Church guide

Summer Splash Begins This Friday! Come by with your little ones for some free hotdogs, chips, and iced tea. Summer Splash is from 11:00am - 2:00pm and is FREE for everyone! If you have any questions let us know!!

Is there anything in your life that needs to be removed? Any impediment to the impression of God’s Spirit? We can grieve the Spirit with our angry words (Ephesians 4:29–30; Isaiah 63:10) and resist the Spirit in our disobedience (Acts 7:51). We can even quench the Spirit by having no regard for God’s teachings. Here is something that helps me stay in step with the Spirit. We know that the “fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23 nasb). God’s Spirit creates and distributes these characteristics. They are indicators on my spiritual dashboard. So whenever I sense them, I know I am walking in the Spirit. Whenever I lack them, I know I am out of step with the Spirit. To walk in the Spirit, respond to the promptings God gives you. Don’t sense any nudging? Just be patient and wait. Abraham waited for the promised son. Moses waited forty years in the wilderness. Jesus waited thirty years before he began his ministry. God instills seasons of silence in his plan. Winter is needed for the soil to bear fruit. Time is needed for the development of a crop. And disciples wait for the move of God. Wait for him to move, nudge, and direct you. -Max Lucado

Turn a deaf ear to doubters. Ignore the naysayers. People have a right to say what they want. And you have a right to ignore them. When the twelve spies reported back to Moses, all but Caleb and Joshua were spouting doubt (Numbers 13:26–33). They were outnumbered ten to two, but they still believed in God’s power. Let’s take our cue from Caleb. Disregard the lethal disbelief of cynics. This is no sanction for rudeness or isolation. When people express their sincere struggles or questions, help them. But some folks do not want to be helped. They would rather pull you down than let you pull them up. Don’t let them. Caleb didn’t. He filled his mind with faith and took on a Godsize challenge. When Moses sent Caleb to spy out the land, Caleb saw something that troubled him: the town of Hebron. Abraham had buried his wife there. He was buried there. So were Isaac, Rebekah, and Jacob. Hebron was a sacred site, but it was inhabited by unholy people. So Caleb asked Moses for Hebron. Moses took the request to God, and Caleb was given the land. Forty-five years later, at the age of eighty-five, the old soldier chased the enemy and reclaimed the city. Caleb wanted to do something great for God. He lived with a higher call. You can too. Ask for your Hebron. -Max Lucado “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭94:19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“A Prayer . . . to Shine! Heavenly Father, work in my life in such a way that people will see you shining forth. Help me to break free from the selfishness and sin that prevent me from being conformed to your image and expressing your holiness. In Jesus’ name, amen.” -Max Lucado

Jesus has unimpeachable authority. The Roman government tried to intimidate him. False religion tried to silence him. The Devil tried to kill him. All failed. Even “death was no match for him” (Acts 2:24 msg). He was not kidding when he declared, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18 niv). Jesus is the command center of the galaxies. He occupies the Oval Office. He called a coin out of the mouth of a fish. He stopped the waves with a word. He spoke, and a tree withered. He spoke again, and a basket became a banquet. Economy. Meteorology. Botany. Food supply. “All things have been handed over to me by my Father” (Matthew 11:27 nrsv). That includes Satan. The Devil was soundly defeated by Christ on the cross. Jesus outranks him in every situation. He must obey Jesus, and he knows it. Prayers offered in the name of Jesus have “divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4 niv). Demolish! Not damage or hamper but demolish. Satan setting up a stronghold in your life? Lift up a prayer and unleash the demolition power of Jesus. -Max Lucado “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬ “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28:18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

YOUR ASSIGNMENT... You be you. Don’t be your parents or grandparents. You can admire them, appreciate them, and learn from them. But you cannot be them. You aren’t them. “Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life” (Galatians 6:4–5 msg). Jesus was insistent on this. After the resurrection he appeared to some of his followers. He gave Peter a specific pastoral assignment that included great sacrifice. The apostle responded by pointing at John and saying, “‘Lord, what about him?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to live until I come back, that is not your business. You follow me’” (John 21:21–22 ncv). In other words, don’t occupy yourself with another person’s assignment; stay focused on your own. -Max Lucado “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else,” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“A little boy named Adam wanted to be like his friend Bobby. Adam loved the way Bobby walked and talked. Bobby, however, wanted to be like Charlie. Something about Charlie’s stride and accent intrigued him. Charlie, on the other hand, was impressed with Danny. Charlie wanted to look and sound like Danny. Danny, of all things, had a hero as well: Adam. He wanted to be just like Adam. So Adam was imitating Bobby, who was imitating Charlie, who was imitating Danny, who was imitating Adam. Turns out, all Adam had to do was be himself. Stay in your own lane. Run your own race. Nothing good happens when you compare and compete. God does not judge you according to the talents of others. He judges you according to yours. His yardstick for measuring faithfulness is how faithful you are with your own gifts. You are not responsible for the nature of your gift. But you are responsible for how you use it.” -Max Lucado “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭1:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Oh wow!! Be kind, always!❤️

