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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
July 3, 2023 - Hear ye, hear ye! Calling all kids! You're cordially invited to Vacation Bible School at Lydia Missionary Baptist Church on FM 139 in Huxley, Texas July 9th-12th from 6:00pm to 8:30pm. Dinner served each night.
Don't forget to bring your friends!
Pre-register to be guaranteed a shirt! - https://lydiambc.org/vbs-2021-registration/
We are engaged in an epic battle for the hearts and minds of our youth. Every day, they are bombarded with lies about who they are, who their Creator is, and where their salvation comes from.
Thankfully, God has given his children armor to wear in this battle between truth and lies, light and darkness, good and evil.
Kids at this VBS learn how they can be part of God’s kingdom through salvation in his Son and will be equipped with the armor of God to become Keepers of the Kingdom who stand strong in today’s battle for truth.
For more information call 936-368-2462.
July 3, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Monday, July 3. On this Independence Day Eve, some random thoughts.
What‘s the legacy of our Founding Fathers? What’s our legacy today? What is America’s greatest gift to the world? Our country, of course, is many things to many people. We’ve been called the World’s Breadbasket. Our “amber waves of grain” have fed hungry people across the earth.
We’ve been called the World’s Policeman, providing peace and protection around the globe. New York City is, arguably, the financial capital of the planet and Hollywood, its center of entertainment.
But as great and wonderful as all that is, is there something more? I believe there is. And it is wrapped up in a single word. The word freedom. Tomorrow we’ll honor the words Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1776. Four score and seven years later Abraham Lincoln stood in honor of the fallen, and said, “this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom”. And in 1961, a young president spoke these words for the ages -
“In the long history of the world only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to that endeavor will light our country and all who serve it - and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.”
The words of John F. Kennedy still ring deeply within our American hearts, as we dedicate our lives anew to the pursuit of liberty and justice for all, as we continue to carry... the light of freedom.
Here’s wishing you and yours a wonderful 4th of July!
Meet you back here on Wednesday,
Bro. David
dmathis@fbccenter.org
June 29, 2023 - All are welcome to Wallace Chapel Baptist Church Annual "Homecoming Revival," Sunday, July 2, 2023, starting at 12:30pm.
Theme: "Ain't No Place Like Home," Luke 15:11-24.
Speaker is Reverend Charleston Johnson, First Smyrna United Missionary Baptist Church of Timpson, Texas.
Revival services will be 7pm nightly Wednesday, July 5; Thursday, July 6; and Friday, July 7. Evangelist is Bishop Cedrick O'Keith Grace, Sr. from Mount Zion Baptist Church, San Augustine, Texas.
Wallace Chapel Baptist Church is located at 109 South Marcus Street in Timpson. Reverend Derrick Rhodes, Pastor; Sister LaQuista Garrett, Secretary.
June 29, 2023 - During the middle part of the 20th century, one of the most popular religious writers was Norman Vincent Peale. He was most famous for his book, “The Power of Positive Thinking.” Many today would not recognize his name, however, they would recognize the names of Max Lucado, Joel Osteen, John McArthur, Charles Swindoll and others.
The books written by these writers are quite popular and widely read. Yet, I remember reading the advice that an old preacher one time gave a young preacher when he said, “be careful young man that you don’t find yourself some day reading more and more books about the Bible and reading the Bible less and less.”
I wonder how much of that is going on in our world today. How many people are reading more and more of the writings of popular religious authors and reading less and less of the Bible.
Perhaps we should give consideration to spending more time in the reading of the word of God. How much time do we spend in reading the Bible? We might say we don’t have time to read the Bible, and yet that is just one more of the many excuses we offer for not living God’s kind of life. Friends, we find the time to do almost everything we really want to do. If we don’t have time to spend in reading God’s word, it’s because we really do not have the desire to spend time studying the Bible.
When we offer some lame excuse for not reading and studying God’s word, do we really think God is buying what we are selling?
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.
June 27, 2023 - Old Home Baptist Church will be hosting the Old Home Day Sunday, July 9th at 11am. We will have special music, sermon by Pastor Hollis Bass and covered dish lunch following.
The Cemetery Meeting will be on Saturday, July 8th at 2:00 PM at the church. This meeting will be open to the public. For further details, call or text 936-332-9293. We hope to see you there!
June 26, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Monday, June 26.
