Owl Hollow Church of Christ

Macon’s Moments: Preparation

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:37:27 +0000

If a major disaster were to strike today, would you be ready to survive the difficulties that were to follow? We have experienced a taste of such a disaster over the last year with our area being with out power for several days in some locations. Imagine if that power had been out for weeks, months, or even years. The Department of Homeland Security has created disaster preparedness guidelines and kits that can be assembled at home to plan for your needs in the event of a serious catastrophe. Are you prepared to face a disaster that comes your way?

There are a few things that one needs to know to prepare for disaster:

The kind of disaster: There are general things that apply for every disaster, but some will require specialized needs and tools.
The length of the survival period: Will it be weeks, days, months, or years?
The amount of people: Will you be preparing for yourself, your family, or your community?
The precautions needed to be safe: What will it take to be secure?
The people who you will trust: Military, government agencies, churches, or strangers?
The destination when the disaster hits: where will you go?

Deciding these minor things beforehand can create a significant difference in ones survival, but they will have no impact if we are unwilling to hear that there is an imminent disaster. A serious disaster is quickly approaching, and there are many who refuse to hear the call of those who see it. We must realize that the return of Christ can be either a disaster or a salvation. For those who aren’t prepared, the Master makes no room and leaves them in the outer darkness (Matt. 22:1-14). The coming disaster is the return of Christ, and we must prepare ourselves to spend eternity with or without God. If you haven’t decided already, it will be too late when the tragedy hits.

- Kyle Macon

Into the Field: Ukraine

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:43:49 +0000

In October our minister was able to accompany his father-in-law (Johnny Mack Young) on a mission trip to Ukraine. This was Walter’s third trip to this country. His father-in-law has been conducting such trips since 1995.Ukraineis a very large country that sits on the western border ofRussia. It is a mission field that has been wide open since the fall communism in Eastern Europe. Opportunities for preaching the Gospel and challenges for relatively young congregations create the need for long-term and short-term missionary efforts to this nation.

This year, Walter was able to work in two different cities. The first stop was the city of Skyvra. While there, Walter and Johnny worked with a small congregation presenting lessons in a Gospel Meeting format. They were also able to do local visiting for various members of the Lord’s Church in this city. Walter and his father-in-law also took this opportunity to encourage the church in Skyvra. This congregation has been struck with illnesses and unexpected deaths in the past year. It was a congregation that needed spiritual uplifting. Hopefully, this was accomplished in small part by Walter and Johnny Mack’s visit.

The city of Dunetsk was the next stop for Walter and Johnny. They worked with the local congregation in this city by presenting numerous lessons. They also visited the local congregations in surrounding towns and villages in order to present lessons. One of the main goals of this visit was to improve relations between the church and the English Department of the local university. Walter and Johnny Mack presented numerous English classes to the students of the university which used the Bible as the textbook. They received positive feedback from these lectures and hope to keep this door open as it represents fertile ground for evangelistic opportunities.

Walt’s Wonderings “Seeing Your Shadow”

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:10:18 +0000

This past week we celebrated Groundhog Day. People gathered to see Phil the groundhog inPunxsutawney,Pennsylvaniaemerge from his den. According to tradition, if the groundhog sees his shadow, we are in for six more weeks of winter. People put a lot of stock into this one little shadow. With that said, Christians must realize that there is a shadow that carries much more weight in our lives.

What does your shadow look like? We all know that a shadow is nothing more than a solid object blocking the light from a light source (light bulb, fire, sun). When this happens, that solid object will cast a shadow. It makes sense that our shadow looks a whole lot like us. However, Christians should aim for a different shape of shadow. When we live our lives for Christ, we should be swallowed up in the shadow of the cross.

The shadow of the cross is a phrase Christians use quite frequently. It simply means that Christians seek to live their lives at the feet of the cross. We seek to remember that sacrifice in everything we say and do. We strive to bow down at the feet of Jesus on a daily basis. Christianity is all about being consumed by the redeeming feature of the Cross of Calvary.

How is your shadow looking? When you make the decision to live for Christ, you are no longer your own possession. You have turned your mind, body, and soul over to serve the King of Kings. When you truly make this commitment, you begin to look more and more like Christ every single day. The next time you are walking on a sunny day and notice your shadow, remember the spiritual shadows that follow all mankind. How is your spiritual shadow shaping up?

Walter Rayburn

SUPER SUNDAY 2012!

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:46:31 +0000

On April 15th, 2012, Owl Hollow church of Christ will be hosting a Super Sunday focused on God’s plan financial stewardship. Owl Hollow has come to recognize the pressures that come with economic times such as ours, and wants to help prepare all those who desire to know what God wills on this subject. With that in mind, Manly Luscombe will be presenting 3 lessons taking aim on how we manage and utilize the money that we have for the benefit of ourselves and the Kingdom of God. A fellowship meal will take place after morning services, and will be followed by the final session of the day. We hope that you will be able to attend and join us in better learning how to serve God with our money.

Walt’s Wonderings: Resource Reviews

admin — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:26:59 +0000

Having tools in your home to help you study God’s Word is vital. This is especially true if you have children you are trying to raise up in the admonition of the Lord. This week, I want to take a moment to recommend a couple of resources that will help parents teach their children and grandparents teach their grandchildren the Word of God.

