New Service Times

 

Effective as of Sunday May 16th, the Chestnut Mound church of Christ will put new service times into effect on a trial basis. This decision was made by the men of the congregation as a way to boost attendance and interest in our Sunday evening worship. These new times are as follows:

Bible Study: 9:00 am

Worship: 10:00 am

Devotional/Singing: 11:30 am

We hope to see you soon!!

Exciting things are happening at Chestnut Mound!!

 

Wow, I cannot believe that we are almost finished with the month of March. The year is already a quarter finished. I want to take the opportunity to provide an update on the congregation here at Chestnut Mound. 

There have been a few things happen since our end of year update that I posted back before Christmas. If you will recall in that update, we had just begun a search for a new minister for the 4th Sunday. We are happy to announce that as of January 2021 Charlie LaFever stepped into that role. We also came to an agreement with Shawn Hensley to handle our four 5th Sunday's this year. We are extremely proud of our ministry team with Charlie and I heading that up. We want you to know that our phones and emails are always open with whatever spiritual need you might have. We hope you will visit the "our leadership" section of this website for that information. As ministers our focus is to be more transparent with our members and this will be done by utilizing this webpage as well as Facebook and weekly congregational email updates.

In the past few weeks we have talked about giving the men of the congregation more responsibility. This plan has already been put into action as Mark Prather has agreed to oversee our physical plant. Likewise Justin Brockett has agreed to handle worship with Stanley Loftis taking on outreach through our newly developed card ministry. Ricky Lambert will continue to be the trustee and handle all the financial aspects of the church as well as be the final authority over all decisions that are made. By doing this, Charlie and I will be able to devote more time to preaching, Meditations from the Mound on YouTube, setting up Bible studies, and outreach through physical visitation, calls, texts, and social media. 

Fellowship is going to be a major theme of 2021. We have plans in the works to have a fellowship meal in either early to mid Summer of this year. There is nothing that compares to the joy of assembling with each other outside the worship assembly (1 Thessalonians 5:11). In conjunction with this, we are planning a workday at our building. Ricky and Mark have made a list of jobs that need to be taken care of around our building that will be the focus of that work day(s). Even though the building is not "the church," we are still to be good stewards of it (1 Peter 4:10).

Outreach will also be a theme this year. Throughout 2020 we were made aware of many individuals who have gone/are going through illness and had family and friends pass away. We want to show that we care about these folks and their souls (1 Thessalonians 5:11). What better way to do this than send cards? If you know of someone that would like a card let Stanley Loftis or one of our men know and we will make sure they receive one. Oftentimes, cards, while simple, can be so profound. We don't want to limit our cards to just those who are physically hurting, but those spiritually hurting as well (Mark 16:15).

Our worship is the most important aspect of what we do. It's a time where we come together for three hours (two in the morning, one in the evening) to worship the most holy God (John 4:24). It is important that we do so in a pleasing, uplifting, and organized manner. To effectively do this, we have put Justin Brockett in charge of this area. His duties will include making sure each of our men have a role(s) in worship, picking out songs to sing, and getting everyone focused on worshipping God at the times we've set aside at 11 am and 5 pm. Justin will also make sure that the Lord's Supper has been prepared as well as making sure that the contribution and attendance have been counted, with the former being given to Ricky for deposit in the bank. 

We are happy to be supporting two very good works this year. House to House/Heart to Heart is a ministry we began supporting last year. This ministry sends mailers to various zip codes that are customizable to us. Through this ministry we reach over 1,000 homes in Chestnut Mound, Granville, and Buffalo Valley. We also have approximately 200 of these mailings that are sent to the building. This year I want each member to take 20 or more of these and distribute them to friends, family, co-workers, and just anyone else you think might reap the benefits of them. New this year is The Gospel of Christ Television program. In November Brother Joey Ferrell came and spoke to us during Bible Study about this work. As a result we have entered a contractual agreement to financially support this work on a weekly basis each Sunday afternoon at 12:30 on DTC-TV channel 6. This broadcast is available to all DTC subscribers in Smith, Dekalb, Cannon, Rutherford, and Wilson counties. Brother Ben Bailey's lessons can be viewed on YouTube at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/user/GospelOfChristMedia.

Ricky, Justin, Stanley, Mark, Charlie, and I are excited for the things that 2021 holds. We hope that you, but most importantly God, will reap the benefits of each of these things. Please realize that we are not perfect. We fail daily. However, we want to be more transparent. This means that if you have any questions or concerns we want you to reach out to us. The "our leadership" page has been updated with all of our contact information. As always, to God be the glory!!

In Him,

Carver Moore

End of 2020 Congregational Update

 

As we turn the calendar from 2020 to 2021, the leadership of the Chestnut Mound church of Christ would like to update you on what you can expect from us in 2021.

