Sunday December 16, 2012 at Zion

Sunday School 9:30 am for all ages

Title: Part of One Body in Christ

Devotional Reading: Romans 12:3-8
Background Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16

Ephesians 4:1-16
1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to one hope when you were called — 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8This is why it says:
    “When he ascended on high,
    he led captives in his train
    and gave gifts to men.”
9(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Key Verse
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism. —Ephesians 4:4, 5

Praise and Worship 10:30am

Service 11:00am

Pastor William C Hill preaching

December Memory Verse:

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)

Other opportunities  to be transformed by God's Word
Women's Bible Study             Tuesday night                  6:30- 7:30 PM
Men's Bible Study                    Tuesday night     6:30- 7:30 PM (except 9-25-2012)
Prayer meeting                         Tuesday night                  7:30- 8:30 PM

Let us worship and celebrate the Lord together.

Sunday December 9, 2012 at Zion

Sunday School 9:30 am for all ages

Title: One in Jesus Christ

Devotional Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21
Background Scripture: Ephesians 2, 3

Ephesians 2:11-22
11Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men) — 12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Key Verse
21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. —Ephesians 2:21

Praise and Worship 10:30am

Service 11:00am

Pastor William C Hill preaching

Deacon Ordination 4:00pm

Rev Frank Murray preaching

December Memory Verse:                                                                                                                        “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)

Other opportunities  to be transformed by God's Word
Women's Bible Study             Tuesday night                  6:30- 7:30 PM
Men's Bible Study                    Tuesday night     6:30- 7:30 PM (except 9-25-2012)
Prayer meeting                         Tuesday night                  7:30- 8:30 PM

Let us worship and celebrate the Lord together.

Sunday December 2, 2012 at Zion

Sunday School 9:30 am for all ages

Title: Blessed in Christ

Devotional Reading: Psalm 33:8-12
Background Scripture: Ephesians 1

Ephesians 1:3-14

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, ⁹ he^[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰ to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

¹¹ In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, ¹² in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. ¹³ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Key Verse:
He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. —Ephesians 1:5, 6

Praise and Worship 10:30am

Service 11:00am

December Memory Verse:                                                                                                                                “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)

Other opportunities  to be transformed by God's Word
Women's Bible Study             Tuesday night                  6:30- 7:30 PM
Men's Bible Study                    Tuesday night                6:30- 7:30 PM
Prayer meeting                         Tuesday night               7:30- 8:30 PM

Let us worship and celebrate the Lord together.

Sunday November 25, 2012 at Zion

Sunday School 9:30 am for all ages

Title: Paul Evangelizes in Rome

Devotional Reading: Deuteronomy 4:32-40
Background Scripture: Acts 28:11-31

Acts 28:16, 17, 23-31

16When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.
17Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 1Key Verse
His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him.

23They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. 24Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. 25They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet:
26    “‘Go to this people and say,
    “You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
27    For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
    Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
    and turn, and I would heal them.’
28“Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”
30For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Praise and Worship 10:30am

Service 11:00am

November Memory Verse
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.--Prov 3:5

Other opportunities  to be transformed by God's Word
Women's Bible Study             Tuesday night                  6:30- 7:30 PM
Men's Bible Study                    Tuesday night                6:30- 7:30 PM
Prayer meeting                         Tuesday night               7:30- 8:30 PM

Let us worship and celebrate the Lord together.

Sunday November 18, 2012 at Zion

Sunday School 9:30 am for all ages

Title: Paul Ministers on Malta

Devotional Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-16
Background Scripture: Acts 28:1-10

Acts 28:1-10
1Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
7There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably. 8His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. 9When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. 10They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.

Key Verse
His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. —Acts 28:8

Praise and Worship 10:30am

Service 11:00am

Pastor William C Hill preaching

November Memory Verse
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.--Prov 3:5

Other opportunities  to be transformed by God's Word
Women's Bible Study             Tuesday night                  6:30- 7:30 PM
Men's Bible Study                    Tuesday night     6:30- 7:30 PM (except 9-25-2012)
Prayer meeting                         Tuesday night                  7:30- 8:30 PM

Let us worship and celebrate the Lord together.

Sunday November 11, 2012 at Zion

Sunday School 9:30 am for all ages

Title: Paul Survives a Shipwreck

Devotional Reading: Romans 1:13-17
Background Scripture: Acts 27

Acts 27:1, 2, 33-44
1When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. 2We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.
33Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food — you haven’t eaten anything. 34Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” 35After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. 36They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37Altogether there were 276 of us on board. 38When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.
39When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.
42The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety.

Key Verse
In this way everyone reached land safely. —Acts 27:44

Praise and Worship 10:30am

Service 11:00am

Pastor William C Hill preaching

November Memory Verse
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.--Prov 3:5

Other opportunities  to be transformed by God's Word
Women's Bible Study             Tuesday night                  6:30- 7:30 PM
Men's Bible Study                    Tuesday night     6:30- 7:30 PM (except 9-25-2012)
Prayer meeting                         Tuesday night                  7:30- 8:30 PM

Let us worship and celebrate the Lord together.

