Mt. Carmel No. 1

Baptist Men’s Day was a great day to be in the Lord’s house. We welcome visitors Brian and Bethany Smith.

Bro. Brian was our guest speaker for the morning service. The message, “Where Is Your Focus?” was from Hebrews 12:1-3.

Sunday evening’s speaker was Bro. Cecil Franklin. The message, “Self Discipline,” was from 1 Corinthians 10:1-12. “Where do I fit into this picture?” is the question we should ask ourselves.

Fellowship followed the service with the men’s bake-off. Our hats are off to the men that took part in this event. Now we know our men can cook!

Don’t forget to fill the baby bottles with money for the crisis pregnancy center and return them to the church.

Children’s choir practice is Sunday at 4 p.m. The adult choir practices Sunday nights after the service.

Our Valentine’s party is Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at Peach Park. There is a sign-up sheet in the foyer. Our kids’ Valentine’s party is Feb. 11. See Tiffany for information.

Survey workers, make sure to turn in your surveys after church Sunday morning and pick up new ones. We are covering Section B. Remember our prayer time at 11 a.m.

Remember to pray for those on our prayer list and our outreach program.

Lime Springs United Methodist Church

Last Sunday we continued our study of the original disciples of Christ by focusing on the life of Jude, James the Son of Alpheus, and Simon the Zealot. Bro. Shannon brought the morning message from Luke 16:19-31, reminding us of the similarity between the rich man and Lazarus, with the only differences being that it was too late to change. The rich young man was too late to choose his destiny, lifting his eyes to heaven, to show compassion, to pray, and to be concerned about the lost. We should all be careful not to wait too long when it comes to our relationship with God.

Our Sunday evening Bible study focused upon 1 Timothy 4-6.

Happy birthday wishes go to Judy House.

We invite everyone to attend our weekly scheduled services: Sunday School at 9:45 a.m.; Sunday morning worship at 11; Sunday evening Bible study at 5:30; and Wednesday night prayer meeting at 6:30.

For more information concerning Lime Springs, please call 755-4950 or 755-6356.

Calvary’s Hill Church of God

“Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; show forth his salvation from day to day” (Psalm 96:2).

Praise God for his many blessings. We had an awesome worship service. The Holy Spirit moved in a mighty way, touching the hearts of young and old alike. Time didn’t matter because you were wrapped up in the powerful presence of God. Several praise reports were given for physical healings of some on our prayer list. Praise God because he is the great I AM, the only true and living God!

Sunday evening, the teens had the service and blessed our hearts with several songs and dramas. Bro. John and Sis. Tracy do a wonderful job with the teens.

Bro. John brought the message from Proverbs 22:6 about training our children while they’re small, not when they’re older and rebellious. We can’t sit a child in front of a television and expect them to raise themselves. Raising a child must be biblical, positive, consistent, and done in love. They need to be encouraged to be godly individuals and we, as parents and teachers, also need to learn to listen when they talk. Communication is a two-way street.

Please pray for our nation and each other, especially for the lost. If you don’t have a home church, come join us. Sunday morning service starts at 10 a.m., Sunday evening at 5 and Wednesday night at 7 followed by a soup supper. The church is located on Alabama Highway 191, two miles outside Jemison.

Mount Bethel Baptist Church

We have a great friend in Jesus. We can reach him 24 hours a day. The psalmist said he could communicate with God in the evening, morning, and at noon. Without advance notice and without any physical apparatus, we can talk directly with God, giving him our requests, praise and love. No matter what we want to talk about to God, we can be sure it will always get through.

We started our morning service with a song followed by prayer.

Bro. Roger Vines was our speaker Sunday. He and his wife will soon leave to be missionaries in Nicaragua. It is a special calling for those who enter the missionary field. The message was taken from Jonah.

