Mack Lyon wrote many years ago of a visit by Booker T. Washington to Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie, a well-known philanthropist, was asked by Washington to invest in Negro education. When the interview ended, a check was given by Carnegie in the amount of one thousand dollars.

When Washington saw the amount of the check he said, "Sir, I have failed to impress you with the bigness of the cause I represent." When next they met, Washington again requested aid . At the conclusion of that meeting a check was given by Carnegie in the amount of five hundred thousand dollars--quite a difference.

While there are many good causes in our day which deserve our support, none can rival the cause of Christ. Sometimes you must wonder if we have been impressed with the bigness of that cause. Like Mr. Carnegie, we give lip service and then only a paltry portion of our effort, time, and/or money.

Until we are impressed with what it means to be a Christian, the beauty of Christ's body, the church, the need for fellowship among brethren, and the great power found in the gospel, we will continue to give only tokens to our Lord.

What have you given to the Lord? What real sacrifice have you made? What commitments kept? Surely it is the case that our offering to God, or our whole life, in the totality of all its elements, reveals how impressed we are with the bigness of the cause of Christ. How impressed are you?

We wish each of you
A Very Merry Christmas
and a Safe and Happy New Year!

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
(2 Cor. 9:15)

Personal Work Group
Visitation Group “B” is scheduled to meet today after the morning worship in Assembly Room “B”.

Sympathy
Our hearts go out in deepest sympathy to Henry Martinez and his family in the death of his granddaughter, Brianna Alfred, this past week. Funeral services were held in Winter Haven on Friday. Keep the Martinez family in your prayers.

Address Change
Please note that our two student preachers have moved to the other student house (307 Ariana Ave.) due to damage sustained to the house they were living in (309) during the recent hurricanes.

2005 Duty Schedules
Take a minute to check the 2005 Duty Schedules posted in the foyer to see if it is compatible with your plans for the coming year. If any changes are necessary, make them on the posted sheet. The sheets will be taken down and the information put into the computer in about a week.

Christmas Party
The Matt and Kim Faneuf are hosting a Christmas party for the Teen Group on Tuesday evening at their home. For further information see Matt or Kim.

For Your Information
If you’ve noticed the new cabinet at the rear of the auditorium, that is where the PA system controls are now being housed. They were moved there so that there might be more room and privacy in the nursery.

Jesus Christ is the "Great Physician" who dispenses the "balm of Gilead" to sin sick world. His followers must be good interns and nurses passing out the prescription and praying for the patients. In a sick world, the thing most needed is not negative criticism and fault finding, but love.