“Time on God’s anvil should clarify our mission and define our purpose. When a tool emerges from a blacksmith’s anvil, there is no question as to what it is for. There is no question as to why it was made. One look at the tool and you instantly know its function. As a human emerges from the anvil of God, the same should be true. Being tested by God reminds us that our function and task is to be about his business, that our purpose is to be an extension of his nature, an ambassador of his throne room, and a proclaimer of his message. We should exit the shop with no question as to why God made us. We know our purpose. We are God’s people, and we are to be about his business. If we live our lives in this way, then we can enter our final years with the assurance of knowing that life was well spent and that heaven is but a wink away. And is there any greater reward than this?” -Max Lucado Verse... ““Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭2:49‬ ‭NIV‬‬

YEEESSS!!! “Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference. I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference. I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It’s okay to stumble. . . . I will get up. It’s okay to fail. . . . I will rise again. Today I will make a difference. I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Today I will make a difference.” -Max Lucado” Verse... “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:15-16‬ ‭NIV‬‬ “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Father, you are so worthy of it all—my attention, praise, worship, and love. Your works are amazing, beyond anything I can even express. Help me be a light that shines toward you today. It is often hard for me to stand out from the world and be different. Give me the courage to make your goodness known and to never be ashamed. Please give peace to my friends who are standing up for you and as a result have found themselves friendless or with few who understand them. I thank you for your wonderful works and all that you have done and will do. In the glorious name of Jesus Christ, amen.” Verse..... “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.” ‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭16:8-9‬ ‭

