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Contributing Writers: Mike Mills, Spring Hill Church | Doug Fincher | Pastor Randy and Sue Smith | Mike Belgard | Tim Perkins
Faith
February 15, 2024 - I read an interesting story the other day related by William Barclay. It seems a minister accepted a position with a new congregation. He was warned by those who knew this congregation that it was a dead church and he would be better served not to go there. Nevertheless, he accepted the position and soon discovered that the church was indeed dead.
There was no planning, no labor and no amount of urging or exhortation could kindle a spark of life or waken any response. To be sure, he told the congregation they were dead and he made plans to carry out the funeral of the church.
On the day appointed for the “church’s funeral” he had a coffin brought into the building and the building was decorated with funeral sprays and other floral arrangements befitting a funeral. The building was crowded more than it had been in years. At the end of the “burial service”, as a last token of respect, the minister invited the assembled audience to file past the coffin.
As they filed past, they received a shock. The coffin was open and empty. In the bottom of the coffin was a mirror. As each individual looked into the coffin of the “dead church” they saw their own face. You see, if the church is dead spiritually, it is because we are dead spiritually. The simple fact is that we are the church. The church is people. It is its members. If a congregation is dead, it is because its members are dead.
It’s something to think about... tbp
Join Us for Worship this coming Lord’s Day at Center Church of Christ or online at www.centerchurchofchrist.com
February 12, 2024 - Please join Neuville Baptist Church for an Old Fashioned Singing on Saturday, March 9, 2024 starting at 3pm.
Bring your group, solo, or whole church and come and enjoy an afternoon of singing.
For any questions, please call Bro. Steven Berry at 936-332-4714.
“Take heed to thyself…” (I Tim. 4:16)
February 12, 2024 - Lawrence and Lucille Mitchell of Vinton, Louisiana invited me for lunch almost every Sunday of the six years that I was their pastor. They were the “canners” of the community and Lawrence built Lucille special shelves for their canned food.
One Sunday morning they arrived at church with noticeably somber faces. When I asked what was wrong, Lawrence exploded, "Those canning shelves crashed last night and all the jars are broken!"
“What do you think God is telling you?” I asked. “Quit feeding the preacher?”… “Stop canning?”
Sheepishly grinning, he mumbled, “No, He told me the nails I used to build those shelves were too short.”
We can’t blame God for self-inflicted calamities. If we carefully examine our fallen shelves, we might find that neither God nor our fellow man is responsible for their collapse.
Maybe our nails were too short.
February 12, 2024 - Good Morning! It's Monday, February 12.
Did you watch the Super Bowl last night? Hope your team won, or at least that you enjoyed a few commercials. I thought Reba McEntire did a great job on the National Anthem. She sang it in under 90 seconds - always a good sign.
Sportswriters will write a lot about The Big Game, and I'm sure that some of them will say "It was a war out there!" Comparing football to war is a common metaphor. Coaches are called "generals," players are "warriors," in a "Battle on the Gridiron!" Sometimes I wonder what real soldiers think of this metaphor, men and women who have actually been in combat.
Well, I wouldn't know. I've never been in a war, and I never played football. But I know this. The Bible tells us that Christians are in a battle, a real war. We read about it in Ephesians 6 - "We fight not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world." Spiritual warfare... it's not a metaphor. Put on your armor today!
Meet you back here tomorrow,
Bro. David
dmathis@fbccenter.org
February 9, 2024 - The Pastor and members of Carroll Chapel CME Church in Shelbyville would like to invite you to our annual black history program, Sunday, February 18, 2024 at 3pm.
Our guest speaker will be Rev. Frankie Cooper. Everyone is invited.
The church is located at 302 Fm 2694, Shelbyville, Texas 75973.
February 8, 2024 - St. John Baptist Church in the Africa Community, Center, Texas are hosting a Black History Celebration on Sunday, February 18, 2024 at 2pm.
The celebration is “Honoring the Past to Inspire the Future” with guest church family, Pleasant Grove Baptist Church of Tenaha, Texas and Pastor Johnny Jones.
All area probation officers honored.
Sis. Jacklyn Moton, Coordinator
Winston Kibbles, Pastor
February 8, 2024 - This coming Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will square off in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. When the dust settles, one team will be victorious. To be sure, every human being delights in victory and it is a natural desire to win. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians he penned these words; "But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ:” (I Corinthians 15:57) In that passage we are promised victory.
In Jesus Christ we have victory over sin. We have victory over the guilt of sin. We also have victory over the power of sin, temptation. In Jesus Christ we also have victory over the trials of life. We have victory over sorrow and difficulties. We have victory over fear and the world. In Jesus Christ we have victory over death and the promise of a home in heaven.
However, those promises are only for those who belong to God. They are for those who are living their lives within the will of God, obedient to his will. For those, Paul has a promise in the next sentence of the chapter (verse 58) “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” Let’s make sure we are living our lives within the will of God.
It’s something to think about... tbp
Join Us for Worship this coming Lord’s Day at Center Church of Christ or online at www.centerchurchofchrist.com
February 7, 2024 - Good Morning! It's Wednesday, February 7.
This morning, we take a look at a famous passage from the Word of God, Matthew 11:28-30. Here it is in the King James Version.
Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
A man was driving by a farm one day, and he saw an old farmer plowing his field behind two oxen. He was surprised that while one ox was full grown and huge, the other was very young and much, much smaller. It was almost a comical picture. He stopped and asked the farmer why he would do such a thing. The old man smiled and explained that the yoke was fashioned in a way that the big ox was pulling almost all the weight, and the young ox was there merely to learn.
What a perfect metaphor for this famous scripture passage. Everyone lives under some kind of yoke, but Jesus invites us to leave the burdensome yokes of the world, and find peace with Him. And Jesus isn't the farmer in this story, He is our yoke partner. "Come unto ME", he says, "Learn of ME". Jesus isn't talking about a religion, He's talking about a relationship. And in this world of trouble, tragedy, and turmoil, it is a relationship that can bring us . . . rest.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
Bro. David
dmathis@fbccenter.org
February 6, 2024 - St. John's Episcopal Church will be having an Ash Wednesday service at 12 noon on February 14. Everyone is welcome to attend. The church is located just past Southview Circle, 1063 Southview Circle, Center, Texas 75935.
"You err because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God…" Mark 12:24
February 5, 2024 - Following assembly directions is something I’ve never done really well. Years ago I ordered a Color Photo Enlarger. I was so anxious to get it that I wrestled it from the UPS driver and immediately began the assembly. But after a couple of frustrating hours, I did what I should’ve done to begin with: I found the instruction booklet, followed it step by step, and… Walla! …the parts fit perfectly!
We all spend a lot of frustrating hours trying to figure out the complex issues of life. We want to know things like who made us, where we came from, and where we’re going. And our human reasoning won’t fit it together.
But the parts are all there and it can fit together perfectly. But it won’t happen until we stop, lay down our wrenches …
… and read God’s Instruction Book.
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