When brethren begin to try to study an issue, the first question should not be, "Are you going to make this a test of fellowship?" There's a time when fellowship may need to be considered, depending on the issue at hand, but it shouldn't be the first order of business. The first order should be to lovingly work together and learn truth. That often takes time, and brethren are typically in different places of growth and understanding. As long as this process can be maintained without being ugly to each other (Eph. 4:32), brethren can generally get along pretty well. Patience, longsuffering, and love are staples of a growing relationship that fosters a better knowledge of truth and understanding (Eph. 4:1-3). My experience generally has been that fellowship issues tend to work themselves out without being forced. Yet there are questions to consider. Is one being divisive and causing strife? Is one refusing to study while dogmatically holding a view? Is one attempting to go behind the backs of others (e.g., the shepherds) in order to teach a pet idea? These are always dangers that need to be avoided and handled. In these cases, swift action is in order (Rom. 16:17; Titus 1:9). However, when an issue first arises, and brethren genuinely want to work together in love, the fellowship question is a distant second. Why bring it up first? Why not instead simply seek to study, pray, and grow together? In time, the fellowship between brethren may indeed grow much closer, and this is a wonderful outcome. Never look for excuses to divide and isolate; always pursue peace and love. Divisions happen, but let it never be because we have failed to do all within our abilities to bring others together first.

The Problem of Age Segregation in Churches David Maxson

The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair. (Proverbs 20:29) I'm concerned about segregation in churches. No, I'm not speaking of racial segregation. That is a problem and it is one we should continue to fight to change. I'm talking about age segregation. In many churches you have very well-defined age groups that sit together, converse with each other after services, and interact with each other outside of services. More troubling than this are churches which have traditional and contemporary worship services. Whether you think it is expedient to have such an arrangement to begin with, it is without question a way of segregating the church even THE EASTSIDE ENCOURAGER A publication of the Eastside church of Christ Shelbyville, TN 1803 Madison St. Shelbyville, TN 37160 www.churchateastside.com Dec,17, 2017 more by age. The most disturbing trend I have seen is for new churches started by younger people, which seem to cater more to the younger crowd. There can be legitimate reasons to have special classes for the young or aged and it is not wrong to associate more with people your own age. However, if we look around us and only see people just like us we are not functioning as the body of Christ. The body of Christ is diverse, and God has arranged it this way intentionally (see Rom 12; 1 Cor 12; Eph 4 for further study on this). My exhortation is this: embrace the unique talents of people who are not like you. It's not easy to relate to people who are different. It's easier to just work with people who are like us. But we're missing out on many blessings when we separate ourselves out. Father, thank you for the diverse Body of which we are all members. Help us to embrace differences, not run from them. Give us patience to work with and ultimately learn from each other.

In Matthew 10:29-31 Jesus states the following, “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Take note what Jesus said about the sparrow. He declared unto the people that although the sparrow is plentiful, and although they are sold cheaply, they are have value in the eyes of their Creator. Jesus says that there is not a sparrow that falls to the ground that God does not take notice of it. Then Christ goes on to discuss the fact that they very hairs on your head are numbered by the God of heaven. What Jesus is revealing in this teaching is that there is nothing that escapes God’s attention. He is the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful God. Let us note some lessons from that point of view. (i) GOD IS ALL KNOWING One little bird falls from the sky and lies dead upon the ground in the woods. No man witnessed its death, but God witnessed the whole thing, it did not escape His attention. Even if some predator comes and consumes the remains of the sparrow, God knows what happened. Jesus is raising the question, “If God cares for the sparrows, will He not also care for us?” (ii) WHAT DOES THIS EXACTLY MEAN? That if you are in need of financial help God will just drop some money down? No. Let me show you what it means in my estimation. If you’re a child of God. there are blessings for those who are children of God. Now mind you God cares for the alien sinner and wants His children to teach them about His Son. If God cares for a fallen sparrow then He cares for the eternal soul He has created in man. However, for the purpose of this study notice some blessings for the child of God. (1) As a child of God, you can pray to your heavenly Father (Matt.6:9). Now how God answers that prayer is up to God. If He grants us some blessing we need to remember that it is for our good and His glory. If He does not grant us the blessing we requested does not mean He didn’t hear nor does it mean He doesn’t care. He cares for the fallen sparrow; how much more does He care for His children? As a child of God, we should not be ashamed of our Father, but tell others about His greatness and pray for the loss that they might be saved! (Rom.10:1-3) (2) As a child of God, this world is not our home. As children of God we have an inheritance in heaven (I Pet.1:4) our citizenship is in heaven (Phil.3:20). One day just as the sparrow Jesus talked about, we are going to die. There will come a day this flesh will go back to dust and our soul back to God (Eccl.12:7). As a child of God, we go home to heaven. This world is not our home and we shouldn’t get too comfortable here. Peter said we are strangers and sojourners here (I Pet.2:11). As I write this bulletin I have a friend in Nashville in Alive Hospice care. We look at people who are the end of their journey, and fail to see that not every sparrow makes it back to their nest. There is no guarantee we will live to see an old age. There is no guarantee that we will be given any warning of our death. Just like the sparrow that falls, we can die at any time. However, if we are children of God, physical death is not the worst thing to happen. It will be a time we go home! THE EASTSIDE ENCOURAGER A publication of the Eastside church of Christ Shelbyville, TN 1803 Madison St. Shelbyville, TN 37160 www.churchateastside.com Dec,17, 2017 (3) As a child of God, we can be content no matter the circumstance (I Tim.6-8). How can it be that with all the contentions in life that we can learn to be content? Paul gives a good answer in Phil.4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” We must remember that if God cares for a sparrow then He cares for us. There are not enough words to describe God’s love for man. His desire is that His children show the lost His love by acting as they should so the lost can get a picture of God’s love in us. One way we do that is by letting out light shine in a dark world (Matt.5:16). REMEMBER IF GOD CARES FOR THE FALLEN SPARROW HE CARES FOR YOU!