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--article continued from page 1—
Vol. 47 September 27, 2022 Number 38
Crisis in the Church
Respect for Authority, Part 2
Barry Kennedy
Developing an appreciation for the authority of the scriptures will help every individual
member to see his or her potential. Jesus told a parable about three individuals receiving
“talents” from their master (Matt. 25:14-29). The master knew the ability each man
possessed better than they themselves knew (Matt. 25:15b). The inactivity of the one talent
man was not overlooked or dismissed as being acceptable (Matthew 25:24-29).
God has delivered unto us everything that we need for life and godliness through the
knowledge of Him (2 Pet. 1:3). Any amount of knowledge we have of God comes from His
Word. That Word tells us that there is a way to live, and a way not to live (Gal. 5:19-26).
Consider how a respect for the authority of God was exemplified in the scriptures. Peter,
James, and John were permitted to accompany the Lord on the mount for His transfiguration
(Matt. 17:1-8). When Peter saw Jesus speaking with Moses and Elijah, he became
overwhelmed and recommended three tabernacles to be erected for Moses, Elijah, and the
Lord (see Luke 9:33). The voice of the Father came forth with a resounding, “This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (Matt. 17:5). Peter and the other
apostles fell on their faces in fear, but Jesus relieved them with the words “Arise and be not
afraid” (Matt. 17:7). They arose and followed Him. About three thousand Jews who came
for the Pentecost submitted to the authority of God (Acts 2). Fifty days after the crucifixion
of Jesus, Peter and the eleven boldly proclaimed that the Jews were guilty of crucifying the
Son of God (Acts 2:23, 36). Hearing these words cut them to the heart so deeply that they
cried out, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). Peter’s response had the full weight of the
authority of Christ. “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost” (Acts 2:38). Those who “gladly received his word’ obeyed and that day the Lord
added about three thousand souls to the church (Acts 2:41, 47). Those obedient converts got
involved in the work as they “continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship,
and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42).
Do we respect the authority of God’s Word enough to be steadfast in the work of the
Lord (1 Cor. 15:58)? Inactivity shows that there is a crisis in the world and in the Church
when it comes to having respect for authority.
Respect for authority helps to cure the crisis of instability. James said, “A double minded
man is unstable in all his ways” (Jam. 1:8). The double minded man is one who tries to serve
two masters (Matthew 6:24). The Greek word is δίψυχος “dipsuchos” two spirited, that is,
vacillating (in opinion or purpose): -double minded. (Strong’s). Many are trying to have one
spirit focused upon this world and the other focused upon the Lord. When we put anything
before God (making it our god) it is idolatry (1 Cor. 10:14; Col. 3:5). When we yield
ourselves, we become slaves (Romans 6:16). Paul informed the Roman congregation that
they were once the servants (i.e., slaves) of sin, but they obeyed from the heart the pattern of
teaching which had been delivered unto them (Rom. 6:17). The Roman brethren obeyed out
of a respect for authority.
--article continued page 3--
ELDERS
Mike Childers ............. 397-6453
Dennis Hallmark......... 255-5557
Mark Hitt .................... 322-0917
Bobby Lindley ............ 260-9193
DEACONS
Wade Bryan ................ 419-5552
Ricky Lindsey............. 255-8136
Jeff Mansel.................. 871-0357
Jimmy Spearman ........ 840-8957
Michael Wilson........... 891-0891
MINISTERS
Barry Kennedy....(931)787-7108
Alex Blackwelder ....... 706-1888
SECRETARY
Renee Childers
Office.......................... 842-6116
Fax .............................. 842-7091
E-MAIL
eastmaincoc38804@gmail.com
WEB PAGE
eastmaincoc.com
SUNDAY SERVICES
Worship........................9:00 a.m.
Bible class..................10:15 a.m.
Worship......................11:15 a.m.
Singing or Devotional
Last Sunday of the Month
MID-WEEK
SERVICES
Wednesday Classes......7:00 p.m.
1606 East Main Street
P. O. Box 1761
Tupelo, Mississippi 38802
“Thou shalt observe to do all that they inform thee”
(Deut. 17:10)

2.
--article continued from page 1—
Many are going through life suffering a spiritual
crisis; yet their blatant ignorance of God’s word
causes them to fail to see their lack of submission to
the authority of God. Ignorance shows that there is a
crisis in the world and in the church when it comes to
having respect for authority.
Respect for authority helps to cure the crisis of
inactivity. How many leaders in the Lord’s church
have found themselves struggling with inactivity in
the membership? The adage is still being said that
“ninety percent of the work is carried out by ten
percent of the membership.” No matter if the above
statement is true or not, how much better would
“church work” be if we could get all hands-on deck?
Jesus said of Himself, “I must work the works of him
that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when
no man can work” (John 9:4). Therefore, if we see
Jesus as the authority, and He is (Matthew 28:18), and
we understand that He left us an “example” that we
should follow in His steps, and He did (1 Peter 2:21),
should we not take on that same disposition?
