Lime Springs United Methodist Church

Our Sunday School lesson focused on Revelation 17.

The morning message was taken from Hebrews 6:17-20. We began the service by lighting the first Advent candle of hope. Bro. Shannon then spoke on the source of our hope. Using our scripture reading, he reminded us that there are many sources of hope people rely upon in this world, such as hope from other people, material possessions, expert advice and their own experiences. The problem with these sources of hope is they are often unstable and imperfect. The only true hope that can sustain us in this world is the hope God gives.

Paul reminds us the reason God╒s hope is perfect is based upon two things ╤ his word of promise, which can╒t be broken, and his oath, as there is no one greater than he by which he can swear.

Bro. Shannon presented several examples of God╒s hope given to others throughout the Bible, all based upon his word of promise and his oath. He then reminded us of God╒s greatest gift of hope for Israel as proclaimed in Isaiah 9:6, the promise of a Messiah. As we focus on the birth of the promised Messiah, we are reminded that the same hope is ours today when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. Bro. Shannon concluded the service by extinguishing the Advent candle with the words of Romans 15:13, ╥May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.╙

Our Sunday evening Bible study focused on James 2:1-12.

Happy birthday to Kim Burnett, Nancy Tignor and Leola Payne.

We invite everyone to join us for worship at Lime Springs. Our service times are as follows: Sunday School at 9:30 a.m.; Sunday morning worship at 11; evening Bible study at 5; and Wednesday night prayer meeting at 6:30.

For more information concerning Lime Springs, please call 755-4950 or 755-6356.

Mt. Carmel Baptist Church No. 1

God has blessed us with beautiful fall weather and the forgiveness of our sins. We thank the Lord for all that gathered in the Lord╒s house as we observed Men╒s Day. After the teaching of another great Sunday School lesson by all the men and boys, we were honored by special music. The men╒s choir did a great job singing ╥Just a Little Talk With Jesus.╙ Other special songs were ╥The Anchor Holds,╙ ╥The Old Country Church╙ and ╥Look for Me.╙

Bro. Wayne Cummings brought our message Sunday morning, reading from Romans 6:1-8 and 12. Shall we continue in sin? God forbid! How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? A great message from the Lord.

Our prayers are with George Campbell this week as he went through surgery for skin cancer Monday morning. We have many names on our prayer list, and we ask you to join our prayer chain for all the prayer requests.

After a great testimony service Sunday night, Bro. Derrell╒s message was taken from Psalm 103:1-5, ╥Five Kernels of Corn.╙ These five ╥kernels╙ are forgiveness, healing, redemption, loving kindness and tender mercies, and renewal.

Remember Sunday night, Dec. 5 is our harvest supper and pastor appreciation fellowship.

On Dec. 4 at 6:30 p.m., our Prime Timers and deacons and wives will have a Christmas party at the home of Sarah and Hershel.

Dec. 11 at 6:30, our WMU will gather at Cattlemen╒s steak house for a Christmas party.

We hope you had a happy Thanksgiving. ╥It isn╒t what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful, but what you have in your heart.╙

Christ Independent Methodist Church

Sunday being the first Sunday of Advent, our Advent wreath was appropriately placed on the Communion table with the Christ candle and four others reminding us of the significance of the season. The word ╥Advent╙ means to come, and the reason for the season is to prepare us for the coming of the Christ Child.

Robert V. Dodd, a Methodist minister and the author of 14 books, summed up the importance of the Advent season this way: ╥Advent and Christmas will give you an opportunity to establish or renew the relationship you have with God as well as your relationship with other people.╙

I think his explanation is so good that I want to share it with you verbatim: ╥The only thing that we take out of this world with us is our relationship with God and our relationships with one another. Everything else we leave behind ╤ our wealth, our possessions, our homes, our cars, even the clothes on our backs. Our relationships are responsible for making us the persons that we are. We are part of everyone we meet and even of the people we have not met whose stories are familiar to us. This means that we should give a top priority to our relationships.╙

The Advent season gives us the opportunity to establish new relationships by inviting others to our celebrations. Why not go the extra mile by reaching out to others who may not feel the joy that Christians feel at this blessed season? We welcome you to join us at CIMC.

