THE MESSENGER The Weekly Newsletter of the Mountain Home Church of Christ September 11, 2016

WE ARE THE RESULT OF GOD’S PURPOSE

EPHESIANS 1:3–12

INTRODUCTION: There are so many false concepts of the church in the world at large, and in the religious world in particular. Have you ever heard the statement, “I don’t think it’s important to be a member of any church; all that’s important is to have a relationship with God”? Hopefully, after studying Ephesians 1, we will be able to answer that statement. In fact, the entire letter to the Ephesians is an answer to that attitude toward the church!

In Ephesians 1, Paul wants us to realize that the church exists as a result of the Purpose of God; i.e., it is not an accident!

I. THE __________________ OF PURPOSE

A. “chose” (v. 4)

B. “before the _____________ of the world” (v. 4)

C. “that,” “so that,” “with a _________ to” (vv. 4, 10, 12, 14)

D. “predestined” (vv. 5, 11)

E. “good ___________” (vv. 5, 9)

F. “purposed” (v. 9); “purpose” (v. 11)

G. “wisdom and ___________” (v. 8)

H. “made to ___________” (v. 8)

I. “having ________ ___________” (v. 9)

J. “counsel” (v. 11)

K. “His will” (vv. 5, 9, 11)

II. IMPLICATIONS

A. The church is not an “_________________” with God (pre-millennial view).

B. The church is at the heart and _________ of God’s plan for humanity (in contrast with the prevalent view in the religious and non-religious world).

C. It does make a ____________ which church one is a member of (in contrast with denom-inationalism).

CONCLUSION: When we can “catch the vision” of the church as Paul describes her in Ephesians 1, we will then have a greater love of, and a deeper appreciation for, the church as God pur-posed, planned, and brought her into existence, so that He can “bless us” and “lavish upon us” His great love!

MORNING

WELCOME Brad Ellis

SONG LEADER Adam Jones

OPENING PRAYER Jerry Maleare

SCRIPTURE READING Kyle Camp

LORD’S SUPPER Dennis Tindall

LESSON Ken Burton

“We are the Result of God’s Purpose”

Ephesians 1:3-12

SHEPHERD’S PRAYER David Pitchford

CLOSING PRAYER Eldon Talbott

EVENING

WELCOME Brad Ellis

SONG LEADER Dennis Goings

OPENING PRAYER Ron Beck

SCRIPTURE READING Sam Rowlett

LESSON Ken Burton

“Wrong Relationships to Truth”

Romans 1:18-25

SHEPHERD’S PRAYER David Pitchford

CLOSING PRAYER Bill Martin

When you see broken beyond repair

I see healing beyond belief.

When you see too far gone

I see one step away from home.

“Mended” by Matthew West

This song is written from God’s point of view of you and me. Many times we get down on ourselves. He sees what we can be, what we were made for, what He hopes we will be for His cause. Christ paid a terrible price so we can be for-given of all the bad things that bring us shame and regret. Some people are really good at reminding us just how bad we are, how far we have gone away from God, how hopeless we are and that there is no point in even trying. Give it up and just live for today. Remember the story of Job and his so called “friends.” While it is true we live our life one day at a time, if we are a child of God, we don’t need to bring yesterday’s baggage with us. We can ask for God’s forgiveness and be confident that He has forgiven everything in our past. Satan doesn't like that! He wants us to be cast into ever-lasting fire along with him and his followers. There is no need to carry such baggage around on our shoulders. Don’t be in debt to Satan. “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.” Let’s follow Christ, believe His word and then follow it daily. If you haven’t made that decision to do that, please ask any of us about it and we will be happy to help you. If you are in need of finding your way back, please let us help you too. We need everyone pushing ahead for tomorrow in the work of His church, not looking back in despair. Please let us help! Any of us are available 24/7. You are loved here! Pray for each other’s strength to deal with all the things we are facing daily.

—-Cameron

ARTICLES......ACTIVITIES.....

SHEPHERD’S CORNER….Cameron Davis

Tuesday morning Ladies’ Bible

class will resume their study

in Genesis this week at 10:30

in building B. All ladies are

encouraged to attend. Jane

Maynard will be the teacher.

49ers will meet Thursday, the 15th, at 6 p.m. in building B. Everyone is invited. Bring your favorite games and snacks.

Yesterday was so uplifting! I hope each of you ladies were in our audience. If so, I

pray you left with the renewed spirit of a godly woman.

