MID-WEEK DEVOTION

Don’t forget to check out Brother David’s Mid-Week Devotion on the book of Psalms. They are uploaded each Wednesday on the sermon page.

Drive Through Birthday Celebration for Margie Cromer

Please join us on February 14^th, 2021, for a drive through 80^th birthday celebration for Margie Cromer. Come by her house after church, 615 Whatley Drive,between 12:30 PM and 1:45 PM.

If you would like to drop off a card or give a gift, the family will be available with a mask to receive them.

Thank you for making this a special day.

From Our Family and Music Minister

In our everyday life, we live by rules and instructions. Most of them are so ingrained into our subconscious that we don’t recognize them. For example, we don’t even think about what side of the road to drive on, stopping for a red light, and not running over pedestrians. Before we get our driver’s license, we study the rule book and must pass a test on these rules. But, again, these rules are second nature to us after we have driven for many years.

As we look at God’s Word, we should have that same ingrained knowledge of Scripture as we do for driving rules. God uses Scripture to reveal Himself to us and relay instructions to us for living. We should not look at the Bible as a list of rules and regulations we have to follow. It should be seen as a way to develop a close personal relationship with our Father. Most of us cringe when we hear the mention of rules, but God’s laws were given to help free us from a life of separation and sin. They don’t restrict us from having fun but from doing what might cripple us and keep us from being our best.

How do we understand His guidelines for our lives? First, we must start by reading and studying His Word. We should take time each day to read the Bible prayerfully, reverently, and away from distractions. Keep a notebook or tablet around to write down notes. David writes in Psalms 119:11, “Your Word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.”

Next, we should not only read His Word but take time to reflect or meditate on it. When we know God’s Word, we are filled with joy and assurance. When believers not only read His Word but reflect on it, we can see the joy that comes from being a child of God and the comfort He gives in time of distress or trouble. We can see many examples of how He protects and blesses His children. Just memorizing God’s Word alone will not fulfill us. We must put God’s Word in our daily lives, making it a guide for everything we do.

I work with technology daily. When installing software or purchasing new equipment, you can encounter long license agreements. Most of us check the box that we agree and continue without ever really understanding what we have just signed. Some people want to read God’s Word the same way. “I have read it and gotten the main points. I am good.” If we look at the Bible this way, we will never be prepared for difficult times or honestly know the joy of a genuine relationship with Christ.

I encourage you to evaluate the time that you spend studying the Word of God. This is more than just reading it to check off that you have read the Bible all the way through once again. You must read and study God’s Word. I can read the instructions for making a cake a thousand times, but if I don’t follow the instructions, it will be a mess.