The article discusses finding spiritual riches in God's kingdom. It summarizes John D. Rockefeller's three rules for becoming rich, though finding oil will not make most people rich. True riches are found in God's grace, mercy, love, salvation and forgiveness available through His kingdom, the church. The church is compared to a treasure and a pearl of great price that Christians should seek to possess.

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Vol. 44 August 27, 2019 Number 33
READ THIS IF YOU WANT TO BE RICH
Derrick Coble
John D. Rockefeller had three simple rules for anyone who wanted to become rich: 1.
Go to work early. 2. Stay at work late. 3. Find oil. Unfortunately, most likely you will not
be able to accomplish the last step to riches. However, the search can always continue. In
fact, it must continue. Don't let yourself rest at night until you have found the riches that
you desire—that is, if they are spiritual. Jesus said, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like
unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy
thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of
heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one
pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it" (Mat. 13:44-46). The
kingdom of Heaven (the Lord's church) is priceless! God has made known the riches of his
glory (Col. 1:27) and will supply all our needs (Phi. 4:19). Indeed, the kingdom of Heaven
is the place where we are rich in God's grace, mercy, love, salvation, and forgiveness. It is
a treasure and a pearl!
THE PEARL The man who was seeking fine pearls reminds us of collectors in our day
who are in search of that one stamp, antique piece, or baseball card to strike it rich. Unlike
some who just stumble upon a "good bargain," (like the man who found the treasure that
was hidden) this merchantman set out to find his riches because he could discern between
the good pearls and the bad—he knew the value of the pearl when he saw it. Do you
realize the value of the church of Christ? It is a precious and flawless pearl purchased with
the blood of Jesus the Christ (1 Pet. 1:18,19). If you truly want to be rich you will collect
the treasures in Heaven and seek out the riches of God's grace (Eph. 1:7). "Lay not up for
yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break
through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor
rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal" (Mat. 6:19,20).
THE PRICE The merchantman who wanted to be rich was not just looking for one
pearl. He was looking for several fine pearls. But, lo and behold, he found one pearl that
was more unique and more precious than any other. How much would you pay for a pearl
like that? There are all kinds of religious "pearls" in the world today--phony pearls that
may look good like Catholicism, Islam, or Denominationalism (Baptists, Methodists,
Presbyterians, Lutherans, etc.) but upon closer examination they are not worth what they
seem. The only pearl worth more than we could ever pay is the church for which Jesus died
(Mat. 16:18; John 10:15). Think about it. All of the soul's wants and desires are met in
Jesus: "Ignorant, in Christ we have knowledge and wisdom. Naked, in Christ we have the
robe of salvation. Hungry, He is the bread of life. Guilty, He is our pardon. Unholy, He is
our righteousness. Wretched, He is our peace. Perishing, He is our deliverer.” The church
that Jesus built is the only pearl of value because it was prepared in the mind of God (Eph.
3:11), it was bought by the Son of God (Acts 20:28), and it alone is preserved for a future
in Heaven (Luke 1:32,33; Rev. 7:14-17). That is a reward to rejoice about (Luke 6:23)!
--article continued page 3--
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
PREACHER
Barry Kennedy ... (931)787-7108
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.
EAST MAIN CHURCH OF CHRIST
1606 East Main Street
P. O. Box 1761
Tupelo, Mississippi 38802
“Thou shalt observe to do all that they inform thee”
(Deut. 17:10)

2. --article continued from page 1--
blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that
thou mayest live, thou and thy seed;”
(Deuteronomy 30:19).
Many are trying to choose a policy of
pro-death. How sad it is that we are “educating”
ourselves to the point that we are not “bothered”
to hear that there are approximately 42 million
abortions per year worldwide and approximately
115,000 every day. Here in the US we averaged
about 1.3 million in 1996, approximately 3,700 a
day according to the Center for Bio-Ethical
Reform. Yet some like to point out how that the
abortion rate is on the decline. According to
Sharon Jayson of USA TODAY, “The abortion
rate in the USA fell to its lowest point in more
than 30 years, and the actual number of abortions
also continues a steady decline, according to the
first new comprehensive data in five years,
released today” (www.usatoday.com/news/health/
2008-01-16-abortion-rates_N.htm). Not to say that
this is not good news, but if the numbers were to
reach only one child aborted this year, it would
be one too many. God is the source of life, and
we are not given authority over the death of the
innocent (Job 12:9, 10). Why are we not learning
from the past that when we choose death, things
only get worse?
