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First Word

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH | TRAVELERS REST, SC |

JULY 2021

The current needs at the Crisis Center are:

Canned green beans Pasta sauce

Canned corn any kind of canned beans

Toiletries

There will be a collection box in the vestibule of the church.

You may place your donations there and they will be col-

lected on Sunday, July 25th.

Thank you for your continued support and donations.

Information for the August Newsletter needs to be

in the church office by Tuesday, July 20.

July 03 - Cornelia Rader

July 10 - Carol Hampton

Jewel Morgan

July 26 - Carolyn Cooke

Ushers Charles Tate

Kyle May

Roger Bishop

Deacon of the Week July 04 - Derek May

July 11 - Bill Walker

July 18 - Bill Burgess

July 25 - Roger Bishop

Thank God I Am Free For a long time I traveled down a long, lonely road My heart was so heavy in sin I sank low Then I heard about Jesus what a wonderful hour I’m so glad that I found out He could bring me out through His saving power

Thank God I’m free, free, free from this world of sin I’ve been washed in the blood of Jesus, I’ve been born again Hallelujah! I’m saved, saved, saved by His wonderful grace I’m so glad that I found out He could bring me out and show me the way By James McFall

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday as we celebrate our 245th Day of Independence! Pastor Gary

Deacon’s Meeting Monday, July 12

6:30 pm

Special Called Business Meeting Sunday, July 25

for the purpose of electing Deacons

Deacon Nomination Sunday

Sunday, June 11, you will be given a form for the purpose

of nominating Deacons. You may nominate up to four men

to serve as Deacon. Our Deacons currently serving can-

not be nominated and they are: Bill Burgess, Roger

Bishop, Ben Cunningham, Derek May and Bill Walker. Bill

Walker will be rotating off this year.

Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty by which Christ has made us free…Galatians 5:1

On July 2nd, 1776 Congress declared its freedom from Britain. But before it came official a group of five men needed to draft a copy explaining the move to the public and then back to Congress for editing which took two days to edit, therefore, becoming official on July 4, 1776. The Declaration of Independence included 55 sig-natures of which some were great men; some not as great. Of those fifty five signatures, one of those was Richard Stockton, a prominent lawyer who later went on to become a member of the Supreme Court in his home state of New Jersey. To him, along with other sign-ees, we owe a great deal of gratitude when we think of the risk imposed on their lives including family mem-bers as well. Taking this stand, Mr Stockton was impris-oned for several years and subjected to harsh treatment which led to a severe break-down from which he never recovered. His home was seized ,ravished and the family banned never to return. Although once a wealthy man, Richard Stockton died a pauper at the age of fifty-one. Today, few Americans remember this hero who paid such a high price for the cause of liberty. His sacrifice is largely forgotten.

On an even greater scale, I ask myself, have we, as God’s children, became so familiar with the gospel that we sometimes fail to appreciate what our salvation cost the Savior? We rejoice in the spiritual freedom we enjoy by faith in the sin-cancelling death of Jesus, but do we realize the great price our Savior paid for our salvation? Are we truly grateful to Jesus the Christ for all he sacri-ficed to set us free spiritually? If so, may our faith be en-couraged by the words in the scripture, Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again, let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.