Lime Springs United Methodist Church
We continued our study on the biblical meaning of the Church in Sunday School.
We recognized Gideon Sunday during the morning service. We were honored to have Bro. Ollie Clyde Jones as our guest speaker. He did a great job explaining the mission of Gideons International as placing Bibles in the hands of those who need the word of God and why it is important to support this worthy organization.
We concluded the service with a love offering and Holy Communion.
Our Sunday Bible study continued on our study of a summary of the Old Testament.
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, please call 755-6356.

Mt. Springs Church
“I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord’ (Psalm 122:1).
Ricky Bice used this verse for devotion Sunday morning. What a fitting verse to begin with each Sunday. Did you get up with excitement to go to church? We have heard it said that six days we serve the Lord but on the seventh day we worship him.
A great devotional was led by Bro. Ricky. Kenneth Moates is teaching Revelation, and we began Sunday morning in Revelation 4:9-11. This should be an exciting time to realize he is teaching about the future for the Christian.
The church prayed for the youth and counselors going to camp next week. We also prayed for different ones who are sick in the church.
Geneva Johnson sang “He Calms Me” and did a wonderful job as always.
Bro. Don’s message was taken from Jeremiah 17:9-10. We are the kind of people that let our feelings or heart lead us, but according to Jeremiah our heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. Spiritual things can stir our hearts, but we can still be lost. We are saved by grace and come to Christ with a broken and contrite heart wanting forgiveness. Your desire will change from pleasing yourself to pleasing God.
You don’t know your heart until things happen to you and you react to the situation. Always go to God and let him lead you.
We thank our visitors for coming and hope to see them again.
Sunday night, Kenneth’s devotion was taken from Proverbs 8:32-34. Some people say knowledge and good judgment are based on experience. You need to stop, look and listen to God to obtain wisdom in your life.
As people began to testify about the goodness of God in their lives, Bro. Don asked the church to sing and Kenneth led the church in “I Want to Stroll Over Heaven With You” and “What a Day That Will Be.” As the Spirit moved, the people started to come to the altar, having their needs met and getting blessed.
Shawana and Sheri Moates sang “I Need You More Today” and blessed many people. We never know what God will do when we obey him.
We welcome the Patterson family and Kenny Davis to church. We have missed them.
Our service times are: Sunday School at 9:45 a.m., worship at 11, Sunday night worship at 5:30 and Wednesday night at 7. Come and be with us.

Christ Independent Methodist Church
Dr. Mac Stinson’s sermon title Sunday was “In Love With God” based on a variety of scriptures from Matthew. In his selected verses, Jesus was using many parables in preaching to a multitude of people gathered by the seaside. As the crowd of people continued to gather, Jesus stepped into a boat and sat down while the multitude stood on the shore.
His first parable was the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9). And the disciples said to him, “Why speakest thou unto them in parables?” And Jesus answered them and said, “Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.”
It is important for us to realize that when Jesus walked on earth, few people could read and books were rarely available to those who could read. So in order to communicate with the uneducated masses, it was important for Jesus to use terms and examples his followers could understand. Hence, he often refers to himself as a good shepherd and his followers as his sheep. Throughout the Bible, we find Jesus using parables to enlighten those gathered to hear him speak.
Matthew 13:18-19 says, “Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and understands it not, then comes the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart.”
Other parables dealing with events of their everyday life are the Parable of the Tares, Parable of the Mustard Seed, Parable of the Leaven, Parable of the Hidden Treasure, Parable of the Pearl, and Parable of the Net. The Parable of the Lost Sheep was sure to appeal to the shepherds with whom Jesus often found himself in the company of.
The Parable of the Rich Young Ruler is a poignant account of a young man who was faced with the dilemma of how he could inherit the kingdom of heaven. His dilemma called to mind the old gospel song “What Would You Give in Exchange For Your Soul?” These two facts are accepted as standards: we can’t buy our way into heaven, and the only thing we can do is open up our lives so we can see what God is doing for us.
Continue to pray for Dr. Stinson, Wilma Ellison, Mable Mitchell, Dwight Sammons, Paul Dean, our military, their families, our country, our church, our community, each other and for Israel. Give the Lord praise for the rain he sent us.
We welcome our guests for services this week. We cordially invite you to return.
We are continuing our study on the book of Revelation on Wednesday nights.
Sunday, July 17, our pulpit will be filled by the Rev. Aaron Ellison. He is young and dynamic, and you will be blessed by his enthusiasm as he brings God’s word.
We urge our church family to be present and welcome Aaron. He has served our church before. We welcome visiting guests also.
Have a blessed week.

