Bethsalem Baptist Church

Bro. Bobby opened our day of worship with ministry opportunities and welcoming everyone. Cleve Mallory recognized those with birthdays and anniversaries. Great songs were sung by the congregation.

Bro. Bobby’s children’s sermon was titled “Welcome Home.” Afterward, the Celebration Choir sang “Jesus, the One and Only.”

Bro. Bobby preached from Luke 19: 1-10. His sermon title was “Christ abides with Zacchaeus.” The Son of Man has come to seek and to give that which was lost.

In the evening service, we observed The Lord’s Supper. It was a great service.

Wednesday night: Potluck supper at 5:30 p.m., prayer meeting for adults at 6:30 p.m., Team Kids for children and Student’s Outlet.

Happy Birthday to Bruce Moore, Thomas Nichols, Shane Fulmer, Ryan Hunt, Courtney Pack, Theresa Pierce, Pamela Benjami, Brian Blackmon, Ashley Tillery, Alan Rice, Anniston Tanner, Taylor and Thompson Payne, Hunter Moore, Stacy Cooper and Khloe Cox.

Pray for Linnie Hathcock, Sid Griner, Rebecca Martin, Rex Kent, Christy Harmon, Debbie Burch, Haley Boyd, David Johnson, Larry Bynum, Charles Bryant, J.R. Collum, the Hunt family’s adoption, our shut-ins, our Pastor Search Committee, the Crawford family, Pete B. Arber, Hunter Moore, Eldridge Townsend, Lillianna Thompson, Katrina Thrasher, Billy and Diane Sanders, Jennifer and Brandon Teel, Tyler Barnes, Betty McGee, and George and Diane Williams.

Mars Hill Baptist Church

No matter the weather outside, you can have sunshine in your heart! Yes, the weather is changing and cooler air is headed our way! But in our hearts and in our churches, we should always be on fire for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, with no winter season. We should always strive to use our talents for him, for his honor and glory. I always wanted to be able to sing like a bird, to make the rafters rattle with my voice, but I can’t sing a note—in tune, that is. Don’t wish for talents you don’t have, but use the ones you do have. Use them to the best of your ability and God will do the rest.

Bro. William Short’s message this week was taken from Matthew 25:21. “His Lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.’” This passage is taken from the Parable of the Talents. The master gave to one servant five talents; to another, two talents; and to another, one talent. The servant with five talents put his master’s money to work and gained five more talents. The servant with two talents did the same, but the servant with one talent hid it in the ground. The message here: Use what the Lord gives you, and he will bless you with yet more. If you hide what the Lord gives you and refuse to use it, he will take that away and give it to another. The saying, “use it or lose it” is very true here.

Before you can use your talents for God, big or small, you must first know who the Master is. Have you asked Jesus into your heart and life? Are you willing to be obedient to him and use your talents for him? If you can answer yes to this, then you are ready for the last part of Matthew 25:21: “Enter into the joy of your Lord!” Enter into salvation, a born-again child of the living God. As Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3-7, “You must be born not of water, but of the Spirit.” You can go thru the motions and play church for only so long; there will be a day of reckoning. The Word of God tells us that every day will be counted either for us or against us. We will answer for how we have spent our life and our talents for him. You can be saved today, but will God grant you another day? Only he knows the answer to that, so be ready; be saved today.

In Isaiah 2:10, we read, “Enter into the rock and hide in the dust, from the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty.” Hide your soul in the rock named Jesus, the one who will never leave you nor forsake you. You are safe in the rock, where man cannot harm you. Don’t fear man and what he can do, but rather fear God and what he can do. By fear, we don’t mean afraid of God, but fearful of his power and glory with reverence of him and love for him. God always knows what is going on in our lives. With God we have direction—a destination called heaven—to reach. He has a plan for each of us, if we but cling to him and trust his will and his way.

Psalm 100:4: “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise. Be thankful to him and bless his name.” Talk about a destination; my mind cannot grasp what heaven will truly be like! When the gates are open, and we get our first look at what God has prepared for his children, the breathtaking views awaiting us have no words—no earthly words, anyway! Jesus standing there to meet us, loved ones waiting to greet us, gates of pearl, streets of gold, walls of jasper and a literal river of life: if this doesn’t excite you, friend, you better check up. It’s all about who you know: Jesus Christ! It’s all about him; get on board or get left behind.

Lets don’t forget that while we are here on earth waiting on the return of Jesus, we have a job to do. Enter into the church house with thanksgiving, into the sanctuary of our Lord with praises for him. Be thankful for what God has done for you, and bless his holy name. It’s a shame that we come into God’s house with long faces, grumbling, grouchy, frowning at everyone, a real “stick in the mud,” and most of the time not even speaking to others. What’s gotten into us, Church? Are we so full of the world that we can’t leave it outside the church doors even for an hour and worship God? Raise your hands toward heaven, bless the Lord our God with all your heart, mind, soul and body. Stand up and sing praises to his name, make a joyful noise to the Lord. Worship him in spirit and truth. If you want to see lives changed and the church growing, then come next Sunday ready to worship. Don’t wait for someone to ask you to join the choir, just come and sing for Jesus! True worship will change you, and it will change those around you. Enter into the joy of his salvation!

Please pray for our church, our pastor and his family, the sick, the lost, the hurting and those who have lost loved ones this week.

Our Fall Festival will be on Oct. 26 from 1-3 p.m. Please start bringing your candy.

We will celebrate Pastor Appreciation Day on Oct. 20 with lunch in the fellowship hall afterward. We love Bro. William Short every day, but on this day, we will give special thanks and honor to him for always following God, preaching his word, telling us what we need to hear and stepping on toes when we need it. We know this man is a true man of God who loves his church and goes above and beyond the call for us.