DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BEGINS SUNDAY

Set your clocks FORWARD one hour before bed Saturday night. Don’t be late! Join us for Sunday School and Worship.

2026 THEME — “SEEING LIFE FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE”                      

MARCH THEME: SEEING SCRIPTURE FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE

For a long time I told myself I simply didn’t have time for the Word. Life felt too busy, the news too urgent, and the pressures of the world too loud to slow down and open Scripture. But if I’m honest, it wasn’t really a lack of time—it was a matter of choice. Too often I chose TV, sports, and comfort over the commandment not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together and the opportunity to sit under the Word of God. Now, as our nation feels the strain of uncertainty and the headlines grow heavier, I’m realizing the one thing I pushed aside is the very thing my heart and my family desperately need. Learning to see life through God’s Word is not optional—it is essential. Bringing my children to Awana and church is not about raising kids who can recite verses, but about raising steady believers whose hearts are anchored when everything else shakes. I’m beginning to see that it’s not about perfect memory but planted hearts, because even one verse hidden deep within can guide decisions for a lifetime. In a world filled with confusion and fear, the greatest gift I can give my family is not more entertainment or activity, but a home shaped week by week by the steady truth of God’s Word.

SUNDAY’S SERVICE SUMMARY

I have begun to see that my life is not meant to be shaped by the instability of the world but by the unchanging authority of God’s Word. As fear rises around me and headlines grow louder, the Scriptures have awakened my heart to a deeper hunger—not just to know truth, but to be transformed and anchored in it.

Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart

God Is the Word, and the Word Is God

John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

John 1:14  “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…”

Many people approach the Bible as if it were merely a religious book, a collection of moral teachings, or a historical record written long ago. Yet Scripture reveals something far greater. The Word of God is not simply information recorded on paper; it is the very self-revelation of God. The Bible does not merely speak about God—it reveals Him. When we encounter the Word, we are encountering the voice, character, and heart of the living God.

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN OPENS BY REACHING BACK BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF CREATION.

John does not begin with Bethlehem or the story of Jesus’ birth. Instead, he begins in eternity. “In the beginning was the Word.” Before the universe existed and before time measured its first moment, the Word already was. The Word was not created and did not come into existence later. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. This declaration reveals that the Word is eternal and divine. This means the Word existed before prophets, apostles, or human history. The Word existed in perfect unity with God before anything in the universe was formed. Jesus Himself affirmed this eternal reality when He prayed to the Father and spoke of the glory He shared with Him before the world existed. Bethlehem was not the beginning of Christ’s existence—it was the moment when the eternal Word entered human history in human form. The same Word who lay in the manger is the One who spoke galaxies into existence and sustains all things by His power.

JOHN THEN REVEALS ONE OF THE MOST BREATHTAKING TRUTHS IN ALL OF SCRIPTURE: “THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US.”

The eternal Word stepped into time and took on human nature. The Creator entered His creation. Jesus did not merely speak about God; He revealed God. When Jesus healed the sick, we saw the compassion of God. When He forgave sinners, we witnessed the mercy of God. When He confronted hypocrisy, we saw the holiness of God. Every word He spoke and every act He performed revealed the character of the Father. This is why Jesus could say, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” The invisible God made Himself visible through His Son. The Word walked dusty roads, sat with the broken, touched the untouchable, and ultimately carried a cross to Calvary. The same Word that spoke the world into existence allowed Himself to be nailed to a Roman cross so that sinners could be redeemed.

THE SCRIPTURES EXIST TO REVEAL THIS LIVING WORD.

Jesus said, “Search the scriptures… they are they which testify of me.” From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible points toward Christ. The written Word leads us to the living Word. Genesis promises the coming seed who would crush the serpent. Exodus reveals the Passover lamb. The Psalms sing of the suffering Messiah. The prophets announce the coming Savior. The Gospels reveal Him in human history, the epistles explain His redemptive work, and Revelation proclaims His final victory. Because of this, a person’s relationship with Scripture often reflects their relationship with Christ. To cherish the Word is to cherish the One who spoke it. To neglect the Word is to distance oneself from the voice of God. The Bible is not simply information for the mind—it is truth meant to shape the heart and transform the life.

