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Contributing Writers: Mike Mills, Spring Hill Church | Doug Fincher | Pastor Randy and Sue Smith | Mike Belgard | Tim Perkins
Faith
March 9, 2020 - Cornerstone Ministry Cowboy Church , Center Campus located at 113 Augustine Street in Center on the Square, will be hosting its first service on Thursday, March 12th at 7pm with Worship and the Word followed with a Gumbo fellowship. Everyone invited.
Regular services will be held every Thursday at 7pm. For more information, please contact Tonya Kyle at (318) 871-6292.
“Jesus, the same yesterday, today and forever…” (Hebrew 13:8)
March 9, 2020 - For the first time in thirty years, I returned to Bill Buxton Slough last week. It’s a part of Louisiana’s Big Island, a six mile stretch of gorgeous swamps and bayous that parallel the Sabine River near Orange and Deweyville, Texas.
While revealing no human tracks, the soft mud identified the many animals that still make this their home. Walking through moss-covered cypress and tupelo gum trees, I crossed some of the same logs and slough beds that I crossed thirty years ago. I even ate possum grapes and musky dines from the vines that grew along the banks… just as I did thirty years go.
As I sat in the quiet woods, an overpowering thought flooded my heart: how incredibly happy I am that this place remains the same after all these years! And another truth also flooded my heart: when I’ve wandered from the Lord, I have always found Him where I left Him. He is the same…
"… yesterday, today… and forever.”
March 11, 2020 - Abundant Love Ministries will celebrate its 11th Annual Church Anniversary with a Building Musical on Saturday, March 21st at 6:30pm and Building Fund Drive on Sunday, March 22nd at 2:30 pm. Bishop Howard Cloudy, 3rd Episcopal Triumph, will be the guest speaker.
Sunday school and regularly scheduled noonday services are cancelled for the day.
All chuches, choirs, praise teams and praise dancers are welcomed and invited to join in the celebration and for any of the other scheduled weekly services.
Abundant Love Ministries is located at 1426 Shelbyville St., Center, TX 75935. For more information, please contact Diania Calhoun (936) 591-7203.
March 5, 2020 - One of the things folks sometimes have a hard time doing is being fair with the church. There are some Christians who are very active in finding fault with the church and its faithful members.
I read once of a congregation where a new minister had just moved to town. He busied himself in contacting inactive members and exhorting them to faithfulness. One man,in justifying himself, said, “There is very little Christianity among the members. I was sick for more than a month and not a member came to see me. The men with whom I work – men of the world – took more interest in me than the church did.
Well, that sounded really bad, so the preacher investigated. It was true, the man had been seriously ill for several weeks, and no member visited him. The preacher also learned that the man had not attended a service of the church for some six months before the illness, and no member had been notified of his illness.
When the man failed to show up for work, those with whom he worked knew something was wrong. Had he been regular in church attendance, the members would have known something was wrong when he was absent. Get the point? If we are going to criticize the church, the least we can do is be fair and honest in our criticisms of the church.
It’s something to think about...tbp
Join us for worship this coming Lord’s day at the Center Church of Christ, 110 Hurst Street, Center, Texas or online at www.centerchurchofchrist.com.
March 5, 2020 - Cornerstone Ministry Cowboy Church announces their second campus location at 113 San Augustine Street in Center with a Meet and Greet on Thursday, March 5, 2020 at 7pm. Regular services will be held every Thursday at 7pm beginning March 12, 2020. For more information, please contact Tonya Kyle at (318) 871-6292.
March 4, 2020 - Come enjoy sitting on "The Porch" at Smyrna Baptist Church in Huxley, Monday, March 9, 2020. Guest Speaker is Leah Chase with worship leaders are Hunter, Lindsay, and Abbie.
Refreshments served at 6:30pm and worship begins at 7pm. Everyone is invited to 'Come and Receive' a blessing! Bring someone! Jesus loves you!
March 3, 2020 - Mark your calendars! Logansport Missionary Baptist Church in Logansport, Louisiana will be having a singing March 14th from 6pm till 8pm.
Specials are welcome, refreshments will follow. For information call Sheila Walker 936-269-3682.
March 2, 2020 - Saint Paul Missionary Baptist Church is hosting their 27th Appreciation Service honoring Pastor and Sister, Freddie D. Wilson on Sunday, March 15, 2020 at 3pm. The theme is "Sharing with the Teacher" from Galatians 6:6. Evangelist is Pastor Timothy Teel of Bell Chapel Baptist Church, San Augustine.
March 2, 2020 - All men are born under sin, with what is referred to as the "sin nature," disobedience to the will of God.
Inherited from the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, as they sinned against God in the Garden of Eden.
