Our Sunday School lesson was about the Good Samaritan, a reminder of how we can show Christ to our fellow man.
Our pastor brought the morning message from Genesis 22, where God calls on Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the child of the promise. If I was in Abraham's shoes, I would be crying out, "But God, how can you ask this after all you've promised about this boy?" And yet the Bible gives no indication that Abraham hesitated or feared at all. Instead, at every turn, when God called his name, Abraham answered, "Here I am, Lord." All Christians receive leading from the Lord. This Scripture reminds us that He doesn't always lead us to do easy things, but when we follow in faith, the blessings are immeasurable.
The evening sermon came from 2 Corinthians 12. Paul wrote that though we all are different, possessing different gifts and callings, we are all part of one body. God uses each of us to accomplish His will in many different ways. Click your way to our Sunday Services page to hear the both full sermons.You won't be sorry you did.
After the morning service we conducted a little business and had the pleasure of witnessing a young sister in Christ following God's leading. Celia Fossett, who was baptized last summer, expressed a desire to join the church. Pastor Strong opened the doors of the church to receive her as a new member. We are so thankful this young lady and are glad to count her among our number. Of course, we have more exciting events coming up at Sweden. Next week, February 15, we will again witness one of our own answering God's call (I'm detecting a theme here). We will hold a special service to ordain Brother Tom Johnson as our new deacon. We'll have Sunday School and church at 10:00 and 11:00 just like always. After church we'll have a fellowship dinner, followed by the ordination service at 2:00 pm. There is something special about an ordination. I'm always honored and humbled to witness this beginning of a new chapter in the life of a man of God. I expect nothing less in this service. Last, but certainly not least... On Monday, March 9, we'll begin our Revival services. Things will kick off at 7:00 that night. Brother Ray Dobbs will bring the message. He'll return to preach again on Thursday, March 12. Brother Brock Mitchell will preach Tuesday, March 10 and Friday, March 13. Brother Russell McDaris will be with us Wednesday, March 11; Friday, March 14, and Sunday Morning, March 15. We are looking forward to all of this, and we want to share it with you. Please join us for any--or all--of these services. |