Many people like to say that the times are
changing and we must embrace change. Friends,
choosing death is not change, or something new
to be embraced. Solomon wrote long ago, “That
which hath been is that which shall be; and that
which hath been done is that which shall be
done: and there is no new thing under the sun”
(Ecclesiastes 1:9). If we do not learn from history,
we are doomed to repeat our mistakes. It is time to
pray that people will make the right choices in life
and stop the idea of, “CHOOSE YOU THIS
DAY WHOM YE WILL DESTROY.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our Fall Gospel Meeting
with Scott Cain is
September 22-25!
Make plans now to attend every service.
Placed Membership
Doug and Mary Ann Wallace made know their
desire Sunday to be recognized as members of the
East Main congregation and work under the
oversight of our elders. Their address is P. O. Box
2877, Tupelo, 38803 (147 Sherry Rd.). Doug’s
phone number is 231-6749 and Mary Ann’s phone
number is 523-3527. Be sure to welcome them!
Congratulations
Congratulations to David &
Katie Bates in the birth of their
daughter, Adaline Kamille, on
Aug. 26. She weighed 8 lbs. _
oz. and was __ inches long.
Mother and baby are doing
well. Ava Bates is her big sister
and Larry & Judy Bates are the proud grandparents.
Thank You Note
Dear East Main family,
Thank you to everyone who has sent cards,
called, visited, brought food and prayed on my
behalf. I am slowly recovering and hope to be back
at worship services soon. In Christ,
Carol Cross
Sympathy
Our sympathy is extended to Randy English in
the loss of his mother, Judy English Aug. 23.
Funeral services were held in Pontotoc on Aug. 26.
Randy was a former member here at East Main.
Family 1st
Fellowship
The next Family 1st
Fellowship will be held this
Sunday, Aug. 25 from 8:15-8:45 a.m. in the
multipurpose room. Everyone in the congregation
is invited
John Duke stationed in Long Beach, MS
Caleb Williams stationed in Quantico, VA
Rob Cross & family stationed in South Korea
September 2019
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
Felicia Stanford
Hosea 1-3
2
Hosea 4
3
Hosea 5-6
4
Hosea 7-8
5
Sr. Adult
fellowship @ 6 pm
Hosea 9-10
6
Hosea 11-12
7
Remi Kate
Kingsley
Hosea 13-14
8
Robert Kingsley
Area Youth
Meeting-Verona
@5 pm
Joel
9
Haden Bland
Amos 1-2
10
Amos 3-5
11
Bryce Roby
Evelyn
Thompson
Chet Wilson
Amos 6-7
12
Ladies’ fellowship
@ 6 pm
Amos 8-9
13
Obadiah
14
Jonah 1-2
15
Jr. Bible Bowl @
East Main
Jr. Youth/ES Devo.
Visitation Team #3
Nursing Home
Singing
Jonah 3-4
16
Micah 1-2
17
Lauren Long
Anna Claire
McMillen
Micah 3-5
18
Micah 6-7
19
Nahum
20
Andy Baldwyn
Barry & Berta
Kennedy
Habakkuk
21
Zephaniah
22
Maggie Simineau
Visitation Team #4
Haggai
23
Derik Rushing
Zechariah 1-2
24
Tate Malone
Zechariah 3-4
25
Zechariah 5-6
26
Betty Beard
Billie McNutt
Zechariah 7-8
27
Zechariah 9-11
28
Zechariah 12-14
29
Joyce Burney
Keisha Gholston
Family 1st
Fellowship
Sr. Youth Devo.
Youth Led Services
Malachi 1-2
30
Malachi 3-4
Gospel Meeting with Scott Cain
September 22nd
-25th

3. Daily Bible Reading
August 28 .....................................................Daniel 1-3
August 29 .....................................................Daniel 4-6
August 30 .....................................................Daniel 7-9
August 31 .................................................Daniel 10-12
September 1.................................................. Hosea 1-3
September 2......................................................Hosea 4
September 3.................................................. Hosea 5-6
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Birthdays: Trase Webb (Aug. 31), Felicia
Stanford (Sept. 1). Anniversaries: Terry &
Sherry Kingsley (Aug. 31)
Our Sick
Laverne Raper is in room 397 at NMMC with
pneumonia. Evelyn Thompson will have her
pacemaker replaced soon. Hannon Ray will undergo
surgery in Memphis Sept. 6 on the bulging discs in his
neck. Carol Cross & Annie Martin continue to
recuperate at home. Evelyn Willis returned to the
Meadows last week. Jill Rice, Debbie Vines’ mother,
and Ann Letteri, Sandra Simmons’ sister, continue
hospice care. Tracy Lyle’s dad, James Nichols,
continues at the Baldwyn Nursing Facility. Jackie
Layman, Marla Harris’ niece, had an emergency
appendectomy Sunday. She is home now. It was good
to see Jean Mounce at services Sunday.
