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Vol. 45 August 11, 2020 Number 32
Introducing A Personal Evangelism Seminar
Written by Rob L. Whitacre
Are you ready for an evangelism boot camp? There was a time in our
not so distant past when these type of seminars were being held all over our
nation. Christians carried film strips (Jewell Miller) in the back of their
trunks and went house to house teaching anyone who would listen to the
Gospel of Christ. Now most of our training is inwardly focused and are
geared towards keeping the saved, saved. Success is seen in how many sister
congregations attend our events and rarely on how many non-Christians
attend. A few years ago a brother called and invited us to come do this
seminar. He said, “Brother Rob, we have not had an evangelism seminar in
central Texas in over 20 years.” We are at a crisis stage for churches of Christ
in America, but it is not too late.
What is a personal evangelism seminar? It is an effort to train the
saved to teach the lost. We will spend time equipping Christians with a soul
winning strategy. We will relay stories of real people who are coming to
know their Savior and provide you the simple principles used to get them
into a Bible study and help them obey the Gospel. We will spend time with
elders and preachers and help them develop a winning strategy for the local
congregation.
What can you do? First, please attend every session as each builds
upon the other. Second, come ready to learn with Bible in hand, and ready to
take notes. This is not just a lecture. It will be both principle and practice.
Third, please be praying about souls to save. Since this focuses on training
Christians how to reach the lost, it is not recommended that you invite your
non-Christian friends and family. After being trained, you will have plenty
of opportunity and a working method to reach them.
This seminar is having a great affect upon congregations. Hundreds
of souls have been saved in just the past year, and if we all work together,
and follow the Great Evangelist (Jesus), many more souls will be saved. The
Lord is depending upon you for this evangelistic effort to be successful. The
Gospel is not a passive process. It is an active process that will work when
we are willing to work it. Below is a schedule of topics. My family will be
willing to answer any of your questions and materials will be available to
help equip you with all the tools needed.
--article continued page 2--
ELDERS
Mike Childers..............397-6453
Dennis Hallmark .........255-5557
Mark Hitt.....................322-0917
Bobby Lindley.............260-9193
DEACONS
Wade Bryan.................419-5552
William Harris.............416-8149
Ricky Lindsey .............255-8136
Jeff Mansel..................871-0357
Jimmy Spearman.........840-8957
Michael Wilson ...........891-0891
MINISTERS
Barry Kennedy ... (931)787-7108
Alex Blackwelder (731)879-9196
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 Classes............. 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)

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--article continued from page 1—
Friday
7:00 PM – Let's Get Motivated: This session will
relay several personal accounts of conversions. It
has worked and is still working.
8:00 PM – Let's Stay With The Message: This
session focuses on the power of the Word. We must
put the Bible back into Personal Bible studies!
Saturday
9:00 AM – Let's Talk About the Manner: How do
you get into a Bible Study? We will look at Jesus
and how our Master Evangelist was able to develop
such a large following.
10:00 AM -- Let's Not Argue About the Method:
It’s time to introduce, "Back to the Bible" and
demonstrate how to use it along with charts from
my PE workbook.
11:00 AM – Let’s Apply The Model: In this session
we discuss difficult situations and take your
questions. How does this work in my world?
1:00 PM – Let’s Make the Application: Rob sits
down with elders, preacher, and deacons to provide
practical suggestions on how to implement this
program, and train Christians at the congregation.
1:00 PM – Ten Ingredients for Evangelism: In this
special lady’s session, Nicole will provide practical
suggestions on how to apply what you have learned.
This is based on her book, “Recipes for
Evangelism” (ladies only).
Every saint on this side of Heaven, must be
concerned about every sinner on this side of Hell.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Evangelism
Seminar
The elders have decided to go ahead and host the
Personal Evangelism Seminar with Rob Whitacre
Aug. 21-22, for those of the East Main congregation
who feel safe attending. For those who do not feel safe
attending in person, we will livestream each session
on East Main’s Facebook page and upload it also on
YouTube. Please note the schedule above. We hope
that all the members of the congregation will take
advantage of this opportunity to learn better how to
share the gospel with others.
Sympathy
Our sympathy is extended to James Simmons
in the loss of his aunt, Jo Ann Newman, on Aug.
10 after a long battle with cancer. Visitation will
be held on Aug. 11 from 5-8 p.m. at Pegues in
Saltillo. Funeral services will be held on Aug. 12
at 11 a.m. also at Pegues in Saltillo.
Bible Classes
Don’t forget that
several of our Bible
classes are streamed each
week. [Sunday adult
class--Jeff Mansel
(Facebook/YouTube);
Wednesday adult class--
Barry Kennedy
(Facebook/YouTube); College class (Sun. &
Wed.)--Roger Sanderson/Tim Davis (Face-book);
Young married class (Wed.)--Mark Hitt (Zoom);
High school class (Wed.)--Alex Blackwelder
(Zoom)]. We urge everyone while in these
unprecedented times to take as many
opportunities as possible to study God’s word in
the privacy of your homes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
God promises a safe
landing, not a calm
passage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Duke stationed in Gulfport, MS
Caleb Williams stationed in Quantico, VA
Rob Cross & family stationed in South Korea
Ty Nichols stationed in Germany

