TRIBUTE TO THE JEWELLS

We first started talking about starting a church here in Grant County, we met the Jewell's. They moved here about 10 years before and had been driving as much as 40 miles to worship. They were so excited when we told them we were starting a congregation here. They told us it was an answer to their prayers. They have been invaluable members since day one! They came to our workdays in October of 2006 and March of 2007 as we were getting the building ready to move into. They were here at our first service April 1, 2007 and have been here ever since!

David makes our announcements each week and leads in prayers. Kim has taught as many as two classes each week and takes care of our website! Barbara attended as long as she could before having to move to a Nursing home last year because of advanced Alzheimer’s disease. I still miss her beautiful singing voice!

Now for the bad news: David has been transferred to Gilroy, California (the Garlic Capitol of the world) so they will be moving there in April. We are saddened by their leaving, but we know the Lord will provide and when one door closes another opens. We are very grateful to Kim, David and Barbara for helping us to get this congregation started. I don’t know what we would have done without them. Our loss is Gilroy, California’s gain. They are wonderful Christian people.

Kim, David and Barbara we pray for God to continue to bless you in this new chapter in your lives! We love you and we will miss you. We look forward to a reunion with you in Heaven someday!

With all of our love and prayers,

Members of the Grant County Church of Christ

THOUGHT...
People are like stained glass windows. They glow and sparkle when it's sunny and bright, but when the sun goes down, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within. ~~Author Unknown


CHANGING THE WORLD
Dennis L. Curd
Change is the buzzword of our times. Everybody wants to do it. Some want to change good to bad, and others wants to change bad to good. Probably, a lot of folks just want change for change sake. Everybody wants to change things to suit themselves and what they think things should be like varies greatly. From a Christian perspective the change desired must be a change from evil to good, darkness to light.
But can it be done? How can one person, you or me, do anything to change the world? It is certainly true that our part alone will be small. We are only one of six billion plus people on earth. Of all the people who have ever lived on this planet how many ever changed the world? There are some who changed it for good or for bad, but even they didn’t do it alone. The sheer immensity of the task causes most to falter in their efforts. So how can it be done; or should it even be attempted?
Jesus said His followers were to be salt and light to a tasteless and dark world (cf. Matt. 5:13-16). A little salt or a little light has a tremendous impact on their surroundings. Jesus changed the world like no other single person, and we are instructed to walk in His steps (I Pet. 2:21). Learning from Him is the only way to change the world.
Our world begins with us. The only one we can really change is ourselves. Constantly the inspired writers of Scripture compel us to a new life, a new man (cf. Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10; Rom. 6:4). The newness of one’s life is centered in being alive to Christ (Gal. 2:20).
Our personal change can then begin to change those next to us, our spouses and our children. Remember the words of Joshua: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve…; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15). Joshua there indicated he had changed the world, being defined as his immediate world.
The apostles are credited with “turning the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). That’s a world changing accomplishment. World History shows the tremendous changes that Christianity brought to the world. Critics may say it wasn’t all good, but true Christianity can only produce good. Everything from government to physical health was improved throughout the Western World, and other areas by the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Only God’s truth can change the world for the better. Human philosophy can only hinder man’s progress. We change the world one person at a time beginning with ourselves. The power is of God and that power is to be demonstrated in each and every person who bears His name.
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CHANGED LANDSCAPE

Have you ever thought about the difference between a garden in the Summer and one in the Winter? In the summer a garden is green and lush with sunflowers and tomatoes in it. In the Winter that same garden is a frozen snow-covered barren looking piece of land.
The Garden of Eden was a breathtakingly beautiful garden year-round. In that garden Adam and Eve basked in the creation of God and the joy of perfect harmony with Him and with each other. Until, Satan arrived on the scene bringing weeds, thorns, destruction and death.
You can’t help but notice the contrast between the landscape in Genesis 1 and Matthew 4. In Genesis 3 Satan went into the beautiful garden to tempt Adam and Eve. He went into God’s territory. In Matthew 4 Jesus goes out into the “wilderness” to be tempted by Satan on his own turf, the dangerous, barren, wilderness.
The wilderness can be a picture of what the world and individual lives become when Satan has his way. That which was lush and beautiful becomes cheap and dirty. With one blow the joy of Eden was replaced with the barrenness of shame.
The great thing is, that Jesus was victorious on Satan’s turf! In the wilderness He was in Satan’s backyard and He won anyway. He resisted each temptation with “It is written”. In that victory He gives us hope that we too can have victory. It is a victory that shows the enemy that he no longer has power over us; a victory that assures us the day is coming when we will no longer toil in Satan’s wilderness; a victory that assures us that we will be ushered into Heaven where the joy of Eden will be ours forever!
As we journey through the wilderness of temptation, Christ’s victory is ours.