The South Gibson Star-Times serves the towns of Haubstadt, Owensville and Fort Branch.
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1433249
B-4 Tuesday, November 30, 2021 South Gibson Star-Times BUCKSKIN ST. JOHN'S CHURCH OF BUCKSKIN 8260 E. 900 S., Buckskin Sunday school 9 a.m.; Worship ser- vice 10 :15 a.m. CYNTHIANA FIRST UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST Corner of North and Walnut Sunday worship service 9 a.m. FAIR HAVEN CHRIST FELLOWSHIP Church Street, Cynthiana Mike Douglas, Pastor Phone: 812-724-4735 Sunday morning worship 10 a.m.; Wednesday evening 7 p.m. FORT BRANCH BETHLEHEM GENER AL BAPTIST CHURCH 3208 W 525 S, Fort Branch (CR 325 W off of Hwy. 168) Steve Wilson, Pastor Bible study 9 a.m. Sunday worship 10 a.m. FIRST CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE 601 S. Lincoln, Fort Branch Pastor Bryan Holzappel Sunday school 9:30 a.m. Morning worship 10 :30 a.m. FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 212 West Locust, Fort Branch Pastor Corey Atkins Phone: 812-753-4623 Sunday school 9 a.m.; Worship ser- vice 10 a.m. (Communion first Sun- day); Second Cup of Coffee (ladies' group) all ladies welcome, second Wednesday, 9 a.m. FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF FORT BR ANCH 100 W. Vine St., Fort Branch Rev. John Baylor, Jr., Pastor 812-753-4424 Sunday School 9:30 a.m.; Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m., nursery provid- ed for preschool age and under. Youth Groups for grades 4-12 meet at 6 p.m. on Sunday evenings, Sept. through May. Details on the church website www.fbfirst.org. HOLY CROSS CATHOLIC CHURCH 200 S. Church St., Fort Branch Fr. Christopher Droste, Pastor Fr. Kenneth Betz and Fr. Luke Hassler, Associate Pastors Joe Siewers and William Brandle, Deacons Saturday Mass 4:30 p.m.; Sunday Mass 8:30 a.m. PROVIDENCE PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CHURCH CR 550 S., NE of Fort Branch Mitch Breidenbaugh, Pastor Sunday school for children and adults at 10 :30 a.m.; worship 11 a.m.; For more information call 812-753- 3386. ST. BERNARD CATHOLIC CHURCH SNAKE RUN 5342 E. SR 168 (East of Fort Branch) 812-753-4568 Fr. Gary Kaiser, Pastor Sunday Mass 8:30 a.m. ST. LUCAS UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 6777 S. 350 East, Fort Branch Pastor John Heumann Sunday school 9:30 a.m.; Sunday worship 10 :30 a.m. ST. PAUL'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 4222 E. SR 168, Fort Branch Pastor John Heumann Sunday worship 9 a.m.; Sunday school 10 :15 a.m. VERTICAL CHURCH Coal Mine Rd., Fort Branch Rich Clark, Pastor Sunday morning worship servic- es 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Vertical Kids children's ministry available during both services for children from birth to fifth grade. Ignite Ministry is 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays for students in sixth-eighth grades. WESLEYAN CHURCH 202 E. Vine St., Fort Branch Sunday school from 9:30 to 10 :30 a.m.; Sunday worship, 10 :30 a.m.; Sunday evening worship 6:30 p.m.; Wednesday evening adult Bible study, 6:30 p.m., GIG (Growing in God) Club for ages 5 to 11 (availa- ble while school is in session), Teen Group for ages 12 and up. For more information call the church at 812- 677-5007. HAUBSTADT NEW LIBERTY CHRISTIAN CHURCH Hwy. 68 between Cynthiana and Haubstadt Gordon Jones, Pastor Services Sunday 10 :30 a.m. NEW LIFE HOUSE OF PR AYER 208 West Street, Haubstadt Adam and Lindsay Ping Phone: 812-215 -9003 Sunday morning service 10 a.m.; Children's Sunday school during ser- vice; Food Pantry open first and third Wednesdays of the month from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Everyone welcome! IMMANUEL LUTHER AN CHURCH (LCMS) 1-1/2 miles south of I-64 and U.S. 41, Volkman Rd. Rev. Kirk Horstmeyer Saturday evening services 5:30 p.m.; Sunday worship services 8 a.m. and 10 :15 a.m.; Sunday school 9:10 a.m. ST. JAMES CATHOLIC CHURCH Old Princeton Rd., Haubstadt Fr. Christopher Droste, Pastor Fr. Kenneth Betz and Fr. Luke Hassler, Associate Pastors Joe Siewers and William Brandle, Deacons Saturday Mass 5 p.m.; Sunday Masses 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. STS. PETER AND PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH 201 Vine St. Haubstadt Fr. Christopher Droste, Pastor Fr. Kenneth Betz and Fr. Luke Hassler, Associate Pastors Joe Siewers and William Brandle, Deacons Saturday Mass 5 p.m.; Sunday Masses 7 and 10 a.m. ZION UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST Second and Elm St., Elberfeld Rev. Paul Fraser Sunday school 9 a.m.; worship ser- vice 10 a.m. LYNNVILLE BARNET T CHAPEL Stanley Road, Lynnville Don Williams, Pastor Sunday school 9 a.m.; worship ser- vice 10 a.m.; Sunday evening worship 6 p.m.; Wednesday night prayer ser- vice 7 p.m. OWENSVILLE BLYTHE CHAPEL UNITED METHODIST One mile W. of GSHS Owensville Rev. John