grandmother (Granny) was born in May of 1917. She was 95.  I tried to explain to my grandchildren that she was born in a very different time and lived very differently from the way they live.  They could not hardly believe that their great great grandmother only received an apple and an orange for Christmas when she was their age.  No videogames.  No Barbies.  No Legos.  No American Dolls.  No Wranglers.  No Remington hunting rifles.  No Four-wheelers.  Just an apple and an orange.  She often talked about the orange she found in her stocking hung on the fireplace, how it fragrant it smelled, how delicious it tasted, how very happy she was to receive such an expensive and rare gift.  My, my hasn’t times changed.  Let’s make sure our children understand, truly understand the importance of the things that really matter.  I need help remembering and understanding myself.   Maybe next year we can be different, better, deeper, more like God.  I miss my Granny very much and look forward to a grand reunion one day when we will all be together again in our heavenly home.

     This Sunday morning during the sermon time we will consider the Parable of the Unjust Steward.  Jesus teaches us responsibility, accountability, and the vitality of service in our everyday lives.  On Sunday evening we will consider the final lesson in the series Foundation Principles – Gentleness.  Jesus was gentle.  His invitation in Matthew 11:28-30 teaches us of His gentleness.  I hope you can be here with your fellow Christians at Enola to worship and learn the lessons of life.

Good News from the Country

     Hello again from up in the country, Enola, Arkansas and the Enola church of Christ.  I hope your week has been a good one.  Christmas is only a few days away.  I’m happy that for at least a few days every year, so many think about giving, family, and hopefully Jesus Christ.  Regrettably some Christians go to extremes one way or the other during the holiday season.  Some Christian fuss and fight about December 25^th not being the exact day of Jesus’ birth or maybe about whether or not we should even consider celebrating Jesus’ birth on a certain day.  Other Christians go to the other extreme and go bonkers over Christmas with decorations, candle-lighting ceremonies, plays, live nativity scenes, and such things.  It is true that we do not know the exact day of Jesus’ birth.  We can’t find the day of Jesus’ birth in the Bible and history does not record the day of His birth.  The Bible does not command us to celebrate His birth.  The Bible does direct every Christian to remember His death, burial, and resurrection.  Of course, how can you remember someone’s life and not remember their birth?  Additionally, the Bible does include the details of His birth in the gospels.  The birth of Jesus should be studied, taught, preached, and remembered at Christmas time and at any other time.  I love Christmas.  The holiday season seems to bring out the best in people.  That is good.  I love to show my love for my wife, children, grand children, and my friends during the holiday season.  I love to see them show their love for me and for others as well.

     If you decide to visit with us at the Enola church of Christ this time of the year you will find that our services do not change very much from one season to the next.  Every Sunday we sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs making melody in our hearts to the Lord.  Every Sunday we do a lot of praying to the Father in the name of the Son.  Every Sunday we remember the life, the death, the resurrection, and the promises of Jesus Christ by eating unleavened bread and drinking the fruit of the vine in the Lord’s Supper.  Every Sunday we pass the offering plate and present our financial gifts to God as He has directed us.  Every Sunday we study God’s word to strengthen our faith in God.  Sometimes I might preach a lesson specific to a certain occasion simply because people are thinking about it.  Then again, I may not even mention what might or might not be happening when it comes to a certain holiday or special occasion.  You can rest assured that our mission to show and share the gospel of Christ continues steadfastly from Sunday to Sunday and every day in between.

     This Sunday we will continue to study Jesus’ parables and the Parable of the Lost and Found.  We have considered the lost sheep.  Jesus fulfilled His mission.  Are we fulfilling ours?  We have looked at the lost coin.  Every “one” is important.  We must always be on the lookout for any “one” who is lost.  When we find one who is lost, our mission is to introduce them to Jesus.  He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  This Sunday we will look at the lost son.  Actually, our lesson will focus on the love of the Father.  He loved the son when the son was at home.  He loved the son when the son left home and went into the foreign country in sin.  He loved the son when the son came home.  Oh, how wonderful it is to have such a Father as is our God! 

I Guess I'm Old-Fashioned

     Hello from Enola, Arkansas, from up in the country where the pace of life is a little bit slower and full of the things that make life worth living:  family, friends, and neighbors and people trying to take care of one another.  We care when we give a pat on the back when the job has been done well or a handshake that says everything is okay or maybe, a head-rub that says “I’m proud of you, son” or a little squeeze to say “You are such a fine young woman, daughter” or a swat on the behind to put a little “want to” in the head of the one who didn’t or maybe an elbow nudge when what has been said is enough or maybe even a kick in the pants when such a display of affection is needed.  The world we live in today is certainly different.  People now-a-days think that these things mentioned above can be done through email and texting or maybe through “Facebook” or “Twitter.”  And I guess in a way that might be possible.  How can sitting alone in my room typing on a computer, ipad, or cell phone be “social?”  My, my, am I becoming my dad?  I can hear him in my head saying such things to me only a few short years ago.  I have even heard that there are churches that meet together for worship, not literally, but vicariously through the internet.  There are churches in our area that watch their preacher preach via the internet through their projection system.  Whew!  Not me!  I guess I’m old-fashioned and if so I don’t care to be old-fashioned.