“Ultimately, submission centers us directly in the will of God and gives us the opportunity to experience the best we could ever imagine. Surrender. That’s the key. Orient yourself toward a posture of obedience—up front!—that’s how the door flings open for His voice to be heard and His will to be accomplished. The Lord says to those of His children who freely submit their wills to His: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you” (Ps. 32:8). So hold it in your hands today. The key, I mean. Right now, in your mind’s eye, picture God’s guidance and directives to you as a large, ornate, silver key. It runs the full length of your palm, extending beyond your fingertips on one end and beyond your wrist on the other. It’s unlike any other key you’ve ever seen or used before—that’s how you know it must be able to unlock something you’ve never experienced before. It’s worth it. This key. It’s as unique as your own fingerprints. And it’s yours. It is God’s specific assignment and calling for you. Now, right here, right now, make the commitment to use this key. I promise He will give you opportunity for it throughout this study and in the days beyond. Choose right now, before you do anything else, to receive this key and take seriously the privilege of using it. I know it’ll require courage and tenacity. Yet even without full clarity as to what He may ask you to do or where He may instruct you to use it, either now or in the future, make the choice in advance to say “Yes, Lord,” sure that this key of obedience will unlock every good and perfect gift your Father intends for you. Think back to the things that are keeping you from surrendering to God in every aspect of your life. Offer each of them to Him. Then, be brave enough to let God search you further. Ask Him to reveal any calloused places that may be blocking you from clearly hearing His voice. Yield to Him any area where you sense resistance and doubt. You’re making a “key” decision here, crucial to being able to experience what walking confidently in His will is all about. “ “Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭26:2‬ ‭NIV “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭32:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I want you to know, I’m well aware of how difficult surrender can often be. Take it from me—a girl with a heart that, apart from the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, can be so steely and apathetic. So when I reached out to my Twitter family, asking them to name the usual suspects that often keep them from surrendering to the Lord, I recognized many of their responses. Things such as fear, pride, laziness, impatience with God’s timing, busyness with personal ambitions, or concern that we might be hearing God wrong. As we dive headfirst into this study and plunge fully into the freedom of hearing the voice of God again (or maybe for the first time), we’re leaving these robbers behind. They’ve distracted and disoriented us long enough. We want to hear God clearly now. Look at Jesus’ sentiments in John 5:30; note what He did not seek and what He did seek. Clearly Jesus was not ignoring the fact that He possessed a will of His own. Yet He was committed to honoring His Father’s will above it. He heard the voice of the Father more clearly than anyone to ever walk the earth. The defining characteristic of His life was that He was always postured to obey. He was steeped in humility and available to do His Father’s bidding over His own sentiments and ambitions as a man. You and I have our own will too. And that’s fine. We don’t need to pretend otherwise. Our problem comes from not surrendering that will to the Father’s superior will. His perfect will. His all-wise will. His all-good will. His “if you only knew what I could do in you, you’d never doubt Me for a moment” will. Most of us fear the loss of our hopes, dreams, and ambitions should we ever submit ourselves entirely to the Father’s will. We imagine them being crushed and discarded, never to be fulfilled. Honoring God’s directives will indeed require adjustments on our part, but it will never leave us lacking. The will that is submitted to Him is not extinguished; it is simply surrendered. It becomes like clay in the Potter’s hand—pliant and moldable—the raw material for His most stunning masterpieces. We don’t lose. We win. The words of Jesus... “By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” ‭‭John‬ ‭5:30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Today my oldest two sons tower over me, both of them nearly six feet tall. Every time I hug them and notice how my head plants firmly against their chests (instead of theirs against mine), I’m reminded how growth is an inevitable indicator of life and health. The same is true for our spiritual lives. If we’re walking with Christ and our spiritual lives are healthy, we should expect to see growth and changes in perspective simply as a natural progression. Now, I see clearly that the best way to begin a study on hearing God is where I originally ended it. Hearing Him starts with our commitment to humble obedience. We won’t do it perfectly—we can’t always obey flawlessly—but we must do it purposefully, with ears primed to hear and discern God’s voice. We’re not likely to hear anything from God until we’ve abandoned our tug of war with Him, between our wills and His. We may struggle to detect one syllable of divine dialogue, much less receive any clarity in discerning what He means, until we’ve first opened the floodgates of surrender so He can start piping the volume through. Drawing a clear connection between obedience and hearing God is a critical piece of discerning God’s will and His ways. We’ll quell the resounding voice and conviction of God’s Spirit within us the more we ignore or disregard it. He will not long waste His words on those who aren’t postured to obey. The tender, submissive heart is the one sensitive enough to continually detect God’s leading and to pinpoint the strange, alternative voices of the enemy, fear, and ego that seek to lead us astray. So I’ve gotta ask you a tough question: Do you intend to obey God, to obey His Word? Do you really want to do His will? Or have you already decided to follow your own way despite what God’s Spirit will say? Be honest. (He already knows your answer.) I’m challenging you to allow the Lord to soften your heart and to become vigilant in laying down your own ambitions, elevating His will above your own. It would be such a waste to engage in all this study together, if in the end, we keep allowing our stubborn old hearts to stand in the way of hearing from Him. Please tell me you’re not going to do that. Me either. “The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭25:14‬ ‭ “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” ‭‭John‬ ‭7:17‬ ‭NIV‬‬ “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”” ‭‭John‬ ‭14:21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9 NIV). In verse 9, God told Joshua to be strong and courageous. He also told him to be strong and courageous in verses 6 and 7. God makes it clear this is not a suggestion; He commands Joshua to be strong and courageous. He also tells him where he should turn in time of need - to the Book of the Law. Do you realize God has given you a blueprint for success? If you have a Bible, you have the blueprint for success, prosperity, and to live fearlessly. Read the word, meditate on it, and do it. It sounds simple enough. So the question becomes, do we believe God? Do we think maybe He is embellishing a bit here or perhaps it was good for Joshua in his day but not as relevant today? I believe many people treat their Bible like the owner’s manual in their car. We keep it in the glove box for safe keeping for a time when we have a problem and we know where to find it. Unfortunately, many believers don’t turn to their Bible until they have a problem. Don’t get me wrong, your Bible is the right place to turn when you have a problem. Just don’t wait until you have a problem to open it. An evangelist came through our church many years ago and had everyone write something in the inside cover of their Bible. It read: “This Book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this Book.” Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” If we don’t know the promises God made to us in the Bible, how can we claim them? The good news is, “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions” (Psalm 107:20). You can choose to go the path of destruction by ignoring His word. Or you can embrace His word, read it daily and follow His blueprint for success and live fearlessly. The choice is yours; please choose wisely! Prayer: Lord, You have given me the keys to success. Help me to read the Bible, understand it, and be obedient in following it. Your word tells me that You will be with me wherever I go so I really don’t have any reason to live in fear of anything. I will be strong and courageous. In Jesus name, Amen.

We had fun this morning, celebrating Mother’s Day!

