Prayer Requests Dorothy Brown: diagnosed with uterine cancer.

Carole Medina: daughter Meri-Sue Bachlor, family challenges.

Wendi Murrell: testing for source of headaches.

Beckie Null: In preparation for next surgery, will need to heal without full

eyesight for six months.

Shirlene Roberson: hospitalized for pneumonia on Dec. 5.

Wendell Scott: for overcoming discouragement and stronger faith.

Ken Smith & Paul Schellhorn: for injections needed in back for pain.

Prayer Requests for Friends and Family Shirley Hoppes: great grandson, Matthew Rapp, testing for gastro issues.

Kay Imhoff: mother’s terminal cancer is progressing.

Julie Kamalakis: husband, Jason Kamalakis, for Bell’s Palsy to heal quickly

and face to return to normal.

Jeff Krosse: wife, Cheryl, for health.

Sympathy

Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of Dessie Rock in her passing on Dec. 5. Her funeral was Friday, Dec. 7.

Please Continue to Pray for Our Missionaries: David & July Lopez Family —Bogota, Colombia

david050488@hotmail.com

Josh & Divine Austin Family—Phoenix, Arizona

djaustin14@hotmail.com

Duchange & Emanies Saint-Amour Family—Milot, Haiti

Stduchange65@yahoo.fr

Wayne & Margie Pabillon Family—Talisay, Philippines

waymardayn@yahoo.com.

TODAY > December 9, 2018 FAMILY UPDATES 9/29/13 SERMON NOTES

“Dinner Conversation” (Luke 19:1-10)

Members with health issues: Ray & Maggie Binkley, Dorothy Brown, LaFerne

Caldwell, Kathleen Corns, Ernest Dean, Charles & Kathleen Holt, Cristin Martin,

Sue Martin, Sherry Meadors, Letha Morris, Glenna Pickel, Michael Robison, Wil-

lie Rose, Paul Schellhorn, Cathy Sharpe, Ann Thurman, Terry West.

Reflect God’s Glory Transform Lives Share Christ

Take tags from tree located in foyer, purchase items listed, and return

them unwrapped by December 12th; give a monetary donation to pur-

chase items needed; and/or volunteer to help set up or serve at the store.

New unwrapped items of any kind will be accepted. See Julie Kama-

lakis if you have any questions.

TODAY!

Immediately following services in the Activity Center.

We will start with a potluck meal together before collabo-

ration.

Internal Revenue Service regulations re-

quire contributions must be received or

postmarked no later than Dec. 31, 2018 for

them to be considered deductible donations

for the 2018 tax year. If your donations

were made by check or cash donations

made within an envelope with your name

upon it, you will receive a statement from

the church office shortly after the first of

the year. Please wait to file your 2018 in-

come tax return until after you have re-

ceived this statement if you are claiming

charitable contributions. Statements can

also be provided upon request reflecting

contributions made to that date.

Giving Statements

Toy Drive

for Contact Church of Christ’s

Christmas Store

AMONG FRIENDS with Robert Several years ago, a member of the church shared with me about a dark time he had gone through years ago. He was in the midst of a spiritual crisis. He had

left the church and had fallen in with the wrong crowd. One night he found him-

self at a point of despair. Walking alone along a dark street, he cried out, ‘Jesus, if

You’re there, I really need You to show up right now.” After making his way to a

phone booth, he fumbled through the phone book inside, deposited his change, and

called the first congregation he could find. The next day, he and the preacher had

lunch. And that began his re-awakening to the glory of God and the grace of

Christ. He felt all alone on that dark night. Be he wasn’t. Christ was there. In

that phone booth.

One of the texts that has long been compelling to me is 1 Corinthians 10:

For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our

fathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the

sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They

all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they

drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was

Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:1-4)

Paul is here recounting the history of Israel during the Exodus. And he uses

Israel’s history to warn the Corinthians against the dangers of unrepentance:

Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our

hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them

were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to

indulge in pagan revelry.” We should not commit sexual immorality, as

some of them did – and in one day twenty-three thousand of them

died. We should not test the Lord, as some of them did – and were killed

by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did – and were killed by

the destroying angel. (1 Corinthians 10:6-10)

In the midst of the unrepentance, evil, and rebellion of the Israelites, Paul says,

Christ was there. In that rock. The same rock which poured forth water in the

wilderness for the Israelites to drink (Exodus 17:1-7). What a strange place for

Christ to be! And yet, Christ was there.

The other day, I was reading an article by a prominent evangelical theologian,

who was bemoaning the dangers of inserting Christ recklessly and relentlessly into

every page and phrase of Scripture. He wrote, “Christ cannot be found under eve-

ry rock.” I would agree – in part. It is dangerous to present Christ in ways that the

biblical text does not present Him.

We must always be responsible in how we handle and interpret the biblical

texts. However, there is a sense in which, contrary to what this scholar says, we

can indeed find Jesus under every rock, for Jesus is the center, and focus of the

Scriptures. Indeed, in 1 Corinthians 10:4, we don’t just find Christ under a rock,

He is the rock! Indeed, this is the very doctrine of the incarnation: that Christ

shows up in the strangest of ways and places – even under rocks. Christ was

there. In the phone booth of that member. Christ was there. In that rock. Christ

was there. In the manger. Christ was there. On the cross. And Christ is here. In

the pages of Scripture. Christ is here. In the waters of baptism. Christ is here. In

the Lord’s Supper. Christ is here. In our hearts.

