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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
April 30, 2025 - Clever Creek Baptist Church, the Shelby-‘Doches Baptist Association and many other churches and groups in the area are joining together in this special project – A New Day – God’s Way. We are focusing our attention on sharing Jesus as Savior and Lord. Evangelist Larry McFadden from Orlando, Florida is our guest preacher/teacher for these special days – Friday, May 2 through Wednesday, May 7.
Here is the schedule of meetings and those who are responsible for music, testimonies and preaching for the New Day—God’s Way event.
- Friday – May 2, 2025 – Feast, Fellowship and Focusing on Jesus
6pm Feasting on Good Food – Clever Creek Baptist Church – Center, TX
7pm Fellowship and Focusing on Jesus – Worship, Singing, Testifying and Preaching
Barney and Sheran Bryant (Parkway Baptist Church, Carthage, TX) Music
Evangelist Larry McFadden (Orlando, FL) – Sermon and Testimony - Saturday – May 3, 2025 – Fasting, Prayer and Praising Jesus
We will spend today in fasting prayer, seeking God’s guidance, goodness and glorification. - Sunday – May 4, 2025 – Prayer, Bible Study, Worship, Preaching Jesus
Clever Creek Baptist Church – Center, TX
9:30am Prayer
10am Bible Study – Psalm 119 Bro. Robert Horn (adults); Lucyann (youth)
11am Worship – Bro. Robert Horn preaching
Chireno Baptist Church – Chireno, TX
11am Worship – Evangelist Larry McFadden preaching;
Pastor Jerry Hopkins – Testimony
Highways and Hedges Baptist Mission – Garrison, TX
2pm Worship – Evangelist Larry McFadden preaching
Clever Creek Baptist Church – Center, TX
7pm Worship – Evangelist Larry McFadden preaching
Testimonies, Singing, Praising the Lord
Pastor Barney Bryant and wife Sheran leading music/singing - Monday – May 5, 2025 – Rusk-Panola Association Meeting, First Baptist Church, Waskom, TX
6:30pm Food and Fellowship
7pm – Evangelist Larry McFadden preaching
Association Executive Board Meeting following sermon - Tuesday – May 6, 2025 – Clever Creek Baptist Church, Center, TX
7pm Evangelist Larry McFadden preaching
Pastor Barney Bryant and wife Sheran leading music/singing
Testimonies and witnessing - Wednesday – May 7, 2025 – Clever Creek Baptist Church, Center, TX
7pm Evangelist Larry McFadden preaching
The old ways and days are past. We are facing a new day and we need to embrace God’s Word and God’s Way for a new day. We must not try what we have always done, but wait on God, embrace a new way, God’s way, for our day. This is a vision that God would have us embrace that we might see Him work mightily in us and through us.
This project A NEW DAY—GOD’S WAY has been developed by prayerful thought through the work of Pastors Jerry Hopkins, Robert Horn, Tim Rule. John Worley, Ivy Shelton, Barney Bryant, Director of Missions Dr. Gerald Edwards, SBTC Field Strategist John McGuire, BGCT Director Tim Watson and Evangelist Larry McFadden.
April 30, 2025 - Timpson First Baptist Church Youth are having a car wash fundraiser this Saturday, May 3rd from 10am to 2pm. Money raised will be used to send FBC students to church camp. The car wash will be in the parking lot of First Baptist Church, 715 N 2nd Street, Timpson, Texas 75975. Donations only.
April 28, 2025 - The Pleasant Hill Cemetery Homecoming is Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 11am.
As we cherish the memories of our loved ones laid to rest here, we kindly ask for your support in maintaining the beauty and integrity of this cemetery. Your donation will directly contribute to vital upkeep projects, ensuring the lasting dignity of this sacred space.
Send donations to: Pleasant Hill Cemetery, PO Box 91, Shelbyville, TX 75973.
We would also appreciate if you would share this with your families. It is important that future generations be aware of the cemetery and the future needs. We would love to add them to our mailing list.
Chain Anderson: Family lore has it that Jonathan H. Anderson (Chain) was not an upstanding citizen: he was a gambler, womanizer, and probably a thief. And his habit was to ride horses fast! One night a group of men getting even for a woman Chain had done wrong strung a rope across the trail and on his way home fast riding Chain hung himself and broke his neck on the rope. His was the first burial in Pleasant Grove and with his brother's birth date to protect the grave. The only indication that it is Chain's grave is the marker, which has a hand holding a chain with the index finger pointing down, and the initials J. H. His brother, John S, is buried in Pleasant Hill under his brother Chain's name (Jonathan) and CSA service record.
April 28, 2025 - Good Morning! It’s Monday, April 28.
Last Saturday, over a billion people watched the funeral service of Pope Francis. Perhaps you were one of them. I was. Hundreds of thousands lined the streets of Rome. A crowd of a quarter million gathered in St. Peter’s Square. Our president was in that crowd.
I was reminded of another president who came to my hometown of Houston on a Monday in September, 1960. Well, John F. Kennedy was running for president, the election just two short months away. On that autumn morning he spoke to a group of Baptist ministers at the Rice Hotel. My father was in that crowd.
