Mike & Carol Cross Nursery Attendants Sunday Morning: Infants: ...............................Lori Sheffield & ...............................................Cassie Blackwelder Toddlers: .............................Amy Voyles & ...............................................Jenna Harris Sunday Evening: Infants: ...............................Cassie Blackwelder & ...............................................Jenna Harris Toddlers: .............................Amy Voyles & ...............................................Lori Sheffield Wednesday Evening: Infants: ...............................Cassie Blackwelder & ...............................................Jenna Harris Toddlers: .............................Amy Voyles & ...............................................L

1. 4
Vol. 45 January 28, 2020 Number 4
“Safe and Sound”
Barry Kennedy
How often do many of us take for granted the blessing of being safe and sound?
Think about it, doesn’t one get a sense of peace and comfort just from the sound of the
words “Safe and Sound?” Sadly, there are many places in this world where one would
be hard pressed to feel safe, much less, sound. It does not take a very detailed search to
see that the crime rate in some places is well less than desirable. Murder rates, thefts,
vandalism, drug abuse, and many other recorded facts is enough to cause some uneasy
nights. It has come to the point that people often have trouble feeling safe and sound
even in a safe neighborhood.
Why is it that many find it hard to feel “safe and sound?” The reason is simple,
there are a lot of bad people in the world. Turn on the local news and it is only a matter
of moments until you hear a story about some act of violence. People therefore spend
money on security systems and such to protect themselves from the world. That is fine,
but what measures are we putting in place to make sure our souls are “safe and sound?”
Training is essential. Many people have invested a lot of time and effort into
self-defense. No one has ever become an expert at self-defense without training. Many
styles of self-defense emphasize the bringing together mind and body, while others
focus upon mere reflexes. Either way, much practice and teaching are involved. The
same is true when it comes to training for spiritual self-defense. The Psalmist wrote,
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee” (Psalm 119:11).
Notice the personal references made in this verse. 1) “Thy word. . .,” meaning God’s
word and no other has the ability to defend us against sin. 2) “. . .have I hid. . .”
meaning he (the Psalmist) was not expecting anyone else to store up the knowledge to
protect him from sin. 3) “. . .in mine heart. . .” meaning the mind or source of intellect
and decision. The Psalmist (i.e. David in this psalm) knew that if he were going to be
successful against his adversary Satan, he would have to be trained. Consider the next
verse David wrote, “Blessed art Thou, O Lord: teach me Thy statutes” (Psalm 119:12).
Therefore, we gain the understanding of how to be “safe and sound” spiritually by being
taught God’s Word and by applying that word to our daily lives.
Think about how many examples there are in scripture of God training people
for their tasks. God taught Adam and Eve not to eat of the “Tree of Knowledge”
(Genesis 1-3). Joseph, no doubt, was trained for his position in Egypt by all the
adversity he endured (Genesis 37-50). Moses spent forty years in Egypt as a prince
(Exodus 1-2; Acts 7:23) and forty years in Midian as a shepherd (Exodus 2-4; Acts
7:30) in order to train him for the forty years he would wander with the children of
Israel (Exodus 16ff). There are many other examples such as Joshua, David, Solomon,
and the apostles just to name a few, all of which needed training in order to be “safe and
sound.” Of course, all of these made mistakes and the adversary exploited their weaknesses,
--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. suppress grief. Crying is not only a human response
to grief, but it’s healthy.
Avoid empty platitudes. Trite phrases that
do not comfort and some of which do not
even accurately reflect biblical truth, need to remain
unspoken. Saying things like, “I understand exactly
how you feel,” or “God must have needed another
angel,” or “it was God’s will,” or “at least you’re
young, you can marry again/have more children”
are either hurtful, insensitive, or do not reflect the
truth. If you struggle for words to say, then simply
say these, “I’m sorry.” “I’m praying for you.” “I
love you.”
If we follow these suggestions, we will be
better equipped to comfort others the way God
comforts us (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New Youth & Family
Minister
This past Sunday, Alex Blackwelder became a part
of the family at East Main in the capacity of Youth
and Family Minister. Alex is a recent graduate of
Freed Hardeman and has begun work on a master’s
degree. He is engaged, and he and his fiancé’ Cassie
are planning to be married in June. She is also a
student at Freed Hardeman University.
Alex is currently looking for a place to stay in
Tupelo through May. Once he and Cassie are married
(June 6), they will reside halfway between Tupelo and
Henderson, TN, for a year as Cassie finishes school.
Please be sure to meet Alex & Cassie! We are
looking forward to working with them!
**If you know of a small place Alex could rent for the
next four months please let us know, possibly a
“mother-in-law’s quarters” or basement.
