In Lamentations 1:12, the prophet asks, “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?” In other words, “Does anybody care about the plight of the nation?” Day by day Jeremiah saw the people hurrying along, engrossed in their own affairs and unconcerned about he condition of their nation, city, temple and worship.
A similar kind of indifference is a nemesis among God’s people today. Our nation is being subjected to the godless tenets of atheism, humanism, materialism and secularism. The Lord’s church is suffering from the effects of rampant liberalism, modernism, skepticism and partyism. The world is dying in sin and without Jesus Christ. The worship of God is not attended by all of God’s saints with pure and wholehearted devotion. In light of these conditions, it is well that we ask ourselves, “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?” Can we go about our daily lives and not be genuinely concerned about such conditions?
In spite of the dangers, which continue to mount, many brethren persist in their heart-chilling state of aloofness. They find themselves engulfed in their own interests, affairs and pursuits with little time to spare for anything else. They find their personal cares so engrossing that there is hardly any room in their heart for God, or others.

LOOK AT TODAY’S VIDEO GAMES
Joseph Holman

Early last week I was on the phone with a young cousin of mine. This excited little boy wanted to tell me about his new game for Playstation II (Playstation and now Playstation II are video game systems). He was excited about his purchase of the new game for that system, “Grand Theft Auto IV, Vice City.”
I was a kid once; I know what it is like to play Cowboys and Indians and to get the bad guys. I even liked playing the bad guys sometimes with my younger brother and our little neighborhood friends we grew up with. But I had never seen the likes of today’s video games. Sure, I had video games and played them I did. But they were nothing like those of today. Today, the video game world is at an all time new moral low.
When I was at the home this little cousin, I got a chance to sit down and play Grand Theft Auto III. I was surprised to find a game where the entire plot was to steal parked cars, throw people out of cars at stoplights, punch people, shoot people, knife people, club people and run over people with the stolen car of your choice. Blood graphically drains out onto the pavement when your character kills someone. And should you desire to take out your anger on one of these beaten video corpses you just killed by kicking them while on the ground, the more gory the scene gets. And if you really want to add a sick twist to things you can put a gun to someone’s head and make them beg for their lives or you can crash your car around bystanders to set people on fire. No wonder the dark and morbid minds of this world find solace in games like this one.
Not to mention, the game starts with just as degenerate a plot (if you decide to follow the story line from the beginning). You are an escaped convict. You work for drug lords, pimps, prostitutes, and crime lords while your enemies are the police and local street gangs who are trying to get back at you for wronging them.
For an extra challenge, you can put the game on a harder level where the entire city is in complete anarchy and you must try and escape. Of course, you’ve got to kill to do it! That’s Grand Theft Auto for you! A game where your goal is to destroy and hurt everything and everyone around you! But the Grand Theft Auto series is not alone. There are many other games in the same or similar category. In some games you rape, torture, steal people’s souls, throw people’s souls in Hell, dismember body parts, etc.
What is the real problem with these games? What makes these any different from any other juvenile fantasies? The problem is not seeing violence. That is a part of life. The problem is not seeing death or blood or warfare. These too are all parts of life. The problem is the glorification of evil and the infatuation with causing suffering in return for the exaltation of self. Instead of evil being incidental like it is in life, in these games the evil becomes the whole intent and purpose of the games. That is the problem with them! These games have long since changed from “cool” to atrociously, sadistically wicked!
This type of programming in today’s video games is just another extension of the world’s tentacles to envelop and consume our youth. As a result, our children are being taught ghetto morals and are seeking, pursuing and living ghetto lives. (Bulletin Briefs, March 2003).

VOLUME 40 NUMBER 17 APRIL 28, 2003

RESPONSE

Placing Membership on April 27, 2003:
Wendell & Missy Thompson, Callie & Caleb, 1815 Thompson Lane, Little Rock, AR 72223, phone 821-2135
To be restored on April 23, Nathan Moore.
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THANK YOU

Thanks to all for your care and concern and most of all your prayers during my recent knee surgery and continuing recovery. It is all greatly appreciated. Charlie Dee Morris.
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SYMPATHY

We extend our sympathy to Jay & Martha Franklin on the death of their granddaughter’s father, Marvin Potts. The funeral will at 1:00 PM on Tuesday at Pleasant Valley Church of Christ.
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NEW GRANDBABY

Vickie Ironside has a new grandson, Daniel Jacob, born April 21st, weight 7 lb. 14 oz. 19 _ inches tall. Nathan & Dena Ironside are the parents and Hazel Mahan is the grandmother.
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LADIES DAY

May 17th, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Church of Christ in Van Buren, AR
Speaker: Brenda Wilson of Mayfield, KY
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SERMONS FOR MAY 4

Morning
Baptism-From Heaven Or From Men?
Evening
Breaking The Silence
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CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GRADUATES

CLIFF BOYD — CAC
BRIAN BREWER — SHERIDAN
EMILY GULLEDGE — HOME
DEVIN LONG — HOME
BRADLEY MURPHY — CAC
ALICIA WALLACE — BRYANT

LAURA TOLLETT-HARDING UNIVERSITY

EVENTS OF INTEREST

May 1-4 ………Our Gospel Meeting
May 6……….All Comers Class Trip
May 10………………….Bible Bowl

OUR RECORD APRIL 27, 2003

A.M. WORSHIP 215
SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY 176
P.M. WORSHIP 146
WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY 139

CONTRIBUTION 8292
BUDGET 6351
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MEN TO SERVE
May 4, 2003

Jim Henson Darren Gowen
Jason Griffin John Griffin
Dennis Gulledge David Gulledge
Greg King Bob Jarrell

Evening Roger Horton
Tim King
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WEDNESDAY SONG DIRECTOR

May 7 Michael Wilson
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USHERS FOR MAY

Morning Roger Horton & Phil DePriest
Evening Ken Bittle & Jim Henson
Wednesday Jim Mauldin & Waymon Minor
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GREETERS FOR MAY

Mike & Joanna Moore
Nathan Moore
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ELDER CHAIRMAN

May Dale Morris
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