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Contributing Writers: Mike Mills, Spring Hill Church | Doug Fincher | Pastor Randy and Sue Smith | Mike Belgard | Tim Perkins
Faith
August 28, 2017 - In 1981 while I was living in Orange, Texas, I was invited to preach at the Hillcrest Baptist in my hometown of Center, Texas. On the Saturday evening preceding my Sunday appointment I went out to warm up the car (it was 24 degrees in Orange), and the car wouldn’t start! In a sudden semi-panic, I jumped into 2 pairs of pants, my Army long handles and put on my heavy overcoat. Then I crammed everything possible in the saddlebags of my Yamaha XS 1100 motorcycle and motored out to 96.
By the time I got to Buna, I knew I’d made a mistake. My warmest clothes, gloves and trusty bike fairing were no match for the freezing wind. I considered turning back, but after warming a while at the Dairy Queen, I continued on to Jasper. When I told a Jasper service station attendant I was going to Center, he said, “Son, Center’s 60 miles away” “You gonna freeze on that bike”. But since I was half to Mother’s, turning back was no longer an option.
I “throttled up” at San Augustine when I realized I had only 18 miles to go… but hadn’t counted on a surprise I’d get on Bland Lake hill. Center’s State Trooper Hal Wyatt spun off the shoulder behind me and pulled me over. After doing a double take of me, he said, “Doug, is that you?” “it’s 23 degrees in San Augustine… you were topping that hill at 85 miles an hour!” I promised to slow down and when I got to Mother’s house I could hardly talk and my hands and legs were completely numb. But a slow thaw at Mother’s heater, and a leg-warming with her electric blanket warmed me up for a great night’s sleep.
I learned the next day that fewer people were concerned about how cold I got than the ones who believed preachers should ever ride a bike… ever… in any weather. During the next two years, I made a few more appointments on it, but always in better weather and at shorter distances. I finally sold it when I took a pastorate in Louisiana.
I’ll never forget that cold trip to Center. I’ll also never forget my beautiful XS 1100 that got me there…
… and that never failed me.
June 19, 2017 - Strong Triumph Church cordially invites everyone to join in with us as we celebrate the 3rd Annual Shepherd and 1st Gentleman Appreciation Service honoring Shepherd, Elder Faye Dell Allen and 1st Gentleman, Bro. Adrian Allen on Saturday, September 2, 2017 at 7 p.m.
Speaker will be Elder Cecil Washington, assistant shepherd of Triumph Church, Dallas, TX, and famous member of the gospel group “The Texas Boyz”!!!
Please come out and help up celebrate the wonderful things that God has done and to shower these this special couple with love!!!
August 25, 2017 - Have you ever really listened to wedding vows? I know that most all of us can say you have. But have you ever really contemplated what they are asking someone to do? You know that part that says "through sickness and health, for richer or poorer, forsaking all others, until death do we part." That's a commitment. As my old grandma used to say; "That's tying a knot with words that you can't untie with your teeth!"
What they are asking us to do is to be faithful to our spouse no matter what life throws our way. Its saying, I'm all in! I will not leave! I will stay with this person through any hardship. They can depend on you to always be there for them. That's what faithfulness is. We live in a day where faithfulness does not seem to be held in as high of a position of honor as it used to be. That includes even among many believers.
Long gone are the days when a handshake between two men was sufficient enough to ensure the integrity of a contract. People have lost "faith" in the faithfulness of others. We see that in the rise of divorces, law suits between friends and neighbors, as well as an overabundance of distrust among people. Faithfulness dies when selfishness flourishes. However, the contrary is also true; selfishness cannot survive where faithfulness lives.
The dictionary defines faithfulness as " enduring loyalty and trustworthiness". The seventh fruit of the Spirit, faithfulness, grows in us as we give our complete loyalty to God and become a trustworthy vessel for him to use. We forget sometimes as Christians how important faithfulness is. Let me ask you a question? Do you apply the same standards of faithfulness to your Christian activities as you do to other things in your life? For instance, if your car only started every third time you tried it, would you consider it reliable? If you just showed up for work once or twice a week, are you a loyal employee? If your fridge goes out every week, is it trustworthy? The answers to all theses questions is no! But we think we are good Christians when we just read our bibles occasionally, pray only when we are in trouble, attend church one or two Sundays a month, and that's only if we don't have anything else to do we think is more important.
God expects and calls us to be faithful as He is faithful. When the Spirit of Jesus resides in a person they have to be faithful. It is Gods character trait passed to them. That's why the writer of Hebrews said in 10:23 "And let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who has promised is faithful." Aren't we glad that Jesus was faithful to honor His commitment to us on the cross.
Faithfulness is something that we all expect out of others. However, if you claim to be a Christian, and faithfulness is not a part of your character, you may want to reexamine your relationship with the Lord. He tells us that our faithfulness will be rewarded when we stand before Him for judgement. In Matthew 25:23 he states this truth through the parable of the talents; "His Lord said to him, "well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord." Those are the words that every believer should want to hear when they stand at the gates of heaven.
