That Christian Website

There is a Communist in the White House

2010-03-05T21:55:38Z

Greetings and salutations:

You know, 98% of what you will receive from me is going to be related to God, our focus on him, and spreading the gospel to the world that God loves them. I am not afraid to touch on politics and will at times. Let it be known, I think the man in the White House is a wicked, destructive individual. I pray he and those he represents will see the error of their ways and change the sinful actions which they have been engaged in. They are not only proving to be destructive to the morality and freedom of America, but are taking us down a path which will be near impossible to reverse.

I ran across this article and specifically, the videos with it, today. I found them entertaining yet, quite serious. We are on the edge of a great change in America at the moment which will most certainly (following many historical examples) lead to less freedom and more danger to all those that would choose to worship God. I pray you consider this information and pass it on.

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=126910

Additionally, I have found the following to be a good, direct, and simultaneously entertaining source of information you should consider and pass on:

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=126701

God Bless and be careful - There is no doubt, a communist in the White House.

Travis Main

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Partial Data on the Modesty Questionnaire

2010-03-02T02:41:42Z

Greetings and Salutations!

I hope this email finds you dry and warm! Cody, Wyoming is looking beautiful with a little snow on the hills and a bright sun in the sky.

First, it is my desire to update everyone on the situation with my wife working in Ohio while the children and I are out in Wyoming. The congregation here has been seeing how lonely we are being apart during this time. Understanding that we cannot continue this way much longer, I will be moving the children to Ohio the second week of March to be with Mom. I too will be staying in Ohio predominantly, but will also be spending 2-3 Sundays a month in Wyoming sharing the Word with my brothers and sisters there. This is still not an ideal situation with the great amount of travel, but it is one we are testing to see how things will fair. The congregation in Cody is very dear to my heart and the hearts of my family. Please continue to pray for us as we try to work through this situation. I thank the great number of brothers who will be visiting Cody this summer to preach for us there and will be sending a complete list out to you soon. A partial list tentatively includes, R
andy Pyle, George Jennings, Kevin Cauley, Robert Notgrass, John Smith, Brad Harrub, David Hersey, Mike Christiansen, and Erik Smith. If you are able to vacation in Cody this year, you will likely be in for quite a treat!

Second, I have finally been able to solve my video/audio lag problem. This has given me an additional benefit besides not looking like a bad Chinese martial arts movie. The program which has properly synched them has also shrank the online video's by about 1/4 the size. This means easier downloading and viewing. The typical 45 minute sermon is now about 22 meg. I am quickly working to replace the older larger files and hope to have this accomplished soon.

Finally, this email is to further update you on the modesty questionnaire that was sent out a few months ago. For those that have not seen it, it is located here: http://the-churchofchrist.net/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/archive/tcw/20091007125753/ .

I had to have a bit of schooling on how to work my spreadsheets, but all is going well. I am swiftly entering data and finding the results very eye catching! I have attached a sample of the data thus far with two sheets. The first sheet is some of the data which has been compiled. The second sheet is a sample of how you can work with the data to make various observations. Do not miss the tab for the second sheet! It is the exciting part! NOTE ONCE MORE: This is not all the data, I will be sending out the complete spreadsheet when it is finished.

Currently, I am about to gather data from a few more congregations. Thus far, I have received data from about 50 different congregations around the world and from different denominations or from those who do not attend a church. If you are a preacher or elder and you have not submitted the questionnaire to your congregation and would like to do so, please contact me.

The data is in the form of an excel sheet. The excel program is a newer one. Thus, some of you may have difficulty opening or not be able to open the data. Do not stress! When everything is tabulated, I will make certain you get the data even if I have to mail it to you personally. I do plan on making a webpage that will display the data as well. From there you will be able to view, copy, and make observations of the data. I will be overtime adding many comparisons from the data as well as commentary utilizing scripture.

Again, thank you for your patience regarding this survey and its results, I believe the final product will definitely be worth the wait.

God Bless,

Travis Main

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New Sermons and Outlines Uploaded

2010-02-08T15:59:19Z

Greetings to all!

I hope this mail finds you well. If you are in the mid-west, be safe in all that snow!

My wife just finished a quick 4 day visit from out in Ohio. It was a blessing to see her home, but we just sent her off again. She has been attending the Park Road Church of Christ there in Ohio and the brothers and sisters there have been treating her well. Please continue to pray for her until we are all reunited once more.

It has been awhile since I uploaded new non-video sermons to the website. Consequently, I just uploaded 49 audio sermons to http://thatchristianwebsite.com/sermons.html . Additionally, I included the outlines for all but about 10 of them. Some of the audios had been on the site but I had not linked them to the sermon page. Another 15 of them are brand new audios.

If you notice a fuzzy quality to the newer audio sermons, I apologize. These are taken from the video, but since I do not have a direct feed, they are not nearly as clear as most of the other audio on the site. Please bear with me until this is alleviated. I do have a question for any folks out there using an Mpg or MTS converter. I currently am using windows movie maker 2.6 to create DVD's and internet video. However, on the longer videos by the very end the video is out of synch with the sound. Suggestions for a fix or a better program that won't kill a preacher's budget?

Thank you all for continuing to visit and link to thatchristianwebsite. You have been a great help and I get emails from around the world saying the outlines and sermons have been helpful. You all have been a big part of this and I appreciate it.

