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♦ FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2007
6A
Going to sleeping during church
The Sunday School
superintendent was a
good-natured, burly
man. After giving the
Sunday School report, he
always sat on the front pew.
This particular Sunday,
I happened to be sitting
directly behind him. Within
minutes after the pas
tor began the sermon, the
superintendent slumped in
his seat and his eyes began
to roll back in his head.
Soon he was sound
asleep. He didn’t awaken
until aroused by the congre
gation singing the closing
hymn.
Following the benediction
he turned to me and said,
“That was a good sermon,
wasn’t it Billy?”
It was all I could do to
maintain a straight face
and not laugh.
The late Rev. Mervin
Watford, pastor of Chamlee
Memorial in Fort Valley for
over 20 years, once told me
of a sleeping incident in one
Church Briefs
Harvest Church
starts new series
Harvest Church is host
ing a four-week series start
ing Aug. 12, The themes
will provide answers to
such questions as“ What
is the point of life?”, “Is
Jesus the only way to
God?”, “What happens
after I die?” and “Why isn’t
life fair?” Harvest Church
meets every Sunday at
the Galleria Theater in
Centerville. Services are 9
a.m., 10:15 a.m. and 11:15
a.m. Childcare is available
at the first two services.
Parents must limit children’s exposure to television
Question: I am con
cerned about the impact
of television in our home.
How can we control it with
out resorting to dictatorial
rules and regulations?
Dobson: It seems that
we have three objectives
as parents. First, we want
to monitor the quality of
the programs our children
watch. Second, we want
to regulate the quantity of
television they see. Even
good programs may have
an undesirable influence on
the rest of children’s activi
ties if they spend too much
time watching them. Third,
we should include the entire
family in establishing a TV
policy.
I read about a system
recently that is very effec
tive in accomplishing all
three of these purposes.
First, it was suggested that
parents sit down with the
children and agree upon a
list of approved programs
that are appropriate for
each age level. Then type
that list (or at least write
it clearly) and enclose it in
clear plastic so it can be
referred to throughout the
week.
Second, either purchase
or make a roll of tickets.
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of his early pastorates. A
man, notorious for sleeping
in church, drifted off to sleep
and began to snore loudly.
His wife punched* him in
the side to awaken him.
HsHra. j«H|
Billy Powell
Columnist
you build the fire this morn
ing, I built it yesterday.”
Another incident at
Watford’s church involved
a man who always slept
during church services. He
would snore with his head
cocked back and his mouth
wide open.
The man sitting behind
him was a tobacco chew
er. He got fed up with the
Back-toschool
bash in WR
The Rehoboth Baptist
Association and Friendship
Baptist Church of Warner
Robins will host a “First
Step Forward” Back-to-
School Bash at 7 p.m. Aug.
10. All area seventh through
12th grade students are
invited to kick off the new
school year with the con
temporary Christian sound
of the David Walker Band,
and a local band, the Good
Fight. The students will
hear a motivational chal
lenge from Evangelist Chris
Brooks, who speaks across
Issue each child 10 tickets
per week, and let him or her
use them to “buy” the privi
lege of watching the pro
grams on the approved list.
When the tickets are gone,
television viewing is over
jin
Dr. James
Dobson
Focus on the Family
www.family.org
week might be an appropri
ate place to start, compared
with the national average
of 40 to 50 hours per week.
That’s far too much, espe
cially for an elementary
school child.
This system can be modi
fied to fit individual home
situations or circumstanc
es. If there’s a special pro
gram that all the children
want to see, such as a fea
ture broadcast or a holiday
program during Christmas
or Thanksgiving, you can
issue more tickets. You
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OF PERRY
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church of your choice
1006 Main St. • Perry
51106
987-2552
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man’s snoring and rolled up
a good-sized plug of tobacco
he was chewing and dropped
it in the snorer’s mouth.
Needless to say, that ended
the snoring.
Most people go to sleep
after the first 20 minutes
of a sermon. They may
look awake but their brains
are shutting down. Mark
Twain said, “Few sinners
are saved after the first 20
minutes of a sermon.” The
most effective sermon I have
ever heard was delivered in
13 minutes flat. As a hom
ilist this pastor, Rev. Jerry
Mahan of Fort Valley’s First
Baptist Church, was second
to none.
He obviously spent much
time in preparation and had
learned to deliver power
ful messages concisely and
effectively. His sermons
were typed out word for
word, and he stuck to his
script.
I would actually time
his sermons by my watch.
The man
still half
asleep
and
thinking
he was
waking
up in
his bed
at home
said
loudly,
“Honey,
America about issue that
concern youth. Registration,
food and activities begin at
5:30 p.m. There is no admis
sion charge. Friendship
Baptist Church is at 1322
Feagin Mill Road near Lake
Joy Road in Warner Robins.
For more information,
call Youth and Activities
Minister Chris Rice at 953-
9509.
Haynesville
Baptist concert
The DeGuires and the
Jordans will present a con
cert of southern Gospel
music at the First Baptist
Church of Haynesville Aug.
might also give extra tick
ets as rewards for achieve
ment or some other laud
able behavior.
The real test will occur
when parents reveal wheth
er or not they have the
courage to put themselves
on that limited system, too.
We often need the same
regulations in our viewing
habits!
Question: My 3-year-old
can be counted on to behave
like a brat whenever we are
in the mall or in a restau
rant. He seems to know I
will not punish him there in
front of other people. How
should I handle this tactic?
Dobson:Let me answer
you with an illustration
from nature. I’m told that
a raccoon can usually kill
a dog if he gets him in a
lake or river. He will simply
pull the hound underwater
until he drowns. Most other
predatory animals prefer to
do battle on the turf of their
own choosing.
