This article discusses setting godly goals for one's life. It argues that Christians should be the most successful at achieving godly goals. The article outlines two foundational godly goals: 1) Fellowship with God, focusing on one's relationship with Him above all else. 2) Righteous living, defined as doing what is right according to God's word, not one's own righteousness. The article encourages growing in faith through Bible study in order to achieve righteous living. It questions whether readers are focusing on being with God or the world, and urges setting godly goals to overcome the past and affect one's present.

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--article continued from page 1—
Are we confident that our light is bright
Vol. 46 August 31, 2021 Number 33
GODLY GOALS
Barry Kennedy
When facing the trials, pains, and storm of life, are we inclined to abandon
our goals? Do we find ourselves like Peter, focusing upon the surroundings and not
the Savior? Christians should be the most successful achievers of godly goals. In
fact, they (we) are the only ones seeking “godly” goals. There are examples of men
reaching their goals, even in secular history.
Napoleon saw Italy, but not the Alps. He had an objective and knew where
he was going. Washington saw the Hessians at Trenton. A man of smaller
stature would have seen the Delaware choked with ice. The majority see the
obstacles; the few see the objectives; history records the successes of the
former while oblivion is the reward of the latter. (Health ways).
If Napoleon and Washington could see past the circumstances, and achieve their
goals, shouldn’t Christians be much more confident that we can set and reach godly
goals? What standards/goals are you setting for your life?
First, we should have the godly goal of fellowship with God. Moses
informed the children of Israel that God must come first. “And thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might”
(Deuteronomy 6:5). Tie the words of Moses to what the wise man Solomon said,
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he...” (Proverbs 23:7). You see, if we focus
upon our relationship with the Almighty now, we will long to be with Him then
(i.e., Heaven, or eternity). The opposite is also true. If we refuse to focus upon
being with God now, we cannot be with Him there (Matthew 7:21; c.f. John 14:15).
Do we find ourselves longing to be with the world, more than we long to be with
the Lord? If so, we are following a goal, but it is a goal of failure. “Be not
deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners” (1 Corinthians 15:33). What
is your foundational goal?
Second, we should have the godly goal of righteous living. One website
claimed that 11% of U.S. households are at risk of hunger.1
They also stated that
the total number of hunger related deaths worldwide equaled “7,665,000” (at that
time). Food is a necessity for life. The same is true as relating to the spiritual man.
Peter said God’s people are to be like “newborn babes” desiring the “sincere milk
of the word” to grow (1 Peter 2:2). Of course, one cannot remain like a child; we
must grow (Hebrews 5:12-14). The apostle Paul encouraged the congregation in
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1 statisticbrain.com/world-hunger-statistics
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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 class..................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)

2. enough to bring lost souls to salvation’s
shore? The only way to truly answer such a
question is to know what it means to let our
light shine. Surely, no one would think this
means that we are to get a flashlight, candle, or
a lantern of some sort and guide people
around at night. No, Jesus was speaking of our
spiritual lights. Spiritual light has to do with
living one’s life following the example of Jesus.
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ
also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye
should follow his steps:” (1 Peter 2:21). Many
people are professing that they know Jesus and
that they are following Him, but sadly their
lives seldom correspond with the true Jesus of
the Bible. Many see Jesus as one who just
overlooks sin, loves so much that He would
never punish anyone, etc. Have they ever read
John 2:15? It is impossible to know the God of
the Bible, Jesus of the Bible, the Holy Spirit of
the Bible, or how to be the light of the world
without His Bible (Psalm 119:105).
Souls are drifting to and frow, lost on
the sea of life, and swiftly heading toward the
rocky shore called judgment. God’s light is
bright enough to direct us safely to that
Heavenly shore. If you are following that light,
how bright is it being reflected by you? How
bright is your light? The world desperately
needs us. To God be the glory!
~~~~~~~~~
New Movers’ Baskets
This month’s New
Movers’ Baskets are on the
table in the foyer. Please take
a name, a basket to deliver,
and an instruction sheet.
This is a wonderful way to
invite newcomers in the
community to East Main. There are only 4 baskets
left. Thanks to everyone for their help.
Wedding
Clayton Long & Savanna Bell’s wedding
ceremony scheduled for this Saturday, Aug. 28 has
been canceled due to Savanna’s parents, David and
April Bell, testing positive for the Coronavirus.
Please keep them in your prayers.
Thank You Note
Words cannot express how much the calls, texts,
cards, plant, drives to Florence, but especially the
prayers, meant to me and my family. It has been
overwhelming! What a wonderful family to be a
part of here at East Main. Please continue to keep
us, especially my dad, in your prayers.
Missy Nichols
& The Clara McClure family
Widowhood Workshop
The New Albany congregation is hosting a
Widowhood Workshop this Saturday & Sunday,
Aug. 28-29, at the church building. Dean Miller will
be the speaker. Session times are 10:00 a.m. until
3:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 9:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
on Sunday. A flyer is posted on the bulletin board
across from the library.
A House Is Not a Home
A house is not a home; it is many things.
It is a kitchen stove on which a kettle sings.
It is a table set with care and loving thought
Where conversations dear and fellowships are wrought.
It is a well-worn chair beneath shaded light
Or perhaps a cherished book by a log fire at night.
It is a quiet place for prayer or for rest,
Or just to be alone when aloneness is best.
A home is not a house, but it is several things
Within high walls of love where contentment clings.
