Mars Hill Baptist Church

The Lord is still sending rain to make our gardens grow and produce a bountiful harvest! I love picking fresh fruit, peaches, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and making a fresh salad. Have you ever compared your life to that of a plant?

Well, maybe you should; there are not so many differences as you might think.

Our pastor was away this week, preaching at a homecoming, and we were glad to have his son-in-law, Bro. Tyson McClain, stand in for him.

We love you Bro. Ty and appreciate the message you brought this week, taken from several passages starting with Matthew 7:15-20, a very familiar passage speaking about trees bearing good fruit, bad fruit or no fruit.

How are we like trees?

Every tree starts with a seed. A seed cannot stay a seed. When planted, it becomes a tree, maybe a peach tree or an apple tree.

A seed gives up what it is to become something else; it gives everything.

When we accept Christ into our hearts, a seed is planted. We no longer belong to our self but to Christ.

It’s sad to say, but most people won’t give themselves up to Christ (2 Corinthians 5:15-16) and will die, just as a seed planted and not watered will die.

A seed planted needs to be nourished to grow.

Just as God sends the rain on our gardens, we have the Bible to nourish our souls, to grow our faith. A baby needs nourishment to become an adult; the Christian also needs nourishment to become a mature Christian, full of good fruit.

In 2 Peter 3:18, we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. How do we do this?

By reading His word, the Bible, by going to church, through prayer, attending Sunday School, talking to mature Christians. Friend, if you’re not growing in Christ and you proclaim to be a Christian, there is a problem.

Check up on the status of your heart!

We are to share our knowledge of Christ with others—to win others to his cause. There is not a person living who understands everything in the Bible, but you can ask the father to reveal his word to you.

Prayer is a very important step in your growth cycle of grace and knowledge.

Prayer is simply talking to God, wherever you are.

Be cautious in believing what you hear others day about the Bible.

Read it for yourself.

In Mark 4:6, if your plant has no roots, when the sun comes up, it is scorched and withers away.

Be rooted in God’s word. Jesus is our root and we are his branches (Romans 11:16).

So often we try to make God’s word fit the way we want it to regardless of what it actually says.

Strong roots survive the storms of life. Be sure you are rooted in the truth of God’s word.

So what kind of fruit should we be bearing on our trees?

Galations 5:22-23 says this: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Against such there is no law. And this is where we are different from a peach tree. A peach tree bears only peaches. The Christian should bear multiple fruits: love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Are you bearing these kinds of fruit? Are you rooted in God’s word? Is your faith growing? People have faith in many different things. Where is your faith, in God or the world? Jesus is the bread of life from which all good things grow. Man cannot live by bread alone but needs the nourishment of Jesus Christ, living in his heart and soul.

Be faithful to God, labor for godly things and all others will pass away.

Events: July 27, a church wide fish fry will be held in our fellowship hall beginning at 5 p.m.; July 28, we will be baptizing new believers at 11 a.m. and in the evening service, Stephanie Leavins will be singing and giving her testimony for us.

We will have finger foods after the service.

Please pray for our church, our pastor and Cindy, the sick, the lost, the hurting, our children, our troops and our country.

God is good, all of the time.

Bethsalem Baptist Church

Bro. Cleve Mallory opened our day of worship with ministry opportunities and welcoming everyone.

Great songs were sung by the congregation.

Scripture was read by Henry Moore 1 Corinthians 13:4-13.

Special music celebration was sung by the choir was “Jesus Built This Church on Love.”

The message by Dr. Rob Paul was on 1 Corinthians 13:4-13, The Reality of Love.

Love affirms our actions, spiritual gifts, gifts to serve, giving, love is patient and kind. Love is standard growth.

The evening message was by Bro. Bobby DuBois.

Wednesday night service is at 6:30 p.m. with prayer meeting for adults, team kids for children, and students outlet.

Happy birthday this week to Zachary Martin, Jared Culp, Beth Green, Jacob Barrett, Gage Parris, Jenny Mallory, Shannon Corn, Regina Watkins, Wesley Robinson and Dond Loyd.

Pray for our pastor search committee, Hunter Moore, Charles Bryant, Nina Goode, Sid Griner, Hunt’s family adoption, Tyler Barnes, George and Diane Williams, Elridge Townsend, J. R. Cullum, Becky Jackson, pray for our country, Jimmy Headley, Paul Brooks, Jennifer and Brandon Teel, our shut-ins and those facing cancer.

Next Sunday is the Lord’s Supper during the morning service.

Come worship with us on Sundays.