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Page 4 - Wednesday, July 13, 2022
The Sylvania Times
thesy lvaniatimes .com
Church News
,et God’s promises shine on your problems
Words of Encouragement
Pastor Joshua Johnson
Oak Hill Church
“Profit and Loss”
By the age of 30, Alexander III of Macedon had conquered the world. We know
Alexander III of Macedon by another name, Alexander the Great. Undefeated in
battle, one of history’s greatest and most successful military commanders, his empire
stretched from Greece to Northwest India, and he had begun to set up the new capital
of his empire in the ancient city of Babylon. But then he died. Alexander the Great
died at the age of 32, after drinking himself to death. His legend says that having
lost his best friend Hephaestion to an untimely death, and having no more worlds to
conquer, he threw a grand banquet, drank profusely, became ill, and died a little over a
week later.
Alexander’s life and death stand as a stark reminder of something Jesus said in
Matthew 16:26, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet loses his
soul?” He is a literal fulfillment of Jesus’ statement - he gained the whole world but
lost his soul in the end. Alexander lived his whole life under this assumption - “more
will make me happy”. I know that because conquering one kingdom wasn’t enough
for Alexander, he had to conquer them all. Then, when he had conquered the known
world, he came face to face with the truth - more might make me temporarily happy,
but it does not satisfy my soul.
God created us in His image and in His likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). What that means
is that we were created with an eternal soul, and to have relationships with other
humans and with God. Ultimately, we were created to have a relationship with God
- to know and be known by Him, to love and be loved by Him. God’s creation was
good, but Adam and Eve chose to sin against God, and when they did, sin entered the
world, broke our relationship, and separated us from God. Because of sin, we are now
broken, and our souls long to be reunited and restored to God, because that’s what we
were created for! Sin, however, lies to us and tells us that our souls can be filled with
all sorts of things found on earth. So, we try them for a while, but like used toothpaste
tubes, soon we squeeze all the usefulness from them and cast them aside for something
new. Soon our soul’s hunger for the next of the world’s promises of satisfaction.
Ayoung man who felt this soul hunger came to Jesus one day (Luke 18:18-23). He
was a rich, young ruler. He was rich, he was young, and he had power - he was on
his way to gaining the whole world. Yet he stopped his quest to go and find Jesus,
and when he found Him, he asked him this pressing question - this question that was
pressing down upon his soul - “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Teacher, help
me, I have a lot and am on my way to gaining more, and I have lived a good life as a
good person, but I know that there is something just beyond my reach. Please tell me
what it is so that I can attain it and truly be satisfied! What did Jesus tell him? “One
thing you still lack, go and sell all that you have, give it to the poor, and come follow
me.”
In Matthew 16:25-26, Jesus gives an alternative to gaining the whole world and
losing your soul - “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up
his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for my sake will find it.” When Jesus told the rich, young ruler to sell all
his possessions and give the money to the poor, Jesus was not teaching salvation based
on works. Jesus was challenging the young ruler to deny himself, take up his cross,
and follow Him. Jesus teaches that denial and death on earth lead to eternal life in
heaven. Jesus teaches that loss leads to profit. Jesus’ teaching turns reality on its head
- if you want to live, you must first die. To gain eternal life, you must die with Jesus -
denying yourself, taking up your cross and following Him.
The world and Jesus have different profit and loss sheets. The world says, here is
everything I have to offer, come, and take and profit! Jesus says, you can gain the
whole world if you chose, but you will lose your soul. Instead, deny yourself, lose
the world, take up your cross, lay down your life, follow me, and receive eternal life,
which is an eternal profit to you. Consider the words of Jesus, “What will it profit a
man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?”
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Bethel Brick United
Methodist Church
1259 Oglethrope Trail
Sylvania, GA. 30467
(912)829-6924
New Pastor: John Powell
Sunday Worship: 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday: Bible Study &
Prayer: 12 noon
Sunday Children Church:
11:30 a.m.
Buck Creek UMC
2545 Buck Creek Rd
Sylvania, GA 30442
Church: 912-863-4165
Pastor: Carroll Gay
cell: (478) 494-6228
Sunday School: 10 a.m.
Morning Worship: 11 a.m.
Wednesday Family Dinner
and Bible Study: 6 p.m.
The City of Victory
103 Azalea Dr.,
Sylvania, GA 30467
912-564-5745
Pastor: Nicole Peeples
Sunday Worship: 10 a.m.
Building people, families,
communities, and the city.
buildingthecity.org
Double Heads Baptist
Church
141 Captola Road
Sylvania, GA., (912) 863-
6101 Pastor: BJ Horne
Sunday Worship: 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday Bible Study:
6:30 p.m.
