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Contributing Writers: David Mathis | Tim Perkins
Past Contributing Writers: Mike Mills, Spring Hill Church | Doug Fincher | Pastor Randy and Sue Smith | Mike Belgard
Faith
August 11, 2025 - Good Morning! It’s Monday, August 11.
I’ve recently taken up a new hobby. I grew up in a home where the practice of memorization was highly prized. My father spent his life “hiding” the Word of God in his heart, and encouraged his children to pursue that calling. Over the last half century I’ve been blessed to have had that opportunity.
But this past May I began a different focus. I began memorizing poems. That was a practice encouraged by my elementary school teachers, but one that I had set aside for over 50 years. It has been a blessing to set aside about an hour a day for this new pursuit. I average about 3 poems a week. The shortest so far - just one verse - is by Edna St. Vincent Millay. You’ve probably heard it ...
My candle burns at both ends / it will not last the night
But ah my foes and oh my friends / it gives a lovely light!
The longest, coincidentally also by Millay, is called “The Ballad of the Harp Weaver”. It won her the Pulitzer Prize in 1920, and clocks in at 30 verses. That one took me the better part of a week to conquer. My latest is another long poem - “Casey at the Bat”. It’s a fun one! I’ve memorized works by famous poets like Robert Frost and Carl Sandburg and Emily Dickinson, classics by Longfellow and Wordsworth and Shakespeare, and some modern poets too. But their modern style of “free verse” is more challenging for me to memorize. I prefer the regular rhythm of rhyme.
Rhyme isn’t a part of biblical poetry. The great poems in Psalms make use of a different style, a different tool - parallelism. While Shakespeare rhymed words - King David rhymed ideas. Time and time again we observe him, and other psalmists, repeating ideas, repeating phrases, but with slight alterations each time. Psalm 95 is a good example . . .
O come, let us sing unto the Lord / Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving / and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms
For the Lord is a great God / and a great King above all gods
In His hand are the deep places of the earth / the strength of the hills is His also
The sea is His and He made it / and His hands formed the dry land
O come, let us worship and bow down / Let us kneel before the Lord our maker
Psalm 95 is my memory poem for today.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
David
cindertex50@yahoo.com
August 7, 2025 - I was cooking my oatmeal the other morning, and before you could say, “how did it happen,” it had! I didn’t turn the heat down on the stove and my oatmeal boiled over. Now, let’s be honest, any good cook turns the heat down when the pot begins to boil. There is nothing good accomplished by uncontrolled boiling. The food in the pot sticks to the pan and burns or bubbles over the side and is lost.
In case you wonder where this is going, here it is. Some of us are better cooks than we are Christians. We are smart enough to keep our food from burning and boiling over. However, we have not yet learned how to control the boiling in our spirits. Too often, we allow old hurts, resentments, jealousies and hatreds to burn high inside us until they boil over and make a mess of everything.
A good cook learns to turn down the heat and keep the cooking under control. Doing this, all the goodness and flavor is preserved and there isn’t a pot to be scrubbed and soaked to get the burned food out of it. Maybe it’s time we learned to turn down the heat on the things that trouble us. Maybe we need to remember the words of the Psalmist, “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalms 46:10) Pause this week, turn down the heat, and reflect on the goodness of God.
It’s something to think about... tbp
Come join us for worship at Center Church of Christ or online at www.centerchurchofchrist.com.
August 6, 2025 - Strong Triumph Church honored Elder FayeDell and Bro. Adrian Allen with a Shepherd and First Gentleman Appreciation on Saturday, August 2, 2025.
The Allens shared, "We would like to thank everyone for coming and sharing with us. We thank everyone for the many gifts, beautiful decorations and a bless delicious meal. We ask God to continue to bless you and yours."
August 5, 2025 - Abundant Love Ministries will host our Annual Back-To-School Revival, Thursday - Sunday, August 7th - 10th. Service times are Thursday and Friday at 7pm; Saturday at 12 noon; and Sunday morning at 10am. The dynamic Pastor John Russell of Calvary Tabernacle, Alexandria, LA is our guest revivalist. You are both welcome and invited.
Abundant Love Ministries is located at 1426 Shelbyville Street, Center, TX 75935.
August 4, 2025 - Pleasant Grove Baptist Church of Tenaha, Texas is hosting it annual Revival on August 14-15 and Homecoming on August 17.
On Thursday and Friday, the revival is at 7pm nightly. On Sunday, the Homecoming service is at 1pm.
Evangelist is Pastor David P. Mitchell with Old Zion Baptist Church, Grand Cane, Louisiana and host Pastor is Pastor Johnny R. Jones.