     This Sunday we will take a look at the second part of Jesus’ parable of the lost and found and see what we can learn from the woman who lost one of her ten precious coins, who lit up the house, swept it, and diligently searched until she found what was lost.  We need to follow her example.  We cannot wait to begin the search for what is lost.  Waiting can have eternal consequences.  We must use every available means to find what is lost.  We must search until what is lost is found.  Only then can we rejoice.  I hope every Christian will be gathered together with their fellow Christian brothers and sisters this Sunday.  Will you be there?

     Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6 concerning the things he needed to flee from and concerning those things he needed to pursue.  We must pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, and gentleness.  We have considered the first three.  This Sunday evening at Enola we will consider LOVE.  Love is the greatest…period.  God is love.  All will know who we are when we love.  Love covers a multitude of sin.  Love compels us.  Love constrains us.  Love never fails.  We must love God supremely and one another as Christ loves.  That is the way it is.

     Last Sunday at the Enola church of Christ was one of those very special days every preacher hopes and prays for:   big crowd (130), a peaceful reverent time of joyful worship, laughter at just the right moments, the sound of little ones in the background during the service, positive responses, sweet fellowship, and of course I have to mention the delicious lunch we enjoyed in the annex.  I’m so happy to be a Christian and a member of the church of Christ at Enola.  You are my glory and joy (1 Thessalonians 2:20).

Having a Wonderful Week in the Country

     We had a good day this past Sunday up in the country, in Enola.  The church of Christ met for worship, study, and fellowship.  We had a good crowd (117), a little smaller in number than usual but strong in faith, hope, and love in Christ Jesus.  Several of our Christian brothers and sisters were at home recovering from various illnesses.  Some were at work.  Others were…well, I trust that they were at the right place at the right time doing the right thing.  It was good to hear that Mary is getting stronger after bypass surgery.  Felicia was present at the 11:00 hour even though she probably should’ve stayed home for a few more days to recover from her surgery.  Trevor is getting stronger after his knee surgery.  Recovery is often much slower and requires more patience than we expect.  God’s word teaches us and then reminds us about the power of persistent prayer to God for ourselves and for others.  He hears and answers according to His purposes.

     Thank you to those who support our food pantry.  Please remember our pantry when you shop for groceries each week.  Purchase a few items for those who are in need in our community.  Also, please remember the pantry with your financial contributions.  Just set aside a few dollars and give what you can to Brother Larry Arnett.  We are always in need of special servants to meet to prepare the boxes of food and then distribute them to those in need.  A sign-up sheet is posted on the bulletin board for your consideration.

     We are studying the parables of Jesus on Sunday morning.  I have entitled this week’s parable “The Parable of the Lost and Found.”  Jesus taught about a lost sheep, one of one hundred.  He then spoke about a lost coin, one of ten.  He concluded with a lesson about a lost boy, one of two.  God loves every Christian, every person who is safe and sound.  He also loves every person who is lost, every person who has wandered from where they should be, every person who at the wrong place at the wrong time doing the wrong thing.  He is always looking, waiting, hoping for what is lost to be found, for what is away to come home.  Could this person be you?  Jesus extended the greatest invitation when He said, “Come to Me…”  Read this sweet invitation in Matthew 11:28-30.

     This coming Sunday at Enola the church will meet for Bible study at 10, then for worship at 11.  Immediately following the assembly we will walk over to the annex, our fellowship hall for a delicious potluck lunch together.  If you have thought about making a trip up in the country to visit, this Sunday would be a great time to come.  Right after our lunch together we will walk back over to the auditorium for an afternoon meeting.  We will dismiss for the day after that.  ELDERS AND DEACONS:  Please plan to stay a few minutes after the afternoon assembly for a meeting to discuss the work of the church at Enola.

     We only have a few more days to accomplish our 2012 resolutions.  How are you doing?  2013 will be a wonderful year.  May God bless us as we finish out this year strong.

Happy Thanksgiving!

     The church of Christ at Enola is doing very well, enjoying fine fellowship, growing in grace and faith through Bible study, increasing in our love for God and for others through various service opportunities, always prayerful to God for our needs and for the needs of our community and our nation.

     We had a delicious Men’s Breakfast last Saturday morning.  Sonny, Larry, Greg, and Andy showed up early to prepare breakfast for the group.  Right after our meal together we put on our boots and gloves to work on our landscaping out in the front of our building.  Wow!  Everything looks great.  Thank you to every brother who stayed to finish the project.  Thank you to Phil, Eddie, and Patrick for the use of your equipment and the top soil. Thank you to Ronnie for operating the backhoe.  Thank you to Brandon for driving the dump truck. Thank you to Brother David for organizing everything and for the crape myrtles, the azaleas, and the mulch.  It was truly a joy to work together for our Lord and His church.  I am thankful to the Lord to represent the church as minister and friend.

     Our ladies met last Thursday night to prepare gift boxes for our young professionals and college students.  These boxes were filled with all kinds of goodies and mailed out this week.   We hope that a small gift from the church at Enola will remind our young professionals that they are loved and appreciated.  Our ladies are also involved in a Bible study every Monday evening in the annex.  They are studying about how to be better women, mothers, and grandmothers.  A Holiday Get-Together has been scheduled for our ladies at the home of Cindi Burleson in December.  Please check your bulletin for details.  I think our ladies are going to exchange Christmas ornaments.  It’ll be fun.

