Words From Winnsboro - Winnsboro Church of Christ

Words From Winnsboro
March 19th, 2015
Prayer Requests For:
Committed to Caring
Our commitment to our community in
ministry is so encouraging. From week to week
I hear of different persons in the congregation
who are involved in making a difference in our
community. Some may not be defined as a
“church” ministry, but are definitely examples of
Christian persons working in their community to
make a difference.
Over the years, several of us have
served on the school board and others as teachers. These
Christians are making a difference in the lives of children. Some
of us work with civic groups and clubs to help improve the quality of life in our community and city. Our involvement in these
areas shows our Christian commitment to make Winnsboro a
better place. As we help with schools and parks (etc.) let us
also remember to also reach out with God’s grace.
Two ministries of compassion are the “stuffed animal”
and “backpack” ministries. For many years, the Ladies’ Bible
Class (along with a few other volunteers) have make small
stuffed animals and supplied them to children’s hospitals and
emergency rooms around Northeast Texas. Thousands of
these hugable toys have been placed in the hands of children
who were undergoing a frightening period in their lives. More
recently the ladies have begun a “backpack” ministry. They will
supply backpacks to the Northeast Texas Child Advocacy Center and to the East Texas Crisis Center. These backpacks will
be age graded and have small personal items for children in
crisis. There is a list of items on a table in the foyer if you would
like to assist in this ministry of compassion and love.
The MENS’ RETREAT is April 17 & 18. Each year a
number of us guys spend a few days together for recreation,
fellowship and spiritual development. We will go to Caddo Lake
again this year.
FRIEND DAY is the first Sunday in May (May 3). Begin
inviting your friend to come worship the Lord with us on this special day. We will have some of the afternoon games and fun as
usual. Friend Day is a “regular, pot-luck fellowship meal.” So,
along with inviting your friend, plan to bring a few special dishes
and show hospitality our visitors.
The Winnsboro church is committed to living for Christ.
We want to be Jesus in our community so that struggling hearts
and find their way home.
We are a people committed to care for Christ.
We are a people committed to care for the church.
We are a people committed to care for Christians.
We are a people committed to care for our community.
We are a people committed to care for all creation
(all people).
See you Sunday morning!
Gerald Elliott
Sarah Tucker, who is on bed rest during
her pregnancy.
Thomasine Talbert, who is in rehab with a broken ankle.
Bernice Robinson, family friend of the Grimes,
has stage 3 lung cancer.
Bob Cain, who had gall bladder surgery.
Pam Gambrel, who had foot surgery.
Continue To Pray For:
April Stacey
Carley Baber
Elizabeth Brumley
Emery Brown
Eppie Elmore
Ginny Ayers
Ina Strickland
Jaden Storey
Jim Hampton
Joyce Azlin
Lois Rudsell
Lonzell Holman
Lori Young
Lou Elmore
Margie Griffin
Mark Carley
Mary Hunt
Nancy Wilburn
Rick Clemmons
Thomasine Talbert
Attendance:
Sunday:
Bible Class:
AM Worship:
PM Worship:
Wednesday:
104
142
69
118
Contribution:
Budget:
Over/Under
$6,571.75
$4,570.00
$2,001.75
Sermon This Sunday
March 22nd, a.m.
Redeemed in Christ
Ephesians 1:7-10
March 22nd, p.m.
Being Bible Led
Acts 2:42-47
REDEEMED IN CHRIST
7
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of
God’s grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. – Ephesians 1:7,8
A tragic truth of history is human bondage. Not just in ancient times or more recent past times, but still today human beings are bought and sold. Slavery is illegal in the United States, but it still exists in what is
usually called “sex trafficking.” Young girls and sometimes boys are bought and sold, often kept drugged,
and abused. There are some nations where sex trafficking is a major business. Those who pay their masters are not interested in redeeming them, just using them.
There are other places where lives are bought and sold for physical labor. In Ghana, parents are promised that their children will be given opportunities for a productive life, and then taken and sold to fishermen on Lake Volta. There they work all day, every day. They have nothing and nowhere to run. No parent has the means to redeem them.
There is another form of slavery even more tragic. Our sin has enslaved us. It is a kind of indentured
slavery. We owe a debt that we can only pay with our eternal condemnation. Our debt was paid with the
life of Jesus. He gave His life as a payment for us. We are no longer slaves to, or under the condemnation of our sins because we have been redeemed by the blood of Christ. God redeems us, buys us, with
the blood of Christ. This slavery to sin is far worse than earthly slavery. That is not to diminish the horror
or pain of human slavery today, but to help us understand just how horrible slavery to sin really is.
Those trapped in slavery to sin do not enjoy the blessings of God nor His promises of eternal life. Persons
trapped in slavery to sin endure the horrors of a life in bondage to Satan. While some are beguiled by Satan’s lies and enticements, the end of those pleasures is death. Only redemption in Christ offers life.
Gerald Elliott
Winnsboro, TX
March 19, 2015
News and Reminders
Ladies Ministries
Backpack Project.
