Good afternoon church family. Tonight in our livestream & zoom message series we begin conversation about Elisha’s deep faith and God’s call. Most people don’t know a lot about Elisha, because they are taught so much about Elijah. Elijah even has a song named after him! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETi0m3TFMbI . I look forward to learning more about Elisha’s faith with you over the next few weeks in 1 Kings 19-ff. Also, our Bible class zoom discussion group will focus in on the Prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. Hope to see you at 6:30pm.
Changes in Worship Service
This morning felt a little strange parking in an actual parking spot. For 14 months I have loaded up the steel steps in the back of my truck In the early morning hours and parked my truck underneath the carport so our church could have access to the roof.
I’m looking forward to worship at 10:00 a.m. with all of you!
Reminder of a few changes today.
- We will have an 8am church service at Lifecare and a 10am worship service in the auditorium.
- Members can still pull in the parking lot at 10am, tune in on the radio at 98.3fm, and receive communion outside.
- Indoors, mask wearing is optional.
Our education ministry is working on our next steps for Bible Classes. Stay tuned for more info soon!
“And 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
Read more...
Family Fishing Tomorrow
Central News: Tomorrow is our annual fishing day! Whether you like to fish or like to watch & laugh, come out with your lawn chair to the Blevins pond for fun at 8am. Drinks, chips, and snacks will be available. The pond has a slew of bass and brim that are almost always hungry. Extra fishing rods available.
Check out our 2020 fishing experience here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10158607405147490
Enjoy reminiscing 2019 here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10157414731057490
The best way to Tommy & Pat Blevins home is to copy these GPS Coordinates into Google Maps.
35.92443052367595, -85.6570611323441
From the church building to the Blevins:
18 min (13.8 miles)
via US-70 W and Indian Mound Rd
Head south on N Main St toward Bockman Way
449 ft
Turn right onto US-70 W/W Bockman Way
Continue to follow US-70 W
10.1 mi on Bockman Way toward Smithville
Turn left onto Indian Mound Rd
3.5 mi south on Indian Mound Rd.
Slight left onto S Pin Hook Rd
348 ft continue south
Turn left at Tommy and Pat’s Driveway
Read more...
Sermon Notes – Counter Cultural Church
A Living Sacrifice
12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers,a] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.b] 2 Do not be conformed to this world,c] 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.d]
Gifts of Grace
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members,e] and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads,f] with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another— and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:23-25
Read more...
Workday tomorrow
Central News: Reminder tomorrow at 8am is men’s workday at the building. Putting trim on the picnic pavilion, assembling a castle in the playground, cutting down a tree, & working on a parking lot repair are main items on our list of projects for tomorrow. Coffee, donuts, and snacks will be in the picnic pavilion.
Read more...
New Marriage Support at Central
The leadership here at Central appreciates that marriage can be one of the most fulfilling gifts God offers to a man and a woman. Yet we also realize that a good marriage doesn’t just randomly happen but takes Godly focus and invested effort from the couple throughout the entire relationship. To help couples in our church family and the community get marriage started off on the right foot in a God honoring way, Topher has become a certified Symbis program facilitator.
https://www.symbis.com/
Symbis stands for Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts and is an internationally recognized and recommended online assessment tool ($35) and 5 (one hour) discussion sessions (free with Topher) unpacking the assessment findings while helping couples build their marriage on more than just a hope and a prayer. SYMBIS gives love-birds a personalized road map to making marriage everything it was created to be. This assessment and discussion can even be used to boost existing marriages to help partners better understand each other and their bond in God’s sight.
Symbis stands for Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts and is an internationally recognized and recommended online assessment tool ($35) and 5 (one hour) discussion sessions (free with Topher) unpacking the assessment findings while helping couples build their marriage on more than just a hope and a prayer. SYMBIS gives love-birds a personalized road map to making marriage everything it was created to be. This assessment and discussion can even be used to boost existing marriages to help partners better understand each other and their bond in God’s sight.
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. Please share Central’s newest marriage support offering with friends in the community as we continue to show God’s love to families in a dynamic way. If you are interested in becoming a certified Symbis facilitator as well, please let Topher know.
Read more...
LifeCare Singing Inside Today
Good afternoon church family,
We are scheduled to sing at the Lifecare facility at 4:30pm today. However, Lifecare has invited us to come inside to sing with the residents! Here’s what you need to know.
- Come early to the main entrance to get your temperature checked and make sure to have a mask on.
- When walking the hallway in the building, a mask is still required.
- Lifecare’s policy does not require a mask while we are singing in a group and not in close proximity to the residents.
- When leaving our singing area or interacting closely with residents, a mask must be put back on.
This policy was given to us today (5/25) by Heather Stiles, the Lifecare Director of Recreational Services.
Thank you for showing God’s love throughout the pandemic to our loved ones at LifeCare!
Don’t forget, you can submit elder and deacon candidates here:
Read more...
Church Servant Leadership Series
Good afternoon church family. In yesterday’s sermon message, I mentioned Mike Mazzalongo’s book on church leadership. If you prefer videos to books, you can catch the first part of the book right here in this 30 minute video. Enjoy!
Don’t forget, you can submit elder and deacon candidates here:
And here’s the 2nd part as well:
https://bibletalk.tv/church-leadership
Read more...
Ty Webb Half Ironman
Ty Webb just completed his half Ironman in Chattanooga today! We’re very proud of this achievement for Ty.
Here’s what the Ironman organization says about this race and it’s distances.
“This distance (70.3 miles) will test both your mental and physical strength as you swim 1.2 miles (1.9K), bike 56 miles (90K), and run 13.1 miles (21.1K).”
Here’s what the Ironman organization says about this race and it’s distances.
“This distance (70.3 miles) will test both your mental and physical strength as you swim 1.2 miles (1.9K), bike 56 miles (90K), and run 13.1 miles (21.1K).”
Look up more info here:
https://www.ironman.com/xc703chattanooga
https://www.ironman.com/xc703chattanooga
Don’t forget, you can submit elder and deacon candidates to possibly join Ty in half-ironmans here:
Read more...
Celebrate Jesus 8 – Pentecost & Peter
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
God chose Pentecost because it had always been God’s plan to use this date to kick off His church. In Scripture Pentecost went by several different names:
- Pentecost
- The Feast of weeks (Exodus 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:10)
- The Feast Of Harvest (Exodus 23:16)
- And THE DAY OF FIRST FRUITS (Numbers 28:26)
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
One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesusk] was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peterl]).John 1:40-42.
“We must obey God rather than men! (Acts 5:29)
Mike Mazzalongo’s Book –
“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
Read more...