“FAITH and ACTION move God!” “Then I said to you, 'Do not be terrified, or afraid of them. The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son’” (Deuteronomy 1:29-31). You have probably read the poem titled “Footprints in the Sand” by Mary Stevenson. In the poem, a person sees scenes from their life and they see two sets of footprints in the sand except when there were low points in their life and they don’t understand why God abandoned them in their hour of need. It ends with this reply from the Lord, “The times when you have seen only one set of footprints, is when I carried you.” God did lovingly carry the Israelites through the desert for forty years. The Lord said, “During the forty years that I led you through the desert, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet” (Deuteronomy 29:5 NIV). Is God into details or what? He took care of their every need. God provided food for them daily in the form of manna and quail. He also brought water out of rock in the middle of the desert. You might be asking: How does what God did 3500 years ago for the Israelites transfer over to my life? Romans 2:11 (NIV) says, “God does not show favoritism.” And Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” God cares for you just the same as He did all those many years ago for His kids in the desert. Whatever your situation is today, do not be terrified or afraid of it. “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him” (Psalm 91:15 NIV). God tells us three times in this passage, “I will.” Have you placed a call to the Lord today? Faith and action are what moves God. “For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:8 NIV). Ask, seek and knock and then you will see doors open! Prayer: Thank You Lord for all the times You have carried me. I’m sure there are many when I was in Your loving arms and never even knew it. May I never let pride or anything else get in the way of asking, seeking or knocking on Your door. In Jesus name, Amen.

“Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident. One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock” (Psalm 27:3-5). Think of all the men who tried to kill David: the giant Goliath, King Saul and his son Absalom just to name a few. David knew what it was like to have people try to kill him. Yet the only person David feared was the Lord. So how does one fear the Lord without fearing the Lord? In other words, how can you have a healthy, reverent awe of God without being afraid of Him? It all starts with a relationship, and to have a relationship with someone you have to spend time together with them. As you get to know someone, you can build that trust in them, and trust is the key. David trusted that the Lord was who He said He was. The question is…do you trust who the Lord says He is in His word? “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Do you believe God is who He says He is? Think of all the names of God (e.g., Jehovah Rapha, Jireh, Shalom) that reflect His character; they are all positive names of healing, providing, peace, and love. So what is not to like? If you would, close your eyes for just a moment and think of God and what image you have of Him. Now, do the same thing of Jesus. What image comes to mind of Him? Are they the same? Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9 NIV). And the writer of Hebrews tell us, “The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being” (Hebrews 1:3 NIV). Many people have a distorted view of God. They think of Him as the big disciplinarian and they think of Jesus as the nice, friendly guy. If you don’t see Jesus and God in the same light, you need to change lenses. If you want to fear less, then trust more! “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5 NIV). Prayer: Dear God, forgive me for having a distorted image of who You really are. I want to be God-fearing without being afraid of You. Help me to invest my faith and place my trust in You, my loving heavenly Father. In Jesus name, Amen.

Note: This is Terri Main. I help manage this page. I accidentally hit the wrong buttons and posted something personal and political from this page. I have deleted it, but it may have gone through. I want to apologize, and emphasize that is not associated with Caruthers Full Gospel, it's just some of my ramblings. So, ignore it if it went through.

Summer Splash Begins This Friday! Come by with your little ones for some free hotdogs, chips, and iced tea. Summer Splash is from 11:00am - 2:00pm and is FREE for everyone! If you have any questions let us know!!

Many of us struggle with fear and anxiety. But Jesus comes to us saying "It is I. Be not afraid." Pastor Grant shares ways we can reduce our anxiety by giving it over to the Man who Walked on Water.

Pastor and his wife....making sure the “hamster wheels” are in proper working order for tonight’s youth event!!! 🤪 FREE-FREE-FREE-FREE!!!!! AN ADULT MUST SIGN YOU IN...AND...OUT 👍🏼 TONIGHT...7am to 7pm!!!!!! If you know someone that is 6th through 12th grade...send them over here!!! Everything is free!!! Escape Room, laser tag, dodgeball, basketball, volley ball, movies, Hamster Dash and lots and lots of food and prizes!!!

It's 2018 and We need a fresh start. Pastor Grant shows us how to get off to a good S.T.A.R.T.

We are ready for our Christmas Program and Potluck following. If you are in the area come out at 10:30.

Our Children's Church singing "Happy Birthday Jesus" in our Christmas Program "Incredible Love"

Pastor Grant Pattillo Plays How Great Thou Art

Light in darkness On now join us

Continuing with our series on All Kind's of Prayer. Last week we had technical difficulties.