Gettin' in Shape

A large crowd gathered on a cool fall morning to worship at Mill Creek Baptist Church. Doug and Susan Cory were celebrating their anniversary, and special prayers were requested for the Dale Bequette family, the Moffett family, Wayne Johnson, the Darrell Smith family, Kelly, Bob, Melissa, Angela and Skip. We recognized our pastor, Brother Mark Hall, for Pastor Appreciation and thanked him for being our pastor. We also presented Shelley with a gift of appreciation for being our pastor's wife. Both are such a blessing to our church. We will have a fall bonfire and hot dog roast for pastor appreciation next Sunday at the church on the creek bank at 5 p.m. Brother Mark presented a Bible to our newest member, Marlene Gray.

"What Would Happen?" was the devotional that Linda Abercrombie shared with us as she read Acts 12:5-7. When we have problems bigger than us, we pray. Passionate prayers move the heart of God.

Congregational hymns included "Where the Soul Never Dies," with special music from Karen Gardner who sang, "I Believe in a Hill Called Mount Calvary." Wayne Holly and Tom Sharp served as ushers and collected the offering with beautiful organ music from Becky Johnson.

Brother Mark shared a children's sermon with the kids. He told them that children are God's favorite people.

"Gettin' in Shape" was the title of Brother Mark's message, with scripture from 2 Peter 1:1-11 where Peter talks to the church, the Christians. Brother Mark talked about how we all want to get in shape and be fit but, the older we get, we just try to maintain where we are at. "It is OK to be content with where you are physically. When we want to get in shape physically, the first thing we think we need to do is to go to the store to get shoes, a treadmill, workout clothes and a workout tape. But what about spiritually? You have to be saved to experience the abundant life and escape the worldly mess. When we need to get in shape spiritually, there are a few things we need to put in our shopping cart also. God supplies the faith and then we have to add virtues to the Christian faith. The things that you will need to get in shape spiritually include knowledge. Knowledge is our protein to get in shape. That is what we feed on. We need more than a Sunday morning sermon once a week."

Brother Mark told us to get in shape spiritually, we also need self-control in our shopping cart. "There is less self-control in the world than ever before. The Holy Spirit will guide your self-control but we have to work on it, too, like controlling our tongues. It is good to apologize, but it is better when we don't have to. The best apology is changed behavior. The next thing we need in our spiritual shopping cart is perseverance, exercising self-control when you don't want to. It is being kind to someone when they have made you mad. It is reading your Bible when you would rather read something else and it is going to church when you would rather do something else. You also need godliness in your spiritual shopping cart." Micah 6:8 tells us what godliness looks like. It is "to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

Brotherly kindness is also something we need to have in our shopping cart for spiritual fitness. Brother Mark said, "How easy is it to overlook what some do but not others. Christianity extends to everyone." And the last item to put in the spiritual fitness shopping cart is love. 1 Corinthians 13 is the love chapter in the Bible and tells us love never fails. "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." He told us that love keeps no record of wrongs. "We will never be able to love if we keep a list of the wrongs. It is easier to love if you get rid of the list."

In closing, Brother Mark told us that, if we get in spiritual shape, we will have no doubt about our salvation. "That is the recipe for an abundant, happy and peaceful life. There is no substitute for that. When you consider your physical fitness, do you consider your spiritual shape? Is it as big a concern as your physical shape? We have a new body waiting on us anyway."

"Lord, I'm Coming Home" was our hymn of invitation, and Bob Bryan gave the benediction.

We invite you to worship with us at Mill Creek Baptist Church Sunday mornings at 11. Sunday school begins at 10. Mill Creek is located 3 1/2 miles east of Noel just off Highway 90. Everyone is always welcome.