Woodland Hills Church of Christ

Sunday, July 1, 2007 Volume 51, Issue 25

"IF WE LOVE JESUS"

If we love Jesus with all of our hearts we will love the things He loved!  We can find out from the Bible exactly what our Lord loved.  When we find out what He loved and begin to love those same things, then we can truly say that we love the Lord.  Feelings do not determine whether we love the Lord.  Only by allowing the scriptures to guide our lives can we really say we love the Lord.

If we love Jesus we will love the church because He shed His blood for the church.  (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:23)  Some claim to love Jesus Christ today but actually despise the church of Christ.  Christ is the Savior of the church.  He loved the church and gave Himself for it. (Ephesians 5:25)  If we love Jesus we will love what He loved.

If we love Jesus we will love the scriptures.  Jesus made bold use of the scriptures in facing Satan. (Matthew 4)  He strongly rebuked the religious leaders of His day for "not knowing the scriptures." (Mark 12:24)  If we love Jesus we will be serious students of the Bible.

If we love Jesus we will love our fellow men.  Our Savior loved even His enemies.  Jesus loved the souls of all men!  He loved man so much that He "by the grace of God tasted death for every man." (Hebrews 2:9)  Jesus loved even the "rich young ruler" even though he would not obey Him. (Mark 10)  If we love Jesus we will love our fellow men.

How can we claim to love Jesus but not love the things He loved?  I am a Christian (a member of the church of Christ) because I love Jesus!  Today is the day when we should demonstrate our love for Jesus.  Will you not receive Christ as your Load and Savior this day?  To become a Christian you must hear the gospel (Romans 10:17), believe in Jesus (John 8:24), repent of sins (Acts 17:30), confess Christ as Lord (Acts 8:37), and be baptized in order to be saved. (1 Peter 3:21)  After baptism use your life to spread the gospel of Christ!

Let Me Know How Fleeting My Life Is!

Psalm 39:4 in the Revised Standard Version of the Bible says, "LORD, let me know my end, and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is!"  We should all be aware of the brevity and the uncertainty of life and the near approach of death.  Our prayer should always be, "let me know how fleeting my life is!"

We know the living will die.  "For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten." (Ecclesiastes 9:5)  All know that the living will die, but few seem to care or even think about death.  Even fewer want to prepare.

We know we only have a brief time to prepare for eternity.  Both the godly and the wicked face death.  To the wicked man death is the end of all joys; to a godly man death is the end of all griefs.  "Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, That they would consider their latter end!" (Deuteronomy 32:29(  May God help us all to consider the latter end and to soberly prepare for eternity.  Each of us should be affect3ed with the greatness of the change that will one day take place in our life.

We know that we could die any time.  How near is death?  When death is looked upon as some distant event, we are tempted to delay the necessary preparations for it.  However, when we consider how short life is, we are more inclined to obey the gospel and to find ways to serve in the kingdom of God -- "For the living know that they will die."

We know that our earthly house is decaying.  The expression "earthly house" is a term used by Paul to identify the human body.  Daily experience shows that the earthly house of this tabernacle is molding and going to decay.  "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (2 Corinthians 5:1)

"Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.  Selah." (Psalm 39:5)  The certainty of death should lead us to "fear God and keep Him commandments."  To prepare for eternity you must hear the gospel (Romans 10:17), believe (John 8:24), repent (Acts 17:30). confess Christ (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized into Christ (Acts 2:36-47), and stay faithful. (Matthew 10:22)  Do not die lost!

By Charles Box

TAFT TALK
We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Missionary Report

Preston Pinson is working with the Washington Avenue church of Christ in Evansville, Indiana.
"I have been able to learn so much about ministry and it seems to have happened so quickly.  I know that there is so much more out there to learn and I am excited about the opportunities.  I just got back from church camp and it was an amazing experience.  The kids from our church did a fantastic job that week and I was able to teach the Bible classes all week and speak once at one of the devotionals.  Thank you all for caring and praying for me."

Matt Mitchell is working with the Westside church of Christ in Brownsville, Tennessee.
"Our VBS was a huge success.  The Woodland Hills came and worked with us and we had a wonderful turnout.  This year, I learned how to write the skits and puppet shows and I was in charge of getting everybody in the right place and attempting to keep folks happy (I am learning the work of the church!!!)  In all seriousness, our church did a great job and the time that we spent preparing actually made the VBS seem to fly by."

Neil Hillis is working with the Lebanon Road church of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee.
"We just spent a week in Pearlington, Mississippi.  We went down with a group to visit an area that was ravaged by Katrina and forgotten by FEMA.  The area had never had a church there before and we constructed a new one and helped with some of the home repairs.  It made me see so many things and areas that people need from Christians.  We really do need to live out Matthew 25 to the fullest.  The people there had so much hope in spite of their adversity.  It was mentally exhausting and physically demanding, but worth it all."

