Spring is has arrived. I love the flowers in bloom, the trees budding out, and those warm Arkansas breezes. Of course, the pollen and our allergies stand in the way of the total enjoyment of these wonderful spring days. Many of our Christian brothers and sisters are out of school and on vacation this week for Spring Break. Remember that Christians are never on break from our Christian lives. We can never take a break from our guard against the temptations of our enemy, the devil. We can never break from prayer, worship, from our daily meditations in the Bible, or our service to God and the people around us.

Our monthly “Ladies’ Bible Study” and our monthly “Men’s Fellowship” are both going very well. These meetings are scheduled each month at a different location, in the home of the host. The primary purpose is for the men of the church and the ladies of the church to stay focused on spiritual things while at the same time getting to know one another better as brothers and as sisters. Check our website http://www.enolachurchofchrist.com for dates, times, and details. You’ll find our calendar of events and activities on the cover page.

Have you noticed that we are now presenting the announcements each Sunday on our projection system? Sister Ruple emails the bulletin to me on Friday and I take the information and place it on the PowerPoint program to have it ready on Sunday morning. No problem. I like it very much. I hope you do too. Just another way to show and share the love of our blessed Savior Jesus Christ to the church and to the world!

Our Sunday morning series “God’s Questions – Man’s Answers” came to a close last Sunday with God’s final question for Adam and Eve. Take a look again at the four questions God asked Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. Where are you? Who told you that? Have you sinned? What have you done? Use these questions every day. Know where you are in your relationship with God. If you hear something that sounds different from what the Bible teaches, ask who might be saying these different things. If there is sin in your life, repent of it, confess it to God, and grow from it. Know that sin will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, cost you more than you want to spend, and when you are ready to let go of sin, sin is never ready to let go of you. Our next series will center on…just wait and see. You’ll be glad you have made meeting with the church for fellowship, study, and worship a priority in your life.

Our Sunday evening series continues – “God is Able.” He is able to help us in the hour of our temptation. He is able to keep what we commit to Him – past, present, and future. He is able to provide for our every need sufficiently and completely. Do you believe these things? I do? Trust Him. Show Him.

The Enola Church of Christ is only a short drive out to the country from where you are. You will be welcomed, encouraged, and challenged to hope in Christ Jesus.

The Enola Church of Christ had a wonderful Sunday this week even though it rained and rained all day long. We had 134 present for worship and fellowship together. I noticed that there were a few who came for worship but intended to be present for Bible study. “Daylight Savings Time” came upon us suddenly and a few people slept right through the change. I’m so glad my daughter-in-law called us on Saturday night to remind us of the time change. Whew! That was a close one. I do enjoy having the extra daylight in the evenings. Cindi and I took advantage of the change today by working in our flowerbeds.

I drove over the Morrilton today, Monday for the monthly area-wide Men’s and Preachers’ Meeting at the Harding Street congregation. Brother Charles Bane has been the preacher there for several years and is a very good friend. He preached for the church at Enola many years ago for a short time. Three young men from the Downtown congregation shared the lessons they plan to present at the annual Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes convention in April. All three young men did an outstanding job with their lessons. Our son, Ben participated in this nationwide program when he was in middle school and high school. As a matter of fact, he met his wife at a Lads to Leaders convention in Orlando, Florida. Please promote any and every Christian activity and event you can with your children and grandchildren. Brandon needs our help in the promotion of Christian activities above other extracurricular activities. I realize that every family is very busy with sometimes too many things to do. Time and energy will not allow us to do everything we could do when it comes to providing ourselves and our children with good things to do. It is vital that we provide and promote Christian activities for our children. Case in point: This past Sunday afternoon the monthly area-wide youth devotional was hosted by the Robinson and Center congregation in Conway. Where were our young men and women from Enola? Parents: Did you promote this youth event with your children? Or did you allow the rain, the time change, or some other temptation to keep you from promoting this event? Our young men and women befriend, date, fall in love with, and marry the young people they are around. Let’s make sure they are “around” Christian young people in addition to their friends elsewhere.