Sisters Supporting Sisters
The Sisters Support-
ing Sisters group
will have their
quarterly meeting
this Thursday, Jan.
23 at 6:00 p.m. in
the multipurpose
room. All ladies of
the congregation are invited! Please sign the sheet on
the bulletin board across from the library if you will
be attending, so we will know how many to prepare
for.
LAM Mission Trip
If you are interested in participating in the 2020
Latin American Mission trip this summer, please let
Michael Wilson know.
Grief Seminar Notes
➢ On Friday, Jan. 24 sessions will be from
6:30-8:00 p.m.
➢ On Saturday, Jan. 25 breakfast will be
served from 8-8:30 a.m., then sessions will
be from 8:30 a.m. until 12 noon.
➢ Friday and Saturday sessions will be held in
the multipurpose room.
➢ On Sunday, Jan. 26 Ron Williams will
continue the Grief Seminar with lessons at
9:00 a.m., 10:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
➢ Everyone from the 7th
grade up through
adults will meet in the auditorium for Bible
class Sunday at 10:15 a.m.
➢ We will have a potluck meal Sunday after
the 11:15 a.m. worship service in the
multipurpose room.
➢ Please come and invite your friends. A list
of the lesson topics is on the back page of
this bulletin.
Senior Youth
All the youth and adults attending CYC in
Pigeon Forge February 28-March 1, need to please
turn their $60 for the cabin rental to Amy Voyles or
Tim Davis ASAP.
John Duke stationed in Long Beach, MS
Caleb Williams stationed in Iraq
Rob Cross & family stationed in South Korea
February 2020
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
Ricky Johnson
Lori Sheffield
90th
Birthday
Celebration for
Mary Lou
Walden, 2-4 pm,
mp room
Leviticus 1-3
2
Visitation Team #2
Leviticus 4-7
3
Wesley
Funderburk
Mary Lou Walden
Bill & Annie
Martin
Leviticus 8-10
4
Carmen Perkins
Clayton Long
Jimmy Spearman
Grady Vines
Leviticus 11-13
5
David Ramseyer
Leviticus 14-15
6
Harold Roby
Jackson Voyles
Sr. Adult
fellowship @
Pickle Barrel, 6
pm
Leviticus 16-17
7
William Harris
Leviticus 18-20
8
Leviticus 21-23
9
Jacie Dickinson
Janie McCaskill
Area Youth
Meeting @ Church
St., Pontotoc--5 pm
Leviticus 24-27
10
Numbers 1-2
11
Debbie Duke
Numbers 3-4
12
Justin Webb
Girls’ Joyful
Rebellion @ 6 pm
Numbers 5-8
13
Ladies’ fellowship
@ 6 pm in mp
room
Numbers 9-12
14
Mike & Carol
Cross
Numbers 13-16
15
Leigh Bland
Sr. Saints’
Valentine brunch
& games
Sr. Youth-Hockey
game in
Birmingham
Numbers 17-20
16
Eden Davis
Jr. Bible Bowl @
Antioch
Jr. Youth/ES Devo.
Visitation Team #3
Nursing Home
Singing
Numbers 21-25
17
Numbers 26-27
18
Jenna Harris
Tanner Hitt
Numbers 28-30
19
Kassi Kinglsey
Numbers 31-33
20
Heather DuBois
Numbers 34-36
21
Jean Mounce
Gary Stanford
Deut. 1-4
22
Tim Davis
Sherry Kingsley
Deut. 5-7
23
Family First
Fellowship
Visitation Team #4
Deut. 8-11
24
Ben DuBois
Deut. 12-16
25
Frankie Estes
Joe Minor
Deut. 17-20
26
Deut. 21-26
27
Carrie Hitt
Deut. 27-30
28
Charlie Ruth
Hallmark
Micah Laney
Aaron Willis
Deut. 31-34
29
“Catch-up”
Sr. Youth--CYC in Pigeon Forge, TN

3. Daily Bible Reading
January 29........................................... Exodus 32-34
January 30........................................... Exodus 35-37
January 31........................................... Exodus 38-40
February 1............................................ Leviticus 1-3
February 2............................................ Leviticus 4-7
February 3.......................................... Leviticus 8-10
February 4........................................ Leviticus 11-13
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Birthdays: Karen Bryan (Jan. 30), Ricky
Johnson (Feb. 1), Lori Sheffield (Feb. 1),
Wesley Funderburk (Feb. 3), Mary Lou Walden
(Feb. 3), Carmen Perkins (Feb. 4), Clayton Long (Feb.
4), Jimmy Spearman (Feb. 4), Grady Vines (Feb. 4).
Anniversaries: Bill & Annie Martin (Feb. 3).
