"You should not bow down to any images nor worship them in any way, for I am the Lord your God. I am a jealous God, and I will bring the curse of a father's sins upon even the third and fourth, generation of the children of those who hate me; but I will show kindness to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. " (Deuteronomy 5:9, 10)

Many may read the Bible and feel that the "sins of the father" is no longer relevant. Jesus died for our sins, so all is forgiven. Certainly that is true, if one believes in the Word and in Christ. But this verse addresses those who do not believe. We all know those who are critical of any type of religion and ridicule any belief in an eternal life. For those people this verse may still hold true. For who knows what influence they have on their children, and grandchildren, all the way to the third and fourth generations.

That is why we as Christians support the programs, and activities designed to attract children into the church. Programs such as Terrific Tuesdays, Vacation Bible School, Wednesday Kids, youth choirs and bells, offer alternatives to what the child may not be receiving in any other environment. We should encourage parents to let their children participate in church activities, to bring children to worship services, to encourage Bible study groups for all ages. As stated in Deuteronomy 6:2 "The purpose of these laws is to cause you, your sons, and your grandsons to reverence the Lord your God by obeying all of his instructions as long as you live; if you do you will have long, prosperous years ahead of you."

We have so many volunteers in our church that we, as a congregation owe our gratitude. Without all these dedicated people, the children and youth programs offered by our church would not be possible. It is impossible to name everyone involved, but we all know who they are. Last Sunday we did not need to see the T-shirts of the volunteers that worked with the Vacation Bible School, you needed only to look at those who appeared totally exhausted! God bless you all, and thank you for your time, commitment and love.

Sunday, August the 24th will be the Back to School Bash for the young people, with a special guest speaker Mark Winter. Remember this Sunday will also be Sunday school promotion day. Bring your children, neighbors' kids, your friends' kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews. Come spend some time in Christian fellowship with your loved ones.

CrossTraining, the highly successful childrens' program will start its second year Wednesday, August 27th at 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Remember, this program is a nondenominational Christian program, with stories, crafts, music, and games. The objective is for K-5th grades to learn about Jesus Christ in a loving, joyful environment. If you need more information, please call the church office.

September 8th is the first night for the Boy Scouts of America meeting for this school year. The meetings will be 6:30 p.m. on Monday for the Cub Scouts and Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. for the Boy Scouts in Fellowship Hall. If you have any questions, please call Frank Griffin, Scout Leader at 903-849- 3923.

For us adults, the Quilt Group will meet September 13th, the Triple L is scheduled for September the 10th and those who have been in training, the 5K Fun Run is Saturday, August 23rd.

Join us at Linda Pinson's Bible study. The course will start September 8, 2008, and will last for 10 weeks. Sign up now if you are interested in learning Jesus's words "I AM."

Happy Anniversary to: S.A. and Edith Billie Pollard and David and Kay Kidd.

Happy Birthday to: Ann Pruitt, Gregg Magee, Richard Rabe, Zel Snow, Fred Stauber, Charles Lipscomb, Laura Griffin, Bing Ball, Dawn Crossley, Jody Callaway, Dianne Johnston, Zach Shaffer, Jack Bass, Elizabeth Pruitt, and Jared Jordan.

Thought for the Week: "Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and don't prevent them. For of such is the Kingdom of Heaven." Matthew 19:14.