Christ was there. Christ is here. This is the mystery and glory of the incarna-

tion – and of Christmas.

-- Robert --

UPCOMING EVENTS BIRTHDAYS

MEETING SCHEDULE Sunday Bible Class . . . . . . . . . 9:15 am

Worship . . . . . . . . . . . 10:15 am

Wednesday Bible Class . . . . . . . . . 7:00 pm

CONTACT US VIA EMAIL

> info@crosstownfamily.org

GIVE TO CROSSTOWN ONLINE > www.crosstownfamily.org/donate

PLEASE VISIT US ONLINE

> www.crosstownfamily.org

WHERE YOU WILL FIND

• Info on events & ministries

• Our roster of elders & staff

• Sermon audio & other resources

TODAY > December 9, 2018

MINISTRY UPDATES

Student Movement (6th - 12th Grade) Wed. Night Hang Outs ~ Wednesday nights at 6pm. Bible Class will follow at

7pm. Tulsa Area-Wide Devotional: Today “An Experience in Advent” at BA CoC.

Bring 2 pair of any type of new socks (fuzzy, cute, sport, etc). Van leaves at

4:00pm and returns at 7:30pm.

Youth Christmas Mystery Dinner at the Dresser Mansion: “Who Stole the

Silver Bells” Dec. 16 at 5pm—7pm. Wear your best tacky Christmas sweater.

Prizes for best actor/actress, tacky sweater, and detective. Please RSVP if

you have not already and don’t forget to RSVP your additional guests so we

can plan accordingly. RSVP with Misti 918-269-7437.

12/10 Juanita Farmer

12/11 Jean King

12/12 Ernest Dean, Remi Mainprize, Debra

Rodriguez, Johanna Russell

12/14 Shirley Buchanan, Olive Suffridge

12/15 Cristin Martin

Wednesday, December 9

Bible Class Total 142

Worship Total 220

Weekly Budget $9,300

Contribution $9,572

Contribution YTD $421,177

Budget YTD $446,400

Difference ($25,223)

Bible Class 86

CHURCH INFORMATION

3400 East Admiral Place

Tulsa, OK 74115-8227

Phone: 918-834-1395

CHURCH STATS

Sunday, December 2, 2018

Small Groups

Children’s: Bible Hour — available for 2&3 year-olds and 4,5&6, year-olds in

our east wing. Children will be dismissed prior to the sermon.

Bible Basics — offered to students in grades 2-6 on the 1st & 2nd

Sundays of each month. Rm. 128. Dismissed prior to the sermon.

Today’s Volunteers — Nursery: Teresa L. and Lynette B.

2&3s Bible Hour: Cheala G., Haley B., and Jordan W.

4&5s Bible Hour: Kristy S., Javier H., and Jaiden B.

Sermon Notes for Kids: a sheet for kids to use during the sermon is

provided in the Connection Books on the pew.

Food Pantry: We can buy food at the Food Bank for $.49 a pound. Please consider

giving monetarily, using the envelopes in the pews, and place in

the contribution plate. Paper sacks always needed.

Small Groups: Group Bible Study — Led by Keenan Meadors. Sundays at 4pm

(Except 4th Sunday) at the church building.

Life Groups — Connect / Grow / Serve. Contact an Elder, a Minis-

ter, or Chris Clayton to join a group. On the 4th Sunday all life

groups will meet at the building at 5:00pm.

Monday Night for the Master — Mondays from 3:30pm to 6:00pm

in Room 123. The water will be on for this time period. Will not

meet 12/24 or 12/31

Visitation In Person (VIP) — Mondays at 5:30pm. Short visits to

visitors or friends, relatives, & neighbors of our members. Visits

are an opportunity to bring encouragement, pray with them, and

invite them to services and activities. Will not meet 12/24 or

12/31.

Security: Class ~ Louis R. Worship ~ Gene A. and Owen R.

Women’s: Women’s Bible Study — Walking In the Light Daily. Will not

meet again till January 3.

Women’s Exercise Group — Meets Monday, Wednesday, and Fri-

Miscellaneous:

Holiday Mail Station: You may drop off your Christmas cards, addressed to mem-

bers only, at the box tree located in the foyer (near the restrooms). Please place

mail alphabetically according to last name. Member, please check your letter

box weekly to pick up your mail.

Combined 4th Sunday Life Group: December 23 at 5pm.

Visitors: You are our honored guests. Please complete a visitor’s sheet, located inside the Connection Books that will be passed during our worship service. We would also love to meet you at our Information Desk in the foyer where we can answer any questions you might have. Nursery facilities are available in the east wing of our building, and a cry room/training room with private nursing area is located in the back of the auditorium.

Today LTC Collaboration Meeting

Today Youth Area Wide at BA

12/25 Merry Christmas! Church office

will be closed Dec. 24-Dec. 28.

12/30 Area-Wide End of Year Service

at Crosstown.