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Vol. 50, No.
48 SOUTHSIDE ORACLE
February 8, 2008
The Bulletin Board
Bible Bowl Sunday
- The Tweens (pre-teens) are hosting a Bible bowl this Sunday from 6:00 -
7:00 p. m. The material covered will be chapter 17 of Luke to the end of
the book. Several teams of different ages are competing, adults as well as
young people. There will be four people on a team. The questions will focus
primarily on facts, not applicatlions. Questions will be multiple choice.
Plan to attend. Assemble a team and enter the competition.
Remember the dinner and auction to
benefit the Wisconsin Christian Youth Camp on February 16th. If
you would like to attend, donate a new or craft item for the auction, or
make a monetary donation, contact Bill or Denise Eppler. Plan to come.
This is a very worthwhile effort and annually raises several thousand
dollars for the camp. Be sure to sign up on the sheet in
the foyer if you plan to attend.
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ATTENDANCE RECORD |
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|
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Two years ago |
Last year |
Last week |
Goal |
|
Bible classes |
No count |
110 |
131 |
170 |
|
Morning worship |
256 |
200 |
*241 |
250 |
|
Evening worship |
49 |
32 |
25 |
80 |
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Contribution |
$5236.92 |
$4741.38 |
$3157.88 |
$5200.00 |
(*) first service,
149, second service, 92
The midweek study group that meets in
the Frost home in Waterford is now meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday instead
of Wednesday as in the past.
The Sick
- Sarah Chukka was admitted to St. Luke's Hospital last Saturday and
apparently suffered a seizure. She hopes to go home this week... Maria Cruz
Loera, mother of Amelia Melendez, is in critical condition at St. Luke's
South Shore Hospital.... Jim Jensen, father of Troy Jensen is being treated
for cancer.
The next Christian Workers' Meeting
will be Tuesday, February 19th at 9:00 a.m.
Summer Service Trip
- Adults and young people interested in this year's service trip are invited
to an information meeting at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 17th.
Men! Mark your calendar
for the area-wide men's breakfast on Saturday, February 23rd at 9:00 a.m.
Tim Thompson from Elgin, IL will be the speaker. We expect many attendees
from sister churches. Let's have a good representation from Southside. Sign
up on the sheet so we will know how many to expect.
Calendar of Events
February 10 - Tween Bible Bowl 6:00 - 7:00
p.m.
February 16 - Camp auction and dinner for
W.C.Y.C., 6:00 p.m.
February 17 -- Information meeting regarding
summer service trip, 4:30 p.m.
February 19 - Christian Workers' Meeting,
9:00 a.m.
February 23 - Southside area-wide men's
breakfast, 8:30 a.m.
March 2 - 50th anniversary of the
Southside Church
March 28 - 30 - Southside youth rally
July 11, 12 – 50th anniversary homecoming of
Southside Church
Authentic
Christianity (6)
The prophet Isaiah portrays his people as
crying out to their teachers, "Give us no more visions of what is right!
Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions" (Isaiah 30:10). God's people
wanted to hear what would make them feel good!
Things haven't changed much. Many people
practice feel good religion. If they were asked to describe authentic
Christianity they would respond that it is what makes them feel good. Though
few religious leaders would endorse such a view, too often current religious
emphasis is on giving people what they want rather than what they need.
Should Christians "feel good"? Absolutely!
The teaching of Jesus should help us to live happy, well-adjusted lives
which in turn should make us feel good. However, feeling good about
ourselves is not the objective of our faith, but the result. We are not
Christians simply because we want to feel good, but because we want to
please God. When we please God, we also feel good.
"Feel good religion" asks, "What can you do
for me?", not "What can I do for God?" It is an extension of the popular
premise that society owes me what I want, but what I owe society is minimal.
The religion of Jesus should never be
pictured as an easy one with few obligations. Jesus said, "If any man would
come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life
for my sake will find it. What will it profit a man, if he gains the whole
world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his
life? (Matthew 16 :24-26). This doesn't sound much like "feel good
religion," does it?
The determination of
what constitutes authentic Christianity must come from God, not from
within ourselves. It can never be based on human feelings, but rather on
God's revelation to us.
Monroe E. Hawley
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