Mountain Springs Church

Services started with Bro. Kenneth Moates leading the church in the following hymns: “Jesus is Coming Soon,” “I Would Not Be Denied,” “I Want to Be Ready to Meet Him” and “Keep on the Firing Line.”

Bro. Roger Cleckler gave a devotion from 2 Corinthians 5:10: What man thinks about us is one thing, but it matters so much more what God thinks about us. How will you be remembered when you’re gone for this earth?

Bro. Heath Vines preached from Psalms 30:1-5. God has us here for a reason; we need to listen and do his will for our life. We may have darkness in our life now, but just like the Psalmist said, joy will come in the morning.

We had a wonderful service Sunday night with special singers Canaanland and Ivan Parker. Many souls were encouraged and uplifted, and lives were changed. This was the very first appearance of Ivan Parker in this area for many years. A special thanks to Bro. Kenneth Moates for organizing and bringing in some of the best Southern Gospel music artists in the country. We would also like to thank everyone who came out and helped support this wonderful time in the Lord.

Mt. Carmel No. 1 Baptist Church

A lot of things disturb us and tear us down, but we can still be “Satisfied with Jesus.” This is the song Donald Liveoak sang to open our Sunday morning services.

Bro. Derrell brought us a message from Genesis 32:22-30 titled “Lessons from Jabbok.” Where is your special place? Maybe it is where you were born, lived for many years of your life, or maybe where you accepted Christ as your Lord. Even though in his lifetime Jacob had faced challenges and did some deceptive things, he desired a blessing from God. At the brook of Jabbok is where Jacob received a blessing of encouragement from God. Here he learned that persistence in all areas of life is rewarding. Even under tough conditions, a strong character can be the result of persistence.

Issues of life keep us from being where we need to be in our relationship with God. Getting alone with God provides us with the opportunity to bring these issues to God and get them settled in order for our relationship to be restored.

Sunday evening, our message, “I Don’t Feel a Thing,” came from Leviticus 13:3. Leprosy, a disease that is not common today, can be compared to the disease of sin. The sickness of leprosy started with just a small spot that grew to cover the entire body. This is the way sin starts. Sin separates us from God’s fellowship; leprosy separated a person from other people. Neither of them discriminates; they infect all the same. There was no such thing as just a “little bit of leprosy” just as there isn’t just a little bit of sin. Sin is sin. Leprosy made a person ugly on the outside; sin makes us ugly on the inside. If we continue in sin, it can take full control of our lives. This can make us unable to feel the Spirit of God, just as leprosy destroyed the ability of a person to feel pain. Leprosy was a death sentence, and so is sin.

Upcoming events:

VBS will start on June 22.

We will have Easter Sunrise Service at 7 a.m. followed by a prayer breakfast.

There is a trip planned for Friday, March 28 to go see the movie “God’s Not Dead.” Please be at the church by 5 p.m. if you plan to go.

Please remember Frances Higgins, Jenny Hayes, Jacob Jones, Tammy Harmon, Doug Liveoak, Elladene Mims, Sarah Scott, Mary, Maudlin and Gladys Franklin in your prayers this week. They all need a special touch from God.