     This coming Sunday (25^th) we will continue our study in the Parables of Jesus and the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree.  A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard.  He wanted a fig and found that the tree had not produced any figs for the past three seasons.  Because the tree had not produced fruit, he asked that the tree be cut down.  The vine dresser intervened on behalf of the tree and asked for one more chance, one more year.  Note that the fig tree was planted in a vineyard.  Why?  We should bloom where we are planted.  It is right for God to expect us to bear fruit in a reasonable time frame.  We should know that God’s expectation is not inexhaustible.  God is patient, but mean’s what He says.  I hope you will meet with your fellow Christian brothers and sisters for Bible study, fellowship, and worship at every opportunity.

     On Sunday evening at Enola we are returning to the foundational principles of the Christian life.  We have studied God’s plan of salvation (faith, repentance, confession, and baptism).  Now what?  Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:11 about the things we must flee and about the things we must pursue.  We are looking at pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.  This Sunday we will take a closer look at pursuing FAITH.

     Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.  Let us always be thankful today and everyday!  Feel it.  Think it.  Say it.  Show it.  Be it.

Thankgiving Reminiscing

     Can you believe that Thanksgiving Day is now only 10 days away?  Close your eyes and think back to those earlier Thanksgiving days, those carefree days when you were a child.  Mother would have all kinds of food cooking when we woke up on Thanksgiving morning.  The house smelled wonderful.  Mmmm!  We usually drove over to my Papa and Granny’s for Thanksgiving Day lunch.  Papa and Granny’s house was very small, just right for them, but when sons and daughters, in-laws, grandchildren, and great grandchildren came, there wasn’t even a place to stand, much less sit.  That was just fine.  It didn’t matter.  Family.  We were all together.  That was most important.  Papa sat in his chair awaiting the call to eat.  Granny, my mother, my aunt, and others were organizing the food, drinks, and desserts.  There were greetings, hugs, and kisses all around.  Children were positioned outside.  We spent the time before lunch swinging on the porch swing or on the tree swing.  We played games kids games like chase, marbles, and hop scotch.  When the call to eat was finally made, Granny’s table was always a sight to behold.  Every dish of food was arranged perfectly with a few dishes delicately hanging off the table.  Granny usually had every kind of dessert imaginable; apple pies, pecan pies, sweet potato pies, fried pies, and cakes of every kind. Her Red Velvet Cake was one of a kind.  She sometimes used toothpicks to hold it together.  This is probably the reason why I have such a big “sweet tooth.”  There was fresh made bread and rolls, corn bread, and biscuits.  There was ham, turkey, chicken, pork chops, and some kind of casserole.  I could go on and on.  My Granny is now 95 years old.  She grew up in rural northwest Alabama, married my grandfather when she was only a teenager, and lived almost her entire life less than a mile from where she was born.  Thank you for allowing me to reminisce a little bit.  I want my children and grandchildren to have similar memories later on in their lives when it comes to the holiday season and the time they spend with Cindi and me.

     Every Sunday morning the church meets for Bible study at 10:00 a.m.  Brother Eddie Hawkins, one of our elders is teaching the adult session in the main auditorium at Enola.  We are currently studying the First Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians.  In chapter one, verse 2-3 Paul writes:

“We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your WORK OF FAITH, LABOR OF LOVE, and PATIENCE OF HOPE in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.”

Did you see that?  Faith is work.  Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17).  Our faith is often challenged and tested.  It is sometimes hard to maintain our faith.  Faith is work.  Love is labor.  Love is not always a feeling of passion or positive emotion.  Love is always a decision.  Love is labor.  Our hope requires patience.  Heaven is the end result of patient hope.  We hope for many things in life.  Patience is required if we are to have our hope fulfilled.  We hope in patience.

     May God bless us as we open our hearts and minds to His direction!  May we always and forever to thankful for everything great or small, past, present, and future, now and forever!

Great Challenges for Every Christian

     Tuesday’s election is behind us.  The next four years will be a challenge for me and for every Christian in America.  I look back and find that Cindi and I made it through the last four years under God’s unchanging hand.  It is certain that we can survive the next four years.  I am reminded of the song we often sing together when we are with the church, “This world is not my home.  I’m just passing through.  My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.  I know He’ll take me through, though I am weak and poor.  And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”

     The apostle Paul wrote to us by inspiration of God concerning the “last days,” the days in which we live in 2 Timothy 3.  He wrote about “perilous times.”  Just before he penned these verses that are depressing and very scary, he wrote the follow passage in 2 Timothy 2:22-26:

“Flee also youthful lusts, but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.  But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they gender strife.  And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”

     I find here that in perilous times my task is to do the following;

1.        Run from youthful lusts (selfishness, greed, worldliness, complacency, ignorance)

2.       Run to righteousness, faith, love, and peace

3.       Avoid foolish and ignorant disputes

4.       Do not quarrel

5.       Be gentle to everyone

6.       Teach with patience those who in opposition to the truth

7.       Walk in humility taking every opportunity to help whomever I can to know the gospel

8.       Pray for those who are held captive by the devil to come to these senses, repent, and escape

     This Sunday at Enola we will continue to study the lessons that Jesus taught during His ministry on earth; His Parables.  This week we will take a look at the Parable of the Covetous Man or The Parable of the Foolish Rich Man in Luke 12:13-21.  Covetousness is sinful.  If you would like to read about this subject, take a look at Exodus 20:17, Ephesians 5:3, Colossians 3:5, 1 Timothy 3:3, and Hebrews 13:5.  Do we understand that our lives do not consist in the abundance of the things we possess?  The thing about things is this:  Things get old, they tarnish, they rust away, they depreciate, they soon lose their value.  Things simply do not last. Things are not sinful within themselves.  Fact is life should be about faith, hope, and love.  Why?  These treasures never get old.  They do not tarnish or rust away.  They never depreciate.  They have value beyond calculation and are eternal in nature.  I hope you understand.  It is okay to have things.  Just as long as we understand that our lives do not consists in the abundance of the things we possess.

