March 7, 2023 - Clever Creek Baptist Church will host Evangelist Lee E. Thomas from Westlake, Louisiana, for a special study event on Sunday, March 19, 2023. Evangelist Thomas will be teaching his important study book on “Praying Effectively for the Lost.” The study will begin at 10 a.m. during the regular Sunday School hour and will continue through the morning worship hour normally at 10:55 a.m. Books and other materials will be available to assist in the study and prayer time.

A free lunch will be provided for all who attend the praying for the lost study at around 12 noon in the church fellowship hall. After finishing the lunch, around 1 p.m., the prayer study will resume in the auditorium, concluding about 3 p.m.

"Consider how the wild flowers grow...”   Luke 12:27

March 6, 2023 - Back in the seventies, I had an appointment to preach a morning service at The Old Salem Baptist Church near Newton, Texas. When Amber, my youngest daughter, said she’d like to go with me, I told her that my old pickup was not air conditioned and that all my tires were treadless “may-pops.” It was during one of the “leanest” days of my life and I warned Amber that it would be an exceptionally hot summer drive.

After the service, we were returning home on that hot afternoon when a booming blowout pulled me off the highway. There was not a house in sight --- cell phones not yet invented --- and I didn’t have a spare tire. I was not only concerned about a tire, but was especially worried about how Amber was going to do in the hot sun. As I stood at the roadside thumbing a ride, Amber called out, “Look, Daddy,” and as she held a bouquet of flowers in her hand, smiled, “Aren’t they beautiful!”

I have thought of that day many times since then. We all experience stressful blow-outs during our lives, and when we do, we often don’t see the flowers growing along the roadside. It would be good if we’d forget our problem for a moment and pick some of these beautiful flowers…

... just like Amber did.

March 2, 2023 - Let’s be honest. We all enjoy a compliment from time to time. However, we like to hear genuine compliments and not flattery or exaggeration. When Jesus lived on this earth, and when he complimented someone, you can be sure it was sincere. It was not superficial. It had nothing to do with their clothing or style. It had to do with their heart and character.

When Jesus was first introduced to Nathaniel he said, “behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile” (John 1:47) When Jesus spoke of John the Baptist, he said that among those born of women, there was not greater than John (Luke 7:28). When Mary anointed Jesus with the costly ointment, Jesus said that wherever the gospel would be preached, that would be spoken of as a memorial to her.

Some day, when our forms have been bended low and we cross the great divide into eternity, I want to hear a compliment from the lips of Jesus. I want to hear Him say, “well done, thou good and faithful servant”. However, if we want to hear those words from the lips of Jesus, we must live our lives his way, doing his will, keeping his commandments. If we live life His way, we will someday hear those words. Conversely, if we fail to life His way, we will hear him say depart from me. The choice to make is ours.

It’s something to think about... tbp

Join Us for Worship this coming Lord’s Day at Center Church of Christ or online at www.centerchurchofchrist.com

March 2, 2023 (Calendar) - Wallace Chapel Baptist Church 2023 Annual Programs and Dates

  • March 12 - Pastor and Wife's Appreciation - Sunday, 3pm (Guest speaker is Bishop Lionel Shepherd of Houston, Texas)
  • April 2 - Family and Friends Day - Sunday, 2:30pm
  • July 2 - Homecoming - Sunday, 12:30pm
  • July 5 - Annual Revival - Monday night, 7:30pm
  • July 6 - Annual Revival - Tuesday night, 7:30pm
  • July 7 - Annual Revival - Wednesday night, 7:30pm
  • September 3 - Church Anniversary - Sunday, 3pm

Wallace Chapel Baptist Church is located at 108 South Marcus Street Timpson, Texas, 75975. Rev. Derrick Rhodes, Pastor, and Sister Shaneeta Rhodes, First Lady.

"And we know that all thinks work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose," Romans 8:28.

March 6, 2023 - 27th Annual Joy Seekers Conference – Let’s Bloom Together! The 27th Annual Joy Seekers Conference for Women will be held Saturday, March 18, 2023 at the Family Life Center of the First Baptist Church of Center, Texas. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. The Conference begins at 9:00 a.m. and runs through 1:00 p.m. Lunch is included.

The Speaker will be Debbie Stuart. She has served in Women’s Ministry for over 28 years. She has a God-given passion to draw women into the Word of God and equip them to become powerful influences in their families and communities. It is her utmost desire to motivate women toward a deeper and more meaningful relationship with the One who loves them most. Debbie is currently serving as Minister to Women at Green Acres Baptist Church, Tyler. There is no fee, but donations will be gratefully accepted. Register online at fbccenter.org or call the church office at 936-598-5605.