Kennedy’s Catholic faith was a divisive issue. The question of who he would serve - America or the Vatican - was playing a significant part in the campaign. The eloquent speech he gave that day was later sent to over a half million ministers, and played a part in his narrow victory that November. How things have changed. Former President Biden and Vice President Vance are both practicing Catholics, and whatever you may think of these two men politically, their personal religious choices have seldom, if ever, become an issue.
In my Houston neighborhood, growing up, there were two major churches - my dad’s Baptist church and a Catholic church. They were about a mile apart, but the gulf between them, between their congregations, was much, much wider. In my teens I started dating a Catholic girl. There were more than a few conversations about that at my house, let me tell you! A few years later, my Houston college course on religion required me to interview a person of a different faith. I told my dad that I had set up a meeting with the neighborhood priest. I can still remember his look of concern as he gravely instructed me to “be careful over there.”
His concerns - and mine - proved to be unfounded. I received a warm welcome, and the priest patiently fielded the list of questions that I had prepared. As I left, I remember having the distinct impression that, even though there were doctrinal differences between our denominations, his personal faith was not that different from mine. I remember wishing that the Father and my father could just sit together and talk.
Generations later, we still live in a world where people are quick to denounce, and even demonize, those who have different beliefs. A world where people talk about people, talk past people - instead of talking to them, talking with them. Perhaps you’ve had the opportunity for a personal connection with someone from a different faith, a different ethnic group, a different political party. Invariably, once we see someone as a person, and not an ideology, we gain a fresh perspective.
Sometimes we need to just sit together and talk.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
David
cindertex50@yahoo.com
April 24, 2025 - Jesus didn’t quit assembling with the disciples because Judas was a hypocrite, or because Peter was always “buttin’ in.” Nor did he quit because James and John “flew off the handle” occasionally. His interest in these men was not lessened because they were envious and jealous of each other at times. He did not quit teaching the high standard of life because some of his close associates failed miserably to live as they should. He did not refuse to teach others because they were unkind and unbelieving.
Jesus did not quit as a leader because some could not see “eye to eye” with him and criticized him to his back. He did not cease to teach good morals just because he associated with an adulterous woman, an unscrupulous business man or demon worshippers. When he didn’t get everything his way he didn’t stop praying nor did he give up the fight because all his disciples fled from him when there was danger.
Instead, he chose a course of right and was sure it was right and let nothing stop his development and accomplishments for God. He drank the bitter cup of betrayal, crucifixion, death and burial. But he didn’t quit there. He came from the grave to be the ruler of the universe.
When we feel like quitting or taking off, we must remember Christ and Him crucified. That will keep us at our post of duty.
It’s something to think about... tbp
Come join us for worship at Center Church of Christ or online at www.centerchurchofchrist.com
April 24, 2025 - Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church will host their 86th annual Homecoming service April 27, 2025. Service begins at 10:30am. Lunch and fellowship to follow.
Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church is located at 2271 FM 139 Joaquin, Texas.
April 22, 2025 - The historical Old Sardis Cemetery of San Augustine County will hold its annual homecoming with dinner on the grounds on Sunday, May 4, 2025 starting around 11am. The association business meeting will be held at this time.
We welcome all to bring a covered dish and join us for a time of visiting and reminiscing about days gone by. As always donations are appreciated for the maintenance and upkeep of the cemetery.
Many pioneering families of Shelby and San Augustine counties are represented in this cemetery, for which a Texas historical marker was dedicated in June of 2018.
Hope to see you there!
Directions to Old Sardis Cemetery of San Augustine County: From Aiken, Hwy. 7, in Shelby County, take CR 1210 south for 4.5 miles to a four-way intersection of Rocky Mountain Road and Spring Ridge Road (CR 245N). Proceed straight on Spring Ridge Road for .4 miles, cemetery is on the left.
April 21, 2025 - The 'It's Tea Time' event has been rescheduled to Saturday, June 14, 2025.
April 10, 2025 - The Shelbyville District Women Department hosting 'It's Tea Time' on Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 3pm at 138 College Street, Tenaha, Texas 75974. The events theme is Sister Sister! "I am my Sister Keeper" ~ Ecclesiastes 4:9-10.
Speakers are District Missionary Pamela McClain, Mt. Enterprise District, and District Missionary Dorothea Robinson, Lufkin District.
District Superintendent is Freman Bryan.
District Missionary is Phyllis Thompson.
April 21, 2025 - The Antioch Cemetery Annual Homecoming will be Sunday, May 4, 2025. Please join the cemetery committee at Antioch Baptist Church, 1645 FM 2608, Center, Texas, at 11:00 a.m. where families represented and loved ones who have recently passed will be remembered. After old-time hymns and a message, a cemetery business meeting will be held before dismissing for dinner-on-the-grounds at 12:00 noon. Bring a lawn chair and a covered dish and join us as we enjoy food and fellowship outside under the trees by the church.
Donations for cemetery upkeep will be accepted during the homecoming. If you are unable to attend, please mail donations to: Antioch Cemetery; 145 CR 3129; Center, TX 75935. Annual donations have decreased in the past years; therefore, please plan your donation now to help meet expenses for the care of Antioch Cemetery.
April 21, 2025 - Revival at Old Home Baptist Church is Friday through Sunday, April 25th - April 27th. Bro Jon Collins will be bringing the message each night at 7pm and at 11am on Sunday. Pizza Party Friday night at 6pm and Corn Dogs Saturday night at 6pm before services. Everyone welcome to come out and join us.
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