Mars Hill Baptist Church

It’s getting hot out there, and the experts tell us to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water if we plan to stay in the sun. Jesus offers us water from a well that will never run dry. Water is life. Jesus is life forevermore. The water that Jesus gives will be a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. To drink water from a well, we have to actively draw the water, put it into a bucket and drink. To receive the water that Jesus offers, we simply have to ask him into our hearts, trust in him, believe in him, and then worship him in spirit and truth.

Bro. William Short’s message this week was taken from John 4:15-24. The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water that I may not thirst nor come here to draw.” Jesus said to her, “Go call your husband and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands and the one whom you now have is not your husband. In that you spoke truly.” The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain and you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship. Jesus said to her “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Everybody can’t worship. If you are not saved, you cannot worship in spirit and truth. Just going to church won’t make you a Christian any more than sitting in a garage will make you a car. God can’t wait to get his hands on you to save your soul from a devil’s hell. God is truth, love and joy everlasting. Who wouldn’t want joy, truth and love? Don’t listen to the devil; he will lie to you, cheat you and steal your soul. Jesus is the only way, the truth and the life. Our nature is to sin and be ungodly. God’s nature is to love us. Once we have him in our hearts, worship becomes joy, bringing smiles to our hearts, and most importantly, to our faces for others to see. Worship makes the water that Jesus gives bubble up and come to the surface, infecting others, making others want what we have.

We sometimes tend to worship only what we can see, the physical things. God asks us to worship the things we cannot see or touch, to put our faith in him alone. He will never fail you, he will never leave you and he will never forsake you. Worship him in spirit and truth. Wouldn’t it be glorious to be caught worshiping God when we are called home—to be standing in the church pews one minute praising Jesus, and in the next minute, at home with Jesus in heaven? But sadly, most of us only get enough of Jesus to last from one Sunday till the next. Friends, it’s not about us, our things, our money or our lives; it’s all about Jesus and what he has done and will do in our lives, if we only let him in.

Next Sunday, May 25, is our homecoming. Bring a covered dish and worship with us. Our special singers will be the Kempters. We welcome all to come and enjoy great music, great preaching and great food.

Please pray for our church, our pastor, the sick, the lost, the hurting, our children, our troops, our country and our government. God is good, all the time!

Mount Carmel No. 1

We are thankful for all who came to worship with us today at Mt. Carmel.

This Sunday was set aside to honor our graduates: Trevor Cofer, T.C. Lowery, Austin Liveoak, Savannah Higgins ad Tyler Scott. A slideshow of the graduates from their birth until today was enjoyed by all.

The message and charge for our seniors was brought to us on Sunday by our youth minister, Bro. Geoffrey Lockhart. His sermon was titled “Are You One of a Kind?” and was taken from Ephesians 2:10.

Seniors, always look to Christ and put him first in your life. God can take you places you never realized. To follow Christ, you have to be one of a kind. Look to God for everything. Make a difference and let your light shine for Jesus. To be set apart, we have to study our Bibles. How can we know how to be set apart if we don’t study our Bibles? Give your best in all you do.

“Let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:18). What are your actions going to show in this coming year? To be one of a kind, your past is forgiven and your future is radically changed. When you fail, Jesus will restore you. Be honest, restore relationships and serve others. God can use you.

The morning service was closed with the graduates and their families coming to the front. Bro. Derrell presented them with Bibles from the church and then closed in prayer.

Our Sunday night services were dismissed in order for our church family to attend the senior’s Baccalaureate service.

On Sunday morning, May 25, we will honor our veterans.

A benefit revival for Jacob Jones will be held on June 7. The Rev. Robert Griffin will be the special speaker and the group Justified will present the music.

On June 14 at 5 p.m., VBS will kick-off with a game of kickball between the youth and the adults. Finger foods will be served.

A bridal shower will be held on June 14 from 2 until 3:30 p.m. for Robin Parker, bride-elect of Chad Foshee.

Please keep VBS on your prayer list. It will be held June 22-27 from 6-8:30 p.m. each night.

Our prayer list includes Jacob Jones, Kaye Franklin, Ryan Scott, Tammy Harmon, the Liveoak family, the Hayes family, all graduates, and Natalie Littleton as she leaves on June 10 with the University of Alabama’s Capstone College of Nursing for a ministry trip to Tanzania, Africa. The team’s goal is to reach areas with medical supplies and the Gospel.

We covet your prayers for these and our church each time our talk to the Lord. Please know that you are always welcome to worship with us at Mt. Carmel.