Leanna Church of Christ

Bring a Friend to Friends Day Next Sunday, April 22

Admin — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 13:00:28 +0000

Next Sunday is Friends Day! Keep praying for and inviting your friends to be a part of this great day to God’s glory. Volunteer to provide transportation for those you are inviting if at all possible.

Prepare for next Sunday by keeping Saturday night free to get ready. Ladies will be cooking anyway for the meal after worship. Sisters we appreciate all you do for special days like this.

Plan on arriving early for Sunday School and park on the edge of the parking lot to accommodate those who come later for worship. Stay for the fellowship and meal after worship and continued fellowship through the afternoon with our worship in song led by Ray Walker from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. What a great day of worship and fellowship this will be!

As you go through the week ahead continue to work at keeping your family focused on faithfully following the Father. God bless you. I love you.

Kevin

Shine for the Son This Spring

Admin — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 13:31:36 +0000

With daylight saving time going into effect today, we will all be anticipating spring even more so with the longer days that are upon us. And oh how beautiful it is in nature right now! Everything is springing back to life with all the beautiful colors of trees and bushes budding and the early spring flowers blooming too. Our great and marvelous God is doing it all over again “… upholding all things by the word of His power.” (Heb. 1:3) Pray for God to continue to bless us with good spring rains so that we will be able to enjoy this glorious beauty throughout the spring and summer. “Ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone.” (Zech. 10:1)

Shine for the Son this spring by talking of His beauty and glory to others in all you are witnessing in nature daily. As you witness to others about God’s beauty and glory in nature, talk of the love of His Son for them as well. Shine for the Son this spring inviting others to our Friends Day on April 22 as we anticipate a great day of worship to God and fellowship with one another six weeks from today.

As you enjoy the beauty of this time of year this week, remember to keep the focus of your family on faithfully following the Father in heaven above in all things. God bless you. I love you.

Kevin

Much Rejoicing

Admin — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 03:59:46 +0000

There was much rejoicing last Sunday morning as Wesley Woodard was baptized into Christ while in Gatlinburg at Challenge Youth Conference. Continue to keep Wesley in prayer as he begins to live and grow in the Christian life. Encourage him as you have opportunity.

The Spring Quarter Classes of our Bible School program begin today. Take a good look at the classes listed below and choose one to be a part of. Let us all take advantage of the opportunity to study God’s word together and grow in our faith by being involved in Sunday School and Wednesday night Bible classes.

As you go forth through the week before us, keep your focus on having your family faithfully following the Father in daily life. And bring your children back at 5:30 for Pew Packers this evening as David Henry will be leading the teaching for the month of March. God bless you. I love you.

Kevin

Sunday School

Faith Building – Danny Thomason – Auditorium
Revelation – Gary Johnson – Room #4
Adult Family Study – Danny McCulley – Room #11
Women of the Bible – Young Adult Ladies – Tammie Dye – Fellowship Area
High School – David Henry and Jason Woodard – Room #6
Middle School – Kevin Dye and Chris Tynes – Room #7
Grade 4-5 – Martha Woodard and Jennifer Jarrell – Room #3
Grade 1-3 – Reid Patterson and Wendy Neal – Room #1A
Age 4-K – Bettye Arnold and Donna Nobles – Room#2A
Age 2-3 – Vivian Thomas and Darla York – Room #2
Cradle Roll – Donna Howard, Jennifer Warpool, and Carolyn Kelly – Room #1

Wednesday Evening

Luke – Kevin Dye – Auditorium
Heirlooms – Ladies Class – Christy Barrett – Room #4
High School – Jason Woodard – Room #6
Middle School – Chris Tynes and Floyd Arnold – Room #7
Grade 4-5 – Danny Thomason – Room#3
Grade 1-3 – Jennifer Jarrell and Martha Russell – Room #1A
Age 2-K – Bettye Arnold and Lena Woodard – Room # 2A

