Shelby County Today

June 21, 2016 - Blount Chapel Baptist Church presents Pre-Musical Evening of Songs Pastor Byron Coutee, Jr. and Sis. Larissa Coutee 2nd Annual Pastor Anniversary Saturday, July 9, 2016 at 6pm.

Hosted by Blount Chapel Baptist Church and Bro. Timothy Garrett.

We would like to invite your church, choir, praise team, soloist etc. to come out and join us for an evening of praise and worship in songs with the Lord. We are asking that each guest render an A&B selection.

We will be so grateful for you to come out and celebrate with us our pastor and wife pre-appreciation celebration!

Thank you to everyone in advance that will be able to fellowship with us on this glorious day as we lift up the Lord and honor a shepherd after God's own heart!

Contact person: Sis. Carolyn Hinson 936-591-2497; Bro. Timothy Garrett 936-572-7091

June 20, 2016 - Sunday was the 5th Sunday after Pentecost.  It is also the third Sunday in June so our nation celebrated Father’s Day.  If you read Ephesians 6: 4 in The Message, it says “Fathers, don’t exasperate your children by coming down hard on them.  Take them by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master.”  The role of the Father has gone through many changes in the last few generations.  Most women work outside the home, and the care of hearth and home is shared in most families.  The most important and difficult job fathers have is raising the kids.  It is a two-person job and more—actually, it does take a whole village to raise a child. 
            
Our attendance was small for both Sunday school and church.  We a visitor this morning, and when I got to church I walked right past the visitor without saying hello.  Gene, though, noticed the friendly visiting snake coming up the ramp toward the front door.  Ay yi yi!
The scripture for Sunday school came from Zephaniah.  The prophet, like all the Old Testament prophets, saw hope and reconciliation with God and with each other.  The entire Old Testament is about covenant making and covenant breaking. 
            
Sue and I missed last Sunday.  We had gone north for the Rinas family reunion in Chicago.  We had a good time visiting with cousins and their children, grandchildren, and yes, great-grandchildren.  My mother died this past February, and only two of the ten siblings are left.  Both Ray and Aggie came, and it was great to see them.
            
On Sunday I decided to go out of the way to visit Villisca, Iowa.  It is the town where my father grew up and my Smith grandparents are buried.  However, I am very challenged when it comes to maps and directions.  Going to Villisca took over six hours!  We stayed in Shenandoah near Villisca, which is the home of the Everly Brothers.  The next morning we headed south toward home. 
            
This coming week we have two ministries.  On Tuesday, June 21st we are going to Holiday Nursing Center, and on Thursday, June 23rd will be our ministry at Lakeside Assisted Living.               
             
“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 9:15 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. God’s Speed!

June 17, 2016 - Jesus was traveling from Judea, heading back to the land of Galilee from where He had first come. 

The Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making more disciples than John the Baptist. They were concerned that Jesus was baptizing or converting more people than had John and were becoming more intent on stopping Him and His followers. 

Jesus did not Baptize His disciples did all of that, as Jesus spent His time teaching the gospel, which was first called; "the way".

As He makes His way from Judea back to Galilee He must travel through the lands of Samaria. "Now Jacob's well was there, Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour." (John 4:6)

A single verse of scripture. It seems so simple but tells us much. It is during the time while He is in Samaria that about noon that day He finds and stops for rest at what is known as Jacob's Well. This is in the area where both Jacob and Joseph and many of their family are buried and Jesus sat by this well to rest and drink from its cooling water. 

As He sat and took rest a Samaritan woman from the nearby town of Sychar walked down to the well to draw water. As she drew water Jesus asked her for a drink.

We see from this scripture that the Lord, as He was in His physical body, grew thirsty, as He also did upon the cross when he said; "I thirst". (John 19:28)

Isn't it ironic that the One who is the "Living Water of Life" could actually thirst for earthly water.

Normally, Jews would not associate with Samaritans and looked down on them as being inferior people but we know that Jesus was definitely not "normal". He was totally focused on teaching and converting everyone, both Jew and Gentile to what we now call Christianity. He saw this as an opportunity, not for a drink of water, but as a chance to introduce another person to Himself and to salvation and He spoke to the woman-at-the-well of the "living water" that which when one drinks of it shall never thirst again. 

Jesus may have gotten physically weary but he never became weary of His work. He came to seek and to save those who were lost and He never tired of that work. 

He spent His entire human life doing good, never denying anyone who was in need, never doing any wrong. 

He never closed His eyes to humanity's needs, He ever failed to speak peace to troubled hearts. 

He was touched by man's infirmities and during His human life He endured all of the temptations and troubles that we are faced with during our lives.

Even though he is now seated at the right hand of the Father, He is still watching over His disciples as they minister in His name, for his sake, and for His glory. 

I pray He is watching over you as well today. If, you have accepted Him as Lord and Savior then He is doing so, if you haven't accepted Him; then it's time. Salvation is free, all you must do is accept Jesus Christ in your heart and confess Him as Lord with your mouth to be saved, do it today...

June 16, 2016 - East Hamilton Missionary Baptist Church locaterd at FM 2261 Shelbyville, TX, regretfully announces that Revival scheduled to be held June 20th through the 24th has been cancelled and will be rescheduled at a later date.