1. 4
Vol. 45 August 25, 2020 Number 34
DOES GOD MEAN WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT EVANGELISM?
Barry Kennedy
Of course, the quick answer is “yes.” God always says what He means and means what
He says. People have passed down from generation to generation the phrase “Honesty is the best
policy.” Solomon listed lying as two of seven things which the Lord hates (Prov. 6:16-19). If
lying is something that the Lord hates, then it stands to reason, that lying is something that the
Lord would never be guilty of committing. All one has to do is to survey the evidence of God’s
prophetic accuracy to see that God is serious about truth. Moses wrote, “God is not a man, that
He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do
it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” (Num. 23:19). The apostle Paul
emphatically said that God cannot lie (Tit. 1:2). The Hebrew writer said “it was impossible for
God to lie” (Heb. 6:18). Over and over again the Biblical record stands true, God is the God of
truth. Therefore, if God is truth, when He speaks His words must be truth (Jn 17:17). To answer
the challenge “Does God Mean What He Says About Evangelism?” consider these two questions:
“Does God have anything to say about evangelism?” and “Does God want man to be saved?”
First, “Does God have anything to say about evangelism?” Jesus left His disciples
with what many have labeled, “the great commission.” This is recorded in Matthew 28:18-20 and
Mark 16:15-16. Just prior to the Lord’s return to Heaven, He left His followers their “marching
orders.” Jesus, with the authority of Heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18) commanded His apostles to
go and teach or preach the gospel (Matt. 28:19, Mk. 16:15). The gospel is the “good news” that
Jesus, the Messiah, died for man’s sin, was buried, and rose again according to the scriptures (1
Cor. 15:1-5). This message is all about salvation. In fact, that should be the purpose for
evangelism. When Jesus commanded His disciples to go preach, He gave them the message (the
gospel), he gave them the audience (the world), and He gave them the consolation, (I am with
you alway). Some say that Jesus only gave this commission to His apostles. The problem with
this view is seen in the wording of Matthew’s account where he wrote, “teaching them to observe
all things I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:20). Again, God says what He means and means
what He says. Jesus commanded the apostles to go, teach all nations, baptize, and teach them to
observe all that they were commanded. Clearly, they were commanded to teach, or in other words
evangelize. Therefore, it stands to reason that those who are taught must also teach.
Teaching plays a pivotal role in the salvation of man (Jn. 6:45). What can one truly
know about sin, salvation, or God Himself, without revelation? God’s word is that revelation.
“Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ” (Eph. 3:4).
The question is “How will we as individuals listen to what God has said about evangelism?”
Second, “Does God want man to be saved?” Before one can answer this question, he
must deal with whether or not he believes people are lost. Jesus gave man insight into how God
sees the world and it is vastly different from man’s prospective. Jesus made it clear that people
are following one of two different gates or ways (Matt. 7:13-14). One gate leads to destruction
and there are many who are choosing that path, but the other gate leads to life. Sadly, few enter in
the latter way. Could it be that many are not becoming the few because we as individuals are
failing to want the same things God wants? The scriptures teach that God wants “all men to be
saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). Peter in unison with the apostle
Paul wrote, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). Often the words longsuffering are viewed as God’s patience with the
sinners, offering them space to repent, but could it be that God is patiently waiting for us to take
up the mantle of evangelism, helping those who are doomed to perish have the hope we claim for
ourselves? --article continued on page 3--
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.
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. ible Classes
Don’t forget that several of
our Bible classes are streamed
each week online. [Sunday
adult class--Jeff Mansel
(Facebook/YouTube);
Wednesday adult class--
Barry Kennedy
(Facebook/YouTube); College
class (Sun. & Wed.)--Roger Sanderson/Tim Davis
(Face-book); Young married class (Wed.)--Mark
Hitt (Zoom); High school class (Wed.)--Alex
Blackwelder (Zoom)]. We urge everyone while in
these unprecedented times to take as many
opportunities as possible to study God’s word in the
privacy of your homes.
Sympathy
Our sympathy is extended to William Harris in
the loss of his aunt, Rose Owens, on Aug. 15 after
an extended illness. Funeral services will be held on
Aug. 18 at 2 p.m. at Holland Harris in Tupelo.
PTP365
The elders have purchased a congregational
subscription for Polishing the Pulpit. For a year,
anyone in the congregation can access hundreds of
speakers’ lessons on various topics. Simply go to
PTP365, click to sign up, click the tab that says
MEMBER OF A CONGREGATION THAT IS
SIGNED UP, choose the 2nd
East Main Church of
Christ (the one in Tupelo, MS), then they will send
an email to the church office computer for you to be
approved. It is a wonderful study tool!
