LIFESTYLE 12B May 27, 2010 The County Paper, Est. 1923 levyjournalonline.com The Levy County Journal Wo v #4 u P/ Bronson Road Church tiilti n Nt'ny onCR33 7 352-486-2898 Sunday Schowol t all ageys g r a.n Sunday Wtoship @ PW 15 a.m. andt5 .m. Wednesday activts r childin', youth & adults includes pot hluck supperi @ 'p.m.. Se'ni't'es 30 p.m. -" 7 .. Pastor Andy Cook Send your church event announcements to editor@ levyjournal.com Otter Creek Baptist Church Bro. Tony Barber, Interim Pastor Services... Sunday- Sunday School 9:00am Worship 10:00am Wednesday - Dinner 5:30pm Awanas 6:00pm Worship 7:00pm 171 SW 3rd Street -Otter Creek 352-486-2112 Elizey United Methodist Church Corner of 336 & Hwy 24 Worship Service.........11:00am Sunday School..............9:45am Pastor Rob Doran i- CONCORD - BAPTIST CHURCH . 5551 NW 1CR 336 S Chiiflandi . L 32626 ?' (352) 493-1219 rs. COME JOIN US! Suinlda) School.......................... . 10 a.m . W worship Service ...... ................I a.n Diciplslip Tiainingiii ........... .....6 p.m . tWorship Setrvice........................... 7 p.m. Wed. Night Prayt e Service...........7 p.m. Pastor Jamie Brock First Baptist Church 511 N. Young Blvd. (US Alt. 27) 352-493-1481 Visit us online at \ t.lh ('hiilland o SUNDAY SCHEDULE Iible Sltld for all ,igc9.3( a.m. W IIorihip I .4Sanl. & M0llp.nm ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST CATHOLIC CHURCH 4050 N.W. Hwy. 27 493-1561 or 493-9723 Saturday Evening 5:30pm Sunday 8:30am Religious Education Class Wed 6:00pm-7:10pm pre K-12th Father Joe McDonell First Baptist Church " Serving God & Loving People" Sunday SiqShy schoo/Psat;, Monitts t'thi, m!it n, a DisctlcpshiftHI-u5 0'0pt Ewnihn s Witihip,63pn, Tuesday sr Adidl BilfStu/y w... an.. Wednesday Chnnh upper 5 3open RA/G Cri. irtliiti'Pti n i 3tpm Ful/ Thn,'ttUl Youth 13pnt Prayer Hour 6:o pm Pastor Troy A. Turner 451 S. Court Street - Bronson, FL 32621- 352.486.2282 A ) I / /7 7 //: LEARNING HOUR: 9AM WORSHIP: 10:1lAM Non-Denominational Faith Community I 'N ! IOURNE . W e d N H ^ B B ^^^^J f~u e p ml^^ Ch=jildrn 's Church~ n^ PASTOR: KENT ZIMMERMANN CELL 352-949-6501 Come and Worship at the little country church in town... .. 9:30 am Sunday School ", 10:45 am Sunday Morning Worship ' 6:30 pm Sunday Evening Service --- . Reverend Mario Chacon, Pastor - - ,-- TBronson United Methodist Church 235 Court Street Tel. 352-486-2281 Bronson Florida The Truth behind the preaching As a children's church teacher I've been told, "Guy, you've got the preaching down. It's just the closing part you need to work on." I'd always taken it as a compliment, at least until last Sunday. Poor little Jimmy... I just felt terrible. .-----.----- Like a lot growing churches, we sometimes run into some space restrictions. It causes us to herd kids . ranging from 4 to 12 all into the same class. According to the experts, that's not good. , Statistics say you can usually onlyexpectaboutoneminute's worth of attention span for every year of a child's age. Therefore, I usually shoot for around the 20-minute mark. OK, so my math's a little off, but I've also heard it said that studies have found that over 83 percent of all statistics were just made up anyway. I reckon that's probably about But Any 90 percent true. I do try to keep on the With ( lookout for tell-tale signs I'm losing somebody during my message though. One sure sign is when the older kids start rolling their eyes. That's code for, "You better come on out of Barney land, pal, or risk a rebellion." On the other hand, when several pre-schoolers are crawling off burping the ABCs it may signify it's time to back off the King James verbiage. It's all a delicate balance. I guess that's where I failed little 4-year-old Jimmy. Poor thing had just experienced information overload, and it caused him - .