Loving Life in Enola, Arkansas

     We’re having another great week up in the country, Enola, Arkansas, population 338 family, friends, and neighbors.  The weather is simply beautiful.  Most of us have been working outside in the yard, planting flowers and vegetables, mowing and feeding the lawn, trimming up the trees after a long winter, and generally enjoying all that comes with this time of year.  I love getting my hands into the soil. The Enola church of Christ now has a brand new outdoor sign that will help us announce our upcoming events and activities in addition to showing and sharing simple statements of faith and encouragement to the community.  The sign has been delivered.  Our men have been busy this week getting the concrete foundation finished.  It could be that the sign will be placed before this Sunday (28^th) for everyone to see.  Our old sign has served its purpose very well in front of our building beside highway 107 north and at least in my opinion would continue to serve us well placed beside the road that runs behind our building.  We’ll see.  Thank you to the men who have given so much of their time and talents this week to getting our new sign in place.

     On Sunday morning our lesson series “Looking for the Door of Opportunity” continues with a lesson that answers the question, How?  We can find the door of opportunity when we associate with the right people.  Think about it.  What we think, what we do, and who we are usually develops from our associations.  If we surround ourselves with negative people, we are tempted to become negative.   If our associates are positive, then there is a greater chance that we will be positive.  If we surround ourselves with people who are disrespectful and disobedient, we are tempted to copy those same attributes.  If we surround ourselves with those who are respectful and submission, then we find that we will be the same.  If we surround ourselves with people who are dishonest and untrustworthy, there is a greater probability that we will not be people of integrity.  If our associates are people of integrity, then chances are, we will be people of integrity too.  Take a look at Timothy.  How did he become the fine young Christian gospel preacher that he was?  Could it be that his mother, grandmother, and of course, the apostle Paul had something to do with opening the door of opportunity to him?  Do you remember when Peter denied Jesus three times?  The third person that asked about Peter’s knowledge of Jesus, said, “Your speech gives you away.”  In other words, people could tell that Peter had been with Jesus because of the way of his life.  We’ll talk about these things.  I hope you can be here for worship, fellowship, and study this coming Sunday.

     On Sunday evening we are doing something interesting.  Our series is entitled “The Old Rugged Cross.”  Series One:  The Old Rugged Cross – Requirements.  Series Two:  The Old Rugged Cross – Experiences.  Series Three:  The Old Rugged Cross – The End Result.  We are using the letters of the word “CROSS” as our points.  This Sunday night (28^th) we will look at series two, lesson three:  In the Way of the Old Rugged Cross we will experience opportunities.  I am enjoying this series very much.  The points are easy to remember and very meaningful to our Christian lives.

     YOUNG ADULTS:  If you are college age to 30, single, single-again, or married, we have a very special Bible class available to you every Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. in the Annex Building.  Andy Kelly and Patrick Breeding is teaching this class.  It is my understanding that a new study will begin this week on Attitudes.  If you are not involved in one of our Bible study sessions, you need to be.  Just get up a little bit earlier on Sunday morning and show up.  We have plenty of room for you.  If you have children, we have Bible classes for them too. 

     The Enola Church of Christ is doing very well.  It is true that some of our Christian brothers and sisters are struggling with various trials, temptations, sicknesses, and negative circumstances.  Life has been this way since the beginning of time.  Together we can keep on keeping on.  Don’t think that you are alone in your trials.  Know that your Christian family at Enola loves you and is praying for you.

See you Sunday...up in the Country

     Good day from up in the country and Enola, Arkansas.  Boy, have we had some very beautiful and very scary weather the past few days.  On Wednesday we had a terrible storm system come through our area.  Up in the country we had lightning, thunder, strong winds, and torrential rain.  The temperature went from 72 to 42 in a matter of seconds.  Pretty nerve racking.  I had our storm shelter ready to go; clean and swept out, chairs, candles, snacks, etc.  Cindi and I were ready.  How about you?  Is everything ready?  We need to be prepared.    If you are not prepared for the storm, get with it.  Now that leads me into something even more important.  Are you prepared for the coming of Jesus Christ?  He could be coming any moment.  He promised that He would return and told us that no one know when and that no one would be able to predict it.  This means that we need to be ready every day.  Put your faith in Jesus Christ.  No worries.  If you have sinned, repent and stay humble and true to your faith.  Have you confessed Jesus as the Son of God and have you been baptized for the remission of your sins.  If you have not then do so as soon as possible.  You cannot be saved unless you have obeyed Jesus’ simple command to confess Him and be baptized.  Are you living the Christian life?  You know whether you are living the Christian life or not.  If not, make the change and stay with it.  If you are, great!  Keep on keeping on.

