• Nursery: Located in the Main Building Downstairs
• K-5th: Located in the Main Building Downstairs
• 6th-12th Grades: Located in the Annex Building Downstairs
• Young Adult: Located in the Library/Lounge (Topic is 1 Timothy)
• Adult: Annex Building Upstairs (Topic is 1 John)

Scripture: Titus 3:1-8

INVITATION – Loveable Losers – Bring Christ Your Broken Life

Central Young Adult News – 2 Items: Kayaking & Sunday Bible Study

Family Forte: Invincible Love & Saving Marriage

by: Topher Wiles

How many of you were like us?  I thought that we would tie the proverbial knot, carry Ashley over the threshold, and as the fair tales say, “live happily ever after?” We dated for two years, were engaged for one, and had a beautiful wedding.  Now after 17 years of marital ups and downs, we discovered that a good marriage is so much more than a loving feeling, a lavish ceremony, and having a lot in common. I wish we had gone through some sort of organized premarital counseling. 

If we’re being truthful with ourselves, that whole “till death do us part” in the marriage vows is increasingly ironic.  According to Les & Leslie Parrot (authors of “Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts”) things are changing. In the 1930s, one out of seven marriages ended in divorce. In the 1960s, it was one out of four. On survivedivorce.com, that figure is now around 40 percent of marriages today ending in divorce. That tells us that so many couples toss the bouquet, return the tuxedos, and assume they’re heading for marital bliss while their ship is really sailing toward wedded disaster.  

We believe God has more in store for your family forte than what our current culture provides.

Here at Central Church of Christ, we believe God has set the standard on what a loving relationship is and we are preparing ourselves to help members in the community get ready for the best marital relationship possible. That’s why I and others at our church have gotten certified to offer pre-marital counseling through the SYMBIS (Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts) system to our community. This 30 minute pre-marital assessment tool and five accompanying counseling sessions are designed to give couples the following: healthy expectations of marriage, a realistic concept of love, a positive attitude and outlook toward married life, a better way to communicate feelings, an understanding of gender differences, the ability to make decisions and settle arguments, a common spiritual foundation, and a deep and abiding commitment to the bonds of marriage together.  This is the broader concept of what invincible love looks like day-in and day-out in a marriage.

Tennessee understands the value of pre-marital counseling as our state offers a $60 discount (from $97.50 to $37.50 in White County) on marriage licenses to couples who obtain pre-marital counseling within a year before the marriage.  For couples choosing pre-marital counseling with us here at Central, we ask that the couple cover the $35 assessment fee, and we will provide 5 free counseling sessions directed by the findings of the assessment. All told, you’ll come out of this saving $25 in Tennessee and saving your marriage before it starts!

It doesn’t matter if you go to church or not, you are welcome to enjoy premarital counseling with us at Central Church of Christ as we strive to strengthen families in our community through the SYMBIS assessment and premarital counseling. If you’d like to learn more about marriage and more, just contact me, Topher, at topherwiles@spartacoc.com or call our office at 931-836-2874.  

Marriage doesn’t have to be a gamble. Your lifelong partner is better than a roll of the dice. Your marriage can be better prepared to weather the storms that will come. You can enjoy “invincible love.” We’re here to help.

Hang my locket around your neck, wear my ring on your finger. Love is invincible facing danger and death. Passion laughs at the terrors of hell. The fire of love stops at nothing— it sweeps everything before it. Flood waters can’t drown love, torrents of rain can’t put it out. – Song of Songs 8:6-7

² Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic^a] called Bethesda,^b] which has five roofed colonnades. ³ In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.^c] ⁵ One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” ⁷ The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” ⁸ Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” ⁹ And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

The Truth Will Set You Free

³¹ So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, ³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ³³ They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave^b] to sin. ³⁵ The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. ³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. ³⁷ I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. ³⁸ I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

• I Corinthians 10:1-2 Paul wrote: “I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”
• Galatians 3:27 “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

