Bethany Baptist Church

Service opened with the song “Living for Jesus,” and a devotion titled “Grace, Not Law” was given from Colossians 2:16-22.

Some in the church at Colossae were trying to put works and the law into the plan of salvation. They were teaching that you must go through angels to pray to God, and they were proud of their humility. The false teachers that had come in were teaching these things to the young church members.

Being saved, or being holy, means we are separated from the world. They wanted to go back to the things of the world and work to maintain their salvation. The idea of works and faith is still going strong in the world today. We should teach what the Bible says about the eternal security of believers.

After a prayer, we sang “That Will Be Glory for Me,” “The Great Physician,” “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks” and “Whispering Hope.”

Vacation Bible School will be held June 17 from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. We welcome children ages 4-12 years old to come and enjoy a camp-related theme, lessons, games, crafts and lunch.

Bro. Aubry brought the message “Comparing Ourselves to Jesus Christ” from Colossians 1:12-22.

If we are truthful and study God’s Word, we know that when we compare ourselves to Christ, we always come up short. Once we compare ourselves to Jesus Christ, we should appreciate him more than we do. Verse 12 tells us to give thanks to the Lord Jesus for what he has done and is doing for us.

We as saved people are saints in the Lord because of our salvation. We need no one to get access to Jesus, for we are “saints of God.” Our home, once we are saved, is in heaven, even before death. The reason we have salvation is because Jesus paid for our sins on the cross. Romans 5:6-9 says that Christ died for us, even before we were born. He died for us while were sinners. We are free from the power of sin.

Christ Jesus is the creator, and we are the creature, the created being. There is nothing in the world that was not created by Jesus. We are created in the image of God. Jesus is the visible image, the absolute exact image of God who is invisible. The Word was God and was made flesh in Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 1:3 tells us that Jesus is the expressed image of God, and he is sitting on the right hand of the Father, making intercession for us. The people who had seen Jesus had seen God the Father. Jesus shows us a compassionate, loving and just God. We cannot understand the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit; we just have to take it by faith.

Christ created everything; therefore, he is the firstborn. Micah 5:2 states that Jesus was coming out of Bethlehem, but that was not his beginning. He was from everlasting to everlasting. We exist because Christ created us. There is no time limit with God. Jesus is the king of time. The verb “is” is always in present tense. Jesus always “is.” He holds all things together. Although we change, Jesus doesn’t change. He still carries the scars from when he suffered on the cross for us. Decide you want to be with him; be saved today.

We closed the service with a prayer and the hymn “Tis So Sweet.”

Sunday afternoon, we met to discuss VBS, and then we sang two hymns, “On the Jericho Road” and “I Will Meet You.” Bro. Aubry then continued his message from Colossians 1:18.

Comparing ourselves to Christ should make us want to be more Christ-like. God expects us to do all we are capable of doing.

A saint is one who is set apart for the use of Christ. We see in this verse that as a person we have many body parts. The members of a church make up the parts of a church. Each part—each saint—has a job to do, and is important to the function of the church. Without the head, which is Christ, the church is dead. Jesus Christ is the source and leader of everything we do in our church. When we do not do what God would have us to do, or do things he would not have us do, it hurts him and his work.

Whether or not a church succeeds, or fails, is in our hands. If we live for Christ and his truth, we will be successful. We must recognize Christ as the head of the church. Unlike us, Christ does not have time limits. Jesus Christ, the man who walked the earth, is the founder of the church. We must have our roots all the way back to the shores of the Sea of Galilee; otherwise our church is not a scriptural New Testament church. To find our guidelines for living daily, read the book, the Bible.

Jesus Christ is first and everlasting; therefore, we look to Christ as our supreme leader. He must have first place in our lives. He lives inside us once we are saved. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy God because we have been bought with a price. We should allow Christ to have power over us and control us. We must show the world that we are happy in Christ. Christ made peace through his shed blood on the cross. Before we were saved, we were enemies with Christ because of sin. Any saved person knows when he has done wrong.

Never forget that we are all sinners, and Christ is the Savior. He is the Creator, and we are the creature. Is Jesus you Creator? Have you been saved? Come to Christ asking him to be your Savior.

We closed with a prayer and the hymn “Blest Be the Tie.”

Submitted by Jane Vines

Mars Hill Baptist Church

It was a beautiful day to worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Service started with a baptism, and it only got better from there. Friends, we are blessed to have a pastor that preaches straight from the Word of God and holds nothing back. We are blessed as a church to have so many loving people who truly have a passion to love others, no matter what their station in life is. God is good, and he is present in his house.

Bro. William Short’s message this week was taken from 1 Timothy 4:1-4: “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”

Does this sound like America today? I think so. So many preachers tickle the ears of their congregation, telling them what they want to hear. The seasons change, but the seasons referred to in this passage mean something much different. Look around at the world. Christians are being persecuted for their faith. You may think it could never happen here in America, but it already is. It is more important than ever before to preach the Word, the truth that is found in only one place, God’s Holy Word, the Bible.

The Bible is the living, spoken, present, truthful Word of God. You may say God never speaks to you, but have you read his word and really listened? God is speaking to mankind today; we are just not listening.

There are many religions in this world, but only one way to the Father in heaven: through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and there is no other way. No matter how many preachers and teachers you find who tell you another story, it’s not true. Turn away from false teaching; it will only lead you to one place my friend, and that is hell.

We humans think we know it all. We have smart phones, smart cars and smart kids, but as for me, the only thing remotely smart about me is what little I do for Jesus. I am a rotten sinner, born in sin, and if not for the forgiveness, grace and mercy of my Lord Jesus Christ, I would be going straight to hell. It’s not what you know, my friend; it’s who you know, and what kind of relationship you have with him. Its not enough to know about Jesus, you have to really know him.

I love to read. It’s always been a passion of mine since high school. There are many different kinds of books being printed every day: books about life, how to raise your children, how to have a happy marriage, how to manage money, etc., but the only book that will tell you straight about all these things and much more about life itself is the Bible. Read it; it’s all of this and more. Live by it, and you will see a change in your home, your job, your finances and your marriage. Study it, and know more about God and his plan for you.

We are living in the last days. Jesus is coming soon, friends. Be ready! Now is the time to turn your life over to a loving God. He doesn’t care what you have done. He loves you and will take you into his loving arms. Why would you not want to know about love and how it can change your life for the better? He loved me when I didn’t love myself, and I praise his name every day for saving my rotten soul.

One final question for you: Does it really matter? Answer this question for yourself friend. Amen.

Please note that Mars Hill’s homecoming has been changed to the third Sunday in May. Please come and share this day with us. Bring a covered dish and be prepared to worship in song with the group Paid in Full and preaching by Bro. William Short.

Please continue to pray for our church, our pastor and family, the sick, the lost, the hurting, our children, our schools and teachers, our military, missionaries at home and abroad, our government, our country and the peace of Israel. God is good, all the time! Amen.

Submitted by Danny L.