Devoted fans who desperately wanted to go to the Denver Bronco's AFC Championship game last year were willing to offer some special trades. One man, a doctor, offered a free vasectomy in trade for a ticket! An associate at the University of Colorado offered to tutor someone for a semester. That is an interesting offer: it seems this university employee assumes someone who has a Bronco's ticket will need help in his studies! Here is one that really takes the cake, though: a man named Scott offered a half-carat diamond ring for a ticket. The ring cost him $2,195.00 and it was to be a gift for his wife ... on Valentine's Day! (Reader's Digest, Feb 2007, p.180).

People will give up a lot for what they believe in. They will trade their skills, their service, their devotion and their precious items in exchange for something they really want. Scott was willing to trade an expensive ring he bought for the love of his life, his wife, for an evening at the ballpark. Sounds ridiculous, but people will trade things of tremendous value for objects that to many of us are of questionable value.

In an ironic twist, Jesus demands that we do that. Jesus tells us, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." (Matthew 16:24, 25).

This is one of the first verses I memorized as a teenager. It has a neat message, flows well, and is very memorable. It made sense to plant this verse in my mind. The only problem is I didn't really understand it.

In short, what Jesus is challenging us with in this verse is to give up everything we currently love and are devoted to, all of our precious items. He challenges us to give him our skills, our service and our love.

Think about ... Jesus bore the cross first. Jesus was put on trial, he was beaten and whipped, and he was nailed to a cross. He bore the cross. In bearing the cross Jesus lost his comfort. The torturous nature of the cross was intended to inflict the most gruesome pain over many hours. Jesus lost his dignity. The victim of the cross was stripped of his clothing and was showcased to the public in all of his humiliation, pain and crying. Finally, Jesus lost his life.

What does Jesus mean when he challenges us to take up our cross and follow him? He offers this challenge with a qualifier: "Whoever loses his life for me will find it." Whatever following the cross entails, it means this: we will die. We will lose a sense of who and what we were before we put the cross on.

I think Jesus means we will experience the cross like he did. Bearing the cross means we will be stripped of our comfort. We experience the anxiety of loving and forgiving people we would never have dreamed of loving and forgiving before. Bearing the cross means we will lose our dignity. We will be laughed at and ridiculed for convictions we hold that people who aren‚t bearing the cross can‚t understand. Bearing the cross means we will die to the selfish pursuits and pleasures that drove us before. I‚ve had two friends lose million-dollar trust funds when they chose to preach the Gospel rather than go into the family business. I‚ve had friends whose families spurned them when they decided to become Christians. What defined their success and meaning before the cross died when they bore the cross. They became different.

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" is still a neat verse to memorize. But it is a tough verse to come to grips with. To really understand it, you have to be willing to lose your comfort, your dignity, even your life.

Warren Baldwin



IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

The Carters, Ronnie Lofland, Roy Bessire, Lemuel Phillips, Richard Rudzik, Judy & Janea Tremmel, Joe Minor. Those expecting: Cinda Wolf, Nancy Jones, Meagan Bartlett, Amy Carter, Christa Murray & Jennifer Garrison.

Those with cancer: Les Ballard, Mary Turner, Levie Hughes, Gayle Caffey, Terry Pepper, Betty Jo Bartlett, Dewaine Moses, Darlene Lucero, Debbie Perry, Larry Tremmel, Darris Hanes, Ryan Maturey, Valdene Huffman, Sharon Simpson, Teresa Haliburton, Lorraine Cook, John Stewart, Butch Wolf, Mark Lott, Teri Anderson & Norma Dudley.

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.



AREA HAPPENINGS (info on board)

Feb. 10 - Hooker‚s Ladies Day

Feb. 18 - Ulysses Congregational Meeting

Mar. 16-19 Ski Trip

Mar. 22-24 Tulsa Workshop

April 6 & 7 LTC



SERVERS NEXT SUNDAY

Greeters: Ted & Paula Maple

Opening Prayer: Ted Maple

Song Leader: John Turner

Lord's Table: Michael Tyler

Assist Lord's Table: Spencer Smith

Scripture: Bill Brown

Closing Prayer: Jeff Baier

Power Point (Sun & Wed): Brian French

Care Groups - No evening services

Wed PM Song Leader: John Turner

Back Room/Aisle Workers: Rob Berry

Weekly Budget needs: $2668

Last Weeks Contribution: $2332

Attendance Last Week: 103



TODAY

Elder Contact: Tracy Caffey

Greeters: Tracy & Lynda Caffey

Birthdays: Pennie Noyes, Kenny Hagerman, Sarah Novack

Pot Luck lunch today and NO evening services.

Special Mission Contribution.



ANNOUNCEMENTS

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

All LTC Pre-Convention items are due to Michael Tyler before February 20th!!

Cory Burkhart named Manager, Colby District for Southern Star. Cory has a wide range of technical experience in various positions in both field & headquarters positions. Cory began his career in 1999 as an Operator, Hugoton District. He moved to Tulsa, OK, as a Gas Controller in 2000 & moved to Owensboro, KY, later that year as he progressed through the Gas Control ranks. Cory was promoted to Supervisor, Gas Control in 2004. In 2006, Cory was promoted to Assistant District Manager, Alva District.

SKI MONEY IS DUE!

Next Sunday is Western Prairie Care Home at 9:30; Care Groups and NO evening services.

Linda is working on Worship Workers for March, April, May. Please get to her IN WRITING when you will be gone by Feb.18th.

Teri Anderson and Richard Rudzik will both be having surgery this week. Please keep them and their families in your prayers.

Justin & Lisa Carthel's new address is: P.O. Box 53723, Lubbock, TX 79453. E-mail: jcarthel@hotmail.com.



ULYSSES CHURCH OF CHRIST WEEKLY NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 4, 2007

THOSE SERVING US TODAY

SONG SERVICE: John Eveleigh

OPENING PRAYER: Joe Bill Vardeman

LORD'S TABLE: Rick Trejo, John Stinebaugh

SCRIPTURE READING: Karl Baker

SERMONS: AM: Bill Brown; PM: NO evening services

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Brian French

CLOSING PRAYER: Justin Vardeman

POWERPOINT: Tracy Caffey

BACKROOM/AISLE: Rob Berry



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