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.
Mail Call
Mail alert! Here are 3 opportunities to send encouragement through the mail.
Don’t forget to drop Mrs. Jeffy Turner a birthday card at:
Jeffy Turner,
Lifecare Assisted Living, Room 518,
508 Mose Dr,
Sparta, TN 38583.
Mackenzie Stockton is spending the month of June at Tennessee Governors School for the Agricultural Sciences. Drop her a card or care package at:
Mackenzie Stockton,
UT-Martin, TGSAS,
253 Brehm Hall,
Martin, TN 38238.
Gabriel, Ethan, Micah, and Clara Wiles are spending next week at Spring Mill Bible Camp. You can send them a card or package at:
Spring Mill Bible Camp,
*Campers Name*,
2830 St Rd 60E,
Mitchell, IN 47446. I’d recommend dropping those in the mail by Monday at the latest so they arrive in time.
Thanks for being God’s family!
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Sermon Notes: The Church’s Fight for Faith
We are now 64 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. By this time the early church has been established for about two weeks, Jesus would have ascended about 24 days ago and those who are faithful are now in a Fight for their Faith.
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“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.
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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:
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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
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