Sunday November 4, 2012 at Zion

Sunday School 9:30 am for all ages

Title: Paul Testifies Before King Agrippa

Devotional Reading: Acts 23:1-11
Background Scripture: Acts 25, 26

Acts 26:19-32
19“So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. 21That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22But I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen — 23that the Christ£ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”
24At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”
25“I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
28Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”
29Paul replied, “Short time or long — I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”
30The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. 31They left the room, and while talking with one another, they said, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”
32Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

Key Verse
“I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable.” —Acts 26:25

Praise and Worship 10:30am

Service 11:00am

Pastor William C Hill preaching

November Memory Verse:                                                                                Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.--Prov 3:5

Other opportunities  to be transformed by God's Word
Women's Bible Study             Tuesday night                  6:30- 7:30 PM
Men's Bible Study                    Tuesday night     6:30- 7:30 PM (except 9-25-2012)
Prayer meeting                         Tuesday night                  7:30- 8:30 PM

Special note: Day Light Savings Time Ends

This Sunday is the end of Daylight Savings Time, We "fall back" and turn the back an hour at 2 a.m.

Let us worship and celebrate the Lord together.

Sunday October 28, 2012 at Zion

Sunday School 9:30 am for all ages

Title: Philip Baptizes a Man from Ethiopia

Devotional Reading: Isaiah 56:1-8
Background Scripture: Acts 8:26-39

Acts 8:26-39
26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road — the desert road — that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian£ eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 29The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
31“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:
    “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
    and as a lamb before the shearer is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
33    In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
    Who can speak of his descendants?
    For his life was taken from the earth.”
34The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” 38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.

Key Verse
As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” —Acts 8:36

Praise and Worship 10:30am

Service 11:00am
Mission Sunday
Minister Andre Bennett preaching

October Memory Verse:                                                                                                                     
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”                                                                    2 Timothy 2:15

Other opportunities  to be transformed by God's Word
Women's Bible Study             Tuesday night                  6:30- 7:30 PM
Men's Bible Study                    Tuesday night     6:30- 7:30 PM (except 9-25-2012)
Prayer meeting                         Tuesday night                  7:30- 8:30 PM

Let us worship and celebrate the Lord together.

Sunday October 21, 2012 at Zion

Sunday School 9:30 am for all ages

Lesson Title: Simon Wants to Buy Power

Devotional Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25
Background Scripture: Acts 8:2-25

Background Scripture: Acts 8:9-25
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. 13When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
15In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus — 17he was one of our number and shared in this ministry.”
18(With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
20“For,” said Peter, “it is written in the book of Psalms,
    “‘May his place be deserted;
    let there be no one to dwell in it,’
and,
    “‘May another take his place of leadership.’
21Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
23So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.”

Key Verse
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money. —Acts 8:18

Praise and Worship 10:30am

Service 11:00am

Pastor William C Hill preaching

October Memory Verse:                                                                                                                      “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”                                                                    2 Timothy 2:15

Other opportunities  to be transformed by God's Word
Women's Bible Study             Tuesday night                  6:30- 7:30 PM
Men's Bible Study                    Tuesday night     6:30- 7:30 PM (except 9-25-2012)
Prayer meeting                         Tuesday night                  7:30- 8:30 PM

Let us worship and celebrate the Lord together.

Sunday September 30, 2012 at Zion

Sunday School 9:30 am for all ages

Faith Instills Love

Devotional Reading: John 13:31-35
Background Scripture: Hebrews 13; 1 Corinthians 13

Hebrews 13:1-3, 6
1 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.
2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

1 Corinthians 13
1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Key Verse
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. —1 Corinthians 13:13

Praise and Worship 10:30am

Service 11:00am

Pastor William C Hill preaching

Other opportunities  to be transformed by God's Word
Women's Bible Study             Tuesday night                  6:30- 7:30 PM
Men's Bible Study                    Tuesday night     6:30- 7:30 PM (except 9-25-2012)
Prayer meeting                         Tuesday night                  7:30- 8:30 PM

Let us worship and celebrate the Lord together.

Sunday September 23, 2012 at Zion

Sunday School 9:30 am for all ages

Lesson title: Faith Inspires Gratitude

Devotional Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-7

Background Scripture: Hebrews 12:14-29

Sunday School Text: Hebrews 12:18-29 (NIV)
18You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”£ 21The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”£
22But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
25See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken — that is, created things — so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Praise and Worship 10:30am

Service 11:00am

Pastor William C Hill preaching

Pastor's 10th Anniversary Celebration follows at 3:30 pm

Guest preacher; Rev. Gerald E.Bell, pastor, Strong Tower Ministries, Boston

Other opportunities  to be transformed by God's Word
Women's Bible Study             Tuesday night                  6:30- 7:30 PM
Men's Bible Study                    Tuesday night                  6:30- 7:30 PM
Prayer meeting                         Tuesday night                  7:30- 8:30 PM

Let us worship and celebrate the Lord together.

Sunday September 16, 2012 at Zion

Sunday School 9:30 am for all ages

Lesson title: Faith Empowers Endurance

Devotional Reading: James 5:7-11

Background Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-13

Sunday School Text: Hebrews 12:1-11

Praise and Worship 10:30am

Service 11:00am

Pastor William C Hill preaching

Usher Ministry Annual Day service follows at 3:30 pm

Let us worship and celebrate the Lord together.

