The following couples applied for marriage licenses in Chilton County from April 29-May 5:

April 30
•Danny Dale Posey to Amanda Crowe Surles, both of Odenville, Ala.

May 1
•Dylan Wayne Wallace of Maplesville to Macee Leanne Thomas of Clanton.

May 4
•Jonathan Wesley Kelley to Kyla Danielle Woods, both of Clanton.
•Mark Tyler Edwards of Maplesville to Kayla Ann Headley of Clanton.
•Keith Allen Easterling to Kelly Rye Branco, both of Verbena.
•Daniel Scott Aylieff to Brittany Dawn Ahl, both of New Berlin, Wisconsin.

Samaria Baptist Church

What a beautiful day we had to enjoy and celebrate our mothers, both living here and living with our Lord in heaven.

Our pastor was out of town with his family on Sunday, so our message was brought by John Jamison of the Coosada Baptist Church. Joining him was his wife Mandy and son Jacob.

Our Mother’s Day recognition was conducted by Barbara Collins. White roses were presented to those whose mothers have passed, and red roses were given to those whose moms are living. Betty McCary read a poem that her mother gave her many years ago, and Diane Fisher read a poem prayer dedicated to our moms.

Diane Fisher sang “I’ll Trust the Potter’s Hand.” This song was chosen as a motto to all Christians, but especially to the hands that have rocked the cradles.

Proverbs 31 was the scripture Bro. John chose for his sermon “Moms Are.” We find that Moms are capable. They can do so many things for their families that are simply irreplaceable. A Christian mother is the key to every happy and vibrant home. Moms are caring and self-sacrificing. They find it totally natural to share their all with the husband and children that God has blessed them with.

A woman who seeks God’s favor and puts her trust in him will not be weary, but will know that with him all things are possible. The strong faith of a Christian mother can overcome anything Satan can dish out. We just have to trust and believe that he will take care of our every need in his time and his way.

Christian mothers are wise, and want the very best for the children they have been given. Moms are blessed. They are the ones children run to when they need their hurts to be healed. Jesus loves us this way. He is the one we all can run to for our every need and every decision we must make.

Enjoy this week, and please remember to pray for Ms. Silas and Phyllis and Ray Hardee. Join us at Samaria next Sunday for a true blessing from a living God.

Submitted by Diane Fisher

Corinth Baptist Church

We had a wonderful service this past Sunday. Thank you to all who came, and a big thanks to mothers for all you do. I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day.

VBS will be held June 24-26 from 6:30-8 p.m. each day. This year’s theme is “Bible Boot Camp”. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for all the latest events and happenings.

Our annual homecoming celebration will be held May 17 from 10 a.m. until noon, with dinner on the grounds. Feel free to bring a covered dish and join us in a day of singing and celebration. We will have several special guests and talents from the church.

In times past, Homecoming Sunday was just that: homecoming. It was a time when members who had moved away came back to visit and fellowship, and family members came for a reunion with relatives. Many times there was standing room only in our little church. Wouldn’t it be great if it was like that every Sunday?

Too often members only go to church for special occasions and not for worship. Visitors are great and appreciated always, but if you are a member, shouldn’t you be in church every Sunday? If God calls you to join a church, he didn’t mean for you to go only when there is an event. Sure, events are great to draw out old friends, relatives and those who might have moved away, but if you are a member of a church, it is your God-given duty to be there and participate every Sunday. You are needed to help the church grow.

Don’t get me wrong, we all need a break every now and then, and it’s OK if you can’t make it every Sunday; however, the more you stay away, the easier it gets. Excuses are easier to make each time you don’t want to get up and go.

Everyone is needed, especially in a small church. I know everyone remembers the Uncle Sam “I Want You” military recruitment posters. The same is true with God: He wants you in his army, and it’s all or nothing (as we see in Revelation 3:16).

We hope to see all members this Sunday and every Sunday, and also hope we see lots of visitors for our Homecoming service.

Until next time, may God bless you and keep you. We hope to see you soon.

Submitted by K.J. Bowen

Rocky Mount UMC

Pastor Guin’s Sunday message “Those Smelly Christians” caused many smiles. He led us to Ezekiel, where the prophet wrote of the effect of our obedience to God’s Word. He called it “fragrant incense” to God.

Pastor Guin then moved to the 2 Corinthians, where Paul tells the church in Corinth that to God, disobedience is like the smell of an open tomb. I wondered just what others smell when they walk past me. Do the acts of disobedience I perform each day when I fail to do his will stink to high heaven (no pun intended)? Do my prayers of repentance and my efforts to do better the next day bring a breath of fresh air?

