“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree that sends out its roots by the stream.” Jeremiah 17:7

I remember seeing a picture that portrayed Jesus sitting on a rock and He had a child in his lap and children all around him. Its caption was, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: (or let the children come to me) for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 19:14. What I noticed the most about the picture was that Jesus was smiling. The Psalmist said, "Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: The Lord hath done great things for us: whereof we are glad." 126:2-3. What’s the value in your smile? Someone once wrote: “A smile costs nothing but creates much good. It enriches those who receive it without impoverishing those who give it away. It happens in a flash, but the memory of it can last forever. No one is so rich that he can get along without it. No one is too poor to feel rich when receiving it. It is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and nature’s best antidote for trouble. Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen.” Solomon said it well, "there is a time to weep", but I am thankful that he included that there is also a time to laugh. So many of my loved ones are gone. Friends that have been so dear to me have left me behind. But when I think of them, it seems that God always places some moment that we had together that always makes me smile. I think this is one way that God pours grace into our heart during such difficult times. His word is always true, laughter, or a merry heart is good medicine. Proverbs 17:22 In His Service and Yours, Pastor Jody M. Winstead

"And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." Luke 1:38 1. Mary is saying "I believe God can do the impossible." 2. Mary is saying "I am willing to be a part of God's plan." 3. Mary is saying "I don't know what is ahead, but I trust God to see me through." 4. Mary is saying "I devote my life to being a servant to God." What gifts that we should give Christ everyday! "Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation? Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations? Did you know that your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb? The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great, I Am." In His Service and Yours, Pastor Jody M. Winstead

From Adam blaming his wife in the garden, to Cain asking God if he is Abel's keeper, to Lot's wife just not able to let go of Sodom, they all - like us - have a great enemy that is in our flesh that we must beware of. That enemy is selfishness. It's a daily battle with self. Thankfully, God in all of his wisdom and love for us, gave us a wonderful gift through the Holy Spirit called self-control. Such an amazing concept. God's wonderful grace realizes our everyday battle and gives us hope through the Holy Spirit to be victorious. Self often seeks its own will and desire. David could have easily killed his enemy Saul in the cave of Engedi, fulfilling his own will and the will of his servants that day. But he found the strength to control his own passions and desires and replace them with a higher purpose that we should all seek - the love for God and his ways. David displayed great self-control and also exemplified the biblical principle of loving even your enemies. We are heading into the holiday season filled with selfishness. Presents for ungrateful children, parents willing to trample over another human being to be the first in line for some new toy or gadget. Families who would rather fuss, fight or complain rather than humbly enjoy the reason for the season. What will your Christmas look like this year? Will we deck the halls with selfishness, or will we make it our aim now to glorify Jesus with every word, purchase, action, attitude, meal, and gathering? Why not try something new this year? Teach your child that giving is better by giving a gift or two to some family in real need this season. Instead of fixing enough food to throw away, why not prepare a dish or two for a sick or elderly person in need of some Christmas cheer. What about gathering the family together for the reading of the Christmas story before you eat your meal? What about everyone sharing their testimony before opening gifts this year, reminding everyone that the greatest gift of all is a relationship with Christ? Let's kick selfishness off the throne of Christmas this year and be like David - win a great victory over self this year! In His Service and Yours, Pastor Jody M. Winstead

Sermon Brief - October 29th and November 5th 2023  "He leadeth me beside the still waters..." Psalm 23:2 1. Mary found the still waters at Jesus feet. 2. Peter found the still waters when in fervent prayer he cried, "Lord Save Me." 3. The Disciples found still waters when they witnessed the power of the King to minister to their greatest fears. He simply said, "Peace be Still." 4. The Man of Gadara found still waters, "he was sitting, clothed, and in his right mind" 5. Elijah found still waters in the still small voice. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Do you feel confused, filled with dread, filled with fear, feel like everything is coming at you in boisterous waves? Pray for the sustaining peace that only the Good Shepherd can provide. Still Waters. May the peace of Christ Jesus be multiplied to you, In His Service and Yours, Pastor Jody M. Winstead