Personal Responsibility

Admin — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 03:54:56 +0000

Consider the following article taken from the church of Christ bulletin in Crosbyton, Texas regarding our personal responsibility as children of God. “One of the most difficult things for Christians to do is to accept his or her personal responsibility. Somewhere in the past when the church was young, the idea of the ‘clergy’ developed. Perhaps it was unintentional, but it did develop to the extent that most Christians feel very little personal responsibility as far as the maintenance and growth of the church. Jesus said, ‘Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.’ (Lk. 14:27) What Jesus is saying is every Christian will give account unto God. He may try to shift the responsibility to the elders, preachers, or deacons, but he cannot excuse himself from serving. The parable of the talents proves this to be true. (Mt. 25) The preacher can no more do your work as a servant of Jesus Christ than you can do his. We are workers together. We need more teachers, deacons, elders, ministry leaders, and many other leaders. We may, or we may not, get everything done that is needed, but this does not relieve you of your personal responsibility. Beloved, the Lord paid a tremendous price for your salvation. He sincerely desires that you take up your cross and follow Him.

May we each rise up and take hold of our responsibility as a disciple of Jesus Christ to the glory of God and the growing of the body of Christ here at Leanna. Throughout the week ahead, continue to keep your focus on faithfully following your Father in heaven above. God bless you. I love you.

Kevin

Worshiping God

Admin — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:36:00 +0000

Welcome to this period of worship to God this morning, especially if you are visiting with us today. As we assemble to worship God regularly, I want to encourage you to read and think carefully about the article below copied from the Bulletin Digest. May we always remind ourselves why we are here and give ourselves in worship to God as He calls us to. In so doing God will be glorified, and we will be built up in our faith. I encourage you to come and worship with us this evening as we will be studying about “Being Ready to Share Jesus with Others” from 1 Peter 3:15-16. Also plan now to participate in and be a part of Wednesday night Bible study this week. It is a great way to grow in your understanding of God’s word and be encouraged in your walk with the Lord as you encourage others as well. Keep striving to give yourself to stay focused on faithfully following the Father daily throughout this week. God bless you. I love you.

Kevin

Worship God

Fact One: We are worshiping God! Fact Two: God sees our worship! Being conscious of these two facts should greatly impact our worship!

We are worshiping God! When we sing, we sing “to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:19) When the lesson is taught, we are studying to present ourselves “approved to God.” (2 Timothy 2:15) When we give, we are “proving the sincerity” of our love for the Lord. (2 Corinthians 8:8) When we pray, we do so knowing that “His ears are open” to our prayers. (1 Peter 3:12) When we observe the Lord’s Supper, we are doing so “in remembrance” of the Lord’s death. (1 Corinthians 11:23-25) Let it be said again for emphasis: “We are worshiping God!”

God sees our worship! God sees and knows everything about us. (Hebrews 4:13) The Master promised, “where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20) When we worship, God sees our sincerity or indifference, our reverence or laxness, our effort or ease, our piety or presumptuousness, our praise or pretense, our conscientiousness or coldness! May we always remember, when we assemble to worship, that “we are all present before God.” (Acts 10:33) God sees!

How different our worship when we recognize these facts! How enthusiastic our singing! How fervent our prayers! How solemn our observance of the Lord’s Supper! How generous our giving! How relevant the message and how reverently we listen!

Worship is a privilege! Worship is a task requiring discipline! “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24) When you go to worship, go to worship!

Dwight Fuqua, Findlay church of Christ, Sparta, TN.

Mark Your Calendars

Admin — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:12:14 +0000

As we all make plans for 2012, take time this afternoon to mark your calendars at home for all of the church events listed below that are taking place this year. It is an exciting year before us with all that God has in store for us as a congregation of His people. Commit now to be a part of all of these times of worship and fellowship together.

February 18 – New Members Dinner at 6:00 p.m.
March 3 – Marriage Enrichment Seminar with Danny Camp from 9:00 – 12:00 noon
March 31 – Teacher Appreciation Dinner at 6:00 p.m.
April 22 – Friends Day with fellowship and meal after morning worship – Worship in song led by Ray Walker at 2:00 p.m. (no evening worship)
May 5 – Ladies’ Day
June 17 – 20 – Vacation Bible School
September 16 – Homecoming Sunday
October 6 – Family Day at the Henry’s
October 27 – Fall Fellowship at the York’s
November 3 – Senior’s Banquet
December 20 – Christmas Caroling with practice session for all participating on December 16 after evening worship

I look forward to these great times of worship and fellowship together throughout the year. Come back to our evening worship today as our young men will be leading us in worship to our great God. Also come back on Wednesday and be a part of Bible study time in the middle of the week. A new adult class on Basic Principles will begin Wednesday evening of this week meeting in the fellowship area. This class will be taught by Mike Howard. As you go forward daily this week, remember to keep your focus on being a family that is faithfully following the Father. God bless you. I love you.