First on our list is Truth Be Told: Exposing The Myth Of Evolution. This book was written by Kyle Butt and Eric Lyons and is published by Apologetics Press. This book is designed for use as a science textbook for grades 4-6. It is an excellent defense of the Bible’s teachings concerning monkey-to-man evolution; as well as other topics. This book is filled with pictures, easy-to-understand illustrations, and end of chapter reviews to ensure your child has understood the material. This book may be purchased from ApologeticsPress.com.

Next on our list is Rose Book Of Bible Charts, Maps, and Timelines. As the title suggests, this book is filled with visual aides to help with Bible study. Included in this book are beautiful illustrations of theTemple, the Tabernacle, theArk, and others. There are also charts that help to condense large portions of God’s Word into one or two pages of material. This book will be an asset to you throughout your life. Beginning with very small children being able to see what items in the Bible actually looked like and ending with complicated matters such as main ideas from world religions or fulfillment of Biblical prophecies. This book may be ordered from most Christian bookstores or Christian book catalogs, which we have in our church office.

These resources are not meant to replace the study of God’s Word. However, they can prove to be invaluable as you raise your children in the world today.

Walter Rayburn

Macon’s Moments: Transform not Conform

admin — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:21:09 +0000

“If I could find a church which did not insist upon creed and ceremony; a church where money was not the everlasting theme; I would attend.” You may have heard this phrase in some form from people who are outside the church when they offer their public opinion of what they desire from the Body of Christ. Despite the clear objective of the Church, the world still claims to want from a church what we already offer. Here we claim no creed except the Bible, we have no formal ceremony, the service is simple and congregational, the music is beautiful, the preaching varied, and all the seats are free. This is the world’s formula of the ideal church, yet we do not see the throngs of outsiders pouring into our pews to become believers of the Word.
In a bid to win over the souls of the lost in a sea of various spiritual options, we are just a single church out of the mixed bunch that is offering this world eternal salvation. For the last few decades, the church has been concerned with what draws people in from the outside. We have created programs to involve those from the outside to help them feel comfortable enough to show up to Sunday services, but these very programs have often times adopted the ways of the world to accomplish their goal. The broad scope of Christianity has adopted so many things from the outside that the Gospel of Christ has been lost in yoga programs and skate parks. We have become entertainers of the world and not the revolutionary believers of Christ that we have been called to be. We are more concerned with keeping people happy than keeping God happy. We have focused on the concept of greater numbers and have allowed the concept of greater Christians to fall by the wayside.
Paul tells the Romans not to be conformed by the world but transform by the renewing of their mind (Romans 12:2). Rome was the center of the cultural world at the time that Paul wrote this, and he was well aware that there would be pressures to adopt the cultural movements of the day. Corinth had an issue with sexual immorality in the church due to the pagan temple practices their (remember the Body is the temple of God), and Paul’s concern could have been very similar here. His primary warning stands clear to all believers: “Do not be like the world, Change the world!” I am convinced the same stands true for us today. The thing about cultural changes in the world is that we are to test them against the will of God, and keep the things that are good, acceptable, and perfect. Our objective should be to change the world with the Gospel of Christ not allow the world to change the Gospel so that we can feel better about “bringing more souls in”.

Kyle Macon

Macon’s Moments: Classic or Custom?

admin — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:25:21 +0000

If you frequent any regular car show that might happen during the summer months, you will see various grades and qualities a variety of cars. They are often divided into groups of make, model, or year, but they are judged upon completely different criteria. As the judging takes place, the owner is to identify in which class their car will be competing. There are several different types of classes but the two most common are Custom and Classic.
The custom class is just as it sounds, and contains cars that have been modified in any way at all. Simple changes that most common non-experts would notice can put a car in this class. If the radio is not original or has been upgraded, the car must be entered into the custom class. If the paint is slightly a different color, then the care must be entered into the custom class. Custom is for cars that are not considered to be exactly as they were when they came off the assembly line. However, the class for classic cars is much more meticulous. The prized cars in this category come exactly as they did when they were first assembled in Detroit. Many times cars in this class will have been restored with meticulous care to ensure that they are perfect, and some will even carry paperwork that justifies their claim of authenticity. These cars are exactly as the manufacturer expected them to be, and they are highly prized for it.
We can find our lives so modified and changed. We insert things into our existence that God did not intend to be there, and we live wondering why life doesn’t function in the way that it is meant to. Some are convinced that modification and customization is the way to go in this life, and they seem like they have it all together. However, they have things that don’t quite fit in their life underneath it all.
Just as classic cars are prized by the collector, God prizes those of us who are willing to become what he intended us to be when he “rolled us out of the factory”. We might me damaged, broken, not operating, missing vital pieces, and seen as worthless to the world. Luckily, we have a God that can restore us to our intended glory if we are willing to give ourselves over to him. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17).

