Protecting Our Sin
If you had a dangerous reptile loose in
Dayton, Ohio, you called the fire department
and hoped to get Michael Peterman. He was
recognized as a collector of snakes and
lizards. On July 31, 1998, his colleagues
responded to a report of a python loose
behind a restaurant. Peterman was off duty,
but when he arrived he explained that the
captured python was obviously somebody’s pet
because it was healthy and well fed. His
expert eye was trained by his own research
on reptiles.
Peterman kept many snakes, some of them very
dangerous. One, an African rhino viper, is
considered one of the most dangerous snakes
in Africa since it is very aggressive and
strikes very swiftly. The pint-sized reptile
measured only 28 inches and weighed three
pounds. On Sunday, August 3, 2003, Peterman
reached to close the cage after feeding it.
The snake struck, injecting him with a
complex venom that attacks both the
circulatory system and the nervous system.
A nearby fire department rescue crew rushed
him to Miami Valley Hospital and the call
was issued for antivenin. The University of
Cincinnati supplied initial doses, but a
supply in Florida was flown in, arriving on
Monday, August 4, at 3 PM. At 3:17 PM
Michael Peterman was pronounced dead in the
Dayton hospital.
“When tempted, no one should say, 'God is
tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by
evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one
is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he
is dragged away and enticed. Then, after
desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin;
and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth
to death.” (James 1:13-15)
We might find it incomprehensible that
someone might keep a deadly viper as a
hobby. It seems very foolish to protect and
nurture a potentially lethal animal, but
that is precisely what we do when we
preserve sin in our lives.
When we become Christians, we give control
of our lives to Christ. He is to be the King
and we are to be His subjects. He is to
exercise control over every facet of our
lives, purifying us from our sinful habits
and releasing us from our bondage to sin.
Often, though, we prefer to reserve certain
sins to ourselves. We will cheerfully give
control to Jesus in areas that are painful
to us, but the sins we secretly enjoy, we
try to hoard and clutch to our hearts. One
day the sins we protect and nurture will be
the death of us.
Handling sin, like snakes, is best left to
the experts. Only One is qualified to deal
with our adversary, the old serpent, Satan.
Jesus knows the power and danger and sting
of sin. He knows it is fatal to us, and He
wants to save us if we will give up our sin
and quit protecting it in our
hearts.
~~By Chris Stinnett
PRAYER LIST
Please remember the following in your
prayers:
Scott Melton
has not been feeling well while he is in
Florida. He has some doctor’s appointments
coming up.
Derek Miller
is in the hospital in Okinawa, Japan.
Dr. Rob Smith, June Miller’s nephew,
has been diagnosed with cancer.
Elmira Trentham
is now home from rehab.
Maydene Asbury, Micky Bell, Bailee Bolden,
Beverly Burt, Gerald Carden, Jennifer Carden,
Lee Carden, BB Carter, Pearl Colvin, Robin
Croslin, Vera Douglas, Buck Herren, Dot
Herren, Amber Kenyon, Stan Lambert, Dorothy
Melton, Derek Miller, Dwight Nicholson, Ann
Nygard, Frankie Phillips, Jim & Lillian
Redden, Regina Rowland, Peggy Sebring, Pam
Simmons, Schlaine Thomas, Gerald and RoyLyn
Young, Our troops, Our elders, Our Mission
Works
SHUT-INS
Iva Jones-----Briarcliff
Wally Caulo-----Wartburg
Please let Gail Sharp know if anybody needs
to be added to or removed from the prayer
list.
MICRONESIA MISSION REPORT
Scott and Rebecca Shanahan
will be here for our evening service. Scott
will be giving a report on the mission work
in Micronesia.
36th ANNUAL EAST TN SCHOOL OF
PREACHING AND MISSIONS LECTURESHIP
Ancient Faith – Modern World
March 7-10, 2010
Come and learn more of God's word as the
East Tennessee School of Preaching conducts
its annual lectureship program. Faithful
gospel preachers from all around the
southeast will deliver lessons from God's
word to encourage our faithful living
according to God's word. See the bulletin
board in the foyer for a schedule of
lessons.
