Volume 10, No. 18 May 4, 2008 ORDER OF WORSHIP 745 Humble Yourself 478 Nearer, Still Nearer Prayer David Satterfield 867 To Canaan’s Land I’m on My Way 290 Shine, Jesus, Shine 318 O Sacred Head Communion Don Richmond Contribution Eric Kaiser Dismiss Wee Worship 514 Redeemed Sermon That Which is Inseparable 934 Softly and Tenderly Shepherd’s Moment & Prayer Irvin Jones Worship Leader Mark Clark WELCOME VISITORS! • Please be sure to sign an attendance card and place it in the collection basket. • Attended nursery for birth through two-years-old is provided during worship. • Wee Worship for children two to four years old will be dismissed before the sermon. • A cry/training room is just off the foyer. FROM RICKY’S DESK The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. These words from Zechariah are so full of joy that they are almost too great to bear. Considering what God has done for us, especially in comparison to what we have done to Him, is a startling exercise in humility. It is therapeutic in the sense that it gives us a healthy does of reality. God has done so much for us. He has planned and purposed that there be blessing and opportunity in the lives of His people. He is a God who resides near His people; a God who moves among us (Immanuel, remember: God came near). He is the very embodiment and definition of love – agape love – which never fails nor ceases. His love is without condition. It is a love of perfect commitment and perfect fulfillment. And it does not depend upon our status or our behavior. Even in the worst of times, when we are at our lowest ebb and our lives are dark with sin, He loves us fully (“Christ died for the ungodly” and “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”). He is not pleased with rebellion, nor does He accept sin. But He loves us all the same. That cannot be broken (Romans 8:35ff). And thus He calls us to love others in the same way. “My command is this,” Jesus said, “love one another as I have loved you.” Unconditional, fully committed, God-like, Christ-imitating love. Agape love. --Ricky PSALM 100 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enters his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever. His faithfulness continues through all generations. CAMP WOODLAND FirstWeek 2008 is only 5 weeks away! This exciting, fun, and spiritually uplifting week is for everyone between the ages of 8 and 18. Camp is not just for our church members. We encourage you to bring your school friends, neighbors, and family members. Registration has already begun and applications are available on the table in the foyer. If you have any questions, please see Gary or Ricky Gray. * If you would like to sponsor a child for camp please give your donation to Ricky. CARE GROUP LUNCH Today Care Groups 1, 3, and 5 will eat lunch together. If you are visiting with us we invite you to stay and enjoy lunch. This will be the last Care Group luncheon for a while since we have so many special events coming up. CAMP STAFF MEETING If you are planning to be on staff in any capacity at camp this summer, please be at our meeting today at 5:15. We have several topics we need to discuss and plan. AGAPE MOTHER’S DAY APPEAL Just a reminder that Georgia AGAPE’s annual Mother’s Day Appeal will be next Sunday, May 11. Please be in prayer about your contribution and the great work this organization is doing. Checks should be made payable to Georgia AGAPE. LADIES’ DEVOTIONAL Ladies, please join us for a Saturday morning devotional on May 17 at 9:00 a.m. at Ben Hill Strickland Memorial Park on Highway 92 in Hiram (across from Regions Bank). A sign-up sheet is in the Message Center for attendance and food. We look forward to seeing each of you there! SENIOR DAY Please mark your calendars for Senior Day scheduled for May 18. We will have a potluck luncheon in their honor after service. Dessert will be provided. Seniors participating that day are Ashleigh Beall, Jessica Crow, Jeremy Dinkins, Austin Gray, Emily Hale, Bonnie Johnson, James Williams, and Christina Wilson. KEVIN’S COMMENTS I’m a St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan. Last week I read a story about a Cardinal’s player named Brian Barton. He’s not your typical ballplayer. Brian has nearly completed an undergraduate Aerospace Engineering degree from the