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 9/9/2012

Give glory to God Saints, give glory to God! Just like that summer is over and we are back to our regular schedule. It's Home coming Sunday and we have an array of activities planned for young and old. Remember Sunday School restarts at 9:30 AM.

In our preaching this Sunday, we are going to look at one verse of scripture from the prophet Joel.  Here is the text...

Joel 2:1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the Lord is coming, For it is at hand:(NKJV)

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:  To call and encourage the people of God to move with us into our God ordained future and give the Saints three ways to do it.

SEPTEMBER MEMORY VERSE:  2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (NIV)

NOTE: The dress for this Sunday is casual, cook-out, fun, food, and fellowship after service.

Bless you people of God.

Pastor W.C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 9/2/2012

Praise the Lord for our God who is faithful, created us in His image, is willing to walk with us and talk with us, and tell us that we are his own. I'm glad we serve that kind of God. He has brought us through another challenging week and I don't know about you, but I agree with the song writer that says "never would have made it without you." Thank you Lord!

This Sunday in our preaching we are going to move forward again in the Gospel of Mark. Here is the text...
MARK 10:46-52 (KJV)
Mar 10:46  And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
Mar 10:47  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
Mar 10:48  And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
Mar 10:49  And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
Mar 10:50  And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
Mar 10:51  And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
Mar 10:52  And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:  moving from desperation to blessing

SEPTEMBER MEMORY VERSE:  2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (NIV)

Let us continue to pray for and love one another with the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Yours in Christian service and love,

Pastor W. C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 8/26/2012

Praise the Lord people of God..."this is a day that the lord has made, let's rejoice and be glad in it!" There is nothing in your life right now that God can't handle, give it to him (and don't take it back!), and then watch the glory of God. Bless you and I'm praying for you.
This Sunday in our preaching we are going to again look at the Gospel of Mark, as Jesus teaches an important lesson for the serious Christian to consider. Here is the text...

Mark 4:1-20 (KJV)
Mar 4:1  And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.
Mar 4:2  And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,
Mar 4:3  Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
Mar 4:4  And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
Mar 4:5  And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
Mar 4:6  But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
Mar 4:7  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
Mar 4:8  And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
Mar 4:9  And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mar 4:10  And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
Mar 4:11  And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
Mar 4:12  That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
Mar 4:13  And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
Mar 4:14  The sower soweth the word.
Mar 4:15  And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
Mar 4:16  And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
Mar 4:17  And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
Mar 4:18  And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
Mar 4:19  And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
Mar 4:20  And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:  This is a call to consider what we are doing with the word of God.

AUGUST MEMORY VERSE:   But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.  1 John 1:9

In Christian Love and service,

Pastor W.C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 8/19/2012

To God be the glory for all of the great things that He has done...thank you Lord. let me encourage each of you, that in spite of what your circumstance might be right now, remember that you have a God that loves you and the fruit of that love is Jesus Christ, the one that saves us, raises us, and makes us whole. Hallelujah!

This Sunday in our preaching we are going to move forward in on the Gospel of Mark. Here is the text...
Mark 3:1-5 (KJV)
Mar 3:1  And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
Mar 3:2  And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
Mar 3:3  And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
Mar 3:4  And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
Mar 3:5  And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:  Our God who restores us.

AUGUST MEMORY VERSE:   But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.  1 John 1:9
Zion,

Let us continue to pray for and love one another with the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Pastor W.C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 8/12/2012

Praise God from whom all blessings flow, for we know that all good things come from above. Bless you, the people of God. This week in our preaching we are going to look in on the Gospel of Mark. Here is the text...
 
Mark 1:40-45 (KJV)
40 And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.
42 And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.
43 And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;
44 And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
45 But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:  The challenges and fruit of our faith meeting our uncertainty.

AUGUST MEMORY VERSE:   But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.  1 John 1:9

Let's continue to pray for each other and strive to advance the Kingdom of God together.

In Christian love,

Pastor W.C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 8/5/2012

Blessed be the name of the Lord! I hope that you are walking in the abundant blessings of God. This week in the preaching, we will be looking at the Book of Exodus, here is the text...
 
Exodus 15:22-27
22 Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water.
23 When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”).
24 Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded.
25 So Moses cried out to the Lord for help, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink. It was there at Marah that the Lord set before them the following decree as a standard to test their faithfulness to him.
26 He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.”
27 After leaving Marah, the Israelites traveled on to the oasis of Elim, where they found twelve springs and seventy palm trees. They camped there beside the water.
WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:  God's prescription for dealing with the troubles that come in our life.

AUGUST MEMORY VERSE:   But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.  1 John 1:9

Bless you saints,

Pastor W.C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 7/29/2012

Praise the Lord, people of God! From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, our God is worthy of all of our praise. Our youth and youth leaders led a powerful worship service last Sunday. Great job!! Thank God for them. This week in the preaching our text will be from the book of Isaiah, Here it is...