Scripture Reading: Mark 10:42-45

“To the elders (presbuteros) among you, I appeal as a fellow elder (presbuteros), a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds (poimainō) of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers (episkopeō) — not because you must, but because you are willing….” (1 Peter 5:1-2)

“From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders (presbuteros) of the church…. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers (episkopos). Be shepherds (poimainō) of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” (Acts 20:17, 28)

Pilot and Seeing Eye Dog

https://laferianews.net/?p=6221

Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” – Matthew 15:14

“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” I Peter 5:5-6 NKJV

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” I Peter 5:7-10

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2009/april/14/unintentional-king-air-pilot-an-interview-with-doug-white

Our Air Traffic Controller has left instructions to get us flying toward home.

• On Sunday June 27th – Lifecare worship services at 8am and our regular worship at 10am. Members can still receive the
  parking lot radio station (98,3), communion, & bulletin. 
• Bible Classes – Will begin on Sunday 9am on July 11th and
  Wednesday 6:30pm on July 14th – Nathan & Topher are organizing.
• July 5th-Office closed
• July 11th – Young Adult lunch & kayaking trip at Big Bottom @ Noon.
• July 18th – Cameron Farris & Katie Roberts will be married in Jamaica!
• July 18th – Elders, Deacons, Ministry Leader Luncheon after Church
• July 23rd – 8am – Men’s Prayer Breakfast – The Landing Rock Island
• July 24th-Wedding of Andrew Webb & Emily Johnson at 6:00 pm. at
  the Brady MT. Wedding & Event Venue in Crab Orchard, Tn.
• August 20-21st – Field trip to Murf. for Trey & Lea’s Marriage workshop.

• June 20- Bible Bowl Practice at 4:30. Link to practice:
  https://meet.google.com/pba-rhvp-avr Please read Luke 9-11 to prepare! Our next
  practice will be over studying chapters 11-13. . We need a scorekeeper!
• June 29th-Service Project for ages K-12. Meet at the Wiles home(703 Crosslin
  St.) at 9 am to assemble sunshine baskets. We will assemble, deliver and then
  return to the Wiles home for lunch. Students may be picked up there at 1 pm.
  Contact Ashley Wiles if you have any questions.
• July 11-Summer FX Night at 6:00 pm in the annex. The theme is: Over and
  Over ( Training to Win the Prize) We will have singing, games, a devo and a great
  time enjoying fellowship together. Also, this is a great night to invite a friend and
  their family!
• VBS( uly 18-21) is coming & we need your help! Our theme this year is God of
  Wonders! If you are interested in helping, please join Patrick at the front of the
  auditorium for a short meeting after the morning service.

“Unsurprisingly, boxing matches in Rome often ended in the death of the loser. http://www.historyoffighting.com/boxing-in-the-ancient-world.php)

Romans 12:2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

“Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience.” I Timothy 1:18-19a

“Fight the good fight of the faith” I Timothy 6:12a

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” II Timothy 4:6

“Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.” 1Timothy 1:19a

Christian Chronicle Article: March 1, 2018

https://christianchronicle.org/churchtoo-sexual-abuse-victims-fed-silence/
 

&&&“Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience.” I Timothy 1:18-19a

“Fight the good fight of the faith” I Timothy 6:12a

“…command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer” I Timothy 1:3

“The aim of our charge IS LOVE that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” 1 Timothy 1:5

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners— of whom I am the worst.” 1 Timothy 1:15

“Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.” I Timothy 1:19b-20

“I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.” Ezekiel 33:6b

“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” Galatians 6:1

1 Timothy 3:1-15

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer[a] must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,[b] sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued,[c] not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise[d] must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 

Thank you for showing God’s love throughout the pandemic to our loved ones at LifeCare!

And here’s the 2nd part as well: 
https://bibletalk.tv/church-leadership

Scripture Reading: Acts 2:1-4

Opening – Norwegian Town Needed a Light Show

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/rjukan-sun-mirror/index.html

And about 2000 years ago, God spent a lot of energy and a lot of effort to bring the LIGHT OF LIFE down into a dark and dismal land. And it all happened on a day we call the Day of Pentecost.

