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Are we confident that our light is bright
Vol. 47 May 31, 2022 Number 21
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “PROVE ALL THINGS?”
Roger D. Campbell
The familiar message of 1 Thessalonians 5:21,22 is composed of three instructions
for all Christians: (1) “Prove all things”; (2) “Hold fast that which is good”; (3)
“Abstain from all appearance of evil.” Which of these three commands would you think
is important for God’s children to heed? That is correct: each of them is essential.
In the expression “Prove all things,” what does the word “prove” mean? It means to
put to the test. The same Greek word from which “prove” is translated in our text is
found in Luke 14:19, where we read that a man said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen,
and I go to prove them.” We find the same word in 1 John 4:1, where it is written that
Christians are to “try the spirits whether they are of God.” Again, this proving points to
the idea of putting things or beings to a test.
In the context of 1 Thessalonians 5:21, what would be included in the “all things”
that are to be proven? In verse 18 “the will of God” is mentioned, in verse 19 the message
is, “Quench not the Spirit,” and verse 20 is, “Despise not prophesyings.” So, when it
came to the will of God and claims to be led by the Spirit or speak prophetic utterances,
the early saints were to “prove all things.” Claims of miraculous power were just that–
claims. Was there proof in the form of signs to substantiate the claims (Mark 16:19,20)?
What about today? Just as God said they would, true prophecies and all other
miraculous manifestations of the Spirit came to an end after the complete revelation of
God’s truth to mankind (1 Cor. 13:8-10). When a modern-day person or group claims to
possess miraculous powers, we put their statements to a test by examining the Bible’s
message and pointing out the falsehoods of Pentecostal fantasies. In fact, any time that a
person teaches a religious message, we need to turn to the Book and test/try the spirits
to see if they harmonize with the genuine will of God that is recorded in the New
Testament (1 John 4:1).
Let us look further. “Hold fast that which is good.” This reminds us of the
exhortation to “cleave to that which is good” (Romans 12:9). To hold fast or cleave
indicates that we grab on to it and do not let go! Again, to what are we to hold fast?
Answer: “that which is good.” Well, everybody’s got their own opinion about what
“good” means, right? That may be true, but the only One whose assessment of good
counts is God’s! It is to God’s standard of good that we must hold fast. Just as God told
the Israelites to do that which was right and good in His sight (Deuteronomy 6:18), so
Christians must turn to the Lord’s true doctrine to find God’s standard of good. In order
for you and me to hold fast to that which is good, we must (1) Have an adequate
knowledge of God’s word, (2) Make a decision/commitment to do what we know is
right, and (3) Have the courage to carry out the right action. And what is the right
action? Answer: doing that which is pleasing in the sight of God.
There is then the third instruction of our text: “Abstain from all appearance of evil.”
The word “appearance” means form, so we are to stay away from all types of evil.
Again, it is God that determines what is evil. It is just as wrong to call something that is
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ELDERS
Mike Childers ............. 397-6453
Dennis Hallmark......... 255-5557
Mark Hitt .................... 322-0917
Bobby Lindley ............ 260-9193
DEACONS
Wade Bryan ................ 419-5552
Ricky Lindsey............. 255-8136
Jeff Mansel.................. 871-0357
Jimmy Spearman ........ 840-8957
Michael Wilson........... 891-0891
MINISTERS
Barry Kennedy....(931)787-7108
Alex Blackwelder (731)879-9196
SECRETARY
Renee Childers
Office.......................... 842-6116
Fax .............................. 842-7091
E-MAIL
eastmaincoc38804@gmail.com
WEB PAGE
eastmaincoc.com
SUNDAY SERVICES
Worship........................9:00 a.m.
Bible class..................10:15 a.m.
Worship......................11:15 a.m.
Singing or Devotional
Last Sunday of the Month
MID-WEEK
SERVICES
Wednesday Classes......7:00 p.m.
1606 East Main Street
P. O. Box 1761
Tupelo, Mississippi 38802
“Thou shalt observe to do all that they inform thee”
(Deut. 17:10)

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next to Christ contains the necessary implication of
forgiveness (Luke 23:43), yet there was no extraction
from the robber of a confession that his thievery was
sinful. One must conclude, however, that the Lord
recognized his penitence, else there would have been
no promise of Paradise later that day. It must not be
assumed that the absence of any mention of
repentance sanctioned the man’s thievery or nullified
the necessity of a penitent disposition.
It cannot be argued, therefore, that because
“repentance” was not explicitly mentioned in
connection with some cases where Christ pronounced
pardon, that repentance, therefore, is not required for
the reception of forgiveness.
What shall we say of passages that mention
“baptism,” but do not reference faith, e.g., Acts 22:16;
1 Peter 3:21? Does this nullify faith as a condition of
salvation?What abouta text that mentions “repentance”
but does not mention either faith or baptism (Acts
11:18; Romans 2:4)? Are the latter two automatically
eliminated from the plan of redemption? Of course
not. One must take the “sum” of truth on a particular
item (Psalm 119:160)—not “some” of the truth.