God Bless,

Travis

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Update on Modesty Survey

2010-01-15T22:54:43Z

Greetings from Wyoming!

I hope this update finds everyone well. This letter is specifically to update everyone in regard to the modesty survey that was sent out in October. This information was sent out to a wide selection of people in different religious and non-religious environments. When all the forms have been entered into a spreadsheet there is going to be a wealth of information to share. I anticipate and did prior to the survey, that a good number are from preachers or those in or related to church leadership. That being said, the majority are from Christians not in a leadership or preaching position it appears. As I have begun working with these questionnaire returns, I realize we are probably looking at spring before I have them complete. I was truly hoping to have them done earlier, but the data is going to take awhile to enter. My apologies in regard to that, but I believe the data is definitely going to be worth it.

Let me drop a teaser... of a sample of only 61 (not the whole amount of returns.. just a sample) here is a composition of replies in regard to the 17th question: Are tattoos on the lower leg modest? 18 replied yes, 43 No.

This data is kind of bland until you realize that when the full set of numbers are in, we will be able to compare responses by sex, how church leadership replies, how secular replies match up to religious replies, and more.

When completed, there will also be a Biblical analysis of the issue. After all, replies are nice, but they are not the final authority - The Bible is. This in itself is a clue as to how the results will be examined. There are folks whose frame of mind replies from a nihilistic standpoint, a standpoint of situational ethics, and a Biblical standpoint. The final result should be fantastic. However, for this time, we will just let the data stand without further examination.

Here are some responses below which were given rather than yes or no. Unfortunately, when there is no clear yes or no in this questionnaire, there can be no tabulation. However, the responses are still interesting.

To the question: Are tattoos on the lower leg modest?
1) "Yes, as long as you are not showing it off and dressing immodest to do so or it is not modest in appearance."
2) "Depends on what the tattoo is of. If it offends it should stay covered up."
3) "Nothing to do with modesty."
4) "Depends on size."
5) "If not covered."
6) "Tattoos are disgusting."

Of course, there are more replies that were given, some in long emails in which I was taken to task for only doing a female focused survey on modesty, some in which I was berated for focusing on a "cultural issue", and others simply too misguided to share.

Anyway, thought I would share this update. I pray everyone hangs in there with the state of the economy. Help those you can and let's hope things change in the future.

Thanks for visiting thatchristianwebsite.com . I hope folks are enjoying the videos I am beginning to put up on the site. I have quite a number more to add in the near future so bear with me. I promise the quality will improve too! Please also don't forget the hundreds of audio sermons, outlines, and articles at the website. They are there for your use.

God Bless,

Travis Main

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Big Changes in Wyoming

2009-11-19T23:55:12Z

Greetings to all!

I hope this email finds everyone well as we approach the end of the year in Christ. I have some BIG news and also some follow up information from the last letter that I want to share.

The BIG news is very sad news unfortunately. Though we have been working with the Cody Church of Christ since way back in the fall of 2008, my wife and I are going to have change things for awhile. Over the last year and a half we have had some pretty tough financial blows (medically without insurance). Additionally, her recruiting business has been like many businesses and slowed down quite a lot. When you make a living hiring people and no one is hiring, things don't go too rosey. Consequently, to pull us out of debt, provide some medical care, and get us back to where we need to be, she is moving to Ohio to work in Human Resources. The children and I will remain in Cody to continue the work here. We truly love the folks at the Church here in Cody. They have been kind, supportive, and went way above the call of duty to try to enable us to keep April here. We knew when we took the position in Cody, that it was a mission work and that things might get tight financial
ly. Unfortunately, with all the other unexpected variables, we have had to make this tough choice. We are not sure what the future is going to hold. After twenty-two years of being side by side with few interuptions, this is going to be painful. We plan on making many back and forth visits. Talk about an incentive to get the budget right! We ask for the prayers of everyone and for those in Ohio, take care of my darling.

The next item I wanted to discuss was the modesty questionnaire that I sent out last letter. I have received most surveys back, I know a few are still coming in. Churches, if you still have questionairres, send them. I have a great number of them and I don't expect to be done tabulating until the first of the year... if I am lucky. I do plan on sending out one in regard to males sometimes later in 2010, but it is all a matter of time. For those that requested the results, as soon as I have it all tabulated, you will get a copy. Thank you so much for the participation.

The final item I want to revisit is the request for visiting preachers this spring and summer to Cody, Wyoming. We are 35 minutes from Yellowstone. The congregation has three wonderful sound elders and about 50 loving members. During the spring and summer, the building is full with anywhere from 75-90 folks from around the states and the world. We want to be able to share with them the message of the gospel through many sound gospel preachers within the Church of Christ that they might not normally be able to hear. If you would like to make the trip to Cody this spring or summer and preach Sunday morning, you have been officially invited (though a number of you will probably be getting a call from me too). Please contact me at 1-816-341-0659. We are a small mission area church, but I am willing to forgo part of my salary to get you here. We have many members who are willing to house you for your stay here. Having the opportunity to preach, you will be able to write y
our trip off, meet many wonderful brothers and sisters, and see our wonderful town and National Park. You can visit out website at codychurchofchrist.com to get more information about the church or simply call me at anytime. If transportation is needed while you are here, we certainly can arrange that as well. We are also planning a gospel meeting the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th of July and all are welcome. This is the biggest weekend of the year in Cody, so if you come, make reservations ahead of time!

