EXHIBIT 31.1

        PURSUANT TO RULES 13a-14 AND 15d-14 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
        ACT OF 1934 AND SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
                CERTIFICATION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

I, Larry J. Brandt, certify that:

1.    I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of First
      Federal Bancshares of Arkansas, Inc. (the "Registrant");

2.    Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
      statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
      necessary to make the statements made, in light of the
      circumstances under which  such statements were made, not
      misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.    Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other
      financial information included in this report, fairly present
      in all material respects the financial condition, results of
      operations and cash flows of the Registrant as of, and for,
      the periods presented in this report;

4.    The Registrant's other certifying officers and I are
      responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure
      controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-
      15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Registrant and have:

  a)       designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused
           such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under
           our supervision, to ensure that material information
           relating to the Registrant, including its consolidated
           subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those
           entities, particularly during the period in which this
           report is being prepared;

  b)       evaluated the effectiveness of the Registrant's disclosure
           controls and procedures and presented in this report our
           conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls
           and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this
           report based on such evaluation; and

  c)       disclosed in this report any change in the Registrant's
           internal control over financial reporting that occurred during
           the Registrant's most recent fiscal quarter that has materially
           affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
           Registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

5.    The Registrant's other certifying officers and I have
      disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal
      control over financial reporting, to the Registrant's auditors
      and the audit committee of Registrant's board of directors (or
      persons performing the equivalent functions):

  a)       all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
           design or operation of internal control  over financial
           reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect
           the Registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and
           report financial information; and

  b)       any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
           or other employees who have  a significant role in the
           Registrant's internal control over financial reporting.



Date:  November 3, 2003            /s/ Larry J. Brandt
                                   __________________________________
                                   Larry J. Brandt
                                   Chief Executive Officer