Baylor, Jr. Worship 9 a.m. DAYSPRING COMMUNITY CHURCH 120 N. Main St., Owensville 812-724-4114 Scott Burr, Pastor Sunday Service Times: Morning Worship 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. (Kids Church and Nursery available)Dis- cipleship Hour: 10 a.m. Prayer Ser- vice: 6 p.m. Monday: Uncommon Youth Service (Grades 6 -12): 6:30 p.m. Wednesday: Adult Bible Study: 7 p.m. Uncommon Youth and Kids: 7 p.m. FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH 4680 W. St. Rd. 168, Owensville (Old Orchard Curve) Bart W. Newton, Preaching Minister Phone: 812-724-4181 Fax: 724-2161 E-mail: fccowensville@frontier.com Sunday school for all ages of youth and Adult Bible Fellowship 9 a.m.; worship service 10 a.m. The church is a non-denominational church. MAUMEE GENER AL BAPTIST CHURCH 9482 W. SR 165, Owensville Pastor Kevin R. Miley Sunday school 9:30 a.m.; morning worship 10 :30 a.m. Children's ministry (ages four through fifth grade) 10 :30 a.m. For more information about our wor- ship service or other ministries, call 812-729-7230. Come be our guests. We would love to see you! OLD UNION CHRISTIAN CHURCH Hwy. 165 S. of Johnson Baret Fawbush, Pastor Bible study 9:30 a.m.; worship 10 :15 a.m. OWENSVILLE FIRST GENER AL BAPTIST CHURCH Corner of Brummitt and Mill Rev. Bob Douglas Sunday school 9:30 a.m.; Sunday ser- vice 10:30 a.m.; Sunday worship 6 p.m.; Wednesday night worship 6 p.m. Bible study, prayer meeting and men's prayer group meet 8 a.m. every reflections From the Page By Cleoramae G. Stunkel Continued on page 5 South Gibson Church Services We heard a certain amount of pre- mature bewailing, this past late sum- mer, regarding how we would not have a pretty autumn this year. Well, the season did seem to ar- rive a bit late, but when it did appear, it was most acceptable. We were treated to wide swathes of yellow, splotches of scarlet, and even the occasional patch of orange. The trees had a good summer for themselves, providing shade, and adding green to the landscape, all of them taking in carbon dioxide and breathing back oxygen into the air. Some of them provided further benefits by bearing fruits: apples and pears, peaches and cherries, and, on my little patch of ground, anyway, mulberries and red haws — chiefly for the critters. Wonderful the material and aes- thetic benefits provided by trees! Their properties, however, extend further still. How are we to regard the almond tree concerning which the Lord asked Jeremiah, "What do you see? " Was this a literal almond tree in springtime frothing white with bloom? Or, had the Lord, at whatev- er season, provided a vision of an al- mond tree for the prophet to "see? " Whichever, even the name of this tree (in Hebrew, of course) under- lines the lesson: "shaqed," the plant is named; close in sound to this is the word "shoqed," which means "watch- ing." "I am," the Lord assured Jeremi- ah, "watching over my word to per- form it." How did the almond tree come to be associated with the idea of "watch- ing? " As an early-blooming tree, as one of the first to mark the coming of spring, it is perhaps not too fanci- ful to suggest that it was because this tree had been on the lookout for the opening of the season that it no- ticed—and marked its coming — be- fore other trees did. So this "watching tree could be re- garded as a symbol of faithful hope. We can imagine it "watching for" — expecting — the coming of spring. Faithful believers can take com- fort from and find security in the knowledge that God is watching over his word to perform it. We can abide in certain expecta- tion that God's word — over which he is watching — will be performed in his good time. Watch for it! Trees can also symbolize stead- fastness and dependability. When, in the time that the ruling judge was Deborah, any person in Is- rael needing a decision concerning this matter or that one, knew where the judge was to be found. The text tells us that, "She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ra- mah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment." Besides hope and dependability, trees can also speak to us of aspira- tion. There was, in Jericho, a short lit- tle tax collector who wanted some- thing. He wanted to see Jesus. So Zacchaeus did what it took. He ran ahead of the crowd and climbed up a sycamore tree. But a tree need not be see-able, nor sit-under-able, nor climb-up-able, to point us a lesson. It can be a parabolic tree, like the fig about which Jesus told the par- able. For three years the landowner had come seeking figs from the tree that was planted in his vineyard — and found none. So he said to the vine- dresser, "Cut it down; why should it use up the ground? " The vinedresser, however, sought for the tree a little more time, and considerably more investment of ma- terials and effort. "Let it alone, sir," he urged, "this year also." He would "dig about it and