Well friends, I thank you for your continued visits at thatchristianwebsite.com . I have begun to upload Video sermons to the website and am in the process of rearraginng and updating it to be more useful for all. I hope these changes are helpful and the hundreds of audio sermons prove beneficial as well. Thank you for your emails and your kind words and your prayers.

God Bless,

Travis Main & Family

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Modesty Questionnaire from that Christian Website

2009-10-07T12:57:53Z

Dear Friends,

Below and attached, is a questionnaire regarding modesty. This is part of a study I am engaged in. Your response would be very helpful. If, instead of just yourself, you could administer this questionnaire at your congregation, the study would be even more informative. All results will be available to those who desire them. Thank you for your help in this matter. Please return to preacher@thatchristianwebsite.com or mail to PO BOX 1774, Cody, Wyoming; 82414.
Survey End Date: October 27, 2009. If your congregation would like a copy of the results please request.

God Bless,
Travis Main

********************************************************************************
Congregation/Individual Questionnaire Regarding Female Modesty

Yes or No Answers

Without reference to tightness are pants modest attire for women?

Are spaghetti strap dresses modest attire for women?

Are sleeveless shirts appropriate attire for women?

If you can see a woman�s thighs is her clothing modest?

If you can see the outline of a woman�s undergarments, are her clothes too tight?

Is it modest to show the part of the stomach?

Is a shirt which shows the cleft of a woman�s breasts modest?

Should a woman�s skirt cover her knees?

Should a woman�s skirt cover everything up to the knees?

Should any part of a woman�s bra be seen in public?

Is exposure of the calves modest attire?

Is a woman with a full length dress more desirable as a wife than one with a mini-skirt?

Do you see facial piercings (non-ear) as modest?

Is a shirt with a tight middle, but loose top modest?

Is it modest to have words over the chest or bottom of attire?

Do all the women of your congregation dress modestly?

Are tattoos on the lower leg modest?

Thank you for filling out this survey. The information below will be very helpful for organization of this material.

Your gender/age:

Are you a preacher/deacon/elder or wife of one of these?

Do you attend a Church Service each Week?

What religious body do you identify yourself with if any?

Please return to preacher@thatchristianwebsite.com or mail to PO BOX 1774, Cody, Wyoming; 82414.
Survey End Date: October 27, 2009. If your congregation would like a copy of the results please request.

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That Christian Website Message

2009-09-10T14:49:55Z

Good Afternoon!

I hope this email finds everyone well. Things are going very well out here in Cody, Wyoming, as we begin to wind down the summer. I am very excited about our current work here and some of the new opportunities. Due to the nature of our congregation being 40 minutes from Yellowstone, we tend to have a great number of visitors through the summer. This has allowed us to send many cd's of sermons and study material around the United States. Now, the congregation has purchased a DVD Camcorder so we can begin to record messages via DVD rather than just audio. Once we get all the kinks worked out, this should give us further ability to reach the others with the message of Christ. Of course, the last 4 years of audio sermons and outlines can be found at http://www.thatchristianwebsite.com/sermons.html . Please feel free to download and utilize any material there you might believe will come in handy.

This summer my family and I, through the kindness of the congregation in Cody, were able to attend the Polishing the Pulpit classes in Sevierville, Tennessee. If you have not been, I highly encourage you to do some research on the event and then come join us next year. There was some fantastic information shared by folks such as George Bailey, Tom Holland, Alan Highers, B.J. Clarke, Jody Apple, Wayne Jackson, Matt Vega, Eric Lyons, Kyle Butt, Michael Shepherd, Glenn Colley, Mike Winkler, and a host of other solid men. Of course, though I did not get to attend any of the women's classes my wife says that the ladies were outstanding as always. Definitely a well planned and greatly helpful effort by solid members of the Church.

Though we will not be able to attend the 27th Annual Mid-West Lectures this year, I also highly recommend this lectureship. It will be held September 20-24 at the 39th Street Church of Christ in Independence, Missouri. This lectureship will host speakers: Wayne Brewer, Bruce Harris, Tom Bright, John Shafer, Jon Bowman, Robert Notgrass, Jerry Sullins, Jack McNeil, Larry Yarber, Jay Yeager, Derek Yarber, Terry Mabery, Wayne Price, Richard Massey, Fred Rhodes, Eugene Jenkins, Toney Smith, Randy Mabe, Dudley Morton, Michael Wyatt, Johnnie Scaggs, Bill Goring, and Charles Coats. It will be disappointing to miss these fine men and friends as they boldly spread the Truth that saves.

If you would be interested in taking part in a gospel meeting here in Cody this coming spring, please contact me via my email at: preacher@thatchristianwebsite.com .

One final note: One of the speakers in the Mid-West Lectures, Robert Notgrass, is a dear friend and solid preacher of the gospel. He is now seeking a sound congregation for himself and his family. If you are aware of any possibilities, please contact him. This can be done via his website, where you can view his resume, listen to sermons, and gather other necessary particulars. His website is: http://robertnotgrass.com/ . It is my sincere belief that any congregation would be proudly served by Robert's knowledge and zeal.