---- . .------ to act out a bit. A terrible pang of guilt gripped me as the class helper led him off to time-out. "It's my fault," 1 thought, "I'm just a big windbag." 1 tried not to let it affect me .- as 1 proceeded with my . third closing. Finally, with the parents .'' waiting out in the hall, I1 decided to wrap up by . carefully explaining the Gospel in a way they could all understand. "Jesus left His throne in heaven and came down to the earth to be born as a man," I explained. "He wray... lived His life without sin, and then died on the cross uy Shemetq to pay for ours. Marvin, get your finger out of your sister's ear! On the third day, God raised Jesus back to life. If we confess Him as our Lord, and humbly receive His gift of forgiveness, we will become children of God too. We will receive God's Spirit into our hearts and live with Him forever one day in Heaven." My lips had no sooner stopped flapping than I realized I'd said it just like they do in "Big" church. I was just about to try and explain it again when little Jimmy shot out of that "time-out" chair like his tail was on fire. He rushed down front to give his life to Jesus. Either he didn't want to miss out on the deal, or it was just an ingenious plan to shut me up; probably both. One things for sure, kids have a wonderful way of putting things in perspective. I mean, come on, which ofus adults could honestly say we really understand all the complexities of this world? Or can really do much more than burp the ABCs in the grand scheme of things? We just have these short little attention spans, and frankly, are quick to roll our eyes when it comes to eternal matters. At any given time half the world's population is leading some kind of rebellion while the rest are pouting in time-out! Yet God, in His great Love, knowing our human frailties, crafted a plan and a message so simple that even a little child could understand. (For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 KJV) But anyway- 1 guess the Truth really isn't all that hard to understand, even when it is hidden behind a lot of long-winded preaching. Little Jimmy recognized it. He didn't over-think it. He didn't ignore it, or refuse it. He just made a decision, and showed us all how to bridge the gap between time- out and glory. -Guy Sheffield You can visit Guy Sheffield at his Web site www.butanyway.org, or e-mail him at sfm4christ@gmail. com. Cfass of 1960 50-year reunion Jufy 17th from 11 a. n. untifeveryone leaves Yelfd'at the home ofJudy Stockjman, 'owlfer's 'Bluff Cal(493-2135 for more information ( i M 1 SGood Shperd / Lutheran "7.' Church Bible Class .9:i75am Worship Service wo:3oam 352.493.4597 4 miles N of Walnart on Hwy 19 t',rP Dakota Winey) Pine (Crove Baptist CAhurch S 16655 N. W. C(R-339 rentcr. lI or.,ida 32693 35 2-463-211 7 Dr. c reg Doughlas Pastor Re.. Rickey Whitley. MAinister of E-vangelism & Youth Rev. Enmanuel H-arris. Minister of Education & Children Charles Brock, Ausic Director Jared Douglas. College & Career Sunday Schoo ................................ ............................ 9:15 a.m . M morning VVorship .......................................... 8:00 & 10:30 a.m . Evening W worship ......................................................... 6:00 p .m . Wednesday Night Services: A W A/ A .......................................................... 6 :3 0 - 8 :15 p .m . Prayer MrAeeting, Youth, College & Career ..................... 7:00 p.m. -- Nursery provided for all services - G Introducing to the worfd.. - Born [May 6, 2010, 8 pounds, 12 ounces Love you, grandimommy. Love you, (jrandmommy.