Saturday

“My heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is

that they may be saved.”

~Romans 10:1~

A special thanks to those who stepped in to assist with a project for On Mission in Kentwood this week. May God bless you as you serve Him in this way.

A week from today, Saturday, May 24th, we will have another churchwide On Mission in Kentwood. Plan now to be a part of this ministry. If you have a special request for this group, please contact me or the church office (229-2881). Thanks!

MISSIONARY PERSONAL NEEDS. From the Pacific Rim region comes this request: “Several families on our Pacific Rim Media Team are dealing with serious family issues such as aging parents or extended family members with health issues. Pray for God’s grace as we deal with these situations, oftentimes from a long distance.”

Floydale Teague
(November 14, 1928 – May 16, 2008)

Died at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, May 16, 2008 at his residence in Kentwood. He was a native of McGargel, TX. Age 79 years. He is survived by his wife, M. L. Teague, Kentwood; son, Tommy Teague, Baton Rouge; 3 daughters, Kathy Teague, Metairie, Karen Teague, Metairie and Donna Teague, South Carolina. He was preceded in death by his father, Samuel Teague; mother, Florence McClendon Teague; 2 brothers, David Teague and Raymond Teague; sister, Jewel Teague.

A FRIEND TO HELP

I heard recently about a student named Steve Winger from Lubbock, TX who was taking a challenging class in Logic. Both the course and the teacher were known for exacting and demanding exams. The final exam was looming, and the professor mercifully told the class that each student would be permitted to bring in a single 8 x 11 1/2 inch sheet with as much information as they could put on that one sheet for help during the test.

On exam day, each student came to class clutching their precious pieces of paper with as much information as possible. Some students had crammed lines and lines of font so tiny and so numerous onto that single sheet that you had to wonder how they could read it. But Steve walked in with a single blank sheet and a friend who was a senior student and who had an ‘A’ in logic. Steve bent down and placed that single, blank sheet of paper on the floor next to his desk. His expert friend stood on the paper.

The professor noticed the extra body in the room and asked what he was doing. Steve piped up, “You said we could bring in what ever we could fit on a single piece of paper for help on this test, well, this is my help and he can fit on the paper!” He had followed the instructions to the letter and was the only student in that class to score an ‘A’ since he had his expert friend standing along side him.

That story reminds me of what God has done for us. We are “tested” on a daily basis, but we have two very special blessings to assist us. First of all, God didn’t just send us a piece of paper to tell us what we need to know. Jews were given the “cheat sheet” composed of Ten Commandments chiseled in stone, along with hundreds of other commandments penned on scrolls. But God did more than that for us — He sent his Son to this earth, to stand with us, to live with us — not just a set of answers written on paper, but a living, breathing perfect example of what we need to know. Want to know how God would react in any given situation? Look to Jesus.

Then when Jesus returned to His Father, he left a helper with us, a “paraclete” to stand alongside us (no more than that — within us!), supporting us and guiding us.

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” (2 Cor. 1:21-22)

What a trendemous blessing, and a comfort to those who are in Christ.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Have a wonderful weekend.

Anna Lee