Mt. Carmel No. 1
God is so good to us and blessed us very much this Sunday. It’s our prayer that you experienced God’s love and presence while in our service this Sunday.
Tammy and Lilly Jones blessed our hearts as they sang, “I’ve Come to Take You Home.” Following the special music, Cecil Franklin stood and testified to the blessings of God in his life. He also brought to our attention that on this Sunday six years ago, July 10, 2005, we held our first service in our new building, remembering how good God has been to us here at Mt. Carmel and all over America. Others stood and began a great testimony service for our morning worship service. The sweet, sweet Spirit filled our hearts as we gathered at the altar to pray and thank God.
We enjoyed two great messages Sunday, the first being “Are You Listening?” taken from Matthew 13:1-9 and 13:18-23. “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. Hear ye therefore the Parable of the Sower, Jesus the Son of God.”
Sunday night, Bro. Derrell asked, “Are you happy with Jesus?” (John 6:66-68). I am happy with Jesus because of his teachings we learn from; I am happy with Jesus because of his counseling (we are to be Christ-like); I am happy with Jesus because of his sacrifice. Read your Bible daily. Be still and listen to God.
The Coleman family will be singing for our homecoming Sunday, July 24 at 10 a.m. We will have a worship service, then more singing. Lunch will be served following the services. You are invited.
We would like to give thanks and praise for the good time enjoyed at our first prayer breakfast. Jan Franklin led in a very inspiring devotion and prayer. Our prayer box was filled with prayer requests. The box was placed on a table, and everyone circled the table and prayed. Remember these requests this week as you pray.
Our sympathy is extended to Willie Nell and Charles Mull and their family over the loss of their great grandbaby. God called another angel home.
Remember July 16 at noon there will be a baby shower for Holly Smith in the fellowship hall. It’s a boy! Holly is registered at Target and Bye-Bye Baby.
Special prayer needs are always requested. We ask you to join with us in daily prayer for all the requests and prayer needs.
We welcome you to come worship with us at Mt. Carmel No. 1.

Bethsalem Baptist Church
Happy birthday this week to Marshall Wells, Shaylee Davis, Angie Carroll, Kennly Hunter, Haiden Boyles, Austin Courtney, Joe Cox, Brayden Cooper, Harold Patterson, Chad Jones, Tony Thomas, Landon Schmidthorst, Preston Wallace, Katelynn Clark, Rosemary Johnson and Kelley Taylor.
Happy anniversary to Ralph and Marie Smith (53 years), Jay and Theress Pierce (27 years) and Chris and Amanda Arnold (11 years).
Our morning service began with welcoming and fellowship time as we sang “Jesus is the Sweetest Name I Know” and lots of other beautiful songs. Special music by the Celebration Choir was “The Power of the Cross.”
The message by Bro. Brad, “Spectacular Spotlight,” was from Ephesians 5:8-14. During the evening service, our students shared about their experiences at Fuge. We then observed the Lord’s Supper; Bro. Cleve was in charge.
Pray for Makayia Wingard, James Moore, Charles Bryant, Elza Enriquez, Gertie Sanders, Betty McGee, Chris and Sonja Cox, Jim Beck, Pete Burnett, Rita Brasher, Vicki Knight, Joe Ann Adams, Larry Little, Kyle Pack, Catherine Gillespie, Alan Adams, Larry Little, Bob Riley, Diane Latham, Cathryn Thomas, Sue Coleman, storm victims, our missionaries, and all families who have lost loved ones.
Pray for revival to come and all our homebound.
Come worship with us Sunday and get connected.
Have a blessed week. Jesus loves you.