Thank You Notes
Dear East Main Family,
Thank you all so much for the love shown to me
after the passing of my sweet sister, Anne. I am so
thankful for all the cards, thoughts, and prayers from
each of you and they helped cheer my heart during a
very sad time. I love you all and look forward to being
able to see you all again.
Sandra Simmons & family
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear brethren,
After what has been a long past several months
dealing with how and even if we would be able to
have camp, I want to take a moment to thank you!
The East Main congregation has been such a blessing
to us here at Maywood for many years and in many
ways. I am so thankful for your financial support but
even more than that I am thankful for the confidence
that you have shown in Maywood Christian Camp by
allowing both your youth and staff an opportunity to
spend part of their time with us.
Obviously, this has been a tough year financially,
but I am happy to report that we have weathered the
storm well, thanks to so many generous people and
congregations just like you. Again, thank you so
much for all that you do for the Kingdom and all that
you do for Maywood Christian Camp.
In His service,
Jeff Goff
Maywood Christian Camp
ASAP – Always Say a Prayer
Ever wonder about the abbreviation ASAP? It
brings to mind hurry and stress—“Get this done as
soon as possible.” Let us give it a new meaning.
There is work to do, deadlines to meet. You have
no time to spare, but as you hurry and scurry—ASAP
(Always Say A Prayer).
In the midst of family chaos, quality time is rare.
Do your best; let God do the rest—ASAP (Always
Say A Prayer).
It may seem like your worries are more than you
can bear. Slow down and take a breather—ASAP
(Always Say A Prayer).
God knows how stressful life is; He wants to ease
our care. He will respond to all our needs—ASAP
(Always Say A Prayer). —Author Unknown
“Praying always with all prayer and
supplication”(Ephesians 6:18).
--via House to House: Heart to Heart
John Duke stationed in Gulfport, MS
Caleb Williams stationed in Quantico, VA
Rob Cross & family stationed in South Korea
Ty Nichols stationed in Germany
September 2020
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
Felicia Stanford
Hosea 1-3
2
Hosea 4
3
Hosea 5-6
4
Hosea 7-8
5
Hosea 9-10
6
Hosea 11-12
7
Remi Kate
Kingsley
Hosea 13-14
8
Robert Kingsley
Joel
9
Haden Bland
Amos 1-2
10
Amos 3-5
11
Bryce Roby
Evelyn
Thompson
Amos 6-7
12
Amos 8-9
13
Katherine Mansel
Baby “Boy”
Shower
Obadiah
14
Jonah 1-2
15
Jonah 3-4
16
Micah 1-2
17
Lauren Long
Anna Claire
McMillen
Micah 3-5
18
Micah 6-7
19
Nahum
20
Andy Baldwyn
Barry & Berta
Kennedy
Habakkuk
21
Zephaniah
22
Maggie Simineau
Haggai
23
Derik Rushing
Zechariah 1-2
24
Tate Malone
Zechariah 3-4
25
Zechariah 5-6
26
Betty Beard
Billie McNutt
Zechariah 7-8
27
Zechariah 9-11
28
Zechariah 12-14
29
Joyce Burney
Keisha Gholston
Malachi 1-2
30
Malachi 3-4
Gospel Meeting with David Lipe

3. --article continued from page 1—
Yes, clearly God has something to say about evangelism,
and He certainly wants man to be saved. No one can study the
cross and all the events surrounding the great sacrifice Jesus
made for all of mankind and not see His desire is evident (Jn.
3:16; Rom. 5:8; Heb. 2:9). The challenge for today’s Christian
is not “Does God mean what He says about evangelism?” or
any other subject. The challenge is for Christians to ask
themselves, “Did I mean it when I said that I believe Jesus
Christ is the Son of God?” Do we still mean it today? Our
answer is clear when we consider our own involvement in
evangelism. Jesus said, “Go” (Matt. 28:19-20). We must be
ready to say, “Here am I send me.”
Daily Bible Reading
August 26....................................................Ezekiel 40-43
August 27....................................................Ezekiel 44-48
August 28.........................................................Daniel 1-3
August 29.........................................................Daniel 4-6
August 30.........................................................Daniel 7-9
August 31.....................................................Daniel 10-12
September 1 ......................................................Hosea 1-3
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Birthdays: Adaline Bates (Aug. 26), Easton
DuBois (Aug. 27), Connie Kingsley (Aug. 27),
J. J. Reed (Aug. 27), Felicia Stanford (Sept. 1).
Anniversaries: Terry & Sherry Kingsley (Aug. 31).
