Whose Armor Is It?

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, ESV)

Mini Devotional

A mini message to take with you this week to help you in your devotion to God.

WHOSE ARMOR IS IT?
Devotional by: Elijah Bell

We are commanded to put on the “whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11), but don’t we often confuse God’s armor with ours?

We know we need to “stand against the schemes of the devil,” but sometimes we think that means we have to be just a little better, a little stronger, a little more resilient. In other words, we could stop sinning and finally live a “good” Christian life if we could only get our act together (Or so we often think)!

But a big part of living the Christian life, as exemplified in the fact that God wants us to pray to Him without ceasing for the things we need, is to remind ourselves that we CANNOT do it on our own, and that we NEED the power of God to accomplish what He desires.

That’s where the armor of God comes in to play in Ephesians 6. Notice it’s not OUR armor we’re commanded to put on. It’s not the good things WE are expected to do on our own in order to be “good enough.” It’s GOD’S armor!

Read the passage and consider today how you can put on God’s armor to “stand against the schemes of the devil.”

Ephesians 6:11–18 (ESV) — 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.

News

This section is for any special announcements that are not upcoming events or prayer requests.

Brad Gregory Put Forward As Deacon
Brad Gregory’s name is being put forward as a deacon, and if no biblical objections are brought to the elders, he will be put in place as a deacon in 1 week. The elders ask that you read 1 Timothy 3, and get back to them if you have any biblical objections to Brad serving as a deacon.
Service Opportunities Due!
There are at least one serving opportunity due before this Sunday. Please check the section on serving opportunities below.

Prayers

Here are some individuals that especially need our prayers this week. Please keep them in mind every time you pray.

Family of Tara Deaton, especially Polly Deaton
Margie Blackburn
Susan Kennon (Alyson Woodyard’s Mother)
Wanda Justice (Alyson’s Grandmother)
Family of Mike Banks
Ashton Sandifer (11 y/o diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma)

Upcoming Events

Here are some events that are coming up that you need to make space on your calendar for.

This Sunday, July 24th — Traditional Congregational Worship
This is a traditional Sunday evening worship service, with a lesson that directly ties in to the discussion that was had in the in-home small groups the past Sunday.

Monday, August 15th at 6pm — R.E.A.L. Ladies Devo And Fellowship
PLEASE SIIGN-UP IN THE LOBBY — REAL stands for ‘ready,’ ‘evangelistic,’ ‘active,’ and ‘loving.’ Val Clarke started this group to be as warm and welcoming as possible, especially toward visitors, who are welcome. The group will meet every 3rd Monday in various locations. Details on next month’s meeting will follow.

Saturday, August 20th, 4:00 to 6:00pm — Back-To-School Bash
Invite your friends and community members! This is part of our follow-up for VBS! We will have food, carnival games, and a gospel focused message. Make plans to attend and bring your children/grandchild and their friends! We will need lots of volunteers, so make sure to be on the lookout for a signup email and check for more details in next week’s Weekly Vine.

Friday, September 30th at 6:30pm — Trivia Night
Robert Roach is hosting a trivia night at the church building to provide more opportunities for fellowship and community. Please make it a priority to be there if you can.

Saturday, October 8th — Hay Ride & Fall Festival
Games, activities, food, 4pm to 6pm. Hay ride at 6pm. The event will be held at the Bowman residence.

How You Can Serve

There are a lot of ways you can get involved and do the work of God in our community!

For more information or for help signing up for any of these ministries, please call the church office at: (502) 227-7796.

Limited-Time Opportunities:

TOMORROW! — Volunteer At Potters Home — Friday, July 22nd
If you want to volunteer at Potters, please see Sarah Jones.

THIS SUNDAY! — Food Pantry Donations (Mini Pack the Pulpit events)
To better meet community needs and not overly burden the congregation, the elders have approved a change for the pantry: Mini Pack the Pulpit events — Each with a particular focus:
- July 24th — Collection for Holiday Boxes
  - Ramen Noodles
  - Macaroni & Cheese
  - Stuffing Mix
  - Instant Potatoes
  - Gravy packs
  - Taco seasoning
  - Taco shells
  - Spaghetti Sauce
  - Spaghetti pasta
  - Canned Meat (tuna & chicken)
  - Cans of corn
  - Cans of green beans
  - Cans of peas
  - Cans of carrots
  - Cream of mushroom soup
  - Cream of chicken soup
  - Cranberry sauce
  - Dessert mixes (brownies & cake with icing)
  - Minute rice
  - Peanut butter
  - Jelly
  - Pancake mix just add water
  - Syrup
  - Bisquick
  - Pudding Mix
  - Jello mix
  - Cereal
  - Crackers
  - Cans of fruit
  - Koolaid
  - If you make a monetary donation please put holiday food in the memo. If you have any questions please ask Tom, Sonia or Robin Mayes.
- Aug. 28th — Collection for Backpack Program

Volunteers Needed For Back-To-School Bash (Aug. 20th)
Here is a great opportunity for you to do the work of ministry. We are hosting a Back-to-school Bash for our elementary program! We are going to do a cookout and carnival game night from 4:00-6:00 pm on August 20th. This will be a great follow up opportunity to bring all our VBS visitors back to the building. The goal is food, fun, fellowship, and faith! We will need your help to pull it off! We will need a high volume of volunteers to make this happen.

We will need volunteers for security, work on helping feed the group, and creating carnival games. To really make this a member driven work of ministry, we want you to design, manage, and staff the carnival games! This will be a great opportunity for you to intentionally interact with our visitors and guests! They will travel from station to station and get to know the people that make Holly Hill a great congregation! I am so excited to see what ideas for game stations you all can come up with! I would encourage you to really swing for the fences, and let’s do something out of this world! Channel the carnival theme and those amusement park game ideas and do it big! It would be even greater if you could find a way to incorporate a Bible theme. We will also provide tickets that the kids can redeem for candy and prizes for completing all of the games!

Be on the lookout for a link to a signup sheet with some spaces for you to put your name and booth idea! If you don’t have an idea but would like to participate, I’ve also included some inspiration.

One last word about supplies: We have some supplies here and we will have some budget for this event. If you’d like to donate whatever you need for your booth that would be cool, but if you’d like to be reimbursed for your expenses that is also an option but please talk to Kurt before you make any purchases you’d like reimbursed.

- Kurt

Long-Term Opportunities:

Greeter Ministry — We’re looking for people who are friendly and outgoing to welcome our guests and members each Sunday morning. If you are interested, contact Tom Owens.

Card Ministry — Every Sunday there are cards spread out on a table in the lobby that will be sent out to various church members and guests who need encouragement. You can help serve and encourage by making sure to sign these cards each week.

Casey Blessing Box — The Caseys are collecting items to give away to those in need in their Blessing Box. Currently, they are accepting donations of: Can goods of fruit and vegetables. Crackers, or cereal.

Shriners Children’s Hospital — Donna White is collecting soda can tabs to donate to the children’s hospital. Please leave your donations in the lobby.

Holly Hill Church of Christ
1020 Holly Hill Drive
Frankfort, KY 40601
Web: www.hollyhillcoc.org
Phone: (502) 227-7796
Email: hollyhillcoc@gmail.com

Service Times:
Sunday Bible Class: 10am
Sunday Morning Worship, 11am
Sunday Evening Worship, 6pm
Wednesday Evening Bible class: 6:30pm