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Daily Bible Reading
August 12..........................................Jeremiah 40-45
August 13..........................................Jeremiah 46-49
August 14..........................................Jeremiah 50-52
August 15.............................................Lamentations
August 16................................................ Ezekiel 1-6
August 17.............................................. Ezekiel 7-11
August 18............................................ Ezekiel 12-15
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Birthdays: Olivia Sanderson (Aug. 12), Sky
Ray (Aug. 13), Sam Hood (Aug. 16), Hannah
Bland (Aug. 17), Kade Gilliland (Aug. 18).
Anniversaries: Perry & Linda Hand (Aug. 16).
Our Sick
Pete Barber continues home hospice. Barbara
Bishop is undergoing therapy at NMMC following
back surgery. Linda Hand continues to recuperate at
home from hip surgery. Addi Millard is home from
LeBonheur following surgery. Natalie Mansel will
undergo surgery on Aug. 27 in Birmingham to
correct TMJ issues. Leigh Bland has broken her
ankle. Star Ray’s mother, Stella Pittman, continues
to be in a lot of pain. Brian Carver, a former
member here at East Main, had another tumor
removed and is undergoing radiation. Prayers have
been requested for Jimmy Dudula, Eddie Simmons’
co-worker’s father-in-law, who is on a ventilator
due to Covid-19.
On-Going Illnesses
Jean Mounce, Mary Lou Walden, Steve Kelly,
Bettye Davis, Frankie Estes, Jennie Cox, Donny
Dulaney, Adam McCurley, Mary Jordan, James
Goddard, Bill Goff, Leroy Brown, Jadon Parish,
Jerry Smith, Mitch Maclean, Mary Starz, Sheba
Tuggers, Homer Smith, Jill Rice, Shirley Roberts,
Merlene Johnson, Thomas Lloyd
Nursing Homes
Evelyn Willis, Nancy Haywood, Randy
Attaway, Shirley McCarthy, Veona Harris, Bob &
Clara McClure (Missy Nichols’ parents)
Questions and Answers:
Did God "Create" or
"Make" the World?
by Eric Lyons, M.Min.
Q: Did God “create” or “make” the world?
A: Oftentimes, those who advocate the view that the
Earth is billions of years old suggest that God initially
“created” the Earth (Genesis 1:1) and then later
“made” (i.e., re-created) it in six days. As awkward as
this sounds to those who take a more straightforward
(and accurate) approach to reading Scripture, these
old-Earth advocates make a distinction between the
Hebrew words bara (to create) and asah (to make or
fashion). They claim that bara and asah always must
mean two different things in relation to God’s creative
acts. Not long ago, I heard a gentleman on the radio
teaching that Exodus 20:11 does not mean that God
created the Universe and everything in it in six days, but
instead means that He “re-created” or “fashioned” the
Universe in six days after originally creating it billions
of years earlier. This man based his whole argument on
the “fact” that “to make” does not mean “to create.”
What is the truth of the matter? After surveying the
creation account, one finds that no distinction is made
between God’s creating (bara) and His making
(asah). These words are used fifteen times in the first
two chapters of Genesis in reference to God’s work.
Genesis 1:21 states that God “created” (bara) the sea
creatures and birds. Then in 1:25 we read where God
“made” the animals of the Earth. Are we to believe
that God created the birds and fish from nothing and
then “refashioned” the land animals from materials he
had made billions of years earlier? Preposterous! In
Genesis 1:26-27 we read that God made (asah) man in
His image. Yet, the very next verse says that He
created (bara) him in His image. How can one assert
(logically) that in these two verses “make” and
“create” refer to completely different creations?
Furthermore, the “explanatory notes” God has given
us throughout the Old Testament concerning the
events recorded in Genesis 1 reveal that the words
“create” (bara) and “make/made” (asah) are used
interchangeably in reference to the creation of the
Universe and everything in it. When we read Exodus
20:11, Psalm 148:1-5, Nehemiah 9:6, and Genesis 1-
2, the only logical conclusion we can draw is that “to
create” and “to make” refer to the same event.
Copyright © 2002 Apologetics Press, Inc. All rights
reserved. www.apologeticspress.org

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Men to Serve Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020 a.m.
Announcements..........................................Mark Hitt
Bible Reading.............................................Ian Willis
Opening Prayer ...........................Bobby Joe Lindley
Lord’s Supper
Roger Sanderson
Lead Singing......................................Hugh Scribner
Closing Prayer......................................... Larry Long
Ushers ...............Andy Baldwyn & Clinton Kingsley
Contact the church office (842-6116) if unable
to serve.
Bible Classes (streamed each week)
Adult class................Jeff Mansel (Facebook/YouTube)
Adult class.......... Barry Kennedy (Facebook/YouTube)
College class.....Roger Sanderson/Tim Davis (Facebook)
Young married class............................ Mark Hitt (Zoom)
High School class ................... Alex Blackwelder (Zoom)
The elders kindly request that men leading in public
worship wear the best dress clothes they have.
Attendance & Contribution
Mid-Week, 8-5-20 ..................................................... N/A
Sunday 1st
Worship, 8-9-20 .......................................... 36
Sunday Bible Class.................................................... N/A
Sunday 2nd
Worship.................................................. 140*
Contribution (budget $7,900) ................................ $8,814
*This does not include the livestreamed views.
Mark Your Calendars!
Personal Evangelism Workshop – August 21st-22nd
Gospel Meeting – September 13th-16th
Fall Family Retreat – November 13th-14th
Services will be livestreamed this Sunday at
10:00 a.m. if you do not feel safe attending the
service in person.