First Baptist Church
Sylvania
214 S. Main Street
Sylvania, GA. 30467
Pastor: Rev Wayne Ayer
Sunday School: 9:45 am
Morning Worship: 11:00 am
Evening Worship: 6:30 pm
Wednesday Night Adult Bible
Study: 6:45 pm
Children’s Snack Supper: 5:30 pm
Children’s Choirs: 6:00 pm
RA’s/GA’s/Mission Friends 6:45 pm
Youth (7-12 grades):6:00 pm
First United Methodist
Church
201 N. Main Street,
Sylvania, GA 30467
912-564-2747
Pastor: Dorsia Atkinson
Sunday School: 9:45 A.M.
Morning Worship: 9:00 A.M.
(In Fellowship Hall)
11:00 A.M. (In The Sanctuary)
Tuesdays: School Prayer
Breakfast (Middle & High
School) 7:00 A.M.
Adult Bible Study 1:00 pm
Wednesday:
Supper & Devotional
6:00 - 7:30 pm
Youth & Children Activities
6:00 - 7:30 pm
Goloid Baptist Church
296 Goloid Church Road
Sylvania, Georgia 30467
(912)863-7660^
Pastor, Keith McFeely
Sunday Worship: 10:00 A.M.
Jackson Baptist
Church
5554 Newington Highway
Sylvania, GA. 30442
(912)829-3908
Ralph Dixon, Pastor
Sunday School: 10:00 a.m.
Sunday Worship: 11:00 a.m.
Sunday Night Worship: 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday Night Prayer
Meeting & Children’s Activi
ties; 6:30 p.m.
Memorial Baptist
Church
126 Mock Street, Sylvania.
Church Phone 912-564-2409.
Sunday School 10:00 a.m.,
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.,
Evening Worship 6:30 p.m.,
Wednesday Night Prayer
Meeting 7:00 p.m. Pastor Bill
Kent.
Middle Ground Baptist
Church
259 Middleground Road
Sylvania, Ga. Sunday School
9:45 am. and morning wor
ship 11:00 am. Sunday
evening worship, 6:00 pm.
Help visitors find you!
List your church in the
directory for six months
$60 or one year $120
Call: (912) 451-NEWS
Wednesday night prayer
meeting, 6:30 pm. The current
interim Pastor is Dr. Charlie
Cooper.
Newington United
Methodist Church
Middleground Road
Newington, Georgia 30446
912-829-3318
Sunday School (all ages) 10 am
Sunday Morning: 11 a.m.
Wednesday: Choir Practice 7 pm
Pastor: Rev. Dr. Karen R. Zeigler
Everyone is welcome
Oak Hill Baptist
Church
3233 Oak Hill Church Road
Millen, GA 30442
478-982-1616
Pastor: Joshua Johnson
Sunday School: 10 a.m.
Morning Worship: 11 a.m.
No Sunday Night Services
Wednesday: 7 p.m.
Adult Bible Study - Youth
Group - Team Kid
www.oakhillmillen.com
Parker Grove
Missionary Baptist
Church
5314 Scarboro Highway
Rocky Ford, GA 30455
Pastor: Elder Levon Alston
Sunday School - 9am
Morning Worship Service - 10am
Midweek Worship Service -
Wednesday at 7pm
For more information contact
Jen Ruffin 912-682-4493
Red Bluff Independent
Baptist Church
215 Red Bluff Rd.
Sunday School begins at 10
a.m. and worship services at
11 a.m. Sunday night worship
at 6 p.m. and Wednesday
services at 6 p.m. Pastor
Spike Albritton and may be
reached at 904-838-2179. All
are welcome.
St. Michael’s Episcopal
Church
Eucharistic Services begin
Sundays at 10:30 a.m. St.
Michael’s Episcopal Church
is located on Liberty St. next
to the park in Waynesboro.
Call 706-554-3465 for more
information. Website:
stmichaelswaynesboro .org
Larry Jeison, Priest in Charge.
This section is a complimentary service for Screven
County churches listed in the Church Directory. We
will run your church news for two weeks. Email
announcements to thesylvaniatimes@gmail.com or drop
them off at our office at 117 N. Main, Sylvania, GA. Our
deadline is noon Wednesday.
Your Church Have An
Upcoming Event?
Let Everyone Know!
Call 912-451-NEWS (6397) or e-mail
thesylvaniatimes@gmail.com
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Sunday School: totpoAM
Worship servicet ii;OOA.M
All family and frh-ittLape welcome. both new and oldtO<xmt and
celebrate MAith us. Yon Lean fie ^ureyotimil sue old friends and twar a
great message from our former pastor, i>r. Jack ■Gatlin.
Dinner will be nerved after tlk’ message.
All tlv membeis and Interim Pastor. On Kill Eddes* cordially invite
you to jot ii us at 11 oYlock Sunday morni i
m McDonald M . Sylvania, Georyia (912^53-7044
