Then Jesus spoke to them

again, saying,

“I am the light of the

world. He who follows Me

shall not walk in darkness,

but have the

light of life.”

John 8:12

Sundays:

Prayer 9 a.m.

Sunday School 9:30 a.m.

Worship Service 11a.m.

Wednesdays:

Youth Bible Study 5:30 p.m.

Prayer 5:30 p.m.

SS Lesson Review 6 p.m.

Bible Study 6:30 p.m.

Coming up :

Annual Church

Business Meeting

Saturday, December 1, 11 a.m.

Officer meeting -10 a.m.

Saturday, December 8, 10 a.m.

Marriage Workshop

Sunday, December 18

Youth Church

Christmas Dinner

Christmas Program

Tuesday, December 25, 10 a.m.

Christmas Day Worship Service

at St. Matthew

Guest Speaker:

Reverend Defellus Dumas, Pastor

Mt. Hebron Baptist Church, Pratt

Behold, how good and how

Pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together

in unity! Psalm 133:1

A Saint Matthew Missionary

Baptist Church Publication

December, 2018

Merry Christmas!

Please join us… CHRISTMAS DAY WORSHIP

SERVICE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25

10:00 A.M.

Guest Speaker:

Reverend Defellus Dumas Pastor, Mount Hebron

Watch Night Service!

Please join us… Monday,

December 31 10:30 P.M.

Speaker:

Our very own Pastor Eddie Washington

A GIVING HEART Exodus 35:4,5,21,22,24,26, and 29

4 And Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord commanded,

saying: 5 ‘Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the Lord:

gold, silver, and bronze; 21

Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering

for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments. 22

They came, both men and women, as many as had a willing heart, and brought earrings and nose rings, rings and

necklaces, all jewelry of gold, that is, every man who made an offering of gold to the Lord. 24

Everyone who offered an offering of silver or bronze brought the Lord’s offering. And everyone with whom was found

acacia wood for any work of the service, brought it. 26

And all the women whose hearts stirred with wisdom spun yarn of goats’ hair. 29

The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the Lord, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring

material for all kinds of work which the Lord, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done.

Giving comes from the heart. If we can’t trust God in the little things, how can we trust Him with the

big things? We recite Scripture but don’t really trust God. We don’t trust God with our finances. God

only wants giving from a willing heart. As Christians, we should know how to trust God.

We act like we are doing God a favor. God doesn’t need anything we have and He doesn’t need us.

God just gives us the opportunity to be a part of His program. When we get saved we act like God’s

program is about us and not God.

We must get back to denying ourselves and giving up to God. We need to get a perspective about

life and live for God. God will take care of us!

Submitted by Sister Deborah King, 10/21/18 A THANKFUL HEART Ephesians 5:18-21 and I Thessalonians 5:18

18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

19 speaking to one another in psalms and

hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20

giving thanks always for all things to God

the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God. 18

in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

In every believer there ought to be a heart of thankfulness. We should be thankful in all things and

realize that God has already done enough.

Let tomorrow take care of itself because today has its own troubles. Don’t be consumed with those

things that really don’t matter in the allotted time that we are given. If we learn how to trust God we

can manage our lives anxiety free.

We need to learn how to be content. Being content means learning how to trust God. We have to

have the right perspective of God and an understanding of the devil. The devil is limited. God is

sovereign and God is unlimited.

When things are out of control God is saying, “Trust Me!” If not for trials, there wouldn't be a need to

trust God. Trusting God starts with a heart of thankfulness. When you really know who God is you

can be thankful.

To operate with a thankful heart: Understand all God has done

Know God will not leave or forsake you

Know you are a chosen vessel of God and here by His divine grace

Submitted By Sister Victoria Williams, 11/4/18

A Saint Matthew

Missionary Baptist

Church Publication

All sermons preached by

Pastor Eddie Washington

unless otherwise stated.

December,

2018

Page 3

A Saint Matthew Missionary

Baptist Church Publication December, 2018 Page 4

The Temple Completed and Dedicated

13 Then Tattenai, governor of the region beyond the River, Shethar-Boznai, and their companions diligently did according to what King Darius had sent.

14 So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

15 Now the temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

16 Then the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the descendants of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.

17 And they offered sacrifices at the dedication of this house of God, one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

18 They assigned the priests to their divisions and the Levites to their divisions, over the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses. Ezra 6:13-18

Photography by Deacon Victor Griffin

Unity - Page 5

December, 2018

Dedication/Open House for the

O.V. Mosley Family Life Center

will take place in January, 2019!

A Saint Matthew

Missionary Baptist

Church Publication

HAPPY WEDDING

ANNIVERSARY TO

GWENDOLYN & EDDIE

WASHINGTON

DECEMBER 20, 1985

WE OUGHT TO BE THANKFUL Luke 17:11-19

11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

12 Then as He entered

a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13

And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14

So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. 15

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16

and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. 17

So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18

Were there not any found who

returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19

And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

A spirit of gratitude has healing properties. During this time of the year we should be thankful for what

God has already done and not focus on what we don’t have.

