Bulletin 7-16-19

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Vol. 44 July 16, 2019 Number 27
I Keep Fighting but I Can’t Seem To Win
By Barry Kennedy
Continued from last week. . .
Life has its way of being filled with many battles. Imagine having to go
into physical battle without the proper training. Even worse would be having to
fight with proper training and still not being able to win. This was the dream
mentioned earlier. All the right moves were being made and no advancement
was evident. All of the right targets were being struck, but the enemy would not
fall. What frustration and anxiety such a situation inflicts upon the soul! But
wait, this was just a dream, right? Yes, but the implications should be obvious.
We are all in this battle on time’s side of eternity. What could be the reasons
behind our lack of, or limited advancement?
Do we have the proper training? When one becomes a child of God, he
enlists into the service of God’s army. Paul encouraged Timothy with these
words: “thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2
Timothy 2:3). Soldiers need intense training to be prepared for any situation
that may arise. We as Christians are to be prepared for our battle with sin. God
has supplied His soldiers with all that we need according to the apostle Peter.
“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto
life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and
virtue:” (2 Peter 1:3). Many, if not most, of us are still in need of “basic
training.” Others have progressed to what we might call “special forces.” God’s
word lets us know that there comes a time when we all need to advance. “For
when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you
again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such
as have need of milk, and not of strong meat” (Hebrews 5:12). We have been
commended to God and His word which has the ability to build us up as well as
give us an inheritance in Heaven (Acts 20:32; 2 Corinthians 10:4). Are we
following His training regiment?
Are we wielding the proper weapon? We live in a world filled with all
kinds of weapons, designed for almost any tactical situation. Many can recall
the looming fear of the “Cold War,” a fear that at any moment the two super
powers of the world could unleash the catastrophic consequences of a nuclear
holocaust. Man seemed to have achieved the ultimate power when the ability to
split the atom was made a reality. The mistake is that the ultimate power is not
in the atom or any form of matter that creation may deliver. The Word of God
keeps man and his “accomplishments” in the proper place. “For the Word of God
is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to
the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). In fact,
Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesis laid out precisely what every Christian
soldier needs in his arsenal.
--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
PREACHER
Barry Kennedy ... (931)787-7108
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)

2. --article continued from page 1--
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour
of God, that ye may be able to withstand in
the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt
about with truth, and having on the
breastplate of righteousness; And your feet
shod with the preparation of the gospel of
peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith,
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the
helmet of salvation, and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God:
(Ephesians 6:13-17).
David was offered the finest weapons in the
kingdom when he was about to face the giant
Goliath (1 Samuel 17:38, 39). David left them
behind because he had not “proved them” that is,
he was not trained in how to use them. What
David took into that battle Saul, Goliath, nor the
armies of Israel and the Philistines could see with
their naked eyes. The Almighty power of God
was with David that day, and we know what
happened to Goliath. What we would do well to
remember is that, even though David won that
battle, he was still facing a war. David faced a
war that would many times bring him to his
knees. No doubt, David felt as though “I keep
fighting, but I just don’t seem to win.” He
defeated Goliath, and many other enemies of
God, and now Saul wants him dead. David gives
in to his lusts for a beautiful woman; now he has a
child on the way and has to deal with her husband.
He is the king, but he has to stand helplessly as
his child dies. He tries to lead as God would
have him, but now his son wants to murder him
to take his throne. How many times he might
have said that he could not seem to win the fight,
yet he maintained a heart of penitence. That is
the only way that any of us will ever “get out of
this world alive.”
Life, for some, may seem to be like a
dream; for others that dream may seem to be a
nightmare. I awoke from my dream to realize that
the fight was over. One day we will awake from
this life to face eternity. The question is, “Will we
awake to an eternity of peace or find ourselves in
a nightmare from which we never awake?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Community Outreach
Program
The Community Outreach Program
will be donating 100 backpacks filled
with school supplies to area schools again
this year. Thanks to everyone who
brought school supplies to the building
for this. We will be getting together soon
to assemble the backpacks with their supplies and then
we’ll distribute them to area schools.
Sympathy
Our sympathy is extended to Brenda Lindley in the
loss of her sister, Barbara Roberts, on July 12.
Funeral services were held at Lee Memorial July 14.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Corie & Blaine
Walters in the birth of their son, South
Stanford, on July 15. He weighed 7
lbs. 14 oz. and was 21 inches long.
Mother and baby are doing well. Gary
& Felicia Stanford are the proud
grandparents.
Baby “Girl” Shower
A baby “girl” shower will be held in
honor of Katie Bates on Sunday, July
28 “come & go” from 1:30-3:00 p.m.
in the multipurpose room. Katie has
registered baby Adaline at Amazon,
Walmart, and Silly Simpson.
Area Youth Meeting
The Area Youth Meeting will be held this Sunday,
July 21 at 5:00 p.m. at the Zion’s Rest congregation.
Please see Tim Davis if you need a ride.
Nursing Home Singing
The monthly singing at the Tupelo Nursing Facility
will be held this Sunday, July 21 from 2-2:30 p.m.
Please bring a song book if you are able to attend.
John Duke is stationed in Long Beach, MS
Caleb Williams is stationed in Quantico, VA