God Bless to all,

Travis Main

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Spiritual Doldrums Article

2009-06-30T23:07:15Z

Greetings to all!

We are rapidly coming up on the 4th of July in Cody, Wyoming and people are pouring in from all over the United States. What a fun time we are having out here! I hope things are going well for everyone who sees these words. We certain have all congregations, brothers, and sisters in our prayers.

You will see at the bottom of this letter an article I wrote on Spiritual Doldrums. This seems to be a prevailing occurrence within the church and the world and I pray the information provided helps to garner further insight into this issue.

Before the article, I would like note that this last week I added about 20 more sermons and outlines to the website ( thatchristianwebsite.com/sermons.html ). Typically, I have been only adding one a week, but I found myself with a few extra lessons recorded and wanted to share them with you.

Finally, I want to encourage everyone who happens to be out in the vicinity of Theo Mississippi the last weekend in July 31-Aug 2 to drop by the preachersfiles lectureships if you have opportunity. I will be speaking early Friday the 31st at 5 pm and am looking forward to hearing the many brothers that will be speaking this year.

Well my friends, enjoy the summer, and article, God Bless,

Travis Main

++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Overcoming the Doldrums

Have you ever experienced the doldrums? Doldrums is a word that comes from an area of the ocean near the equator where the wind can practically cease or be so light that boats which run by sail can be trapped for weeks waiting for wind to move them along. Applying the word doldrums to Christianity refers to a mental slump, depression, inactivity, or state of restless unhappiness. How is it that Christians experience doldrums? To what stages of detriment will this lead? How should we respond to doldrums?

Often I hear brothers and sisters in Christ express dissatisfaction about the world around them. They may be dissatisfied with political events, immorality in society, the level of education their children are receiving, or a host of other items. Certainly, there are a great number of things of which we must be aware and express disapproval and dissatisfaction. What is disappointing is when the dissatisfaction is directed at the Church. Still, we are human and though striving to meet the perfection of Christ in our lives, we fall short. When this occurs, we have a duty to express our love to our brothers and sisters and aid them in their times of need. Heb. 10:24 tells us we must stimulate one another to love and good deeds and verse 25 tells us to encourage one another. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 instructs us to gently correct erring brothers so that they will remain within the arms of God. The point to understand is, within the church and the world, there are going to be mome
nts of disappointment.

Returning to the idea of doldrums, many Christians complain of this problem in their lives. There is nothing inspiring about services. They don�t feel uplifted anymore. They feel down and restless and just don�t feel like coming to all the services or classes. They need �me� time to rest and recuperate from busy day or week. Their critical eye can point out the problems that are being experienced within the congregation. �Why can�t these people get it together and commit themselves to Christ�, is often stated in the mind or increasingly to others who are experiencing similar feelings.

How is it that Christians experience doldrums? There are four evident stages through which the doldrums seem to progress: discomfort, verbal expression, destructiveness, and termination. For reasons I hope will become clear, we will alternatively name the stages of doldrums, spiritual stomach cramps.

Stage one doldrums are manifested by dissatisfaction, disappointment, or restlessness within the individual as mentioned above. As with any item detrimental to proper advancement of acceptable behavior for an individual in Christ�s body, the church, immediate diagnosis of the problem is important. What is the perceived cause of the stressors? 2 Cor. 13:5 points us to our first and foremost responsibility in discovering stressors. That is we must examine ourselves. Luke 6:42 is another scripture which demonstrates the need for us to look within before putting on armor to vanquish the sins of others. Many Christians express difficulty in knowing what it is that is causing the feelings they are going through. This is why we have shepherds/elders. Acts 20:28 charges them with responsibility for the church and yes, for themselves. They may very likely be able to aid you with the emotions you are experiencing. We will further examine the cure or response for Christian dol
drums later in this article.

Stage two doldrums begin to act themselves out in the form of verbal expression. This often is manifested by grumbling, crankiness, or a fallen countenance. �Why does the preacher talk to so long�, �I wish people would stop asking so many questions in class�, �That song leading was atrocious�, �I am so tired of hearing children cry during services�, �Where is the excitement?�, etc. Grumbling is something we probably all have done and something none of us should do (Phil. 2:14, I Pet. 4:9). Grumbling and crankiness walk hand in hand. Preachers are an obvious example of how to deal with disappointment. I have seen men pour their hearts into study and presenting a biblical thought, just to have someone tell them they said �um� 14 times during a 45 minute lesson. Most preachers have learned to smile, embrace the criticism, and move forward. The temptation to grumble about how they just wasted a week of effort stands at the ready. Yet, preachers are not the only ones faci
ng such dilemmas. Put yourself into the position of helping out with the yearly VBS program. You work hard to make certain every aspect is covered. Turnout is low and most of the members never showed up. This is where not only grumbling and crankiness can sneak in, but also a fallen countenance. Remember Cain in Gen. 4:4-7. He experienced disappointment. He was cranky and his countenance was fallen (his behaviors were demonstrated his feelings), certainly due to his own actions. The Lord gave him caution so that he would not sin further. Cain did not listen to the Lord and fell further into sin. We must be on guard continually so that our stage one feelings don�t grow into stage two (I Pet. 5:8).

