Samaria Baptist Church

What an amazing spring-like day to be in God’s house. Our crowd was down some this week, but we had a wonderful time worshipping the Lord.

Our special music was done by Ray Hardee, Phyllis Hardee and Harold Fraser. They sang “Take My Hand Precious Lord” as Carolyn Maddox played for them. We are reminded about the Senior Celebration at Union Grove on April 3. This will be a great time in the Lord.

Our pastor, Bro. Charles, brought his sermon text from John 1:1-18. He emphasized to us that Jesus is the name that is hated by the world. Even those who will tolerate the name of God detest the name of Jesus. How unfortunate for them, since our only hope for Heaven lies in having a personal relationship with Jesus as our savior and lord. God provided the way for us to come to Him. He sent his son to live and die for our sins.

Joy illuminates our path as we share with others about how Christ saved us.

It is not our place to save anyone. We just have to be the extended hand of Almighty God on this earth and share with those who need to know what he means to us.

We are saved by his power. Eternal life is ours because of him. Jesus shared with the world what God the father directed him to share. He came in the form of man and ministered to people every day while on earth. No destruction of this planet will come by volcanic ash or anything else until God is ready for this to happen.

The truth of the matter is that many of us Christians do not read the Bible enough. It reveals to us all we need to know for life, present, past and future. God gives wisdom for medical care. He made the ultimate sacrifice that we might have life everlasting.

Happy birthday to Alice Fraser and Barbara Collins. May God bless you this week with the grace that is greater than all sin.

Rocky Mount United Methodist Church

The season is Lent, and Rocky Mount is working on a special celebration for Resurrection Sunday. We invite everyone to join us on Easter Sunday, April 8 at the 11 a.m. service for an opportunity to awaken some old feelings as you hear the story of Easter in word and in music. We are so glad to have our music program back in full swing, just in time for this super special time in the Christian calendar.

Sunday morning, March 25, we will have a guest speaker in the pulpit, Bro. Ron Jennings. We are so blessed to have Ron and Dee as part of our church family.

Come see what is going on in that beautiful little chapel on the hill, Rocky Mount United Methodist Church.

Union Missionary Baptist Church

Our pastor, Dr. Melvin Hunter, will be celebrating his 24th Pastoral Anniversary on April 1.

The morning service will begin at 11 a.m., and Minister Lorenzo Hunter will be our guest pastor. At our 3 p.m. service, Minister Bernard Hunter will be our guest pastor.

Jackson Chapel Church

Bro. Gary Fant got the morning worship service started off with “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” and “Heaven’s Jubilee.” Bro. Dennis blessed us with a beautiful song titled “I’m Not the Man that I Used to Be.”

Bro. Dennis’ text came from Luke 11: 24-26 with a message titled “Knowing Is Not Enough.” When a person has a void in their life, people will look to everything in trying to fill that void, but until you make Jesus Christ Lord of your life, you will not know what real joy and happiness really is. We as Christians need to be as bold for Jesus Christ as we used to be before we got saved. If we were as bold now as we used to be, we would not have any trouble witnessing to this lost and dying world. The service ended with several coming to pray.

Bro. Gary Fant got the evening worship service started off with “Footsteps of Jesus,” “O, I Want to See Him” and “Just Over in the Glory Land.” Bro Dennis’ text came from Hebrews 12: 9-14. God wants to bless his people beyond measure, but we’ve got to be willing to accept it. God can bless us, and all we’ve got to do is hold our cup out and let God fill it up, but instead we will sit back and let someone else get their cup filled. However, this causes us to miss out on some of the greatest blessings that God has for us. We need to put ourselves in a place where God is because by doing this, we are able to look back and see from where God has brought us to where we are today. The service ended with several coming to pray.

Please remember these as you pray this week: Harold Sansom, Marie Johnson, Pat Johnson, Janie Smitherman, the Cofer family, Donna McKee, our lost loved ones and our service men and women.

Upcoming events: Make plans to come out April 8 (Easter Sunday) because we will be presenting a live re-enactment of Jesus’ burial and resurrection.

We are located at 4020 Yellow Leaf Road, Clanton, 35045. Our service times are: Sunday school at 10 a.m., Sunday morning worship at 11 a.m., Sunday evening worship at 6 p.m., and Wednesday evening bible study at 7 p.m.

Christ Independent Methodist Church

On this perfect Sabbath Day, the fourth Sunday of Lent, going to church was a blessing before reaching the house of the Lord. Spring I believe to be the most beautiful season of the year. All the flowers blooming now are food for the soul, but the flowering trees are spectacular. The dogwood trees and the legend they tell us of the rectification of our Lord are the crowning glory of the forest.