Maybe you or someone you know has had problems with faithfulness in the past. There is still Hope. You can make it right from this day forward, because here's the good news. No matter how much trouble you have had with faithfulness in the past, Jesus is faithful to hear the prayer of repentance and deliver you out of any bondage you are in, and save you. Jesus says in Rev. 2:10 "Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life." He's waiting faithfully to hear your prayer.
I'm just Saying
Mike Belgard
August 24, 2017 - The Stanleys will be at Mt. Calvary Full Gospel Church on Saturday, August 26,2017 and will perform at 6 p.m. Mt. Calvary Full Gospel Church is located at 2925 FM 417E, Shelbyville, Texas 75973. For more information, call 936-590-4888 or 936-591-6053.
August 22, 2017 - Patroon Baptist Church is hosting an Ice Cream Social on Saturday, September 2 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Curious about what God's doing at Patroon Baptist Church? Wondering if you could see yourself attending service with us? This is a great opportunity for you and your kiddos to have homemade ice cream while you meet our youth leaders, learn about and register your children for our Awana Club Program, see our facilities and find out what the upcoming season at Patroon Baptist has in store. We look forward to seeing you!
August 22, 2017 - Patroon Baptist Church is hosting an Ice Cream Social on Saturday, September 2 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Curious about what God's doing at Patroon Baptist Church? Wondering if you could see yourself attending service with us? This is a great opportunity for you and your kiddos to have homemade ice cream while you meet our youth leaders, learn about and register your children for our Awana Club Program, see our facilities and find out what the upcoming season at Patroon Baptist has in store.
We look forward to seeing you!
August 22, 2017 - Neuville Baptist Church Homecoming 2017 will be held on August 27 starting at 10:45. Bro. John Mcguire will be preaching our 2017 Homecoming!
Lunch will be followed right after church and at 1:30 we will have a wonderful bluegrass gospel group The Arenos from Lake Charles LA too.
Please come out and hear the gospel and enjoy a great singing.
August 22, 2017 - The pastor and members of The House of Refuge Apostolic Ministries presents Bro. Josh Black, a native of Shelby County, to preach his first message Sunday, August 27, 2017 at 3pm.
Josh is the son of Melvin Black and Patricia Nash.
Everyone is invited.
August 21, 2017 - Todd Springs Baptist Church will have its annual homecoming Sunday, August 27, 2017 at 3pm.
Special guest will be Bishop W.C. Martin and the Bennett Chapel Baptist Church family. Everyone is invited to attend. Wilbert Simmons Jr., Pastor.
August 21, 2017 - Sunday was the 11th Sunday after Pentecost. The Gospel Lesson came from Matthew 15:21-28. It is one of the most difficult passages because it doesn’t show Jesus in a favorable light. Jesus spurns the Canaanite women and refuses to help her daughter. He questions why he should feed the dogs and ignore the children of Israel. This woman, who calls Jesus the Messiah, says that even dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table. Once again we see Jesus “grow in wisdom,” and it becomes more and more clear that the ways of the Christ—the Messiah—are not only for Jews but for anyone who wants a closeness with God. Jesus assures the woman that her daughter is healed.
Often my sermon seems to build upon the fine Sunday school lesson that Fannie has put together. I don’t read the lesson before I finish my sermon, so it’s not that I am trying to tie my sermon to the lesson. Today’s Sunday school scripture comes from Acts: 9:10-20. Paul has been struck blind. This enemy of the Jesus movement has had a vision and becomes one of the greatest apostles of the Jesus movement. As we have seen all quarter, God often picks unlikely people to be his prophet—his spokesman—in a way, like the Canaanite woman.
All this month our church is collecting children’s underwear and socks for Community Christian Services. Next month it will be boxes of “mac and cheese.” Most Texas school children head off to school Monday. Our own Ms. Vera starts a new school year, and her friends at Paxton wish her a great year. Liz begins working at Center ISD, and we hope that she also has a great school year! Last week was our ministry at Holiday Nursing Center. Sue found a really cute picture book to read about the goat that seemed to curse the Chicago Cubs for so many years. Fannie read “And God Said ‘No’ (and later, ‘Yes’). Nora sang a beautiful but lesser-known hymn, and Ms. Minnie played for the congregational singing. Ms. Hilda said they had a good group of volunteers and residents, including some new ones. This Thursday we go to Lakeside Village Assisted Living at our regular time of 2PM.
I have spent much of the last two weeks in Dallas. My brother had a lung transplant and is coming along nicely. He is breathing on his own! The doctors are looking to this Thursday as the day he will get to go home. Our yearly conference with the District Superintendent has been set for October 2nd at 6:00. Having these “Charge Conferences” is a Methodist thing, but I imagine most denominations have something similar. Just like when I was in the school system, you have to be accountable.
“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, 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 me your email address to the Paxton email address and I will add you to the list. Godspeed.
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