     This Sunday (14^th) for our sermon time we will begin a new series of lesson entitled “Finding the Door of Opportunity.”  This week we will introduce the series.  There are so many verses in the Bible that refer to doors of opportunity.  We’ll look at a few on Sunday morning.  Over the next few weeks we will take a look at how to see the many opportunities that present themselves to us every day.  If we are looking, we’ll see them.  If we are ready to take those doors, we can.  I hope you will be present this Sunday morning for this sermon.

     On Sunday evening we will continue to study about the Old Rugged Cross.  There are requirements:  Courage, Reason, Obedience, Sacrifices, and Sincerity.  Now we will consider what we will experience as we walk with Jesus on the road to Calvary.  This Sunday evening we will look at the CHALLENGES we will experience on the road to Calvary.

     YOUNG ADULTS:  We have a brand new Bible class available to you in the Annex at 10:00 a.m. every Sunday morning.  Andy Kelly and Patrick Breeding will be directing this study in God’s word.  The first session was last Sunday and we had a good crowd.  If you are college age to 30 years of age, this class is for you.  Come and be a part of this very special time of study, fellowship, and discussion.  If you know of someone who would enjoy this class, extend to them a very special invitation to come with you.  Remember how our faith in God is strengthened…Romans 10:17 and Psalm 1.

     We doing well up in the country!  It would do you good to make the short drive from wherever you are to worship with us at the Enola Church of Christ.  

April Showers/May Flowers

     Can you believe that January, February, and March 2013 are now history and the April showers will soon bring us May flowers?  I love spring.  Maybe we can continue our lawn and garden work now that the cold weather has finally given way to the warm.  Everything up in the country has been waiting patiently to burst forth into blossoms and blooms.  I'm ready for brown to turn green.

     We had a fine Easter Sunday at Enola.  We had a good crowd (166) for the morning worship hour and had almost 100 for the evening worship hour.  Our weekly offering continues to increase.   God continues to bless our labors with prosperity and happiness.  We are not without our personal troubles, trials, temptations, and difficulties.  We know that through it all, God helps us and provides what we need.  You may be going through some rough times.  Read Psalm 30 and especially verse 5:  “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life.  Weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”  Don’t you just love that verse and the entire chapter?  Look at verse 11.  “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.” 

     This Sunday (7^th) we will study about what God sees when He looks at you and me.  Our Scripture text comes from Romans 11, the last few verses and continues into chapter 12.  Just what does God see when He looks at me or you?  He sees that we are acceptable.  We are valuable.  We are lovable.  We are forgivable.  We are capable.  Come out for Bible class at 10 and for this sermon at 11:30.  Every Sunday at 11:00 at Enola we sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.  We do a lot of praying.  We are happy to give as we have been prospered for the Lord’s work.  We share in the Lord’s Supper.  I love being a Christian.  I love being a gospel preacher.  I especially love being a member of the Enola Church of Christ.

     On Sunday evening we will conclude with the final lesson on “The Old Rugged Cross – The Requirements.”  We have looked at courage, reason, obedience, and sacrifice.  This Sunday evening we will look at sincerity.  Just think of the CROSS and place the topics we have been discussing with each letter.  Ask yourself the following questions:

1.        Do I present what it true in my life?

2.       Am I putting on a good show, or an act?  Or am I real?

3.       Am I authentic?  What does this mean?

4.       Does who I am change depending on who is or isn’t watching?

5.       Am I serious?  Honest?  Pure?

 

     I hope you are having a good week.  From what I hear, the weather this weekend is going to be wonderful.  I’m ready.