CLINTON LADIES DAY
PLANNING MEETING
Our Ladies Day will be May 22 with
Teresa Hampton speaking on “Silver
Threads That Bind.” We will have a
planning meeting Sunday, March 7, after our
evening service. Everyone that can help
out, please plan to be there.
GOSPEL MEETING
The Rockwood church of Christ will
hold a Gospel meeting with Freddie
Clayton March21-26. Services Monday
through Friday will start at 7:30 p.m.
GOSPEL MEETING
Our Gospel Meeting in the spring will be
June 6-10, 2010, with David Powell
speaking. Brother Powell is a Professor of
Bible at Freed Hardeman University.
PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE
Check the magazine rack in the foyer for
issues of Think, Christian Woman,
and other Christian publications. Feel
free to take one or two and after reading
them, return them for others to read.
CHURCH OF CHRIST NIGHT AT THE TENNESSEE
SMOKIES
August 21, 2010
Church of Christ Night at the Tennessee
Smokies Baseball game has been changed to
August 21. Group price bleacher seats are
$6. The sign up list is still in the foyer
if you plan to go.
CREEKESIDE PARK
When the weather warms up a little, we will
begin working again on our Creekside Park.
This year, we will continue clearing brush,
adding a gravel walkway, and installing
picnic tables. This will be a service
project for everyone interested (from youth
to Silver Saints). We hope to create a
place for the congregation to use and to
open to our community to enjoy. Be looking
for upcoming dates to come and work on this
project.
CHALLENGE YOUTH CONFERENCE
We had 17 go to the Challenge Youth
Conference and the weekend was truly a
blessing for youth and chaperones
alike. There were around 7000 people in
attendance. Local Gatlinburg residents
actually commented to the CYC organizers
about how polite and kind these kids were.
We appreciate all who were involved and
especially to our elders for giving us this
opportunity.
We Must Put Away Lying
By Ron Boatwright
One of the more common sins that is going
to cause many people to be lost is the sin
of lying. Because of this Ephesians 4:25
says, "Therefore, put away lying, let each
one speak truth with his neighbor." If we
tell a lie it is a little lie, but if
someone else tells a lie it is a big lie.
There are no little lies or big lies, but as
far as God is concerned, a lie is a lie.
Proverbs 6:16-19 says, "These six things the
Lord hates, yes seven are an abomination to
Him: a proud look, a lying tongue…a false
witness who speaks lies."
The Bible tells us that "God who cannot lie"
(Titus 1:2). God despises a lie. In John
8:44 Jesus says, "You are of your father the
Devil…there is no truth in him. When he
speaks a lie, he speaks from his own
resources, for he is a liar and the father
of it." When we tell a lie we are like the
Devil, but if we always tell the truth we
are more like God.
In Acts chapter 5, Ananias and his wife
Sapphira had conspired to lie. In Acts
5:3-5 we read, "But Peter said, Ananias why
has Satan filled your heart to lie to the
Holy Spirit?…Why have you conceived this
thing in your heart?…Then Aninias hearing
these words fell down and breathed his
last." Three hours later his wife Sapphira
came in and also told the same lie. Then we
read in verse 10, "Then immediately she fell
down at his feet and breathed her last."
God struck them dead because they each told
a lie. This shows us how God feels about
lying.
Revelation 21:8 says along with murderers,
the sexually immoral, and the abominable,
that "All liars shall have their part in the
lake which burns with fire and brimstone,
which is the second death." This says that
all liars, not some but all liars are going
to be lost. So we must put away all lying.
You can't control the wind, but you can
adjust your sails.
Serving the Congregation Sunday
AM
PM
Song Leaders:
Joey Smith
Rick Caudle
Opening Prayer:
Herman Herren Tim
Melton
Lord’s Table:
Jack Sebring, Bob Paquette,
Tim Nygard, Quentin Ashworth
Closing Prayer: Carlos
Herren
Jacob McCrary
PM Table: Ben Smith
Announcements:
Jim Ashworth
Greeters: Rachel
Broadway & Jettie Hensley
Wednesday
Song Leader:
Ben Smith
Invitation:
Darryl Glenn
Announcements:
Mike Smith
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