Macon’s Moments:Skyscrapers

admin — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:23:57 +0000

One of my earliest independent adventures into the world was a cruise that I took between my sophomore and junior years of high school. I remember loading onto a bus in the early hours of the morning and riding for nearly 24 hours straight until we arrived at New York City. I remember coming through the Lincoln tunnel to exit and see the majestic city to my left, and I found myself in wonder at the skyscrapers as we drove through the center of Manhattan. At the time, the World Trade Center was still standing and it pronounced the New York skyline. New York is a city that is dominated by these towering feats of human architecture.

The thing that amazes me isn’t the beauty of the architecture, but the engineering that enables these buildings to hold the colossal burden of both itself and man. Theses buildings face winds that would shred most common structures because of their altitude, but precise engineering and design allow them to withstand even the strongest of winds. Counterweights, allowance for a certain amount of sway, and deep set foundations allow the skyscrapers to tower over the rest of the world. Each part is deeply tested against a high standard so that it can be counted on when the building is complete. Inferior bolts and girders only lead to a weaker building that will not be able to remain strong under the toughest of conditions.
When we look a piece of complex architecture like this, we understand that there is a designer who created this building in their mind, planned it with their hands, and formed it with their voice. As the building was built, the complex plans that the architect or engineer created are meticulously followed giving life to their thoughts, ideas, and voice. The building is more than just steel and glass filled with furnishings and people. It is the embodiment of a single idea reinforced with the standards to allow it to withstand a storm.

Why is it that we can look at a sky scraper and identify that there is strength and safety because of the designer, but doubt our own strength when we look at ourselves in the mirror? We are much like skyscrapers, and we have a designer who gave His voice life. We are designed to withstand so much. God understands us and the burden that we can bear because He is the one that created us. “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust (Psa 103:13-14).”We must remember that God formed us, and will never put us under more stress or struggle than we can stand.

Walt’s Wonderings: Children’s Songs 4

admin — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:22:20 +0000

“I may never march in the infantry, ride in the cavalry, shoot the artillery. I may never fly o’er the enemy, but I’m in the Lord’s Army.” It may be that no other Christian children’s song we sing has a more adult message than this one. The idea of being a soldier in an army can be a scary one. However, it is important to remember that every person who buries Himself with Christ joins the rank and file of the greatest army to ever walk the face of the earth. It is an army shaped in the image of Christ. It is an army seeking to fight off humanity’s greatest foe. It is an army that needs full-time soldiers. As we read these lyrics, we need to take a closer look at the Lord’s Army.
The Lord’s Army is at war. As Paul says, this army is not physically fighting off attack. Rather, they are involved in spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:12). Soldiers in the Lord’s Army face danger every single day. Satan constantly seeks to weaken the Lord’s Army through temptation and trials. As good soldiers of Christ, we must meet each battle with courage and zeal. We must resist the evil one so he will flee from us. We must remember that this war raging around us has eternal consequences for all people.
The Lord’s Army needs equipment. Every soldier knows that fighting without weapons and defenses would be a recipe for disaster. Fortunately, our great General has provided us with all we need (Ephesians 6:13-17). From this passage we learn that we need to perform righteous works that we might deny the sinful nature of our flesh. We learn that we need to shield ourselves in faith that we might remove the doubts from our mind. We learn that we need to take up the Word of God as a living and active sword that we might resist the temptations of the wicked one. Until we put our armor on, we have no chance to serve God in His Army.
War is a horrible thing. It would be wonderful if we knew the outcome of every single battle before it took place. Maybe then lives would be spared as the losing side would simple refuse to fight. We know the outcome of the battle between God’s Army and Satan’s minions. The only question is whose side are you on?

Real Power

admin — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:20:06 +0000

Jerry Clower told of an incident that took place during an annual stockholder’s meeting of his favorite airline. The meeting was being held in its traditional meeting place of Monroe, Louisiana in the bank building where the airline began. One person proposed that the annual stockholder’s meetings be rotated among larger cities such as San Francisco, Atlanta, New York, Boston, etc. Another man seconded the proposal, rather smugly stating that he represented eighty thousand shares of Delta stock. Clower said: “Then a distinguished-looking man in his seventies, wearing a beautiful suit, rose from his chair, smiled at everybody, and said, ‘My name is Bernard W. Biedenharn. I represent five hundred eighty thousand shares of Delta Airlines stock. I’d like to welcome you people back to Monroe next year.’”

When you speak from a position of real strength, you don’t have to shout or argue. You can afford to smile and speak softly and calmly. Absolutely no one in this world speaks from a position of real strength like the child of God. The children of the world may seem to have the upper hand at times, but the child of the King is not disquieted by their bluster. Let “the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing” (Psalms 2:1, Acts 4:25), the righteous have no need to fear. The wise man said. “The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1).

The world may say to the Christian, “You’re old-fashioned, hopelessly outdated, and out of touch. You have no right to think as you do, speak as you do, or act as you do. You’re standing in the way of progress with your antiquated views of morality and rectitude. GET OUT OF THE WAY!” Without a blush, the child of God can then stand, and in a soft but confident voice reply, ‘My Father owns this planet and everything on it. I will continue to live a life of faith, purity, honesty, and holiness. I will continue to speak words of truth and soberness. Thank you anyway!

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Johnny Mack Young