On-Going Illnesses
Frankie Estes, Donny Dulaney, Adam McCurley,
Linda McCurley, Mary Jordan, Bretta Robinson, James
Goddard, Bill Goff, Tommy Goff, Leroy Brown, Jadon
Parish, Carol Nichols, Jerry Smith, Mitch Maclean, Lee
Graham, Don Blackwell, Mary Starz, Chiquita Allen,
Heather Williams, Aspen White, Ezra Golman, Sheba
Tuggers
Nursing Homes
Nancy Haywood, Randy Attaway, Shirley McCarthy,
Mary Southern, Veona Harris
Sympathy
Our sympathy is extended to Randy English in the
loss of his mother, Judy English, Aug. 23. Funeral
services were held in Pontotoc on Aug. 26. Randy was a
former member here at East Main.
--article continued from page 1--
THE PURCHASE When the merchantman found
the one precious pearl that he desired, he knew that he
wanted it and he had the ability to purchase it, but it cost
him all he had. But he was willing to pay the price. If
one really wants to be rich in the Lord today, it takes
everything—a sacrifice of self. Paul said, "I am crucified
with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ
liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I
live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and
gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). Jesus Himself said, "If
any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross, and follow me" (Mat. 16:24). Will we
give up our lives to obtain that pearl? Jesus did. You will
if you want to be rich with all the blessings of the Lord
in this life and in the house of the Lord after this life
(Psa. 23:6).
Placed Membership
Doug and Mary Ann Wallace made known their
desire Sunday to be recognized as members of the East
Main congregation and work under the oversight of our
elders. Their address is P. O. Box 2877, Tupelo, 38803
(147 Sherry Rd.). Doug’s phone number is 231-6749 and
Mary Ann’s phone number is 523-3527.
Congratulations
Congratulations to David & Katie
Bates in the birth of their daughter,
Adaline Kamille, on Aug. 26. She
weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz. and was 20 ¼ in.
long. Mother and baby are doing well.
Ava Bates is her big sister and Larry &
Judy Bates are the proud grandparents.
Thank You Note
Dear East Main family,
Thank you to everyone who has sent cards, called,
visited, brought food and prayed on my behalf. I am
slowly recovering and hope to be back at worship
services soon. In Christ,
Carol Cross
Ladies’ Fellowship
The ladies’ fellowship that meets the second
Thursday of every month will begin studying a new
book by Cindy Colley “Glory: A Digging Deep Study
(Phil. 4:20).” Renee can print you a copy of this book
for free or you can purchase the spiral bound one for
about $17.50.

4. Our Fall Gospel Meeting
with Scott Cain
is September 22-25!
Make plans now to attend every service.
Men to Serve Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019 a.m.
Announcements................................Michael Wilson
Bible Reading......................................Jake Kennedy
Opening Prayer ..............................Dennis Hallmark
Lord’s Supper
Wade Bryan & Larry Presley
Serve Congregation, East Side:
Kent Nichols, Greg Lyle, Larry Bates
Serve Congregation, West Side:
Andy Baldwyn, Jimmy Spearman, Chase Stanford
Lead Singing....................................Eddie Simmons
Closing Prayer........................................... Joe Minor
Ushers ......................Will Davis & Clinton Kingsley
Please meet in the library by 8:45 a.m.
Sunday Afternoon
Opening Prayer ..........................................Mark Hitt
Closing Prayer.............................. Rommie Dilworth
Lead Singing........................................ Kent Nichols
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Prayer.................................................. Dale Dulaney
Lead Singing......................................... Wade Bryan
Contact Michael Wilson (891-0891) if unable to serve.
The elders kindly request that men leading in public
worship wear the best dress clothes they have.
Greeters ..............................Greg & Tammy Hughes
.........................Michael & Christine Wilson
Prepare Lord’s Supper—September .................Patsy
Nichols
Nursery..................... Hilda Ratliff & Wanda Bishop
Pantry.......................................... Canned vegetables
Attendance & Contribution
Mid-Week, 8-21-19..............................................152
Sunday 1st
Worship, 8-25-19 ...............................185
Sunday Bible Class ..............................................168
Sunday 2nd
Worship.............................................169
Contribution (budget $7,900)..........................$8,225