     On Sunday evening at Enola we will continue in our series on Foundation Principles with a lesson on righteousness.  God’s plan includes faith, repentance, confession, and baptism.  Now what?  Every Christian must walk in righteousness, the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Time Change This Weekend!

     Wow!  Can you believe the devastation the storm “Sandy” has left in its path in the northeastern part of the country?  We have our own problems with weather here in central Arkansas, but I’m so very happy that we are far, far away from such storms.  I am prayerful and sad for those who lost so much in this natural disaster.  My sister-in-law has family and friends in New Jersey.  She has spoken with them and we are very thankful that though they lost property and possessions, they are alive and hopeful to begin rebuilding as soon as they can.

     We are enjoying beautiful weather here in the country.  Cool nights and mornings, and warm days and evenings.  The leaves are really falling now.  Before long the trees will be resting for the winter.  As you probably know, this weekend marks the autumn time-change.  Before you retire on Saturday night, set your clock back one hour – “fall backward.” 

     Thanksgiving and Christmas are on the horizon, only a few days away.  These are truly special holidays for family and friends to be together to remember the “old” times and at the same time look ahead to the coming days.  Let us be thankful for the rich blessings we enjoy every day: our family and friends, our faith in God, the church of Christ, our spiritual family, our jobs that provide a living for us, and the Christian life that leads us all the way to heaven.  It could be that you will be traveling this holiday season.  If so, be careful on your journeys.  Remember that the holiday season is not about how much money you have or how little.  It’s not about how expensive the gift might be that you give or receive or how inexpensive.  It’s not about how much food you have on the table or how little.  The holiday season is about spending time with those you love. It’s about showing and sharing that love in simple and thoughtful ways.  May God bless us all with a happy holiday season this year!  Happiness is a decision. If you know me, I made the decision to be happy a long time ago.

     Cindi and I will be out of town this Sunday morning visiting with our Christian brethren over the valley in Greenbrier.  The church there invited me to preach this Sunday morning and afternoon in their lecture series. I am honored to stand before the church there to preach God’s word.  I will be speaking from Paul first epistle to Timothy in chapter six, verse eleven:  “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.”  Remember me in prayer as I share this lesson with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ at Greenbrier.  I will be back for our evening service at 5:00 p.m.

     Our Sunday evening series “Foundation Principles” will continue this Sunday evening with a lesson on “God’s Plan of Salvation – Baptism.”  We have considered faith, repentance, and confession.  Baptism is the next step to salvation by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.  Jesus was baptized to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3:15).  So must we!  Jesus commanded the disciples in Mark 16:15-16; “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”  Do we want to be saved?  Then we must believe and be baptized.  Those in Acts 2 asked Peter and rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”  Peter answered their question.  “They Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of your be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  I really don’t understand why so many people resist such a simple and clear command from our Lord and Savior.  I didn’t resist.  Are you resisting?

Great Happenings in Enola

    We are having a great week up in the country.  Our crowd was down a little bit this past Sunday morning (115).  Some of our members were traveling (Sonny, Ann, Troy, Barbara, and others) and others were working.  If you were absent, we missed you.  We had a few guests with us.  We certainly enjoy having family and friends to come and worship with us.  Can you believe that November is only a week away?  Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Christmas is next. Then we’ll be saying “Happy New Year!”  Life is indeed like a vapor.

     The church will be happy to know that our front window has now been tinted.  We’ve been having some difficulty on Sunday evening with the sun shining so brightly through the glass.  Sunglasses not needed for worship now.  Thank you to our elders for seeing our need and providing the solution.

     We’re planning a work day soon to landscape the front of the building.  The pavement has been removed.  I have heard that fall is a good time to plant bushes, shrubs, and flower beds in preparation for the spring.  Landscaping the front of our building will make our facilities even more beautiful and inviting.

     Men:  We will be having a Men’s Breakfast on Saturday, November 3^rd at 7:00 a.m.  All men and boys are invited to come out and enjoy a good breakfast, wonderful fellowship, and as always some living conversation.  If you would like to help, come at 6:00.

     Our Sunday morning series “The Parables of Jesus” continues this coming Sunday with a lesson on the “Parable of the Persistent Neighbor” or the “Parable of the Selfish Neighbor.”  Jesus teaches us about prayer.  We will look at the “How,” “What,” and “When” of prayer.  Prayer should include respect for God, supplication for ourselves, intercession for others, and gratitude for the rich blessings we enjoy.  When we pray do we understand that God’s timing may be different from ours?  Also, the way God chooses to answer our prayer may be different from the way we thought He would answer.  Are we okay with that?  May we ever desire for God’s will to be done over our will.

     On Sunday evening at Enola we are remembering the Foundation Principles of the Christian life.  This Sunday we will look at “Confession.”  Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  Our salvation by grace through faith depends on our confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  Some have not yet confessed Jesus.  Others have.  Our salvation depends upon our confession that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God.  We’ll look at what the Bible says about confession.  Confession is deciding on our responsibility.

     Cindi and I are so very happy to be a part of the Enola community.  We are especially thankful to God to be members of the church of Christ at Enola.  Thank you for your love for us and your continued prayers and support for us.  May God give us many happy years of service together is our prayer.

