By Emily Agee

“Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble. To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:21-31).

Thought for the week: “Christ For All Seasons”
“Winter would be cold and drab without God’s love to know; He keeps a glow of sunshine in the heart where e’er you go. And spring is unpredictable, it may be cold or fair, but Jesus’ love is constant; you can find it everywhere. In summer when it’s parched and hot, the sun can take its toll, yet you can find a spring of living water for your soul. In fall when leaves have fallen everything is stark and bare, but the riches of God’s word is within reach for you to share. Our Father never leaves us; we can always find Him near; with His presence there is comfort any season of the year.”

Announcements
Worship service at Holly Grove Baptist Church in Jemison began with a praise service, which was led by the senior choir. The scripture was read by Perry Nunn with prayer by Pastor Dukes and Carl Singleterry. Songs included, “One More Time,” “We Come This Far,” “I Get Joy To Know He Loves Me” and “I Give You All the Praise.”
The morning message was given by Pastor Dukes with his theme, “How Do You Build Unity?”
Starting over is number one (Philippians 2:1-4).
There is an attack on God’s word and standards; the rightness is in his words. The lack of unity can destroy a church and stir up discord among members. Unity means coming together with one mind and one accord. Everyone is working toward a common denominator, Jesus. For unity we need a good foundation, and the foundation is Jesus.
You need the right motive, and this means you are beside your leader, not over there doing another thing. Go help someone; you must have love and love whatever you do. You must have the right Spirit of the Lord; the Spirit that keeps you. You must have compassion that goes beyond the simple steps. Be like Christ, and to be like Christ is an honor. Jesus paid the price on the cross for us.
We all have sinned and come short. What is your aim for spiritual unity? The same mind and one accord is the aim. We all must come to a general agreement. What is best for the body of Christ? Walking in the flesh is not unity in the body of Christ. Your love for God must be greater than anything. It will change the way you live. You must have unity in the Spirit. Remember, He died while we were yet sinners. Learn how to come together.
The service concluded with fellowship by Pastor Dukes, the deacons and the congregation.
On our sick list this week we ask that you continue to pray for Jerry Wilson, Sam and Vivian Hicks, Robert Spence, Lee Anna Worthey, Flora B. Franklin, Evelyn Austin and MayBell Williams. May God heal, strengthen and keep them in His care is our prayer.

Emily Agee is a religion columnist for The Clanton Advertiser. Her column appears each Thursday.