Bethsalem Baptist Church

Ministry opportunities and welcome: Bro. Cleve Mallory

Annie Armstrong Mission Moment and prayer

Call to Worship music by the congregation: “Days of Elijah”

Special music by the Celebration Choir: “I’ll Have a New Life”

Message by Bro. Andy McClelland from Genesis 25:29-34: “Appetite, Power, Never Satisfied, and Say, ‘Now,’ Not ‘Later.’

In the evening message, Bro. Andy preached from Joshua 5:13-15 with a sermon titled “Leave a Mark in Life.”

Wednesday family supper: 5:30 p.m., Prayer Meeting: 6:30 p.m., children’s choir and The Outlet for students

Pray for these: Copenland Spires, Mary Cullman, Lilliana Thompson, Hunter Moore, the Crawford family, Elridge Townsend, Ellen Seals, Brent Wright, Carolyn Duke, Sid Riner, Wendell Hand, Chase Cobern, the Chancellor family, Steven McGowan, Joe Joe Sexton, the storm victims in Mississippi, J.T.Glasscock, Charles and Gladys Bryant, Victorim Beasley, who is on a mission trip, Steven McGowan, Randy Sims’ family, our church committee as they search for a new pastor, our homebound, those in nursing homes, all who are facing cancer and those who have lost loved ones.

Happy Birthday this week to James Cup, Martie Elgin, Misha Carroll, Kathy Evans, Chris Moore, Silas Denham, Chris Ousley, Dustin Glasscock, Brook West and Preston Salm.

Happy Anniversary to Johnny and Carol Kelley, 38 years; Tim and Lynn Cox, 13 years; and Keith and Misty Kelley, four years.

Mars Hill Baptist Church

There is no better way to start a service than to baptize a new believer in Christ Jesus! We praise God for everything he is doing in our church. If you don’t have a church home, please visit us at Mars Hill. We are not perfect; we are just saved sinners. Come to church to seek Jesus. As we begin this Easter season, please be in prayer for what God would have you do in service to him. Not everyone can sing, preach or teach, but there are many opportunities for service in the church. Have you found yours?

Our sermon this week was taken from Luke 22:39-51. These verses tell us that Jesus went to the Mount of Olives and the disciples followed him. He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” Then he walked away and knelt to pray, saying, “Father, if it is your will, take this cup away from me; nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done.” An angel came to him from heaven to strengthen him. Jesus was in agony, and he prayed earnestly. His sweat became like great drops of blood. When he rose from prayer, he found his disciples sleeping. He said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.”

Have you ever been tempted? Of course you have. We are tempted every day in some way. It’s how we respond to the temptation that carries us through, or carries us backwards. Judas walked with Jesus every day. He knew that Jesus was the Son of God, yet he still betrayed him for thirty pieces of silver. What does it take for you to betray Jesus? It may not even be thirty pieces of silver, it might be a TV show, a ballgame, a friend, or going fishing or hunting. What tempts you? What keeps you from serving Jesus: wealth, possessions? Judas later threw the money on the ground, but it was too late. Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray him; he knew what was going to happen. Jesus prayed for God’s will, not his, to be done. Even in his agony, he was thinking of me and you. When he was on the cross, all of humanity was on his mind.

Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss on his face. Have you been close enough to Jesus to kiss his face? Think about a time in your walk with Christ when you felt as if you were as close as possible to Christ. Are you still that close? If you are not, then you’d better check in! We can get so far from Christ that we feel we don’t need him. Better check in. Don’t sin away the day of grace, my friend.

Easter is a special time in the life of every Christian. It’s not about the Easter Bunny, or hunting eggs, or even about a new dress or suit. It’s about the resurrection of our Lord. Jesus is not in the grave; he is in heaven, and he is coming back. If you belong to him, he is coming for you. Praise God!

Christians should be the happiest people on earth—no sad faces or negative thoughts. Things can happen in our lives that cause us to be sad, but we always have the joy of the Lord in our hearts. Sorrow may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Jesus gives us joy that surpasses all understanding. The world does not understand the joy of Jesus, so it’s up to us to tell the world about him and his saving grace.

Our Easter Sunday service will begin at 6 a.m. with a Sonrise service, followed by breakfast at 7 a.m., Sunday School at 8 a.m., and worship service at 9 a.m. Please come and be a part of this special time. Pray for our church, the lost, the sick, the hurting, our country, our troops, our schools and our government. God is great, all the time. Amen.