Samaria Baptist Church
Angels: So many times they are mentioned in God’s word.  There are tens of thousands of them.  They have been used of our Father to provide us with help in times of need, and protection when we are in great danger.  Angels communicate God’s message.  Angels minister to us in worship and encamp around those who serve and believe.
Brother Charles’ message focused on angels and how God uses them to bless us in countless ways.  God even used an angel to show Balam the error of his ways, when his donkey spoke to him to communicate God’s message that he needed to hear at the time.  We have no way of knowing how much destruction that God’s anointed angels have protected us through and from.
Our prayer list includes : Jessica’s family; Brother Gary Voyles; Drusilla’s Mom and family; Mandy Spencer; Jo Ann Adams; Mr. Willis; Mr. Mcenally; Mr. Jame’s Milford’s request; as well as our shut-ins and military, both at home and abroad.
On Sunday night we had a wonderful baptismal service.  Emily Jones, Brandon Deavers, Jonathon Stoneback and Anna Brown were baptized. Our pastor was able to baptize his great-granddaughter, and this was a true blessing for both of them.  God is moving in our church, and we invite you to be a part of it. May God keep you and yours this week.
Remember, that angel just might be your protection from harm, so stay faithful to Him.  God bless all who read this.

Mars Hill Baptist Church
Several of ours are on vacation, and some in the hospital will be coming home soon. We thank God for answering prayers.
The choir blessed us with wonderful music, and the sermon for the day came from Romans 5:1-5. The subject of hope was the thought for the day.
1. Hope comes from trusting Christ.
2. Hope comes from remembering all God has done for us.
3. Hope grows as we depend on God during the difficult times.
4. Hope grows as we remember the Resurrection.
Our WMU has taken on the project of new tables and chairs for our fellowship hall. They call it “Money For A Change.” We will all benefit from this, so everyone pitch in and help out. There will be yard sales and lunch for a donation. We will let you know more at a later date.
It seems that our prayer list keeps getting longer, always remember to pray for the sick and hurting. Next week you may be the one needing prayer. When you are sick it makes a big difference to know that someone is praying for you. We all need encouragement at some point in time.
Always remember: God’s work will be accomplished.

Cedar Grove
Sunday was a great day to be in the house of the Lord. We had a very exciting time in both services.
Bro. Steve Price led the congregation in singing two good old hymns that will get you going, “He Set Me Free” and “Gloryland Way.”
Bro. Steve Price taught the Sunday School lesson, “Samuel Called of God.” The text came from 1 Samuel 3:1-14. Golden text: “Lord, for thy servant heareth” (1 Samuel 3:9b).
Happy birthday to Bro. Shane Wyatt, Betty Robinson, Kim Giles Crowe and Robin Bullard. Happy anniversary to Steve and Rita Price.
We had very special songs after the congregation singing by Sam Price, Sis. Patricia Cofer and Sis. Stacy Wyatt. Sam sang “I Know What Lies Ahead,” and Patricia and Stacy sang “Keep your Eyes on Jesus” and “Green Pastures.” We are blessed with talent at Cedar Grove. Come visit with us and you will agree.
We have many on our prayer request list: Faye Lowery, Barbara Oliver, Daniel Bullard, Donna Caton, the Sparks family, the Gray family and so many more. God knows all about them, so please pray for our prayer list.
Bro. Jeff Carroll preached a good sermon entitled, “What is Being Filled With the Holy Ghost? We Believe in Sanctification.” His text came from Acts 2:1-4, 14-37; Luke 24:44-49; and Acts 1:1-7.
The altar filled, and an anointing service followed. It was an amazing service.
Bro. Clay Collins was in charge of the evening service. He told all about the camp, how much the young people enjoyed it, and how they praised the Lord. He said some wanted to come home when they got there but didn’t want to come home when it was time to leave. That shows they were having a wonderful time and looking forward to next time.
Each one gave their testimony of their time there. He showed a slide of the worship service and the pictures that were made.
After the congregation singing, Sis. Amelia Hubbard sang “How Great Thou God,” Lauren Wyatt sang “This Little Light of Mine” and Jordan Harvely sang “Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone).”
Bro. Clay Collins read the devotion from Acts 2:17.
After the youth program, Bro. Clay Collins baptized Joseph (Jo-Jo) Hunt, and we had another anointing service.
God bless everyone, and have a good week.

