Samaria Baptist Church

Happy birthday today to Brady and Connie Popwell.

Our prayer concerns are for Mr. Blankenship, Vacation Bible School, Doris Connell, David and Barbara Jones, Lula Spiegner’s family (especially Connie Popwell), Jan Christiansen and Diane Bullard.

Lauren and Stacy Wyatt provided our special music, and they did a wonderful job on “Jesus is Alive and Well.”

Bro. Shane’s message was titled, “Joy in the Morning.” The beginning text came from Philippians 4:4-9. We are provided with a formula for joy and peace, and it is located in God’s Word. It is imperative that we have the proper attitude to obtain this wonderful blessing of joy and peace.

So often we are controlled by what is going on around us. We become bogged down in the disturbing actions of our government and the sin and abomination around us. We cannot be a reflection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ if we are detained by the evil Satan has planted in our path.

We often retaliate when someone is angry and verbally abusive to us. Our battle with Satan rages because he inserts problems into our daily lives to drive a wedge between Jesus and us. He is constantly trying to cause problems in the family and in the workplace.

We can never be perfect in this life, but God’s mercy is renewed every morning. Grace is sufficient for all our needs. No matter what comes against us, if we are faithful to serve our Master, he will see us through and we will win the important battles. If we apply God’s armor, Satan’s strength doesn’t work against us.

It’s hard to love those who stir up anger, but God’s power will guard against the wiles of Satan. Ephesians 10:12 tells us to be strong in the Lord.

We must take a stand for our beliefs in Christ. We need to be Christians who brings forth fruit. We are empowered by his mercy and grace. His power can enable us to grow in him.

Spending time on our knees in prayer and implanting our minds with the Word are ways to call out to him. We cannot be content with merely praying over meals and a quick “thank you” as we head to bed; we need to become immersed in Jesus Christ and remain in a constant attitude of prayer.

Just as we seek shelter in a physical rainstorm, we must seek the shelter of God’s love, which involves being faithful to study his truths and worshiping him.

God is good; his mercy is everlasting and his truth endures forever. Amen.

May the peace of God the Father fill your heart. We invite you to join us at Samaria for a wonderful time in Jesus.

Submitted by Diane Fisher

Cedar Grove Church

Pastor Jeff Carroll took the text for his sermon “Children of the Devil” from John 8:31-59 and Mathew 25:31-34.

The message of Jesus Christ: There is only one way to heaven, and that is through the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Jesus brought us into this world, and he is the only one that can take us to heaven with him. Jesus Christ is the door to heaven. We are so important to him that his Father sent him to die on the cross for our sins.

People have to be convinced they are lost before they can be saved. God said, “I have offered you Jesus. Will you accept him? If you continue in my Word and practice the life I told you to live, you will go home to be with Jesus.” Christ is not coming back for everyone who says, “Lord, Lord” because not all will enter heaven.

It is ironic that the Pharisees and most Jews told Jesus they were Abraham’s descendants and they had never been in bondage to anyone. Did they forget Moses, Babylon and Rome? They were under Roman rule at that time.

Blessed are they that have ears to hear. The sad truth is that the people of America are living that same kind of life now, not wanting to know Jesus. I want to be spirit-minded; our bodies of flesh will not last forever, but Jesus abides with us forever.

We Christians must strive to live by the Spirit, not of the flesh, for we will surely fail. If you sin, you are a slave to it. Jesus set the Pharisees and Jews up for the truth. Jesus said, “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill me because my word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with my Father, and you speak what you have seen with your father.” They answered, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. Abraham did not seek to kill me; you do the deeds of your father.”

The Jews answered, “We are not sons of a fornicator; God is our father.” Jesus replied: “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I proceeded forth and came from God. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is not truth in him. When he speaks a lie he speaks from his own resources for he is a liar and the father of it. When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the holy angels with him, all the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.”

Jesus will set the sheep on his right side and the goats on the left; then the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come you blessed of my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

Where do you stand with God today? Are you a child of God or a child of the devil?

Announcements:

Aug. 5-7: Revival will begin at 7 p.m. each night. Bro. Wayne Castleberry will bring the message on Wednesday, Bro. Jason Kelly on Thursday and Bro. Clay Collins on Friday. Everyone is invited to attend.

Aug. 8: Christians United will be joining in the event “One County Under God” at 6 p.m. at the pavilion across from the Chilton County Courthouse. Come one, come all for a great blessing, and wear something red if possible.

Prayer concerns: our church family, Christians United ministry outreach, our pastors, those in hospitals and nursing homes, spoken and unspoken requests, Phillip Genry, Erica Genry and the Genry family.

Submitted by Naomi Gillespie