Welcome: We are now 50 days past resurrection Sunday in a time called Pentecost.  Welcome to Central Church of Christ, a people called out by God to Show His Love, Tell His Story, and Be His Family. Today we hit the 8th& final message series from the Bible called, “Celebrate Jesus.” In this series we will walk each Sunday from Easter (Apr 4) to Pentecost (May 23) through an exciting Bible timeline of the appearances of Jesus to the church.

Today we touch on the effects of Jesus on the church.

THE PERFECT PLAN

Romans 8:9b  “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” 

John 7:39  “Now this (Jesus) said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.” – Acts 2:38

Acts 2:41  “ those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day ABOUT THREE THOUSAND SOULS.” 

Exodus 32:28 “And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day ABOUT THREE THOUSAND men of the people fell.”

“… the letter (of the Law) kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (from 2 Corinthians 3:6). 

THE PETER PRINCIPLE – Focus on Jesus

“We must obey God rather than men! (Acts 5:29)

“Men of Israel, hear these words: JESUS of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know — this JESUS, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” Acts 2:22-24

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this JESUS, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36

“Repent and be baptized every one of you IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” – Acts 2:38

When servant leaders were necessary to take care of the needs of the 1^st century church family, the disciples were tasked with bringing men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, to the twelve to be appointed to a specific ministry. (Acts 6:1-7) Following that example, the elders of Central Church of Christ have asked us also to bring the names of those of our number who fit the qualities of servant leaders before the elders, so that the Word of God may continue to increase in the members of Central and to the community beyond.

Please utilize our church directory for a complete listing of men who have placed membership with Central Church of Christ.  Our directory of names can be found in paper form in the office, or online through our website and the Instant Church Directory app.

            Here are the current deacons and elders of Central Church of Christ.

John Adams (deacon) – Building & Grounds

Will England (deacon) – Worship

Ben Gardenhire (deacon) – HUD & Prison

Craig Lynn (deacon) – Service

 Russ Hale (elder) – Fellowship

Bill Oakley (elder) – Primetime

Les Tubb (elder) – Worship

Ty Webb (elder) – Evangelism

Bob Young (elder) – Education

Deacon Qualities (1 Timothy 3:8-13; Acts 6:3)

“DIOS TE BENDIGA  ARE THE WORDS THAT WE HEAR MOST FROM OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN EL SALVADOR WHEN WE ARE THERE FOR THE VBS , CHILDREN BAGS, GOSPEL SERMOnS AND THE FOOD DISTRIBUTION.  DIOS TE BENDIGA, THAT IS WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO ALL  THE PEOPLE THAT HELP  THIS MISSION WORK  BE  WHAT IT IS TODAY. DIOS TE BENDIGA means GOD BLESS YOU.

We once again are planning our mission for El Salvador on  June 22th to June 28th 

We are planning VBS, Children bags, Gospel meeting and Food distribution for six churches.

We realize this is short notice, due to the changes with the pandemic, but if you can, COME JOIN US!

Family Forte: Breaking the Snapchat Streak

By: Topher Wiles on May 18, 2021

It’s not just teenagers that get a thrill from watching the number by the flame grow day by day. People of all ages enjoy the feature that Snapchat has dubbed “streaks”. A 2017 Business Insider article gives us this information on a Snapchat streak. “A Snapchat streak is when you send direct snaps back and forth with a friend for several consecutive days. The longer you go without breaking the chain of communication, the longer your streak is. Snapchat rewards longer streaks with special emojis, such as the ‘100’ emoji for streaks lasting 100 days, or a mountain emoji for an extremely long streak.  Many teens (and adults I know) invest an inordinate amount of time keeping streaks alive. There’s nothing more devastating than losing a streak you’ve put months of work into.” ^{1 (see endnotes)}

photocredit: www.cyberdefinitions.com

Snapchat streakers feel strong emotions when considering losing their streaks, as if they are losing a tangible commodity that they’ve worked hard for or losing an actual relationship with a friend. I know anxiety rides high for some Snapchat Streakers when friends don’t snap back in a timely fashion, threatening to reset that precious streak number to zero. 