Stage three doldrums are certain to be destructive to others. Its manifestations may include gossip, divisiveness, and unfaithful participation. It is so easy to express oneself to others about all the problems of the members of the Church. Gossip is a cancer (2 Cor. 12:20, I Tim. 5:13). �Joe sure needs to tell his wife to talk less�, �Don�t they act all high and mighty�, �Did you see what she was wearing�. If you have a problem with someone�s behaviors take it to them (Mt. 18:16). If you are afraid, seek the help of the elders, but don�t share your gossip with others. Frustrations can lead to behavior that is going to divide the church one against another. What was once a small item grows into an issue of colossal proportion (Gal. 5:13-15). Have you ever talked about how sick and tired you are and that only made you more sick and tired? When we begin to grumble, then to share our discontentment with others, it often only makes us more unsatisfied or it gives us a s
ick sense of brief contentment. Eventually, we start cutting our attendance, because every time we attend worship we feel miserable. This was not the intention of attendance put forth in Heb. 10:25.

The final stage of the doldrums is ultimately leaving the Church. 2 Tim. 4:3 expresses the desire of individuals to have religion served up their way. If it isn�t they hit the road. They are off to greener pastures with folks who �really love the Lord�. They are tired of dealing with �hypocrites�. There are Christians out there who have �joy� in their hearts. Of course, this is often tied to some statement about �legalism�, but from here I digress. It is a shame to see any brother or sister stray from the church it should be our utmost desire and effort to bring them back (see parable of lost sheep and lost coin in Lk. 15).

We can see from this discussion that the doldrums can ultimately lead to the corruption of a good brother and sister at many levels.

How is it though that an individual should respond to spiritual stomach cramps? How can the doldrums be avoided? At the core of most spiritual stomach cramps is forgetting or misunderstanding the purpose of the Church and man. This leads me to the central verse in regard to this topic. That is, Mat. 5:6, �Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.�

Hunger and thirst are mighty desires. When I was a young boy, I would wake in the morning in what I thought was unmeasured agony, because I was so hungry. I could not get to my bowl of cereal fast enough. It wasn�t as if my parents did not feed me, I was just a hungry boy. There were other days, when I would be out working, would come in to the house and couldn�t get enough cold water. Oh, how good it tasted. A boy who hungers and thirsts after food and drink and finds it shall be filled (at least for 10 minutes).

�Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.� Our spiritual stomach cramps, the doldrums, are often misdiagnosed. We believe it is others who are creating our problem rather than doing a self examination as expressed earlier. If we don�t believe it is others, we just can�t target where the feeling is coming from. Why? Because it couldn�t be me! Eph. 2:10 tells us the purpose for which we were made. We were created by God to do good works. What are good works? � the righteousness of God. This is that for which we are to be hungering and thirsting. It is hard for anyone to admit to themselves that they are not hungering and thirsting for righteousness. Sure we want good things to happen. We have our hands out in the form of spiritual welfare though instead of staying engaged with the work of a Christian. Again, what does scripture tell us? �He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does he require of you, but to do
justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.� � Micah 6:8. We are to be doing, but instead, we are expecting the other members to be doing, the preacher to be doing, the deacons to be doing, and the elders to be doing. That doing in our mind, is to make us happy, to make us, satisfied, but are we doing any doing?

�Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they shall be filled.� I love the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team. Most basketball players want to play. When they play, they are happy. When their minutes are cut back or they have to sit on the bench, there is a reaction. A proper behavior is the hunger and thirst to be back out playing, but focusing on improving self and helping the team. All dissatisfaction is not bad. Hunger and thirst tells you your body needs food. You should not ignore this. In basketball when dissatisfaction grows, it can be visible in verbal expression, divisiveness, a player refusing to play, and ultimately, the player leaving a team � much like unchecked dissatisfaction in the Church. Players want to play, they shouldn�t be satisfied to sit on the bench. Christians should not be satisfied just sitting in the pews Sunday morning. As Christians, we don�t have to wait for a coach to put us in to play. We have a choice. T
here can never be enough players in the game of serving God.

�Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they shall be filled.� Psalm 42:1-4, Psalm 63:1-3, Isaiah 55:1-3, Isaiah 65:13, these verses resound with the theme that if we seek God and serve Him, we will be filled. He will not disappoint. So often though, we get out of the practice of seeking and serving. It may be fear, forgetfulness, laziness, daily activity, or a host of things, but we stop being active. Yet, we proclaim we are hungry. We say we are thirsty. James 2:17-18 expresses the fact that our faith is an obedient faith, manifested by activity for God. All the blessings and treasures and riches and luxuries in heavenly places are there� if� you do something. If we draw near to Him, he will draw near to us � James 4:8.

�Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they shall be filled.� There are three particular components mentioned so far that protect against the doldrums, but not stated together, in regard to being filled: Do not compare yourself to others, work to your ability, commit yourself to the work of the Church which is righteousness.

