As we gathered to worship Sunday at Mill Creek Baptist Church, Levi Hazelton and Tyrel Lett were celebrating birthdays. Special prayers were requested for the Keeling family, Shelley's mother, Gene Hall, Danny Johnson, Wayne Johnson, the Buffer family and travel prayers. Skip shared a praise and Brother Mark thanked everyone for their work on Vacation Bible School. We had a good turnout and a great bunch of kids attending to share God's word.
Linda Abercrombie shared the devotional, "Peace Everywhere," and read 2 Chronicles 16:9. God gives us the opportunity to share His peace with others who need help with their needs and happiness. God is the Prince of Peace and we are His ambassadors in the world by our prayers. We need to take our eyes off of ourselves and on others to strengthen and bless others as well as ourselves.
Rick Lett and Tyrel Lett served as ushers and collected the offertory. Susan Cory and Karen Gardner led the congregational hymns, including "He Lives." We were blessed with special music as Jerry Abercrombie sang "Unspoken Request" and Karen sang "The Arms of God."
Before beginning God's message, Brother Mark Hall shared a mini-sermon about ministering and sharing God's word. "Don't feel guilty if you can't do everything. There is nothing more rewarding than what you do for God. Just do what God calls you to do. Don't feel abandoned if you are the only one in a ministry of God that He calls you to do. Don't feel alone and disappointed if you are the only one. God is with you. You are doing it for Him. And don't feel a failure if there is little or no response when ministering. There may not be any immediate results, but don't let that discourage you from your ministry. You are not a failure if you don't see results."
Sunday's message was from Brother Mark's "Fruit of the Spirit" sermon series entitled, "Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart." Scripture was from Galatians 5:19-21, about the works of the flesh which says, "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."
Brother Mark told us that the fruit of the spirit is not the absence of the works of the flesh. He then read Galatians 5:22-23 about the fruit of the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such there is no law." Brother Mark told us not to run around like a bunch of grumps, gripes and growlers like we were just weaned off a sour pickle. "If you are a Christian, the fruit of the Spirit is the evidence of the presence of God in your life, and joy is the most evident evidence that you will have from the presence of God. I am not talking about happiness which is only mentioned 26 times in the Bible, but joy which is mentioned 330 times in the Bible." Brother Mark then talked about the difference between happiness and joy. "Happiness is on the outside and depends on what happens to us and around us. Joy is from the inside out. Jesus joy is contagious. When your joy fruit shows, you bear fruit. Your friends and neighbors want it, too. It is contagious."
Brother Mark referred to John 15:1-11 in the words of Jesus, He tells us to "abide in Me." Brother Mark talked about clearing land to build a fence that is covered in sprouts and vines. "They are all connected and grow intertwined. This is what Jesus is talking about when we abide in the vine, our joy shows and bears fruit. Our Jesus joy shows. The vine connects and prayers get answered. He is the vine and we are the branches to bear fruit. He loves us and won't let us go. But the devil will cut one branch off and it withers and dies because it is no longer a part of the vine, like brush that is all connected."
Brother Mark told us that it all begins and ends with joy and love. "When the joy, kindness and love stops, the branches die because they are not connected and will not bear fruit. It ends when we do not abide in His love. When joy comes out and we all get connected, the devil can't intermingle and cut us off from the vine. Is your joy showing? Works of the flesh are plural-there are many, but the fruit of the Spirit is singular. The Spirit controls the life of the believer and gives us the grace to produce all the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. You are the gardener. The Holy Spirit produces the fruit and we bear it, but not without the Holy Spirit. The works of the flesh will zap your joy and there will be no fruit of the Spirit. Give the Holy Spirit the control to produce it so you can bear it. Abide in Him and be rooted in the vine. Are you in the vine? Do you know that you know? Life is fragile. Are you in the vine? Do you know that you have a home in heaven? Has your joy been showing?"
Our hymn of invitation was "I Surrender All," and Rick Lett gave the benediction.
Everyone is welcome to come worship at Mill Creek Baptist Church. Sunday school begins at 10 a.m. and worship service at 11 a.m. Mill Creek Baptist Church is located 3 1/2 miles east of Noel or 8 1/2 miles west of I49, just off Highway 90, on Upper Mill Creek Road.
Religion on 07/18/2019