Samaria Baptist Church

We go to him in prayer. He is the only one who has the power to save us.

Our news turned out a bit differently than we planned last week: Our pastor, Bro. Charles, did not have surgery due to an insurance glitch, but it will be rescheduled at a later date. Our prayers have been lifted for him and his family due to the illness of his son, Paul, who is in the hospital at UAB with some serious health concerns. Please pray for these precious people.

In spite of his pain and distress, Bro. Charles Brooks did not let God down on Sunday morning. His sermon was taken from Romans 5:1-11: God calls us to work for his kingdom, and we must never be ashamed of him. We should always be ready to share with anyone what our Lord has done for us.

We must be encouraged by his word and what it tells us to do in life. Submission to him and his will for us is the key to happiness, peace and joy. We must never be ashamed of Christ. If we exhibit shame and do not stand firm for him, why should he stand for us before God’s throne?

The laws of God will not save, but will convict us of our sins. Jesus came in order for us to have a way to heaven. Moses gave the law; Jesus gave salvation. In thee shall all nations be blessed.

Our special music today was provided by Floyd Collins, who sang “’Til the Storm Passes By.”

Our anniversary couples are Hank and Cherlyn Stoneback, Floyd and Barbara Collins and James and Charlotte Smitherman.

Bible School will run from July 8-12. Plan on being here for this great time in learning about Jesus.

Prayer requests are for Paul Brooks, L.C. Dawson, James Smitherman Payton Knight, Gale Cleckler and Bruce Moore. Please remember little Anna Marie from Warrior, Ala. She needs help to have a major surgery.

May God bless you with the greatest blessings you have ever experienced.

Mars Hill Baptist Church

Sometimes change is good, sometimes it’s bad. There will always be change in this world; nothing stays the same. However, God never changes. We change our minds often; we even move our family from one house to another, but God never moves. If you are not as close to God as you once were, guess who moved? Not God.

Bro. William Short took our message from Malachi 3:6-7: “For I am the Lord, I do not change… You have gone away from my ordinances and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you. But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’”

In what ways do we need to return to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? In what ways have we changed? I believe that each of us can think of at least one thing that has changed in the last decade. We have changed the way we worship the Lord. In so many of our churches today, we completely leave God out of our worship or bring in programs. We think everything should be done the same way, service after service. That’s having a form of worship, but leaving the Holy Spirit out. We want to worship as we feel or want. We want a short message, one that leaves us feeling good, tickles our toes, then lets us get on with the rest of our day. We have so little time to worship these days; time just flies by and we have so much to do.

The truth is there is no better time to worship than right now, wherever you are. Worship is not confined to the church on Sunday, and prayer in not meant only to be heard in the pews or the pulpit. Families who pray and worship together at home are closer to God and come to church on Sunday expecting a blessing from the Lord.

You can worship while driving to work, when you are preparing a meal and even in the shower. God is there; he has not changed and he has not moved. He is ever present with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us.

Another truth: change is needed. If we worship God in spirit and in truth, believing that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, our church doors won’t be able to contain all the people who will come to hear God’s word. If the word of God is preached from our pulpits, the way God intended, programs won’t be needed to draw in lost souls. God will do the drawing; Jesus will do the saving and the Holy Spirit will do the convicting of hearts.

Friends, we are in the last days. We need to turn around and get back to God. Read his word, listen to his voice and do what he says. If you constantly hear God’s word and don’t do his will, does that mean that, maybe, you just don’t believe it? Check up on your heart. Don’t be ashamed of God. What you do represents Jesus. True repentance should be a “heartset,” not a mindset. True repentance is getting on your knees before God, asking forgiveness, then getting up and going in a different direction, one that leads back to God and true worship of him.

Our VBS is this week. Be in prayer for our church, all the teachers and workers involved. Pray that a soul will be saved; that’s what its all about. God is good, all the time! Amen.

Calvary Independent Baptist Church

We want to thank everyone who participated in our VBS program this year. We also want to invite you to come visit with us for any of our regular services.

Sunday morning’s service included a message from John 6:22-29 on the blessings of God: Some people find themselves standing on the other side, wondering what Christ is doing. Some seek him only for temporal blessings, but are never ready to receive the spiritual blessings he has in store for them.

Sunday night’s service included a message from 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 on knowing where you fit in your Bible. I follow the Apostle Paul, just as he also followed Christ, and I keep the ordinances as they are given to me through his writings. Paul is my pattern for salvation, and if I did not know what God was doing today in contrast to the many things that differ, then I, like so many others, would be wrestling with the scriptures to my own destruction.

Salvation is simple: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you can be saved. He died for your sins, was buried and rose again the third day for your justification. We hope you are saved and involved in a good Bible-believing church, but if not, we would love to see you at Calvary Independent Baptist Church this Sunday.

Coming to church is easy; we are located south of Clanton, just past Dollar General, off U.S. 31 on Fulmer Drive. Need a ride? We have a bus; call us.

Sunday school: 9 a.m., Children’s Church and adult worship service: 10 a.m., Sunday evening service: 5:30 p.m. and Wednesday service: 6:30 p.m. For more information, call Pastor Oscar Mims at 205-755-9399.