Church news for Sept. 24

Published Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Lime Springs United Methodist Church

Our Sunday School lesson focused on Paul's eight-point plan for reducing stress taken from Philippians 4:4-8.

Our youth choir has been blessing us each Sunday morning with special music. They are such a blessing.

Bro. Shannon brought the morning message from Deuteronomy 30:1-10. He reminded us of some of the great revivals that have taken place in the past and how all of them seemed to have come about during poor economical times.

Since America is faced with severe hardships today, the question was asked, "Why not a great revival now?"

Bro. Shannon said the secret to revival is threefold. First, we must remember that revival is intended for the saved and not the lost. Therefore, we as the Church of Jesus Christ need revival from time to time.

He reminded us of Paul's confession in Romans 7:15 that the things he ought to do he did not, and the things he ought not to do, he did. So it is with all of us (Romans 3:23).

Next, we need to remember that gives us the choice between blessings and curses. God's desire is for us to be blessed, but because of sin we are often cursed. Therefore, when bad things happen to us, it should not come as a surprise...God warned us.

The final step is to respond by returning back to God. Just like the Prodigal Son, we must return to the Father when we find ourselves turned away from Him.

Our evening Bible study was cancelled so we might join the Pumpkin Patch revival. Services will continue at the Pumpkin Patch throughout the week at 7.

Happy birthday to Nancy Shanon.

Our service times are as follows: Sunday School at 9:30 a.m.; Sunday morning worship at 11; evening Bible study at 5:30; and Wednesday night prayer meeting at 6:30.

For more information concerning Lime Springs, please call 646-2399 or 755-4950.

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Christ Independent Methodist Church

Sunday was the fourth annual homecoming Sunday at CIMC, and what a joyful homecoming it was. Sunday School was followed by the Rev. Jim Webster, who preached for the morning worship service.

Rev. Webster was our guest minister a year ago when his sermon was entitled, "Our Heavenly Father." His follow-up sermon Sunday was "How You Get There." Scripture used was from 1 Thessalonians and Revelation.

Our guest singers were Stewart Family Singers from Springville, Tenn.

Lunch was served in the fellowship hall following morning worship. We were delighted to share this meal with the many visitors who joined us and blessed us with their presence and friendship.

Following lunch our musical program continued with congregational singing and the Stewart Family Singers until 3 p.m. when we saw them depart with prayer for traveling grace for this beautiful Christian family.

We ask you to join us in prayer for the following:

Dr. Mac and Glinda's daughter, Ann, and her husband, John, are in the air at this writing coming home from a medical mission trip to Kenya.

Those who need a touch of the Great Physician include BeeBee Sammons, Mable Mitchell, Wilma Ellison, Opal Miller, Anne Glass (who has tests and results pending) and Robbie Bagby (who continues to wear a "boot" on her sprained foot).

A word of thanks to Dr. Phil Simms, Laurel Lee Adams, Anna and Nate Adams and Autumn Glass, who spent their Saturday afternoon cleaning up the church grounds in preparation for the homecoming.

Have a blessed week.

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Mt. Carmel Baptist Church No. 1

Bro. Junior Davenport introduced our guest speaker for the day, Bro. Doug West. His morning message was taken from Psalm 34:1-2. The church needs to worship; each person needs to worship. It was good to have Bro. Doug and his wife, Barbara, visiting us Sunday.

Sunday evening's speaker was Bro. Derrell Jones, who spoke on "When Blessings Go Wasted" from John 6:1-14. It always pays to follow Christ. We always welcome Bro. Derrell and his family.

The 2009 Association Mega Training Conference is Thursday night, Sept. 24, 7 p.m. at Jemison First Baptist. This is a must for all serious teachers and directors.

Remember our mission project collecting Campbell's product labels and school supplies for Isabella School. A box for these items is in the front foyer.

Congratulations to Brittney Lenoir and Michael Rogers, who were united in marriage Saturday, Sept. 19. We wish them the best life God has to offer them. May God bless their home.