The leadership here at Chestnut Mound was informed yesterday (12/21) afternoon that Justin Douglass will be stepping down as fourth Sunday minister effective immediately. We would like to thank Justin and his wife Lexi for their two years of service to this congregation and wish them well in their new work with the Servants of Christ Campus Ministry at Tennessee Tech University. Last night we spoke with Shawn Hensley, one of the elders of the Liberty church of Christ in Granville, and he has agreed to preach this Sunday as the search for a replacement has begun as of yesterday. 

I'm sure most everyone has heard about the governor's announcement on Sunday night (12/20). These new restrictions do not apply to church assemblies. We will NOT be modifying our assemblies. We feel as though everyone is able to distance in a satisfactory manner. If you feel uncomfortable attending worship or feel sick, then we ask you to please stay home. Please refer to the post pinned at the top of this page for our COVID related policies.

As we head into the new year, we will continue to operate our YouTube channel. We have had nothing but positive feedback from it and will continue with our weekly sermons and our midweek Meditations from the Mound. We will also be continuing to send out House to House, Heart to Heart mailings in 2021. Perhaps the biggest new evangelism effort to expect from us in 2021 is our involvement with The Gospel of Christ television program with speaker Ben Bailey. Beginning January 3rd, we will sponsor a broadcast of this program at 12:30 pm every Sunday on DTC-TV in Smith County. We are currently working on getting all the necessary contracts signed with TGOC and DTC-TV.

Since her inception in 1966, the Chestnut Mound church of Christ has been a beacon of light in Smith County. It is our hope and prayer that as we head into 2021 we will continue to be that light. As always if anyone has a question or concern about any of this information please reach out to either Ricky Lambert or Carver Moore. Thank you and may God bless you!!

In Him,

Ricky Lambert

Carver Moore

COVID-19 Update (May Edition)

The Chestnut Mound church of Christ is happy to announce that we will resume physical worship services this Sunday, May 17th at 10 am for Bible study and 11 am for worship. While we are anticipating the return to physical worship, we are taking the following precautions for the safety of our members and visitors:

- Masks are not required, we ask that you use your own discretion. If you feel more comfortable wearing one to services, then feel free to do so.

- Upon entering the church building, we will have individual pre-filled Lord's Supper packets in a box on the table in the foyer. Please pick these up as you come in. Likewise there will be a basket on the same table for you to place your contribution in. You can do this as you enter or as you leave.

- When choosing a place to sit, please try and sit at least six feet away from one another. Families are encouraged to sit together.

- In lieu of handshakes and hugs, we will be doing "fist bumps," and/or "elbow bumps."

- Our building has been cleaned and disinfected throughly to prepare for our return. Hand sanitizer will be readily available for you and you are welcome to bring your own.

- There will be no children's Bible class. Everyone will assemble together in the auditorium for our ongoing study on the book of Matthew at 10 am.

- If you are in a compromised age bracket or have a compromised immune system, and don't feel comfortable attending worship services, our sermon will be posted on our YouTube channel. We will also be continuing our weekly midweek devotionals. Just go to YouTube and search "chestnut mound church of christ."

We are looking forward to assembling together physically with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and anyone that might want to visit with us, once again. We are trying to follow the CDC's guidelines as closely as we can, and we can assure you that you and your family will be able to worship in a safe manner.

In Him,

Rickey Lambert

Carver Moore

COVID-19 Update

Per the CDC's guidelines against gatherings of 10 or more persons and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee's stay at home order for the entire state, the decision was made, effective April 1st, to cancel all services at the Chestnut Mound church of Christ indefinitely. In the meantime, we will be posting sermons, Bible classes, and devotionals on our YouTube channel. We want everyone to know that we are praying for you, we love you, and most importantly God loves you!! We will get through this. If we can help you in any way please don't hesitate to reach out to us at: chestnutmoundcoctn@gmail.com.

Link to Chestnut Mound church of Christ on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC22A_lCFPAJxWN6Xj5dNftA

God's Call

For the past few weeks at Chestnut Mound, I have been preaching a series of sermons on God's Call. Whether we realize it or not, God is calling each one of us. Each of us have a purpose given to us by God. However, it is our decision whether or not we will answer His call. In this week's blog article, I want to offer you some practical advice on carrying out and answering your calling.

In Matthew 25, we are told of the Parable of the Talents. A "talent" as it relates to the parable is a unit of weight that totals around eighty pounds. As a unit of currency, it was worth 6,000 denarii. In verses 14-30, Jesus uses talents to represent our personal abilities. What do we do with our talents? Let's look at what happened here in this parable. We have a man (God) who calls and gives His servants (Christians) talents according to their own unique abilities. Each servant handles their talents in a unique way. One trades the five he was given for five new completely different ones, one was able to acquire two additional ones to add to the two he already had, and then the third servant who had received one, took his and buried it. We see that two of the three servants took their talents and used them for good and made them profitable for the man (God). The third servant hoarded his talent up, and simply did not use it at all.