I have enjoyed preaching our Sunday morning series on God’s Questions. Man’s Answers? I hope you are being challenged and encourages by this study from God’s Word and Genesis 3. This Sunday, March 18th we will conclude this series and look at God’s final question for Adam and Eve. God asked Eve; “What Have You Done?” Oh, what a question! Just think about how many people down through the ages of time have asked this very question. The person who drinks, drives, and kills…The person who commits adultery…The single person who gives into temptation on a date…The parent who neglects to train up a child to know right from wrong…The person who thinks that one time won’t hurt…The person who thinks that strength and youth will last forever… What have I done?

I look forward to seeing you at Enola for study, fellowship, and worship. If you are reading this blog and are not meeting with any congregation of the Lord’s people, please make the short drive out in the country to see what you have been missing for so long. We love God. We love one another. We will love you, too.

Spring is on the horizon and boy, am I ready! I just love country living, cattle on a thousand hills, country dogs stopping by the house to visit, sitting on my front porch reading God’s word, watching the glorious sunrise early in the morning, looking out from my back yard at the beautiful sunset in the evening, going for an walk with my wife beside me discussing the events of the day, listening to the silence of the night. Thank you, Lord for your grace and mercy , for your rich blessings today and every day. Oh, that others could experience such wonders of God!

Wow! What a Sunday we enjoyed at the Enola Church of Christ this past Sunday, March 4th! We had a wonderful Bible study together with Brother Jim Montgomery teaching on the Missionary Journey’s of the Apostle Paul. Of course our teens and children meet for Bible study in their age-specific sessions. We had a good crowd (142) for worship. I am preaching a series entitled “God’s Questions! Man’s Answers?” Right after the morning worship hour we walked over to the fellowship hall for a luncheon together. What a sight to behold! We have the best cooks in the state! Not bragging! Just stating facts. After lunch we met back in the main building for our afternoon worship hour. God is blessing us. May we, today and always appreciate His rich blessings by living for Him in thought, word, and deed.

Our Sunday night series is entitled “God is Able.” When we read the Bible we find that there was no limit to what the men and women believed God could do. The Lord promised Abraham that he and his wife, Sarah would have a son. Sarah laughed. She was 90 years old. Abraham believed. The Lord said to Sarah, “Is anything to hard for the Lord?” Abraham was fully convinced that God was able to fulfill His promises. God always fulfills His promises. He believed that God could raise Isaac from the dead. That wasn’t necessary. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego believed that the Lord could save them from the furnace of fire and even if He didn’t, that wouldn’t change their commitment to Him. The Lord saved them. Jesus, His disciples, and His mother were at a wedding feast in Cana. The wine ran out. Mary said to the servants, “Whatever He tells you to do, do it.” What does that say about her faith in what Jesus was able to do? He turned water into the best wine. If you have doubts about God’s ability to help you in your life, make the short drive out to the country to Enola on Sunday evening at 5:00 and find out just what the Lord can do for you today. You will be very welcome.

Ladies, remember the Ladies’ Bible study at Marilyn Ruple’s this coming Thursday evening, March 8th at 7:00. Come and bring a friend. Guys: Our Men’s Fellowship is planned for Thursday evening, March 15th at the home of Steve Mooningham at 7:00. The Men’s Fellowship only lasts about an hour. Don’t worry about being out too late. We hope the Enola ladies and the Enola men will take advantage of these very special get-togethers.

See you on Wednesday evening at 7:00. The adults are studying “The Deep Things of God.” This week we are looking at the second coming of Christ. Very interesting!

What a beautiful week we’re having in the country! I am thankful for every blessing, great and small. We had a great Sunday yesterday, February 26th at the Enola church of Christ with 143 members and guests gathered together for worship and fellowship. I hope that you were encouraged and challenged by the time we spent together.

