Mountain Springs Church

Before Sunday school, Kevin Vines led the congregation in the hymn “I’m in the Glory Land Way.”

Brad Shaw brought his devotion from Hebrews 4:12: We can use the Word of God to defeat our enemy, and we need to put forth effort to study it.

After Sunday school, Kevin Vines sang “So Much to Thank Him For.”

Bro. Heath Vines preached from James 2:1-11: God cares about a person’s soul. We may “look the part,” but God is only concerned about where a person’s soul is. The only thing that matters is if we truly have a relationship with Jesus.

Sometimes we prioritize our sin by saying, “So-and-so’s sin is greater than mine.” The truth is, it takes one sin to become a sinner, and sin is disobedience to God. It can only take one sin to keep us out of fellowship with God (Romans 3:23).

It only takes one sin, but God sent us one Savior. He is our answer to everything. The world’s sin caused him to die and shed his blood.

On Sunday night, the choir sang the hymns “Jesus is Coming Soon,” “Living by Faith,” “I Want to Be Ready to Meet Him” and “I Want to Know More About My Lord.”

Bro. Kenneth Moates brought a devotion from Psalm 34:19 and John 16:33: The righteous can expect affliction upon their lives. We will not be spared hardships. Even though we will have hardships, God will deliver us. He promised he would pick you up. He has overcome.

“Oh the Blood,” was sung by Courtney Shaw.

Bro. Heath Vines then preached from Psalm 51:12: The word “restore” can be defined as “to bring back, or repair.” God can restore our relationship with him. Don’t believe the devil’s lies when he tells you you’re too far gone or you’re a failure.

Through Jesus, we can have the victory over sin. If you rely on him, he will bring you through it. Just because you mess up doesn’t mean it’s over. Make the choice to come back to God. God loves it when we return to him. No matter the sin, he is able to restore.

God can also restore our joy. Sin steals joy, and that’s exactly what the devil wants to do: steal our joy. God wants his people to have joy (Psalm 132:16). Even in trials, troubles and sickness, through Jesus, we can still have joy. There is joy and refreshment where God is.

Submitted by Savannah Parrish

Mars Hill Baptist Church

Praise God for a successful week of Vacation Bible School! So many dedicated people were involved that to name them all would be impossible. It takes an effort to pull off a great VBS, and God was with us. We had several people make professions of faith in Jesus Christ. We are so thankful, and give to God all praise, honor and glory. We can do the catching, but God does the cleaning. Amen.

Bro. William Short’s message this week was taken from Galatians 6:7-9: “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

I love fresh vegetables—peas, corn, okra, tomatoes, etc.—but I’ve never planted a corn stalk and had a peach grow from it, and I’ve never seen an okra stalk produce a rose. If a man tries to tell you differently, you will spot his deception in this matter real quick. Other times, a person sets out to deceive you and will be successful at it, at least for a period of time. Satan is the master of deception, and if you are not rooted and grounded in God’s Word, you will fall for his lies every time, friend.

God never deceives anyone. God is good, he is loving and he cares for everyone. God is not mocked. Have you ever been mocked or made fun of? It’s irritating, right? Have you ever mocked your parents and gotten in trouble for it? God is our heavenly Father, and he doesn’t like it either. Ignoring God is mockery.

Watch your words; God knows whether we are sincere in our prayers and in our church life. You’d better know that you know that you know who the Savior is: Jesus Christ. He sees us at home and on vacation. We can’t go one step without God’s all-seeing eye watching over us. You cannot lie to God and get away with it. Satan cannot lie to God either, and that ol’ devil is the best there is at lying.

The devil would have you believe that you are good enough, kind enough, smart enough or strong enough to make it to heaven without the blood of Jesus. Not true, friend; Jesus is the only way to heaven. Just being baptized won’t get you in the pearly gates, and joining every church in the state won’t get you walking on the streets of gold. In other words, be very sure the rope you’re swinging on is attached to a limb!

What you sow today, you will reap in due season. Be careful to sow good things: do good deeds, love and care for those who cannot pay you back. Do good, and expect nothing in return. The flip side is that if you sow discord—mocking God, lying, cheating and stealing—this is what you will reap. Which kind of life would you rather live? What kind of legacy would you like to leave your children?

So many times, life has us going wide open, never stopping to really live and worship God in spirit and truth. We forge ahead with our plans, never waiting on what God has in store for us, which is always far better than anything we could ever hope to have for ourselves. Slow down; read your Bible, pray and wait on the Lord. He will never leave you for forsake you—ever. Our hope is in God, in Christ alone. Amen.

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

Submitted by Danny L.