To Be Continued…
~~~~~~~~
Church Directory Update
We are updating our church directory! If you have
started attending East Main since the last directory,
need an updated picture, have had an address change,
phone number change, new births or weddings, please
text or email this new information to Jean Mounce at
662-491-0362 or njm563@bellsouth.net. If you do not
have access to either of these and would like a new
picture, please see Jean Mounce for that also. Thanks.
Thank You Note
East Main Church family,
Thank you all so much for the calls, texts, flowers,
food and most of all your prayers as we welcomed
Ellis into our family. We sincerely appreciate you all
sharing in our joy and always loving our family.
Please continue to pray for us as we strive to be the
best Christian parents of our precious blessing!
With love,
Beth, Ian, and Ellis Reed
Monthly Breakfast
Our monthly family
breakfast will be held this
Sunday, Sept. 25 from 8:15-
8:45 am in the multipurpose
room for anyone in the
congregation who would like to come and enjoy a
light breakfast and a period of fellowship with our
church family before we worship God.
New Movers’ Baskets
This month’s new movers’ baskets
are in the foyer. Please grab one to
deliver and report back on. These
contacts are located more closely to
East Main’s building. What a great way to introduce
newcomers in our community to the East Main
Church of Christ.
Our Gospel Meeting
Our fall Gospel Meeting is scheduled for Oct. 2-5
with Allen Webster speaking. Make plans to attend
every service!
Tuesday Mornings with
the Master
Don’t forget Tuesday Mornings with the
Master every Tuesday in the multipurpose
room from 10-11 am. Anyone who can come
and help is welcomed.
Baptism
Asher Bass was rebaptized this past Saturday
afternoon. He had some doubts about if he fully
understood when he was baptized first at age 9 and
wanted to make sure he was pleasing to God. We
congratulate Asher on this most important decision in
his life. He is the son of Wesley & Raliegh Bass.
Ladies’ Day
The Amory congregation will host a Ladies’ Day
this Saturday, Sept. 24 with Cindy Colley speaking
from 9:30 am-noon. Lunch will follow.
October 2022
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
Dundee Donald
Matthew 1-4
2
Lexie Chism
Robert Parker
Matthew 5-7
3
Matthew 8-9
4
Tuesday Morning
with the Master
Matthew 10-11
5
Jace Mansel
Brain Freeze
Matthew 12-13
6
Sandra
Simmons
Matthew 14-15
7
Matthew 16-17
8
Door Knocking
Matthew 18-20
9
Ken Pearson
Daniel &
Maggie Morton
Area Youth
Meeting @
Verona
Matthew 21-22
10
Matthew 23-24
11
Tuesday Morning
with the Master
Matthew 25-26
12
Beth Reed
Matthew 27-28
13
Ladies’ fellowship
Mark 1-3
14
Ian Reed
Youth--TGIF
Mark 4-5
15
Mark 6-7
16
Sr. youth devo @
Nichols-5:30 pm
Mark 8-9
17
Mary Ann
Wallace
Mark 10-11
18
Brenda
Spearman
Tuesday Morning
with the Master
Mark 12-13
19
Chad Willis
Brain Freeze
Mark 14-16
20
Mary Robbins
Bowlin
Will Davis
Luke 1
21
Luke 2-3
22
Luke 4-5
23
Luke 6-7
24
Mark Gilliland
Luke 8-9
25
David & Katie
Bates
Tuesday Morning
with the Master
Luke 10-11
26
Luke 12-13
27
Luke 14-16
28
Cooper Blansett
Youth--TGIF
Luke 17-18
29
Luke 19-21
30
James Burney
Olivia Puente
Dean Webb
Chad & Susan
Willis
Family Breakfast
Trunk or
Treat/Chili
supper-5 pm
Luke 22-23
31
Luke 24
GOSPEL MEETING with Allen Webster
Sunday—9:00, 10:15, 11:15 am; Mon.-Wed.—7:00 pm
Youth to FHU for RUSH

3.
We are collecting for Pinevale’s Pantry Drive. There
are boxes in the foyer for your donations. Our items
are body wash, 33 gal. or larger garbage bags, and jars
of pickles (all kinds). Deadline is Oct. 16.
Daily Bible Reading
September 28 ..........................................Zechariah 12-14
September 29 ................................................ Malachi 1-2
September 30 ................................................ Malachi 3-4
October 1...................................................... Matthew 1-4
October 2...................................................... Matthew 5-7
October 3...................................................... Matthew 8-9
October 4.................................................. Matthew 10-11
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Birthdays: Joyce Burney (Sept. 29), Keisha
Gholston (Sept. 29), Dundee Donald (Oct. 1),
Lexie Chism (Oct. 2), Robert Parker (Oct. 2).
Anniversaries: None this week.
Our Sick
Debbie Duke had an appointment at MD Anderson
last week. They’re keeping her current treatment plan.