Enjoy Your Fall Weather

     Hello again from up in the country, Enola, Arkansas.  We enjoyed another great Sunday this week at the church of Christ at Enola.  Our crowd was down a bit (122).  These are indeed busy times for every Christian.  A few of our Christian brothers and sisters were at the Arkansas State Fair.  Some were at work.  Some were visiting out of town.  A few were sick with various illnesses that come with the change in the weather.  A small number just chose not to attend.  We are now looking forward to next Lord’s Day when we can meet again to worship God in spirit and in truth.  It is such a blessing to meet with the church.

     Our sermon series “Jesus’ Parables” is going well on Sunday mornings.  Last Sunday we looked at the Parable of the Two Debtors from Luke 7.  Jesus had been invited to the home of Simon the Pharisee.  Simon failed to show Jesus the honor that was due to the invited guest.  A sinful woman came in from the neighborhood to give Jesus the honor that Simon failed to give.  Jesus taught a lesson about the difference between haughtiness and humility, between ignorance and understanding, between judgment and forgiveness, between hatred and love.  I asked the question to every Christian and guest at Enola, “Do I love much or do I love little?”  That is a question for all of us.  What about you?  Do you love much or do you love little?  Think about how you love your wife, your husband, your children, your parents, your family, friend, and neighbors.  What about your enemies?  Do you love much or do you love little?

     This coming Sunday (21^st) we will take a look at Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan.  Jesus told the one who asked Him about eternal life to love God supremely and his neighbor as himself.  If this man loved God and his neighbor, he would have what he requested.  This man wished to justify himself and asked Jesus “Who is my neighbor?”  Jesus showed this man, a lawyer who real love is.  How do we show God that we love Him?  How do we show others that we love them?  We will answer these questions.  I hope you will come and be with us to learn and grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

     On Sunday evenings at 5:00 at Enola we are reconsidering the foundation principles on which we have built our lives.  God’s plan of salvation includes faith, repentance, confession of Jesus as the Son of God, baptism in water by the authority of Jesus Christ, and then living our lives according to the teachings and example of Christ.  Faith is comprehending our responsibility.  Repentance is taking responsibility.  Confession is deciding on our responsibility.  Baptism is fulfilling our responsibility.  Living the Christian life is being responsible.  We looked at faith last Sunday.  This Sunday evening (21^st) we will study about repentance.

     We have a long list of family members and friends who are in need of our prayers and God’s provision and healing.  Remember to pick up a bulletin every Sunday and pray for those in need.  Marilyn Ruple does an outstanding job with our bulletin every week.  Also, if you can, come a little bit early or pay special attention between Bible class and the worship hour to our projection system announcements.

     Get outside and enjoy our beautiful fall weather.  Go for a walk.  Sit out on the porch to watch the sunrise or sunset.  I noticed that many of our pecan trees are barren this season.  I was out in the woods last week with Brother John Curtis cutting firewood and noticed that many of the oak trees are also barren of acorns.  Our yard birds and squirrels will need our help this winter.

Don't you just love the fall?

     We are enjoying a great week in the country, Enola, Arkansas.  The weather has been much cooler lately.  After all, it is October.  Can you believe that Thanksgiving is just around the corner?  I do enjoy the fall season.  Football, the leaves turning, chili,  beef stew, chain saws running in the woods, the morning dew, the smell of firewood burning in the fireplace, another blanket on the bed… are just a few wonderful things I love about this time of the year.  May God help us to appreciate His rich blessings every day.

     The Area wide Men’s and Preachers’ Meeting was held on Monday of this week.  The focus of this month’s meeting was on our youth.  Young men from various congregations in the area directed the meeting with singing, prayer, and lessons from God’s word that were aimed at encouraging every adult Christian man to build for future generations.  There were 21 present at the meeting.  The meeting was held at the home of Brother Alex Laferty (Mar’s Hill).  David Riley (Mar’s Hill) organized the meeting.  Rod Leslie, youth minister at Downtown/Morrilton provided lunch, a grilled pork loin…Mmmm!  The Men’s and Preachers’ Meeting will be hosted by Brother Shock and the Magnolia congregation in November.

     Our Sunday morning sermon series “The Parables of Jesus” began last Sunday with a look at the Parable of the Sower, the Seed, and the Soil.  Jesus could have been talking to any one of us at any time; mechanics, fishermen, teachers, lawyers, doctors, salespeople, anyone.  A farmer went out to sow seed.  A mechanic went out to repair a pickup.  A fisherman went out to fish.  A teacher went out to teach.  A lawyer went to court.  A doctor went out to help the sick.  A salesman went out to make a sale.  We all have enemies, obstacles, and distractions that often hinder us from working and reaping a great harvest.  In the Parable of the Sower, Seed, and Soil the devil, temptations, the cares of life, the deceitfulness of riches, and pleasures often hinder our work.  If we resist the devil, if we resolve not to yield to temptation, if we remember the promises of God concerning cares, riches, and pleasure, we will reap a great harvest in our lives.

     This Sunday morning we will consider another one of Jesus’ parables, the Parable of the Two Debtors.  This lesson will be somewhat different in its approach.  We will look at this parable through a series of questions that will need to be answered by each of us individually, personally, and privately.  How much do I love Jesus?  Do I love Him like the woman with the alabaster container of perfume loved Him?  You can find this parable in Luke chapter 7.

