Christ Independent Methodist Church

On a perfect Sabbath day, it was such a joy getting to church and observing the beauty of fall trees along the way.

Our congregational songs were “For the Beauty of the Earth,” We Gather Together” and “Thank You, Lord.”

Dr. Mac Stinson’s sermon title was “A Faith That Will Transform You,” based in scripture from Luke 19:1-10. The gist of the story is Jesus granting salvation to Zacchaeus.

Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was, and could not for the press because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, and said unto him, “Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house:” Luke 19:1-5

Some years ago, when I visited Israel, we were passing through Jericho when our guide had our bus stop near a tall sycamore tree, right near the main street through the town. He told us briefly the story of Zacchaeus and told us the tree before us was the one Zacchaeus climbed up into. I heard that story told twice while passing though Jericho on different tours.

Luke tells that other people of Jericho who witnessed this event were very unhappy and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” Acts of Jesus were often accompanied by words of the self-righteous complaining of those very acts. How about today? Do we ever hear people casting verbal stones at others with whom they disagree?

This event had a great ending: When Jesus entered his home, Zacchaeus repented of his sins and changed his whole life. The end of the story is that Jesus redeemed Zacchaeus’ past, transformed his present, and redirected his future. God is still ready, willing and able to perform these same miracles today.

When you pray, remember Dr. Mac Stinson and his son, who is facing another surgery. Remember Mary Ann Carden, her granddaughter, Heather, and Annelle Smith. Remember those traveling and pray for their safety. Remember our armed forces and their families, our leaders, teachers and each other.

We welcome visitors to join us for a time of worship and fellowship. Have a blessed week.

Upcoming events:

Nov. 10: Church meeting at 3 p.m.

Nov. 16: Harvest Supper at 5 p.m. Make plans now to attend, and invite others to share in this time of worship and fellowship with us.

Mt. Carmel No. 1

A blessing was received on Sunday morning as the choir and the congregation joined together and sang the old hymns. The spirit of the Lord was felt. We are so thankful for those who came to worship with us. We welcome all of our visitors and our church family.

We give thanks for the special music in the morning worship service. Tammy Harmon sang “Wouldn’t Take Nothing For My Journey Now.” Stanley Higgins sang “Thanks to Calvary” for his mother, Mary Dean Higgins, and his aunt, Ruthie Jean Giles, both of whom were celebrating birthdays. We are very thankful for those who sing special songs for your church. May God bless you is our prayer.

The message for the day was taken from Matthew 18:20, titled “A Church’s Constitution.” Thanks to Calvary, we have felt the presence of the Lord, for where two or three are gathered, God is in the midst.

Bro. Derrell preached to the church today and said that Christ should be the center of our lives. The Bible tells us that God will be in the midst of all who gather in the house of the Lord.

Sunday evening’s message was titled “Trying To Serve Without Your Joy” from Psalm 137:1-4. The Israelites were carried away as captives to a strange land. Are we blinded by the fact that the devil has carried us down the road to a strange land? Are we trying to serve without joy? The Israelites were carried away, and they prayed for strength.

We would like to thank each and every one who came out to the rededication ceremony of the Old Rasberry Family Cemetery to support Trevor Cofer and the Eagle Scouts on Sunday afternoon.

The Thursday afternoon prayer walk for our church will be held on the second Thursday of November and December. Please remember these changes.

On Sunday, Nov. 24, we will have our Harvest Supper for the church family. We will also have a service for the dedication of our Christmas shoeboxes and a fellowship time for the Harvest Supper following the service. You are invited.

As we have our prayer time this week, we will be praying for you, our sick and all the prayer requests. We ask you to remember us when you pray. We gather in the Lord’s name to worship him and depart to serve him. See you in church on Sunday.