This Sunday, March 4th (I can’t hardly believe that it’s March already) will be one of our very special Sundays at Enola. We will meet for Bible study at 10:00 and for worship at 11:00. Immediately following our worship hour we will walk over to the fellowship hall for a luncheon together. Right after we get everything put away, we will walk back over for our “evening” service in the afternoon. We will then break for the day. Please be reminded of this very special Sunday and make sure to prepare enough food for your family and our guests. Cindi and I will certainly do our part. Our house always smells so good on a “pot-luck” Sunday morning.

Our new sermon series will continue this Sunday with the second question God asked Adam in Genesis chapter three: “Who Told You That?” Some people will say, “I feel that such and such is just fine” when it comes to religion. Well, who told you that? It wasn’t God. God has given us the Bible to help us to know, not feel what is “just fine” when it comes to our relationship with Him. Some people say, “A person doesn’t have to be baptized to be saved.” Well, who told you that? Certainly God didn’t tell you that. God tells us that those who believe and are baptized will be saved (Mark 16:16). Some people say, “One church is just as good as the other.” Who told you that? God certainly didn’t. Jesus built His church. The Bible speaks about Christ’s body, His church not many, but one. We will think about several ideas that Satan has planted in the minds of too many people in the world today and ask, “Who told you that?”

On Sunday afternoon following our luncheon we will consider a series of sermons entitled “God is Able.” Our biggest issue is not God’s ability, but our choice to trust and obey Him. Faith or Fear – Which Will It Be For Me? We are often tested, tempted, and tried. God asks His children to follow Him beside the still waters and sometimes into the raging waters. He asks us to follow Him into green pastures and also into areas of barren wilderness. He asks us to follow Him in life and also through the valley of the shadow of death. We must not be afraid, because He is always with us.

Have a great week. Get out and enjoy this beautiful spring weather. Look up to heaven to thank the Lord for His grace and providence toward us all.

What a wonderful week we are enjoying in the country, warm sunshine in February, buttercups blooming in the yard, calves in every pasture, one at a time and sometimes two, and the temptation to start our spring garden work and lawn work. But wait. It could be that winter may have one last romp before spring rushes in. God is good. We are thankful.

Our lesson series “Seven Steps from Darkness into the Light” or “Seven Steps Out of a Rut” has come to an end. I hope you have been challenged and encouraged by these lessons from God’s word. I am very excited about what we will be studying next. If you would like to read ahead, read the Biblical account of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden just after they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil – Genesis 3. We will consider the four questions God asked Adam and Eve:

Lesson/Question 1 Where are you?
Lesson/Question 2 Who told you that?
Lesson/Question 3 Have you sinned?
Lesson/Question 4 What have you done?

This Sunday, February 26th Cindi and I will host our monthly Birthday and Anniversary Get-Together at our house immediately following our Sunday evening service. If you or a member of your immediate family has a birthday or an anniversary in February, please come and enjoy the good fun and fellowship with your fellow Christian brothers and sisters. If you would like to bring your favorite finger-food, please do. We will provide the cake, drinks, and utensils. We certainly enjoy having you in our home.

Mark your calendar for our quarterly Church Luncheon on Sunday, March 4th. We will meet for Bible study at 10:00, worship at 11:00 then following our worship hour we will walk over to the fellowship hall for a lunch together. I know that Cindi will be probably cooking her fabulous chicken casserole, some “angelic” eggs, potato salad…Mmmmm! After our luncheon together we will meet back in the auditorium for our afternoon service and dismiss for the day. Please prepare enough food for your family and our guests as I know you always do. Our ladies are definitely the best cooks in Faulkner County.

Some of our fellow Christian brothers and sisters are having some difficult times presently. Let us remember these in our daily prayers to God. Let us also commit ourselves to having a greater appreciation for God’s provision for our needs every day. By this shall all know that we are his disciples, if we have love for one another as Jesus loved us (John 13:34-35).