I want to say a very inadequate "thank you" to s-o-o many people. The elders let

me know they were behind me each step of the way. Each of them, and other godly

men of our congregation, OFF SITE (NOT in the building), yesterday spent seven

hours praying for the ladies in attendance, the speaker, and everyone traveling to

and from our event. Several men volunteered to serve our lunch.

To my committee chairladies, you made my job so easy! Ladies spent countless

hours over the last nine months preparing for Ladies Day. Our church secretaries

also helped. To each of you…. looking for so many ways to enhance the theme ---

Thank You!! For fear of overlooking someone I have not listed names. Know that I

appreciate all your hard work and the use of your God given talents, I love you.

Next year will be here soon...I hope you put the date on your calendar for 2017--it's

always the second Saturday of September.

Louise Pitts

When you see nothing but damaged goods

I see something good in the making.

I’m not finished yet.

When you see wounded, I see mended.

Elders and Deacons meeting tomorrow evening at 6:00 in building B.

Pictures for the directory and photo board will be taken in the east foyer every Sunday in September. If your picture is more than one year old, please have a new one taken.

MARK YOUR

CALENDARS

LIFE CHAIN

OCTOBER 2

GOSPEL MEETING

Salem Church of Christ

September 18-21

“Challenges of Christian Living”

Speaker: Ken Burton

PRAYER LIST......NOTES......

Please keep these people in your prayers as they contend with illness and other situations in

their lives: Mickey Pendergrass, Velma Cotter, Elise Nichols, Betty Atkinson, Betty Lute, Charlotte

Burton, Marvine Fouts, Betty Lonon, Larry Pitts, Austin Gunter, Karen Mills, Nancy Warren, Cindy

Shaw, Leo Fortenberry & Family, Gus & Betty Carlson, Denita Witherspoon, Freda Evans, Uneda

Watters, Betty Ripple, Dorothy Kitchens, Carolyn McCullough, Bessie Saxion.

Family and Friends….

Bill McFarland, Aubrey Williams, Tawnya Johnson (Barney & Hattie Barnhart), Bill Hill (Evelyn Os-

born), Nina Treat, Susan & Roger Pitchford, Mona McFall, Alan Sheckell (Chip Smith), Leslie

Cones (Leo & Shelia Fortenberry), Mike, Roger & Jeff Townsley (Terri Holsonbake), John Taylor

(Leonard Darr), Rhonda Kase (Stan & Maxine Bridgman), David Burleson (Jessie Camp), Krisztian

Montague, Kerry Gilbert (Jo Rainey), Dayton Smith, Naomi Pearson (Sylvia Harden), Alice Clark

(Mary Ann Dillard), Mary Scheer (Dimple Mitchell), Brenda Brock (Jim Gilliland), Jim McCord

(Clarene Morrow), Jim Gilliland’s dad, Margaret Ellis (Brad Ellis), Larry Davenport (Linda Rucker),

Douglas Jones (Rector Jones), Harley Roswell (Kyle Camp), Linda Dabney (Larry Green), Thelma

Pendergrass (Mickey Pendergrass), Eulah Anderson (Richard Morris), Myrtle Jones (Adam Jones).

Baxter Retirement Village Troy Massey Mike Nash Danny Phelps Deidree Smalec

Care Manor Charlotte Burton Lozell Pitchford Mary Scheer

Good Samaritan Naomi Britt

Homebound Veneda Hayes T.J. Henderson Charlene Messick Bessie Saxion Uneda Watters

Monroe House Doyle Hammack

Pine Lane Fay Miculka Juanita Stone

CHASE’S COMMENTS...

Children’s Homes Food Barrels:

Chex Mix, Cereal, Baked Beans,

Clorox Wipes

Serving the Shepherd

Sheep are not the smartest of animals. Without a Shepherd watching over them they wander off from one patch of grass to another, making easy prey for the ever-watching predators. It’s no wonder that we as Christians are compared to sheep as well. Without God in our life we simply wander from one pleasure to the next with no concern for others and make ourselves easy prey for the predator (sometimes walking right into his open jaws). Therefore, a sheep’s singular purpose in life is to serve the shepherd. Do as he says, follow him where he leads, and chew the cud. It’s a pretty easy life!

Sadly, too many in the church are at times, foolish sheep (myself included). We are foolish enough to serve ourselves, or even worse, other sheep! We want to LOOK like everybody else, DRESS like everybody else, SPEND like everybody else, BE like everybody else. When others change, we change. We do everything we can to fit in and keep up with the Jones’. We are serving sheep.

