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Vol. 45 July 28, 2020 Number 30
NEED A BREAK?
Barry Kennedy
“I’m tired!” “I cannot take it anymore!” “The more I give, the more they take!” “I
am just plain fed up!” Do any of these quotes sound familiar to you? No doubt, most of us
have said this, or at least felt this way, on more than one occasion. Is it wrong to feel this
way? Does feeling this way make one sinful, or weak spiritually? To say one is guilty of
sin and weakness for feeling this way would be going a bit too far, but there is a danger in
such a disposition. What should the child of God do when he or she finds themselves
needing to get away from all the pressure of this world? How many of us “need a
break?”
Sometimes we do not recognize that we need a break. Moses is one of the most
famous characters about which one can read. Moses was a man in need of a break, but
interestingly enough, he did not recognize that need. Exodus 18 records how that the
people of Israel were coming to Moses with their questions. The Bible records how that
Moses sat deliberating from morning until the evening. Jethro, Moses’s father in law,
having watched the events transpiring, clearly saw that Moses was a man who needed a
break. Jethro said, “Thou wilt surely wear away (emph. mine B K), both thou and this
people that is with thee:” (Exodus 18:18). Sometimes friends or loved ones see that their
loved one needs a break first. Moses needed to “share” some of the workload for the
benefit of everyone. He took the advice of his father in law; would we?
Even God’s people need a break. The events in Moses’s life, just discussed in
the above paragraph, is a great example of how God’s people need a break. Having said
that, Moses is not the only example of one of God’s people needing a break. In fact, some
of Jesus’s closest friends needed rest (Matthew 26:36-45). Jesus, and His apostles, went
into the garden of Gethsemane before the crucifixion. Jesus was there in deep distress and
needing to speak with the Father in prayer. The apostles having just finished the “last
supper” with their Master, found themselves physically fatigued and needing rest. Jesus
prayed for one hour and came back to find them asleep. Jesus said to Peter, “What, could
ye not watch with me one hour?” (Matthew 26:40). Jesus returned to praying and His
disciples returned to their slumber. Jesus was not unconcerned about their fatigue and told
them softly, “Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the
Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners” (Mark 14:41). Jesus understood, and
understands today, that the body needs rest if one is to be prepared. “Watch and pray, that
ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew
26:41).
Even while taking a break one should be making preparations. There is a
story told about two wood cutters challenging one another in a contest to see who could
cut the most wood in a day. One man challenged another to an all-day wood chopping
contest. The challenger worked very hard, stopping only for a brief lunch break. The other
man had a leisure lunch and took several breaks during the day. At the end of the day, the
challenger was surprised and annoyed to find that the other fellow had chopped substan-
--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
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.
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—
-tially more wood than he had. "I don't get it," he
said. "Every time I checked, you were taking a
rest, yet you chopped more wood than I did."
"But you didn't notice," said the winning
woodsman, "that I was sharpening my ax when I
sat down to rest." Just as the words of Jesus rang
true with His disciples, they ring true today. We
must be ever vigilant especially considering our
adversary is Satan. “Be sober, be vigilant; because
your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh
about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Peter 5:8).
A hungry lion could make a quick meal out of an
exhausted prey. Satan, our adversary is no doubt
having a “field day” with the slothful weary souls of
man today. What about our lives? Can we say that
we are in need of a break, if nothing more than to
sharpen our blades? “Iron sharpeneth iron; so, a
man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend”
(Proverbs 27:17).
God has in His plans a way for man to care
for both the physical and the spiritual well-being.
One of the ways this is accomplished is through His
church: the body of Christ. Just as the physical body
is designed to transfer all necessary nutrient
throughout the body, as well as remove all the
harmful waste, the spiritual body of Christ is to
provide the same services. The question is, “What
are we as individual members of His body doing to
help other members who are in need of a break?”
