THOUGHTS FROM BRYAN

October 8, 2014
THOUGHTS FROM BRYAN
The book “All Quiet on the Western Front” was banned by
Nazi Germany because of the way it presented war. In it war
is not seen as something glorious, but shown for what it
really is – brutal and heartbreaking.
I once heard it said that the people who hate war the
most are those who have fought in one. While there are (like
the Nazis) some really evil people in the world, deep down
most all people just want peace. As Paul and his buddies
comment in the book, “Almost all of us are simple folk. And in
France, too, the majority of men are laborers, workmen, or poor
clerks. Now just why would a French blacksmith or a French
shoemaker want to attack us? ... I have never seen a Frenchman
before I came here, and it will be just the same with the majority of
Frenchmen as with us. They weren't asked about it anymore than
we were.”
How do we live in peace, amidst all the hate, war, evil
and treachery in the world? Jesus says only one way - forgive
our grievances and curb our desire for revenge. Hostilities
come because we simply cannot let go of grievances—either
real or imagined—that we have against someone else.
There is a gripping scene in “All Quiet on the Western
Front” where Paul, the main character, came face to face
with a Frenchman in a foxhole. In a desperate moment,
Paul stabbed this enemy in the darkness, but then saw that
he was dying and decided to help him. He gave him a drink
of water and made his last hours as comfortable as he could.
When the Frenchman died, Paul said, “Comrade ... you were
only an idea to me before, an abstraction that lived in my mind and
Everyone please be making plans now to attend our
called forth its appropriate response. It was that abstraction that I Fall Festival, it will be a fun family event. Please call
stabbed. But now, for the first time, I see you are a man like me. I the church office if you plan to attend. We need a
thought of your hand grenades, of your bayonet, of your rifle; now I see
count in order to prepare enough food for everyone.
your wife and your face and our fellowship. Forgive me, comrade. We
always see it too late. Why do they never tell us that you are poor devils
FEEDING THE FLOCK
like us, that your mothers are just as anxious as ours, and that we have
the same fear of death? Forgive me comrade, how could you be my eneOur next Feeding The Flock will be Wednesday,
my?”
October 15th. The menu: Fried Chicken, Baked Parmesan
Let us do as Jesus did; not focus on color, past hurt or present Rice, Green Beans, Whole Kernel Corn, Coconut Cake
persecution, but see people as created in the image of and Pound Cake. Please sign up on your attendance card
God. There will always be war, hate and sedition, but … “If this Sunday, October 12th, how many in your family will
possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all attend.
men.” Romans 12:18
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Herald of Encouragement
BUILDING OUR DREAMS
By John Klimko, Jr
Spiritual Enrichment Groups
Next Sunday, October 19th, is the date
for our Spiritual Enrichment Groups to
meet! We will try to keep everyone up to
date on the locations and times for each
SEG to meet. Plan to join in with the
members of your SEG next Sunday for a
great time of fellowship.
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SAVE THE DATE
RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE
The Red Cross blood drive at
Central has been rescheduled to Sunday,
November 2. Sign-up will begin on
Sunday, October 19. Watch for the blue
sheets in each adult Bible class and in
each foyer.
LADIES DAY
All ladies are invited to the Ladies Day
at the St. Mary’s Church of Christ, 1912
Osbourne Road, St. Mary’s GA.,
Saturday, October 18th, 9:00 am — 1:00
pm. Lunch will be provided. Theme:
Root Downward, Bear Fruit Upward.
Guest speaker will be: Celine Sparks of
Huntsville, Al. For more info contact:
Lori Miles at: 912-552-5503 or 912-8825800.
GOSPEL MEETING
Everyone is invited to the Fall Gospel
Meeting at the Swainsboro Church of
Christ, 653 Turner Drive, Swainsboro,
GA., October 27—30. Services will be at
7:00 pm nightly. Guest speaker will be
Eric Doss of Paducah, Kentucky.
ADDRESS
FAITH AVENUE
“I have been crucified with Christ and I
no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The
life I live in the body, I live by faith in the
Son of God, who loved me and gave
himself for me.” Galatians 2:20.
Thank you so much for all of the
prayers, calls, cards, visits, food, and even
crazy socks that you have showered
Mr. John with since his accident! We have
felt God’s peace and mercy and we know
He is answering prayers on our behalf. As I
write this I have the apple cobbler
from The Lord’s Way Café in the oven.
Little did I know that Mr. John would be
the recipient of the cobbler this week,
as a gift from the precious kindergarten
children. It smells delicious…but most
importantly it reminds me of all the love
that is at Central Avenue! We are
richly blessed by each and every one of
you. “As the mountains surround
Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His
people both now and forevermore.”
Psalm125:2.
Please join us this Wednesday night as
we continue with our regular classes and
also begin practicing songs for our
Holiday Play! We had a great turn out
last week!
Parents, please have your
children here on time because we will
begin promptly at 7:00. We will have a
rotation and half of the children will be
having a Bible lesson while the other
half will be singing. We will rotate so that
all of the children will be able to participate
in each station. Thank you for always
making sure your children are here on
time!
