Bulletin 5-19-20

1. 4
Vol. 45 May 19, 2020 Number 20
“HELP ME”
Barry Kennedy
Can we relate? It’s late, you are preparing to pillow your head and rest your
body from the exhaustion of the day. As usual, before you drift off to dreamland you
pause to petition the Father in prayer. Most of the time those prayers are very similar.
We thank God for the blessings of life, the providential care for the sick (often listing
some specific names), and for His protection over us through the night. However,
there are those times when we have to say, “GOD please HELP ME.”
Life brings its share of temptations. Often those temptations tend to hit man
when he least expects it, as well as where he least expects it. James wrote, “But every
man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lusts, and enticed” (James 1:14).
When things start to get difficult, sin has a way of finding a home in man’s heart.
Distress, depression, and detachment all are good foundations upon which sin can
build. Distress then breeds that feeling of hopelessness which can lead to desperation.
Desperation is often the avenue for poor decisions. A distressed person often feels as
though they have nothing left to lose. Admittedly, no one is totally immune to the
effects of this world, nor did God say that man could achieve total immunity from
life’s hardships, including times of distress. What God did say is that help is always
at hand. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God
is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with
the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1
Corinthians 10:13). The help one needs most of all is knowing that his mistakes are
erased. It is not unusual for the pencil’s eraser to wear out faster than its lead. People
should find comfort in knowing that God’s sin eraser will always be there, ready to
remove sin’s mark from the penitent soul’s record. “For I will be merciful to their
unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more”
(Hebrews 8:12).
Many of the Psalms are writings which often called upon God’s mercy and
help in times of need. David asked God to help him with protection from his enemies.
“They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture. But be not thou
far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. Deliver my soul from
the sword; my darling from the power of the dog” (Psalm 22:18-20). “Make haste to
help me, O Lord my salvation” (Psalm 38:22). David also asked God to help him
with forgiveness. “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness:
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions”
(Psalm 51:1). Though the words “help me” are not in this verse, no one could
justifiably think that David was not asking for God’s help. In fact, Psalm 51 is a
--article continued page 2--
ELDERS
Mike Childers..............397-6453
Dennis Hallmark .........255-5557
Mark Hitt.....................322-0917
Bobby Lindley.............260-9193
DEACONS
Wade Bryan.................419-5552
William Harris.............416-8149
Ricky Lindsey .............255-8136
Jeff Mansel..................871-0357
Jimmy Spearman.........840-8957
Michael Wilson ...........891-0891
MINISTERS
Barry Kennedy ... (931)787-7108
Alex Blackwelder (731)879-9196
SECRETARY
Renee Childers
Office...........................842-6116
Fax...............................842-7091
E-MAIL
eastmaincoc38804@gmail.com
WEB PAGE
eastmaincoc.com
SUNDAY SERVICES
Worship....................... 9:00 a.m.
Bible Classes............. 10:15 a.m.
Worship..................... 11:15 a.m.
Singing or Devotional
Last Sunday of the Month
MID-WEEK
SERVICES
Wednesday Classes .....7:00 p.m.
EAST MAIN CHURCH OF CHRIST
1606 East Main Street
P. O. Box 1761
Tupelo, Mississippi 38802
“Thou shalt observe to do all that they inform thee”
(Deut. 17:10)

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portrait of a soul plagued by the torture of a guilty
conscience. David realized that he was a grievous
sinner who had shamed the God of Heaven. “For I
acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever
before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and
done this evil in thy sight: . . .” (Psalm 51:3, 4).
David’s remorse was so great that he felt as if he were
sinful from birth (Psalm 51:5). For David to be at
peace, he would have to know that he was forgiven.
The only way that David could be forgiven would be
with God’s help.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash
me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to
hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou
hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my
sins and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me
a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit
within me. Cast me not away from thy presence;
and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto
me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with
thy free spirit (Psalm 51:7-12).
It should be very clear that David is saying, “HELP
ME!”
We will all make mistakes from time to time.
