‘Be Careful What You Listen To’
Frankie Drake and David Collingsworth were celebrating birthdays, and Linda and Jerry Abercrombie were celebrating an anniversary as we gathered to worship Sunday at Mill Creek Baptist Church. Special prayer requests included Carter Hall, Fred Hall, the Bob Hudson family, the Ruby Wetzel family, the Glenn Miller family, Braylen, Wayne Holly’s aunt Wilma’s family, Sheri White’s father and Avery. Wayne Johnson opened our service with prayer.
“Be Careful What You Listen To” was the devotion given by Linda Abercrombie. She read Proverbs 4:24: “Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you.” She talked about the game “Telephone” and how we mishear and misquote things we think we heard. It is easy for truth to find its way to falsehood and gossip. Experience God’s peace and control our tongues, ears and limit what we hear. Be careful what you listen to. Guard your ears and your heart.
Rick Lett and Tyrel Lett served as ushers and collected the offertory, and Becky Johnson and Karen Gardner led the congregational hymns. We enjoyed special music from guests Steve Morgan who sang “In The Garden” and Clint Guinn who played the piano and sang “Amazing Grace.” Both were a blessing.
“All In The Family” was the title of Brother Mark Hall’s message with scripture from Psalm 128. God’s message for us so far this new year has included sermons about our personal responsibility, heaven, building a house with a strong foundation and Sunday morning’s message was about the family in that house.
Brother Mark began by telling us that a supportive family builds a home, not just a house. He asked three things about the family. First, what is a family? Brother Mark said, “A family is a God-ordained unit related by blood, marriage or adoption.” Second, why is the family? Brother Mark told us God created a family to satisfy the deepest longings of our heart. It is a means to give and receive love and we all have a need for that. A family is also to provide a safe and secure environment to raise our children. Third, who is the family? Brother Mark told us God describes the family in Psalms.
“The family is a Godly working husband, and there are three things to look for in a husband. First, he fears the Lord and worships Him, he walks in the ways of the Lord with compassion, mercy and respect, and he is a worker and a provider.”
Brother Mark pointed out God’s plan for families in Genesis 2.
“God gave man a job before He gave him a wife. He gave him a job, a wife and then children. That is God’s order.”
1 Timothy 5:8 says “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
Brother Mark said man is to be the provider. The wife is the heart of the family. She is a “fruitful vine,” as it says in the Bible. She is dependable, faithful and productive. And when it comes to the children, we are to nurture them while we have them. We are to love, serve and sacrifice for the next generation.
“Children, don’t anger or hurt your parents in order to please other people, Brother Mark advised. “Those other people didn’t spend their life building yours.”
Brother Mark told us there are three things to remember when raising children.
Be firm — you have to have rules. Be fair — you have to be honest. Be fun.
“When raising children, you are building a museum of memories for them. Memories help make us what we are today. That museum of memories has everything to do with their security, their sense of well-being and their placement in the world.”
“We need three homes,” Brother Mark said. “We need a family home, a church home and a heavenly home. They are all keyed alike, and Jesus is the key. The fear of the Lord is love on its knees. God designed the family. Satan wants to destroy the family, and one way is by using your anger. Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath because when you do, you give place to the devil. You have to defend your family.”
Ephesians 5:33 says “Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”
Brother Mark told us a wife needs to know her husband loves her and she needs to respect him. Husbands should love their wives. And children need to respect and obey their parents.
In closing, Brother Mark said, “If we fail, we can be forgiven. A broken home is not the unpardonable sin.”
1 John 1:9 tells us “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.”
Brother Mark told us our family is a “link to our past and a bridge to our future. We need God in our families. Invite Him into yours. He is the key to our family, church and heavenly homes. Becoming a Christian doesn’t make us sinless; it just helps us sin less.”
Our hymn of invitation was “Where He Leads Me,” and Wayne gave the benediction.
Next Sunday, James Whitford of Watered Gardens will speak to us during our morning worship service, and we will observe the Lord’s Supper. We invite you to join us for both. Sunday evening, we enjoyed fellowship and snacks as we watched music videos of the Collingworth Family and the Mark Trammell Quartert. Thanks to Linda for organizing it.
We invite you to worship with us at Mill Creek Baptist Church. Worship service begins at 11 a.m. and Sunday School is at 10. All are welcome.