Our rotation is entitled: “Zacchaeus.”
Our memory verse is: “The Son of Man
came to look for the lost and save them.”
Luke 19:10. The memory verse for the
four year olds is: “For God is the King of
all the earth.” Psalm 47:7.
We are looking forward to Sunday!
Several have asked for John Mark and
Casey Stephenson’s address since John
Mark had emergency surgery, it is listed
RESPONSE
below:
Alex Bundrick responded to the
John Mark Stephenson
invitation
Sunday, October 5, asking for
5209 Northwood Lake Drive, E.
prayers of the church.
Northport, AL 35473
VISITATION
Thanks to all who encourage others through the visitation ministry.
The visitation team for this Sunday,
October 12 is listed below. Please pick
up assignments from the folder on the
table in the office hall foyer near the
Large Auditorium.
M/M Carl Brinson
Mr. George Clayton
M/M Harrison Cooper
Mrs. Marion Copeland
M/M Marc Dame
Mr. Lindy Evans
M/M Ashley McLeod
M/M Mike Paine
M/M Ron Williams
THANK YOU NOTES
Dear Brothers & Sisters in Valdosta,
On September 29th, I traveled to
Ukraine as your Ambassador for
Christ. I find words inadequate to
express the deep gratitude that I have
for your continued support. Your
prayers and financial support enable
efforts to bring much needed relief to
many refugees suffering in Ukraine as
a result of the Krenlin’s war on its
Slavic Brothers.
I hope that I will be able to report
in person this Fall on these efforts.
For it is in this Service that I am,
gratefully yours.
Mike Lawson
I want to thank the kindergarten
class for the delicious apple cobbler
they made for me after my recent
mouth surgery.
In Christian Love,
Jerry DeLoach
AREA WIDE SING
Everyone is invited to the area wide
sing at the Dawson Road Church of
Christ, 2115 Dawson Road, Albany,
Ga., Friday, October 17th, 7:00 pm.
Refreshments will be served following
the singing.
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NURSING HOMES
HERITAGE HOUSE:
Irene Brown, Jackie Mathis,
Louise DeLoach
PRESBYTERIAN HOME:
Melba Webb
FELLOWSHIP HOME:
Sylvia Higgins, Joyce Paine,
Jeanne Jarvis, Sherolyn Ellenberg,
Jane Little
LAKEHAVEN:
Margie Dasher, Frances Copeland
LANGDALE PLACE:
Margaret Hendry
WILDEWOOD DOWNS
COLUMBIA, S.C.:
Phoebie Slocum
CRESTWOOD:
Linda Jones
ALPHARETTA:
Gordon & Elaine Teffeteller
BAPTIST VILLAGE:
Stella Laurene Taylor
REMEMBER IN PRAYER
SGMC: Charlie (Hawke) Parrish
SMITH NORTHVIEW: Marilyn Ellis
CENTRAL MEMBERS:
Nick, Wendy & Collier Copeland, Anne S.
Dasher, Fannie Dasher, Karen Evans, Joe
Fanning, Glenn Geren, Rudene Harris, Peggy
Herring, John Klimko, Allen Lancaster, Laura
McCall, Debbie Paine, Craig Prince, Leo &
Mary Nell Wells, Ronnie West, Lloyd Williams, Jenny Wisenbaker
FRIENDS & FAMILY:
Abbie Barfield, Delores Britt, Allison Bryan
Carter and Children, Wanda DeWeese, Joe
& Harriette Gray, Laura Johnson Griggs,
Stacey McDowell, Ray Norvell, Sr., Steve &
Sandi Parrish, Wayne Shear, John Mark Stephenson, Donnie Tomlinson, Pat Vann,
Mitch Walker, Larry Youmans
Behold His Mercy!
Be kind and loving to each other, and
forgive each other just as God forgave
you in Christ.
Ephesians 4:32
Jesus wraps a servant’s girdle around
his waist, takes up the basin, and kneels
before one of the disciples. He unlaces a
sandal and gently lifts the foot and places
it in the basin, covers it with water, and
begins to bathe it. One by one, one
grimy foot after another, Jesus works his
way down the row…..
You can be sure Jesus knows the
future of these feet he is washing. These
twenty-four feet will not spend the next
day following their master, defending his
cause. These feet will dash for cover at
the flash of a Roman sword. Only one
pair of feet won’t abandon him in the
garden. One disciple won’t desert him at
Gethsemane—Judas won’t even make it
that far!....
Behold the gift Jesus gives his followers! He knows what these men are about
to do. . . . And when they do, he wants
BIRTHDAYS
October 11: Collier Copeland
Mason Hatfield
Kelly Page
October 13: Carolyn Alred
Emma Herring
October 14: Karsyn Black
Shirley Dame
George Sharp
October 15: Lora McMullen
October 16: Jayson Anderson
Alton Hammock
Will Herring
October 17: Hank Johnson
Matt Page
MILITARY: Daniel Jordan, James
McMullen,III, Skyler Pittman, Johnny
Tucker, Nick Walker-Potts, Brandon
Wells.