In conclusion, this principle commonly is acknow-
ledged among competent Bible scholars (even if they
sometimes fail to make the application in areas that
conflict with some cherished theological position). In
texts that address the same general theme, one passage
may supplement another, but a more abbreviated text
may not nullify information in the passage with more
information. Remember this: Scripture may
supplement itself; it never contradicts itself.
Sources/Footnotes
Fairbairn, Patrick. Hermeneutical Manual. Philadelphia:
Smith, English & Co. 1859.
Terry, Milton. Biblical Hermeneutics. New York: Eaton &
Mains.1890.
~~~~~~~~~
Baby “Boy” Shower
There will be a baby “boy”
shower in honor of Beth
Lindsey Sunday, June 5
“come and go” from 2-3:30 pm
in the multipurpose room. All
the ladies are invited! Beth is
registered at Babylist.com (Bethany and Ian Reed)
and Little Magnolia Tupelo.
Tuesday Mornings with
the Master
Don’t forget Tuesday Mornings with the Master
every Tuesday in the multipurpose room from 10-
11 am. Anyone who can come is welcomed.
Thank You Notes
Dear East Main church family,
Thank you so much for the beautiful flowers,
calls, texts, and more importantly, prayers during
this difficult time. We appreciate you all more than
you know and are thankful to have such a loving
church family. Love,
Kyle, Summer, Scarlett, & Kannon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for the fresh flower spray in memory of
Ann Stanford. Gerald Stanford & family
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
East Main Church of Christ,
We are truly grateful for all your kind words, gift
cards, and especially, each prayer on behalf of Eric
Baker during his surgery, recovery, and healing. Our
God is good all the time. In Christian love,
Alisa & John Webb (Eric’s parents)
Vacation Bible School
Our Vacation Bible School is scheduled for June
12-15 from 6:30-8:00 pm each evening on the
theme “Journey Through James.” Make plans to
attend and bring your friends! There will be classes
for ALL ages, including adults. A different speaker
will speak each night in the adult class: Sunday-
Wayne Cox, Monday-Mark Blackwelder, Tuesday-
Adam Evans, Wednesday-Brian Galloway.
New Movers’ Baskets
The new movers’ baskets
are in the foyer. Please take
one to deliver if you can. This
is a great way to introduce
those who have recently
moved into the community to
the East Main family.
June 2022
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
Brain Freeze
Psalms 1-8
2
Wade & Karen
Bryan
Ian & Beth Reed
Psalms 9-16
3
Jake Kennedy
Youth TGIF
Psalms 17-20
4
Mike & Hilda
Ratliff
Psalms 21-25
5
Renee Childers
Carmen &
Morgan Perkins
Beth Reed baby
“boy” shower
Psalms 26-30
6
Rosie Bowlin
Alex & Cassie
Blackwelder
Donny & Wanda
McKay
Psalms 31-34
7
Bill Martin
Gary & Felicia
Stanford
Tuesday Morning
with the Master
Psalms 35-37
8
Doug Wallace
Lee & Heather
DuBois
Brain Freeze
Psalms 38-41
9
Hugh Scribner
Danny Wright
Kirk & Lori
Sheffield
Ladies’ fellowship
Psalms 42-45
10
Youth TGIF
Psalms 46-50
11
Dale Dulaney
Psalms 51-56
12
Diane
Dickerson
Psalms 57-64
13
Psalms 65-68
14
Scotty & Wanda
Bishop
Psalms 69-72
15
Psalms 73-76
16
Psalms 77-78
17
Youth TGIF
Psalms 79-85
18
Hallie
Donald/Logan
Brown Wedding
Psalms 86-89
19
Tony & Dundee
Donald
Psalms 90-95
20
Wanda McKay
Psalms 96-102
21
Ricky & Kim
Johnson
Tuesday Morning
with the Master
Psalms 103-104
22
Brain Freeze
Psalms 105-106
23
Psalms 107-109
24
Psalms 110-115
25
Will & Ashley
Davis
Psalms 116-118
26
Hollie Bowlin
Family Breakfast
Psalm 119
27
Lisa Lindsey
Psalms 120-130
28
Tuesday Morning
with the Master
Psalms 131-138
29
Psalms 139-144
30
Joe Paul Perkins
Psalms 145-150
Vacation Bible School
6:30-8:00 pm
Youth Work Camp

Daily Bible Reading
June 1...........................................................Psalms 1-8
June 2.........................................................Psalms 9-16
June 3.......................................................Psalms 17-20
June 4.......................................................Psalms 21-25
June 5.......................................................Psalms 26-30
June 6.......................................................Psalms 31-34
June 7.......................................................Psalms 35-37
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Birthdays: Jake Kennedy (June 3), Renee
Childers (June 5), Rosie Bowlin (June 6), Bill
Martin (June 7). Anniversaries: Wade & Karen
Bryan (June 2), Ian & Beth Reed (June 2), Mike &
Hilda Ratliff (June 4), Carmen & Morgan Perkins
(June 5), Alex & Cassie Blackwelder (June 6), Donny
& Wanda McKay (June 6), Gary & Felicia Stanford
(June 7).