     On Sunday evenings we are fortifying the foundation of our Christian lives.  God has a plan of salvation for every person.  Faith is me comprehending my responsibility.  Repentance is me accepting my responsibility.  Confession is me deciding on my responsibility.  Baptism is me fulfilling my responsibility.  Living the Christian life is me being responsible.   This Sunday we will focus our attention specifically on the foundation principle of faith.  Faith is the substance of our hope.  Faith is the evidence of what we cannot yet see.  Faith is believing is God.  Faith is believing that God rewards those who diligently seek Him.

     The church of Christ at Enola is doing well.  If you are in the area, please come and join us for worship on Sunday morning at 10:00, on Sunday evening at 5:00 and on Wednesday evening at 7:00.  We would love to see you. 

From San Antonio, Texas and the Alamo

It is a blessing to be a Christian. Yesterday, Sunday, September 30th Cindi and I had the privilege of worshipping with the church of Christ at Laurel Street in San Antonio, Texas. Bible study began at 9:15 a.m. with Brother Keith Murphy teaching on the book of Acts. Brother Murphy is the Associate Minister at Laurel Street. The class was inspiring, informative, and true to the word of God. I found that Brother Murphy was a lot like me in his presentation. We only covered a few verses in Acts 17. The word of God is deep and requires time (a life-time) and depth of thinking to understand its meaning. We followed the pattern of the New Testament as the church gathered at 10:15 to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, pray without ceasing, remember the Lord Jesus Christ in the Lord’s Supper, give of our means to the work of Christ, and hear a message from God’s word preached powerfully and Scripturally by Brother Murphy. There were several requests for prayer and two public responses to the message. There were smiles all around us, Christian brothers and sisters happy to be together for worship and so very happy that we were there with them. There was much joy. No one was in a hurry. I don’t remember how many songs we sang or how many prayers we prayed or how many times the Bible was read or how long the preacher preached. Time didn’t matter. We were assembled before the presence of Almighty God to worship Him, to honor His Son, and to receive a renewed strength from the study of His Word. I do know this. I looked at cell phone to check the time when the service was over and we were back in the car. Bible study began at 9:15 a.m. and lasted until 10:00. Worship began at 10:15 a.m. We were dismissed at 12:10 p.m. And not a single person was in a hurry to depart, including me and Cindi. What a pleasure it was to worship God with Christian brothers and sisters so far from Enola, Arkansas and yet so close to us in spirit and in truth.

This coming Sunday, October 7th we will begin a new series of sermons on the Parables of Jesus. Jesus is the greatest preacher who ever preached. He is the Example for every preacher to follow. He is my Teacher, Mentor, Standard, Savior, Brother, and Friend. He is the Son of God and yet my closest Friend and constant Companion. He speaks to me every day through His word. I speak to Him in constant prayer. In times of happiness, He shares in every joy. In times of sorrow and pain, He shares in our grief and sorrow. According to the Bible, when Jesus spoke, people marveled because He spoke as One who had authority. He knew what He was talking about.

On Sunday evenings at Enola I would like to remind us of the Foundation Principles that we live by: God’s plan of salvation, His order of worship, His pattern for how the church is to be organized, and God’s plan for living for every Christian. We are citizens of a different kingdom. Whatever God does, He does on purpose, with purpose, and for a purpose. Romans 8:28 tells us that we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Enjoying Autumn in the Country

     We enjoyed another beautiful “fall” Lord’s Day in Enola this past Sunday with 151 gathered together for worship, study, and fellowship.  Brother Eddie Hawkins taught a great lesson at the 10 o’clock hour on the attitude of humility.  Brother Palmer always does a great job when he leads our singing.   I had the privilege of preaching the concluding sermon from our series, “My Commitment – What am I committed to?”  I hope you have been encouraged and challenged by this series to commit yourself, not the fad, not to the food, not to the fun, and not even to the family, but to the Father through the Son.

     The Faulkner County Fair is now history.  Many of our Christian brothers and sisters were involved in the fair.  We are very proud of those who participated and those who supported the county fair. 

     GREAT NEWS!  We are planning a brand now Bible study group on Sunday mornings.  The class is designed for ages 18 to 30, collage-age to young adults.  Brother Brandon (Deacon over Youth) and Brother Patrick (Deacon on Education) called a meeting with those who fit in this particular age group this past Sunday following the morning service.  It was so good to see such a great number gathered in consideration of the new class.  We are in the preliminary stages of getting the class started, so be patient as we answer the questions that need to be answered – Who? What? When? Where? How?  If you fall into this particular age-group, please stay up-to-date and be ready to participate and help.

     The ladies are meeting every Monday night at 6:30 in the annex for a very special parenting class.  Cindi is teaching the class and from what I hear there has been outstanding attendance, good discussion, and positive results.  Of course, the material that is being taught comes right from God’s word, the Bible.  Parenting is tough.  We need all the help we can get.  Come and see.

     Have you been by the bulletin board in the lobby lately?  There are several “sign-up” sheets for your consideration.  Lately our lawn has been growing and needs to be cut weekly.  Men: please sign up to cut the grass if you can.  Babysitting is needed on Monday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 for our ladies Bible class.  If you can babysit, please sign up.  We open our food pantry every 1^st Wednesday in the month.  We usually have several people from our community to stop by for food.  Please sign up to help in the very important ministry.  As you can see, there are opportunities to serve all around us.  Let’s do what we can to help.

     This Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. the church of Christ at Enola will have our monthly night of singing.  Make plans to come out and sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs along with your fellow Christian family.