When we compare ourselves to others we open the door for envy (Gal. 5:19-23). Paul said imitate me, not compare yourself to me. (I Cor. 11:1). Jesus said we shall be rewarded based on our deeds not those of others. This is most evident in scripture with his praise of the widow in Mar. 12:42 who gave two mites (a very little sum) as compared to the many rich. He did not look to the sums, but to the state of the heart in the truth of giving. If the widow had been paying attention to the sums of the rich, she may have been moved to not give at all for fear of not matching up. She could have entered the doldrums. Yet, on the other extreme we see the Pharisee praying on the corner comparing himself to the publican in Luke 18:11. In comparison, he saw himself as much better. When we do such things we open the door for pride and arrogance and tend to sit back and not engage our full potential. Again, entrance to the doldrums was waiting. Do you want to avoid the doldrums
, avoid comparing yourself to others.

When we think of our abilities, we should only focus on God�s standard and try to achieve it. This principle is laid out for us in the parable of the talents (Mat. 25:15-30). The Lord gave out responsibility in accordance with ability and reward for those that fulfilled their potential. The individual who did not live up to his ability was punished. The relationship we share with God is fulfilled between Him and us, no other individual enters the equation (Ez. 14:14). A poem I ran across recently appropriately expresses the connection between living up to our potential and sitting on the sidelines watching judging everyone else:

You call me Master and Obey me not.
You call me Light and See me not.
You call me Way and Walk me not.
You call me Life and Desire me not.
You call me Wise and Follow me not.
You call me Fair and Love me not.
You call me Rich and Ask me not.
You call me Eternal and Seek me not.
You call me Gracious and Trust me not.
If I condemn you, Blame me not.

If you want to avoid the doldrums, live up to your abilities.

Committing ourselves to the work of the Church fulfills our purpose. My son and I were handing out flyers for VBS this last month. Mid way through walking in the neighborhoods he said to me, �This sure makes me feel good.� Fulfilling our purpose, brings joy to our souls. It give us peace knowing we are in accordance to the commands of God. It makes the Father pleased to see us walking in righteousness. In Genesis 5:24, it is said �Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.� In Heb. 11:5, we find Enoch was taken because he was pleasing to God. When we are focused on the work of the Church, knowing we are pleasing God, how can we be in the doldrums? Will we not be filled from feasting on the righteousness of God? When sermons are �dull�, it is our responsibility to remember we are feeding on the Word of God. When our ears are tricked by what they hear in singing by the congregation, remember we are sending our praise to God. When it doesn�t seem like
anyone is working for the Lord, remember, we don�t see all things. Elijah thought he was alone in the work of God, but he wasn�t (I Kings 19). Elijah had just come from a great triumph in the Lord, yet, there was more work to be done. While we are on earth, our commitment needs to be focused on God. In Philippians 1:21-23, Paul contemplated the journey home to Christ, yet, serving his brothers and sisters was more critical. Thus should be our approach to our brothers and sisters, service, not being served. If you want to avoid the doldrums, spiritual stomach cramps, remember: You job is to serve, not be served.

�Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they shall be filled.� The doldrums can hit brothers and sisters of all ages. But if diagnosed, they can stop at discomfort and do not have to go through the stages of verbal expression, destructiveness, and termination. When we hunger and thirst for righteousness, when we seek God as a priority (Mt. 6:33), we will be satisfied. This requires us to not focus on how much worse or better others actions are in comparison to ourselves. Satisfied requires us to focus on fulfilling our abilities in service to our savior. Satisfaction requires our being committed to service to God rather than holding out our hands to receive of others. If you want to avoid the doldrums, look to Christ.

John 6:35 - Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.

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Settling down in Cody, Wyoming

2009-04-30T15:20:10Z

Greetings all!

Well, I have finally gotten the family moved out to Cody, Wyoming. As suspected, the apartment we are staying in at the present will not fit all the boxes! Additionally, our dog is being watched at a friend's house here and we have housed our cats in the back of our truck for the time being. Despite the odd arrangements all things are rolling along smoothly at present.

I was able to set up a website for the congregation here in Cody: http://www.codychurchofchrist.com . If you visit the site and see anything that doesn't look right please let me know so that I can correct it. With my sloppy fingers errors are bound to pop up somewhere.

For those who are interested in the new address it is: PO BOX 1774; Cody, Wy; 82414. The phone is 816-341-0659.

I think I have changed my addresses everywhere for the different publications I receive, but if I failed somewhere and you know it, please correct for me. Also if you or your congregation sends out a hard copy of a newsletter with various articles, feel free to send it this direction!

As a final note, I plan on traveling to Theo, Mississippi the last weekend in July to preach at the Preachersfile's lectureships this year. Also my family and I are tentatively planning on being in Sevierville, Tennesee for Polishing the Pulpit. We hope to see many of you there.

Until the next update or article, may God Bless you all,

Travis Main

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That Christian Website Message

2009-03-28T22:22:11Z

Greetings to all!

I hope this message finds you well. Today I would like to share an article with you regarding whether or not God has our attention. However, there are a couple of other items I want to mention before getting to that article. The first is I have successfully completed the first few weeks of the work here in Cody, Wyoming. The brothers and sisters here greet everyone and have been very kind to me. The transition has been very smooth thus far, though I have had a few difficulties trying to adjust to the cost of living and housing. These things will iron themselves out though and I look greatly forward to the future of this mission work. Thank you for all the prayers and emails of encouragement.

