Fall is on the Horizon my Friends

     It’s been a busy week once again with our incredibly awesome VBS.  We had a wonderful series of studies from God’s word from Galatians 5.  We studied the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  I was singing the song as I typed the list.  You probably sung it in your head too if you know the song.  Attendance was magnificent every night.  We almost made it to 200 on Wednesday night (192).  Thank you to our youth minister, Brandon Breeding for coordinating this year’s VBS.  Thank you to our teachers.  You are the best!  Thank you to our snack coordinators; Steve and Kim Mooningham.  You had everything ready every night.  Thank you to Patrick Breeding for getting our big night at the country fair together on Wednesday.  What a blast!  Thank you to every Christian who provided whatever we needed for the success of our VBS.  Thank you to every participant.  I hope you learned to be more loving, more joyful, more at peace, more patient, kinder, good, more faithful, gentle, and more disciplined in your life.  Only in Christ can we experience the fruit of the Spirit.

     Can you believe it? August arrives this coming Thursday.  The summer is nearing an end and fall is on the horizon.  This week I felt a little bit of autumn in the air.  I love the fall – cooler weather, football and other fall sports, teachers , students, and parents getting back to the old school routine, and everything and everyone sort of settling down from summer activities.  Don’t get me wrong.  Fall has its own busy times with what I have already mentioned above.  The Enola Church of Christ is doing well.  I am glad.

     Tomorrow morning (Sunday, July 28^th) we will begin a new series of lessons on the recipe for a good day.  Often, when we meet someone we know we greet them with the expression: “Have a good day!”  Well, just how do we do that when we have so many worries, so many issues, so many battles to fight, so many people depending on us, so many expectations to meet, so much to do and not enough time, it seems to do it?  I’ll try to answer this question with this series of lessons from God’s word.  The first ingredient or step to have a good day is to LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME.  We’ll talk about that tomorrow, Lord willing.  I hope you can make it up to the country to hear, learn, and begin having a good day every day.

     On Sunday evening we will learn about how to become better at showing and sharing our faith and hope in Christ Jesus with those who need to hear and have good news.  We can win or lose when it comes to sharing our faith in Christ Jesus with others.  We’ll look at five words in 1 Peter 3:15 that can determine a win or a loss. 

     There are several congregations in the county hosting their Vacation Bible Schools.  I will be speaking on Monday night (July 29^th) at 7:00 at the Greenbrier Church of Christ.  You are invited to make the short drive through the “bottoms” to support this good effort.

     Our “Young at Heart” meetings every Friday in June and July have been so edifying to our seniors.  Our last meeting was this past Friday with 24 in attendance.  Thank you to Callie King and Clare King for your planning, preparing, and dedication.  Thank you to Brother Larry Arnett for being there every session to assist in so many ways.  Thank you to every member who helped in this wonderful program.  We are strong when we are together.

VBS - July 21-24 at Enola - Come one...Come all

     We’re a okay up in the country; working hard, praying every day for our great state and our nation.   We all need wisdom and courage to think, speak, and live the way we should.  We need patience and strength in the face of so many obstacles that are blocking our path to heaven.  Jesus said it best in the Parable of the Sower in Luke chapter 8.  Life is often difficult, hard if you will.  When life is hard, we sometimes give in to the hardness of life and become hardened ourselves.  We say, “Well, since I’m not having a good day, why should anyone else.”  If we want to be the “good ground” that pleases God that bears the good fruit of righteousness, we must remain open and sensitive to every opportunity to give, to serve, and to show and share the tender loving care of Jesus Christ.

     There are so many rocks in the field that we are trying to plant.  The field is our heart and the hearts of those around us.  The seed is the word and ways of God.  Temptations are like rocks in the field that we are trying to plant.  We all deal with temptations.  Some don’t bother me at all.  Some trouble me all the time.  It seems that I am constantly moving the rocks or trying to plant around them.  One thing is for sure for me.  These temptations, the rocks won’t keep me from planting. 

