What Is It You're Hoping For?

Tyrel Lett was celebrating a birthday as we gathered to worship Sunday morning at Mill Creek Baptist Church. Special prayers were requested for Wyatt, Debbie, Angela, Kristen, Crystal, Tom Sharp, Ruth Briggs, David Barton, Ruby Wetzel and James. Jeanette Easter thanked everyone for their help with the church booth at the fair and announced that Alaska Baker was the winner of the Bible. Special thanks to Jimmy and Jeanette for their work on the booth and for purchasing Bibles for the kids. Pastor Mark shared the prayer requests with the congregation that were left in the box at the fair.

Linda Abercrombie led us in the responsive reading "Joy and Triumph" from I Corinthians 13. Tyrel Lett asked God's blessing and then he and Mitchell Lett served as offering attendants. We were blessed with special music from Jerry Abercrombie and Bob Obenshain and Wayne Johnson led the congregational hymns with Becky Johnson at the piano.

After reading Ephesians 2:12, Pastor Mark Hall began God's message for us, "What Is It You're Hoping For?" Brother Mark began by telling us that the saddest thing is to have no hope. "We are always hoping for something. We hear of upper, middle and lower class people. There are only two classes of people -- those with hope and those without hope because they don't have God. No matter how good you think you have it without God, you have no hope for the future, no home in heaven. What matters is our hope and what comes after. What does this hope have to do with our quality of life now? We hope for the wrong things. We hope for relief from our problems, but need to hope for glory from God which is when we have peace. Problems make a Christian run closer to God because we can't do it better on our own. We are always wanting to do something else when God wants us to do something else. We only find peace when we do it God's way. God is more interested in your holiness than your happiness. When you find your holiness, then you will find happiness. Holiness is surrendering your will and doing God's will according to His word. Submit to His power and you will find His peace."

Brother Mark read Ephesians 5:22 to 6:9 which talks about family relations and putting on the armor of God. "There are three places we all need peace and that is in our homes, in church and on our jobs. If you find peace in those three places, your quality of life will soar." Brother Mark talked about what holiness looks like as he referred to the scripture. "Christ is the head of the church. Hope, peace and happiness happens when we quit controlling it and let God. For peace in the home, the husband is the head of the family. Give him respect. Husbands are to love their wives selflessly. Children are to obey their parents. And when you go to work, work and do a good job like you are doing it for the Lord. If you try those things, the peace factor will go up in your life."

Proverbs 16:20 says, "He who heeds the word wisely will find good, and whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he." Brother Mark said, "If we put our trust in God for our heavenly home, why can't we put our trust in Him for our happiness here on earth? Sometimes we think we know better than the Lord what we need to be doing. We try to tell God what He needs to be doing. What are you hoping for? When we think we know better than God, we're playing God. We need to be hoping for the glory of God. When you ask for things, ask yourself if it will bring glory to God? The Bible says if you haven't been saved, you have no hope. The first thing is to get saved."

Our hymn of invitation was "Lord I'm Coming Home" and Rick Lett gave the benediction. We invite you to worship with us. Mill Creek is located 3 1/2 miles east of Noel just off Highway 90. Our annual homecoming will be on Sunday, Aug. 16. The Goulds will be in concert during our morning worship service at 11 a.m. and again after the fellowship lunch at noon. Everyone is always welcome.