The question is, “How do we feel about our sinful
state?” David was borderline distressed, but he did not
allow his desperation to lay a foundation for sin;
instead he turned to God. What should we do today,
when we find ourselves in the distress of a sinful
state? Consider Peter’s words: “Casting all your care
upon Him; for He careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
Casting our cares is another way of saying, “HELP
ME!”
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Personal Evangelism
Workshop
The Personal Evangelism Workshop with Rob
Whitacre scheduled for May 29 & 30, has been
postponed for now. We hope to reschedule it, possibly
in August.
Wedding Shower for Alex
& Cassie
A Wedding Shower for Alex
Blackwelder & Cassie
Cummings will be held this
Saturday, May 23 from 3-5 p.m.
It is a “drive by” shower at the
church building. They are registered at Target and
Bed, Bath & Beyond.
High School Graduates
We are still planning to honor our
2020 High School Graduates! We just
haven’t determined how or the exact date
yet. We hope to have definite plans soon.
Our high school graduates this year are Hannah Bland,
Jacob Bradley, Jacie Dickinson, Sam Hood, Brooke
Roby, & Kylee Steward.
Addresses
Here are the addresses and phone numbers of those
who have recently placed membership:
Andy & Sharon Clemmer
115 Ethan Cove
Tupelo, MS 38804
Andy—816-5887; Sharon—316-9905
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Donny & Wanda McKay
265 Tyler Willis Lane
Tupelo, MS 38804
Donny—213-6635; Wanda—397-1098
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John & Hollie Bowlin
(Daughters—Mary Robbins & Rosie)
1504 Valley Road
Tupelo, MS 38804
John—918-384-9976; Hollie—918-384-9975
Wedding Shower
There will be a “drive by” wedding
shower in honor of Bethany Bryan &
Jack Moore on Sunday, May 31 here at
the church building from 2-4 p.m. They
are registered at Walmart, Amazon,
Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond. You
can also see Bethany’s registry on her
Facebook page.
John Duke stationed in Gulfport, MS
Caleb Williams stationed in Iraq
Rob Cross & family stationed in South Korea
John Millard stationed in Afghanistan
Ty Nichols stationed in Germany

3. Daily Bible Reading
May 20 .........................................................Job 8-10
May 21 .......................................................Job 11-14
May 22 .......................................................Job 15-17
May 23 .......................................................Job 18-19
May 24 .......................................................Job 20-21
May 25 .......................................................Job 22-24
May 26 .......................................................Job 25-28
Birthdays &
Anniversaries
Birthdays: Annie Martin (May 20), Avery
Gilliland (May 22), Brooke Roby (May 22), Zan
Roby (May 24), Hattie Sheffield (May 24),
Cannon Funderburk (May 25), Gail Geno (May 26).
Anniversaries: Mark & Carrie Hitt (May 20), William
& Marla Harris (May 21), Harold & Zan Roby (May
24).
Our Sick
Bettye Davis is having a lot of trouble with her
Meniere’s Disease. Gail Geno will go to Memphis
Wednesday for a shot for her back. Pete Barber is not
feeling well at all. Continue to remember those in
nursing homes & assisted living facilities, as they are
not allowed visitors.
On-Going Illnesses
Mary Lou Walden, Pete Barber, Steve Kelly,
Frankie Estes, Jennie Cox, Donny Dulaney, Adam
McCurley, Mary Jordan, James Goddard, Bill Goff,
Leroy Brown, Jadon Parish, Jerry Smith, Mitch
Maclean, Mary Starz, Sheba Tuggers, Homer Smith,
Jill Rice, Ann Letteri, Shirley Roberts, Merlene
Johnson
Nursing Homes
Evelyn Willis, Nancy Haywood, Randy Attaway,
Shirley McCarthy, Mary Southern, Veona Harris
Challenging Tradition?
Alex Blackwelder
Someone once said, “Tradition becomes our
security, and when the mind is secure it is in
decay.” Is it ever wrong to challenge tradition?
Most would argue that if it is a matter of Biblical
doctrine, traditions displayed in the Bible should be
carefully examined through the lens of that cultural
context. Further, one should carefully examine that
text to understand if that tradition(s) is supposed to
be practiced in the 21st
Century. That is why in
scripture, we look at the first century Church as an
example of how God wants us to worship Him,
keeping in mind culture and interpretation.
