Bethsalem Baptist Church

Bro. Bobby opened our day of worship with ministry opportunities and by welcoming everyone. Great songs were sung by the congregation. Special music was provided by Kelsey Pierce, who sang “Angel By Your Side,” a beautiful song. The Celebration Choir sang “Jesus, the One and Only.”

Bro. Bobby preached from Revelation 3:14-22 about one of the seven churches mentioned in that book. His sermon was titled “Laodicea: The Danger of Becoming Comfortable.”

For the evening message, Bro. Bobby preached from Hebrews 7.

Happy birthday to Josh Shepherd and Abby Wilson.

Prayer list: Linnie Hathcock, Sid Griner, Rebecca Martin, Rex Kent, Christy Harmon, Debbie Burch, Hayley Boyd, David Johnson, Larry Bynum, Charles Bryant, J.R. Collum, the Hunt family’s adoption, all of our shut-ins, our pastor search committee, Eldridge Townsend, Lillianna Thompson, Katrina Thrasher, Billy and Diane Sanders, Jennifer and Brandon Teel, Tyler Barnes, and George and Diane Williams.

Next Sunday night, we will have the Lord’s Supper at the conclusion of the service.

Come and worship with us on Sundays.

Cedar Grove Church

God is good all the time!

Today, we had the pleasure of having Josh and Becka Jones, international church missionaries, with us. International churches are churches with up to 35 different nationalities in attendance at one time, all worshiping in their own language. This is going on in the Canary Islands, where Josh and Becka have been missionaries for several years. There have been hundreds of lives saved just by helping someone who has never heard of or known what it is like to have a personal relationship with God.

Josh and Becka have just recently been called to go to the mission field of Italy, where 60 million people live. The Roman Catholic city church is there, but only one percent of the population has a true relationship with Christ. In Italy, Josh and Becka will be starting “My Hope,” a Billy Graham Crusade. They will be spreading the gospel message to help others start the race, the journey with Christ. Are you willing to help others start their race? Only 28 percent of all Americans have a true relationship with Christ. Let us pray not only for Josh and Becka’s mission work for God, but our own mission work that needs to be done right here in the United States and in our own communities. To God we give the glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Our youth, led by Bro. Clay Collins, performed a drama, “The Lamb of God,” in which they did an awesome job depicting being redeemed by the Lamb, Jesus Christ.

Bro. Jordan Harvely’s text message came from 1 Kings 18:30-38 titled “Shrinking Back.” He preached about getting saved and being on fire for God, but when a trial or adversity comes against us, we turn to Satan instead of God. Satan is trying to tell us we are nothing, not worthy of God’s love; he hits us at our weakest point, trying to get us to turn to him instead of God. Satan asks us how God can love us and let us go through trials. God tells us in his word that as Christians, we will have to suffer as Jesus suffered. To obey God, we will be hated just as Jesus was hated. If being a Christian was easy, everyone would be on board. The thing we have to remember is that when we get out of the boat, step out in faith and trust God, he will make a way. We need to take our sword, God’s word, and stand up to the giants of in our life, not shrink away from them in fear. We need to be set apart; transformed from this world, not conformed to it. Manifest the glory of God!

Bro. Jordan preached that we are a selfish generation. It is not about us, but about God and spreading his gospel. We need renewing. All things are possible through Christ who lives in us: name it and claim it. Radical worship of God is lacking today. Don’t worry about what other people think or what they call you. It does not matter if you are called a Jesus freak or a holy roller. Again, it is not about us; it is about God and obeying his will.

Winds of test give us strength against Satan. What will Jesus say to you at the judgment seat of Christ? Will he say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” or will he say, “Depart from me, for I know you not.” God does not send us to hell; we send ourselves by denying and rejecting God’s plan of salvation. We are a chosen generation; we need to keep our eyes above the waves of life and on the Lord, letting God work through us, praying he will come down us like rain so that we can overcome by the blood of the Lamb. Glory to God!

Love to all and have a blessed week. Come and join us at Cedar Grove, where we are getting out of the boat to serve Jesus.

Friday night prayer meeting starts at 7 p.m. All are invited to attend.

Prayer concerns: Janet Wyatt, the family of Olivia, Peggy Pearson, our pastor, our church family, those in the hospital and nursing homes, spoken and unspoken requests.