Christ Independent Methodist Church

Today’s service began with the congregation singing “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name,” “O, How I Love Jesus” and “His Name is Wonderful.”

Dr. Mac Stinson’s sermon was titled “Leaping Where You Cannot Look.” His scripture was from Hebrews 11:1-3, 8:16. The sermon dealt with the old adage of “look before you leap,” and continued with the summation that faith is jumping without being able to see where our feet will fall.

The example he quoted for us was Abraham, who went where God told him to go, even though he did not know where that might be. His faith in God was unexcelled. In the wilderness, he went without a home, living in a tent because he believed that the God he worshipped would one day provide him with a better home, though he did not know where that might be. There were others in Abraham’s party who shared his faith.

The world we live in is desperate for people of faith. A working definition of faith is walking where you cannot see. The world we live in needs people of faith. Christian people have a great opportunity to step forward and be those faith-bearing people. While God’s word needs messengers to share it with their fellow men, we can all be like the messenger of old who said, “Here am I, Lord. Send me.” Each of us shares that same opportunity.

When you pray, remember Dr. Mac Stinson and his son, Mary Ann Carden, Opal Miller, Roy Lauter, Beebee’s friends in Georgia and all others whose names are known to the Lord.

Two of our young people will be entering college in the very near future. They are Anna Adams, who will be leaving for Kentucky, and Autumn Glass, who will attend Jefferson State Community College in Chilton County. We wish them both the best success and will miss them every Sunday when we see their empty space.

Our Sunday evening worship service continues with “The Handwriting on the Wall.” We invite you to join us at 5 p.m. for this interesting study time.

Mars Hill Baptist Church

What a wonderful day it was to be in the house of our Lord. Our service started with a baby dedication. It is truly special to see new parents pledge to bring up a child in God’s house and teach them about Jesus. Babies in the church mean your church is living and growing, so we praise God for all of our babies and young people.

Bro. William Short took our message from 1 John 4:1-4. This passage tells us not to believe every spirit, but to test them to see if they are of God. There are many false prophets in the world right now that try to lure God’s people away from the truth. The only way to know the truth is to read and study the Bible.

Every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ came in the flesh is of God. Verse 4 tells us that greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Be a discerning Christian and test the spirits. God says to trust him, try him and prove him. If what you hear doesn’t line up with the Bible, it is not of God and is not true.

Trust only in God with all your heart, mind and body. Where the mind goes, the body follows. Do not waiver in your faith. There will come a day when storms come into your life. You will have heartaches, pain and death. God will be there for you. He offers peace and comfort to the bereaved and shelter from the storms of life. Just trust him. You may not always see the end of the tunnel, but God is there, waiting for you to come through the other side and into the light of his love. Just trust him.

Only God offers the true way, the way of salvation. Be rooted and grounded in the word of God, so that when the wolf comes knocking at your door, you will be able to tell evil from good. God offers only good to his children, while Satan offers only evil. Many preachers today only tell their congregations about the good things, making them feel good, but never preaching about Satan, telling them to be wary of him and how he can wreck their lives. They worry about offending someone, but praise God for the preachers who tell the truth—the whole truth! God says to try him. He will always be there in times of trouble, sickness, heartaches and death. Just try him.

God also says to prove him. In my life, he has proven himself to me many times, in many ways. When death came into my family, he picked me up and gave me the peace and comfort as only he could. Not peace as the world defines it, but his peace, the kind that surpasses all understanding. When I thought I would never find joy or laughter in my life ever again, he gave it to me. When you realize that God is real, his peace is real and his spirit is real, you will find joy everlasting. He will prove himself over and over again. The world needs the love and peace of God, but first we have to find it within ourselves before we can give it away. Only God can give it to you, friend. He will never let you down. Open your eyes and heart to the glory of God. God loves us so much. God is love.

Events: In the month of August, there will be no WMU, Brotherhood meetings or fellowship supper. We will be preparing ourselves for the upcoming revival in the month of September. This first Wednesday night, we will focus on being humble. Please begin praying now for revival.

Please pray for our church, our pastor and Mrs. Cindy, the sick, the lost, the hurting souls, our country, our troops, and our precious children, who will be going back to school in just a few days. Pray that God will keep a hedge of protection around all our schools and keep our children safe from harm. God is good, all the time! Amen.