FAMILY NEWS

OUR SICK/HOMEBOUND
St. Francis: Margaret Riley 431 (rehab.)
Woodland Hills Family: 
Mary Evelyn King, Edd Marie Agnew, Mary Glenn, Evelyn Coleman, Jane & Janice Nolen, Joe Horn, Ray Michael (cancer has returned).
Friends/Relatives: Melanie Beatty, William Wilson, Edwin Hill, LaRae Nichols, June Belew 
Nursing/Assisted Living: Clemmie Allison, Alton Brown, Essie Brown, Mary Mullinaux, Ernestine Barron
Out-of-Town: Albert Eder (9937 Hidden Lake Rd.,Vancleave, MS 39566, brother-in-law of John Bright, is seriously ill), Phil Wilson (3^rd stage melanoma, brother-in-law of Elaine Martin), Virginia Baxter (Covington, TN), Mary Billingsley (Pierson, FL), Bobbie Ann Ridgeway (Lenoir, NC) Juanita Hale (Frenchburg, KY), Janet Newman (Terra Haute, IN), John Logan (cancer, Atoka, TN, brother-in-law of Don Bennett), Teresa Thomas (Counce TN), Walter Barfield (302 Brentwood Blvd., Lafayette, LA 70503), Andy Graham (Corinth, MS, brother of Eudie Freeman), Imogene Patchell (Searcy, AR, nursing home, mother of Pat Patchell)
Chris Sangster (Dennis informed us this week that Chris has had his brain cancer return. Please pray for him. He carries a "Prayer Beeper". If you would like him to know you are praying for him call 310-845-7632, after you hear 3 beeps, put in your area code, your phone number, then hit the "#" key. 

WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS
Sunday, July 1, 2007
AM Opening Prayer: Denny Thomas 
AM Closing Prayer: Jack Lipsey
PM Opening Prayer: Mark Hillis
PM Closing Prayer: James Dacus
Men to Serve Communion: James Estes, Wilbur Betty, Ron Barker, Freddie Cobb, Craig Jackson, Ken Robinson, Arnold Postlethwaite, Greg Suttle
To Prepare Communion: Julie Randleman
Pick Up Attendance Cards: Hayden Estes, Jackson Cobb
Nursery Volunteers: A.M. -Debbie, Margy & Elinor Westbrook P.M. - Carol & Addie Spellings

OUR RECORD
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Bible Classes 161 
AM Worship 267
PM Worship VBS (NC) 
Wednesday (6-20) 171
Contribution $7862 
‘07 Budget $8700

SERVICE GROUPS
Service Group #1will pick up their assignment cards following the evening services. Items you need to bring are: canned vegetables/soups 10.5 to 15 oz. size, men’s items: bar soap, shaving supplies, deodorant...) Service Group #4, please turn in your assignments from last week.

BRIDAL SHOWER
You are invited to a Bridal Shower for Jenny Lynn Mills, bride-elect of Ross Vego, on Sunday afternoon, July 15^th from 3:00 -5:00 p.m. in the Family Life Center. She is registered at Target and Dillard’s and Wal-Mart. 

SYMPATHY
We extend our sympathy to Nat, Linette and Brandon Baker in the death of Nat’s grandmother.

SPECIAL PRAYERS
Please pray for the family of Frank Walkup IV. He was killed in Iraq on June 16^th. His mother, Melissa Oaks, is a co-worker of Kathy Hillis. Funeral services will be July 4^th in Woodbury, TN.

HEAVY LOADS
Everyone was talking about the movie "The Passion of the Christ" and how realistic most of the scenes are. A writer, Bob Barnhill, tells about a live presentation of a play called "The Passion" being performed every evening a few years ago in Oberammergau, Germany. After the play, one of the spectators went onto the scene and examined the large cross used in the play.  Thinking it was made of light synthetic material, he tried to pick it up. When he did, he staggered and nearly fell because it was so heavy. Setting the cross back down, he noticed the actor was watching and smiling. The spectator inquired as to why the cross was so heavy, why not use a lighter material. The smiling actor, Anton Lang, who played the part of Christ, replied, "I couldn’t play the part realistically unless I felt the weight."

The admonition of the Bible in Gal. 6:2 "carry each others burdens" is not easily done unless we also ‘can feel the weight’ of our fellow church members, our family members, and our neighbors. Too often, society, and perhaps some Christians, substitute a ‘lighter synthetic material’ for the heavy load that some carry. A greeting, handshake, and light conversation are offered, when what is needed is a visit in the home, a meal, childcare, or perhaps money. Strangely, our own load seems to lighten and a peace of mind comes by really lightening the load that someone else carries. Jesus also thought so (Matt. 25:35-46).
Bulletin Digest     Doward Runyan
Abilene TX           Maryville OH 

The Ladies Formal Dinner planned for Saturday evening, July 14^th has been cancelled. It will be rescheduled for a later date.

ROSS RHAPSODY

World Changers

Desires to change the world are viewed by most of us to be unrealistic or childish.  One person cannot change the world with his own two hands, that's a dream that should have died with childhood.  Little children have vivid imaginations.  Imaginations that were too long ago lost by us adults, imaginations that allowed them to want to become firefighters and astronauts.  But there were bills to be paid and mouths to feed so these dreams were soon forgotten.  Have we become too busy to fulfill the dreams of our childhood?  I was listening to a song the other day which said, "Making plans to change the world While the world is changing us."  Does this describe us?  So many of us still have that desire, but instead of doing something about it we just let the world do what it wants with us.  We need to realize our position in this world as Christians.  We have been put here to change this world, there is nothing childish about it.  I have seen a lot of this in the past week with the help I have received in setting up for VBS.  We need to realize that we have to change the world in order that it doesn't change us.

Vego`s Verse:Matthew 18:3

"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."