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jenkinscountytimes.com
The Jenkins County Times
Wednesday, August 9, 2023 - Page 3
Pastor Bill Kent,
Memorial Baptist Church
Sylvania, GA
Practicing Mercy"
Most people do not know how to swim
automatically. It takes time to learn how to
float and swim across the water. After we
learn by instructions and demonstrations
from parents and instructors, then it's fun to
get in the water during the hot weather unless
we have access to an indoor pool. As it takes
time to learn swimming techniques, spiritual
growth doesn't happen instantly. Since
selfishness comes naturally for us, it takes
years to develop unselfishness and to learn to
be kind and patient toward others. The first
step in learning to show mercy to others is
realizing how merciful God is with us.
According to recent estimates, the world
population is now more than eight billion
people. Every one of us is a sinner. In other
words, more than eight billion people need
God's mercy seven days a week, 365 days a
year and always. Though the Bible refers to
the good qualities of people as God's creation
and as intelligent and spiritual beings, the
Scriptures also emphasize the sinfulness of all
people. "For all have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God," (Romans 3:23).
In all of history, Jesus is the only person
who never did anything wrong. Even though
the Devil tested Jesus in cruel and deceptive
ways, Jesus passed every test and never gave in
to temptation. Christ gives us hope by making
forgiveness possible through his spotless life
and by dying for our sins. "Seeing then that
we have a great High Priest who has passed
through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God,
let us hold fast our confession. For we do not
have a High Priest who cannot sympathize
with our weaknesses, but was in all points
tempted as we are, yet without sin," (Hebrews
4:14-15).
If we admit that we are guilty sinners who
are delivered from God's anger based upon
Christ's sacrifice, then we learn not to be
so harsh with others. When a group of men
wanted to stone a woman for her sin, Jesus
stopped them by saying they would need to
be sinless to be qualified to stone her. Since
Jesus knows all things, he probably wrote
down the accusers' particular sins as he wrote
in the sand. "Then those who heard it, being
convicted by their own conscience, went out
one by one, beginning with the oldest even
to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the
woman standing in the midst," (John 8:9).
First Day of School
New Year for our
War Eagles!
Pictured Left Top to Bottom:
Emma Wray Wallace (6th),
William (3rd) and John Wesley
(6th) Ward, Ella Grace Berry
(1st)
Pictured Below:
Isabelle (1st) and Kyleigh
(4th) Roberts, Michael and
Terry Williams (Pre-K)
WELCOME
TO OUR
CHURCH
East Burke Baptist Church
Sunday Services 11 a.m.
Pastor: Jordan Clayton
Hwy 24 Sardis, GA
Please call 706-526-1733 for
more information.
Mii.i.f.n Baptist Church
Come join us!!
Morning Worship 11AM
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
219 N. Gray St, Millen, GA
478-982-5411
Pastor Brad Asbury
pastorbradasbury@gmail. c om
Mii.i.f.n Methodist Church
Morning Worship 11AM
Sunday School 10 a.m.
413 N. Gray St, Millen, GA
478-982-2664
Pastor John Drake
For questions about our services, please
email us @ millenmethodistchurch@gmail.com
Oak Hill Baptist Church
Sunday School: 9 a.m.
Sunday Morning: 10 a.m.
Wednesday: 7 p.m.
Choir practice - Bible Study
Youth Group - Kids Mission Group
3233 Oak Hill Church Rd„ Millen, GA
Pastor: Joshua Johnson
478-982-1616
www.oakhillmillen.com
Scarboro Baptist Church
4204 Scarboro Church Loop
Millen, GA 30442
706-466-4494
Pastor: Perry Hearn
Sunday Worship: 11:00 a.m.
Due to the fire, this will be our service time until further notice.
Trinity Episcopal Church
4401 Country Club Rd, Statesboro, GA
Sunday Eucharist
8:15 a.m. and 10:30a.m.
Father Charles Todd, Rector
Jonathan Murphy, Music Director. 912-489-4208
www.facebook.com/TrinityEpiscopalStatesboro
Help visitors find you! List your
church in the directory for
six months $60 or one year $120
Call: (912) 451-NEWS or
478-401-5007 T-Th-F
Do you need to add, remove, or
change any information of your
listing in the church directory?
Give us a call or email me at:
deb.jctimes@gmail.com
What's going on in your church?
Homecoming?
Celebrations?
New Pastor?
email us or call us at:
thejenkinscountytimes@gmail.com
478-451-5007
Words of
Encouragement
By Joshua Johnson,
Special Contributor
for
The Times
Pastor Oak Hill
Baptist Church, Millen
“The Mouse
Problem”
Proverbs 28:13 - The one who conceals his sins will not
prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will
find mercy.
I’ve been dealing with a mouse problem at my house.
Somehow, someway a family of mice decided to move
into my home. I don’t know where they came from or how
they got in, but they make their presence known every
night when the house gets quiet, and the lights grow dim.
After everyone has gone to bed and it's just me feeding my
daughter her nighttime bottle, I see a little dark speck streak
across the floor. It is a tiny mouse, headed for the promised
land - our pantry!
Because the mice are small and I’d never seen more
than one at a time, I thought I could handle the problem.
No need for the pest exterminator here -1 can handle this;
these are just a few tiny mice. It turns out that it doesn't
matter how small the individual mouse is - one mouse can
do some serious damage to food in the pantry. I might catch
the mouse in the morning, but at what cost? Three more
things must be thrown away the next morning.
Finally, I broke down, admitted that I could not and
cannot fix the problem, and called the exterminator. He
came into our home, got out his flashlight, and inspected
every possible place that the mice could be coming in and
moving around. At every possible access point, he laid out
a trap. Then he went under our house and placed a large bait
box, to kill them at the source. Our small mouse problem
was a lot larger problem than I thought, and I realized I
couldn’t handle it on my own -1 needed outside help.
You might share something in common with me - you
might have a mouse problem too. You might have the tiniest
little mice running around your house when all grows quiet,
and the lights dim. They are quiet and quick, sometimes
you don’t even notice them - but they cause considerable
damage and loss. The mice that I’m referring to are hidden
sins and your house is your heart and life.
“Whoever conceals his sins will not prosper, but the one
who confesses them and renounces them will find mercy.”
We believe that these sins are no big deal - we can handle
them. It won’t happen again, I’ll be wiser next time, I can
set the right traps, but the mice run free. The mice eat
away at the good things stored up in our life - sin takes
you farther than you're willing to go, keeps you longer
than you’re willing to stay, and costs you more than you’re
willing to pay. The truth is that we need outside help. We
need to confess and renounce our sins to Jesus and let Him
come in and exterminate the sins that we have been living
with. We need Him to shine His light on every comer and
crevice of our lives and point out the places where the sins
are entering. And only Jesus can deal with sin at its source.
Today is the day to get rid of mice! 1 John 1:9 says, “If
we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Call the Exterminator - confess your sin to Jesus, express
your need for Him alone to get rid of them, and ask for
forgiveness and cleansing. If you pray according to 1 John
1:9, Jesus will forgive your sins and cleanse you from all
unrighteousness.
'exciting worship'
Oak Hill Baptist Church
3233 Oak HI Church Rd,
Men, & 30442
Download
Oak Hill
Church
APP
Today!
c Joshua Johnson, Senior Pastor }