Our Sick
James Simmons is home with shingles. Patsy
Nichols is home with walking pneumonia. Billie
McNutt has a doctor appointment Thursday in
Birmingham about her bursitis. Jean Mounce has a
doctor appointment in Birmingham Thursday, as
well. Ricky Johnson’s mother, Merlene, underwent
sugery Monday at NMMC for bladder cancer. Brad
Dillard, a friend of Chad Willis, has stage 4 cancer.
Hattie Sheffield and Asher Bass were home sick
Sunday. It was so good to see Evelyn Willis able to
attend services Sunday.
On-Going Illnesses
Mary Lou Walden, Pete Barber, Jean Mounce,
Steve Kelly, Frankie Estes, 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, Ann Letteri, Shirley Roberts
Nursing Homes
Evelyn Willis, Nancy Haywood, Randy Attaway,
Shirley McCarthy, Mary Southern, Veona Harris,
James Nichols
--article continued from page 1--
after all he is “seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter
5:8). We must remember that the defense plan is perfect,
but sometimes we fail to execute it properly.
Are we in training for our spiritual self-defense
today? It will take a lot of effort and self-discipline to
study God’s word and be approved by Him (2 Timothy
2:15). The only way to be safe is to be in Christ and the
only way to be sound is to be able to prove to yourself,
from God’s Word that you are in Him and are faithful.
Have we truly obeyed God’s word? Is it possible to obey
God without knowing what God’s word says? We would
not feel very “safe and sound” going into a fight for our
lives against a well-trained solider, would we? Yet, we
often find ourselves “feeling” safe and sound against
Satan (temptation) without so much as a white belt (i.e.
novice, standing) in spiritual self-defense. We need to be
honest with ourselves; our souls are what is at stake.
God wants us to be “safe and sound,” but we
must be willing to deny self (Matthew 16:24), take heed
to God’s word (1Timothy 4:16), and be faithful even to
death (Revelation 2:10).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sympathy
Our sympathy is extended to Tracy Lyle in the loss of
her father, James Nichols, on Jan. 22. Funeral services
were held Jan. 25 at New Hope Baptist Church.
Condolences also, to Judy Bates in the loss of her
brother, Wendell Griggs, on Jan. 22 in Warner Robins,
GA. A private family service will be held later.
Our sympathy to Brenda Lindley in the loss of her
sister, Ruby Clark, on Jan. 25 after a long battle with
cancer. Funeral services were held Jan. 28 in Clarks-
ville, FL.
Our condolences to Linda Parker in the loss of her
sister-in-law, Judy Marks, on Jan. 27. Holland-Harris
Funeral Directors will oversee the arrangements.
Youth, 20s & 30s, & Young
Married Class Activity
The Jr. & Sr. youth, the 20s and 30s Age Group,
and the Young Married class are invited to Comer’s
Restaurant this Sunday evening at 5:00 p.m. to watch the
Super Bowl and have a “half-time” devotional There is a
food list posted on the east hallway on the bulletin board
beside the new ladies’ bathroom.
Outreach Item for January
Garbage bags
Visitation Team #2 (Mike Childers’ team) will
meet Sun., Feb. 2 after services briefly in the
multipurpose room to turn in & get new cards.

4. Men to Serve Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020 a.m.
Announcements.......................................Jeff Mansel
Bible Reading.......................................Larry Presley
Opening Prayer .............................Alex Blackwelder
Lord’s Supper
Dennis Hallmark & Mike Ratliff
Serve Congregation, East Side:
Robert Parker, Eddie Simmons, Chet Wilson
Serve Congregation, West Side:
Joe Minor, John Mounce Britton Smith
Lead Singing....................................James Simmons
Closing Prayer.......................................Wesley Bass
Ushers .................Jason Dickinson & Ricky Lindsey
Please meet in the library by 8:45 a.m.
Sunday Afternoon
Opening Prayer ....................................... Perry Hand
Closing Prayer...................................Jacob Kennedy
Lead Singing......................................Hugh Scribner
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Prayer..................................................Mike Childers
Lead Singing........................................ Greg Hughes
Contact Jimmy Spearman (840-8957) if unable to serve.
The elders kindly request that men leading in public
worship wear the best dress clothes they have.
Greeters ....................................Perry & Linda Hand
...................................Jeff & Natalie Mansel
Prepare Lord’s Supper—February................... Wade
& Karen Bryan
Nursery (1st
worship).....Beth Reed & McKenna Lindsey
(2nd
worship)........... Kim Johonson & Felicia Stanford
Pantry..............................................................Cereal
Attendance & Contribution
Mid-Week, 1-22-20..............................................154
Sunday 1st
Worship, 1-26-20 ...............................183
Sunday Bible Class ..............................................184
Sunday 2nd
Worship.............................................176
Contribution (budget $7,900)..........................$7,688