Our drama team is hard at work. You are invited to come be part of our team. Also, we have choir practice Sundays at 4 p.m.

Christ rejoices over one lost soul being found. Jesus comes to all, not just the people accepted by society. We rejoice over the four souls saved during Vacation Bible School. This Sunday, we will observe our baptism service during morning worship. Be much in prayer for those to be baptized and our service.

We serve a mighty God who loves us. Pray daily for our church and those on our prayer list, and we will be praying for you. Come worship with us at Mt. Carmel.

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Friendship Baptist Church

Bro. Gene's message was from Matthew 18:12-17. He spoke about the Parable of the Lost Sheep.

The shepherd was upset about losing one sheep. God does not want to lose one of us. If we have differences with one another, we should go alone and talk with that person. If this doesn't help, take a couple of people with you. If that doesn't happen, take it to the church but no further. The process is easier said than done.

During the evening service, Bro. Gene's message was from Matthew 18:21-35, on the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant.

Happy birthday this week to Callie Wyatt, Alisha Callahan, Shirley Cordes, Brandon Hunt, Marty Wyatt, Tim Wakefield and Randall Wyatt.

Prayer requests: Kay Connell, Pauline Little, Ruby Jones, Donielle Cleckley, Daniel Mullins, Margaret Mims, Randall Riley, Lamar DeVaughn family, Shirley Cordes, travelers including Bill and Susan Davis, Bro. Gene, Peggy and Ray Hitchcock; and several unspoken requests.

Upcoming events:

Oct. 3: fish fry starting at 5 p.m. Purchase your tickets by Sept. 23 and tell others about it. Proceeds will go toward paying our building note.

Nov. 1: informational meeting for the 2010 Guatemala medical mission trip at the association office. The trip is scheduled for Feb. 27.

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Chestnut Creek Baptist Church

What a wonderful, glorious day for a homecoming.. our service begin by honoring our Lord and King with music by The Samaritans, Mike Lowery and Eternal Destination, Chestnut Creek Trio, Ann Popwell and the Chestnut Creek praise team.

The presence of the Lord was felt as soon as you entered into the house of God. Our pastor was surprised by a special guest, Leanna Daniels. Bro. Derek told us about Miss Leanna, with whom he worked as a young man. He said this Christian lady prayed and witnessed to him about the Lord every day. We could all see how special Ms. Daniels is to the Deavers family. Leslie gave her a great big "Chestnut" hug. Ms. Daniels' son, Paul Daniels, came with his mom.

In between the singing their was testifying all around the church about the love, mercy and the grace of God in their lives. It was wonderful to see faces that we have missed. Bro. Derek's sermon, "Hall of Faith," was from Hebrews 11. He spoke about the faith of these great men and woman of the Bible. After prayer, everyone made their way to the fellowship hall.

Happy birthday this week to: Jim McClendon, Amanda Thurman, Austin Gilliland, Lewanda Thompson and Ricky Jones.

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Bethsalem Baptist Church

Sunday we had Joanna Cob to join our church by letter. We welcome her into our church family.

Bro. Brad preached his morning message, "Praying God's Way," from Matthew 6:5-8 and his evening message about Anna, one of 12 extraordinary women in the Bible.

Wednesday night is family supper at 5:45, followed by prayer meeting, adult choir practice at 7:30 and events for all ages.

Pray for our Friendship Connection, Geraldine Drinkwater, Victoria Beasley, Mable Ousley, Charles Bryant, Myra Burnett, Pete Burnett, James Moore, Debra Mims, W.L. Broome, Margaret Wyatt, Jesse Lewis, Vernon Deavers, Larry McCary, Charles Blow, Katrina Owens, Rebecca Martin, Shelia Wright, Sylvia Wingard, Matt Skinner, Patti Legendre, Mike England, Seth Berry, Carol Gore, Larue Smith, Charlotte Bass, Ken Scott and Ken Messer.

Remember, our new pictorial directory Oct. 15-17. Sign up by Oct. 4.

Tell someone about Jesus this week. Come worship with us.