Our Sick
Susan Reed is home with the COVID-19. Sydney
McMickin, Scotty & Wanda Bishop’s granddaughter,
underwent surgery Tues. Barbara Bishop continues in
room 4420 at NMMC. Wilma Underwood, Hunter &
Haley’s grandmother, is on hospice at NMMC. Gail
Geno is home having problems with diabetes. Natalie
Mansel will undergo surgery Thursday in Birmingham.
Steve Higginbotham, a gospel preacher in the Knoxville
area, has been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer.
On-Going Illnesses
Pete Barber, Jean Mounce, Mary Lou Walden, Steve
Kelly, Bettye Davis, 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, Shirley Roberts, Merlene
Johnson, Thomas Lloyd, Brian Carver
Nursing Homes
Evelyn Willis, Nancy Haywood, Randy Attaway,
Shirley McCarthy, Veona Harris, Bob & Clara McClure
EMYG News
Today, I want to pick your minds a little. Something
happens (even at an early age) when you perceive that
others are better than you. What is your emotion?
Probably some form of insecurity. We don’t talk much
about insecurity, but from the youngest to the oldest, we
all can become victims to ourselves in the aspect of
insecurity. Teenage years are difficult because you and
others are exploring new things about life, learning
social skills, trying to make friends, and simply just
trying to not stick out like a sore thumb. During these
years, what makes or breaks a person is learning how to
combat your insecurity. Insecurity is generally displayed
one of two ways. The first is, a person trying to “over-
comepensate” for something they think is lacking in
their life. For example, if a person doesn’t have friends,
most likely, they will learn to be bullies because they
themselves were bullied. Another area of trying to
“overcompensate” will be constantly having to talk about
yourself/bragging about yourself. If you know someone
like that, odds are, they’re trying to lift themselves to your
standards or even higher than you because they feel
threatened by you. A person that displays these
characteristics and more, are likely struggling with
insecurity. So, pinpoint what things/people/environments
make you insecure. The second is, a person might seclude
themselves out of fear because they perceive that they
won’t have anything in common with a person or a group.
We tend to view these folks as the “outcast.” Most of the
time, the “outcast” choose to “kick themselves to the curb”
because they’re afraid someone else will. Both are harmful
for a person’s mental and behavioral health. I would even
argue it is harmful for one’s spiritual health. So, from this
moment on, how do we combat the lies of Satan saying
you’re not enough? First off, we need to figure out where
our true confidence as people comes from? Is it in your
ability to shoot a three-point shot? To hit a home run? To
have the nicest things? To be popular? Someone once said,
“Confidence isn’t walking into a room thinking you’re
better than everyone, it’s walking in not having to compare
yourselves to others.” Our true confidence should come
from Christ and our relationship with Him. Knowing that
being with Him, we are enough. When we know that we
are enough with Christ, we can stop comparing ourselves to
others because they are not the standard for righteous
living. The Hebrews writer says, “Let us then with
confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may
receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need”
(Hebrews 4:16). Learning to compare yourself to someone
worthy of being compared to (like Jesus), is far more
beneficial than your peers who are also trying to find a
standard for living. If you are a New Testament Christian,
you can have the confidence knowing that you are God’s
and He is yours. Don’t you want that today? Stop living in
insecurity and be secure knowing that if you follow Christ,
you will have no greater privilege than to be His. Have a
great week!

4. Men to Serve Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020 a.m.
Announcements................................Michael Wilson
Bible Reading...........................................Will Davis
Opening Prayer .............................Alex Blackwelder
Lord’s Supper
Rommie Dilworth
Lead Singing........................................ Kent Nichols
Closing Prayer..................................... Dale Dulaney
Ushers .................. Harold Roby & Roger Sanderson
Contact the church office (842-6116) if unable
to serve.
Bible Classes (streamed each week)
Adult class................Jeff Mansel (Facebook/YouTube)
Adult class.......... Barry Kennedy (Facebook/YouTube)
College class.....Roger Sanderson/Tim Davis (Facebook)
Young married class............................ Mark Hitt (Zoom)
High School class ................... Alex Blackwelder (Zoom)
The elders kindly request that men leading in public
worship wear the best dress clothes they have.
Attendance & Contribution
Mid-Week, 8-19-20 ................................................... N/A
Sunday 1st
Worship, 8-23-20 ........................................ 32
Sunday Bible Class.................................................... N/A
Sunday 2nd
Worship.................................................. 135*
Contribution (budget $7,900) .............................. $12,287
*This does not include the livestreamed views.
Mark Your Calendars!
Gospel Meeting – September 13th-16th
Fall Family Retreat – November 13th-14th
Services will be livestreamed this Sunday at
10:00 a.m. if you do not feel safe attending the
service in person.