A beginning writer submits eleven manuscripts for publication. All eleven are rejected. Not one editor even offered hope to the young writer that he would ever measure up and see any of his words in print.

A teenager can't resist the pressure from her friends to just show up at the party even if she doesn't "do anything." "Just hang around and have some fun." She does, and never once lowers her standard to do some of the things she sees going on. Still, some of the kids there can't resist the pleasure of tarnishing the girl's name by spreading false stories.

A new Christian makes himself vulnerable ... he preaches his first sermon when the preacher is away. He thinks everything went fine until a well-intentioned member informs him he misquoted two verses and mispronounced three words.

To any number of people, these three are failures. They tried ... and failed. Rejection, besmirched name, public mistakes. And they hurt. All of them.

One young preacher was excited about preaching his first sermon. He thought he did well ... until a well-intentioned member caught him afterwards. "How do you know there were THREE wise men? If you are going to tell stories from the Bible you better get them straight!" The young preacher was so devastated he almost gave up. Almost quit, never to preach again. But despite the discouragement, he didn't quit. He hung in there and became a great preacher and teacher of preachers. Some of you have heard of him ... Fred Craddock.

Turns out, we are only failures if we think we are. Doesn't matter what an editor says, some gossipy peers, or a flagrant critic. What goes on in our own minds? What do we tell ourselves? What will we believe? Even more important than these self-questions is: What does God say?

God is in the business of taking rejected writers, ostracized teens and struggling preachers and saying, "It's ok, I've got a place for you." Even more, God makes room for addicts, adulterers, liars, thieves, idolaters, homosexuals and others. "And that is what some of you WERE. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Cor. 6:11.

New life is found in Jesus Christ. So is ultimate fulfillment. The criticisms and rejection of others don‚t have to be the final word about our value, and we shouldn‚t let them be. God has something else to say about us.

In the, "Seabiscuit" the horse trainer Tom Smith is sitting by a campfire. Near the fire is a white horse Tom is doctoring for a bad leg. The future owner of Seabiscuit comes up and asks, "What are you taking care of that horse for?" Tom acts like that is a ridiculous question then says, "You know, you don't throw a whole life away just because it's banged up a little." Later, Tom is upset because Seabiscuit lost a race due to mishandling by the jockey, Johnny. Johnny is blind in his right eye and can't see a horse coming up on that side. When Tom wants to fire the Jockey for lying Seabiscuit's owner says, "Tom, you don't throw a whole life away just because it's banged up a little."

I think that is what 1 Cor. 6:11 says. "Bad leg? Blind in one eye? Moral indiscretion? A lie? Rejection? Alone? Well, I'm not the kind of God who throws a whole life away just because you are banged up a little." God calls us all to him, with his grace for our lives.

Warren Baldwin



IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

The Carters, Ronnie Lofland, Roy Bessire. Those expecting: Cinda Wolf, Meagan Bartlett(set for April 12), Amy Carter, Anna Faulkner & Jennifer Garrison.

Those with cancer: Les Ballard, Mary Turner, Levie Hughes, Gayle Caffey, Terry Pepper, Betty Jo Bartlett, Dewaine Moses, Darlene Lucero, Debbie Perry, Janett Smith, Larry Tremmel, Darris Hanes, Ryan Maturey, Valdene Huffman, Sharon Simpson, Teresa Haliburton, Lorraine Cook, John Stewart, Butch Wolf, Mark Lott, Teri Anderson, Ed Applegate, Don Williams, Norma Dudley, & Joyce Smith‚s Aunt Irene & friend Rowena.

Military: Matt Jones, Mark Aycock, Chris Maturey, Matt Cook, John Wilson, Dave Knight, Jerry Baker, Nick McGraw, Travis Kaufman, Kenneth Schwindt, Curtis Keene, Timothy Newman, Brian Kelly, Trafton Wieland, Mark Newman, Brad Anderson, Chris Brown, Jamin Hartman, Monty Duncan, Brett Scarborough, Nick Lane, Marcus Betzold, Kenny Henley, Cyrus Cole, Danny Graves, Peter Gangwer, Chance Carter, Corey Shelbourne, Jacob Bauregard, Tyler Humphreys & Bruce Travis.



AREA HAPPENINGS (info on board)

Weekend to Remember Marriage Conference

Mar. 16-19 Ski Trip

Mar. 22-24 Tulsa Workshop

Mar. 25-28 Hooker Gospel Meeting

Mar. 30-31 OCU Restoration Reflections

Mar. 31 Altus Youth Rally

April 6 & 7 LTC

April 14 Lariat Bible Camp Work Day

April 28 Goodland Lectureship

April 28 Scott City - The Islam Seminar

Lariat Creek Camp - June 17-23 - 8th-12thgrade; July 8-14 - 7th-9th grade; July 22-28 - 9th-12th grade.

Silver Maple June 10-16 Family Camp; July 8-14 Junior Session; July 15-21 Senior Session; July 22-28Jr./Sr. Session.



SERVERS NEXT SUNDAY

Greeters: Bill & Shirley Brown

Elder Contact: Ted Maple

Opening Prayer: Rob Berry

Song Leader: John Eveleigh

Lord's Table: Richard Brollier

Assist Lord's Table: Warren Baldwin

Scripture: Josh Sullivan

Closing Prayer: Karl Baker

Power Point (Sun & Wed): Jason King

5th Sunday

Wed PM Song Leader: John Eveleigh

Back Room/Aisle Workers: Bruce Foster

Greeter/Recognition: Maple

Weekly Budget needs: $2668

Last Weeks Contribution: $2032

LTC: $1462

Attendance Last Week: 100



TODAY

Elder Contact: Ted Maple

Greeters: Spencer & Mary Smith

Birthdays: Aaron Anderson



ANNOUNCEMENTS

No one has signed up for this weeks Wednesday night meal. If you can prepare a meal or help with clean up please sign up in the hallway.

Linda is working on getting the list of graduates ready. If your child is graduating from college or high school or an 8th grader promoting - please give her those names ASAP.

Please bring your pictures for the picture board in the hallway. If we need to make a copy or make it smaller or larger we can do that. Please put these in Linda's mailbox.

Our sympathy is extended to Mary Sullivan and family in the passing of her brother, Steve Northy in Iowa.

Congratulations to Heather Pavia and Jason Mendenhall on their engagement!



ULYSSES CHURCH OF CHRIST WEEKLY NEWSLETTER MARCH 18 2007



THOSE SERVING US TODAY

SONG SERVICE: Ted Maple

OPENING PRAYER: Joe Bill Vardeman

LORD'S TABLE: Harold Jones, Neal Haddock

SCRIPTURE READING: Richard Brollier

SERMONS: AM: Ron French; PM: Gene Pflughoft

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Karl Baker

CLOSING PRAYER: Karl Baker

POWERPOINT: ??

BACKROOM/AISLE: Bruce Foster



The Ulysses Church exists to reach the lost, to continue to grow as a family of God, to serve our fellow man, to worship God, and to do all this in the spirit of unity.