Cedar Grove Church

Announcements:

July 31-Aug. 1: There will be a benefit singing for veterans that will feature the group Heaven’s Strings and several other groups will be singing 07/31/2015- 08/01/2015 at the Jemison Ala. Municipal building.

Aug. 4: Christians United will be joining in the event “One County Under God” at 7 p.m. at the pavilion across from the Chilton County Courthouse.

Aug. 5-7: Revival will begin at 7 p.m. each night. Bro. Wayne Castleberry and Clay Collins will be bringing the Word.

Aug. 22: Homecoming: Bro. William Short will be preaching, and Broken Vessels will be special guest singers.

Aug. 24-26: Bro. William Short will be preaching a revival services. Everyone is invited to attend.

Prayer concerns: Our church family, Christians United mission outreach, our nation as a whole, those in hospitals and nursing homes, spoken and unspoken requests, Larry Patterson, Sheila Thompson, Blake Patterson, Seth Jones, Mary Ann and Phillip Pate and Mr. Sayers.

Pastor Jeff Carroll took the text for his sermon “The Father’s Son” from John 8: 23-30.

Christ was perfect, and we Christians need to be as much like Christ as possible. We are being watched and judged by the Pharisees of this world. They are looking for any little fault or flaw to point out in us.

We are supposed to love one another as we love ourselves. If someone offends you, go to them and confront them to resolve the situation; don’t discuss it with others.

Christ told the Pharisees, “I am from above; you are from beneath. You are of this world, but I am not of this world; therefore, I say to you, ‘You will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.’”

It is God’s right to decide when we should die, not for us to take our own life or the life of others through abortion or murder. God’s way is always the right way, for his thoughts are not our thoughts. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are his ways higher than our ways. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord, and the Lord will have mercy on him.

We know there is no sin or iniquity that will see the face of God. There is a big difference between man and God. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.

Satan is evil and causes evil. Satan’s way is the curse of death. The one closet to Christ-like will be the Antichrist. He will be able to perform signs and wonders and deceive many, but those who know Christ will not be deceived. Satan is the father of this world.

There are things that are hidden from this world, and unless you are called by God you cannot receive the gospel. If we defy God, we cannot be saved until the Holy Ghost comes into our heart and Jesus saves us. If we harden our hearts or become stiff-necked, we cannot hear God when he is knocking at the doors of our heart.

Jesus kept telling the Pharisees when they lifted him up onto the cross to die that he would rise again, victorious over death, hell and the grave.

We have to die to sin in the flesh to become a new creature in Christ. It is not enough that we believe in Jesus; Satan believes in Jesus and trembles, but we have to believe, repent of our sins and be born again.

Submitted by Naomi Gillespie

Mountain Springs Church

To start off Mountain Springs’ Sunday morning service, Bro. Kenneth Moates led the congregation in the hymns “Are You Washed in the Blood,” “I’ll Be Satisfied,” “I’m Getting Ready to Leave This World,” “I Want to Know More About My Lord” and “I Never Shall Forget the Day.”

Bro. Roger Cleckler then brought a devotion from Luke 23:13-25, and after Sunday School, he sang “Far Better Place Over There.”

Bro. Heath Vines preached from Luke 17:11-19: Just as lepers must be isolated from everyone, our sin can isolate us from God. You can either continue in that sin, or give it all over to God (1 John 1:9).

It’s hard to understand how God can forget your sins when the devil keeps reminding you of them (Hebrews 8:12), but God wants to reason with you if you’ve fallen into sin. You must ask for his forgiveness. Only the blood of Christ can cleanse you, so lead for God’s mercy; he can heal and forgive (Psalm 103:3).

Bro. Heath mentioned this quote: “Grace is something we receive but don’t deserve, while mercy is not getting what we deserve.” Without mercy, we would be headed to hell.

The devil will tell us that we’re getting what we deserve when we go through trials and battles, but the mercy of God holds back that which we may deserve. The mercy of God is available; you just have to ask for it.

We held our end-of-the-month singing on Sunday night. Some of the songs performed were “Greater is He,” “Thank You Lord” and “God is so Good.”

The Jim Brady Trio will be singing at 7 p.m. on Aug. 14 at Mountain Springs.

Submitted by Savannah Parrish