"There was a Roman Emperor whose name was Diocletian; he hated the Word of God. He brought in all the copies of the Word of God that there were, burned them, and erected a monument. Then he proclaimed, “The name Christian is now extinguished.” Yet, Diocletian is gone, and we still have the Word of God. The Bible is always being attacked. Almost every week you’ll read something in some magazine or newspaper about why the Bible is wrong. You have cults who twist the Bible. You have those who water the Bible down. You have the humanists who ignore the Bible. You have so-called Christians, many of them, who claim to love it but don’t study it. There’s enough dust on some Bibles to write damnation with your fingertips. These hath God married and no man shall part, dust on the Bible and drought in the heart. But, in spite of all of that, the Bible goes on endless, timeless, dateless, and measureless. “Forever, O LORD, your word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89). Don’t be afraid of the enemies of the Bible; they’ll not destroy the Bible." (Adrian Rogers) “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,” 1 Peter 1:4 So many things in this life fades away. But not the Bible, not God's love, not our salvation, not heaven! Rejoice with me as we recall all the great blessings of God that shall never fade away! In His Service and Yours, Pastor Jody M. Winstead

“In the words of C.S. Lewis, ‘As long as you notice and have to remember the steps, you are not yet dancing but only learning to dance. A good shoe is a shoe you don’t notice. Good reading becomes possible when you need not consciously think about eyes or light or print or spelling. The perfect church service would be one where we are almost unaware of it. Our attention would be on God.’” Is our attention on God? "And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever." Revelations 5:11-14 In His Service and Yours, Pastor Jody M. Winstead

 "Christ’s reign in His Church is that of a shepherd-king. He has supremacy, but it is the superiority of a wise and tender shepherd over his needy and loving flock. He commands and receives obedience, but it is the willing obedience of the well-cared-for sheep, rendered joyfully to their beloved Shepherd, whose voice they know so well. He rules by the force of love and the energy of goodness." (Spurgeon and Begg) "(A Psalm of David.) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." Psalm 23 What a Shepherd! In His Service and Yours, Pastor Jody M. Winstead

" Once in a while in the Bible there will be a tremendous sentence that sums up the whole Word of God, and this sentence is one of them. Those sentences appear here and there through all of the Bible. For example, Micah 6:8: "He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Or another one, John 3:16, which we learned as children in Sunday school; the whole Bible in one sentence. Or another one, Acts 16:30, "What must I do to be saved?" Acts 16:31: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Or this one from the Book of Hebrews, Hebrews 9:27-28: "As it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time apart from sin unto salvation.” Or this one from the Book of the Revelation, Revelation 3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” So throughout the Word of God are these great, vast, tremendous sentences that sum up the whole elective purpose of God in the earth. Now this sentence is one of those tremendous passages in the Bible. This sums up the whole situation of man, his vast and illimitable need, and the judgment upon his infirmity, and the marvelous gift of God in providing for the salvation of our lost souls. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (WA Criswell) In His Service and Yours, Pastor Jody M. Winstead

"Let me make three avowals concerning the divine truth that we are saved by Christ alone. First, our salvation is always personal. It is not legalistic, ceremonial, or ritualistic; it is always and ever personal. We are saved not by a code, not by a law, not by a set of rituals or ceremonies, not by observing days or times, but we are saved by our personal relationship to Jesus Christ. It is He who saves us and He alone. When a man falls in love, the whole tenor of his life becomes something else. He seeks to please that someone whom he loves, to do things for the love of his life, to be cognizant of her wishes and desires. Becoming a Christian is exactly like that—one has fallen in love with Christ. Second, our salvation is always inward and not outward. It is of God and not of ourselves. I can make you a member of the church, but that is something else; that is something different. One can be a Sunday school teacher and be lost. One can be a deacon and be lost. One can be a member of the church since birth and still be lost. There is nothing I do that can save me. There is not anything a person can do for me that saves me. Salvation is something only God can do for my heart. Third, it is spiritual and not material. It is of faith and of promise. It is looking to God. "While we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal," the whole thing, everything that the naked eye can behold, "for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). It is spiritual. It is inward. It is upward. It is God-ward. It is not outward. It is not materialistic, legalistic, or of man. It is of faith and of promise!" (WA Criswell) TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!! In His Service and Yours, Pastor Jody M. Winstead

Please enjoy the devotional below provided by Begg/Spurgeon on the blessings of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. " Life, comfort, light, purity, power, peace, and many other precious blessings are inseparable from the Spirit’s gracious presence. As sacred oil, He anoints the head of the believer, setting him apart to the priesthood of saints and giving him grace to execute his office properly. As the only truly purifying water He cleanses us from the power of sin and sets us apart to holiness, enabling us to desire and then to do what pleases the Lord. As the light, He revealed Himself to us in our darkness, and now He reveals the Lord Jesus to us and in us and guides us in the way of righteousness. Enlightened by His pure celestial ray, we are no longer in darkness but light in the Lord. As fire, He purges us from dross and sets our consecrated nature ablaze. He is the sacrificial flame by which we are enabled to offer our whole souls as a living sacrifice unto God. As heavenly dew, He removes our barrenness and fertilizes our lives. How we long for Him to come upon us from above at this early hour! Such morning dew would be a sweet beginning to the day. As the dove, with wings of peaceful love He broods over His Church and over the souls of believers, and as a Comforter He dispels the cares and doubts that spoil the peace of His beloved. He descends upon the chosen as He did upon Christ at His baptism and bears witness to their sonship by working in them a filial spirit by which they cry, “Abba, Father.” As the wind, He brings the breath of life to men; blowing where He wills, He performs the quickening operations by which the spiritual creation is animated and sustained." Thank You Jesus for the Gift of the Holy Spirit! In His Service and Yours, Pastor Jody M. Winstead

