Mars Hill Baptist Church

For who can find a virtuous woman? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain: Proverbs 31:10-11

Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Proverbs 31:28

God bless all our mothers! We hope that you had a wonderful Mother’s Day. If you are blessed to have your mom still with you, we hope you spent some time with her and let her know how much she is loved. Tell your mom you love her everyday, not just on special days. Where would this world be if not for our mothers?

Bro. William Short took the morning message from Matthew 12:46-50: Jesus was talking to a crowd of people. His mother and brothers stood outside, trying to speak with him. When Jesus was told of them waiting, he asked a question: «Who is my mother and who are my brothers? Then he stretched out his hand toward his disciples and said, «Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, sister and mother.»

Jesus was saying that we are all family through our love for him and his Father in heaven. He was not diminishing the importance of family ties, nor was he ever anything but caring and courteous to his mother and other family members. In this passage, he was introducing an entirely new category of spiritual commitment. He was giving priority to doing the Father›s will. As godly mothers, we also should give the Father›s will priority in our daily lives, especially in the raising, and nurturing of our children. Children are a gift from God, and should be raised in a godly, loving, caring home. Mothers, don›t send your children to church, but take them; go with them and teach them the ways of the Lord. Teach them about Jesus and his love for them.  Sunday School is a great place for your children to be on Sunday morning.

Sadly, not all women who have children are mothers. There are children in this world who have never heard their mother pray, seen her bow her head or heard her read the Bible. Some mothers don’t even know where their children are at any given time of the day or night, but you can be a kind, loving, caring mother. Give your heart to Jesus, and he will turn your world around. We are all sinners saved by grace, the Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God—everyone, not just some. Believe me, when you give your life to Jesus, he can get you through the worst times of your life, bring you through the trials, and give you joy unspeakable. The dark days will become a distant memory when God is in control.

Because godly mothers love their children, there sometimes have to be lessons learned the hard way, with punishment meted out in some form. If we are true children of God and do wrong (sin), God will punish us for that wrongdoing. We should do no less for our children if we love them with the kind of love the Father has for us, which is agape love: love without end. We should love our kids no matter what they do, but show them the right way by living a godly life in front of them and leading them by example. One of the best things we can do for our children is to bless them, pray for them, encourage them to always do their best, and tell them we love them every day. Children are blessings from God our Father. We should treat them as blessings, but don’t spare the rod and spoil the child. When they are grown and become parents themselves, they will thank you for it.

Mothers, the children you hold in your arms today are the future of our country. If you don’t like the way this country is going, then change it. It starts in the home, with the family, praying and worshipping the Lord together. Worship is not just for Sunday morning and evening services; worship is for the home, also. Sing praises to the Lord!  Mothers, we also need to be forgiving. Jesus forgives our sins, so we should forgive others. God is merciful to us, so we can do no less than show mercy. When our children see us forgiving and showing love to others, they will learn by our example and do the same.

Please remember our Homecoming service the fourth Sunday in May. Our special singers will be the group “Justified.” We will start with singing at 10 a.m., followed by worship service at 11 a.m., lunch at noon, then we will continue with afternoon singing. Bring a covered dish and join us. You will be blessed!

Please pray for our church, our pastor and his family, our troops, our country, the lost, the hurting people and the sick. God is great all the time. Amen.

Mountain Springs Church

Services started with Bro. Kenneth Moates leading the church in the following hymns: “Victory in Jesus,” “If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again,” “Where the Soul Never Dies” and “Keep on the Firing Line.” Bro. Ricky Bice read a story in recognition to all of the mothers.

After Sunday school, Bro. Kenneth led the church in the hymn “Are You Washed in the Blood” and Kevin Vines sang “I’ve Got So Much to Thank Him For.”

Special recognition was given to Mrs. Christine Moates, one of the founders of Mountain Springs Church. Mrs. Moates has been a part of the church for over 80 years.

Bro. Don preached from 2 Timothy 1:5: Parents have the responsibility to place the Christian faith in their children’s lives, and children have the responsibility to receive it. We need to pass on respect for the word of God, real and genuine faith, and desire to minister for Jesus Christ for generations to come.

Sunday night’s service started with Bro. Kenneth leading the church in the hymns “Send the Light,” “I Feel Like Traveling On,” and “I Want to Be Ready.”

Bro. Don gave a short devotion about loving one another, which was a great introduction to our annual flower service. During this service, every member has an opportunity to give a flower to those who have been a blessing in their life. This is a very special service in which the whole congregation participates and shows gratitude to one another.

Don’t forget our services are Sundays at 9:45 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., and Wednesday’s at 7 p.m. Hope to see you there!