Isaiah 48:12-20
12
“Listen to me, O family of Jacob,
    Israel my chosen one!
I alone am God,
    the First and the Last.
13
It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth,
    my right hand that spread out the heavens above.
When I call out the stars,
    they all appear in order.”
14
Have any of your idols ever told you this?
    Come, all of you, and listen:
The Lord has chosen Cyrus as his ally.
    He will use him to put an end to the empire of Babylon
    and to destroy the Babylonian[a] armies.
15
“I have said it: I am calling Cyrus!
    I will send him on this errand and will help him succeed.
16
Come closer, and listen to this.
    From the beginning I have told you plainly what would happen.”
And now the Sovereign Lord and his Spirit
    have sent me with this message.
17
This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
    who teaches you what is good for you
    and leads you along the paths you should follow.
18
Oh, that you had listened to my commands!
    Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river
    and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.
19
Your descendants would have been like the sands along the seashore—
    too many to count!
There would have been no need for your destruction,
    or for cutting off your family name.”
20
Yet even now, be free from your captivity!
    Leave Babylon and the Babylonians.
Sing out this message!
    Shout it to the ends of the earth!
The Lord has redeemed his servants, the people of Israel. (NLT)

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:  A God who gives us a second chance.

JULY MEMORY VERSE: . Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. (KJV)

Bless you saints...

Pastor W.C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 7/22/2012

What a mighty God we serve, in all things, He alone is worthy of our praise! Let me encourage you today, in whatever your situation may be, take some time to praise Him. This week in the preaching, we will be looking at the first six verses of Hebrews chapter 11. Here is the preaching text...

Hebrews 11:1-6
1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.
3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.
4 It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.
5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.”[a] For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God.
6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. (NLT)

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:  The requirement for and fruit of our faith

JULY MEMORY VERSE: . Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. (KJV)

Bless you saints...

Pastor W. C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 7/15/2012

Praise the Lord Saints, give glory to Him, the author and finisher of our faith. Hallelujah!! This week in the preaching, I will be looking at the first six verses of Psalm 139. Here is the preaching text...

Psalm 139:1-6
1 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.
2 You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.
5 You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!
7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:  Our all knowing, ever-present, and all powerful God

JULY MEMORY VERSE: . Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. (KJV)

Yours in Christian Love and Service,

Pastor W. C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 7/8/2012

Praise the Lord Saints, "This is a day that the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it!"  I hope that you had an enjoyable 4th of July. This Sunday the Praise and Worship Team will be leading the musical part of our service.

In the preaching, I will be considering how a God that does not change, explains change in his Kingdom. Here is the preaching text...

TEXT:Luke 13:18-21
Luk 13:18  Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?
Luk 13:19  It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.
Luk 13:20  And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?
Luk 13:21  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:  Some aspects of the Kingdom process for Change

JULY MEMORY VERSE: . Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. (KJV)

Bless you saints.

Pastor W. C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 7/1/2012

Praise the Lord Saints, in and out of season, in good and bad times, if you want a blessing, praise Him, because you know all to well that when the praises go up,.. you got it, the blessings come down. We all have much to praise Him for. The Lord has led me back to the Book of Exodus, this time the 13 chapter. Here is the preaching text...

TEXT:Exodus 13:1-16
1 Then the Lord said to Moses,
2 “Dedicate to me every firstborn among the Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans and animals, belongs to me.”
3 So Moses said to the people, “This is a day to remember forever—the day you left Egypt, the place of your slavery. Today the Lord has brought you out by the power of his mighty hand. (Remember, eat no food containing yeast.)
4 On this day in early spring, in the month of Abib,[a] you have been set free.
5 You must celebrate this event in this month each year after the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. (He swore to your ancestors that he would give you this land—a land flowing with milk and honey.)
6 For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast. Then on the seventh day, celebrate a feast to the Lord.
7 Eat bread without yeast during those seven days. In fact, there must be no yeast bread or any yeast at all found within the borders of your land during this time.
8 “On the seventh day you must explain to your children, ‘I am celebrating what the Lord did for me when I left Egypt.’
9 This annual festival will be a visible sign to you, like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. Let it remind you always to recite this teaching of the Lord: ‘With a strong hand, the Lord rescued you from Egypt.’
10 So observe the decree of this festival at the appointed time each year.
11 “This is what you must do when the Lord fulfills the promise he swore to you and to your ancestors. When he gives you the land where the Canaanites now live,
12 you must present all firstborn sons and firstborn male animals to the Lord, for they belong to him.
13 A firstborn donkey may be bought back from the Lord by presenting a lamb or young goat in its place. But if you do not buy it back, you must break its neck. However, you must buy back every firstborn son.
14 “And in the future, your children will ask you, ‘What does all this mean?’ Then you will tell them, ‘With the power of his mighty hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt, the place of our slavery.
15 Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, so the Lord killed all the firstborn males throughout the land of Egypt, both people and animals. That is why I now sacrifice all the firstborn males to the Lord—except that the firstborn sons are always bought back.’
16 This ceremony will be like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. It is a reminder that the power of the Lord’s mighty hand brought us out of Egypt.”(NLT)

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:  Remembering the faithfulness of God

SUGGESTED CHILDREN'S MESSAGE: Let's teach our children that they have many blessings and should always remember that God is the real source of those blessings.