Dr. Mac Stinson took his scripture reading from Isaiah 2:1-5. His sermon was on ╥Jesus the Light of the World.╙ These verses contain the well-known words of Isaiah 2:4 ╤ ╥and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.╙

Our Sunday night service was given over for our Hanging of the Greens and Chrismons. We are well prepared to welcome the coming of our King.

Special prayer is still requested for Dr. Stinson, Horace Carden, Wilma Ellison, Kelly Parker and Carol Varden. Remember our military, their families, our church, our country and each other.

Our Bible study group resumes on Wednesday nights at 6:45 p.m. We invite you to join us.

Have a blessed week.

Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church

Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent, a time of preparation for our Savior╒s birth. The season of Advent is a four-week period of preparation for the coming of Christ and the Christmas day celebration. The evergreen circle represents eternal life found in Jesus, who is represented by the white Christ candle inside the circle. Sunday we lit the Prophet╒s candle or the candle of hope.

Percy and Tootsie sang a wonderful song called ╥Help is on the Way.╙ Brother Glenn gave the message about Advent not being just a time for waiting but a time for preparation. Our upcoming events promise to keep us busy this holiday season. Our bookbag delivery will be Dec. 4. Our church Christmas party will be Dec. 11 at 6 p.m.  The Chilton County Emmaus Cluster Christmas Party will be Dec. 17 at 6 p.m. Our cake sale will be Dec. 18. We will be caroling on Dec. 22 at 5 p.m. with an open house at the parsonage afterwards. There will be a special Communion Service held on Christmas Eve from 5-6 p.m. Brother Glenn will be teaching a special class for the next four months on what it means to be a Christian, what it means to be a Methodist, why we change the colors on the altar, what does baptism mean and other questions.

Cedar Grove

We hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving.

Before Sunday School started we had an anointing service for Brother Ken Robinson. He is on life support at this writing. Several more were prayed for, including Harold Williams, our daughter Kim and Bro. Jeff. Remember all these when you pray.

Happy birthday to Dawson Jones and Brently Patterson, and happy anniversary to Ann and Alton Russell. We want to wish Herbert Salter a very happy birthday; he is celebrating his 90th this week.

The congregation sang ╥Jesus Hold My Hand╙ and ╥Standing on the Solid Rock.╙ The choir blessed us with several songs, and Sam Price sang ╥I Know What Lies Ahead.╙

Brother Jeff’s sermon was entitled “The Enemy,” and his text came from 1 Peter 5:8, Luke 8:1,22-29 and Luke 11:24-28.

He said “in the good old days” that you could turn on the radio or TV and not have to worry about profanity or anything X-rated, but now even cartoons have to be censored before your children can watch them. It is like no one cares what they do, how they look, how they talk. Old Satan is trying his best to take over, but don╒t let him in. Let God into your heart.

We had several visitors, and we were glad to have you with us. It was good to see Brandon Harvely, his wife and their new baby son.

It is amazing all the children and young people we have in our church. We thank the Lord for every one of them; they are our future. Just a few years ago we did not have any young people at all. We started praying for people to come and, thank you, Lord, you sent a houseful and they are still coming.

We welcome you at Cedar Grove. We have two excellent pastors, a nursery, children╒s church and youth classes. Come join us in worshiping the Lord.

Jackson Chapel

Bro Dewayne Castleberry started the Sunday School hour off with a good lesson entitled “Gifts of the Spirit.”╩ Bro Gary Fant got the morning service started off with “There Is Power in the Blood” and “At Calvary.”╩ Rhonda Littleton blessed us with “God Forgets” and “My Foot’s on the Rock.”