Dr. Mac Stinson’s sermon title today was “The Handiwork of God.” The scripture he used was Ephesians 2:4-10. Some verses of this scripture say: 2:4 “God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 4:7 that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 4:8 for by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourself; it is the gift of God. 4:9 not of works, lest any man should boast.”

David Redding has written a book with the title, “Before you Call, I will Answer.” It gives us a vivid description of the carnage of war as we visit the Confederate and Union armies during the Battle of Fredericksburg. Redding tells us: “one young Confederate soldier, Sergeant Richard Kirkland wrestled with his conscience. He simply could not bear the carnage before him. Finally, he approached his superior officer and asked if he could go out on the field and carry water to the suffering men, most of whom were members of the Union Army. The officer, though mystified by the sergeant’s request, granted his permission. Thus the Confederate soldier bravely stepped forward to assist the legions of dying men he saw on the battlefield. His act of courage had a sobering effect on both armies.

“Upon entering the battlefield, the intense gunfire suddenly ceased. The shock of an enemy offering aid to the opposition struck both armies with amazement. Back and forth Kirkland went from battlefield to water station, aiding every soldier along his path. Each time he stepped back on the field of battle fighting ceased.

“This is why Christ came into the world. To create a world of people who know how to love…people who do not divide others into friends and enemies…but who see all people as children of God. That is what the Gospel is about. That is what the kingdom of God is about.”

Dr. Stinson asked this hypothetical provocative question; “How do you feel about yourself? Do you feel like you are the handiwork of God? Or are you satisfied to just get by?” His answer to his own question; “I believe God created us for more than just getting by.” Words we need to accept and make a part of our lives are commitment, dedication and sacrifice. The apostle Paul writes: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Dr. Stinson says, “We become God’s handiwork when Christ Jesus lives within us and we engage in acts of service in his name.”

Our prayer list: Mable Mitchell, Carl Glass, Dwight Sammons, Cathy Lufta, Shea Simms and family, our military, their families, our church, community, Christians worldwide, little Israel and each other.

Praise reports for church families safely home from travels.

One dish dinner March 25. We invite you to bring a friend and come and dine.

Tonight will conclude our wonderful “trip” to the Holy Land, “that the world may know.” It has been wonderful and informative. Have a blessed week.

Mt. Carmel No. 1

The presence of the Lord was with us this morning as we gathered on this beautiful Sabbath. The sweet, sweet, sweet spirit of the Lord was felt in our service, as the people begin to stand and testify at what the Lord had done in their lives and how good the Lord had been to them and their families. Thanks and praise were given to the Lord.

Special music was presented by Tammie and Lillie Jones. Our pastor had the attention of a large number of children as he taught a lesson on the parable of the tares, Matthew 13:24. The morning message was taken from Acts 19: 11-16 titled, “Does the devil know your name?”

Believe in the name of Jesus; believe in Jesus deep down in your heart. The devil will know your name because you believe in Jesus. In Acts 19 the people believed Paul and his ability to heal in the name of Jesus, that they brought some belonging of the sick to Paul and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. Pray with sincerity, be serious when you call on Jesus, take a prayer request to the Lord in prayer and pray from your heart, believing Jesus will hear and answer.

Sunday night message was “3 Attitudes in the Church” Acts 5: 1-16. Be willing to serve. Adjust the attitude, make a sacrifice and be in church. Too many think the church can’t exist without them; they use their lack of ability to do anything in the church. God can use you; God wants you just as you are. Those who refuse to get close to God and stay faithful have the wrong attitude. The right attitude to have is to be Christ-like. Christ did not lose his life, but he gave it for you and I. Christ had an attitude to come to this earth and give his life; we need this kind of attitude.

You are invited to attend the association VBS main clinic, March 20 at 7 p.m. here at Mt. Carmel Church.

March 31, there will be a hamburger and hot dog supper here at the church. Supper will be served at 4 p.m.; the showing of the movie “Courageous” will follow. Everybody is invited.

Sunrise service will be Easter Sunday, April 8 at 6:30 a.m. We will have our prayer breakfast following the sunrise service. Come join with us and bring your prayer request. Regular morning worship will be at 10 a.m. Sunday School will be followed by the choir’s performance of our Easter Cantata. No evening service on Easter Sunday.

Be praying for our upcoming revival in April. Remember to pray for all the names and prayer requests on our church list as well as all the other churches and pastors.