Our lives as Christians must pass the smell test Sunday through Saturday. We may be the only Bible some people ever read. Don’t let the stink of failing to love one another be your Christian testimony. Don’t let gossip and mean actions change the odor surrounding you.

Before others find your Christian scent less than pleasing, lay your destructive thoughts at the foot of the cross, where they can be filtered through the aroma of a loving Christ. Make sure your Christian walk is as fragrant incense to God.

Our summer worship schedule is in full swing. The youth group meets each Wednesday, and there will be no Sunday evening Bible study throughout the summer; instead, we will have special opportunities for fellowship, such as barbeques, ice cream, hot dogs and sling shots. Watch for announcements of time and place.

Sunday morning, our adult class meets to study Genesis, and our youth meet in the basement.

On May 17, there will be a reception honoring our newest high school graduate, Kyra Glasscock. We are proud to help her celebrate this proud moment in her life.

Submitted by Charlotte Powell

Mountain Springs Church

Sunday morning, the congregation sang the hymns “Glory to His Name,” “Heaven Will Surely Be Worth It All,” “If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again” and “Heaven’s Jubilee.”   

Bro. Roger Cleckler brought his devotion from 2 Kings 4:8-10, 13. The woman in this passage is referred to as “a great woman.” Her name is never mentioned, so we don’t know her name, but God sure does. The Lord granted her the desire of her heart. It shouldn’t matter if we get attention for what we do, we should want to do God’s work no matter what. He is looking down and looking out, and you will be rewarded.

After Sunday school, Ricky Cleckler sang “Momma’s Prayer.”

Bro. Heath Vines preached from Proverbs 31:10-31. The only way a mother can be godly is to follow and read the Word of God.

Proverbs 31:10: Who can find a virtuous woman? Virtuous means you’re so close to God that everything that comes out of you is godly. God wants us to be virtuous. If you do right and live right, God will find you virtuous.

Proverbs 31:28: We need to be that Godly influence for our kids so they can grow up and say their parents were the example that helped them grow with God. We have people behind us that are watching us. We need to live godly lives every day.

Proverbs 31:30: There are a lot of things in this life that are deceitful. The outward appearance means nothing, but our hearts mean everything. The most important thing we have on this earth besides God is our family. We need to lead, guide and protect our families. God knew the importance of a family when he put it into place.

The importance of a mother:

(1) A great responsibility has been placed mothers; children learn from and imitate them. God entrusted his Son to a mother.

(2) Mothers are responsible for the spiritual needs of their children.

(3) There’s a lot to being a mother, and mothers do their work without pay. A mother’s reward comes in seeing what her child is doing for God. There’s great reward for being a godly mother, but the greatest of all will be from God.   

Revival began on Sunday night and ran through Wednesday.

Submitted by Savannah Parrish

Bethany Baptist Church

Service opened with the song “Tell It to Jesus” and a devotion titled “The Disciples” from John 13:34-35.

In Leviticus 19:18, God told the Israelites to love their neighbors. Who is your neighbor? Everyone with whom you come in contact is your neighbor.

God sent his Son for everyone to be saved. Love in the church will keep the church strong and help bring in new people. We must love people as Jesus does. Only through love can people see that you are a child of God. Without love, we will not be good witnesses for the cause of Jesus Christ.

After Sunday School, we sang “If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again,” “All Alone” and “Heaven Is Nearer Since Mother Is There.” We honored our mothers through Barbara Miller’s scripture reading from Proverbs 31. Lori K., Barbara A. and Barbara then passed out a carnation and a small gift to all the mothers present.

Bro. Aubry also read scripture from Proverbs 31. After a prayer, he brought the Mother’s Day message, “Who Can Find a Virtuous Woman?” This scripture describes a caring, loving woman who really loves and cares for the needs of her family. Whether or not we have had a virtuous mother, it is our responsibility to care for our families and the lost persons of the world. Each lost person in the world needs the gospel message and to come to the saving grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, we have examples of four mothers:

(1) In Luke 2:18-19, we find an attentive mother, Mary the mother of Jesus. Like us, Mary was a sinner, and she is not to be worshipped. She was a blessed woman, but not more important than other mothers. God chose her to be the mother of his only begotten son, Jesus.