Will we allow our brothers and sisters to help us
sharpen our blades? Are we willing to sharpen our
brother’s blade and our blades as well? God knows
that we have needs (Matthew 6:8; 31). He also
understands that there are times when we need a
break. May He help us to be watchful even in our
short times of rest, remembering that Heaven is a
place of rest (Hebrews 4:9), not for the rested.
There we will never have need of a break ever
again.
Sympathy
Our sympathy is extended to Katie Bates in the
loss of her grandmother, Margaret Miller, on July
17. A family service was held at Holland Harris
Funeral Home in Tupelo on July 20.
Wedding
Congratulations to Caleb Williams &
Sydney Clark who were united in
marriage July 18 at the Pine Grove
Church of Christ. They will reside in
Quantico, NC, where Caleb is stationed
in the Marines.
New Baby
Congratulations to Zac &
Savannah Tucker in the birth of their
daughter, Mary Mariea, on July 7.
She weighed 7 lbs. 15 oz. and was
20 ½ inches long. Dean & Kristie
Webb are the proud grandparents
and Evelyn Willis is the proud great-grandmother.
Mother and baby are home doing well.
John Duke stationed in Gulfport, MS
Caleb Williams stationed in Quantico, VA
Rob Cross & family stationed in South Korea
Ty Nichols stationed in Germany
August 2020
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
Kaley Gholston
Berta Kennedy
Emily Rushing
Jeremiah 1-3
2
Mia Malone
Larry & Judy
Bates
Jeremiah 4-6
3
Rommie &
Annie Dilworth
Greg & Tracy
Lyle
Jeremiah 7-10
4
Betty Kingsley
Jeff Mansel
Jeremiah 11-15
5
Jeremiah 16-20
6
John Ezra
Lindley
Jeremiah 21-25
7
Jeremiah 26-29
8
Crafton & Marla
Laney
Danny &
Barbara Wright
Jeremiah 30-31
9
Girls’ Joyful
Rebellion pool
party @ 4 pm
Jeremiah 32-33
10
Norma Deaton
Mike & Renee
Childers
Jeremiah 34-36
11
Pat Putt
Jeremiah 37-39
12
Olivia
Sanderson
Jeremiah 40-45
13
Sky Ray
Jeremiah 46-49
14
Jeremiah 50-52
15
Lamentations
16
Sam Hood
Perry & Linda
Hand
Ezekiel 1-6
17
Hannah Bland
Ezekiel 7-11
18
Kade Gilliland
Ezekiel 12-15
19
Kathryn McKee
Joe Smith
Ezekiel 16-19
20
Robin Tindall
Ezekiel 20-21
21
Howard Tindall
Robert & Linda
Parker
Ezekiel 22-23
22
Ezekiel 24-28
23
Wedding Shower
Emily Williams &
Chase Stanford
Ezekiel 29-32
24
Ezekiel 33-36
25
Ezekiel 37-39
26
Adaline Bates
Ezekiel 40-43
27
Easton DuBois
Connie Kingsley
J. J. Reed
Ezekiel 44-48
28
Daniel 1-3
29
Daniel 4-6
30
Daniel 7-9
31
Terry & Sherry
Kingsley
Daniel 10-12
Personal Evangelism
Workshop

3.
Daily Bible Reading
July 29...........................................................Isaiah 52-57
July 30...........................................................Isaiah 58-62
July 31...........................................................Isaiah 63-66
August 1....................................................... Jeremiah 1-3
August 2....................................................... Jeremiah 4-6
August 3..................................................... Jeremiah 7-10
August 4................................................... Jeremiah 11-15
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Birthdays: Kelly Thompson (July 30), Kaley
Gholston (Aug. 1), Berta Kennedy (Aug. 1),
Emily Rushing (Aug. 1), Mia Malone (Aug. 2),
Betty Kingsley (Aug. 4), Jeff Mansel (Aug. 4).
Anniversaries: Rodney & Amy Voyles (July 31), Larry
& Judy Bates (Aug. 2), Rommie & Annie Dilworth
(Aug. 3), Greg & Tracy Lyle (Aug. 3).