Bro. Cleckler’s evening sermon was from Psalm 113. This song was sang before the Passover meal. As in a lot of the Psalms, it begins with praising the Lord. Blessed is the man that has reverence for God. When we pray, we should always begin by offering up praises to God. We need to praise him daily, in bad times as well as good. There is no one that can compare to God — the one that created the Earth, seas and heavens. No one can die and raise himself up from the dead. He is a mighty and awesome God. He is worthy of our praise.

Happy birthday to Evelyn Cleckler, Kayla Blow and Charles Jones.

Visitors are invited to join us for worship and fellowship. Sunday School is at 10 a.m.; morning worship at 11; Discipleship Training at 5 p.m. and evening worship at 6.

Friendship Baptist Church

Bro. Mike’s message Sunday, “How to Live Forever,” was from 1 Corinthians 15:20-29. Man must face the fact that he is on this earth for only a short time. Bro. Mike brought up the following points:

1) In spiritual death, all will die. We are born in a circle of sin.

2) Those spiritually alive can look forward to a glorified body.

3) There is no hope for the resurrection for the unsaved after death.

4) Unbelievers will experience resurrection for what they have done in their lives.

5) The physical resurrection unto life is for those who have faith in Christ. We can live forever through Jesus Christ.

The evening message, “Successful Witnessing with Lasting Results,” was taken from 1 Thessalonians 2, which addresses Paul’s motives for preaching.

Congratulations to newlyweds Stefanie and Brad Dearman.

Prayer requests: Page Gilliland, Martha Hilyer, Landon Long, Laura Pate, Clyde Beam, Dan Raymond, James Cordes, Charlie Jones, unspoken requests, Jimmy Bice, Victor Adair, Felicia Waterman family, Steven Fanning, Joyce Bice.

Coming soon: Pancake breakfast to raise money for the youth mission trip.

Upcoming events:

Feb. 5: nursing home and Gardens visit, 9:45 a.m.

Feb. 7: workday at the church, 7:30 a.m. We need all willing and able bodies to help dig holes and pour concrete.

Feb. 8: Association 2009 Evangelism Rally at Clanton First Baptist, 6 p.m.

Feb. 14: Association RA Racers breakfast, 8 a.m.; Youth Valentine’s banquet.

Feb. 15: Brotherhood Breakfast, 7 a.m.; deacons meeting, 4 p.m.; roller-skating following the evening service.

Heritage Church of the Nazarene

What a blessing to be at church on this beautiful Sunday.

It was a joy to receive a new member, Britney Tinney, as she joined the church and was welcomed into the fellowship.

The Rev. Gary Aldridge’s message was from Romans 8:1-17. He brought out many important points concerning walking in the Spirit and letting God control our lives and the decisions we make.

In the evening service, Rev. Aldridge began the message by reading the testimony of two survivors of 911. During the hours of being trapped, they took inventory of their life and made decisions for giving their lives to Christ.

Rev. Aldridge then asked, “How does your life in Christ affect your priorities and how you live them out?”

The text from 1 Thessalonians 4 explains sanctification, which means God possesses all of you. We need to get self out of the way and let God make the necessary changes in our life.

Heritage Church welcomes everyone. Heritage is located at 610 Dennis St. off Temple Road in Clanton. Sunday School is at 9:45 a.m., followed by morning worship at 11, evening worship at 6, and Wednesday mid-week service at 7 p.m.

For further information call 280-6252 or 688-2212.

Mt. Carmel Baptist Church No. 2

Sunday we celebrated Baptist Men’s Day. We are so blessed to have such dedicated men that openly serve God.

Bro. Jeff Giles started the message with Psalms 23:1-3. Bro. Dwight Wallace brought a message on belief from Matthew 10:32-33, and Bro. Gene Sims shared with us about legacies from Matthew 19:13-14.

Bro. Tommy Little got his RA’s involved in his message. The verse the RA’s (Royal Ambassadors) are based on is 2 Corinthians 5:20. It is important to have good Christian men in the lives of young boys to serve as role models and help guide them into adulthood as Christians.

Bro. Sandy Carlin shared with us some Good News. He read to us a very inspiring letter from Paul to the Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians 1-3).