Our Sick
Betty Long is in room 188 at NMMC for therapy
following a stroke. Sandra Simmons is home sick.
On-Going Illnesses
Mary Lou Walden, Evelyn Thompson, Annie
Martin, Bettye Davis, Steve Kelly, Barbara Bishop,
Bob Smith, Doug Wallace, Frankie Estes, Shirley
Lyons, Stella Pittman, Caroline Willis, Carol Hood,
Bill Goff, Sheba Tuggers, Brian Carver, Lacy Plaxico,
Michelle Maclean, Freida Gardner, Linda Butler, Pam
Gassaway, Donny Dulaney, Ricky Britt, Larry
Kennedy, Nathan Hale, Eric Baker
Nursing Homes
Randy Attaway, Shirley McCarthy, Bob McClure
Baby “Boy” Shower
There will be a baby “boy” shower
in honor of Beth Lindsey Sunday,
June 5 “come and go” from 2-3:30
pm in the multipurpose room. All
the ladies are invited! Beth is
registered at Babylist.com
(Bethany and Ian Reed) and Little Magnolia Tupelo.
--article continued from page 1--
permissible “evil” as it is to label a sinful activity as
“good.” In Isaiah’s day, God pronounced a “woe” on
those that confused good and evil (Isaiah 5:20).
Since sin is the only thing that can separate any of
us from God and keep us out of heaven (Isaiah 59:2),
does it not make sense for us to strive to stay as far
away from evil activities as possible? The Lord calls
on us to “abstain from fleshly lusts” (1 Peter 2:11),
“depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19) and lay aside
the sin that easily besets us (Hebrews 12:1).
Participating in that which God labels as evil is no
joking matter. Sin is destructive from beginning to
end. Surely, we are wise enough to accept the truth
that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
Proving all things, holding fast to that which is
good, and abstaining from all forms of evil –these are
all excellent practices. We know that is an accurate
conclusion because God is the One that gave us such
instructions. He knows what He is talking about. May
we have the courage to humble ourselves before the
Lord and devote our hearts to living for Him.
New Bible Class Quarter
We will begin a new quarter this Sunday, June 5 in
our Bible classes. If you haven’t been attending Bible
class, now would be a great time to start:
Infant-Age 3—Katherine Mansel & Natalie Mansel
Age 4-Kindergarten—Missy Nichols
1st
& 2nd
Grades—Karen Bryan & Jeannie Simmons
3rd
& 4th
Grades—Brenda Lindley & Tammy Hughes
5th
& 6th
Grades—Wade Bryan & Jalon Mansel
7th
-12th
Grades—Alex Blackwelder & Alex Tucker
College/Young Adults—Mark Hitt
*These classes will meet on Sunday & Wednesday.
The adult classes are Sunday: Room 10—Barry
Kennedy; Multipurpose Room—Dennis Hallmark;
Auditorium—various men. Wednesday: Ladies (Room
10)—Hilda Ratliff; Multipurpose Room—Perry Hand;
Auditorium—Barry Kennedy.
Thank You Notes
Thank you for the lovely grapevine wreath of fresh
flowers, the visits and most of all the prayers during this
difficult time. Sherry Smith & family (Kyle’s mom)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you all so much for the Home Goods gift card!
We appreciate it so much and the love you have shown
during this exciting time! Please continue to keep us in
your thoughts and prayers as we enter this new, beautiful
chapter. We love you all! Hallie & Logan

Men to Serve Sunday, June 5, 2022 a.m.
Announcements..........................................Mark Hitt
Bible Reading.....................................Ricky Lindsey
Opening Prayer ..............................Dennis Hallmark
Lord’s Supper
Rommie Dilworth
Lead Singing......................................Hugh Scribner
Closing Prayer......................................Larry Presley
Ushers .................. Jalon Mansel & David Ramseyer
Please meet in the library by 8:45 a.m.
Sunday 11:15 a.m. service
Opening Prayer .......................................Jeff Mansel
Closing Prayer.............................Hunter Underwood
Lead Singing......................................Donny McKay
Wednesday, June 8, 2022
Opening Prayer ....................................... Larry Long
Lead Singing...............................Bobby Joe Lindley
The elders kindly request that men leading in public
worship wear the best dress clothes they have.
Contact Wade Bryan (419-5552) if unable to serve.
Attendance & Contribution
Mid-Week, 5-25-22 .................................................... 113
Sunday 1st
Worship, 5-29-22 ...................................... 135
Sunday Bible Class..................................................... 144
Sunday 2nd
Worship.................................................... 111
Contribution (budget $9,334) ................................ $7,993
*This does not include the livestreamed views.
Pantry item........................................... Peanut butter
Vacation Bible School
June 12th
-15th
6:30-8:00 pm!
Classes for all ages, including adults!
Our adult class speakers will be Wayne Cox, Mark
Blackwelder, Adam Evans & Brian Galloway