So do children. If they’re
going to pick a fight with
Mom or Dad, they’d rather
stage it in a public place,
such as a supermarket or
in the church foyer. They
are smart enough to know
that they are “safer” in
for that
week.
This
teaches a
child to
be dis
criminat-
ing about
what is
watched.
A maxi
mum of
10 hours
of view
ing per
1812 LS. 41E
Perry, GA
987-1112
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FIoormgAMERICA
Mil).'
I SI 100
CHURCH
Never, ever did he exceed 20
minutes. So many people
came to hear him preach
that the church had to
resort to two morning ser
vices to accommodate the
overflow crowds. Watford
was the most entertaining
preacher I have ever lis
tened to. He mesmerized
his audiences.
One evening in Troas, the
Apostle Paul kept preaching
until midnight.
A young man named
Eutychus grew sleepier
and sleepier and fell from
the third story window.
Everyone thought he was
dead.
But Paul rushed to him.
When Paul embraced the
young man, he came back
to life. They all went back
upstairs, broke bread and
ate. Paul left about sunrise.
They took the young man
home and were greatly com
forted he was still alive.
The answer to last week’s
Bible puzzle: whale.
11 at 6 p.m. The church
is located 10 miles south
of Perry on Highway 341.
Admission is free. A love
offering will be taken.
Houston Lake
Baptist sign-up
Houston Lake Baptist
Church is having AWAA
registration for children
and teens Wednesday from
7-8 p.m. The program will
begin 6n Aug. 15, with meet
ings from 5:15-6:15 p.m.
and family meals served.
The church is at the corner
of Arena Road and Houston
Lake Road. For more infor
mation, call 987-0277.
front of other people. They
will grab candy or speak
in disrespectful ways that
would never be attempted
at home.
Again, the most successful
military generals are those
who surprise the enemy in
a terrain advantageous to
their troops. Public facili
ties represent the “high
ground” for a rambunctious
preschooler.
You may be one of the
parents who have fallen
into the trap of creating
“sanctuaries” in which the
old rules aren’t enforced.
It is a certainty that your
strong-willed son or daugh
ter will notice those safe
zones and behave offensive
ly and disrespectfully when
there. There is something
within the tougher child
that almost forces him to
“test the limits” in situa
tions where the resolve of
adults is in question.
Therefore, I recommend
that you lay out the ground
rules before you enter
those public arenas, mak
ing it clear that the same
rules will apply. Then if he
misbehaves, respond as you
would have done at home.
His public behavior will
improve dramatically.
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Contributed
Kay DeKalb Smith, Christian comedian, will be the key
note speaker at a women’s retreat at Westside Baptist
Church.
Westside Baptist hosting
women’s weekend
Special to the Journal
Westside Baptist Church,
1101 Dunbar Road,
Warner Robins, will host
a “Wonderful Weekend for
Women” Aug. 24-25. The
keynote speaker will be Kay
DeKalb Smith of Nashville,
Tenn., who has been called
Friendship is very valuable
u Tron sharpeneth iron;
I so a man sharpeneth
JLthe countenance
of his friend.” - Proverbs
27:17
I searched the internet
and found that the First
Sunday of August was
declared as Friendship Day
in the United States by a
Proclamation made by con
gress in 1935. Since then,
World Friendship Day is
observed on the first Sunday
of August to recognize and
honor friends.
I once heard a radio minis
ter state that Christ Himself
knew the value of and need
for companionship. If Christ,
who is our example, realized
such a need, should we not
also realize the need?
Other thoughts shared
over the broadcasted mes
sage emphasized that
humans need humans with
whom to exchange under
standing glances and hear
their voices. Moral support
and words of encouragement
as best expressed by fellow
Christians.
A primary value of
Christian friendship, as stat
ed by the minister is “the
manner in which friends act
as conductors of our feelings.
Friends are to our emotional
houses what good conductors
are to the house in which we
live. Often they are directly
for keeping flow out in pro
portion to the amount flow
ing in.
La* ine i
VPERRY FLORIST
734 Main Street
Perry, Georgia 31069
987-1656
800-516-1004
j
DAVID OVERTON
JEWELERS
905 Carroll St.
Perry, GA 31069
478-987-1392
151113
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
“the Carol Burnett of
Christian entertainment.”
All women are welcome to
attend. To register, call the
church office at 785-1024.
There is a cost of $35, which
includes dessert on Aug. 11,
and a continental breakfast
and lunch on Aug. 12.
At one time or anoth
er, we encounter problems.
Little harm results when we
allow our problems to flow
through us. Keeping even
the smallest problem bottled
up within our minds and
hearts results in difficulties.
Earline Cole
Reflections
and others, love them and
accept them, they will react
to us in a friendly manner.”
- Emerson
Neither you or I can be
the closest friend to all. Only
Christ can and should be the
nearest and dearest friend to
each of us. Every Christian
realizes that Christ can be
relied upon in time of trou
ble and that He rejoices with
us in times of rejoicing.
Friendship is a valuable
possession. One I would not
want to lose. In keeping
with this special day, I take
the opportunity to openly
express appreciation to God
for that valued possession
and ask that He help me to
be the kind of friend I should
be.
Perry Brake & Muffler
jSJJK 1202 Main St.
fßflPfif Perry, GA 31069
Complete Car Maintenance
NAPA Auto Care
478-987-3813
151105
Perry
Drug iCompanv
frienfy. Professional Sendee
Ben Bartlett A Hubert Bennett,
HK.ISTIWEB PHARMAC.ISIS
1036 MACON Rl). • PFRRV. GA
988-1144
1109
“Man
surrounds
himself
with the
true image
of himself.
We reflect
the image
which
we have
of our
selves. If
we respect
ourselves
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