Bro Dennis’ text was taken from James 4:1-10 with a message entitled “Self-Control.”╩ We as Christians should strive to please God instead of the world.╩ We also need to learn to have self-control because if we don’t, Satan will use that to drag us further down and, before we know it, Satan has got us deeper in sin.╩ There are things in this life that we as Christians need to give up if we’re going to yield to the calling that God has put on our lives.╩ The service ended with several coming to pray.

Bro Gary Fant got our fourth Sunday night singing started off with “The Glory-Land Way,” “The Unclouded Day” and “I’ll Meet You In The Morning.”╩ Bro Horace Wyatt blessed us with “My Real Home” and “The Unseen Hand.” Bro Gary Fant blessed us with “Crown of Bright Glory,” Rhonda Littleton blessed us with “If It Wasn’t For the Cross” and “Let’s Meet By The River,” Glenn Riley and Dennis Smith blessed us with “God Has Been So Good To Me,” “I Saw the Light” and “House of Gold,” and Bro Dennis Smith, Wanda Chadwick and Angel Bavar blessed us with “The Lighthouse,” “Dare To Be Different,” ╥Glory Road,” “When My Feet Touch the Streets of Gold” and “They’re Holding Up the Ladder.”

Happy birthday to Cory Fleming.

Please remember these as you pray this week: Janie Smitherman, Toby and Delma Mayfield, Juanita Wyatt, Hershell and Marie Rhodes, James and Marie Johnson, our lost loved ones and our service men and women.

We are located at 4020 Yellowleaf Road in Clanton.  Our service times are as follows: Sunday School at 10, morning worship at 11, evening worship at 6, and Wednesday night prayer meeting and Bible study at 7.  We also have Kid’s Club on Wednesday nights at 7 for grades 1-6.

Bethsalem Baptist Church

Our morning service began with congregational singing. Our Celebration Choir sang ╥God Will Provide╙ for their special music with soloists Jennie Mims and Rhonda Gray.

Our pastor brought a message from 2 Timothy 4:1-5, ╥The Call to Stand: Be Ready.╙ For the evening service, Bro. Cleve Mallory preached from Matthew 16:13-19, ╥Open This Rock.╙

Wednesday night is family supper, prayer meeting, choir practice and programs for children and youth. The Outlet for students begins at 6:30 p.m.

Prayer is requested for Ralph Smith, Nate Jones, Katrina Thrasher, Caleb Mims, Kacy Barrett, William Jacks, Glenda Mims, Pettus Smith, Cathy Patton, Rita Brasher, Don Knight Sr., Billy Ray Mims, James Smith, Jessie Easterling, Melton Short, Vickie Knight, Jessie Easterling, Brent Jackson, Renee Taylor, Hershel Blalock, Mary Ann McGee, Mary Bellman, James Harris, James Smith, Talon Hunter, Cody Carroll, Myra and Pete Burnett and Hunter Moore.

Also pray for all families who have lost loved ones, families affected by cancer, our shut-ins and the residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Happy birthday this week to Kaylynn Culp, Sonja Cox, Amy Hucks, Morgan Bradberry and Lydia Beadlecomb.

Have a blessed week and tell someone about Jesus. God is so good all the time. When was the last time it cost you to follow Jesus?

Come worship with us at Bethsalem.

Rocky Mount United Methodist Church

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go!╩ And that has been true for a couple of weeks now.╩ Thanksgiving, a time to reflect on our many blessings, seems to have just slipped in there for only a fleeting moment.╩ We hope that you were able to take a moment to pause, reflect and count your many blessings and thank God for his wonderful bounty and ask his continued blessings.

