Samaria Baptist Church

We enjoyed a bittersweet service today with Bro. Josh Jones, his wife Rebecca and their children, Camille and Baby Tucker. Josh brought our message today in the absence of Bro. Charles Brook, who is still in the hospital.

Our prayers continue for our sweet pastor as he recovers from the surgery he was surprised to have last Wednesday. We ask for your prayers as well.

In celebration of the Fourth of July, our church was decorated in flags and other red, white and blue décor. Darrell Willis sang “God Bless the USA,” and we all rejoiced in the beautiful job he always does.

Bro. Josh took his morning message from the Jude 1. He focused on four things God our Father will not bless: Pride, laziness, greed and lust.

We all experience folks who have too much pride and are boastful. The Israelites experienced this kind of pride and it caused them to become disobedient. This kind of pride rejects authority and cannot grow in Christ; rather it causes us to drift away from him.

Lazy people do not accomplish much in the field of work, but lazy people in the church take away from the accomplishments of others. Cain, in the book of Genesis, was lazy. His offerings were not the best, only convenient for him. His blessing was lacking due to his lazy nature of giving.

Greed will not be blessed either. Greed can prompt us to be haughty status seekers. We must always know that it is not for the praise of man, but for the Lord, that we serve. Personal praise is not going to be blessed by God.

Lust, of course, makes us all think about the flesh and sexual things; however, lusting after authority, position, personal gain and praise will not be blessed.

So friends, build yourselves up in the faith; pray in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit. Do not gratify the desires of the flesh. Lives prosper when controlled by God. Remember that we are responsible for reaching a lost and dying world. Sometimes we have tot get our hands dirty on order to gain the confidence of another soul and bring him to the knowledge of Jesus.

May God bless you and your family this Fourth of July. Please pray for our military the world over. We ask that you continue to pray for Bro. Charles and that he will be back with us soon. We also ask you to pray for the healing of little Tucker Jones and his family as they raise him in the way of the Lord.

VBS will be held July 8-12 from 6:15 p.m. until 8 p.m. Registration will be held at 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 7.

Christ Independent Methodist Church

In honor of America’s birthday, we began our service by singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “A Mighty Fortress.”

Dr. Mac Stinson’s sermon was titled “Independence Day: Christian Liberty:”

“Today we celebrated the birth of our nation, the United States of America, which is 237 years old. To some people, the Fourth of July is just another holiday or a long weekend. To others it is [about] fireworks and BBQ; for others, it is remembering what democracy and freedom are all about. It welcomes people from all over the world and gives them something to hold on to. We give thanks to God for the many blessings we enjoy as citizens of this free land. It is truly something to be passionate about.”

General George Washington, our first president, is known historically as the father of our country. This week marks the 237th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We will enjoy this week and remember the struggle and the stories and legends that grew because of it.

Today, when we consider the league of nations comprising our world, America is the infant among nations. While its history is short compared with other nations, its history and reputation are respected worldwide. Today, when we sing “God Bless America,” we sing it with fervor and love. When our Star Spangled Banner is presented before us, we salute it with respect, honor and appreciation.

When you pray, remember Mary Ann Carden, Opal Miller, Anna Adams, Cindy McCavitt, Tania Dawson, Mac Stinson, Aiden Parker and Judy Atkinson.

Sunday evening service resumed at 5 p.m. on Sunday. We will continue our study of Daniel. Come join us to learn this story.

Dr. Phil and June Simms will hose an outdoor concert and BBQ this Wednesday night. The Kentucky Bible College men’s group will be providing the music. Join us for fellowship and praise.

If you are new to this church community, we invite you to join us for Sunday School at 10:45 a.m. and preaching at 11 a.m.

Bless all who are traveling, our military and their families, our community, country, church and each other. Have a blessed week.