     We’re trying to grow in faith and love, but there are so many thorns that are growing up around us.  These thorns are the cares of life, pleasures, and the deceitfulness of riches.  We all have work to do, bills to pay, spouses to please, children to raise, neighbors to get along with, quotas to meet, expectations to meet…I could go on and on about the cares of life.  Sometimes…many times we let these cares of life hinder or maybe even stop our progress to grow closer to the Lord.  If it’s not the cares of life, maybe it’s our desire to find pleasure in life, to be entertained.  We all need rest and relaxation from time to time, every day even.  Nothing wrong with that.  Pleasure can become a thorn if we lose sight of our priorities.  We all know that riches are deceitful.  We need clothes to wear, but do we really need a $100 pair of jeans or a $500 outfit?  We all need food, but do really need to spend so much on trips to Little Rock, Hot Springs, or Branson to eat?  We need a house to live in, but just how many square feet of space do we really need?   We need a way to get to work, to school, and to worship, but what is so wrong with the vehicle we have?  Does a 2013 model get us where we want to go better than a 2012 model?  You see.  These “thorns” that Jesus spoke about can really hinder our progress as Christians to grow closer to God and closer to living like Jesus would have us live. 

     We all need to become good ground.  Our hearts are softened when we realize how precious life is and what is really important; faith in God, family (our spouses, our children, our grandchildren, our Christian family, our friends and neighbors…people), and our friends.  Temptations can hinder us, but we know that temptations also lead us to patience and strength (James 1).  We all have to face the cares and pleasures of life and the deceitfulness of riches.  We meet with the church every Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Wednesday evening, and at every other time we can to help us prioritize our lives so that these things do not hinder our progress as Christians. 

      Well, enough about that.  Our VBS begins tomorrow, Sunday (21^st) at 5:00 p.m.  Our theme is “It’s a Blue Ribbon Life.”  We will be studying the fruits of the Spirit.  Our plans are to meet on Sunday at 5:00 then on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 7:00.  I hope you can make the drive up in the country to attend.  You’ll be so glad you did.  Just think.  When was the last time you saw cattle grazing out in the field.  You need a little country in your life.

     Hope you are doing okay.  I am.  You know preachers.  We can’t hardly wait for Sunday’s.  I look forward to Bible study with my fellow Christian brothers and sisters.  I look forward to the fellowship we enjoy at Enola.  I especially look forward to honoring God in worship.  See you on Sunday, Lord willing.

VBS at Enola - July 21 - 24 - Y'all Come

     Hey, from the country.  We had a good Lord’s Day on Sunday.  Our attendance was down a little (124), but the summer always has us scattered a bit.  We’re having a good week; hot for sure, but looking forward to the coming activities that are just around the corner.  The Faulkner County Gospel Crusade is scheduled for Sunday evening, July 14^th through Friday evening, July 19^th at 7:00 p.m. each evening.  There will be a different speaker each evening.  Our theme is “The Home as God Would Have It.” The crusade will be held at the Reynolds Performance Center on the campus of UCA in Conway.   I have the privilege of preaching on Wednesday night.  My topic is “For Better or Worse.”  My lesson will include three of our couples at Enola:  Roger and Michelle Robinson, Rusty and Gina Goodnight, and Jim and Mary Montgomery.  I am excited about presenting the word of God during the crusade.

     Our VBS at Enola will be incredibly awesome this year.  VBS is scheduled for Sunday evening through Wednesday evening, July 21^st through the 24^th.  The Sunday session begins at 5:00 p.m.  Sessions on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday will begin at 7:00 p.m.  We will be studying the fruits of the Spirit.  I hope you will make plans to make the short drive from Conway on Highway 64 to the 8 Mile Store, then left on 36 for about 9 miles, then straight onto Highway 107 through Enola on the left.  You can’t miss our brand new sign.  If you’re coming from Vilonia, just take Simpson Road to 36. Watch out.  Simpson is mighty curvy.  Turn left for short distance then right onto 107.  Go about 3 miles to the church building on the left.  If you’re coming from Greenbrier, just come through the Bowie bottoms to 107 in downtown Enola. Turn left and watch for the building on the left.  VBS is not just for children.  We will have a different speaker each evening for the adults. 

     Our “Young at Heart” meetings on Fridays with the seniors are going very well.  We had another good crowd last Friday (23).  We all enjoyed answering patriotic questions and singing patriotic songs.  Larry Arnett grilled hamburgers and hotdogs for the group.  Several Christian brothers and sisters prepared the side items and desserts.   If you are young at heart come and be a part of our get-together on Friday at 10:00 a.m.  You’ll fit right in.