Today's devotion is all about 3:16. There are 49 "3:16" verses in the Bible. Bu there are 66 books in the Bible, so why aren't there 66? Well, some books, like Psalms, have a 3rd chapter with less than 16 verses, and other books, like Jude, don't have a 3rd chapter at all.
Here are a few notable "3:16s" . . .
- Matthew - When Jesus had been baptized, as He came up from the water, suddenly the heavens opened and the Spirit of God descended like a dove and alighted on Him.
- I Corinthians - Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?
- Colossians - Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.
- 2 Timothy - All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.
- I John - We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.
Having shared these random, single verses today, I must admit that I prefer to study God's Word "in context". Looking at each verse in the context of the verses that come before and after, in the context of the entire book - its writer, it's intended readers, the time and history and culture of its writing.
But, then again, there are some verses that seem to... stand alone.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
Bro. David
dmahis@fbccenter.org
June 22, 2023 - Just for a moment, ponder the message of the following passages of scripture.
Matthew 12:36-37; “But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”
Ephesians 4:29-30; “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
By our words we express our ideas and thoughts. With words we can hurt, discourage, anger, stir up strife and crush the spirits of those around us. Conversely, we can cheer, enlighten, encourage, uplift and calm others by our words also.
We can speak a language that is pure and pleasing in the sight of God and unquestionable in the sight of men, or we can corrupt that language until it damns our soul. Stop and think!
Do my words justify or condemn me? Is my speech pure and clean or is it distasteful in the sight of God and man? Let us strive to speak in a manner that is becoming to Christians and uplifting to those we associate with daily.
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
June 19, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Monday, June 19.
Today is a federal holiday that celebrates freedom. Growing up in Texas, I've always known about "Juneteenth." On this day in 1865 in Galveston, a general named Granger read the Emancipation Declaration. President Lincoln had declared freedom for the slaves two and a half years earlier, but news traveled slowly back then.
Juneteenth celebrations began in Texas the next year and slowly spread across the South and then to every state. Two years ago it was declared a federal holiday. A day to remember, a day to celebrate, a "freedom" day.
Do you remember your spiritual "freedom" day? For me, it was Saturday, March 23, 1968. My father's church was having its annual spring revival crusade, and at the end of that Saturday night service I walked forward, took my dad's hand, and publicly professed that I had accepted the saving grace of Jesus Christ. March 23rd hasn't yet been declared a federal holiday, but it's a pretty special day for me!
Romans 10:10 - It is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
Bro. David
dmathis@fbccenter.org
June 15, 2023 - The body is made up largely of bones, about 200 or them, classified as to shape. The church is also made up of bones, classified according to use. There are three kinds. First, Wishbones. You know this kind. They wish for greater things in the church. They wish for larger attendance. They wish for more souls to be saved. Wishbones? They are languid and they are listless. The only thing they deny themselves is work and effort to make their wishes come true. They are sometimes referred to as “rocking chair Christians.”
Then there are the jawbones. Nothing slow or listless about this kind. They work up and down at great speed. They can criticize. They can pick flaws. They tell how it would be done if they were in charge. In their wake, follows dissension and discouragement. Verily, it takes a Samson to handle this class and turn them to some good use.
But, the third class is the one we like to think of. They are the backbones. There is work to be done; the backbones do it. There are meetings to attend; the backbones are there. When the Saints assemble in their home congregation, the backbones are there to support their brothers and sisters and have fellowship with the saints. There is giving so the work might be carried on; the backbones are willing to sacrifice. Oh backbones! If we were poets we would write about you! If we were singers we would chant your praises! If we were artists we would paint your lovely likeness! Being merely ordinary humans, we can only love and appreciate you. And we do!
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.
June 14, 2023 - The Annual Homecoming for the upkeep of the White Rock Cemetery will be held on Sunday, June 25, 2023 at White Rock Missionary Baptist Church located on State Highway 7 West, approximately 14 miles west of Center with dinner on the grounds. Church starts at 10am.
If you cannot attend, please feel free to send your donations to the:
White Rock Cemetery Fund
c/o Tammy Davis
2966 CR 1245
Center, Texas 75935
Or
White Rock Cemetery Fund
c/o Farmers State Bank
P.O. Box 352
Center, Texas 75935
Also, a little reminder that the Annual Homecoming is always the 4th Sunday in June, we hope to see you there. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Tammy Davis at 936-488-0095.
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