The second item I would like to mention is the �Silencing of God� DVD which has been produced by Apologetics Press. This DVD examines the culture war currently waging in the United States of America. It takes a look at the growing onslaught of rage against God and Christians. I highly recommend it, and if you would like, I will send you a free copy of this DVD in the mail for your congregation or for your personal viewing. If you would rather, you can purchase a copy from Apologetics Press. Please take the time to check this material out.

The third item I want to mention is a 24/7 source of acapella. Digitalbiblestudy.com has a continuous acapella feed from its website at http://www.digitalbiblestudy.com/Music.asx . I often hear folks say they just can�t find acapella music. No more looking! Here is a great and wonderful source from Jonathan Jenkins. Of course, his site is also one of the largest resources of audio/video sermons on the net which should not be overlooked.

Well, I am certain I have missed some other item I wanted to share, but I will just include it next time. I hope the article below is helpful and I wish you the best as we spend each day drawing closer to our God.

God Bless,

Travis Main

Does God Have Your Attention?

Much goes on today that nobody notices. These occurrences may be subtle or extreme. The subtlety may be as simple as your wife changing the color of her lipstick and you not noticing, or as drastic as a president spending away your children�s future while your country stands by in ignorance.

As a boy, I looked forward to the coming of summer each year. These were times I was not daily sitting at a school desk. I had a freedom inside of me that propelled me outside and into the woods. Every day I would get up and start a new adventure of swimming, swinging on an old rope swing, playing with my dog, or doing something with a ball. To my disappointment, time didn�t stop. The summer days came to an abrupt end with the announcement that school was the next week. This left me with a list of undone adventures and a frown on my face. The time had just slipped away.

How many of you are aware of when the daffodils show up each year? I saw them in the stores this week. If you don�t pay attention their arrival can pass you by and you never knew they came and went.

I trimmed my mustache this last week. No one said a word. That was a big deal! Did anyone notice? It didn�t appear as if anyone did.

How many of us have children or have had them? I have a son and a daughter. I am currently in Cody, Wyoming while they are in Saint Joseph, Missouri, preparing with my wife to move out here. My son has lost two teeth and had a black eye from bumping into a cabinet in the time that I have been Cody. By the time I see him, the black eye will be gone. I will have missed it. When did that moment happen where �Chutes and Ladders� and �Candy Land� became taboo for my kids? Did the moment your child decided to be interested in a girl or boy come as a complete surprise to you? These things always sneak upon me! I don�t see them coming. They fail to capture my attention.

Phil Jackson is the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers professional basketball team. He was a player and he has been a coach for quite some time. He has won championships as a coach and a player and in professional and semi-professional leagues. I read an article sometime ago that caught my attention. Phil Jackson has a unique way of getting the attention of his players. This is not an easy task at all times. Professional basketball games can house tens of thousands of screaming fans. Phil Jackson lets loose on a powerful horse whistle. That is, using his fingers and lungs, not a manufactured whistle; he grabs the ears of his guys. It is loud. It is piercing. It is effective. I cannot imitate the volume, but I do employ a similar strategy with my children.

Now, whether it is Phil Jackson with the Lakers or myself with my children, the whistle represents more than an attention getter. It represents a moment in which a message is going to be conveyed. Phil may use the instant to convey the need for unity among his players. It may be used to point out a fault or an opportunity. He may whistle at times when his players are being taken advantage of in a specific play set and don�t even realize it. His job is to oversee his team and get the best out of them.

God has used various methods of trying to get our attention throughout time. When mankind sinned in the Garden, He got their attention by providing dire consequences (Gen 3). Pain in child birth was increased, the ground was cursed, man had to work to eat, and after his days, he would return to the dust. Man was hopefully saying at this time, �Wow! There is no way I am going to mess up again!� Unfortunately, man continued in sin and God had to continue to grab their attention to get them on the right path.

In the time of Noah, we see him preaching righteousness and building an ark. People had to notice, didn�t they? If they did, they did not heed the message. So God sent the flood, delivering Noah and his family. He destroyed so many, because they were not paying attention. The Flood had to grab their attention! Yet, even as Noah and his family began to repopulate the earth, it was evident total attention was not achieved.
Sometimes, God uses some pretty extreme events to get our attention and at others he is more subtle.

Exodus 3:1-5, shows us how God gets the attention of Moses. He catches Moses� eye with a burning bush, which is not burning up. This isn�t a worldwide event that is meant for all to see, but it is for Moses alone.

I Samuel 3:1-10, shows us how God gets the attention of Samuel. He calls to Samuel. Samuel hears and runs to Eli whom he thinks is calling. Samuel doesn�t dawdle, he doesn�t stay in his warm bed acting like he didn�t hear anything. This happens twice more and each time Samuel�s response is the same. He is listening and ready to respond. It is not until Eli gives him instruction that it is the Lord calling that he communicates with God himself. Not calling communication with God minor, God got the attention of Moses and Samuel in less obvious manners.

Note: God�s correspondence with Samuel did not go unnoticed by all others. I Samuel 3:11-17, details God�s message shared with Samuel of punishment upon Eli and his family. Samuel is afraid to share it with Eli, but Eli wanted to know the message of God. God got Eli�s attention too.

