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

Daily Bible Reading: Jeremiah 34:1 – 35:19 (“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you not receive instruction and listen to my words? declares the Lord.”)

This Week’s Memory Verse: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”  Galatians 5:16

Remember These In Prayer:

Lucy Hagerty is scheduled to undergo a procedure this morning to repair the newly replaced hip that came out of its socket on Monday.  A surgeon ruled out the thought that she had a small bowel obstruction.  Say a prayer that Lucy will be given success in this surgery, and that she will soon be given relief and healing.

Linda Russell continues to recover at home following heart valve replacement surgery last week.  It is still best that there be no visitors.

Sherry Carden continues to experience difficulty in swallowing despite two procedures on her esophagus.  A different approach is being planned; pray for God’s wisdom to guide what is done.

One among us is having a consult today with a specialist about a problem recently discovered.  They don’t wish to give details, but would appreciate our prayers for God’s help.  The Lord will know the one for whom you’ll pray.

Carl Walker, neighbor and friend of Central, is showing some improvement as he continues to recover from advanced pneumonia at NHC HealthCare in Johnson City.  He still has much ground to make up; keep him and his wife Sheila in your prayers.

The family of Robert Smith continues to mourn his passing on Saturday morning.  Robert and his late wife Carolyn were long-time members of Central.  The family will receive friends on Thursday evening from 5:00 until 7:00 at Morris Baker Funeral Home, with a funeral service following at 7:00.  Burial will be on Friday morning at 10:30 at Mountain Home VA National Cemetery.

The family of Tim Clark, son of Edie Lowry, is mourning his unexpected passing over the weekend.  Tim had made an amazing recovery from a motorcycle accident in 2016 in which he suffered severe head trauma.  Funeral arrangements are not yet complete.  Keep Edie and all of her family in your prayers.

Carolyn Rupe‘s surgery may be scheduled for today rather than Wednesday, as we have been reporting.  Her surgeon will replace a shunt to drain excess fluid from her brain.  This fluid causes loss of balance and memory issues.  Pray that all will go well for our sister.

Janice Moze is scheduled to undergo heart valve replacement surgery on Thursday at The Cleveland Clinic.

Barbara Milsaps, aunt of Rebekah Hunt, is scheduled to undergo surgery this morning after breast cancer was found.  Prayers for a good outcome have been requested.

The family of Addie Blevins, beloved great-aunt of Elizabeth McConnell, is mourning her passing on Sunday morning.  She was on our prayer list a couple of weeks ago.  Addie had requested that there be no funeral service.

Preteens and staff from around our area are at High Rock Bible Camp this week.  There is a near-capacity number present, and enthusiasm on Monday night was high.  Several campers and adults from Central are participating this week.  Remember this effort in your prayers.

Baptized Into Christ!  This past Sunday, Justin Ellis, son of Leslie and Keith Ellis, was baptized for the forgiveness of his sins.  Justin was baptized by his grandfather, George Ellis, who is an elder of the Elizabethton Church of Christ.  We welcome this young brother into our family!  Also requesting prayers on Sunday at the Elizabethton worship service was Justin’s sister Amiee Ellis.  She asked for strength as she will soon begin her senior year of high school, and to be more devoted to prayer.  What great examples these both are!

A Heart-Warming Response: In the last couple of days we’ve been making the appeal for ladies who can volunteer some time to sit with Lucy Hagerty as she goes through a painful recovery.  Kathy Higginbotham reported on Monday that 12 sisters have already stepped forward to offer their help.  What a great show of love and compassion!  If you would like to help with this, contact Kathy.

Schedule Change: The 55-Plus Dinner that had been planned for this Thursday has been canceled, due to the funeral service for Robert Smith.  It will not be rescheduled for this month.

Another Schedule Change: The fellowship dinner that would have taken place on Sunday, June 30 will be rescheduled for Sunday, August 4.  On that day the Freed-Hardeman University Presidential Trek will be at Central, and this fellowship event will give us opportunity to meet President David Shannon and enjoy some of the activities of the Trek.  More information on this will follow.

A Reception for Sharley and Jonathan French, who were married a few days ago near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, will be held this Saturday from 2:00 until 4:00.  Come to our downstairs fellowship area and wish them well in their new lives in this blended family.  Click here to see the invitation.  RSVP to 423-647-0298.

Don’t Pull Over:  *  “The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places.”  (Author Unknown)  *  “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”  (Romans 8:25)