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January 8, 2014 Volume XXXIV - Number 2

“I Hope You Know”

Beginning a new year with the greatest message of

beginnings helps us gain the perspective as God’s people. When we step back to the beginning of all

things we see, we can see them without the confusion and the distortion of sin’s stain. For a moment,

known only to God and the first family, the world was just as it should be and the principles which God

intended for all men to embrace and enjoy are once again able to speak understanding to our hearts for

today. Genesis, offers us not just the origin of

creation, but the opportunity to see the greatness of the foundation supplied by God.

Moses would enter the scene as an author and a

prophet, and a spokesman for God. What had been handed down orally for generations, Moses would

preserve the history of God’s early handiwork for the world to know and have the assurance they were not

an accident. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit,

Moses would use language, like that of the world around Him, but would through the use of subtly and

specificity, make it clear the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was the one, true, living God, and did not

originate from the mere imagination of men, but was the source of life for all that was seen and unseen.

God’s work was unlike the work of the pagan gods and has a greater theme than that of the pagan gods.

His work was benevolent, theirs was begrudging. His

work was a blessing, theirs was a burden. His work carried a beauty, the work of the pagan gods carried a

brokenness. 12 times in the first two chapters, 49 verses, you see God declare how “good” His work had been, and not

just the beauty of His work, but the blessing His work was intended to be for all His creation. Did you know

the word “good” occurs only 45 times in Genesis. 12

occurrences are in the first two chapters. Yes, we

see in this world, the pain and the suffering, the

heartache and the misery of the world around us, and we wonder, we ask, we question, and we even doubt

that a God of any nature could exist. Yet when we turn our attention back to His work of creation, we see

from the beginning His intention and His description...good.

From creation above the land and below, beneath the

waters surface and beyond, what God had made, from

the beginning, was good. It gives us the reassurance, pain, disaster, and the suffering we see around us, are

not from the intentional hand of an unmerciful God. Our God, in all His ways, is good, and His creation,

from the beginning of the first day was good. God’s work, His crowning achievement, His grand finale, was

to create you and me. From the dust of the earth He mixes both our frailty and His creativity, and makes

man. No other story of creation shows the pinnacle

creation of man as being made in the image of and the express likeness of the Creator. But the Genesis

account does. God sets upon you and me a likeness given exclusively for humankind. The fish, the fowl,

and the four footed beasts do not possess what you and I possess, the image of the Almighty, placed on

our very nature. This one aspect, this crowning glory is the reason we are in desperate need for the history

of Creation to be taught again to our children, in our

families and among our churches. We are not random, accidental, coincidental in our nature and our

existence. We are purposed, planned, and painted with the image of the Almighty, Sovereign, second to

none, Holy God of the seen and unseen world.

We’ll give special attention to the book of Genesis throughout the beginning of this year. This Sunday we’ll give special attention to our 2014 theme and see

what we can learn and gain through our study of God’s word. I hope you know, as we open the calendar on a

new year, we also open our opportunity to look back to the beginning to see what our God has done and can

do for us in our lives.

...OUR CALENDARS ARE PACKED! The January and February Calendars are ready and have something for all ages. You can pick one up at the Youth News Board or in the Lighthouse, on our website, and on our Twitter and Facebook pages. Some of those things include our monthly Firesides, Lighthouses, and Bible Studies. Add a 5th Quarter, Sparks & Intermediate Activities, The Senior Spotlight/Senior High Retreat, the Lad & Dad Retreat, The “SOUP”er Bowl Party, and a whole lot more! Get your copy today and some for your friends!

SOME SPECIAL CLASSES WITH YOU IN MIND… On Wednesday nights for the Junior & Senior High, we continue our “Multiple Choices” classes discussing the challenges of making the right choices in many situations. We also incorporate some “choices” for you to make each week. On Sundays, our Elders have begun a three month study with our Senior High class on “Leadership and the church.” This is going to be a wonderful way to learn more about leadership in life and in the church as well as the chance to get to know our Elders even better. Also, on Sundays, in the 20/30 class we have begun “I. D.O., Singing Solomon’s Song.” This is a study for singles, dating, engaged, or married that Bryan McAlister and I have been working on for several months. Coming over the next few months will be a winter series with guest speakers and “One Promise,” a parenting and youth study for the Spring. If you are not use to joining us, there is no better time to start! We are seeing several new faces, some old ones back and would love to have you here as well!

“A NEW YEARS RESOLUTION IS SOMETHING THAT GOES IN ONE YEAR AND OUT THE OTHER!” We are a couple weeks into the year now, are you still on track with that resolution? We all have good intentions, but often they seem to be just that, an intention. What can we do to change that? We are told in James 1:14-15, “...but each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full gown, brings forth death.” When it comes to

bad habits, sinful or not, it is a direct connection to our personal determination and dedication to change, to convict, and to commit. It is a whole lot easier said than carried out for sure. The trick may be that the bad habit will not totally go away unless we add a new good habit that will leave no room for the bad habit to stay. I encourage you not to just think physically about those intentions, but more importantly, what are you doing to make your spiritual life stronger? Surround yourself with God and good this year. As

Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” follow His path, -Craig

January 8

Lighthouse

Brandi, Lexi

Hudgins & Grady

Teet

5:00-7:00

January 12

Mission Trip

2014 Meeting

Lighthouse

5:00

January 12

Junior High

Fireside

Dakota Hudgins

7:00-9:00

January 17

5th Quarter

Fellowship Hall

After Game-

11:30

January 18

Sparks &

Intermediates

MONKEY

JOE’S 12:00-5:00

COMING SOON January 24-26

20/30

Retreat

Gatlinburg

Feb 28-Mar 2

Sr.

