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Contributing Writers: Mike Mills, Spring Hill Church | Doug Fincher | Pastor Randy and Sue Smith | Mike Belgard | Tim Perkins
Faith
July 14, 2022 - Local pianist extraordinaire Tim Verner will present a program at the Golden Harvest Senior Club Luncheon, Monday, July 18, 11:30 at First Baptist Center, 117 Cora. This community club meets to greet and eat every third Monday of the month. Lunch is free and any senior adult is welcome. Contact David Mathis at 979-533-1575 for more information.
July 11, 2022 - Harmonia Baptist Church and Pastor Bryan Gates Presents 1st Pastoral Anniversary. Hosted by University Baptist Church(UBC) and Pastor Travis Hayman, 2505 N. St. Nacogdoches, TX 75965.
Speakers:
Bishop Cedrick Grace at UBC - July 22nd at 7pm
Evangelist Alva W. Taylor at UBC - July 23rd at 7pm
Pastor Mario Osby at UBC - July 24rd at 3pm
Pastor Varrick Butler at Harmonia - July 24th at 11am
July 12, 2022 - Homecoming July 24th, 2022 !!! and 3-Day Revival!!! July 25th, 26th, and 27th, 2022
Sunday, July 24th, 2022 our Annual Homecoming Celebration begins at 12 PM with Rev. R. Kirkendoll, Pastor of St Luke Baptist Church, Logansport, LA as our guest speaker. St Paul Missionary Baptist Church 617 Hopkins St, Center, TX and Rev. Dr. Freddie D. Wilson, Pastor is inviting all friends, family, and guests and expecting all members and former members from surrounding areas and other cities to join us in this joyous celebration and exciting 3-day revival.
The celebration continues with a soul stirring 3-day revival with 3 dynamic and powerful speakers you won’t want to miss.
July 25th @7PM—Rev. A. Douglas, Pastor of Evergreen Baptist Church, Shreveport, LA
July 26th @7PM— Rev. T. Teel, Pastor of Bell Chapel Baptist Church, San Augustine, TX
July 27th @7PM—Rev. A. Horton, Pastor of Reed Chapel Baptist Church , San Augustine, TX
July 11, 2022 - Pleasant Grove MBC will have their Revival the week of July 18 – July 22. Please come and worship with us! We would love to have you come. We would also love to hear a special if you have one. Service begins at 7:00 pm each night. The evangelists are Bro. Kevin Windham, Bro. Billy Windham, and Bro. BJ Windham. For more information, please contact Pastor Josh Crawford. You can find him on Facebook or call him at 936-572-5303. Hope to see you there! God Bless you all!
July 11, 2022 - Good Morning! It’s Monday, July 11.
What’s the middle verse of the Bible? Well, that depends on which translation you use. Did you realize that there are variations in chapters and verses between the different versions of the Word? The King James Version (good enough for Jesus, good enough for me!) has 31,102 verses. Since this is an even number, there is no center verse. But the center pair of verses is Psalm 103:1-2.
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”
Chapters and verses, of course, weren’t arranged until many centuries after the Bible was written. So, there’s no particular spiritual significance to the position of this passage. But, perhaps, there is meaning in the fact that, at the "center" of the Word, there is a passage of praise.
Let us make praise a priority. Let us put praise at the center of our hearts.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
Bro. David
dmathis@fbccenter.org
July 11, 2022 - Grace and peace from our brother and our teacher, Jesus. Amen. I didn’t have an article or newsletter last week, as my little dog Sam and I went to see family in Dallas. I stayed with my daughter, and my son drove down from Denton. He took home a car full of stuff from his growing up. I don’t know how he did it, but he got all the bags, boxes, and tubs in his car. The three of us had a nice dinner together in between. I didn’t get to see my brother Kent and sister-in-law Mary: They both had mild cases of Covid, with Mary quarantined at home and my brother (a lung transplant patient) in the hospital. Both are better; Thursday Kent got to come home, where he will isolate for awhile longer. Cases of Covid are really starting to spike again. The best protection is to get vaccinated and wear a mask.
On July 3, we celebrated Independence Day by saying the Pledge of Allegiance and singing the National Anthem for the Gathering Words. Our hymns were “America” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” With Communion also that Sunday, our bulletin was full, leaving no room for quotes.
In July, we are collecting cans of spaghetti and ravioli for Community Christian Services. Last month I delivered paper towels and toilet paper to CCS. As always it was really nice seeing old friends about the work of helping others. The downtown Blessing Box has been full of cantaloupe and vegetables, along with the usual cans, jars, and boxes. Next to it, the little library on the square has had many customers taking and leaving books.