Bro. Tom Carlson was our last speaker. He brought us a very strong message on forgiveness.

Pray that God continues to give us all moral leaders and gives them wisdom and strength to lead our communities.

Walnut Creek United Methodist Church

The lighting of the Christ Candle is such a meaningful time in all its quietness.

During children’s time, Diane Handley told our kids the story of Jesus passing Peter and Andrew while they were fishing and telling them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”

Bro. Tony brought us God’s message from Mark 1:14, “Repent and Believe the Gospel.” He shared the words of a very touching poem, “Hungry.” Bro. Tony shared a story of a time in his early ministry that he became frustrated and went back to his old job, and then someone asked him, “Why did you feel the need to go back?”

He answered, “Something was missing! I didn’t understand why He called me, and did He really have a clear understanding of me, Of who I am?”

Bro. Tony continued, “Since then I have learned that if we continue to follow him, He will give us a better understanding of ourselves. ‘Follow me!’ He is calling us to carry His message.”

Our prayer list: Sue Belcher, Ray and Myrtis Enfinger, Jonnie Ratliff, Lavada Attaway and Glenda Powell.

A Super Bowl party will be held at the Floreas; call if you plan to attend.

A Valentine’s dinner with Loose Change Quartet is planned. Sign up by Feb. 1.

I would like to remind you that we have great adult Bible study Wednesdays at 6:30 and Sunday evenings 5:30. Two of the best teachers anywhere, we think, are Bro. Jim Popwell on Wednesday and Bro. Tony on Sundays.

Providence Baptist Church No. 1

This summer, Providence Baptist Church will celebrate its 168th birthday. Established in 1841, it was first referred to as the Baptist Church of Christ at Providence. Later is was called Providence Missionary Baptist Church. God is to be praised for His faithfulness to His people through the years.

This is “Soup-er Bowl Sunday.” Bring a can of soup or chili or a box of crackers and it will be given to needy families in the community.

It’s not too late to join the True Love Waits Bible study, Sunday nights at 5:30. Choir practice is every Wednesday night at 7:30. We invite everyone to join us for worship. Your presence is our joy.

Remember, it’s easier to preach 10 sermons than it is to live one.

Bethsalem Baptist Church

Sunday morning we heard testimonies from Henry Moore, Josh Pack and Stevie Ward.

Bro. Brad preached from Colossians 3:1-4 on making Jesus the center of our lives. The sermon’s title was “Hide and Go Seek.”

For the evening service, Joyful Noise provided special music and we heard testimonies from Zac Martin, Sjonnia Pierce and Beth Green.

The message by Cleve Mallory was entitled, “But How Will They Know?” and based on Romans 10:14-15 and John 13:33-35.

We were blessed again. God saved Jenae Pierce, daughter of Jay and Teresa Pierce.

Wednesday night is family supper at 5:45, missions for WMU and Brotherhood, as well as children. Youth and adult choirs practice at 7:30 p.m.

Prayer list: Bro. James Moore, Charles Bryant, Meade Bryant, our country and leaders, Randy Martin, Myra Burnett, Carolyn McClane, Nell Mims, Jewell Deason, Hunter Moore, W.L. Broome, Cleo Pack, Margaret Wyatt, Alexis Willis, all our shut-ins, those facing cancer, Jeremiah Simpson (who is in Germany), Jay Handcastle, Jerry Smith, T.J. and Aubrey Cox, Hilda and Ramond Allen, Bryan Crawford.

Happy birthday this week to Brittney Headley, Shae Williams, Krystal Willis, Steve Gray and Jenae Pierce.

Don’t forget our banquet for couples and movie night Feb. 13. Fireproof your marriage.

Brotherhood Breakfast is tomorrow morning.

Christ Independent Methodist Church

Dr. Mac Stinson took his scripture from Mark 1:14-20.

