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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 20, 2026 - First Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ presents "Wild West VBS" starting July 31, 2026 through August 1, 2026. The most wanted by God is 'You!' The two night VBS will begin at 6pm both Friday and Saturday.
The church is located at 480 FM2026, Center, Texas 75935.
July 20, 2026 - Good Morning! It’s Monday, July 20.
The church I worked at yesterday is sending their youth to camp today - on a bus. That news brought back some memories. I can’t begin to count the number of miles I’ve logged over the years on church buses. Mission trips, choir tours, youth camps - it’s probably greater than the distance from the earth to the moon! Many of the early trips, before the “turn of the century”, were on old-school, school buses. The kind with hard bench seats and air conditioning that consisted of sliding down the windows.
Later on we travelled on charter buses, and though they were a lot more expensive, they weren’t that much more comfortable - especially if the bus was jammed full of kids. Kids. Lying in the aisles. Kids. Shouting out “Are we there yet?”. Kids. Wall to wall... KIDS! The excitement of looking forward to those trips was at least equaled by the joy of seeing all those little darlings get back in their parent’s cars at the end of the week.
But, seriously, there are so many wonderful memories from those bus trips. Memories of hosting Vacation Bible Schools in city parks. Memories of being on The Today Show in New York City! Memories of teenagers touching the lives of inner city children and singing to the inmates of a women’s prison. Memories of standing alongside my youth group at Ground Zero a couple of years after 911, and of riding our bus through New Orleans the summer after Hurricane Katrina. I could fill a dozen devotionals with memories like these.
I’ve been in the work long enough that many of the teenagers on those buses have teenagers of their own now, or even teenage grandchildren! Sometimes I imagine them standing in a church parking lot waving goodbye to a bus load of kids. And I imagine, in those moments, that memories like mine flood back to them, and that they recall a time in their youth when God touched them, taught them, used them, blessed them.
Ecclesiastes 12:1 - “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.”
Meet you back here tomorrow,
David
cindertex50@yahoo.com
July 17, 2026 - Old Salem Missionary Baptist Church will have revival services July 29, 30, 31 at 7pm each night. Wednesday and Thursday evenings will be blessed by the preaching of Bro. Levi Cohorst.
Southern Gospel music veteran Trey Wilson will appear in concert on Friday evening.
Everyone is welcome to come fellowship with us and be blessed with wonderful preaching and singing.
July 17, 2026 - The cross on Calvary’s hill was already casting its shadow on Jesus when he told his disciples to “love one another” (John 1:34) and then He said, “by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35)
Sadly, of all the commands Jesus gave, this is more talked about and less obeyed than any of them. If we mean anything when we profess to have love for our brothers and sisters in Christ, it should show itself in our dealings with them.
Love is to be the grand characteristic and distinguishing mark of the followers of Jesus. Notice, Jesus does not name gifts or miracles as being the mark of a Christian. He does not tell us that “Holy Ghost Baptism” is the mark of a Christian. He says it is love. A grace within the reach of the poorest, lowliest believer on the face of the earth.
We can have sound doctrinal opinions, we can be completely orthodox in our view of the Gospel and still be wanting in the eyes of Jesus. If we in our daily lives, give way to ill-temper, malice, envy, quarreling, squabbling, bickering, surliness, passion, snappish language and cross words, we are not exemplifying Jesus in our lives. It is useless for us to talk about justification and regeneration unless others can see in us practical Christian love as Jesus commands.
“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” How are we doing with that?
It’s something to think about... tbp
Center Church of Christ
www.centerchurchofchrist.com
The descendants of William Humphries will gather for the thirty-ninth annual reunion at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church located at 500 Hurst Street in Center, Texas on July 25, 2026, from 11am to 2pm. We ask attendees to bring covered dishes to share with all in attendance, and tea, water or soft drinks for their family unit. We invite all Humphries descendants, especially those still living in Shelby County, to come and share stories, pictures, laughter, and great food on July 25.
William Humphries married Mary Ann Barr while they lived in England. They settled in Shelby County in 1874 where they raised six children: Elizabeth, Emma, Thomas, Charlie, Polly and Amanda. Four years after Mary Ann's death, William married Ellen Eliza McCauley and they raised eight children: Johnny, Maggie, Alice, Ben, Wiley, Joe, Fannie and George. William helped with the work on the Shelby County courthouse and old county jail.
July 15, 2026 - First Methodist Church - Center will have their Vacation Bible School (VBS) on July 20-23 from 5pm until 7:30pm.
Looking for mountains of fun? You otter be there.
New friends, Amazing experiments, Creative games, Super-fun snacks, Surprising adventures, Incredible music
For more information call 936-598-2707, visit www.centerfirst.org or church office.
First Methodist Church - Center is located at 211 Porter Street in Center.
July 15, 2026 - 11th Shepherd and First Gentleman Appreciation Saturday, August 1, 2026 at 6pm honoring Shepherd, Elder Faye Dell Allen and First Gentleman, Bro. Adrian Allen
Speaker will be Pastor Steven G. Standley, East Liberty Missionary Baptist Church.
Strong Triumph Church is located at County Road 2545 Shelbyville, Texas 75973.
For more information, call 936-368-2611 or 936-572-5810
July 9, 2026 - Blount Chapel Baptist Church invites you to join them for their 12th Annual Pastor and Wife Anniversary Celebration Sunday, July 19, 2026 at 3pm.
The event is in honor of Pastor Byron Coutee Jr and First Lady Sis. Larissa Coutee and will be held at Blount Chapel Baptist Church, 298 County Road 3760 Center, Tx.
Speaker of the hour will be Pastor Derrick White Bethesda Baptist Church, Lufkin, Texas.
Scripture: 1st Thessalonians 5:12-13
July 14, 2026 - St. John Baptist Church Center. Tx Pastor, Rev. Winston Kibbles invites all to join them for their Annual 2026 Homecoming and Revival Services Sunday, July 19, at 2:30pm Rev. Steve Standley East Liberty Baptist Church.
This will be followed by a three night revival: Mon-Wed (July 20-23) at 7pm nightly, Rev. Cedric Grace Mt. Zion Baptist Church San Augustine, T×.
Revive, Revive, Revival!
July 13, 2026 - Please come and join us for “Revival” Services at Ramah Baptist Church in Tenaha, Texas from Sunday, July 19 through Wednesday, July 22 at 7pm nightly.
Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You? ~ Psalm 85:6
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