Attend If Convenient
Paul Sain

Attendance on Sunday morning worship is so encouraging, especially at times. Sunday evening and Wednesday evening attendance is so discouraging and depressing. Many tragically forsake the Lord, coming only on Sunday morning or when convenient.

Service and faithfulness to Almighty God is NOT something that we can "put on" or "take off" as a piece of clothing. Worship is not an optional matter (John 4:24). Loyalty to God is not a seasonal involvement. Neither is our worship to Him to be a matter of "if convenient" or "if nothing else comes up or prevents us. "

Tragically some who profess to be dedicated and loyal allow visitors in their homes to keep them away from worship on the Lord's day. Others allow hunting season, football games, golf trips, vacations or whatever comes along to divert their attention and supposed faithfulness to their Lord.

Do not fool yourself! Do not be so blind as to think that others do not see your actions for what they are — neglect, unfaithfulness and sinful action.

Your children learn that God is important ONLY IF nothing else more important comes along. They grow up to believe that "God will understand" if we are not there since we are traveling, company came unexpected, or this is a very special game. The facts are—God does not understand, accept nor tolerate such "second place action" from His servants. He demands first place and will not be second, third or forty-second (Matt. 6:33)!

Your friends see your actions and know that God really is not that important to you-as much as other things. You may have invited them to worship, encouraged them to become a Christian, talked to them about going to heaven–but by your actions they learn you are mostly TALK and very little WALK.

Folks, "if the shoe fits, wear it" - change, stop, no longer forsake the assembling-Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Wednesday evening-or whenever the elders (God's overseers at this place) have designated the saints at East Hill to assemble. God said "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls ... " (Heb. 13: 17).

Your failure to attend worship shows where your priorities reside, where your true love is and where you are setting your affections (John 14:15; Col. 3: 1-4).

Most of us can appreciate the value of our own souls or the souls of our loved ones, but it is a bit more difficult to appreciate the value of someone else's soul that we do not know. One of the essential ingredients in our lives as we grow toward God is to care for a soul, even one we do not know.

Senior Appreciation Dinner
We will be meeting today after the morning services (about noon) in the annex, TODAY, for our annual Senior Appreciation Diner in honor of our senior members who give us so much encouragement during the year. Plan to be with us.

You Are Invited
The wives of the elders, deacons and preacher would like to invite everyone to be their guests for lunch provided by them in the annex immediately after the morning services on December 24, 2006.

Add To Your Directory
Please add the following information to your directories:

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Men’s Breakfast
The monthly Men’s Breakfast will be hosted at the Central congregation in Haines City, this coming Saturday, Dec. 16th, starting at 8 am. All of the men are invited to attend.

Talk about others the same way you want others to talk about you.