Yet, I think it is entirely healthy to break a Snapchat streak.  We aren’t designed to be tethered 365 days a year to our cell phones.

Sadly, I’m one of those people who stay connected as my cell phone serves as my Bible, prayer list, note taking device, to-do list, calendar, and communications hub. The boys and I were taking guesses as to how many notifications I would receive at the end of the two day camping trip when I reached cell signal again.  Gabriel won as my 2-day notification tally sent my cell phone into a vibrating spastic seizure  surpassing 300 alerts from social media platforms, text messages, and emails. Many of you are like me, tied to your cell phone with constant communications and uses.   Many of us are even addicted to our smart phones, Facebook feeds, and Snapchat Streaks. Take a look at some of the information on smartphone addiction from disturbmenot.co.

“Nomophobia is the official term for smartphone addiction—a rising issue in modern society among both the young and the old. 

Over half of American teens would like to cut back that smartphone usage, yet features like the Snapchat Streak count, Facebook Like, Instagram Heart, and Twitter Re-tweet are designed to keep us plugged in and addicted.  I recommend looking up the adverse effects of cell phone addictions that are listed on numerous websites, such as psychguides.com. I won’t go into detail here, but I was surprised to read that male infertility, neck strain, OCD, and depression are among issues connected with cellphone over-usage.⁴ 

For our family’s strength, health, and relationships, I believe we need to encourage each other to break the Snapchat streaks, because being connected to your cellphone daily for 6+ years is going to have net negative consequences.  While it won’t be popular with those addicted, especially teens, (it may potentially induce short term anxiety, irritation, and restlessness) breaking cell phone streaks and addictions needs to happen from time to time for us to rest and focus on the highest priorities in life.  Take a camping trip with your kids, go on a cruise with your friends, or declare a “no-cell phone” weekend in your house while you read actual books and do things that make you feel good. Enjoy distraction free time together as a family and focus on God’s blessings around you.  My streaks are broken, and I’ve been set free. Consider how you can enjoy freedom with your family too.

“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” – Isaiah 55:12 

Endnotes

¹ https://www.businessinsider.com/teens-explain-snapchat-streaks-why-theyre-so-addictive-and-important-to-friendships-2017-4

² https://suntrics.com/tech-blogs/longest-snapchat-streak-a-brief-guide

³ https://disturbmenot.co/cell-phone-addiction-statistics/

The word “forte” comes from the latin word “fortis” meaning strength.  Our weekly Family Forte article in The Expositor is the effort of family at Central Church of Christ to give your family the love, care, and attention it needs to become a stronger version of itself.  If we can help you in any way, please contact us at Central Church of Christ through email, topherwiles@spartacoc.com, or through our website, www.christiscentral.org.

Scripture Reading: Acts 1:6-11

Millerites  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Disappointment

Acts 1: In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Matthew 24:36

Peter wrote: “…the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.” (2 Peter 3:10-14)

Acts 1:6-8 “So when they met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’

He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’”

“… when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.’” Acts 1:10-11

Acts 1:15-26

In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus— he was one of our number and shared in this ministry.”

(With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

“For,” said Peter, “it is written in the book of Psalms, “‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, “‘May another take his place of leadership.’ Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias.

Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles. Acts 1:15-26

Acts 6:2a  “So THE TWELVE gathered all the disciples together….

1 Corinthians 15:5b  “… appeared to Peter, and then to THE TWELVE”

“…all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

“…whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)

“… not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.” (1 Corinthians 10:23-24).

“Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.

1 Timothy 3: 1-7 – Elders

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. ² Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, ³ not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. ⁴ He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, ⁵ for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? ⁶ He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. ⁷ Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

Scripture Reading – John 21:15-19

WELCOME: Happy 2 weeks after Easter  and welcome to Central Church of Christ, a people called out by God to Show His Love, Tell His Story, and Be His Family. Today we hit the fourth of a message series from the Bible called, “Celebrate Jesus.” In this series we will walk each Sunday from Easter (Apr 4) to Pentecost (May 23) through an exciting Bible timeline of the appearances of Jesus to the church.