Kevin

Commit to Hold Fast

Admin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:18:13 +0000

The New Testament speaks quite often of the importance of “holding fast.” Consider the following calls to “hold fast” and what this holding fast means for us.

“by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you – …” (1 Cor. 15:2) This means that we continue believing the gospel message we have received (1 Cor. 15:1) and obeyed.
“Test all things; hold fast what is good.” (1 Thess. 5:21) This means to give yourself to holding on to what is good by doing what is good and therefore keeping evil out of your life.
“Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 1:13) Paul give Timothy true words from God that he reminded Timothy of here. Likewise, holding fast to these true words of inspiration means for us to believe them and put them into practice in our lives.
“… whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.” (Heb. 3:6) This means we will be speaking of the joy of the hope we have in the Lord.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, …” (Heb. 10:23) This means we tell others at every opportunity about the confident expectation of heaven that we have in Christ Jesus.

May we all commit to give ourselves to “holding fast” in these ways that we are called to do so that we may be the children of God He has called us to be. As you go forth through this week, remember to talk and pray about being a family focused on faithfully following the Father. God bless you. I love you.

Kevin

The Apostle Paul in Athens

Admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 21:30:34 +0000

Tonight we’ll be studying about an “Introduction to Who God Is” from Paul’s sermon in Athens recorded in Acts 17:22-31. Athens was one of the greatest ancient cities, but it was also a city full of idolatry. (Acts 17:16) Paul reasons with the Jews and Gentiles who worshipped God in the synagogue along with those in the marketplace as well regarding Jesus the Christ. (Acts 17:17) The Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to question Paul. (Acts 17:18-21) The Epicureans chief aim in life was pleasure. They believed they could find happiness by seeking that which brought physical and mental pleasure. In contrast to the Epicureans, Paul believed that true happiness was found in following the will of Jesus Christ. Stoics believed that human beings should be free from passion and unmoved by joy or grief. They also believed in being submissive to natural law, calmly accepting all things as a result of God’s divine will.

Join us in worship this evening as we learn about who God is as Paul preached in Athens. Tonight will be the beginning of a series of messages from God’s word that I’ll be sharing with you concerning “Basic Bible Doctrines” that, Lord willing, we’ll study together during the next few months on Sunday evenings. As you go through the week ahead, remember to daily keep your family focused on faithfully following the Father. God bless you. I love you.

Kevin

Pew Packers begins This Evening

Admin — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 20:20:34 +0000

Let’s all be here at 5:30 to pack the pews to encourage our children and young people in learning about God, His Son Jesus, and His will for their lives. Mike Howard will be leading Pew Packers in January. Bring your children to the front of the auditorium and sit with them or in the pew behind them to encourage them as they learn. Then sit together as a family for our evening worship assembly as I will be sharing a message of instructions to our young people from God’s word.

As you go forth throughout this week, strive to put on the newness as children of God that Paul spoke of in the following verses. “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15) And also remember to give yourself to leading your family to staying focused on faithfully following the Father daily. God bless you. I love you.

Kevin

A New Year of Opportunities

Admin — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 20:17:34 +0000

I hope and pray for you and your family a great beginning to this New Year – 2012. With the beginning of this year, I am reminded how a new year brings with it new opportunities. We each have 365 days of 2012 before us. How will we use these 365 days of 2012? Tonight I want to share with you some opportunities before each of us for the year ahead as we worship God together. Let us all encourage each other by being together in worship to God this evening. Our theme for this year is “Families Focused on Faithfully Following the Father.” This morning’s message from God’s word will remind us each to have the proper foundation so that we will be ready to lead our families in being and staying focused on faithfully following the Father. And next Sunday evening we will be starting Pew Packers before the evening service at 5:30 for our families to pack the pews together with exciting ways to encourage our children in learning God’s will for their lives. Make plans now for 5:30 each Sunday evening to be in Pew Packers to help your family be focused on faithfully following the Father together and then be together as a family in continued worship with the church at 6:00 p.m. God bless you. I love you.

Kevin