The Champions Spirit
Volume 68, Issue 34
Aug. 30, 2009
In This Issue
"Back to Bible School"
Combined Adult Bible Class: Gregg Whitacre—Auditorium
“What’s So Great About the Bible?”
Worship: Larry Keele
“What’s So Great About Bible School?”
Potluck Lunch (Everyone is invited!)
Afternoon service (immediately after lunch): Wes Smith
“Mission Vacation Bible School, Rogers City, Michigan”
No 6 p.m. services this evening.
FAMILY MATTERS...
We welcome our visitors to the worship of the God’s family in Champions today. Our prayer is that the time we spend today will bless our relationship with each other, but also with our Lord! Thank you for coming.
Sunday morning, our hearts went to Jackie McCain as she requested our prayers in her behalf as she is confronted by the struggles of life. We were blessed to honor her request. Then, Sunday evening, hearts were thrilled as Kaitlin Jones was baptized by her father, Britt, as the rest of her physical family and her to-be spiritual family looked on. May she have many years in the service of the Lord! Wednesday, Kendall Willis asked for prayers in his behalf. May the Lord bless him with the strength he seeks!
September 13th is “Be at Champions Day!” We have been talking about it and reminding ourselves for months. This special day is only two Sundays from today! Please, be here!
Today the Fords begin their long journey back to Papua, New Guinea. We have been blessed by having the five of them with us. Also, Roman Halamicek will be returning to Slovakia on Tuesday. Pray for these servants of the King!
October 11, Eddie Cloer will be speaking to us. We look forward to hearing of Truth for Today—a work for which we are blessed to be the sponsoring congregation. Of course, the 11th will also give us an opportunity to take up a special collection for this great work of the Kingdom!
For three years, Cindy Asher has worked in the office on Mondays. Recently she decided it was time to make a change. Her work was a blessing! Fortunately, Ann Jenkins has agreed to handle these Monday responsibilities in the future.
Parting Thought: It’s a small step from a “close church” to a “closed church!”
HAVE A BLESSED WEEK!
Jordan Fontenot
Dear Family,
I would like to personally thank you for your financial, spiritual, and emotional support of my trip to Lithuania. I am proud to say that we had a successful trip. In attendance at Camp Ruta, we had 83 campers, all from the ages of 11 to 17, and 26 counselors, ranging in age from 16 to 56. We had six American teens, of which I was one.
I am proud to have taught Bible classes and lead biblical and spiritual discussions, along side such amazing teenagers. These teens are some of my closest brothers and sisters in Christ and have made a huge difference in my life. Also, they were great role models to the teens in Lithuania as well. During my opportunities spent in classes and leading spiritual discussions, I was asked a lot of questions that tested my spiritual knowledge, but I am proud to say that I feel confident that these teens were shown Christ through what we did and said. Some heard the story of Christ for the first time, and it was a touching sight.
Each evening we had a worship service, consisting of a few songs, a prayer, and a sermon that was incredibly inspiring every night. The singing was absolutely beautiful. I cried one night because I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the singing. We also grew very close to the teens there. I have a new friend named Oleg, and he was so thankful for you, for supporting me so generously. It meant a lot to him that we were there, and he is thankful that you helped me receive this opportunity.
I was blessed with the opportunity to be shining the light of God in Lithuania. It is an experience that changed my life for the better, and I want to again thank you from the bottom of my heart.
With lots of love,
Jordan Fontenot
(Posted on Youth Board)
John's Jogs
WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT BIBLE SCHOOL
Because that’s where you can meet with a lot of great people to study the Bible and learn more and more about God and what He wants from our lives. Because the church needs a great return to the Bible and “Bible School” is the best avenue to make that return.
Let’s all return to the Bible.
This might sound like strange advice in a day and time when everyone is thinking about progress and forward motion. There is a constant effort to improve that which has gone before. Thus new models of cars, refrigerators, airplanes, television sets, etc., are brought forth each year. In the midst of all this we say, “Let’s all go back to the Bible.” WHY? There are at least six reasons to “Return to the Bible.”
- The Bible is the best book in the world. It is still the world’s Best Seller. It has the best law, philosophy, medicine, music, science, art, diplomacy and engineering. IT IS STILL THE BEST.
- The Bible has been tested. It has survived longer than any book of antiquity. There has never been so much time, energy and money spent on trying to disprove anything else in all of history. Yet the Bible remains the same, every fact, truth and principle in the Bible abides unchanged.
- We urge people to “Return to the Bible” because it is FROM GOD. God has given His Word as a perfect and infallible guide to men for all time to come.
- The Bible meets our spiritual needs. We all need to be saved and the Bible is the only instrument that can guide us to salvation in Christ. If we do not go back to the Bible we cannot have all the blessings that are inseparably connected with the WORD OF GOD.
- We need a return to the Bible for it is the WAY TO UNITY. The Bible is not only the way to unity, but quite positively it requires that those who accept its message be united and live in harmony. The Bible shows that God’s plan for unity included seven things: One Body, One Spirit, One Hope, One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism and One God.
- The Bible reveals the way of salvation. Many sincere religious people spend all their days in doubt and misgivings as to the genuineness of their salvation. There is only one source book with authority to remove their doubts. The Bible's answer to “What must I do to be saved?” is clear and simple. THE BIBLE SAYS: Believe in Jesus as the Son of God, Repent of your Sins, Confess your faith in Christ and Be Buried with Christ in Baptism for the removal of your sins. You’ll receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and be added to the church. Be faithful to the end and you’ll be saved.
Now is the perfect time to make your move “Back to the Bible School” as our new quarter starts this Wednesday and next Sunday. Hope to see you.
—John Qualls