Today, God has given us His Word, the Bible, to get our attention, not to be ignored. This gives us a message of the blessings and curses of God. Properly paid attention to, it will lead us to eternal life. Ignored, it will seal our destruction as those in the days of Noah. It is a message the entire world has received in complete since the first century (Col. 1, Jude 1:3, Gal. 1:6-10). God is a patient God. He does not want to see us perish (Is. 30:18, Jn. 3:16, 2 Pet. 3:9). However, we have to pay attention.

I Samuel 3:13 details that Eli was attentive to the fact that his sons were in violation of God�s will, yet he did nothing (James 4:17). He wanted to act as if ignorant, a direct contrast to the behavior of Samuel.

When we talk about our children (and our brothers and sisters in Christ), we have the role to watch over them (Ez. 33). It�s that role that is kind of like Phil Jackson�s with the Lakers. If he does not engage in his role properly, problems will result. Certainly, ignoring the problems in our physical and spiritual families will not make them go away, we will be held accountable. We have to be ready to blow the whistle and get our Children�s attention. Do they know more about sports, cars, video games, a music group, farming, hunting, or fishing than the Bible? That is a whistle blowing moment (2 Tim. 2:15, Rom. 10:17, Eph. 6:15). They will be lost eternally if they are not prepared for the judgment day. Do they spend more time with friends in the world than Christians? That is a whistle blowing moment (Heb. 10:24-25, Acts 2:46, Phil. 4:8, I Cor. 15:33, 2 Cor. 6:14-18). Are your children�s (or brothers and sisters) clothes tight? Do they show the cleft of the breas
t, the form of their body, the navel, the knee or thigh? I am not talking just about at church! Have they become desensitized to God�s standard of modesty wherever they are? This is a whistle blowing moment (Jer. 6:15, 8:12, Gen 3:7,10,21, Ex. 28:42, Is. 47:1-4). Does God have your attention on these issues or you choosing to ignore Him?

Satan wants us to ignore God. He wants us to be so wrapped up in our lives that the only attention we pay to anything is our own appetites. He wants us to be so busy with the world and our own wisdom that we don�t spend time in the Word or with our brothers and sisters in fellowship or study. He wants us to stress over the length of 45 minute studies a few times a week. He wants us to have anxiety over messages presentations we would not have chosen. He wants us to fret over the singing of others and the songs our song leader chooses. He wants us to grumble, complain, and whine about prayers that are too long. Overall Satan wants our attention to totally miss the fruit of the spirit which should characterize a church (Gal. 5:22-23).

Sodom and/or Gomorrah are mentioned in 14 of the 66 books of the Bible. They are noted for their wickedness and immorality. God got their attention (Gen. 19:24-25). Yet, the wife of lot turned back. Jesus tells us in Luke 17:32 �Remember Lot�s wife.� She looked back to the things of the world. She was turned to a pillar of salt. Jesus is trying to get our attention. We must focus on the Lord not upon our own desires (Mt. 6:33). Gross immorality will be punished, but most men are simply guilty of following their own desire and not Christ.

As the greatest gift of grace and His greatest attention getter, God sent his Son to die on the cross for our sins. While he was here he performed miracle after miracle to get our attention. He healed the blind, made the lame walk, cast out demons, replaced body parts, and raised the dead. He told his disciples in John 14:15, if they loved him they would keep his commandments. He said in Mt. 7:21, �Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.� He said in Luke 9:23 � If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.� Does Christ get your attention? Are you engaged more than one to three hours a week bearing your cross and filling up that which is lacking in Christ�s afflictions (Col. 1:24)? Do you know all the studies that are going on at your congregation right now? Do you see your brothers and sisters more than once a
week? Are you actively engaged in the encouragement and comfort of the body or do you have time for that in your busy schedule of seeking worldly comfort and joy?

2 Pet. 3:10-18, is the final attempt to gather mankind�s attention. It establishes we need to be holy in conduct and godliness, spotless and blameless, looking toward the Day of Judgment, growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord. That day will be a day of fire and destruction for those that are not prepared.

Our Father has raised the Alarm. �Fire� has been called. Will you respond to the call? Will you ignore the warnings? Are you ready for that day to come?

Does God have your attention?

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Heading to Wyoming

2009-02-16T14:57:55Z

Good afternoon to all!

I am writing you today with very exciting news. After much deliberation, my family and I have decided to move to Wyoming. I will be joining my Christian family in the city of Cody, Wyoming and be the located preacher at the Cody Church of Christ. We have been contemplating this move for most of this year, but had not really begun to focus in on making it a reality until the last couple of months.

The congregation in Cody, is approx. 55 folks, with two elders and two deacons. It is certainly our joy to be able to worship there and also enjoy the passing through of many travelers off to see the blessings of the North West. If it appears any of you are going to be coming our way, let us know! Our door is open as always to friends.

My first day in Cody, will be the 22nd of February. I anticipate the greater part of the time initially will be finding a place to call home. However, after we are all set in, I look forward to getting to know the community and yes, even enjoy the blessings of an area considered a vacation spot for everyone else. Please pray for me and my family as we make this step forward to a far away place.

Deu 6:1-5 Now this is the commandment, the statutes, and the ordinances, which Jehovah your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it; that thou mightest fear Jehovah thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as Jehovah, the God of thy fathers, hath promised unto thee, in a land flowing with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah: and thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

God Bless,

Travis

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