God's Love is Wonderful

God is certainly blessing us with some beautiful weather! We are very thankful. Up in the country we are especially thankful for the green grass that is showing up in the fields and in our yards. Of course this is due to the wonderful showers of rain we have received lately. It is so good to see the cattle back out in the fields.

We enjoyed a good day this past Sunday. The church of Christ at Enola had one of those special days where we met for Bible study at 10:00 and then came together at 11:00 for worship. Immediately following the 11 o’clock hour we walked over the annex for a delicious potluck lunch. Then right after lunch we met again for a few minutes of prayer, singing, and the afternoon lesson. We then dismissed for the day. We had 141 in attendance at the worship hour. This is a very good number and we are thankful for every Christian, along with our guests who came for study, worship, and fellowship. I am thankful for my salvation in Christ, for the small part I can give to make the church of Christ at Enola strong and honorable before God and our community. May we always walk in the light as He is in the light, having fellowship with one another, knowing that Jesus will always cleanse us from our sin (1 John 1:7)!

Our Sunday morning series “My Commitment” is going very well. We are considering our commitment to God through His Son Jesus Christ. We are asking ourselves; “Am I committed to the Father through the Son, or am I committed to something else?” This coming Sunday (16th) we will ask ourselves; “Am I committed to the Father or to the FOOD?” The Christian life brings many joys and fun times into our lives. Becoming a Christian is so much fun. Seeing others commit their lives to Christ is so rewarding. However, living the Christian life is often very difficult, learning, growing, adjusting to the Christian life in a world of people who do not know God is often not much fun. We must not, cannot be committed to the fun. We must be committed to the Father. If we are committed only to the fun, and life hands us some situations that are not fun, what will be do? I look forward to sharing this lesson with you.

On Sunday evening at Enola we are looking at the Seven Wonders of the Love of God. I believe this series of lessons will help us grow to have a deeper understanding and greater appreciation for the love of God. We have looked at the Source, the Objective, The Dimensions, the Superiority, and the Fruit of the love of God. This Sunday we will consider the PROVISIONS of the Love of God. God has provided for our yesterday with salvation from sin. He has provided for our today with every spiritual blessing. He has provided for our tomorrow and forever with our home in heaven. Why every person in the world would not want to become a Christian is beyond my comprehension.

You and I are not alone in the circumstances of our life. God is with us. He loves us. He will provide for us. Take a look at Galatians 6:9-10; “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

See you on Sunday. To those who are not members of the Enola Church of Christ: please come and visit with us. We would love to see you and welcome you as our honored guest.

Come and See!

We had a great day this past Sunday at Enola! We had a good crowd again (131) with just about every Christian and guest staying after the service to visit and discuss life and living in our lobby and in the parking lot (By the way, we just paved and restriped our parking areas). If you haven’t visited with the Enola Church of Christ in a while, come out to the country for a visit.

Now, before you come out, just know that you might decide to stay longer than you thought, maybe even decide to become a member of the church of Christ at Enola. You will find our facilities to be very inviting, comfortable, and beautiful. You will notice that the Christians at Enola love God. We love one another and try to help one another as we have opportunity. Of course, we are not perfect in any sense of the word, but we are trying to be more like our Lord, Jesus Christ in life and living. We often fall short of the Lord’s expectations. We are trying to learn from our mistakes. You will find that Enola is a quiet and peaceful town, a refuge in these times of busyness, strain and stress.

Our Bible classes are literally filled with the Bible; Bible pages turning, Christians reading the Bible, Bible discussion, and just thinking about the Bible, God’s word to mankind. That’s the way it should be.
When we worship together on the Lord’s Day every Sunday we sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs without the use of mechanical instruments of music. Our hearts and voices are the only instruments we use to make melody to the Lord. Simple. Pure. No complications.

We do a lot of praying. We usually pray at least six times every Sunday morning, maybe even more. We pray because we need to talk to our Father about our needs, the needs of others, and the needs of our world in addition to prayers of thanksgiving and communion. Speaking of “communion,” we eat the Lord’s Supper every first day of the week, every Sunday. We remember Jesus when He suffered and died on the cross and we examine ourselves to allow Him to cleanse us of any and every sin and shortcoming. We eat the unleavened bread first then the fruit of the vine because that is the way the Lord and His disciples did it. Paul taught the church at Corinth much about the way the church should share in the Lord’s Supper together (1 Corinthians 11).

Every Sunday we give a portion of our financial means to the Lord to be overseen by our eldership so that the church can be the shining light we need to be in our community and in the world. We are learning and growing in our commitment to stewardship.

Every Sunday I share two sermons; one at 11:30 and another at 5:15. Currently we are studying about commitment on Sunday morning and on Sunday evening we are studying about the seven wonders of God’s love. I am enjoying these lesson series very much. I hope that the church and our guests will grow from these studies from God’s word.

On Sunday morning at 10:00 one of our elders, Brother Eddie Hawkins is teaching the adults on the subject of “Attitudes” and on Wednesday evening at 7:00 I am teaching about the Deep Things of God. We are growing in every way out in the country; growing to love God with a deeper understanding, growing to love one another as Christ loves us, growing to love our family, friends, and neighbors, not just with words but with deeds and in truth, growing to love the world so that we can effectively share the gospel of Christ with whoever will listen.

Come and see. You’ll be glad that you did. Just be prepared to stay a while, maybe even stay and grow with us for a lifetime.

