August 3^rd, 2014

Today’s Services:

9:30 am ­ ;.... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... Two Manner of People -- Genesis 25:23-34

10:00 am ...................................................................................All Judah Stood Before The Lord -- II Chronicles 20

Birthdays: AUGUST: 4^th -- Laura Bobbitt, 6^th -- Abigail Hudson, 7^th -- Bonnie Stanley, 13^th -- John Sheesley Jr.

Church Cleaning: August 4^th - 9^th - John and Irene

Nursery Today: 1^st Service - Mary Parks, 2^nd Service - Robin (Lauren Parks - alternate) Wednesday: Debra Huff

Preparing Ourselves For Worship -- Ecclesiastes 5:1 “…be more ready to hear!”

We couldn’t imagine the preacher stepping into the pulpit NOT being ready to preach! We couldn’t imagine him NOT praying to God, begging God for His message of the hour. We couldn’t imagine him NOT earnestly asking for His blessing, and His Spirit in the delivery of His Word! But have we ever stopped to realize that it is just as vital for us to be “ready to hear,” as it is for the preacher to be ready to preach? How often do we come to worship assuming that our God will bless His message to our hearts? Our Lord said: “I WILL DO all these things for my people,” but in Ezekiel 36:37 He said: “I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them.” Our Lord plainly told us: “Ask, and it shall be given you!” Do you desire a blessing from His Word today? Ask Him for it! Enquire of Him for it! Ask Him to bring you to the house of God PREPARED for worship! Ask Him to make you “ready to hear,” beg Him for His message of the hour. Earnestly ask Him for His blessing and His Spirit in the hearing of His Word! Lord, make your servant ready to declare!…and make us your servants “ready to hear!” -- Gabe Stalnaker, pastor, Kingsport, TN

A Good Opinion of Self???

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; Fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry…”

The first thing the Holy Spirit does when He comes into a person’s heart is this: He finds that person with A VERY GOOD OPINION OF HIMSELF. And there is NOTHING which prevents a person coming to Christ like a good opinion of himself. The Holy Spirit must lay bare that heart and let him see the loathsome disease of sin; uncover to him all the evil and defilement of the human heart. “The heart is deceitful above all and desperately wicked; who can know it?” But IT MUST BE KNOWN before the sinner will fall at the feet of Christ and cry, “Lord, be merciful to me, the sinner.” Actually, the Spirit of God not only reveals the corruptions of our EVIL, deeds, but the corruptions of our BEST deeds, until the convicted sinner weeps with Wesley and says, “Depths of mercy, can there be / Mercy still reserved for me? Can my God His wrath forbear? / Me, the chief of sinners, spare?” -- Henry Mahan

Spiritual Growth By The Word -- “ . .desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby.” – I Peter 2:2

One certain evidence of spiritual life is growth. The grace of God that brings salvation causes one to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Spiritual life is the life of faith, and “faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” And it is not just 'reading the bible' but feeding on Christ. He said, "except ye eat my flesh and drink my blood ye have no part in me." That is faith in Christ. And that faith cometh by the hearing and reading of God's Word. The Word of God (gospel) is the seed that is sown in the heart and soul, bringing forth new and spiritual life. The Word of God is the food of that new soul, causing it to grow and bring forth fruit. God’s Word is called milk (for babes), meat (for strong men and women), bread, butter, honey . . . FOOD for the nourishment and growth of our spiritual bodies. Just as poor diet, bad food and vices can stunt physical growth, leaving one weak and sickly; a poor diet of God’s Word, lack of hearing the preached Word, lack of fellowship, and the things of this world can stunt the growth of a believer.