And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”

Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.”

And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same. (Mark 14:26-31)

Peter “went away, wondering to himself what had happened.” (Luke 24:12)

He’s Alive – by Don Francisco

“…something strange had happened there, but just what, I did not know.

John believed a miracle, but I just turned to go.

Circumstance and speculation couldn’t lift me very high.

‘Cause I’d seen them crucify Him and then I saw Him die.

Back inside the house again the guilt and anguish came.

Everything I’d promised Him just added to my shame.

When at last it came to choices – I denied I knew His name.

And even if He was alive… it wouldn’t be the same.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyPBVwOCYmM

“Children, haven’t you any fish?” – John 21:5

“No,” they answered.

He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.” – John 21:6

Back when Jesus first met Peter and James and John he said to Simon Peter, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”  Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”  When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. (Luke 5:4-6)

“When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’” (Luke 5:8)

“Even though THEY all fall away, I will not.” (Matthew 26:33)

The Bible talks about that kind of mindset in II Corinthians 10:12b

“When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.”

Remember when Adam and Eve were in the garden? They ate of the tree they shouldn’t have eaten of and then they “heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they (pause) HID from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” Genesis 3:8

1 John 1:9 says “If we CONFESS our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from  unrighteousness.”

If you don’t love Jesus… nothing else matters.

Jesus once said “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15

1st John 3:16 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us…”

“… and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”

“And I know also, if I try and fail, I’ll never regret having tried and failed. “As soon as I thought about it that way, I knew I had to try.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/17/at-age-30-jeff-bezos-thought-this-would-be-his-one-big-regret-in-life.html

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29b

Song: Freely, Freely
 God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name.

I’ve been born again in Jesus’ name

And in Jesus’ name I come to you

To share his love as he told me to.

He said ‘Freely, freely you have received;, freely, freely give.

Go in my name, and because you believe others will know that I live.

• Hang the metal J-Channel along the horizontal support beams that have been installed at the 7ft height.  This will be approximately 144 feet.  Some trimming of metal sheeting may need to be done. Using metal screws to install the J Channel. Most of the work is on a ladder. 
  • • Install approximately 27 feet of metal sheeting on the north west corner of the building. Install it down to the J Channel
• Remove the Base Trim & Angle iron that surrounds the floor.  We will grind down the bolt heads to remove the angle iron. (approximately 110 feet). 
  • • Also remove the one remaining block of wood with nails that is on the north side of the building.
• Chip up the remaining tile, bag, and throw it away. We have three areas that still have tile left on the concrete. 
• Parking Lot – Run a rolling magnet and brooms across the entire parking lot.  Sweep it clear of all gravel and construction debri. 
• Remove Insulation from the four corner posts behind the metal. (very short project). Throw it in a bag and remove.   
  • • Also Remove the small panel of insulation that was missed on the eastern side of the metal wall. 
• Cap off existing plumbing to make the walking area safer. (and smell nicer)
• Remove the electrical switches for the air conditioning units that are on the rear wall of the building.  Also remove the wiring and conduit that is on the interior of the wall. 
• Fill in the dangerous gopher hole (very deep ankle breaker) that is on the east side of the pavilion with gravel and a layer of dirt. 
• Remove the single piece metal trim (just a few screws)  from the front brick wall. It is approximately 14 feet long and has screws holding it up. 
• Remove the Caulk & Sealer around the front windows. It only requires  scraping or chipped off.

• Install rubber treads in the stairwell leading down to First Steps area. 
• Remove the obsolete coaxial cable wire that runs from the main office down the hall, through the lighting trough of the auditorium, to the First steps stairwell at the front of the auditorium. It is left over from an old video camera system.
• Wire brush and paint the southern handrail of the front steps. The northern handrail has already been prepped & painted.