Bethany Baptist Church
“The Talking Book” was the subject of Bro. Steve’s message Sunday morning.  The text was Proverbs 6:20-24.  Verse 22 says, “When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.”  The word of God talks with us through our consistent reading and hearing the Word with an open heart.
Sunday evening Bro. Steve spoke on “Confession of Sin” (1 John 1:6-10, 2:1-2).  Sin is a transgression of the law (1 John 3:4).  When we acknowledge and confess our sin before God and seek forgiveness from Him, we regain fellowship with God and each other and receive cleansing. 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
July birthdays and anniversaries:  Aubry and Shirley Wallace (July 2); Wanda Wilson (July 4); Junior and Jean DeLoach (July 24) and Steven Vickers (July 26).
Prayer list: Betty Biggs, James Bixler, Lillian Burkhalter, Ashley Friday, Carl Gray, Ellen Gray, Ernestine Hatch, our servicemen and women, Larry Miller, our missionaries, Billie Neeley, Pvt. Josh Peppers, Aubry and Shirley Wallace, Jesse Wallace, and our pastor and his wife, Steve and Phyllis Vickers.
See you Sunday!

Center Hill Baptist Church
Upcoming events:
Tuesday, July 12: Free ballet classes for girls 5 and up starting at 6:30 p.m. in the choir room.
Wednesday, July 13:  Children’s musical practice at 6:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall.
Friday, July 15: Family cookout and prayer at 6:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall.
Sunday, July 17: Community blood drive from noon until 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 17: Olympians Fascar kickoff at 6:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall.
The sermon series by Jeff Champion is entitled, “Who is This King of Glory?”
The first message is on the validity of Christ’s Resurrection (Acts 1:3).
The Resurrection is not a fairy tale.  Jesus offered several proofs that He is risen: the empty tomb, the disciples’ transformation, and the witness of the grave clothes.   These proofs verified prophecy (Old Testament and Christ’s prophecies of Himself) and confirm our salvation (Romans 4:25).
Other messages in the series are as follows:
(2.)  Victory over Sin’s Penalty — Acts 17:31
(3.)  Victory over Limitations — Philippians 3:20-21
(4.)  Victory over Death — 1 Corinthians 15:54-57.

Jackson Chapel
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his name” (Psalm 100:4).
Bro Dewayne Castleberry got the Sunday School hour started off with a good lesson entitled “Knowing Christ,” and if you miss the Sunday School hour you really miss a blessing.
Bro Gary Fant got the morning worship started off with “Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus” and “When I See The Blood.” Bro Dennis’ text came from 1 Kings 18:41-45 with a message entitled “Why Bother.” Sometimes some of the greatest blessings start off with a small process, and when those small processes start we’ve got to be patient with God and let him work things out the way he sees fit. Christians need to get a little excited every once and a while when we come to church instead of having the “why bother” attitude. God wants to bless us but we’ve got to put forth an effort in order to receive the blessings of God. We as Christians also need to find reasons why we need to go to church instead of finding excuses not to go. If we have the why bother attitude, then that is going to cause us to miss out of some of the greatest blessings that God has for us. The service ended with several coming to pray.
Bro Gary Fant got the evening service started off with “O The Glory Did Roll,” “O I Want To See Him” and “Just Over In The Glory Land,” and Bro Dennis blessed us with a beautiful song, “Help Is On The Way.”
Bro Dennis’ text came from Psalm 100:1-5. We are to do our best as Christians to worship the Lord and we should go around everyday with a song on our hearts. We should serve the Lord with gladness and be about his business at all times. When we come to church we should remember that we are always standing in the presence of God Almighty, and he is worthy of our praise.
Happy birthday to Billy Burnett, Ashley Campbell, Gail Fant and David Mitchell.
Happy anniversary to James and Marie Johnson and Bobby and Leona Patterson.

Calvary Baptist Church
Calvary Independent Baptist Church had an interesting and needed sermon during the morning worship service about personal evangelism and how to prove the existence of God.
Evening services continued in Revelation 7 after having a short business meeting.
This week we started up our second bus in our bus ministry as well as another new outreach ministry. Leaders and members of our church are very actively involved in trying to get the Gospel out to the ones in our communities as well as sponsor missionaries to other parts of the world.
In our worship services we sing songs from hymnbooks, and we preach and teach Bible doctrines from a King James Bible. Some would say we are just too old fashioned. We are not so concerned with how or what everyone else is doing, but we are really excited about what Jesus is doing. Come join with us for all of our services: Sunday School at 9 a.m. , Junior Church and Morning worship service at 10 a.m., Sunday night services at 5:30 p.m. and Wednesday night services at 6:30 p.m. We are located  in south Clanton just past Dollar General right off Highway 31 on Fulmer Drive.
Please pray with us that God will continue to send workers, for the fields truly are ripe unto harvest.