March 1, 2023 - Bright Morning Star Baptist Church is hosting an Anniversary Celebration honoring Pastor and First Lady Anthony Jackson at a 2:30pm on Sunday, March 12. Special guest is True Vine Baptist Church, San Augustine, Texas and Sylvan Clark, Pastor. Bright Morning Star Baptist Church is located at 623 Martin Luther King, Center, Texas 75935.

February 14, 2023 - The Jackson Missionary Baptist Church is inviting men to join together Tuesday nights at 6:00 pm for men’s Bible Study. The meeting will be held at the Church’s Fellowship Hall, as we learn the meaning of being a warrior. We encourage men to join our study in order to enhance your skills as a soldier of the cross, grow stronger in brotherhood, and in our walk with Jesus. 

Be a “Warrior for Christ” - Ephesians 6:10-13

Jackson Missionary Baptist Church is located at 11120 SH 7, Joaquin, Texas 75954.

February 27, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Monday, February 27.

On this day, ten years ago, Texas lost a favorite son. Van Cliburn was one of the greatest pianists of the modern era, and easily the most famous. In 1958, at the tender age of 23, and at the heart of the Cold War, he won an international piano competition in Moscow. The tall, lanky Texan became the toast of Russia and a worldwide celebrity.

And he wasn't even a Texan! Van Cliburn was born in Shreveport, Louisiana to an oilman father and a concert pianist mother. His family soon moved to Kilgore, Texas and Van (at the age of three) began to take piano lessons. His fame made him a citizen of the world, but as an adult, he made his home in Fort Worth.

Van Cliburn was a longtime member of the Broadway Baptist Church, which was often the venue for concerts presented by Fort Worth's Southwestern Baptist Seminary. I was singing in one of those concerts, as a seminary student, in 1987. A buzz began backstage . . . Van Cliburn was in the audience! To use a basketball metaphor, it was like standing at the free throw line and seeing Michael Jordan sitting in the stands.

After the concert I got to meet the maestro and he was very gracious. I'll never forget shaking his hand.  I've always thought that my hands were larger than average, but when we shook, Cliburn's hand swallowed mine up. I can manage the stretch of a 10th on the keyboard, that's two steps past an octave - pretty good. Van Cliburn could play a 13th - freakish! Next time you see a piano keyboard, start at middle C and take 13 steps. You'll be amazed.

An amazing talent, an amazing career, an amazing life. And a man that had been gifted by God with hands that were perfectly designed for the purpose he was born for. God made you unique, as well.  And He made you for a unique purpose. Life is all about finding that purpose and embracing it.

Meet you back here tomorrow,

Bro. David
dmathis@fbccenter.org

Tim PerkinsFebruary 22, 2023 - Most of us have our bad days. On those days, our every act, our every thought, our every spoken sentence seems to have “but,” a “can’t” a “don’t” or such like. On those days, we are at our worst. We fret about our health and our circumstances and we pity ourselves to the very verge of tears.

But what do we get out of it? Well, we get misery and worry. By compounding every problem and considering every obstacle, we make matters worse than they are. So, why do we beat ourselves up when we get “down in the dumps?” Because we momentarily lose our perspective. We magnify things out of proportion so that they overwhelm us and upset us.

Yet, we can quickly get rid of negative thoughts. We must switch our will power to the positive current. Once we do, we will notice an improvement almost immediately. One by one, count your blessings in health, wealth, home, family and other areas of life. Think about all the things that are right in your life instead of all those things that are wrong. It is just as easy to be constructive and positive as it is to be destructive and negative.

So, the next time you are “down in the dumps” and having a bad day, do something about it! Take a walk, chat with a neighbor or undertake a worthwhile project. Before you know it, the weight of the world will be lifted from your shoulders.

It’s something to think about... tbp

Join us for worship this coming Lord’s Day at Center Church of Christ or online at www.centerchurchofchrist.com.

February 21, 2023 - Northside Church of Christ in Center is welcoming guest speaker Brady Cook of Greenville, Texas for a Gospel Meeting February 26 through March 2.

Big Lessons from little verses:

  • Sunday, 9:30am - What is Truth?
  • Sunday, 10:30am - I Have Learned to be Content
  • Monday, 7pm - Jesus Wept
  • Tuesday, 7pm - His Commandments Are Not Burdensome
  • Wednesday, 5:30pm - And Looking Up His Eyes (*Earlier start time)
  • Thursday, 7pm - For God So Loved the World

Northside Church of Christ is located at 192 Highway 96 North, Center, Texas 75935. For more information, contact Nathan Cox, minister at 936-332-1091 or visit online at northsidechurchincenter.com or Facebook @northsidechurchofchristcentertx.

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