University of Miami (lacking only one semester of classes) and although he thoroughly enjoys and appreciates his big league baseball career, his lifelong dream is to someday go into space. In the article I read about him the question was asked: What if NASA called tomorrow and told him the next time the shuttle took off, he’d be on it? What if he needed to answer his ultimate hypothetical? “If I had an opportunity to go, man, I’d want to go,” Barton said. “If it came down to baseball or that, it’d be a hard decision. Good thing I’m not in that position.” Brian enjoys playing outfield for the Cardinals but what if he could go into space next week/month if NASA called? He might have to give up the rest of this season and maybe even his spot on the team totally. The call of space flight would make him consider leaving pro baseball because he wants it so badly and has dreamed of it since he was a boy. Brian Barton’s dilemma reminds me of something the apostle Paul said once. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith. Philippians 1:21-25 Paul wanted so badly to go on to his heavenly home and be with Christ, but knew that there was more work to be done here in this life. There were people here who needed him to help them know Christ. As great and wonderful as heaven would be, Paul chose to stay here longer so others could ‘progress’ and have ‘joy in the faith’. If you’re like me you occasionally daydream about how great heaven is going to be too. Let’s be like Paul and be determined to work hard at sharing Christ with as many as possible until we get to go home. Heaven will be that much sweeter if we do. --Kevin OUR PRAYER LIST • Adam Blackmon had surgery on Friday to remove a brain tumor. Please pray for healing and comfort for him. • Charlotte Cargle will begin chemotherapy on Wednesday for lung cancer. • Matt Ream is in Emory hospital for tests to determine the cause of the seizures he has been having. COOL KIDS DEVOTIONAL (3rd – 5th grade) Cool Kids please remember our devotional tonight. TNBC EVENTS (6th – 12th grade) • May 17 – Service Saturday at 3:00 p.m. at the church building followed by a devotional/party at the Ellison’s house at 6:00 p.m. • May 25 – Devotional at 5:30 p.m. at the building. • June 5 (Thursday night) – Harding night at Turner Field ‘Braves vs. Marlins’. Tickets are only $6 and include pre-game reception with refreshments. BABY SHOWER A baby shower for Kim MacColeman is scheduled for Sunday, June 1, at 4:30 p.m. in the Ladies’ Classroom. She is registered at Babies ‘R Us and Target. FAMILY INFORMATION April 27, 2008 Morning Worship 304 Bible Class 233 Contribution $6,980.57 Contribution for April $36,777.24 Budget for April $36,268.00 COMMUNION SERVERS Ken Davenport Alan Way Paul Ellison Andrew Way Brad Lister Tony Whisenant Tommy Pitts Dave Wilson EVENING WORSHIP SERVERS Worship Leader Alan Way Opening Prayer Lewis Fair Communion Rick Hagerty Closing Prayer Adam Freeman ATTENDANCE CARDS Alex Fair David Kissinger NURSERY ATTENDANTS Laura and Lori Blackmon Small Group Bible Studies Ricky & Stacy Gray (770) 439-0631 - Mondays 7:30 p.m. Bo & Linda Gray (770) 528-0817 - Wednesdays 10:00 a.m. Irvin & Susan Jones (678) 757-9822 - Saturdays 6:30 p.m. SHEPHERDS' PHONE NUMBERS Bo Gray 770-528-0817 Irvin Jones 678-757-9822 Phil Robertson 770-514-7593 Jack Vanderpool 770-505-9184 DEACONS' PHONE NUMBERS Thad Bartlett (Trujillo Christian School) 7) 439-2001 Richard Boyd (Education) 7) 420-6546 David Doom (Benevolence) 7) 577-8110 Dan Dupree (Facility Maintenance) 7) 439-7618 Paul Ellison (Middle/High School Youth) 7) 427-5928 Lewis Fair (Men’s & Ladies’ Ministries) 7) 424-1182 Rick Hagerty (Building Use & Expansion) 7) 949-7670 Reagan Holland (Care Grps. & Small Grps.) 7) 646-2550 Jeff Hope (Outreach & Advertising) 7) 489-6048 Keith Lawson (Worship) 7) 439-3285 Donnie Musgrave (Worship) 7) 975-0017 Dave Richardson (Landscaping) 7) 439-7530 Dave Wilson (Primary Youth Ed. & Website) 7) 439-9893 Schedule of Services Sunday 9:30 AM – Worship (Wee Worship) 10:45 AM – Bible Study 6:00 PM – Worship (Children’s Bible Hour) Wednesday 7:00 PM – Bible Study West Metro Church of Christ 4550 Hiram Sudie Rd. Hiram, GA 30141 770-222-4983 Mailing Address: P.O, Box 100 Hiram, GA 30141 Ministers Mobile Ricky Gray 770-713-5790 Kevin Billips 770-866-4686