Meanwhile, the season of Advent now is here.╩ Years ago, it was so early if someone put up their Christmas tree and decorations even the day after Thanksgiving.╩ I guess, in part due to our using artificial trees instead of live trees, and safely issues they allow, people are truly decorating earlier and earlier.╩ We could look at it that perhaps they are so anxious for this beautiful season to come.╩ The anticipation of the arrival of the celebration of the birth of Jesus is so special to young and old.╩ As we light the first candle of the Advent, we rejoice in the first Sunday of the four-Sunday celebration.╩ We look forward this Sunday to the light…the light of the world.╩ We look at the twinkling white lights of the Chrismon tree and are reminded that Jesus is the light of the world.╩ We all need to put Jesus in the forefront of our lives and things can be different.╩ Does the light in your life show others to Jesus?╩ Are you spreading His light to the world?╩

As we closed our service Sunday we were so blessed to have Jesse, Preston and Ashley Wallace join our church.╩ We are delighted to have them join us and hope that you will consider joining us too.╩

We are looking forward to the youth of our church sharing a Christmas play with us on Sunday, Dec. 19 at 5 p.m.╩ Immediately following their performance, there will be a special visitor and a snack fellowship.╩ Call the church at 688-2204 if you have any questions.

Mt. Springs

Brother Don╒s text for this week was Psalm 19:7. ╩The word of God is a sure thing.

The word of God is a testimony, a witness that God has given us of himself. ╩The

Bible testifies that God is sovereign over everything and that God is holy. ╩Not

only is the word of God a testimony, but it is a sure testimony. ╩We cannot put

our trust in the preacher, nor the Church family. We can always put our trust in

God and His word. God and His word are truth. ╩Christ was the living truth

demonstrated before our very eyes. ╩The Bible is also sure in its direction for

living right. ╩We can find directions for living right in the Ten Commandments

and the Sermon on the Mount. ╩The Epistles also teach us what characteristics to

forsake and which ones to put on. ╩His word teaches us how to prepare to meet

God. It is a sure foundation to build one╒s life on so that we can enjoy our

life while on earth as much as possible. ╩We can spare ourselves many heartaches

and troubles if we follow God╒s word. ╩╩The word of God is also a sure

foundation of hope and ╥makes wise the simple.╙ ╩Our minds are simple and easily

misled or intimidated. ╩╩Reading and practicing God╒s word will make us wise.

You╒ll never grow closer to God until you get into the Bible. ╩If you are

standing on anything other than God╒s word, you are standing on the wrong

foundation.

Sunday night was our last Sunday of the month singing night and if you weren╒t

there, all I can say is you should have been. ╩It was truly a blessing. ╩Come

visit Mt. Springs for services Sunday School 9:45 a.m., Sunday morning worship

Hour 11 a.m., Sunday evening worship at 5:30 p.m., and Wednesday night services at 7.

Mars Hill Baptist Church

What a wonderful time to praise and serve the Lord. We have just had Thanksgiving and I trust that each of you tried to count your blessings. If you did, you are still counting. Now Christmas is fast approaching. The time we celebrate the birth of our Savior. A time to reflect on our life as we try to make our life more like His.

This is a season of happiness and joy. There is a difference between happiness and joy. Happiness comes from outside circumstances. When all is well we are happy, when there are problems we are sad. Joy is within. I like to think of joy as the peace of God within us. Our outside circumstances can be in crumbles and we can still have joy and peace in our life. May each of you have this kind of joy this Christmas season.

Dec. 19 in the morning service the adult coir will present their gift to the church, “O Holy Night.” It is always a blessing to hear His praises in song.

On Dec. 19 during the evening service the children will present their program. It is always a fun time and a blessing to watch the little ones. Sometimes two of the angels may fight over the doll representing Baby Jesus and always someone forgets their lines. This is a precious time in their life and to us as we watch them grow in the Lord and begin to understand His love for them.

Plan to come be with us for both these services. You are always welcome at Mars Hill.

Our Sunday School is at 10 a.m. and regular morning worship is at 11. Children’s church is during this time. Sunday night Discipleship Training is at 5 p.m. and regular services begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday night Bible study is at 7 p.m.

We look forward to seeing you in church Sunday.