JULY MEMORY VERSE: . Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. (KJV)

RESPONSIVE READING: 608 A Psalm of Trust

Thanks to all that helped with the 110 Church Anniversary observance, it was a blessing. Bless each of you.

Pastor W. C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 6/24/2012

Praise the Lord Saints, in all things, He is worthy of our praise. This Sunday we will be celebrating the church's 110th Anniversary and God's faithfulness through the years. Here is the preaching text...

TEXT: Deuteronomy 7:9 Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.(NLT)

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:  The faithfulness of God

SUGGESTED CHILDREN'S MESSAGE: Let's teach our children that they always trust what God says.

JUNE MEMORY VERSE: . Philippians 4:19
"...And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (NKJV)

RESPONSIVE READING: 577 The Church

Bless you and let's continue to lift each other up in prayer.

Pastor W. C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 6/17/2012

Praise the Lord people of God. What a mighty move of God last Sunday at our Youth Service when 15 young people came forward to receive Jesus Christ. It was a powerful illustration of how the Gospel can be shared in many different ways and be effective. We were blessed. This Sunday is Father's Day and I will have a message directed to the fathers, but also useful information for mother's as well. Here is the text...

TEXT: Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. (NLT)

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:  Three ways that fathers can become "super-dads"

SUGGESTED CHILDREN'S MESSAGE: Let's teach our children that they all have a heavenly Father that loves them.

JUNE MEMORY VERSE: . Philippians 4:19
"...And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (NKJV)

RESPONSIVE READING: 614 Father's Instructions

Let's continue to pray for each other.

Pastor W.C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 6/10/2012

Giving honor to God, I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ. I don't know about you, but I am glad that we have a God that loves us and is ever-present. Aren't you? This Sunday we will celebrate, with great excitement and anticipation, Youth Sunday. Our young people have been working hard getting ready to lead us in every aspect of the worship service. It will not be your typical Sunday service, so pray for them, open your mind, and fasten your seat belt. I have every confidence in our young people and believe we are in for a powerful expression of worship. Here is their text and theme for the day...

TEXT: Psalm 40:3  He placed a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see this and worship. They will trust the LORD.

THEME: "Hyped-up Praise by the Future Church"

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:  The Holy Spirit is still preparing it, but let me say that our guest preacher learned the Gospel in Zion's Sunday School, has developed the gifts that God has given, and has a powerful history of ministry to young people. (that's enough of  hint).

SUGGESTED CHILDREN'S MESSAGE: Let's teach our children to know the Gospel when they see and hear it. (i.e. learn not to accept substitutes that sound or look good--particularly important in choice of music)

JUNE MEMORY VERSE: . Philippians 4:19
"...And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (NKJV)

RESPONSIVE READING: 615 Christ's Concern for Children

Bless you people of God. Let's continue to lift each other up in prayer.

In Christian love and service,

Pastor W. C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 6/3/2012

Praise the Lord people of God, in the word we are encouraged to Give God praise in ALL things, so let's do it! This Sunday I will be preaching from the Book of Matthew and here is the text...

TEXT: Matthew 4:1-11 (NLT)
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.
2 For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.
3 During that time the devil[a] came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,‘People do not live by bread alone,
    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple,
6 and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say,‘He will order his angels to protect you.
And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.”
7 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.”
8 Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”
10 “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say,‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.”
11 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:  Temptations that come and tips for making it through a wilderness experience.

SUGGESTED CHILDREN'S MESSAGE: Let's teach our children to look for God to help when trouble comes or things don't go well.

JUNE MEMORY VERSE: . Philippians 4:19
"...And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (NKJV)

RESPONSIVE READING: 608 A Psalm of Trust

Bless you people of God and let's continue to lift each other up in prayer and know that I thank God for you.

In Christian love and service,

Pastor W.C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 5/27/2012

Praise the Lord Saints! Last weekend was a powerful time in the Lord. Congratulations to the Men's Ministry for a job well done. I thank God for each of you that worked to make it happen, and a special "thanks" to the women that were so supportive. God truly blessed us. This Sunday I will be preaching from the Book of Exodus and here is the text...

TEXT: Exodus 32:1-7
1 When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.”
2 So Aaron said, “Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”
3 All the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron.
4 Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!”
5 Aaron saw how excited the people were, so he built an altar in front of the calf. Then he announced, “Tomorrow will be a festival to the Lord!”
6 The people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, they celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.
7 The Lord told Moses, “Quick! Go down the mountain! Your people whom you brought from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:  The danger of impatience to the Christian.

SUGGESTED CHILDREN'S MESSAGE: Let's begin to develop a spirit of patience in our children.

MAY MEMORY VERSE: Matthew 7:7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. (New Living Translation)

RESPONSIVE READING: 589 Growing in Grace
 
Bless you people of God. Let's continue to lift each other up in prayer.

In Christian love and service,

Pastor W. C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 5/20/2012

Greetings people of God. It is with great excitement and anticipation that I look forward to this weekend's Men of Zion Annual celebration. A full schedule of events can be found on the website under adult ministries. In the morning service I will be preaching from the Men's Day Scripture in the Book of Psalms. Here is the text...

