Friendship Baptist Church

Our choir special was “To God Be the Glory” with a special solo part by Dusty Clyde Dutton.

Bro. Ken’s message was from James 2:14-19. Real faith shows itself through deeds.

Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead. If we have faith, we have deeds.

Bro. Ken’s evening message, “More Than Conquerors,” was taken from Romans 8:31-39. If God is for us, then who can be against us? We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Nothing can separate us from God unless we let it.

Our children had a wonderful time at the Montgomery Zoo on Saturday. Thank you to Mary and Andrea for planning and taking our children.

Our gym is open every Tuesday and Thursday for basketball.

Upcoming events: Oct. 6: Amish trip to Etheridge, Tenn., leaving at 7:30 a.m. See Regeana for details.

Oct. 10: Café Escape (Manna Meal) at the University of Montevallo BCM. If you can help serve or provide food, let Faye Powell know. They begin serving at 11:15 a.m.

Oct. 14: World Hunger Sunday

Oct. 27: Fall Outreach Festival at 6 p.m. Games, hotdogs, chili cook-off and other activities. Please bring candy and offer your support to our community.

Oct. 31: Trunk or Treat at 6 p.m.

Nov. 1: Christmas Village: See Regeana if you are interested in going. Tickets will be preordered.

Happy birthday to Mary Martin, Alisha Callahan, Callie Wyatt and John Mitchell.

Prayer requests: Juanita Staggs, Preston Stevens, Sue Roberts, Vivian Sanders and Harriett Callahan.

Christ Independent Methodist Church

On this perfect fall day, it was great to go to the Lord’s house and thank him for the many blessings that we enjoy. We began by singing “Holiness Unto the Lord” and “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.”

Dr. Mac Stinson’s sermon title was “Who is the Greatest?” His scripture was taken from the Gospel of Mark 9:30-37. This scripture relates how Jesus and his disciples are passing through Galilee when Jesus notices that his disciples are discussing among themselves which of them is the greatest. When Jesus asked who that person was, they were afraid to tell him, but Jesus knew their dispute and, in Mark 9:33-35, exhorts his disciples to humility. Jesus asked them, “What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? But they held their peace, for by the way, they had disputed among themselves who should be the greatest.” And he sat down and called the twelve, and said unto them, “If any man desires to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. “ Wanting to be first is a very human desire. We have all heard the ancient adage that proclaims, “Pride goeth before a fall.” Having a big ego does not mean that it must harm the person who has it. Whatever a big ego leads to depends on how its master controls and directs it. If we want to be the very best we can be, then ambition can be a very useful tool for motivating us to be all what we are capable of becoming. If you want to be the greatest, then spending your life serving the least and lowest is the way to go. Growing to be more like Jesus is the way to continue the process. You become greater by humbling yourself to serve others less fortunate than yourself. God wants us to stand tall by humbling ourselves to serve others as he served us. Big egos can be destructive or divine; it all depends on how an ego is focused.

Our prayer list: Dr. Mac Stinson, Cathy Leufta, Carl and Anne Glass, Opal Miller, Cindy McCavitt, Shea Simms in Kuwait, BeeBee’s nephew in Afghanistan and Charles Emfinger’s family in the death of two family members.

For the 40 days leading up to Election Day, we are requested to humble ourselves before the Lord and ask him with one voice to save America.

If you were absent today, you were missed. Pray for our country, military, community, church, little Israel and each other. Have a blessed week.