3. Daily Bible Reading
July 17....................................................Isaiah 13-16
July 18....................................................Isaiah 17-20
July 19....................................................Isaiah 21-23
July 20....................................................Isaiah 24-27
July 21....................................................Isaiah 28-30
July 22....................................................Isaiah 31-35
July 23....................................................Isaiah 36-39
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Birthdays: Kannon Smith (July 17), Susan
Willis (July 18), Casey Gullett (July 20), Katy
Beth Voyles (July 22), Steve Kelly (July 23),
Mary Morgan Lyle (July 23), Tracy Lyle (July
23). Anniversaries: Derik & Staci Rushing (July 20).
Our Sick
Jean Mounce, Annie Martin & Kelly Thompson
are all home from the hospital. Evelyn Willis
continues therapy at the Meadows. Please do not
visit until after 3 p.m. Jill Rice, Debbie Vines’
mother, continues at Sanctuary Hospice. Tracy
Lyle’s dad, James Nichols, continues at the
Baldwyn Nursing Facility. Ann Letteri, Sandra
Simmons’ sister, is on home hospice. Continue to
remember Mary Lou Walden & Pat Putt who are
recovering from injuries. Harry Cowan, Robin
Tindall & Sheba Tuggers (Annie Dilworth’s
daughter) are recuperating at home from surgeries.
Prayers have been requested for 10-year-old Ezra
Golman who has cancer.
On-Going Illnesses
Laverne Raper, Frankie Estes, Steve Kelly, Donny
Dulaney, Adam McCurley, Linda McCurley, Mary
Jordan, Bretta Robinson, James Goddard, Bill Goff,
Tommy Goff, Leroy Brown, Jadon Parish, Carol
Nichols, Caroline Willis, Jerry Smith, Mitch Maclean,
Lee Graham, Randy Groover, Penny Lane Geno, Don
Blackwell, Mary Starz, Chiquita Allen, Heather
Williams, Aspen White
Nursing Homes
Nancy Haywood, Randy Attaway, Shirley McCarthy,
Mary Southern, Veona Harris
Several East Main Members
on Mission Fields
Several of our members are currently on and will
be on foreign mission fields soon! Jeff & Natalie
Mansel are in Brazil working with Dionisio, a
missionary whom we support there. They will be
home July 23. Also, Wade, Karen, Bethany Bryan &
Bobby Joe Lindley are in Palenque, Mexico working
with Domingo. They will also be home July 23.
On July 19, Mark Hitt, Addie Hitt, Tanner Hitt,
Chevela Underwood, Haley Underwood, Hannah
Bland, Olivia Sanderson & Ethan Benefield will be
traveling to Peru to work with the Latin American
Mission team as part of the YESII summer campaign.
They will be back home July 27.
Please keep all of these in your prayers for safe
travels and that much seed will be planted in the name
of Christ.
ALL YOUTH & their parents
are invited to a
“Back to School Bash”
Saturday, July 27
from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
at Tombigbee State Park
under the BIG pavilion.
Cost is $4 a carload!
Bring your lawn chairs!!
Lots of fun activities are planned!
Please sign the food list & the count sheet in
the foyer beside the tract rack ASAP!

4. Summer Series
Our summer series class on Sunday mornings during the Bible class hour is going very well.
All the adult classes and the 9th
-12th
grade class are meeting in the auditorium through Sunday,
August 25. This year’s topic is “What does the Bible say about _____?” Below is a list of
remaining topics. (The college class will continue to meet upstairs during the summer.)
Date Topic Teacher
21-Jul-19 Demons Barry Kennedy
28-Jul-19 Animals Jeff Mansel
4-Aug-19 #7 Wade Bryan
11-Aug-19 Mountains Michael Wilson
18-Aug-19 Money Roger Sanderson
25-Aug-19 Trees Wesley Bass
Men to Serve Sunday, July 21, 2019 a.m.
Announcements...................................Mike Childers
Bible Reading...........................................Will Davis
Opening Prayer ............................... Robert Kingsley
Lord’s Supper
Michael Wilson & Dale Dulaney
Serve Congregation, East Side:
Joe Minor, Ricky Johnson, Sam Hood
Serve Congregation, West Side:
Greg Lyle, Greg Hughes, Hunter Underwood
Lead Singing....................................Eddie Simmons
Closing Prayer................................... William Harris
Ushers .........................Ricky Lindsey & Larry Long
Please meet in the library by 8:45 a.m.
Sunday Afternoon
Opening Prayer .................................... Greg Hughes
Closing Prayer........................................ Chad Willis
Lead Singing................................... Michael Wilson
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Prayer..................................................Scott Childers
Lead Singing........................................John Mounce
Contact Jimmy Spearman (610-0706) if unable to serve.
The elders kindly request that men leading in public
worship wear the best dress clothes they have.
Greeters ..................................Dean & Kristie Webb
................................William & Marla Harris
Prepare Lord’s Supper—July...............Kristie Webb
& Evelyn Willis
Nursery.................................Tammy & Sarah Minor
Pantry................................................................ Soup
Attendance & Contribution
Mid-Week, 7-10-19..............................................164
Sunday 1st
Worship, 7-14-19 ...............................199
Sunday Bible Class ..............................................185
Sunday 2nd
Worship.............................................185
Contribution (budget $7,900)..........................$8,490