EAST TAMPA CHRISTIAN CHURCH
7824 S. 24th Ave., Tampa, Fla. 33619 / (813) 626-2507
Terry Tyree, Minister
ORDER OF WORSHIP
Announcements
Prayer
Sermon
Invitation Song
Communion Song
Communion / Offering
Praise Songs
10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)
Living Hope
Our God
God of All My Days
Closing Prayer
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
ON THE CALENDAR
Sunday: Sunday School /Adults 9 a.m., Children 9 and 10 a.m.
Worship, 10 a.m.
Tuesday: Hunger-Free Mission food and clothes sharing, 10 a.m.
Wednesday: Bible study and prayer meeting, 6 p.m.
Thursday: Bible study, 11 a.m.
August 5: Backpack and school supplies giveaway, 11:30 a.m.
THIS AND THAT
Welcome home! Merry Schoch rejoined the East Tampa family last Sunday, expressing her eagerness to work alongside us in service to the Lord – music to our ears!
Offerings last week: $1,972 (general fund)
Meditations next week: John Thomas
FROM THE WORD
WHAT DOES THIS VERSE MEAN?
Paul has provided some specific guidelines in the previous verses about when Christians should eat and refrain from eating food that has been offered to idols. Those answers gave broad freedom to those who are spiritually “strong” and recognize that God gives a good purpose for everything He has created (1 Timothy 4:4).
Scripture has also provided careful warnings that moderate how that freedom can be used. Here, Paul boils everything down to a single principle that should drive all our choices.
Believers should be motivated to bring glory to God in everything we do or choose not to do. This includes our choices to eat or drink, or to refuse. Paul adds this to a list of motivating factors for the use of our freedom in Christ.
Will this activity be helpful to me, or will it cause me to be "mastered" (1 Corinthians 6:12)? Will doing this build up others and be good for my neighbor as well as for myself (1 Corinthians 10:23–24)? And now, will this choice to eat or drink or do anything else bring glory to God?
In all cases, the question of whether this activity will bring me pleasure, material gain, or status should not be the deciding factor alone even for those who are free in Christ.
Just as anything done without conviction is sin (Romans 14:23), Christians should not participate in anything they don't feel brings glory to God.
bibleref.com
ADDITIONAL
SERVICE OPPORTUNITY
Our congregation will join Warriors of Faith Motorcycle Ministry in the joyful task of handing out free backpacks filled with school supplies to local children entering kindergarten through the 12th grade on Saturday August 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
To participate in this event, see Roger Jenkins or contact him at rsjjr@comcast.net or (651) 231-0286.
TODAY IS THE DAY OF SALVATION
The invitation at the close of each worship service extends an opportunity for anyone outside of Christ to unite with him and become a Christian through belief (John 3:16); repentance (turning away from sin,
Acts 2:38); confession of belief in Christ (Romans 10:10); baptism into Christ for forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Romans 6:1-8) and devoting the rest of your life to
Christ (Matthew 10:22).
The Lord’s invitation also is open to anyone desiring to rededicate his or her life to Christ; to baptized
believers wanting to transfer their membership to this congregation, or to request prayer support.
ABOUT US
For more than a half-century, we have been a restoration plea fellowship in unity with other independent New Testament church bodies. Certainly, we are not the only Christians, but we are Christians only.
In that regard, we assume no denominational name. We observe the Lord’s Supper every Sunday to honor him and reflect upon his great sacrifice on our behalf (Acts 2:42, 1 Corinthians 11:23-28, Hebrews 10:25).
We teach directly from the Bible. Where it speaks clearly – such as the Gospel plan of salvation and other directions or commands – we seek unity. In matters of opinion, where the Bible does not expressly speak, we seek liberty. In all things, however, we speak love for one another, just as Jesus loved us and laid down his life for us!
If you agree with these matters, please join us to proclaim salvation and unity to those who need to hear it in the name of our blessed Lord and only Savior, Jesus Christ. We urgently invite you to do so since his glorious return is imminent.
OUR ELDERS
Jim Fairchild (813) 361-7809 jfairchild@famins.com
Dan Hefner (813) 244-9843 danshirlh@msn.com