What about the individual congregations of
the Lord’s Church and their “Church-isms” or
traditions that are being practiced and have been
practiced since the time of Methuselah. Is it wrong
to challenge those “isms” or traditions? I’m
reminded of the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix
it.” This can be difficult because a specific tradition
that worked sixty years ago should work just as well
today as it did then, right? The problem with this
mindset is that culture changes. We are used to
operating life how we want to now. Unfortunately,
twenty years from now (if the Lord grants it) life
will look and operate differently. The Church is the
same way. You might argue that the Church is
struggling in its ability to “keep up” with society.
No, I’m not talking about the loud music and the
fancy lights, but our efforts to reach the spiritually
lost, to keep the saved, saved, and to provide a place
where people are proud to come together.
As the Church, we must regularly evaluate
our worship, making sure it is the sacrificial
worship that God wants. We must also evaluate our
mentality towards how we “want” our congregation
to operate. You cannot operate the Church like an
organization. The Church is an organism that must
be filled with fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5). The
Church should not only cater to just one generation
who likes things done a certain way. The Church
must be generationally unified in its mission to
function as Jesus’ body. We must work diligently to
not be in discord, but rather, being found together
through the bond of unity and peace (Ephesians 4;
John 17). Let us not confuse tradition with Biblical
doctrine, but let us seek effective ways to promote
spiritual growth and development for His glory.
Outreach Item for May:
Bathroom cleaner

4. Men to Serve Sunday, April 5, 2020 a.m.
Announcements..............................Dennis Hallmark
Bible Reading..............................Hunter Underwood
Opening Prayer ..............................Roger Sanderson
Lord’s Supper
Dale Dulaney & Kent Nichols
Serve Congregation, East Side:
Greg Hughes, Joe Minor, Andy Baldwyn
Serve Congregation, West Side:
Lee DuBois, Ben DuBois, Jackson Voyles
Lead Singing......................................Hugh Scribner
Closing Prayer................................. Jason Dickinson
Ushers .................. David Ramseyer & Eric Barnette
Please meet in the library by 8:45 a.m.
Sunday Afternoon
Opening Prayer ...................................Mike Childers
Closing Prayer................................... William Harris
Lead Singing....................................James Simmons
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Prayer.................................................... Chet Wilson
Lead Singing........................................ Greg Hughes
Contact Wade Bryan (419-5552) if unable to serve.
The elders kindly request that men leading in public
worship wear the best dress clothes they have.
Greeters ..................... Bobby Joe & Brenda Lindley
...................................Ricky & Lisa Lindsey
Prepare Lord’s Supper—April...........................Greg
& Tracy Lyle
Nursery (1st
worship)...................Tammy & Sarah Minor
(2nd
worship)......Stephanie Baldwyn & Maggie Minor
Pantry................................................................ Tuna
Attendance & Contribution
Mid-Week, 3-25-20.............................................N/A
Sunday 1st
Worship, 3-29-20 ..............................N/A
Sunday Bible Class .............................................N/A
Sunday 2nd
Worship............................................N/A
Contribution (budget $7,900)..........................$6,755
Mark Your Calendars!!!
Vacation Bible School – June 14th-17th
Maywood Christian Camp – July 12th-18th
Outward Camp – July 31st-August 1st
Gospel Meeting – September 13th-16th
Fall Family Retreat – November 13th-14th
We will be livestreaming services
again this Sunday at 10:00 a.m.
We continue in unprecedented times! Please continue to pray for our elders as they
diligently look for ways to spiritually feed the East Main family while we are unable to
assemble as a congregation due to this virus. Please continue to view East Main’s
Facebook page to see recorded worship services and Bible class lessons, as well as daily
devotional thoughts (“Monday Meditations,” “TNT,” “Thoughtful Thursdays,” “Elders’
Encouragements”) for adults and youth. Also, you can view our Sunday worship services
on YouTube.
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East Main Church of Christ
Here is what the Facebook page looks like. If you are not able to access this page,
please call the church office and someone will assist you in gaining access.
Please continue to pray for each other and the world over!
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Rev. 22:21).