Milan Baptist Church Sunday Evening Sermon Brief Sunday, May 7, 2023 18th century revivalist, Jonathon Edwards, at age 17, wrote 21 resolutions that would increase to 70 by the time of his death. Number 1. To study the scriptures so steadily, constantly, and frequently as that I may find myself to grow in its knowledge. Number 7. Never to do anything which I should be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life. 1. Are we resolved concerning our conduct? "I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress." Psalm 17:3 2. Are we resolved in our faith? "And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up for to read." Luke 4:16 3. Are we resolved to follow God's purpose for our life? The whole duty of Man is to keep God's commandments. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14. You are created for good works. Ephesians 2:10 You are created to praise Christ. 1 Peter 2:9 You are created to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly. Micah 6:8 You are created to serve others in Jesus' name. Philippians 2:3 You are created to spread the Gospel. Acts 26:16 Paul said this in 2 Timothy 3:10, "But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose..." What is your Spiritual Purpose? What is your Manner of Life? "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20 In His Service and Yours, Pastor Jody M. Winstead

Milan Baptist Church Sunday Evening Sermon Brief April 30, 2023 "More than a century ago, worshipers filled the Plymouth Church in Brooklyn one Sunday to hear its famous Pastor, Henry Ward Beecher. They were disappointed to find that Henry’s less prominent brother, Thomas K. Beecher, filled the pulpit that day. People began to get up and walk out. As many headed for the doors, Thomas stood in the pulpit and announced, “All those who came here this morning to worship Henry Ward Beecher may withdraw from the Church, but all who came to worship God may remain.” Jolted to their senses, chastised worshipers returned to their pews. May we never forget that we gather not to please ourselves or to please others. We worship to please the Lord. The anonymous author of Hebrews issued this call to worship: “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” Hebrews 13:15-16 "Make sure the Lord is pleased with your life. Make sure the Lord is pleased with your offering. Make sure the Lord is pleased with your motives. Make sure the Lord is pleased with your attitude. Make sure the Lord is pleased with your relationships." (Above provided by H.B Charles JR) "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Micah 6:8 Surely this would please the King. In His Service and Yours, Pastor Jody M. Winstead

Milan Baptist Church Sunday Evening Sermon Brief April 23, 2023 "And He withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed." Luke 5:16 Some, if not all, of the gaming consoles have an interesting feature - a reset button. I think that's the neatest thing! Game not going well, hit the button. You make a wrong move, hit the button. You didn't advance as far as you wanted, hit the button! If life could just have a simple reset button, wouldn't that make things so much easier? But I do believe that God knew that we all, from time to time, really need a reset - a fresh start, a feeling of rejuvenation and hope. I believe we see this in the life of Jesus. So many miracles to perform, so much teaching and preaching to do, so much traveling, so much to do. But when you study the movements of his life, one of the things that becomes real to me is that he needed a reset from time to time as well. A big decision to make, still away and pray. A big battle to fight, still away and pray. Strength for the remarkable task ahead, still away and pray. Maybe there is a reset for us if we would only still away and pray. I also find a reset in little moments that God speaks to me. Often for me, His words bring me peace. I was working hard this week, but God impressed upon my heart to take a moment and seek out a Dogwood tree to admire its blooms * the beauty of God on display. Sometimes, the long cold winter of life ends, and a beauty from God emerges. Then, later in the week I noticed a bird scurrying across the ground. As I began to observe her, soon I noticed two smaller baby birds following close behind learning from mom. I began to think about their survival, with all the predators that would love to find the mother's nest before they hatched or even thereafter. Then as God's Spirit began to move in my heart, i was reminded that it was by God's grace that the little birds had made it this far. His grace, you see, that's how I have made it this far as well. Maybe there is a reset for us as we hear creation tell of his great glory. I really miss my Grandmother's hugs. They were always filled with love. But I am sure thankful when Jesus gives us a hug from heaven, it really has the power to push my reset button. In His Service and Yours, Pastor Jody M. Winstead