We had a very special guest at Sunday School and worship this morning: Gene and Joy’s niece Debbie visiting from Maryland. Our Sunday School lesson was about Philip and the Ethiopian from Acts 6: 26-39. Phillip is guided to the carriage carrying a well-to-do and important official. This man had been to Jerusalem, studying the Jewish scriptures. Philip explains scripture to him and then tells him the story of Jesus. The man is baptized right there by Philip and then, as suddenly he appeared, he was gone. Our author thinks that Philip being guided by the Spirit to the carriage was a “divine interruption.”
We began Sunday’s service with Gathering Words based on Psalm 82. We used once again the 21st Century Affirmation to declare our faith. The two songs were “O How I Love Jesus” and “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” both well-known to our congregation. Just based on the chosen hymns, you can probably get the idea of the theme for my sermon.
The scripture reading was Luke 10: 25-37, about the Good Samaritan, Jesus’ most famous parable. Every time I read this lesson I learn new things. We all know the story of the injured man on the road who was left for dead. Rather than help, two very privileged Jewish men, guardians of the law, walked on the other side of the road, ignoring the injured man. It was a Samaritan, of people hated by many Jewish folks, who stopped and showed compassion.
Jesus used a most controversial and unusual person for the hero—the person who demonstrates the essentials of our faith. We are to love God and our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus makes it very clear that we are all neighbors worthy to be treated with dignity and respect, as valuable a lesson today as it was back in the first century. No matter the time period, there are “Samaritans” in our lives; Jesus doesn’t give us a pass but expects kindness of us toward all.
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.” 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.
July 7, 2022 - Pleasant Grove MBC would like to thank everyone who purchased a raffle ticket to help send our youth to Church Camp! The camp was absolutely amazing! No one wanted to leave! I want to send a special thanks to sponsors as well.
The Sponsors were: Shofner’s Washateria, 3 P’s Pressure Washing, Hughes Florist, Zack’s Tint Shop, Heather Chambliss, and Automotive Collision Specialist.
Thank you all for making this happen for our kids. Without you, this wouldn't have been possible. God bless you all.
July 7, 2022 - Imagine visiting in a home and having the opportunity to get to know the family that lives there. Then, you do not see them for a year or so and then go back for another visit. This time you notice one of the children is not there when it’s time for dinner and everyone is around the table.
So, you ask, “Didn’t you have a little boy named Billy when I was here before? I haven’t seen him tonight. Where is he?”
The family members exchange glances and look a bit puzzled. You start to doubt yourself and think you are mistaken. Then one of the family members says, “Oh, yes, now I remember Billy. But, you know, we don’t know what happened to him. We haven’t seen him for several months now. He seemed like a nice boy too.” The rest of the family smiles and nods and yes, they remember Billy too. They speak pleasantly and kindly of Billy, but no one can remember seeing him for a long time and no one knows why he left.
You know, in God’s family, this scene is replayed over and over in congregations all over our land. There are brothers and sisters who have not been seen around the Lord’s table in months or even years. Wonder how God feels about that? So, maybe, just maybe, if you at some point left God’s family table, it’s time to “come to yourself” as did the prodigal son in Luke chapter 15 and make your way home.
It’s something to think about. . . tbp
Join Us for Worship this coming Lord’s Day Center Church of Christ or online at www.centerchurchofchrist.com
July 5, 2022 - Good Morning! It’s Tuesday, July 5.
Yesterday we enjoyed the 4th of July (7/4). Today we continue our summer with July 5th (7/5). And so, this morning I’m thinking about an amazing pair of scripture verses, Matthew 7:4 and 7:5. You’ve heard them before...
How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye', when all the time there's a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
The 7th chapter of Matthew is the last part of the most famous sermon ever preached - the Sermon on the Mount. And here we catch a glimpse of Jesus' sense of humor. A picture of someone trying to remove a tiny, tiny piece of dust from their friend's eye, while sticking out of their own eye is a two-by-four!
But there's a great lesson here, too. And that lesson is this - We're not God! He is the Judge, not us. Does that mean we shouldn't care about the spiritual condition of our friends? Of course not. But how can we presume to help others with their sin, if we've ignored our own?
A 7:5 lesson for 7/5!
Meet you back here tomorrow,
Bro. David
dmathis@fbccenter.org
July 4, 2022 - Mt. Olive Baptist Church is hosting a Family and Friends Celebration on Sunday, July 10, 2022 at 2:30pm and Bro Victor Frankin will bring the Word from above.
Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Timpson, Texas
Pastor Carlos A. Johnson
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