God is Blessing Us Up in the Country

     We’ve been praying for rain for the past three months and it looks like “Isaac” will soon visit Arkansas after spending some time in Mississippi and Louisiana.  According to the “news” we will be getting some stormy weather on Thursday and Friday of this week.  We’ll see.  Be careful and watchful as the week progresses.

     We enjoyed a great Sunday in Enola with the church of Christ meeting on Sunday morning for Bible study and worship then again on Sunday evening at 5:00.  Our attendance continues to improve on Sunday morning (143).  Think about it.  Why do we meet together in the first place?  Well, we know that God expects His church to meet together and tells us so in Hebrews 10:19-25.  There are so many blessings and benefits to “going to church.”  We honor God when we meet with our fellow Christians.  We encourage one another.  We grow in our knowledge of the Bible.  We are strengthened in our faith.  We show our family, friends, neighbors, and even our enemies whose side we’re on when we meet with our fellow Christians for study, worship, and fellowship.  Our meetings are informative, encouraging, thought-provoking, helpful, interesting, and just plain fun.  We experience much joy and happiness.  Sometimes we do cry because life is not always joyous.  We sing.  We pray.  We read and study the Bible.  We pool our money so that the church can be the shining light in our community that we need to be.  Every Sunday we share in the Lord’s Supper together remembering Jesus and examining ourselves.  Meeting with the church helps me focus and refocus on what is most important in life.  Really, my week runs more smoothly when I meet with the church.  How about it?  Decide.  Decide to be present whenever the church meets.

     This Sunday morning (September 2^nd) we will begin a new series entitled “My Commitment – Am I Committed to the Father through the Son?”  We will take a look at ourselves and our commitment to see what it is that actually motivates our Christian walk.  Are we committed to the fad, or to the Father?

     Our Sunday evening lesson series “The Seven Wonders of God’s Love” continues this Sunday with a lesson on “The Wonder of Its Fruit.”  I am especially excited about this lesson.  When David wrote Psalm 23, he penned the words, “My cup overflows.”  It is true.  My cup overflows with the fruit of God’s wonderful love.

     We are doing just fine out in the country.  Come and see.  Brother Eddie Hawkins is one of our elders.  He is doing an outstanding job teaching our adult class on Sunday morning.  We are discussing “Attitudes.”  We have examined cooperation, patience, and respect.  And boy, do I need to work on these three attitudes.  You probably need a little help on these too. 

     On Wednesday evening at 7:00 we are studying the deep things of God.  We will conclude the lesson on the body, soul, and spirit and begin studying about our enemy, Satan.  Whew!  I’ll tell you this.  Satan is mean and he is nothing but evil, but we can know him, we can understand him, we can refuse him, and we can defeat him.  Not in ourselves, but only in Jesus Christ.

Fall is in the Air up in the Country

     I can feel it.  Can you?  Fall is in the air.  I know that we have another few weeks of warm summer weather left, but it certainly is exciting to know that cooler weather is on the horizon.  Boy, do we need rain here in the country.  There is a little bit of green in the fields and round about, but brown is our primary color presently.  We are very thankful for the rain we have been receiving here and there.  God is good and knows our needs and will provide in His time and according to His.  We pray.  We hope.  We wait patiently for the Lord’s blessings.

     We are now trying to adjust our lives to the back-to-school routine; up earlier, traffic, waiting for school buses on the way to wherever we might be going, and busier evenings with homework, fall sporting events, and trying to get enough rest for the day’s responsibilities.  We must remember who we are in the busy times.  We are Christians first.  May we always remember our place in the Lord’s church.  Jesus spoke about having proper priorities in His sermon on the mountain in Matthew 5-7.  In Chapter 6, verse 33 Jesus said, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.”  When we put first things first, all the other things in life will fall in line without much difficulty.  In addition to Christ’s expectations of His people we need to remember our Christian brothers and sisters who are depending on us when the church meets.  Our elders (Larry Arnett, Eddie Hawkins, and Andrew Shock) at the Enola Church of Christ have scheduled our Bible study and worship times late enough on Sunday for each of us to get a little extra sleep and still be present for Bible study at 10:00 and worship at 11:00 every Sunday.  Our Sunday evening assembly begins at 5:00 and concludes at 6:00, which gives us plenty of time to attend then be home early enough to prepare for Monday morning.  Our service on Wednesday evening is a little bit later (7:00), I know, but we end our Bible study classes promptly at 8:00.  I always look forward to our meetings together.

     This Sunday morning we will conclude our series entitled “Avoiding Foolish Behavior – Four Things People Do To Mess Up Their Lives.”  We must not allow fleshly desires to overrule the word of God.  We must not listen and take advice from someone who is unfamiliar with the word of God.  We must not blame someone else for something we bring on ourselves.  We must not shirk our own responsibilities for the sake of keeping the peace.  Abram and Sarai in Genesis 16 made all four of these foolish decisions when they followed a plan that was not from God.  What about us?  May we make wise decisions.  Our happiness, our peace, our prosperity, our life, and our eternal destiny depends on it.

     Our Sunday evening series is going very well.  We are studying about “The Seven Wonders of God’s Love.”  We have considered the source, the objective, and the dimensions of God’s love.  This week we will take a look at the superiority of the love of God.  Paul wrote to the church at Corinth in 1 Corinthians 13:13; “Now abides faith, hope, and love, these three, but the greatest of these is love.”  I hope you will be present on Sunday evenings for some really great lessons from God’s word.