August 4, 2025 - New Prospect Missionary Baptist Church in Timpson, Texas will be celebrating Homecoming on Sunday, August 17, 2025 at 1pm. Pastor Mario Osby, Smith Chapel Baptist Church will bring the message. Everyone is cordially invited to attend this special occasion.
New Prospect Missionary Baptist Church will also have a one-night revival on Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at 7pm. Pastor Daniel Holman, New Jerusalem Baptist Church, Geneva Texas will bring the message.
Rev. Rayford Caraway, Pastor
Sis. Janice Garrett, Program Committee
Sis. Mary Criner, Program Committee
August 4, 2025 - Mt. Gillion Baptist Church in Center, Texas will be celebrating Homecoming on Sunday, August 10, 2025 at 12 noon. Pastor Clifford Ray Morris, River of Jordan Church in Houston Texas will bring the message. Everyone is Cordially invited to attend this special occasion.
Mt. Gillion Baptist Church will also have a one-night revival on Wednesday, August 13, 2025 at 7pm. Bishop Cedric Grace, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, San Augustine Texas will bring the message.
Rev. Rayford Caraway, Pastor
Sis. Sharon Hamilton, Church Clerk
August 4, 2025 - Good Morning! It’s Monday, August 4.
School bells start ringing one week from today in Center, Texas. In other East Texas towns, students are already back in class. But wherever you live, it’s a safe bet that teachers have been back at work for a while. And so this morning we begin “Teacher Week” at the Daily Devotions. Behind every great person is a great teacher. Each day this week we’ll look at a Bible character who was called to greatness by God, and the teacher who helped them get there.
The name Moses is known by people who have never read a word of God’s Word. But few know anything about a man named Jethro. When Moses fled Egypt after killing the Egyptian overseer, he was literally running for his life. He was given refuge by Jethro and ended up living and working with his family for forty years. Jethro saw something in the young man Moses and invested his life in him. Great teachers recognize great potential.
During those forty years, Moses had the opportunity to observe Jethro, a man of wealth and accomplishment, who was also known for his wisdom and integrity. Sometimes the strongest lesson we can teach is the lesson of our lives. Moses came to Jethro as a confused young man and left as a leader. Great teachers are great examples.
After Moses had led the Israelites out of their bondage in Egypt, he struggled to be an effective leader. He was overwhelmed by the needs of his people, by the demands of his calling. Jethro came to him in the wilderness and taught him another lesson, the lesson of delegation. He encouraged Moses to set up a group of aides who would help him in his work. This made all the difference. Great teachers give great advice.
The story of Moses has echoed through the ages. A great man who did great things for a great God. But perhaps none of this would have happened without the efforts of Jethro, his great teacher.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
David
cindertex50@yahoo.com
July 31, 2025 - When Paul writes II Timothy, he is an aged soldier of the cross. He is facing death and writes this letter to young Timothy, his son in the gospel. In chapter 1 and verse 12 he writes a beautiful passage when he says, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him.” It is a touching and inspiring picture.
Paul poses himself as one possessing something of untold value which is in danger of being lost. It is something that he alone cannot protect, yet he has found in Jesus Christ a safe protector. That possession is his soul, something more valuable than any wealth. It is undying and immortal.
Paul was well acquainted with Jesus. He had seen him personally on the road to Damascus. He had known Jesus through years of prayer and providence. Yet, we may also know Jesus through the experience of the Bible carefully studied and through our own time of prayer and beholding his presence in our own lives.
May we reflect carefully upon the value of our soul and the certainty of judgment. We know that if we commit our lives to Christ and live his kind of life, the faith that sustained Paul and inspired Timothy will see us safely to victory also.
It’s something to think about. . . tbp
Come join us for worship at Center Church of Christ
www.centerchurchofchrist.com.
July 30, 2025 - Mt. Zion CME Church is Celebrating 148 years with their 2025 Homecoming Celebration on Sunday, August 3, 2025 at 3pm with Pastor, Marlin Cloudy Sr., Abundant Love Ministries, Center, Texas as guest speaker.
Three night Revival is Monday-Wednesday, August 4-6, 2025 at 7pm nightly.
- Monday Night - Bishop William Nash, House of Refuge, Center, Texas
- Tuesday Night - Rev. Stanback Morris, Fellowship CME, Keithville, La
- Wednesday Night - Rev. Steve Standley, East Liberty Baptist, Center, Texas
Pastor, Rev. Richard E. Edwards
Chairpersons: Kristi McClelland, Mattie Suell, Dr. Shannon Suber
Mt Zion CME Church is located at 921 Martin Luther King Drive, Center, Texas 75935. The church’s mailing address is P.O Box 1504, Center, Texas.
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