DAILY PRAYER LIST
October 9: Jayson, Kristy & Drew
Anderson
October 10: Sarah & Dagen Anderson
October 11: Dee Arnold
October 12: Emeka & Kendra Arungwa
October 13: Mike, Mary & Mackenzie
Atkins
October 14: Ruth Babb
October 15: Jay, Tracie, Meghan, Sidney &
Jayson Barfield
MISSION OF THE WEEK
Raintree Village Children’s Home
3757 Johnston Rd.
Valdosta, GA 31601
Phone: 559-5944
E-Mail: [email protected]
UKRAINE SPECIAL
CONTRIBUTION
Once again Central has shown great
generosity in giving. Sunday was the
special contribution for the Christians and
others in Ukraine. Central responded with
$5,285. Thank you for such commitment
to the Lord's work.
AT A GLANCE
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them to remember how his knees
knelt before them and he washed
their feet.
He wants them to realize those feet
are still clean. . . .
He forgave their sin before they
even committed it.
He offered mercy before they even
sought it.
October 19: Spiritual Enrichment
Groups meet
October 25: Fall Festival
November 2: Red Cross Blood Drive
Men’s Prayer Group:
Tuesdays at 7 am in the Annex
Ladies Bible Class:
Tuesdays, 10:30 am in the Connector
Christian Student Center:
Devotional, Wednesdays at 7:00 pm
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Herald of Encouragement
Central Avenue Church of Christ
304 East Central Avenue
Valdosta, GA 31601-5704
ELDERS: Homer Anderson, Kevin Boyd, Byron Brown, Jerry
DeLoach, G.R. Holton, Bill Malone, Leon Weeks
MINISTERS: Bryan Jarvis, John Klimko, Jr.
DEACONS: Jay Barfield, Donny Bryan, Jeremy Colson,
Richard Hamlen, Anthony Herring, Ted Hundley, Pendleton Little, Jerry McMullen, Sr., Matt Malone, Chris Prine,
John Stephenson, Clyde Tomlinson, Phillip Walker
Church Office:
Leigh Carter...........................................................Secretary
Gail DeLoach…………................................................Bulletin
Phone: (229) 242-6115........................Fax:(229) 242-6116
Visit Central on the Web.......................www.cacoc.com
MISSIONS: Paraguay, New Zealand, Ukraine, China, Malawi, India,
Preaching the Gospel (TV)
Central Avenue Church of Christ Family Gatherings
Sunday Bible Class...……………………………...………...…………….….9:30am
Worship.………………..….…………………..………………………..….....10:30am
Evening Worship……………………..……………………….…………….…6:00pm
Wednesday Bible Class.……………………………………………..……….7:00pm
For the Record: October 8, 2014
Bible Classes
262
AM Worship
415
PM Worship
178
SEG 3rd Sunday
Mid-week PM
263
Budget
$12,450
Contribution
$15,267
Over Budget
$2,817
air again with great acceleration and exhilaration!
Life is a cycle of good times and bad, valleys and
Tough Times
peaks, and for whatever His reasons, that’s how
I think tough things in life always happen for a God set it up.
definite reason. Sometimes it will be revealed
We know, however, that His reasons are good
while at other times we might never know the an- reasons; and the Bible teaches that all things turn
swer and God will keep it hidden from us.
out for good to those who love the Lord. I believe
THE SHEPHERDS VOICE
Although it’s sometimes weak, I have tremendous faith in God and without it I couldn’t have
such an attitude. It is important to remember that
through it all God remains firmly in control.
that verse with all of my heart. I think we should
earnestly seek God’s will in our lives and accept
both good/hard times unconditionally… it’s called
surrender.
Whether it remains a mystery as to why we are
enduring hard times, or it is revealed to us, invariably our character is defined by the toughest of
times. Like refining silver, the impurities in our
life are stripped out as God the “Master Silversmith” works towards purifying and perfecting us.
Like pure silver when His image is seen in us, we
have arrived.
Truthfully, it's really hard for this rebellious guy
to surrender my will to anyone... including God,
but I’ve found that I’m only truly happy when I do
bend my will to His.
How do I do it? The Bible teaches I can do all
things through Christ who strengthens me. It’s the
Lord who allows me to do it and without His
strength I couldn’t come close. I must draw close to
I’ve learned that to question hard times is sheer Him if I hope to succeed in finding His will for my
folly and it doesn’t change a single thing. I’ve life.
learned to expect them and I’m never surprised
We give great honor to those who endure under sufferwhen they arrive. Life is like a ping pong game to ing. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great
me; one minute we are gracefully soaring through endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at
the air, and then BANG! We have a hard landing, the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.
spinning wildly and then WHAP! We are James 5:11
viciously slammed hard with a sand paper laced Bill Malone
paddle. But then we gracefully soar through the