Mark 1: 16-17 says, “Now as he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.” This is just one of many examples where Jesus never sought his followers among the rich and famous of his day. Rather, he called for service those with whom the masses of His day could identify and He spoke to them in words with which they could identify. These fishermen were not scholars, but Jesus couched his invitation to a higher calling in language they understood.

Continue to join us in prayer for Sarah McEwin, Randall Miller, Opal Miller, Ronnie Brantley, Charles Culp, Euin McLemore, and all others in need of a touch from the Master’s Hand. We pray for our President, our military, our church, our country, each other, and ourselves.

Men’s fellowship will meet at Cracker Barrel Restaurant Tuesday night at 6 p.m.

Mark your calendar for our Valentine’s dinner Sunday, Feb. 8 at 5 p.m.

We enjoyed our one-dish dinner today following morning worship. If you were not there, we missed you.

Rocky Mount United Methodist Church

“What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?” (Psalm 116:12).

We enjoyed the fellowship of Christian communion this Sunday and were blessed in the remembrance of the meaning of the communion elements.

Some of our youth and youth leaders will be traveling this weekend to Camp Sumatanga, the Methodist Church camp for the North Alabama Conference. We ask blessings on these members as they go enjoy one of the greatest experiences for a Christian.

Rocky Mount has made a commitment for February to show love for our fellow man by bringing non-perishable food items and preparing them for donation to families in need. We hope you will open your heart to join us by donating to the less fortunate in whatever method or branch you feel most led. Times are hard for everyone, but it usually isn’t too hard to find someone more in need than yourself.

We would like to make a correction in that our beautiful quilt top was lovingly made by Mrs. Gloria Hollis. We appreciate all the many hours of work Gloria put into this donation to the church and the It’s Sew Fun group. Thank you, Gloria!

Read your Bible daily. If you are heading in the wrong direction, God allows U-turns!

Cedar Grove Methodist-Protestant Church

Happy birthday to Amelia Hubbard, Buddy and Marie Popwell, and Danielle Argo.

We have had so many things going on in each other’s lives that we failed to mention some things that are so important. At this moment, my daughter is in UAB with a heart attack; please keep Patsy Gross in your prayers. Also remember the families of Bro. Robert Mozingo’s sister Eloise Lucas, and Bro. Ralph Hayes’ aunt Paula Walters. Both have gone on to be with the Lord, so be much in prayer for those families and also the Scott family in the loss of Wilma, the Edwards family in the loss of Glenda, and the Payton family in the loss of Sue. They will all be greatly missed.

Please pray for all the sick and shut-ins, our country and military. There are several members of our church family that need your prayers including Dolly L. Price, Peggy Pearson, Ellen Ruth and Jim Scott, Mary Jo Skidmore, Durwood Gray, and if I have missed anyone I know the Lord knows who it is.

Bro. Jeff preached a good message about Elijah Sunday morning. His text came from James 5-17 and 1 Kings 17:1-9.

For more information call 646-2390.

Bethany Baptist Church

Sunday morning we had good attendance. Bro. David Taylor, former Albanian missionary, filled in for our pastor with a good message taken from Mark 1:40-45. This concerned the leper who came kneeling down to Jesus, beseeching him in faith, believing that if he willed, he could heal him of his leprous condition. Jesus had compassion on the leper and healed him. He asked him not to tell what had happened to him, but the healed leper could not restrain himself from spreading abroad what Jesus had done for him.

Bro. Taylor compared this story with the sinful condition that we are all born with, which is sin. We are all unclean, as this leper was, but Jesus made him whole. This mad had a problem, and Jesus fixed his problem. We all need to turn to Jesus, in faith, believing he can and will meet our needs, beginning with our need for a Savior.

Fifty-two weeks to a better you: Our verse to memorize this week is Psalm 119:97.

Upcoming events: Valentine’s banquet Feb. 7 at Shoney’s starting at 6:30 p.m.

Prayer list: Lillian Burkhalter, Lela Mae Courtney, Ellen Gray, Paul Gray, Paul Griffin, Rosalind Griffin, Doug Mims and Billie Neeley.