By Scena Ann Petrey

Following the morning message, our church chose to have Joseph Hampton become its new worship leader. He will maintain his position with the youth, but in addition to that, he will lead the worship music each Sunday. Welcome aboard in this new effort, Joseph.

Joseph Hampton led the morning worship through song Sunday, Aug. 12. During the offertory hymn, he played the trumpet for the song “In the Presence of the King.”

Our world tells us that we have to do all kinds of different things to be successful in life. Jesus tell us, “I love you!” Madison Cornett sang a special with beautiful words that reverberated this. “You say I am strong, when I say I am weak. When I don’t belong, You will say I am Yours! I believe what You say of me!”

Bro Kyle’s message “Rejoice in the Lord” was taken from Philippians 4:4-5. All people are on a happiness quest. We all want and feel we deserve to be happy. Sometimes, we, like the Prodigal Son, have to fall on our face before we find true joy and happiness – we find that “only in the Father”. Seeking Him and taking Him into our hearts will cause true joy and deep soul satisfaction in God that the world will never know.

Bro. Kyle gave us four obstacles that keep us from true joy in the Lord.

1) our make up. A study in 2005 said 50 percent of our emotional experience is due to genes. In other words we have no control over this, but we must realize that the body and soul are connected.

2) Our expectations about emotions – we can experience more than one emotion at the same time. Joy and sorrow, happiness and sadness – can we really enjoy the mountain top without the valleys?

3) Our wrong thinking – 10 percent of overall emotional experience of happiness is due to circumstances. 40 percent is our thoughts – we can control what we think. Positive vs. negative; biblical vs. non biblical. After all, Paul wrote Philippians from prison and talked about joy throughout the book.

4) disobedience – something we can control. While sin is pleasurable, it is only for a short period of time. Trusting and obeying God leads to ultimate joy. “The greatest obstacle of not having true joy and happiness is not knowing God.”

To have a relationship with God, we need to do four things. Don’t go it alone – utilize the church family for help. Learn to grieve well – the world is a broken place; don’t be a plastic Christian; mourn for those hurting. Change your thinking with God’s Word; be in God’s Word every day. Repent of sin – turn back to God and repent of things we do wrong.

We extend sympathy and prayers to the following: to Hester Hardwick whose nephew John Frisco passed away last week in Ohio and to Rosie Stull whose mother Elizabeth Stull passed away last Friday.

The ladies’ third annual retreat will be to Pigeon Forge on Sept. 14-16. The cost is about $150 and will cover two nights and three meals. Contact Miranda Brown for more details.

Dates to remember: Sept. 8 – Senior adult trip to Derby Dinner Theater; Sept. 12 – Glow returns.

Thought for the week: “Obstacles are those things you see when you take your eyes off God!”