Imagine receiving a letter from someone you deeply love who lives far away. The paper itself is not what you treasure most. The real value lies in the words, because those words carry the thoughts, heart, and voice of the person who wrote them. You read the letter carefully because it connects you to the one you love. In a far greater way, Scripture carries the voice of God. When we open the Bible, we are not simply reading ancient literature—we are hearing the voice of the One who created us and calls us into fellowship with Him.

The Bible is far more than a religious book. It is the revelation of the eternal Word. The Word existed before time began. The Word became flesh in Jesus Christ. The Word reveals the heart, character, and will of God. When we open the Scriptures, we are not simply studying history or collecting information. We are encountering the living voice of God through His Word.

WARFARE PRAYER

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for the gift of Your Word. Your Word is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. Break every spirit of distraction, deception, and spiritual dullness that keeps us from hearing Your voice. Remove every lie of the enemy that causes us to treat Your Word lightly. Awaken within us a deep hunger for truth and a love for Your voice. Let Your Word burn within our hearts like fire. Illuminate our understanding by the Holy Spirit so that we may see Christ clearly in every page of Scripture. Guard our minds from false teaching and strengthen our faith through Your truth. Let Your Word guide our steps, correct our paths, and give us victory over the enemy. May Your Word rule in our hearts and homes. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

DAILY CHALLENGE

Today, open the Scriptures with the awareness that you are encountering the voice of God. As you read, ask one simple question: What does this passage reveal about Christ? Take one truth you discover and carry it with you throughout the day. Let the Word shape your thoughts, guide your decisions, and draw you closer to the One who is the living Word.

FRIDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS            

Amy Garner’s Dad

Andrea Nix– Friend of the Shelnutt’s

Angela Bryan’s Sisters

Ann Stanley  

Annette Ford

Bentley Smith – Broken Leg

Brando Echarte

Britany Smith ~ Breast Cancer

Carol Lawhead – Riverside in Conyers

Christopher Kelley

Danny Jarrard  

Darlene Kelley – Cancer Treatment

Darlene Wiggins

Debbie Foskey 

Deon Lotter

Don And Carol Franklin – Mae’s Cousins

Don Franklin’s Daughter, Darlene, Son, David

Doris Loyd

Dr. and Mrs. Davis

Ed Adkins – Friend of Brian Edwards

Ed Franklin’s Son In Law – Heart Surgery

Eric Magnusson’s Mother

Eric Ward

Friend of Linda Hodge

Gayle Sparks

Gloria Young

Jake Jenkins

James Burnette

Jean Partee

Jean Partee’s Sister

Jessica Headrick  

John McClain’s Mother

Joni Oberhage

June Cronan

June Cronan’s Sister

June Davis

Kailey Bateman

Kim McClain’s Daughter, Amanda

Kim McClain’s Mother 

Kim’s Sisters – Ann & Brenda & Mateen

Lillianna Magnusson’s Mom

Linda Mays

Lonzo Christian 

Lori Blount’s Mother

Mary Williams

Mary Williamson – Dana Jackson’s Mom

Mrs. Franklin 

Nancy Brown

Nora Allison

Paul Bateman

Phillip Roach – Linda & Luther’s Son – Cancer

Ron And Johnnie Barry – Friends Of Ashton & Glenda Bateman

Rose Fuller – Pruitt-Monroe Nursing Home, Forsyth GA

Roy Roach

Sandra Mitchell

Scott Lanier 

Scotty Nix

Stephanie Seivers – Friend of the Shelnutt’s

Steve Michaels

Tammy Shelnutt

Tom Witcher