     Our Sunday morning sermon series is going very well.  We are examining our love and life and asking ourselves if we are putting God first.  F – Finances – Where am I spending my money?  I – Interests – Where am I spending my thoughts?  R – Relationships – Where am I spending myself?  This Sunday morning we will ask ourselves the S – Schedule – Where am I spending my time?  Am I making every moment count in my life?  Think about it.  Is God first when it comes to your time?

     We have a Ladies’ Fellowship and a Men’s Fellowship every month.  The women of the church meet every second Thursday at 7:00.  The men meet every third Thursday at 7:00.  In July the ladies will meet at the Burleson’s on the 11^th.  The men will meet at the Burleson’s on the 18^th.  We visit, discuss relative issues that we face in life, and turn to the Bible for answers, encouragement, and strength to grow in our faith in Jesus Christ.  We also take time to pray.  The church is growing and prospering.  God always keeps His promises.  We are so very thankful.

     We’re in desperate need of rain up in the country.  I would love to see a cloudy sky, hear the sound of thunder, smell the rain, and then see the rain coming down from God above.  God knows what He’s doing.  I know that.  The rain will come our way in God’s time.  We’re thankful for His providence, rain or shine.

Learning, loving, and living - Country, my friend!

     Last blog I mentioned the heat.  On Thursday of last week the thermometer in my Dodge Ram 1500 registered 103 degrees.  Today (Tuesday, July 2^nd) there was a feeling of fall in the air and the temperature was only in the mid 80’s.  I got out early this morning to work at little bit on the big oak tree at the church building with Larry Newland.  All the firewood has been cut, split, delivered, and stacked.  Even now the huge trunk is slowing burning into ash.  Chuck Loyd is maintaining the process.  Very soon Andy Kelly will be working on leveling the area where the tree used to be for a nice new play area for our children.  Larry Arnett and I took a look at one of the other trees just behind the annex for the possibility of a tire swing.  We’ll see what we can come up with.  God has blessed the Enola Church  of Christ with priceless and precious children.  I want every child to think of the church as a people and a place of family, friendship, learning, growing, joy, and happiness in Jesus Christ.  I love to hear parents tell me that their children can’t hardly wait for Bible class, worship, and fellowship with their friends and that they have to deal with their children crying because they have to leave to go home.  I realize that play areas, tire swings, and these kinds of things are just that, things.  The church’s #1 priority is and will always be Jesus Christ.  Even Jesus enjoyed being with His friends, Lazarus, Martha, and Mary.  He went to a wedding in Cana.  He fished with His disciples.  He spent a lot of time in the garden.  He often spoke about the lilies of the field, the birds of the air, and we find that He loved children.  When it comes to children, Jesus said, “Of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

     Our Sunday morning sermon series “Putting God First” continues with a lesson on the letter “R.”  Are we putting God first in our relationships?  We’ve already asked, “Where am I spending my money?  Am I putting God first in my finances?”  We’ve also asked, “Where am I spending my thoughts?  Am I putting God first in my interests?”  When you think of friends, who do you think of?  I mean, who do you think of in the Bible?  When I think of friendship, I think of love.  I think of Jonathan and David, not Jonadab and Amnon.  I think of trust.  I think of God and Abraham, not Jesus and Judas Iscariot.  I think of respect.  I think of Aquila and Priscilla, not Ananias and Sapphira.  We’ll talk about friendship this Sunday.  I hope you will be present.  The drive up in the country will do you good.

     On Sunday evening this week we will focus our thoughts on freedom.  After all Independence Day is on Thursday.  It would do us good to take a little time to think about all the freedoms we enjoy every day, some complicated and sophisticated and others plain and simply.  Isn’t it funny how we overlooked the plain and simple too many times. 

     Remember our incredibly awesome VBS scheduled for Sunday evening, July 21^st through Wednesday evening July 24^th.  Sunday evening we begin at 5:00 p.m.  Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we will begin at 7:00 p.m.  Our theme is “It’s a Blue Ribbon Life” speaking of the Christian life of course.  We will be studying love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  You’ll recognize these as the Fruits of the Spirit.  I hope you will plan on being with us up in the country at Enola for one or all of these VBS sessions.  We have a class for adults too.  Bring the kids and stay for VBS for yourself.

     Remember the 4^th Annual Faulkner County Gospel Crusade too.  We’ll be meeting for six night at Reynolds Performance Center on the Campus of the University of Central Arkansas on July 14^th through July 19^th.  Our theme is “The Home as God Would Have It.”  Mark your calendar for this very special time of spiritual encouragement.