Budget for 2025 . . . . . . . .  $329,624.00
Tithes Needed to Date . . . . $145,795.39
Received to Date . . . . . . . . $127,696.47
Needed for weekly budget . . . $6,338.93
Tithes Received this week . . . $6,726.07

Remember to check out Brother David’s Mid-Week Devotion in Psalms.
They are uploaded each Wednesday on the sermon page.

A few weeks back, I wrote about driving with a group to camp and how their handling of baggage interrupted our trip. When traveling, messy or ruined baggage can interrupt your plans. You may wonder how you can have messy baggage, but of course, I have a story. One of the biggest challenges when traveling with young people to camp is finding room for luggage. Being a resourceful person, I had an idea. Amy and I packed our clothes and supplies for camp in heavy-duty storage containers and I strapped them to the top of the church's suburban.

This gave us lots of extra room; however, I didn't take into account one thing that happened while driving from South Georgia to Mississippi. You run into a lot of bugs. When we arrived, the container containing my clothes was in front, and it was covered with more dead bugs than an exterminator convention. It was messy and had to be cleaned before being taken inside. As we examine our lives, how much messy baggage do we carry around because we don't take the time to clean it up?

Bitterness and anger often creep into our hearts quietly, almost unnoticed. Like messy baggage, these heavy emotions weigh us down, sapping joy and peace from our lives. In Matthew 18, Jesus shared a story of a man who had been forgiven an enormous debt but, in return, refused to forgive a much smaller debt owed to him (Matthew 18:24-35). The lack of mercy and forgiveness shown to the fellow servant is shocking to us as we read it, yet it accurately portrays what we often do to one another.

The Apostle Paul warned believers in Ephesus to let go of bitterness, a condition he described as extreme wickedness, a bitter root that grows into destructive fruit. (Ephesians 4:31-32). Bitterness often begins as an unhealed hurt or unresolved conflict. If we avoid resolving that hurt, it festers into resentment, straining relationships and even affecting our physical health.

Knowing we have been commanded to forgive is one thing, however, finding the motivation and courage to do it is another. We can't do it alone. The strength to forgive comes from God and grows when we begin to pray for the person who has wronged us. This can be practiced by simply including the person on your prayer list or by asking God to give you the courage and strength to begin praying for that person. As you spend time in prayer, you'll be able to forgive and to release the bitterness to which you are tightly clinging.

This week, consider the messy baggage you're carrying. Identify a past hurt and intentionally begin praying for the individual involved. Allow yourself to exchange bitterness for the peace that only Jesus provides. If I had left my container of clothes messy and taken it to my room, by the end of the week, the mess would have spread to my clothes and the room. Don't allow the messes in your life to spread because you have not allowed God to help you clean them up.

Sunday, June 15
Deacon of the Week: Allen Whitehead

Deacon Greeters
Front Door:  Allen Whitehead
Organ Greeter:  Carl Hobbs
Piano Greeter:  Daniel West

Sound: Daniel West
Video:  Julie West

Nursery Workers
Sue Mastrario & Jane Smith

Sunday, June 22
Deacon of the Week: W. Greg Brown

Deacon Greeters
Front Door:  W. Greg Brown
Organ Greeter:  David Flake
Piano Greeter:  Tom LaRocca

Sound:  Daniel West
Video:  Julie West

Nursery Workers
Pat Rainey & Daisy Lee Speight