That lost or sin nature is what the apostle Paul is referring to in the book of Romans when he says,
"None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; not one seeks for God. All have returned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." (Romans 3:11-12)
"There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Romans 3:18)
Having lost the fear of God is a major problem in the lives and futures of man for without repentance of sin and redemption from sin, all are lost and forever apart from God.
As the Bible says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7)
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil." (Proverbs 3:5-7)
With the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the earth and with his death and resurrection and return back to the Father in heaven we are relieved of the Law of Moses and can come into the righteousness God simply through faith in Jesus as Lord and Master of all.
"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it - the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith." (Romans 3:21-25)
Only through the blood of Jesus Christ shed out on the cross of Calvary is one saved from the penalty of his sin which is the death of one's spirit and eternity spent away from God, in darkness.
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." (Titus 2:11-14)
These "good works" are explained in Matthew as it says. "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)
The Christian's duty, his "good works," to shine the light of faith in Christ Jesus before others that they too may come to know and accept him as Lord and receive the salvation of the Lord through the blood of Jesus Christ.
All glory and blessings to our Lord God Jesus Christ...
March 2, 2020 - Grace and peace from our brother, Jesus, Amen. On the Christian calendar, Sunday was the first Sunday in Lent. Each Sunday during the Lenten Season is to be seen as a “little Easter.” A great portion of the Gospels is spent on the weeks leading up to Good Friday and Easter. Traditionally, Lent is a time for reflection, perhaps a period to give something up or to add something, like more time spent in prayer. I used to give something up, but this year I didn’t even consider it—maybe I am not as religious as I once was. Maybe I will give up liver!
Monday is Texas Independence Day and my mother’s birthday. My English teacher wife always reminds me it is also Dr. Seuss's birthday. We had a reprieve from all the rain we have had so far in 2020. Yes, the rain we wish we would have in July and August. In the dog days of summer, we will bemoan the fact that we are facing a drought and it is so hot! One morning this week it was 26 degrees on my back porch. My dogs don’t seem to care and don’t give me a break as they follow me around the house, pestering me until I start getting all of us ready for a walk.
Sunday was the first Sunday in March, so the Paxton Church celebrated Holy Communion. During the month of March we are collecting cans of chili for Community Christian Services. I delivered February’s soap and shampoo and two checks from church folks to CCS last Monday. The volunteers at CCS and Haslam Baptist Church do such a great job getting food to those who have a need.
I had a hard time this week dealing with the Lenten theme of temptation. The Gospel lesson was about Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness after his baptism. I chose to write my sermon on the first temptation spoken of in the Jewish book of Genesis. In the first few chapters of Genesis we have two creation stories. To hear the slight differences, one needs to read the beginning of Genesis, keeping in mind the two versions. Neither story is to be seen as historical but as a spiritual telling of creation and the separation experienced between creator and created.
Both our Sunday School lesson and the Old Testament lesson for the First Sunday in Lent deal with the Jewish story of creation, often referred to as the “fall of man.” It always takes the class a little while to get used to the new writer and the new focus. Our lesson centered on Genesis 3: 1-24 and really reinforced the idea that the one unchanging thing over the centuries is human nature. The creation story reminds us that there is a constant push and pull between what is right and good and what isn’t. It also reminds us as we read and reread the first part of Genesis that we were created to dream, to aspire and to imagine.
The Old Testament lesson for Sunday was Genesis 2: 15-17. In this part of the Jewish creation story, God takes the humans into the Garden of Eden—Paradise—the Kingdom of God. In my sermon I compared the “fall” to when in the human family, children grow up, rebel, and move out of the comforts of home. God is often seen as a loving parent who, like all loving parents, wants what is best for the children.
Last week was our program at Lakeside Assisted Living. Although Hilda was in attendance, her friend Minnie played piano for us, freeing Hilda to enjoy singing. Also with us were our faithful regulars, Margie and Jo. As emcee, I talked a little about Ash Wednesday and the Creation story. Nora and Jo had to leave early for a meeting at their church, but Nora was able to share “(Oh, Where Have You Been) Billy Boy” and the haunting “Bless the Lord, O My Soul.” Fannie talked about the blackbirds filling her yard and then read a series of nonsense questions; for example, why does the sun bleach our hair but tan our skin? Ollie read a touching piece titled “Grandpa’s Hands.” Sue multitasked The Awful Aardvarks Go to School, an alphabet book, reading while illustrating with the American Sign Language alphabet.
Whoever you are, in whatever faith you were born, whatever creed you profess; if you come to this house to find God you are welcome here. Paxton United Methodist Church is an inviting church that takes to heart the idea of “Open Doors, Open Hearts, and Open Minds.” Sunday School starts at 9:30 and Worship begins at 10:00. Our email address is paxtonumc@yahoo.com. If you would like the weekly email newsletter about Paxton Methodist, you can send your email address to the Paxton email address, and I will add you to the list. God’s Speed.
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