There are examples of those in the Bible who had a choice between serving sheep or serving the Shepherd. In 1 Sam. 15 Saul had a choice to make: destroy the Amalekites as the Lord instructed (vs. 3), or spare the best as the people de-sired (vs. 21). We know his choice (vs. 9, 24). He was serving the sheep. We also know the result (26).

The rulers in Jn. 12:42 faced much the same decision. They heard the word of the Shepherd proclaimed and believed it. But would they serve Him? At the present they were serving the Pharisees. They decided to stay as they were, “for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (vs. 43).

It’s time to serve the Shepherd! The apostles were the ultimate example of His faithful sheep. In Acts 5 they are being persecuted for following Him, but in vs. 29 they boldly say, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” No matter what happened, they stuck by their Shepherd and followed Him. Oh, for more people with that attitude today!

Paul makes it clear who he serves. In Gal. 1:10 he says, “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” Notice that Paul admits at one point in his life he was once a dumb sheep (“if I STILL pleased men”). But in Acts 9 the Shepherd comes into Paul’s life, and he becomes a changed man. In 1 Cor. 11:1 we see Paul’s desire to be like the Shepherd when he says, “Imitate me, just as I also imi-tate Christ.”

Can we speak like Paul to others? Are we imitating the Savior to that degree? Are we serving the sheep or the Shep-herd? Serve the Shepherd!

Parents and teens, there are several sign-up lists on

the Youth bulletin board for future events soon to

come. Please stop by and sign up if you are available

and see Chase for any questions.

Mountain Home Church of Christ

380 North College

Mountain Home, AR 72653

A friendly cha with a vital message!

Phone: 870-425-4330 Fax: 870-425-8118

E-mail: church@centurytel.net

Service Times

Sunday Morning Bible Class............. 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Morning Worship................ 10:30 a.m.

Sunday Evening Worship...................5:00 p.m.

Wednesday Night Bible Class............6:30 p.m.

T.V. Programs

“In Search of the Lord’s Way”

With Bro. Phil Sanders

Sunday Morning 7:00 A.M.

KOLR Channel 10, Springfield, Missouri

A friendly church with a vital message!

SERVICE ROSTER

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Frank Daniels SONG LEADER: Bryson Pitchford CLOSING PRAYER: David Pitchford

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

MORNING EVENING

SONG LEADER Adam Jones Dennis Goings

OPENING PRAYER Landon Pitchford Gary Williams

SCRIPTURE READING Kyle Camp Tony Bunch

CLOSING PRAYER James Richey Theo Rowe

GREETERS Larry & Tina Killian

Ellis & Jackie Jones

FOR THE RECORD September 4, 2016

MEMBERS 494 MORNING ATTENDANCE 383 EVENING ATTENDANCE 190 CONTRIBUTION $11,976 GIVEN TO DATE $403,043 BUDGET TO DATE $406,008

Preaching the Gospel currently airs on DirecTV, Channel 376, Dish Network, Channel 276, and You Tube every Sunday morning at 6:30 a.m. reaching more than 30 million homes. It also airs daily on Gospel Broadcasting Network. Visit www.gbntv.org for times. Sponsored by White Oak Church of Christ, P. O. Box 15148, Chattanooga, TN 37415. goodnewstodaytv@gmail.com

Mountain Home Church of Christ, Inc., 380 N. College, Mtn. Home, AR 72653

The Word of God says... Hear...Romans 10:17

Believe...Hebrews 11:6 Repent...Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; 17:30

Confess...Matthew 10:32,33; Romans 10:10 Be Baptized...Mark 16:15,16; Galatians 3:27;

I Peter 3:21; Romans 6:3,4 Be Faithful...Revelation 2:10

Monday Night Ministries meets each week

at 6:30 in building B

Devo at

Baxter Retirement Village

Wednesdays at 1:30

Our Shepherds

Wayne Camp 404-3000

Cameron Davis 404-7367

David Pitchford 425-8554

John Schuhknecht 404-0114

Dennis Tindall 481-5063

Our Servants

Our Staff Minister, Ken Burton 405-0865

Associate Minister, Chase Almond 501-454-4378

Secretary, Donna Smith (M-T-W) 425-4330

Secretary, Kelda Jones (Th-F) 425-4330

Andy Bell Bruce Caldwell JR Camp Lloyd Camp Rodney Covington Chad Dewey Delbert Dover

Jim Estes Ellis Jones Jerry Maleare Landon Pitchford Dennis Priborsky George Rowlett