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Rocky Mount United Methodist Church

How do you treat the Holy Spirit? Is he a guest in your house? Invited in, given a fancy dinner with the good china, sleeping in the guest room with the best towels hanging on the rack, shown your happy face where your smile only reaches your lips and not your eyes? Maybe you treat the Holy Spirit like a stranger in your house. You let him in the door, but ignore him, refuse to allow him to partake in any of your activities, keep him restricted to those few Sunday mornings from 11-12 when you can't find anything else to do.

To get the best that life has to offer, treat the Holy Spirit like a guide. Once you invite him into your life, allow him to take the lead. He will give you strength and courage to do God's will in your life.

Our text this Sunday was Acts 11:15-18. Bro. Willard lifted our hearts by reminding us of the promise Jesus made. The Comforter came as tongues of fire on that great and glorious Pentecost day. That same Comforter is waiting to be your guide through these troubled times. Let your lives be filled with the peace that only following the lead of the Holy Spirit can bring.

Mark your calendars for Friday, Oct. 30. Rocky Mount will host a trunk or treat candy extravaganza in our church parking lot.

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Mt. Carmel No. 2

We aren't promised tomorrow. We are all given only so many chances. There will come a time when the souls that tarry will have one last chance. In Luke 19:41-44, Jesus wept because Jerusalem rejected Him and he knew that some souls have only one more chance to accept. We aren't promised tomorrow, we aren't promised any more chances. We need to accept the Lord when we feel Him tugging at our hearts--it may be our last chance. Death ends every chance of salvation. The spirit uses all types of situations, for God is at work all the time everywhere. Now is the time to accept. Now is the time for salvation.

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Oak Grove Church of God

Bro. Northcutt took his text from Psalms 77:1-20, and the title of his message was "Remember the Miracles."

Remember as children we had fears about things that we did not understand and things that we had heard which were not true? The way we overcame these fears was sometimes a learning process where someone took the time to prove to us that our fears were unfounded. They did not merely tell us there was no reason for our fears but they demonstrated to us that there was really no substance to our fears. There are illnesses that strike us as adults that rob us of our memories which can create fears and cause us to be paranoid.

Memories are very important to our lives to alleviate our fears and remind us that the circumstances that we might face from time to time don't need to cause us undue concerns. Remembering the miracles God has done for others as well as those miracles we have received from God in our past help us to walk with God both in the present and into the future. God works His miracles in many ways and we can be used of God to bring a miracle to another person's life. Let us always be open to God's leading us to be of service to others. We are less likely to drift away from God when we recall His faithful help in times past. God uses the preached word to show how God has worked miracles in the past to help us to overcome our fears. Israel used to put up monuments, rock markers and rituals to enable them and their children to remember great things that God had done for them (remembering the miracles).

Our youth are working concession stands at the University of Alabama football games as a means to raise funds for a mission trip planned for next summer to Trinidad. God is blessing our youth and our church in these efforts. Oak Grove is a loving and caring church striving to better serve our God and our community.

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Jackson Chapel

Bro Dennis' text came from 1 Peter 3:13-17 with a message entitled "Happiness is....." We as Christians should be some of the happiest people on the face of the earth. We need to realize that if we are going to heaven, we will be much better off up there than down here on earth. If Christians could just get a glimpse of what heaven will be like we would be doing everything we could just to get there. The service ended with several coming to pray, and the Holy Spirit was truly present.

Sunday evening, Bro. Dennis' text came from 2 Kings 6:8-23. Satan has a trap set up and wants to rob us of our joy that Jesus gives us. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus no matter what comes our way because we have him on our side.

Happy birthday this week to Melba Adams.

Happy anniversary to Glen and Gina Lynn Riley.

Please remember these as you pray this week: Herschel and Marie Rhodes, Trey Baker, James and Marie Johnson, Payton Edwards, Devaughn Welcher, our lost loved ones, Matthew Pate, Dianne Wyatt, Diane Easterling and our service men and women.

