www.beechgrovechurchofchrist.com

Jim Selbe, Minister 931-381-8140 (Home)

270-348-1022 (Cell)

1382 Carter’s Creek Pike Columbia, TN 38401

PO Box 55 Spring Hill, TN 37174

Services Sunday Morning Sunday Evening Bible Study 9:30am Worship 5:00pm Worship 10:20am

Wednesday Bible Study 7:00pm

DEACONS Frank Curry Ellis Jarratt

David Poynor Mark Rector Clayton Russell

MINISTER: Jim Selbe 270-348-1022 YOUTH MINISTER: Jake McNeese 615-507-5380

Bulletin Information: Sheila Durham 931-212-7598 sheiladurham@bellsouth.net

ELDERS Tim McNeese 615-207-7460 Eddie Hickman 931-626-3200

The Gold Wrapping Paper

Once upon a time, there was a man who worked very hard just to keep food on the table for his family. This particular year a few days before Christmas, he punished his little five-year-old daughter after learning that she had used up the family's only roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. As money was tight, he became even more upset when on Christmas Eve he saw that the child had used all of the expensive gold paper to decorate one shoebox she had put un-der the Christmas tree. He also was concerned about where she had gotten money to buy what was in the shoebox.

Nevertheless, the next morning the little girl, filled with excitement, brought the gift box to her father and said, "This is for you, Daddy!" As he opened the box, the father was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, now regretting how he had punished her. But when he opened the shoebox, he found it was empty and again his anger flared. "Don't you know, young lady," he said harshly, "when you give someone a present, there's supposed to be something inside the package!" The little girl looked up at him with sad tears rolling from her eyes and whispered: "Daddy, it's not empty. I blew kisses into it until it was all full." The father was crushed. He fell on his knees and put his arms around his precious little girl. He begged her to forgive him for his unnecessary anger. An accident took the life of the child only a short time later. It is told that the father kept this little gold box by his bed for all the years of his life. Whenever he was discouraged or faced difficult problems, he would open the box, take out an imaginary kiss, and remember the love of this beautiful child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each of us has been given an invisible golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends and God. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.

Morning Worship Welcome and Announcements

“Silent Night” pg. 577 Opening Prayer

“Beautiful star of Bethlehem” Morning Sermon: Jim Selbe

Topic: “God With Us“ Invitation Song “There’s A Great Day Coming” pg. 674

“Oft We come Together” pg. 511

THE LORD’S SUPPER Presiding: Tim McNeese

Serving: Mark Bland, Clayton Russell, Shane Bowers

Closing Prayer

December 25, 2016

Beech Grove Members

Ryan Durham, Brenda Evetts & family, David Pullum, Ladye Sellers, Martha Love, Allen Pogue, Pete Boatright, Gene & Mattie Thomason, Weldon & Barbara Adams, Cheryl Bowers

Family & Friends Susie Victory (Jennifer Rector’s sister—cancer); Evelyn Johnson (CHF—Sean McLeod’s grandmother), Brenda Wolaver (Ronnie Smithson’s cousin—cancer), Gayron Poynor (David Poynor’s brother—Alzheimer's), Charlene Osborne (friend of Kathleen Smithson—cancer), Dominic Rau (nephew of the Pullum’s daughter-in-law—cancer)

Nursing Home and Homebound

Bobby Smithson: The Bridge (Rm 227) Martha Love: Homebound Ladye Sellers: Life Care (Rm 211 B ) Weldon & Barbara Adams: Homebound

Pat Roland: Life Care (Rm 315) Gene & Mattie Thomason: Homebound

Prayer Requests

There will be no service tonight

There will be NO first Sunday luncheon in January due to it

being New Year’s Day. We will resume luncheons on February 5.

December

Carol Love—6; Glena Royse—8;

Edna Hutcherson—14; Mary Pogue—16; Shelby Rector—19; Ryan Durham—29

Scripture Reading

Matthew 1:18-25 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away se-cretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with

us.” 24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.

Dear Santa,

I’ve been a good mom all year. I’ve fed, cleaned, and cuddled my two children on demand, visited the doctor’s office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground and figured out how to attach nine patches onto my daughter’s girl scout sash with staples and a glue gun. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son’s red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I’ll find any more free time in the next 18 years. Here are my Christmas wishes: I’d like a pair of legs (in any color, except purple, which I already have) that don’t ache after a day of chasing kids . . . and arms that don’t flap in the breeze, but are strong enough to carry a screaming toddler out of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I’d also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy. If you’re hauling big ticket items this year I’d like a car with fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays big-people music; a tele-vision that doesn’t broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone. On the practical side, I could use a talking daughter doll that says, “Yes, Mommy” to boost my parental confidence, along with one potty-trained toddler, two kids who don’t fight, and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools. I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting, “Don’t eat in the living room” and “Take your hands off your brother,” because my voice seems to be just out of my children’s hearing range and can only be heard by the dog. And please don’t forget the Play-doh Travel Pack, the hottest stocking stuffer this year for mothers of preschoolers. It comes in three fluorescent colors and is guaranteed to crumble on any carpet, making the in-laws’ house seem just like mine. If it’s too late to find any of these prod-ucts, I’d settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container. If you don’t mind I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It would clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house with-out demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family; or if my toddler didn’t look so cute sneaking downstairs in his pajamas to eat contraband ice cream at midnight. Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the chim-ney and come in and dry off by the fire so you don’t catch cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table, but don’t eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always, Mom

P.S. One more thing: You can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young . . .