Spotlight /

Sr. High

Retreat

Gatlinburg

Congratulations to Lloyd & Mildred

Bridges for celebrating their 70th Anniversary December 24, 2013 !

Bobby Roder 84 Years Old

January 21, 2014

Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron,

and one man sharpens another.”

CONTRIBUTION $ 14,307.50

BUDGET $ 13,169.00 Sunday School

$ 122.36

The following are recovering from

surgery or dealing with an illness: June Aydelott, Don Qualls, Willie B.

Coates, Loretta Cunningham, Richard Totty, Fred Wineman, Floyd Powell,

Gene Morris, Bill Webb, Ruth Reece, Linda Kelley, Hyman Arensmann,

Wyatt Cox, Betty Davis, Andrea Spears, Lonnie Garrett, Mary Frances

Welch, Henrietta Rochelle, Jeff Denton, Lisa Shephard, Tina

Johnson.

Nursing Home Residents: Life Care Center: Ruth Stephenson, Beverly Bruno, Elsie Mathis, Thelma Chessor, Thelma Deitmen, Lillian Bradford. Hickman County Nursing Home: Ruby Wells, Francis Harris.

...Mozine Atkinson is in the local hospital dealing with the flu and pneumonia. She is improving.

...James Westmoreland is in St. Thomas West recovering from surgery. ...Randy Deitmen had ankle replacement surgery Tuesday, January 7th at St. Thomas Mid-Town. ...Martha Jo Wallace is in St. Thomas Mid-Town recovering from surgery. ...Melvin Roberson is in Centennial Hospital. ...Opal Roder, the mother of Tony Roder, is in the Life Care Center. ...Greg McCord is recovering from neck surgery.

...Pauline Jimerson spent a couple of days in the local hospital. She is at home and improving. ...Jack Lowery spent a couple of days in the local hospital with the flu. He is at home and doing much better. ...It was great to see Vilma McFarlin and Mary Helen Barber back with us at services !!

Home: Barbara Baker, Stephen Church, Charles Minick, Lula Mae Gilliam, Jean Plemmons, Sammye Elrod, Margaret & Curtis McCord, Dorothy Easley, J.W. & Sue Roder, Edward Loveless, Troy Parks, Louise Westmoreland

Please Pray For :

Appreciation is expressed to all of those who prepared the Communion in 2013. We

are working on the 2014 list. If you will be willing to cover the same months again in 2014 it would be appreciated. Please contact Dorris Claud at 931-729-2933 and let him know. Thanks to everyone who helped with this !

We are in need of volunteers to drive the church bus. Please contact John Bradley at 931-994-

7358 if you would be willing to help with this ministry.

...We express our sympathy to the

family of Chip Minick who passed away. He was the son of Charles &

Martha Minick. ...We express our sympathy to the

family of McKamey Manor who

passed away. ...We express our sympathy to the

family of Mary Sexton who passed away.

We rejoice with Jared Brown who was baptized Sunday January 5, 2014 by his grandfather Ward Mayberry.

Mary Lee Barber writes: “Thanks for

the nice basket from the Centerville Church of Christ. I appreciated it very much.”

...January 11 Worship Training Workshop 9-10:30 A.M. in the Auditorium. ...January 12 Budget Presentation

...January 12 Jail Ministry Planning & Scheduling Meeting 4:30 in the library

… Coming January 19th…..

Family

Fiesta Film Fiasco

Fellowship

5 P.M. Worship

6 P.M. Mexican Fiesta

7 P.M. Family Movie

*Please Sign-Up in the lobby if

you can bring cupcakes for this

event !

....January 24-26 20/30’s Retreat

Winter is the time for comfort, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire; it is the time for home…….

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Centerville Church of Christ

138 North Central Avenue

Centerville, Tennessee 37033

Periodicals

Postage Paid at

Centerville, TN

37033

Hey Kids !!

Don’t

Miss...

Every Sunday Night at 6:00 P.M.

Bible Stories, Songs, Puppets January Theme:

“Humility” Hungry Hound Pantry Item :

Soup Ages: 3 Years - 3rd Grade

See You there!

READ SCRIPTURE

January 12 Charles Shelton

January 19 Mike Brown

Prayer Week of January 12 S.M.W. S.M.D

David Hudgins Mike Plunkett

S.E.W. S.E.D. Mark Chessor Philip Jacobs

W.E.B.S. W.E.D. Mike Brown Colby Shelton

If you would like to have the Messenger e-mailed to you weekly or visit it on our website, please contact the church office to be removed from our mailing list. Please call: 931-729-4201 or e-mail: tammy@centervillechurchofchrist.org

Daily Updates &

Devotional Message

931-729-5055,

931-729-0022

Worship Involvement : Please contact the following if you are unable to serve :

Dorris Claud 931-729-2933 Lonnie Mayberry 931-242-2644 Bryan Woods 931-994-7042 John Bradley 931-994-7358

Sunday A.M. 9:00 A.M.

Bible Class 10:15 A.M.

Sunday P.M. 6:00 P.M.

Wednesday 7:00 P.M.

Worship Service Times

Our Elders

Wait on Table

January 12

Ryan McDonald January 19

Cody Woods January 26

Ward Mayberry Left

Michael Harrison Barry Shelton Pat Sullivan

Michael Horner Right

Eric Mayberry Chris Hughes

Don Qualls Randy James

Alternates John Bradley Marty Smith

Mike Elkins Lonnie Gilliam

Wayne Qualls

Bill McDonald

Gary Gatewood

Mike Goodpasture

Shane Willis

Soup