“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”  James 4:8

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 22:1 – 23:39 (“For many are called, but few are chosen.”)

This Week’s Memory Verse: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”  2 Corinthians 5:17

Remember These In Prayer:

Paul Hamilton remains at Franklin Woods Hospital as doctors work to correct his AFib (atrial fibrillation) condition.  He is also dealing with shingles.  We received no late report on Tuesday on how things were going.

Sherrell Shepard has been at Johnson City Medical Center to be treated for a respiratory infection.  We’re not sure if he is still hospitalized, as we received no update on Tuesday.

Ron Tester has been at Johnson City Medical Center as a tumor on his brain caused difficult symptoms.  Bandy reported on Monday that he is better, and will be moved sometime this week to a rehab facility.  His oncologists are working on a new treatment plan.

Joanne Marsh, mother of Frank Clark, has been hospitalized in Greenville, South Carolina with complications from diabetes.  We have had no update in the last couple of days; pray for Joanne’s recovery.  She is the mother-in-law of Jennifer Boggs Clark.

The family and friends of Dairl Strange, preacher for the Hemphill (KY) Church of Christ, is mourning his passing just as 2019 dawned.  He had been declining in health in recent days.  For many years he faithfully preached the gospel from his wheelchair.  Pray for God’s comfort to be upon his wife, Iva.  Her address is 2821 Highway 803, Millstone, KY, 41838 if you’d like to send a note of sympathy.

Two more soldiers have passed in recent days: Joe Galloway, who preached for the Greeneville (TN) and Cherokee Churches of Christ in recent years, and for other congregations in the region before that; and Terry Taylor, who preached for the Limestone Church of Christ for many years.  Pray for God’s comfort to be upon their families, both biological and spiritual, and that God will raise up more workers for the harvest.

Bible Study This Evening: Join many from your Central family this evening at 7:00 as we gather to open the greatest Book in the world – God’s Book.  Your soul will grow as you feast upon the riches of the Bible.

Thankful To Be Home!  Joyce and I arrived safely home Tuesday evening after spending a week with our children and grandchildren.  We love our family, and we’re happy to be back with our Central family!  Thanks to all who offered a prayer for our safe travel.

Saturday Seminar: On Saturday January 12 the Cherokee Church of Christ will host a seminar on the theme of “Jesus, The Teacher And Preacher”.  To see the schedule click here.  If you think you may want to attend, call the church office so we can give a number from Central who will attend.

On To Maturity!  In 2019 Central’s theme will be “On To Maturity!”  Based on exhortations in Hebrews 6, this will be a reminder that spiritual stagnation is a real threat, and we must be proactive to avoid it.  What can we do to take our Christian faith to the next level?  God will teach if we will learn.

“Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.And this we will do if God permits.”  (Hebrews 6:1-3)