TEXT: Psalm 45:16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land. (NIV)

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:   Preparing our young men to live out the plan that God has for their lives.

SUGGESTED CHILDREN'S MESSAGE: Let's teach our children that God has a plan for each of their lives and some ways that a child can start moving toward that plan.

MAY MEMORY VERSE: Matthew 7:7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. (New Living Translation)

RESPONSIVE READING: 576: Training in the Christian Home
 
I am grateful and  encouraged by those of you that show such great commitment to God and to the ministry of His church. We are steadily moving toward our God inspired Vision, and with your support and God's help, we will get there. Bless you.

Yours in Christian Love and Service,

Pastor W. C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 5/13/2012

All glory and honor to God, who so richly deserves it.  Be encouraged today, because our God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, so let the church say "AMEN."  This Sunday to glorify Him and honor mothers, I'm heading back to the Old Testament Book of Exodus. Here is the text...

Exodus 2:1-10
1 About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married.
2 The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months.
3 But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River.
4 The baby’s sister then stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen to him.
5 Soon Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe in the river, and her attendants walked along the riverbank. When the princess saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it for her.
6 When the princess opened it, she saw the baby. The little boy was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This must be one of the Hebrew children,” she said.
7 Then the baby’s sister approached the princess. “Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” she asked.
8 “Yes, do!” the princess replied. So the girl went and called the baby’s mother.
9 “Take this baby and nurse him for me,” the princess told the baby’s mother. “I will pay you for your help.” So the woman took her baby home and nursed him.
10 Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, “I lifted him out of the water.”

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:   "Mother's being used as instruments of God"

SUGGESTED CHILDREN'S MESSAGE: Let's teach our children the importance of appreciating and biblical imperative to honor their mothers.

MAY MEMORY VERSE: Matthew 7:7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. (New Living Translation)

RESPONSIVE READING: 613: The Ideal Mother
 
NOTE: I want to remind you that the Friday Night Worship (May 18th) that is part of the Men's Day Weekend celebration is not just for men--you are encouraged to come out, participate, and be supportive.

PS: I thought we had a powerful and Spirit filled worship service last Sunday, thank you to all that contributed to making it so, and a special thank you to God who met us there. Bless you.

Yours in Christian Love and service
Bless you,

Pastor W.C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 5/6/2012

Praise God saints! This is a day that the Lord has made, rejoice! I say rejoice! And be glad in it. This Sunday our preaching text will again be from John's Gospel this time regarding a strange disappearance Jesus, his followers searching for Him, and the lesson he taught them when they found Him.  Here is the text...

John 6:22-35
22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the far shore saw that the disciples had taken the only boat, and they realized Jesus had not gone with them.
23 Several boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the Lord had blessed the bread and the people had eaten.
24 So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him.
25 They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
26 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs.
27 But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man[a] can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”
28 They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”
29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”
30 They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do?
31 After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
32 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven.
33 The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”
35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
 
WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:   "Our search to find God"

SUGGESTED CHILDREN'S MESSAGE: Let's teach our children to see God beyond what he can do for us, but also a God that is with us, and has expectations of us.

MAY MEMORY VERSE: Matthew 7:7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. (New Living Translation)

RESPONSIVE READING: 566: The Pre-existence of Jesus
 
I pray for you people of God, as we seek to glorify God and advance His Kingdom together, let's continue to pray for each other  as we learn to love one another with the love of Jesus Christ. For as the apostle Paul said: "if we don't love others, we are as a noisy gong or clanging symbol"

Yours in Christian Love and service
Bless you,

Pastor W.C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 4/29/2012

Greeting saints in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This week our preaching text will be from John's Gospel regarding a man that had his life dramatically changed by an encounter with Jesus Christ.  Here is the text...

John 9:1-11 NLT
9:1 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth.
2 “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”
3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.
4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us.[a] The night is coming, and then no one can work.
5 But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes.
7 He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!
8 His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?”
9 Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!” But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!”
10 They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?”
11 He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!”
 
WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:   "Our God who is able to turn our burdens into blessings if we will trust Him enough"

SUGGESTED CHILDREN'S MESSAGE: Let's teach our children to do what they believe God wants them to do.

RESPONSIVE READING: 568: The Life and Ministry of Jesus
 
Bless you people of God, as we seek to glorify God and advance His Kingdom together, please stay prayerful as we learn to love one another with the love of Jesus Christ. God expects it of us.

Yours in Christian Love and service,

Pastor W.C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 4/22/2012

Giving all praise and honor to God, who is the head of our lives. Last Sunday turned out to be not to be the "low Sunday," that often follows Resurrection Sunday, but for us, it was a time of high worship and praise. To God be the glory! Thank you to all of you that worked so hard and ministered so faithfully. As I mentioned Sunday, I am on vacation this week and Rev Shprecher is going to bring the Word this coming Sunday. Here is the text from Luke's Gospel...

Luke 24:36-48
36While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
37They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.
38He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?
39Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
40When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.
41And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”
42They gave him a piece of broiled fish,
43and he took it and ate it in their presence.
44He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
45Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
46He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,
47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48You are witnesses of these things.
 
TITLE:  "Seeing Jesus"

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:   "Bringing the risen Lord into your life and the lives of others."