The 10 lepers cried out to Jesus. Sometimes you have to elevate your voice over the naysayers, over

the confusion and the trials of life. They cried out in harmony because they had a united cause. Only

one returned. When he saw he was healed he turned back to say thank you. He glorified God with the

same voice he used to cry out. True faith will return to the Master and say thank you! One of the

reasons the Israelites kept in trouble was because they were ungrateful people.

As we enter into this season and if you start to step into depression; think about all that God has done.

Be faithful. Be thankful!

Submitted by Sister Victoria Williams 11/11/18

A REASON TO BE THANKFUL

Psalm 107:1-8

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His

[a]mercy endures forever.

2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,

Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, 3 And gathered out of the lands,

From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south. 4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way;

They found no city to dwell in. 5 Hungry and thirsty,

Their soul fainted in them. 6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,

And He delivered them out of their distresses. 7 And He led them forth by the right way,

That they might go to a city for a dwelling place. 8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His

goodness,

And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

All sermons preached by

Pastor Eddie Washington

unless otherwise stated. December, 2018

Page 6

A child of God should give thanks in this and every

time of the year. We are fearfully and wonderfully

made!

Whatever the situation, God can and will deliver us.

When we get depressed, talk to Jesus. Don’t worry

about what people say.

The most important thing we have to be thankful for is

that Jesus went to a cross to atone for our sins. He

laid there all Saturday but rose early Sunday morning.

We have a right to be thankful for salvation!

Plug into the plan of God. If you are looking for a

blessing take up your cross and follow Jesus!

Seek ye first the kingdom of God! We serve a good

God, a merciful God. His mercy endures forever.

Wake up and be thankful!

Submitted By Sister Deborah King, 11/18/18

THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS; BUT IT IS THE LORD’S

II Chronicles 20:12, 14-15,17, and18

Reverend Sterling Gatewood, Pastor

Restoration House of Worship, Hartford, Connecticut

12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us;

nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

Jehoshaphat knew God and what God had done and what God could do but allowed people to

come and drop stuff in his spirit that caused Jehoshaphat to be fearful. Be aware, there are

people that purposely try to take your eyes off of God.

Jehoshaphat went before God with the word of God. When we pray, God love’s to hear His word

come back to Him.

Jehoshaphat said to the Lord, “..we have no power.” We’ve got to realize that we’re not all

powerful, God is all powerful!

14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son

of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.

15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the

Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with

you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

Stop looking at everybody else. Look at your own salvation and focus on the Lord. Rest on the

fact that God sees and knows whatever we’re going through and look to Him for help. (Psalm 121)

Focus on the Lord and the things He will have you to do. God is sovereign, He will fight for you.

“The battle is not yours, but God’s!”

18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem

bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.

There’s a reason that there’s music and that the choir sings prior to the preaching. There’s a battle

going on; the enemy wants you to get caught up in other things. We have to prepare ourselves to

give God praise in order to defeat the enemy. The enemy knows that the Word of God will set you

free so it will cause distractions to keep you from hearing God’s Word. When we praise God, it

confuses the enemy.

Things happen when we praise God!

Situations change when we praise God!

When we obey God and when we say “yes” to God, good things happen because God gets to

bless us through our obedience to Him!

Submitted By Sister Bess Griffin 11-25-18

All sermons preached by

Pastor Eddie Washington

unless otherwise stated.

A Saint Matthew

Missionary Baptist

Church Publication

December, 2018 Page 7

Unity

A Saint Matthew Missionary Baptist Church Publication

202 Sixth Street

P.O. Box 66

Docena, AL 35060

Victoria Williams, Editor

We are Saint Matthew Missionary

Baptist Church of Docena, AL

Our Vision is that of an all-inclusive church, ministering to the

needs of all God’s people, to transform and empower them

through the teaching and preaching of the Word of God.

Our Mission is to progressively pursue the restoration of the

spiritual, physical, and social condition of the community as we

actively engage in reaching out to those who do not know Jesus

the Christ as Savior and Lord.

Our Motto is “Making a Difference in the Lives of Others for the

Kingdom of God,” which reflects the heart of this church as we

address the needs of the church and the community.

We Believe that our society will be best affected through the

ministry of the church. We further believe that the church is the

best organization of people to rebuild our battered communities.

As the church grows, so do the community, the city, the state, and

the country. We are going to make a difference: one person, one

family, one community at a time, for the Kingdom of God.

Saint Matthew Missionary Baptist Church

Pastor Reverend Eddie Washington, Sr.

“We do not have to raise the standard to become the men and women God wants us to be; we simply have to come up to the one

He has already set.”

Deacon Board

Brother J.W. Henry, Chairman

Brother Steven Anderson Brother Antoine Palm Brother Victor Griffin Brother Wallace Simmons

Brother Ronald King Brother Lavone Thomas Brother Roosevelt McCray Brother Carlos Williams

December, 2018

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-5, 14