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Cedar Grove Methodist-Protestant Church

Happy birthday to Naomi Gillespie, Ann Booker and Earl Giles. Happy anniversary to Chris and Renee Cleckley.

Earl Caton was not feeling up to par during church but feels better now. Jim and Ellen Ruth Scott still need our prayers. We have so many on the prayer list, but God knows all about them. Just pray for Cedar Grove's prayer list and you will be praying for many.

Bro. Jeff Carroll 's sermon was entitled "Pressing on Toward the Mark." His text came from 2 Timothy 1:6-9.

Many came to the altar to pray and be prayed for. It was truly a wonderful service.

Sunday evening, Bro. Heath Vines' sermon came from Psalm 47:1-9. The title was "Sing Praises."

We had two fantastic sermons Sunday. Bro. Jeff preaches in the morning and Bro. Heath in the evening. Remember to pray for Bro. Heath and Freda, as they have another little one on the way; pray that all stays well with the baby.

Next Sunday night is our fourth Sunday night singing. Come bring a song or come and listen to all the other singers.

For more information call 646-2390.

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Bethany Baptist Church

Fifty-two Weeks to a Better You: Memory verse for this week is Psalm 119:105: "Thy word is a l amp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

The Apostle Paul teaches us many principles in being "real" before God, our church, fellow Christians and, more importantly, before unbelievers. Bro. Aubry used Galatians and other scriptures as the basis for his message. We should reflect a change when we are converted (Galatians 1:13, and 2 Corinthians 5:17); Courage - Don't be afraid to speak up (Gal. 2:11-14); the principle of being "Crucified with Christ." Paul spoke of this in Romans 6:1-14. Verse 4 reminds us we should walk in newness of life and (13) use our bodies as instruments of righteousness. Control -- Galatians 5:16 "Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh; "Compassion -- Galatians 6:2 says we are to bear one another's burdens. Consistency -- Galatians 6:9 "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Sunday night Bro. Aubry preached from 2 Timothy 3:1-5 concerning the Biblical description of the last days. Nothing is a surprise to God, and events are going on according to His schedule. As Christians we should not be distressed and depressed but keep on being faithful until Christ's return.

Upcoming events: Sunday Sept. 27, annual Homecoming at Bethany (115 years) beginning at 10 a.m.

Let's not wait for Nov. 1 to begin preparing for revival. Please pray for revival among our church members, as well as a revival of our nation. Bro. Don McCormick, the president of the Louisiana Baptist Institute of Minden, La. will be our guest speaker for our meeting at Bethany Nov. 1-4. Times are Sunday at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.; Monday through Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Prayer list: Bonnie Burks, Lillian Burkhalter, Lela Mae Courtney, Mildred Crawford, Ophelia Griffin, Doug and Helen Mims, Ellen Gray, Billie Neeley, Pastor and Mrs. Wallace, revival of our nation.

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Walnut Creek United Methodist Church

During children's time Sunday, Diane Handley displayed a large ring of keys.

"Every one of these keys is very important to my husband," she said. "People are important too, especially little children."

Jesus, while holding the little child, told the people; "Welcome little children, then you welcome me."

Blessings and concerns -- Johnnie and Jamie Mims and their children are all sick again. Lavada Attaway has had two weeks of being very sick.

God's message by Bro Tony came from 1 Corinthians 13.

"It's special to bring a message on a day like homecoming, but as I stand before you today, here it is - it's all about relationships, beginning with ourselves," he said.

How do you like you? Do you remember who you are? Sometimes we try to shield ourselves from who we really are, but before God we will all be seen just as we are!

God has a plan for you. Our relationship with others -- parents, spouse, children -- will make us what we are today.

What do other people think of you? This is very important, as is how you get along with other people. Our relationship with God forms a foundation for all the other relationships in our lives, and not just with God but with all the Trinity -- first of all with Jesus Christ, and because of that you can have a relationship with the Holy Spirit. It all begins with saying yes to Jesus Christ.

Join us in worship at Walnut Creek United Methodist Church.

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