Verse 19 shows us that Mary was a very attentive and loving mother. In Luke 2:41-51 is recorded the account of Jesus staying behind after the Passover, listening at the feet of the teachers and asking questions of them. After three days, his parents found him and they rebuked him. Mary and Joseph knew who Jesus was, and asked them if they did not know that he must “be about his Father’s business.”

Mary kept all these sayings in her heart. She knew Jesus came into the world to be the Savior of the world. At the wedding feast, when the host ran out of wine, Mary knew Jesus could provide. She was also at the foot of the cross when Jesus was crucified.

(2) In Matthew 20:20, 23 and 27, we find the ambitious mother: the mother of Zebedee’s children, James and John. She came to Jesus asking that in heaven her two sons would sit beside God—one on the left side, and the other on the right side. Jesus then asked the sons if they were able to suffer as he would suffer.

The mother asked on behalf of her sons for the favor. She thought her sons deserved to be in first place. Those who want to be first should start by serving.

We all want the best for our children. James and John turned out to be great servants of God. James was the first martyr, and John wrote the Gospel of John and the books 1, 2 and 3 John.

(3) The articulate mother is found in 2 Timothy 1:5. This verse mentions the mother and grandmother who wanted Timothy to know about Jesus and taught him the Scriptures.

When and where should a child first hear the Bible stories? They should learn from their mothers and fathers. They should be taken to church and Sunday School on the Lord’s day, the first day of the week. Where should children be on Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night? They should be in church. We should diligently teach the Word of God to our children.

(4) The adoptive mother is mentioned in Romans 16:13. In this verse, Paul is handing out compliments to the people of Rome. The mother of Rufus was not the mother of Paul, but she was like an adoptive mother to him. The many things we should do for our mothers are not written in the Bible, but it is our duty to love our mothers in both word and deed.

We closed with a prayer and the song “My Faith Looks Up To Thee.”

The ladies auxiliary and men’s meetings were held in the afternoon; afterward, the evening service began with the song “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” followed by our business meeting.

Bro. Aubry brought the message “How We Should Pray” from Luke 18:1-8.

The Bible is plain about the necessity of prayer because it is communication with God. God expects us to ask for our needs, whatever they might be. Colossians 4:2 says that if you ask God for something according to his will, go ahead and thank him for it. Don’t pray expecting nothing (Ephesians 6:18). The end thereof is near. Don’t fret; pray (1 Peter 4:7).

In 1 Chronicles 7:14, God says that if we will humble ourselves and pray, he will forgive our sins and heal our land. The people who are saved in America need to pray for our leaders and our government. Things are bad, and will only get worse except for the intervening of God.

2 Chronicles 19:6 gives an example of why the job of the judges is so important in the eyes of God. The widow in the parable of Luke 18:1-8 had a legitimate reason to appeal to the judge. She did not quit asking for her need to be met. When we have a need, we should keep asking, just as the widow in this parable did. The judge, unlike God, gave in because he was tired of the woman asking every day. God will avenge us and meet our needs, whether it is for a lost person to be saved or for some other need.

As the mother and father hear the pleas of their children, so God the Father of the saved hears the prayers of his children (Galatians 4:6-7). Will God’s people show their faith with their continual praying? Don’t quit; there is a real need for our church, the lost and each other.

We closed with a prayer. Our prayer list includes: our church, Bro. Aubry, Shirley, Grace, Billie, Jackie, Debbie, Frankie, Jeanette, J.C., missions and missionaries, Lisa R., Vikii, Helen, Glenda, R. Allen D., Mary K., Chris K., VBS, Colyn, Bro. Hubert and many more, but most of all those who are lost and in need of a Savior.

Submitted by Jane Vines

Calvary Independent Baptist Church

We want to thank everyone who attended services last week.

Sunday morning’s service included a message from Proverbs 31 on the value of a mother. We hope you made an extra effort in doing something special to remember your mother on Mother’s Day.

Mothers are very special and deserve praise for all the good they have done in and through their children’s lives. They are a valuable asset, not only to their own family, but also for the kingdom of God.

Paul recognized the faith of Timothy’s mother and grandmother, and he believed the same faith was instilled in Timothy as well. The world could really use a lot more of these godly mothers and grandmothers today, impacting the lives of people around them for the glory and purpose of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

If you are a mother, we hope you had a blessed and wonderful Mother’s Day.

Sunday night’s service included a continued study through the book of Acts. We looked at Acts 20:7-27, which illustrates how dozing and declining can lead to spiritual death, and one actually falling out of church service.

