July 11, 2004


Volume XXIV - Number 28  

When Everyone Does Their Chores
Joe Goodspeed

Though we're truly thankful for conveniences of today, we realize that back when times were less convenient and in many ways harder, the family was more closely compacted. In the families, people stood up for each other. Divorce was practically unknown. And many young people would not have dared to do anything that would have disgraced the family name. One of the big reasons for that strong family solidarity and that warm family love was the chores.

Everyone except the babies had something to do and did it! Everyone in the family "ganged up" on milking the cows, gathering eggs, mending fences, cutting and chopping wood, feeding the animals, preparing meals, doing the dishes, washing and ironing, etc.

And do you know something? When those families worked together, they tightened the string that tied them together. And the children grew up realizing the necessity, dignity, and also the joy of work.

We need to remember that the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a family (1 Timothy 3:15). It is also called a farm (Matthew 20:1; 1 Corinthians 3:5-9). The words of Jesus from another context surely speak the will of Christ for the church: "Go work today in my vineyard," (Matthew 21:18).

And with each of us finding areas where we can fit in, and "doing our chores," not only is the work of Christ accomplished with his harvest of souls and works of love beautifully productive, but also each of us is bound more closely to the Lord, and held more dearly in love and loyalty to each other.

Many, many times, in the old days, the fathers and mothers would need to remind their children, "Sammy, do your chores...

Mary, get on your chores And you and I need to hear, as it were, the voice of the Lord today, for our sake and for the sake of his cause, as that voice lovingly calls each of us by name and says, "Don't forget the chores!"


It Is Hard . . . .

To convince your children that the church is the most important thing in the world when you are negligent about attending it's services and supporting it's work.

To convince your children that the church is the greatest institution in the world when you permit them to miss services to go elsewhere

To convince your children that the church is to be held higher than anything when you insist that they do their homework for public school but permit them to neglect Bible study

To convince your children that the church is the world's most important institution when you give little to help finance it's work and encourage them to do likewise.

To convince your children that they should respect the church when you continually criticize the leadership, belittle the preacher's work, and appear a habitual faultfinder.

....Author Unknown


AM SERMON:
"Adoni-Bezek; A King Who Reaps What He Sows"
(Judges 1:1-8)
PM SERMON:
"Andrew the Soul Winner"
(John 1:35-42)
Baptized Into Christ
We are very pleased to announce that Robert and Betty Joe Pearson were both baptized for the remission of sins last Sunday (July 4) at the Tandem Health Care Center in Winter Haven (next to Ryans). We give thanks for the efforts of James Huggins, Jim & Janie Hall and Frances Black in seeing to the spiritual needs of the Pearsons during the past few weeks. Robert is in Room 310 and Betty is in Room 506 at THC.

PW Group A
Visitation Team “A” will meet in Assembly Room B after this morning’s worship services.

Taking The Gospel To Ghana
Bob Bauer and Jim Hall have arrived safely in Ghana and are proceeding with their work there. Ted Wheeler and Daniel Stearsman left on Friday and should be in Ghana by this reading. Check the OrangeStreetCofC.com web-site for the latest updates from both of these campaigns.

Wednesday Night Series
We look forward to another excellent lesson in the Wednesday Evening Summer Series this week. Mike Elledge, from the Alachua congregation, will speak on "Thanks For Nothing".


If your like to camp, hike, contemplate, picnic, meditate, hunt, explore, bird watch, swim, wade, relax, inhale, exhale, climb, fish, walk, ride or dream, congratulations!! You're human!!! But on the Lord's day don't forsake the assembly to do it!!!! (Hebrews 10:25)


 

Don’t forget the weekly prayer session in classroom #3, each Sunday evening at 5:30 p.m.

Cora Satterfield, Sylvia West,
Tabitha Halbert, Dezzie Cox,
Vera Sasser, Karen Bauer,
Robin Kidwell, Emily Kidwell,
Wanda Greene, Minnie Stout,
Margaret Duh, Robert Thomas,
Lawrence Bauer, James Huggins,
Frances Black, Zach Mathis, Brice Oliver,
Cliff Powell, Frances Kidwell,
Harris Pendergrass,
Henry Martinez, Sherry Hobbs,
Robert Cox, Derek Howard,
Gina Dupree, Martha Ellis,
Johnny & Jewell White, Lucille Emerson,
Sue Church, Mattie Hughs

In The Nursing Homes

Elsie Chambers (Auburndale Oaks),
Betty & Robert Pearson (Tandem),
Victoria Wooster (OH),
Sam McCampbell (TN)