put on manure." If that additional cultivation and fertilization had an effect, so that, in the next year, the tree did bear fruit, well and good. If not, then it could be cut down. And interestingly enough, it is there, just after the vinedresser had laid out the options, that the parable ends. We aren't told whether that tree re- sponded positively to the additional effort being made on its behalf, to the extra resources being invested. But of course, the parable isn't re- ally about a fig-tree. It is about us. The action of the vinedress- er reminds us of how merciful and long-suffering the Lord is. How very much time we are given to accept God's gift of salvation, to God's peace Insight By Dave Ingler "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" ( John 14:27). Peace should be understood to be more than a feeling or the removal of those situations which bring heart- ache upon us, for Jesus said, "In the world ye shall have tribulation…" ( John 16:33). Peace is not the absence of problems but is best described as the contentment and calm we experience as the result of having a right relation- ship with God, others and ourselves. Anytime there is contention among any one of these we forfeit what Christ desires we have. It should be clearly understood that it is impossible to experience internal peace without first being reconciled to God through faith in Christ. "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace…" (Ephesians 2:13-14). Until we make peace with God through faith in Christ there is no ba- sis for peace, for God's peace is not something that He gives apart from Himself. God's peace is more than a feeling and an emotional song. God's peace is the standing that we now have with Him because of our faith in Christ. We now have peace with God because the enmity between us is gone and our sin debt has been paid by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, the slain Lamb of God. It has been correctly said that you can not hit what you are not aiming for. This applies to experiencing the peace of God. Those who have a misguided concept of peace will have a very diffi- cult time experiencing it. Do not seek God's peace as a feeling alone. Begin to understand that God's peace is His declaration of your relationship with Him because of your faith in Christ. As we apply the principles of scrip- ture to our lives and our interactions with others, we find that broken rela- tionships are restorable and difficult relationships are more tolerable. Jesus said with good reason, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" ( John 14:15). His command to love others be- cause we love Him is expressed by the Apostle Paul as a basis for expe- riencing peace with one another. He said, "Forbearing one another, and for- giving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ for- gave you, so also do ye. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts…" (Colos- sians 3:13, 15). The path to peace is clearly defined in the Bible. Those who refuse to put their faith in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior and those who refuse to release others through the act of forgiveness find themselves in the bondage of self-inflicted adversity and forfeit the peace that God desires they have. minutes With the bible By Pastor Cornelius R. Stam The spirit of promise "[Having] believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of prom- ise" (Eph. 1:13). Of all the wonderful Scripture pas- sages on the eternal security of the believer in Christ, this is perhaps the most blessed of all. "[Having] heard the Word of truth you believed," says the Apos- tle, and "[having] believed, you were sealed." Now a seal speaks of finality and permanency, whether it be the official seal on an important docu- ment, the seal on an electric trans- former or the seal on a jar of pre- serves. But the most blessed fact of all is that the believer in Christ is "sealed with that Holy Spirit of prom- ise." Mark well, he is sealed not by the Spirit but with the Spirit; the Spirit Himself is the seal. Here, let us say, is a woman seal- ing jars of preserves with wax. The jars are sealed by the woman, but with the wax. Thus the humblest believer is sealed with the Spirit. It is He Himself who keeps us safe in Christ through all eternity. And this is but the "earnest," the first installment, "of our inher- itance" (vs. 14), for the Spirit keeps us secure in "this present evil age" so that "in the ages to come" God might show "the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (2:7). Little wonder the Apostle closes this passage on our security with those appropriate words: "To the praise of His glory" (1:14). What some theologians have called "the perseverance of saints" is not our perseverance at all, but God's faithfulness. We have not per- severed; He has preserved us by His grace for His glory.