Robert Parker is home with chronic bronchitis. Michael
Wilson’s mother, Rivers Wills, is at The Meadows in
Fulton for therapy. Gee Santos’ wife, Catheryne, has
stage 4 cancer. They are determining what course of
treatment to give. Russell Deaton’s great-niece, Jacy
Raburn, continues at St. Jude. They’re trying to find
chemo she can tolerate. Mark Hitt & Lori Sheffield’s
aunt, Mary Ann Hitt, continues chemo.
On-Going Illnesses
Mary Lou Walden, Bettye Davis, Betty Long, Evelyn
Thompson, Steve Kelly, Barbara Bishop, Bob Smith,
Doug Wallace, Frankie Estes, Shirley Lyons, Stella
Pittman, Caroline Willis, Carol Hood, Bill Goff, Sheba
Tuggers, Michelle Maclean, Ricky Britt, Nathan Hale,
Dawn Brown, Freida Gardner, Willie Bob Gates, Larry
Kennedy
Nursing Homes
Randy Attaway, Shirley McCarthy, Bob McClure
Our Gospel Meeting
Our Gospel Meeting with Allen Webster begins this
Sunday, Oct. 2-5. Services Sunday are as usual with a
potluck meal at noon and a combined auditorium class
from 7th
grade-adults. Services Mon.-Wed. will be at
7:00 pm. We will NOT have weekly fellowship meals.
--article continued from page 1—
Living for this world can never bring anything but
instability. God’s word teaches us how to have the peace
that passes understanding (Phil. 4:7). We can be free
from the instability of anxiety by looking to God in
prayer with supplication and thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6).
All these blessings are reserved for those who submit to
the authority of God (Eph. 1:3). The apostle Paul let the
Corinthian brethren know that hope in this world brings
only misery (1 Cor. 15:19). Will we allow the world to
be our authority (i.e., culture, family, government, our
own desires, etc.), or will we choose to obey God rather
than men (Acts 5:29)?
We must understand & teach that a rejection of God’s
commands in His Word is a rejection of God Himself
(Jn. 12:48). Too many Christians, for far too long, are
suffering a crisis in their lives. Many crises, including (but
not limited to) ignorance, inactivity,&instability could be
resolved if we would learn to respect the proper authority.
EMYG News
Here's a little story I ran across:
The donkey said to the tiger: "The grass is blue".
The tiger replied: "No, the grass is green."
The discussion heated up, and the two decided to submit him to
arbitration, and for this they went before the lion, the King of the Jungle.
Already before reaching the forest clearing, where the lion was sitting
on his throne, the donkey began to shout: "His Highness, is it true that
the grass is blue?"
The lion replied: "True, the grass is blue."
The donkey hurried and continued: "The tiger disagrees with me and
contradicts and annoys me, please punish him."
The king then declared: "The tiger will be punished with 5 years of
silence."
The donkey jumped cheerfully and went on his way, content and
repeating: "The Grass Is Blue."
The tiger accepted his punishment, but before he asked the lion: "Your
Majesty, why have you punished me? After all, the grass is green."
The lion replied: "In fact, the grass is green."
The tiger asked: "So why are you punishing me?"
The lion replied: "That has nothing to do with the question of whether the
grass is blue or green.
The punishment is because it is not possible for a brave and intelligent
creature like you to waste time arguing with a donkey, and on top of that
come and bother me with that question."
The worst waste of time is arguing with the fool and fanatic who does
not care about truth or reality, but only the victory of his beliefs and
illusions. Never waste time on arguments that don't make sense...
There are people who, no matter how much evidence and evidence we
present to them, are not in the capacity to understand, and others are
blinded by ego, hatred and resentment, and all they want is to be right
even if they are not.
When ignorance screams, intelligence is silent. Your peace and quiet are
worth more. Alex

4.
Men to Serve Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022 a.m.
Announcements.................................Barry Kennedy
Bible Reading.........................................Ben DuBois
Opening Prayer ......................................Mike Ratliff
Lord’s Supper
Mark Hitt
Lead Singing......................................Donny McKay
Closing Prayer.....................................Kevin Pannell
Ushers .................................Will Davis & Joe Minor
Please meet in the library by 8:45 a.m.
Sunday 11:15 a.m. service
Opening Prayer ...................................Mike Childers
Closing Prayer......................................... Larry Long
Lead Singing......................................Donny McKay
Wednesday, October 5, 2022
Opening Prayer ..................................Daniel Morton
Lead Singing...............................Bobby Joe Lindley
The elders kindly request that men leading in public
worship wear the best dress clothes they have.
Contact Michael Wilson (891-0891) if unable to serve.
Attendance & Contribution
Mid-Week, 9-21-22 ................................................... N/A
Sunday 1st
Worship, 9-25-22 ...................................... 149
Sunday Bible Class..................................................... 155
Sunday 2nd
Worship.................................................... 121
Contribution (budget $9,334) ................................ $7,317
*This does not include the livestreamed views.
Pantry item........................................... Peanut butter
College Student of the Week
Kaley Gholston
832 CR 1409
Mooreville, MS 38857
Kaley is currently attending ICC in
Fulton and living there.
Please be sure to send her a card of
encouragement this week!