SUGGESTED CHILDREN'S MESSAGE: Let's teach our children to seek Jesus in their own lives and to tell their friends..

RESPONSIVE READING: #571 "The Resurrection of Jesus"
 
Bless you people of God, as we seek to glorify God and advance His Kingdom together, please stay prayerful as we learn to love one another with the love of Jesus Christ. "Yes we Can!"

Yours in Christian Love and service

Pastor W. C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 4/15/2012

Praise the Lord saints! Giving all glory and honor to God, we had a wonderful Resurrection Sunday celebration and outpouring of the Spirit of God. Surely many where in the house and I believe many were blessed by the service. My appreciation to all of you that worked hard to bring it forth.
Some in the Christian circle call this coming Sunday "low Sunday" because the excitement and celebration of Resurrection Sunday has passed, and it is often reflected in Church attendance. We'll see what happens, but meanwhile I am led in the preaching to address the reality of what happens after the celebration and we face the realities and challenges of life. Here is the text from the Book of Exodus...

Exodus 15:22-27 (NLT)
22 Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water.
23 When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”).
24 Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded.
25 So Moses cried out to the Lord for help, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink.
It was there at Marah that the Lord set before them the following decree as a standard to test their faithfulness to him.
26 He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of theLord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.”
27 After leaving Marah, the Israelites traveled on to the oasis of Elim, where they found twelve springs and seventy palm trees. They camped there beside the water.

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:  "The nature of our walk with God, particularly as we face the challenges of life."

SUGGESTED CHILDREN'S MESSAGE: Let's teach our children the importance of being "for real" before God.

RESPONSIVE READING: 605 Praising the Lord
 
Bless you people of God as we seek to glorify God and advance His Kingdom together, please stay prayerful as we learn to love one another with the love of Jesus Christ.

Yours in Christian Love and service,

Pastor W. C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 4/8/2012

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!  Bless you saints. This week we will celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Here is the text from John's Gospel...

John 20:1-9
1 Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.
2 She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb.
4 They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in.
6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings.
8 Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed—
9 for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead.

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:  "The significance of Jesus' Resurrection and what it means to us."
 
Bless you people of God as we seek to glorify God and advance His Kingdom together, learning to love one another with the love of Jesus Christ.

Yours in Christian Love and service,
 
Pastor W. C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 4/1/2012

Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name. It is my prayer that you are today basking in the love of God. He loves you with a great and unconditional love. Please remember that in every one of life's situations.  This week we will celebrate Palm Sunday and Rev Shprecher will bring the word.  Here is his text...

John 12:12-16 (NIV)
12The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.
13They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
   “Hosanna!”
   “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
   “Blessed is the King of Israel!”
14Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,
15 “Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.
16At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.

TITLE:  "The Other Possibility: Far From the Madding Crowd"

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT:  "How distance from the crowd might help us to make the choice to truly worship the Lord."

SUGGESTED CHILDREN'S MESSAGE: Let’s encourage our children to sometimes get alone with God in prayer.

RESPONSIVE READING: 612 God's Everlasting Mercies
 
APRIL MEMORY VERSE: Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Bless you saints as we seek to glorify God and advance His Kingdom together, learning to love one another with the love of Jesus Christ.
Yours in Christian Love and service,
Pastor W. C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 3/25/2012

Praise the Lord people of God! This is a day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. This Sunday, in the preaching, I will move to Part 3 of the series "Drawing Closer to God." So far we have been encouraged to assess our attitudes before going into prayer and fasting, we have taken a deeper look into the spiritual discipline of fasting, and this week we will consider prayer. Here is the text for this week...

Luke 11:9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.(NLT)

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT: The why, how, what, and when of prayer.

SUGGESTED CHILDREN'S MESSAGE: Let’s encourage our children to ask God for what they NEED in prayer. (distinguish needs from wants)

RESPONSIVE READING: 588 the Model Prayer

MARCH MEMORY VERSE: Proverbs 3:6 "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy paths."

Bless you saints as we seek to glorify God and advance His Kingdom together, learning to love one another with the love of Jesus Christ.

NOTE: This is the last Sunday before we begin our Daniel Fast (March 28-April 6)...get ready, get ready, get ready.

Yours in Christian Love and service,

Pastor W. C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 3/18/2012

Bless you the people of God. Let us remember that we are blessed to be a blessing, bless someone today in some way. This Sunday, in the preaching, I will move to Part 2 of the series "Drawing Closer to God." Last week we were encouraged to assess our attitudes before going into prayer and fasting, this week we will look deeper into the spiritual discipline of fasting. Here is the text for this week...

Daniel 1:1-17
1 During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah,[a] King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia[b] and placed them in the treasure-house of his god.
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives.
4 “Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.”
5 The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service.
6 Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah.
7 The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names: Daniel was called Belteshazzar. Hananiah was called Shadrach. Mishael was called Meshach. Azariah was called Abednego.
8 But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.
9 Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel.
10 But he responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.”
11 Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said.
13 “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.”
14 The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.
15 At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king.
16 So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.
17 God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT: The process and benefits of biblical fasting.

