Samaria Baptist Church

What a wonderful day to worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Special prayer requests are for our pastor, Shane Wyatt, Stacy, Lauren and Carly. Other prayer needs are Walter Hudgins, Mrs. Silas, Roger Ivy’s family and friends, Linda Dennis, Tommy Dalyrmple and Elle Campbell. We also want to remember in prayer the families affected by the tragedy in Jemison on Monday morning. God alone can provide the healing that these families need at this time. As our pastor said in his message, “God knows what we need and when.”

Scripture references in today’s message are from Isaiah 44-3, John 15, Galatians 5-22 and Jeremiah 18-6. God knows when we need rain, and even when we think it’s rained enough, he is still aware of what is ahead and what we need most. Sometimes we miss out on the spiritual rain that God wants to shower into our lives. As with our plants and seeds, when they are planted, they need rain to grow. Then they need nourishment in order to grow as they are intended.

We are much like that too. When we give our hearts to Christ, we are planted, so to speak. If we do not seek showers of study, prayer, worship and nourishment of the spirit, we will not grow and flourish. Just as a seed or plant will die without proper care, we cannot produce fruit for the cause of Christ if we sit idly and say, “Well, I’m saved and I’m satisfied.”

The strength we need to get through the challenges of each day comes from God himself. God knows just how much proper care and spiritual rain our lives need in order to please him and produce good results for Christ. We do not control how the spirit flows in our lives. However, we must allow it to flow through us in order to be molded in the form that pleases him. Allowing him to mold us is the key.

Be ready to experience growth and prosper in the Word of God the Father. Just attending church doesn’t make us right in our hearts, but allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us from head to toe shows the world where we stand, and who we are serving. We would never want to hear God say, “Depart from me; I never knew you.” Bearing good fruit shows what God has done in you. Allow him to be alive in you today.

Special music was sung by Diane Fisher and titled “I Want to Thank You.”

Please join us at Samaria, where imperfect people join together in prayer and worship of a loving and perfect God.

Submitted by Diane Fisher

Calvary Independent Baptist Church

Sunday morning services included a message from Luke 16:22 and many other passages in the Bible titled “Paradise Below Is Not Where I Go.”

We looked at the scriptures in the Bible referencing where Jesus went and what he did during those three days after he died on the cross. When he went to deposit the sins of the world in hell; then he went into Abraham’s bosom to preach to the saints that had died before the cross. Before the cross, their sins were covered by the blood of bulls and goats, which could never take away their sins.

The thief that died that day with Christ recognized Christ as Lord, and he went to Paradise with him that day. Paradise at that time was in the heart of the earth; Paradise today is above, according to the apostle Paul, who wrote the 13 books giving us the doctrine for the church-age saints.

Today, a person is saved by believing the gospel of Christ, that Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again the third day. Because I now have salvation, the moment I am absent from the body, I am present with the Lord, and he is in the Third Heaven, far above all heavens.

We pray that if you have never been saved, you will believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. As much as we would love to see you in church, we want even more to see you in heaven.

Sunday night’s service included a message from Acts 18:12-28 titled “Being Brave and Being Bold, but Not Being Bullheaded.”

We need to be bold in our witness, brave in our battles, yet always eager to learn from the Word of God. We should always have the attitude that we don’t know it all. Sometimes we may be wrong, but the Word of God is always right.

We hope you are saved and being edified by the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. If you are looking for a church to visit this Sunday, we would love to see you at Calvary.

For services times and events, check us out on Facebook or Twitter, and visit our website at www.cibc-clanton.com.

Submitted by Oscar Mims