We need travel size items for
the backpacks.
Animal Workday
There were 11 ladies that
bagged 250 animals.
Page 2
Ladies Wed. Bible Class
Mar. 25th-Rocks in Your Jar-Cindy Yarbrough
April 1st-How Crazy Is Your Quilt-Chana Willis
April 8th-Time Matters-Crystal Griffin
April 15th-Save, Scrimp or Squander-Carol Lawler
April 22nd-Stuffing Your Stuff-Ann Mills
April 29th-Giving Your gifts Back-Christian Entwistle
HIS GRACE REACHES ME
Longing to leave her poor Brazilian neighborhood, Christina wanted to see the world. Discontent
with a home having only a pallet on the floor, a washbasin, and a wood-burning stove, she dreamed of a
better life in the city. One morning she slipped away, breaking her mother's heart. Knowing what life on the
streets would be like for her young, attractive daughter, Maria hurriedly packed to go find her. On her way
to the bus stop she entered a drugstore to get one last thing. Pictures. She sat in the photograph booth,
closed the curtain, and spent all she could on pictures of herself. With her purse full of small black-andwhite photos, she boarded the next bus to Rio de Janeiro. Maria knew Christina had no way of earning
money. She also knew that her daughter was too stubborn to give up. When pride meets hunger, a human
will do things that were before unthinkable. Knowing this, Maria began her search. Bars, hotels, nightclubs, any place with the reputation for street walkers or prostitutes. She went to them all. And at each
place she left her picture--taped on a bathroom mirror, tacked to a hotel bulletin board, fastened to a corner phone booth. And on the back of each photo she wrote a note. It wasn't too long before both the
money and the pictures ran out, and Maria had to go home. The weary mother wept as the bus began its
long journey back to her small village. It was a few weeks later that young Christina descended the hotel
stairs. Her young face was tired. Her brown eyes no longer danced with youth but spoke of pain and fear.
Her laughter was broken. Her dream had become a nightmare. A thousand times over she had longed to
trade these countless beds for her secure pallet. Yet the little village was, in too many ways, too far away.
As she reached the bottom of the stairs, her eyes noticed a familiar face. She looked again, and there on
the lobby mirror was a small picture of her mother. Christina's eyes burned and her throat tightened as she
walked across the room and removed the small photo. Written on the back was this compelling invitation.
"Whatever you have done, whatever you have become, it doesn't matter. Please come home." She did.
Max Lucado – “No Wonder They Call Him the Savior”
Grace is a very mysterious yet wonderful thing to us. No matter how hard we try, it is one of the
things in this life that just doesn’t seem to come natural. When we see someone who has done wrong, it
seems that in most cases we seek justice rather than forgiveness. I am so thankful that God is not that
way. No matter what we have done or where we have strayed away to, God is always going to be looking
for us. It is His unconditional love and His strong desire to be in a committed relationship with us that
drives Him to continue searching no matter how far we have strayed or where we have ended up. If you
ever find yourself at the end of your rope and far away from God, look around you because I can guarantee God has been there already searching for you. Romans 5:20b-21 says, “But where sin increased,
grace increased all the more, so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” May the Father, full of love and grace, bless
you richly wherever you find yourself this week. Grace, Peace, & Blessings!
Tony
Up Coming Events
April 3rd-5th-LTC
April 12th-Fellowship Dinner
April 17-18 Men’s Retreat
May 2nd-Work Day
May 3rd-Friend Day
Page 3
Elders
Eric Gambrel
Jerry Hallman
David Howton
Roger Young
Winnsboro Church of Christ
601 E. Coke Road
P. O. Box 541
Winnsboro, TX 75494
Ministers
Gerald Elliott
Tony Tucker
Deacons
Curtis Brown
Brian Hunt
Marcus Keith
Greg Mills
Chris Robertson
David Ward
Kraig Yarbrough
Office Manager
Simone Nowell
Winnsboro
Church Of Christ
Invites you to join us!
—————————————————————————
Phone: 903-342-5715
Fax: 903-342-5085
Song Leader
Tex Willis
Opening Prayer:
David Howton
Communion Leader:
Serving:
Mike Avery
Ralph Phillips
Bob Diseker
Brantley Allen
Cooper Keith
Scripture Reading:
Marcus Keith
Sermon :
Gerald Elliott
Closing Thoughts & Prayer:
Jerry Hallman
Media Control:
Jared Yarbrough
Nursery:
Kali Wallis
E-mail: secretary@winnsborochurchofchrist.org
Website:
www.winnsborochurchofchrist.org
Schedule of Services
Sunday
Bible Class:
9:20 a.m.
Morning Worship:
10:15 a.m.
Evening Worship:
6:00 p.m.
Tuesday
Ladies Bible Class:
10:00 a.m.
Wednesday
Simple Supper
5:45 p.m.
Bible Class
7:00 p.m.
Greeters:
Marcus & Jennifer Keith/Richard & Carol Lawler
Visitor Cards:
Landon/Aeden/Bobby