SUGGESTED CHILDREN'S MESSAGE: Let’s encourage our children to learn to like food and other things that is good for them.

RESPONSIVE READING: 590 Christian Commitment
 
MARCH MEMORY VERSE: Proverbs 3:6  "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy paths."

Bless you saints as we seek to glorify God and advance His Kingdom together.

Yours in Christian Love and service,

Pastor W.C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 3/11/2012

Praise the Lord people of God! I'm not sure how your day is going, but I want to remind you that your heavenly Father loves and knows what is best for you, and if he brings you to it, he will bring you through it, and you will be stronger on the other side. Praise him!
This Sunday, in the preaching, I will start a 3-part series that will help us achieve the spiritual success we are seeking this year. Over the next three weeks and leading up to Resurrection Sunday celebration, our focus will be on prayer and fasting. I am also calling for a Church-wide fast later this month (more info to follow). Here is the text for this week...
 
TEXT:Isaiah 58:1-9a
1 “Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast.
      Shout aloud! Don’t be timid.
   Tell my people Israel[a] of their sins!
    2 Yet they act so pious!
   They come to the Temple every day
      and seem delighted to learn all about me.
   They act like a righteous nation
      that would never abandon the laws of its God.
   They ask me to take action on their behalf,
      pretending they want to be near me.
3 ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say.
      ‘Why aren’t you impressed?
   We have been very hard on ourselves,
      and you don’t even notice it!’
   “I will tell you why!” I respond.
      “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves.
   Even while you fast,
      you keep oppressing your workers.
4 What good is fasting
      when you keep on fighting and quarreling?
   This kind of fasting
      will never get you anywhere with me.
5 You humble yourselves
      by going through the motions of penance,
   bowing your heads
      like reeds bending in the wind.
   You dress in burlap
      and cover yourselves with ashes.
   Is this what you call fasting?
      Do you really think this will please the LORD?
6 “No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
   Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
      lighten the burden of those who work for you.
   Let the oppressed go free,
      and remove the chains that bind people.
7 Share your food with the hungry,
      and give shelter to the homeless.
   Give clothes to those who need them,
      and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
8 “Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
      and your wounds will quickly heal.
   Your godliness will lead you forward,
      and the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind.
9 Then when you call, the LORD will answer.
      ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT: Preparing to be spiritually successful

SUGGESTED CHILDREN'S MESSAGE: Let’s encourage our children to depend on God to help them overcome the challenges in their lives.

RESPONSIVE READING: 595 Spiritual Warfare
 
MARCH MEMORY VERSE: Proverbs 3:6  "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy paths."

Bless you saints as we seek to glorify God and advance His Kingdom together.

Yours In Christian Love,

Pastor W C Hill

PS: Don't forget to turn you clock ahead Saturday night or you will be late for church :)

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 3/04/2012

Giving honor to God who is the head of our lives, I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that you walk in the grace and instruction of the Lord. This week, in the preaching, I will continue in the book of Exodus as we consider the issue of: "under whose authority we will operate?" We'll explore the actions and ramifications of two Hebrew midwives in Egypt. Here is the text...
 
TEXT:Exodus 1:8-17
Exo 1:8  Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
Exo 1:9  And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
Exo 1:10  Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
Exo 1:11  Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Rameses.
Exo 1:12  But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.
Exo 1:13  And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor:
Exo 1:14  And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigor.
Exo 1:15  And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:
Exo 1:16  And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
Exo 1:17  But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT: Choosing who and what to serve.

SUGGESTED CHILDREN'S MESSAGE: Let’s encourage our children to evaluate their choices and choose to do what is pleasing to God.
 
RESPONSIVE READING: 590 Christian Commitment
 
MARCH MEMORY VERSE: Proverbs 3:6  "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy paths."

I thank God for you, your commitment to ministry, and your support for the church, as we seek to glorify God and advance His Kingdom.

Yours In Christian Love,

Pastor W. C. Hill

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY 2/26/2012

Praise the Lord Saints! In Christianity, today begins a 40 day period known as Lent. It is a time that many Christians use for personal reflection, self denial, and repentance. All of this is leading up to the big Christian celebration of Easter Sunday. This week, in the preaching I will go to the book of Exodus as we consider the issue of associations and our walk with the Lord. Here is the text...
 
TEXT:Genesis 13:1-12
1 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him.
2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.
3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier
4 and where he had first built an altar.  There Abram called on the name of the LORD.
5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 
6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 
7 And quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s.  The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.
8 So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 
9 Is not the whole land before you?  Let’s part company.  If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”
10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt.  (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east.  The two men parted company:
12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom.

WHAT THE SERMON IS ABOUT: Avoiding things that hinder or cause us to fall in our walk with God.

SUGGESTED CHILDREN'S MESSAGE: Let’s encourage our children to not follow a "negative crowd,"  but rather lead towards what is right in the sight of God..
 
RESPONSIVE READING: 602 The Upright Man
 
FEBRUARY MEMORY VERSE: 1 Corinthians 13:11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

I want you to know that God and I appreciate all of your efforts to support our worship service, let's keep each other lifted up in prayer, and practice the kind of love Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

Yours In Christian Love,

Pastor W. C. Hill