We also looked at how Paul was a witness for Christ, was a walking testimony and how he continued in the work God had called him to do. A dispensation of the gospel was committed unto him. Can you imagine trying to operate a church today under the gospel of the kingdom and not having the 13 epistles written to the church the body of Christ? Without them, there would be little to no chance of understanding future events.

Paul ran his race and did what he was called to do to fulfill the Word of God so we could have that completed written revelation today. Likewise, we who are saved are called for a purpose, and we have a race that is set before us. We need to be about our Father’s business. We need to be that witness for Jesus Christ, having a testimony seen through our walk and doing the work we are called to do.

We hope you are saved and serving the Lord in fellowship with a church near you. If not, and you are in or near Clanton and looking for a church, or just want to visit with us, we would love to see you this Sunday at Calvary.

For services and events, check us out on Facebook, Twitter or visit our website at www.cibc-clanton.com.

Submitted by Oscar Mims

Bethsalem Baptist Church

We had a great day of worshipping the Lord. Bro. Justin welcomed everyone and recognized the mothers in the congregation, some of whom gave their testimony.

Special music by the Celebration Choir was “It’s Not in Vain.” Bro. Justin’s message “To God’s holy People” was taken from Ephesians 6:1-3.

Pray for our country and its leaders, Patsy Rhodes, Kathy Fitzgerald, Joan Emmerich, Kyle Fulford, Debbie Jones, Sid Griner, Myra Burnett, Jimmy Headley, Michael Arnold, Kinlee Till, Hunter Moore, Patsy Burnett, Justin and Peter Daugherty, Joanthan Limbrick, David Boozer, Cecilia Crabbe, Chad Mix, Lowell Strock, Jacob Browder, “Ma Ma” Mims, Tyler Abbott, Stephanie Hinton, Paul Price, Edward Moore, Gladys Bryant, Peggy Harris and Melisa Lansford.

Happy birthday to Helen Cames, Alexis Burnett, Dalton Porter, Tara Chavers, Zachery Hunter, Jason Barber, Klya Hilyer, Henry Moore, Jason Chandler, Destiny Griffin, Adam Barr, Nakita Ellison, Mike Cox and Melanie Cox.

Graduate recognition will take place May 17 with lunch afterward in their honor. At 4 p.m., we will host Billingsley High School’s baccalaureate service. A reception will be held in the fellowship hall following the service.

Be sure to get your CareNet baby bottles in by June 21.

Have a blessed week, and tell someone about Jesus.

Submitted by Elvie Patterson

Friendship Baptist Church

Our choir special was “First Loved Me” with a special solo by Taylor Curtis.

Bro. Ken Daniel’s message was taken from Psalm 78:1-8. His sermon title was “Parenting with a Purpose.” We must teach children to trust God, but first, we must trust God. We need to share what God has done for us. Trust and obey him.

Prayer requests: Nancy Gibson, Margaret Franks, Jennifer Wately, Agnes and Ken Cox, Gary Miller, McKayla’s parents, Stephanie Rigsby, Anna Byars, Debbie Culp and Devon Welcher.

Upcoming events:

May 17: Senior Day honoring the graduates of 2015. Also, there will be a church council meeting at 4 p.m.

May 30-June 5: Chilton Baptist mission trip to Ross Common, Michigan.

May 31: Church council meeting.

June 5-6: Men’s fishing trip.

June 8: VBS (theme is “Camp Discovery).

July 20-24: Chilton Association Children’s Camp. Deadline to register is June 3.

Aug. 2-5: Revival with the Rev. Don Graham and Frank Jones.

Our website: www.friendshipbaptistclanton.com. Watch us on Ustream under the title “Friendship Baptist Clanton.” You can also find us on Facebook under the title “Friendship Baptist Clanton.”

Floyd Baptist Church

Bro. Mike Lawrence’s message was taken from Matthew 15:22-28 and titled “Christ and the Canaanite Mother.”

Jesus is interested in mothers. He came to seek and save them as well as other people, and he uses them in his ministry.

The mother in this passage realized that her daughter was under demonic control, and she went in faith to Jesus. As a result, her daughter was made whole. This mother remained persistent. She had heard that Jesus could heal so she sought him out, and her faith was rewarded.

Our Fifth Sunday Singing will be held at 5 p.m. on May 31. Randall Edwards will be the guest singer. Everyone is invited to worship with us at Floyd.