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ENTHUSIASM!
by Allen Webster

On the inside, Morris Antique Mall in Hot Springs Arkansas, is like dozens of others around it - musty smells and dusty relics. But look closely at the outside, and you'll notice that it used to be a church building. "If those walls could talk," what story might they tell? Somewhere along the way the enthusiasm died, attendence lagged, giving slacked, sermons lost their fervor, Bibles were closed, members quit evangelizing, the young people left, the old people died...somewhere along the road to heaven they lost their way (Rev. 2:4).

It is possible to reverse this process. God can use one enthusiastic person - often a preacher, other times a dedicated member - who is willing to "set himself on fire." Others will come to see him burn - and will likely catch fire, too! We love the spirit of the builders of the cathedral in Seville, Spain, in 1401: "Let us build here a church so great that those who come after us will think us mad ever to have dreamed of it!" If we are going to build God great churches (not buildings) in our communities, we need a bit of that "mad dreaming." Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Every great and commanding movement in the annals of the world is the triumph of enthusiasm. Nothing great was ever achieved without it."

This trait was complemented through out the early churches of Christ: Paul used the Macadonian's zeal to provoke other churches to do their duty (2 Cor. 9:2). Epaphras' "great zeal for" the Colossians, Laodicean, and Hierapolian congregations impressed Paul (Col. 4:13). When zeal was lacking, there was corresponding criticism. It was when the Laodicians cooled off that they were in danger of going to the hot place (Rev. 3:15-17). "If we get on fire for God, we will be too hot for Satan to handle!"

"If you cannot put some fire into your sermon - throw your sermon in the fire!" "When a heart is on fire some sparks will fly out the mouth!" - Thomas Fuller

For Zions's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness therof go forth as brightness and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth." Isaiah 62:1

Steve Fuchs
April 24, 2005

Inside Bulletin

EVENTS CALENDAR

This evening following worship, teens and their parents/guardian, are
encouraged to attend a meeting. We will be discussing plans for an upcoming
mission trip and Spring/Summer activities.

GOSPEL MEETINGS AROUND THE AREA

April 24-27 –Newport church of Christ, 7 p.m. nightly, with David Newberry speaking

May 2-6 – Creighton Ridge church of Christ. 7:30 nightly Steve Fuchs speaking

FRIDAY NIGHT SINGINGS

April 29 – South Logan 7 p.m.
April 29th –singing for the “young at heart” (teen sing) =Lower PawPaw church of Christ. 7-9 p.m.

Food Pantry

This weeks food pantry requests:

SUGAR

Ohio Valley Christian Youth Camp

Registration forms are in the foyer
Commodities list is on the bulletin board

Also Pick up in the foyer:

Gleaner cans for Potter Children’s home.
V.B.S. brochures (June, 8-10)

Mowers Needed

Grass is growing!
Please sign up to mow during the summer months. List is on the bulletin board

With Sympathy

With our deepest condolences we express our sympathies to the following families who’verecently lost loved ones:

Hayward Knotts, brother of Clifford, passed away last week in Dayton, Ohio

Jean Cox, Mother of Norma Cooper, (and Grandmother of Brenda and Elysia), passed away last week in Marietta. The funeral was Tuesday.

Tammy Murphy, niece of Jerry Clem, died in a motorcycle accident last week.

Sick-List Additions &
Prayer-list Updates:

Ruth Arnold –(Dorothy Fisher’s Mother)Camden-Clark room #125
Beulah Little –Camden-Clark Room #143
Audrey Rowan (Evie Cowell;s Mother)Camden-Clark Room #307
Hazel Burford -Home
Jim Gribble – Recovering from by-pass.
Theda Hoskins –recent trip to E.R. with irregular heartbeat. -Home
Margaret Maccabee -(Mary Hennen’s Grandma) -fell at home this week.
Dan Maccabee –(Mary’s Father) –tests
Roger Murphy –critical condition in St. Mary’s Hospital in Huntington, WV following a motorcycle accident
Barbara Mancini (Friend of Sharon Lewis)-cancer. Needs prayer
Maxine Thompson –tests
Betty Morehead –tests

See our website at lhcoc.com for additional prayer needs and requests.

REJOICE!!

We rejoice with the angels in heaven and welcome home our dear sister, Joann Lowe. Joann was restored to the fold during last week’s Gospel Meeting!

Shannon Reeves
Health update

On the bulletin board information strip is a letter of request for prayer on behalf of Shannon Reeves. Today, you will notice a letter from her husband, grateful for our prayers in Shannon‘s behalf, and an update on her current condition. Please take the time to review this letter.

Alyssa Bowles
(3 yr. old little girl from TN.)
Health update

Again, the full letter of update is in the foyer. An excerpt follows: As of Wednesday, they have found 2 more spots on her lungs in addition to the very large mass in her liver. She will have biopsies done Thursday and then get the results on Friday. Even w/o the biopsy results it appears to be cancer since it has spread. Alyssa is doing as well as can be expected.

Cards would be GREAT and probably for now the best place to send them is to the Church building

Bowles Family
c/o Stantonville Church of Christ
Hwy 142
Stantonville, TN 38379