Satan's Many Disguises
(A Look Beyond the Cultural Glitz)
by Barrett Vanlandingham (April 26, 2006)

Would you believe that in the midst of a dirt and concrete project in my backyard, the idea for this week's bulletin article poured and leveled into my thoughts. Dale Trout (Lisa Walkingstick's father) and his crew were about halfway finished with what would eventually be an extension to my back porch, when it dawned on me that somewhere down the line I was going to have to make a decision on whether to cut down two trees. You see, even though the trees are providing shade, the roots are a threat to the concrete (which cost more than the trees) and possibly to the foundation of my house.
Now, the spiritual application. God is so good to us, and offers us so much. But you don't have to look very far to find examples of Christian brothers and sisters surrendering to satan's tricks (sometimes unknowingly)... all in the name of comfortably fitting-in to cultural norms, or in some cases, satisfying selfish ambitions. [James 3:16; Galatians 5:19-21; Philippians 2:3]
Satan is a schemer. He's very skilled at appealing to our ego, our senses, and our desire for us or our children to "fit-in." At the same time, he slowly tightens his satanic noose around our neck until it's too late for us to escape without serious consequences to ourselves, others, or to those we love.
Here's the admonition. Enjoy God's blessings; but realize that just as God can turn negatives into positives (as in the case of Joseph), satan can use blessings to distract us from his sneak attacks just like roots can crack and damage concrete which is much less valuable than our souls for which Jesus paid the ultimate price. [1 Corinthians 10:12 “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!”]
The only culture we need to spend time fitting in to is the heavenly culture. After all, we are already citizens of heaven. [Philippians 3:20] We have a right, a privilege, and a responsibility to act like it. So, when this earth ceases to exist, along with the smoke and mirrors of pop culture's mesmerizing (yet troubling) images, rhythms, intriguing lights, and the deadly lure of chemical dependence... and the casinos' empty promises of fulfillment, the devil's bottomless bag of tricks that keeps people looking in the wrong direction for love, acceptance, happiness, and popularity... our home in heaven will be standing strong for an eternity long after those other things that we thought were so important are destroyed. Thus the verse to Amazing Grace: we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun. Have a great week living for Him!

Another “Thumbs Up” for our Youth
(and some very supportive parents)
By Barrett Vanlandingham (April 13, 2006)

When my family first moved here, I could not have imagined some of the very encouraging things I would be privileged to witness.
One example happened this past week during Monday Night for the Master… and involved an elderly lady named Cleo who is a resident at the local nursing home.
Here’s the background: Cleo had been in a coma… unable to communicate at all when a nurse heard her humming the tune Amazing Grace. Cleo’s daughter (who is not a member of the church) flew in from out of state, and stopped off at the church building to ask if we had any song on tape that her mother could listen to. Janet sent her on her way with a tape of a “Ladies’ Day” girls’ quintet from April 20, 2002: Jenna Arnett, Amber Burright, Amanda Coombes, the late Courtney Keese, and Kara Kelly. What a ministry their voices turned out to be!
Janet then promised Cleo’s daughter that we would have a group of young people sing to Cleo Monday night. About 20 of us went . We read scripture from Psalm 119:97-103… sang several songs including Amazing Grace, and then closed with a prayer. Cleo couldn’t say much, but an occasional one word answer, and her facial expressions said it all. In the end, the kids were blessed just as much as Cleo.
The kids also spent quality time that night with Elizabeth Arthur, Thelma Jones, Mary Hobbs, and Pauline Hilburn. Each of these ladies are such a joy!

And there’s more to smile about…

Our 6th-12th grade boys did an excellent job leading worship during our Wednesday night devotional. Cole Berkenbile, Levi Walker, Zane Cook, Kyle Lashley, Trey Lashley, and Josh Huggins were all eager, and did not even hesitate to serve God in this way this week. Thanks guys.
A sign-up sheet stays on the youth bulletin board in the lobby for those youth who are willing to lead. Families, please pray for your children and remind them to practice on their own and to pray about their leadership skills, and their leadership in daily life shown by their example.
With all of our upcoming youth events, summertime is an excellent time for our young ones to work on their leadership and evangelism skills. Parents and grandparents, please remember to encourage and give LOTS of positive reinforcement in this area, and look for opportunities for them to put these skills to use.
Boys and girls (and the rest of us) need to continually work on the admonition in 1 Peter 3:15.
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

One Final Note (about taking notes)…

The 4th grade girls and boys are also doing a great job of taking notes during Dan’s sermons, and then turning them in during Bible class: (Jessica Bradley, Amanda Cothrum, Wesley Jones, Kevin Koel, Audrey Ross, Nathan Tiger, Gracie Vanlandingham, and Todd Waters). A BIG THANKS to their teacher, Dian Tibbles, for helping these young children build a strong spiritual foundation that will last.

Also Congratulations to…
8th Grader Katie Coombes!

Katie is the first in the 7th and 8th grade class to memorize all 21 Bible categories on our list:
O.T. Books
O.T. Divisions
N.T. Books
N.T. Divisions
N.T.Writers
Apostles
Two Greatest Commands
Days of Creation
Ten Plagues
Ten Commandments
Twelve Songs of Jacob
Twelve tribes of Israel
Psalm 23
The Lord’s Prayer
Fruits of the Spirit
Beatitudes
Christian Armor
Plan of Salvation
Christian Virtues
Acts of Worship
The Great Commission

Training Church Leaders for Tomorrow
By Barrett Vanlandingham (April 6, 2006)

Crying… knees knocking… hands shaking… voice trembling. I’ve seen it all during our Wednesday night leadership training time. Let me take a moment to say how proud I am of our 3rd-5th grade boys who take part in leading worship once a month on Wednesday nights.
It is so encouraging to see these young boys growing up in the Lord, and learning to serve Him in this way.
Blake Burrows, Jeremy Koel, Kevin Koel, and Todd Waters did an excellent job with the songs, Bible reading and prayer this week.
Next Wednesday night, the 6th-12th grade boys will lead our devotional time.
A sign-up sheet stays on the youth bulletin board in the lobby, so that our boys can go ahead and sign-up as far in advance as they would like. Please encourage our 3rd-12th grade boys to sign-up. They also need to practice their songs and Bible readings several times outloud at home. If they are leading a prayer, they need to go ahead and make a list of things they want to pray for. Preparation and prayer in advance is the key for them to feel more confident to stand in the pulpit.