Our Sick
Pete Barber continues home hospice. Linda Hand,
Terry Kingsley & Crafton Laney are home recuperating
from surgeries. Natalie Mansel will undergo surgery
soon in Birmingham to correct TMJ issues with her jaw.
Star Ray’s sister-in-law, Melissa Pittman, is in NMMC
with complications from the corona virus. Star’s mother,
Stella Pittman, is having some issues with her hand.
Prayers have been requested for Thomas Lloyd, a good
friend of Eddie Simmons who is having a lot of trouble
with Spasmodic Dysphonia; and Zack Wilbanks of the
Monroe County Police who is in the NMMC following a
serious car accident over the weekend.
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
Nursing Homes
Evelyn Willis, Nancy Haywood, Randy Attaway,
Shirley McCarthy, Veona Harris, Bob & Clara McClure
(Missy Nichols’ parents)
--article continued from page 1—
-tially more wood than he had. "I don't get it," he said.
"Every time I checked, you were taking a rest, yet you
chopped more wood than I did." "But you didn't notice,"
said the winning woodsman, "that I was sharpening my
ax when I sat down to rest." Just as the words of Jesus
rang true with His disciples, they ring true today. We
must be ever vigilant especially considering our
adversary is Satan. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Peter 5:8). A hungry
lion could make a quick meal out of an exhausted prey.
Satan, our adversary is no doubt having a “field day”
with the slothful weary souls of man today. What about
our lives? Can we say that we are in need of a break, if
nothing more than to sharpen our blades? “Iron
sharpeneth iron; so, a man sharpeneth the countenance of
his friend” (Proverbs 27:17).
God has in His plans a way for man to care for
both the physical and the spiritual well-being. One of the
ways this is accomplished is through His church: the
body of Christ. Just as the physical body is designed to
transfer all necessary nutrients throughout the body, as
well as remove all the harmful waste, the spiritual body
of Christ is to provide the same services. The question is,
“What are we as individual members of His body doing
to help other members who are in need of a break?” Will
we allow our brothers and sisters to help us sharpen our
blades? Are we willing to sharpen our brother’s blade
and our blades as well? God knows that we have needs
(Matthew 6:8; 31). He also understands that there are
times when we need a break. May He help us to be
watchful even in our short times of rest, remembering
that Heaven is a place of rest (Hebrews 4:9), not for the
rested. There we will never have need of a break ever
again.
Sympathy
Our sympathy is extended to Hannon Ray in the loss
of his cousin, Jan Jacobs, on July 22. Funeral services
were held July 25 at Waters Funeral Home in Baldwyn.
We also extend condolences to Sandra Simmons in
the loss of her sister, Anne Lettieri, on July 25. Funeral
services will be held July 29 at 11 am at Holland-Harris
Funeral Home in Tupelo. Visitation will be from 10 am
until service time.
John Duke stationed in Gulfport, MS
Caleb Williams stationed in Quantico, VA
Rob Cross & family stationed in South Korea
Ty Nichols stationed in Germany
The girls’ Joyful Rebellion Group are
invited to a pool party on Aug. 9 at 4
p.m. See Beth Reed for more details!

4.
Men to Serve Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020 a.m.
Announcements...........................Bobby Joe Lindley
Bible Reading................................Alex Blackwelder
Opening Prayer ............................ Rommie Dilworth
Lord’s Supper
Michael Wilson
Lead Singing..............................................Mark Hitt
Closing Prayer................................Jimmy Spearman
Ushers .................. David Ramseyer & Jalon Mansel
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, 7-15-20 ................................................... N/A
Sunday 1st
Worship, 7-19-20 ........................................ 26
Sunday Bible Class.................................................... N/A
Sunday 2nd
Worship.................................................. 100*
Contribution (budget $7,900) ................................ $8,507
*This does not include the livestreamed views.
Mark Your Calendars!
Personal Evangelism Workshop – August 28th-29th
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.