—Anonymous
By House to House Heart to Heart, Archive 3548
September 2021
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
Felicia Stanford
Brain Freeze
Hosea 1-3
2
Hosea 4
3
Sr. Youth--TGIF
Hosea 5-6
4
Hosea 7-8
5
Hosea 9-10
6
Hosea 11-12
7
Hosea 13-14
8
Robert Kingsley
Brain Freeze
Joel
9
Haden Bland
Ladies’ fellowship
Amos 1-2
10
Amos 3-5
11
Bryce Roby
Evelyn
Thompson
Youth—Top Golf
in Birmingham
Amos 6-7
12
Jennifer Ray—
Baby “Boy”
Shower
Area Wide Youth
Meeting @ Verona
5:00 p.m.
Amos 8-9
13
Obadiah
14
Jonah 1-2
15
Brain Freeze
Jonah 3-4
16
Micah 1-2
17
Lauren Long
Anna Claire
McMillen
Micah 3-5
18
Jr. Youth—Picnic
@ Veterans Park
11:00-1:00
Micah 6-7
19
Sr. Youth Devo. @
Davis’ house
Nahum
20
Andy Baldwyn
Barry & Berta
Kennedy
Habakkuk
21
Zephaniah
22
Maggie Simineau
Brain Freeze
Haggai
23
Derik Rushing
Zechariah 1-2
24
Tate Malone
Sr. Youth--TGIF
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
Brain Freeze
Malachi 1-2
30
Malachi 3-4

3. Daily Bible Reading
September 1.................................................. Hosea 1-3
September 2......................................................Hosea 4
September 3.................................................. Hosea 5-6
September 4.................................................. Hosea 7-8
September 5................................................ Hosea 9-10
September 6.............................................. Hosea 11-12
September 7.............................................. Hosea 13-14
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Birthdays: Felicia Stanford (Sept. 1).
Anniversaries: None this week.
Our Sick
James Simmons continues in room 384 at NMMC.
He hopes to be moved to The Meadows for physical
therapy soon. Perry Hand will undergo surgery
Wednesday. Star Ray is home recuperating from knee
replacement surgery. Lee DuBois is home
recuperating from foot surgery. Kirk Sheffield’s dad,
Rodney, is in NMMC following colon surgery to
remove some cancer. Maggie Simineau continues at
home with a broken arm. Wade Bryan’s cousin, David
Darnell, has been placed on hospice. Karen Bryan’s
cousin, April Pounders, is recovering from breast
cancer surgery. Clayton Long’s fiancé, Savanna Bell,
is home with Covid. Christine Wilson will undergo
sinus surgery Sept. 15.
On-Going Illnesses
Mary Lou Walden, Evelyn Thompson, Steve Kelly,
Bettye Davis, Frankie Estes, Shirley Lyons, Caroline
Willis, Carol Hood, Bill Goff, Donny Dulaney, Adam
McCurley, James Goddard, Mitch Maclean, Mary Starz,
Sheba Tuggers, Steve Higginbotham, Shauna McMickin,
Stella Pittman, Olivia Pounders
Nursing Homes
Nancy Haywood, Randy Attaway, Shirley McCarthy,
Bob McClure, Brenda Dawson
Sympathy
Our sympathy is extended to Chad Willis, Kristie
Webb & Rhonda Pennington in the loss of their cousin,
Randy Pearce. Arrangements were incomplete at this
time.
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Ephesus not to be children “tossed to and fro... by the
teachings of men (Ephesians 4:14). Righteousness is
not to be defined as self-righteousness. The word
righteousness simply means doing what is right, or
what one ought to do. We are not earning our
salvation, acceptance, or any other accredited acclaim.
Paul said it best:
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss
for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ
Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the
loss of all things, and do count them but dung,
that I may win Christ, And be found in him,
not having mine own righteousness, which is
of the law, but that which is through the faith
of Christ, the righteousness which is of God
by faith: (Philippians 3:8–9).
Did you notice the end of verse nine? The goal should
be righteousness “which is of God by faith.” That
begs the question, “How do we get faith?” Romans
10:17 says it comes by hearing the word of God. The
only way we can achieve the goal of righteous living
is through study and application of God’s Word
(James 1:22).
What are your goals for the future? This is
very important, because godly goals for the future
affect our present, and help us to overcome our pasts.
God help us to set Godly Goals for life!
EMYG News

4. Men to Serve Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021 a.m.
Announcements.......................................Jeff Mansel
Bible Reading........................................ Aaryn Vines
Opening Prayer ..............................Jimmy Spearman
Lord’s Supper
Rommie Dilworth
Lead Singing.......................................... Nic Nichols
Closing Prayer..........................................Will Davis
Ushers .......................Andy Baldwyn & Lee DuBois
Please meet in the library by 8:45 a.m.
Sunday 11:15 a.m. service
Opening Prayer ..............................Dennis Hallmark
Closing Prayer.......................................Wesley Bass
Lead Singing...............................Bobby Joe Lindley
Wednesday, September 8, 2021
Opening Prayer .............................Alex Blackwelder
Lead Singing.........................................Wesley Bass
The elders kindly request that men leading in public
worship wear the best dress clothes they have.
Contact the Wade Bryan (419-5552) if unable to serve.
Attendance & Contribution
Mid-Week, 8-25-21 .................................................... 143
Sunday 1st
Worship, 8-29-21 .................................... 180*
Sunday Bible Class..................................................... 177
Sunday 2nd
Worship.................................................... 123
Contribution (budget $7,900) ................................ $8,947
*This does not include the livestreamed views.
Pantry item........................................... Peanut butter