When we are given talents from God today, we shouldn't "hoard" them. What if a preacher decided to hoard his talent for teaching the Gospel? Consider Paul, what would have happened if God hadn't called him to become perhaps the greatest gospel preacher that has ever lived, who would have written all the letters that we see throughout the New Testament? What if Paul had not answered the call?

God calls everyone into service in His Kingdom for a specific purpose. However, it is our responsibility whether or not to utilize our God given talents. If we choose to hoard up our talents, then we run the risk of someone possibly losing their soul or even losing our own soul. The Parable of the Talents teaches us that when God calls us to do something, then we better do it, and we also ought to be good stewards of what He has called us to do. Being a good steward means using the talents, or other blessings we've been given to glorify God and also never forgetting that they indeed come from Him.

What would you do if your phone rang and God was calling? Of course this would never happen, but what would your response be? If He told you to drop whatever you were doing and do what He says, would you do it? God calls everyone through His Word, which just so happens to be the Bible. He is not a "respecter of persons" (Romans 2:11). It's your answer to the call that will be the difference between Heaven or Hell. You may only have one chance, make the most of it!!

In Him,

Carver Moore

We would be honored for you to join us for worship at the Chestnut Mound church of Christ.

Our service times are as follows:

Sunday Morning Bible study: 10 am

Sunday morning worship: 11 am

Sunday evening worship: 5 pm

Fear: How Do You Deal With It?

In the wee hours of Tuesday morning, March 3rd, a tornado ripped through north Nashville, Mt. Juliet, Lebanon, and western Putnam County. I, like so many, was asleep as the tornado went through its path of destruction. Around 1:30, my mom and sister came into my room and woke me up. I was shocked to hear the tornado sirens going off in downtown Cookeville, as the weather report said the storm wouldn't reach Cookeville and Putnam County until the hours of 5 and 7 am. The radar, to say the least, was scary, and the wind, rain, and hail, as well as lack of daylight just made the entire event even scarier. After about thirty minutes the wind died down and the hail subsided and the rain slacked up. We looked outside the windows of our house and there was no damage to speak of. After another thirty minutes or so to "get our wits about us," we all went back to bed. It wasn't until we awoke a few hours later that we realized how serious the storm had been.

I'm not going to go into detail about the storm, the specific path it took, nor the scientific aspects of it. We need to spend this time in prayer for the victims and those that were lost. However, these last few days have gotten me to thinking about fear. Fear is inevitable, but how do we respond and deal with it? Do we let it control our lives or do we use it for good? What kinds of fear are there? In this week's blog, I want us to look at how to deal with fear and use it for good.

1. We are commanded to have a "healthy dose" of fear when it comes to our relationship with God. In 2 Timothy 1:7, we are told "God has not given us a spirit of fear." God doesn't want us to fear Him, instead He wants us to respect Him. If we were afraid of God, would we ever pray to Him or worship Him? No, we would be terrified to think of doing such things. God wants to be our source of refuge in both good and bad times, not someone we run from. Think about if we lived during Old Testament times. God hasn't always been as lenient with His people as He is now. If you made God mad, He would strike you dead on the spot. In Lamentations 2, we read of God's anger with the city of Jerusalem. In these twenty-two verses, the word "anger" is used four times. God is upset with the Children of Israel for the way they had been acting. The book of Lamentations was written after the fact, and is a record for us of God's anger. The word "lamentation" means "an expression of sorrow, mourning, or regret." The anger of God got through to the Israelites and they expressed their sorrow here in the book of Lamentations. Likewise, when we mess up today, we should have enough "fear" or "respect" for God to "lament" when we are wrong. We should thank God that He sent His son, Jesus, to die for us so that we can have forgiveness of any sins we might commit.

2. Do our fear(s) keep us from following God? Do you fear going out and talking to others about the Gospel? Do you fear teaching Bible class, leading public prayer, or visiting with fellow members of the church? Do natural disasters like Tuesday's make you so scared that you can't bring yourself to do anything to help those affected by them? Do natural disasters make you so scared that you allow your faith to waver? Friends we have to learn to overcome our fears. If we dwell on them, then we will go throughout life and be miserable. In Isaiah 41:10, we are told to "fear not." Why? Because God will strengthen us. Friends, we can overcome any fear, no matter how big or how small, with our faith in God.

Friends, I challenge you this week, and every week, to strive to overcome your fears. Will there be nights like Tuesday where it will be hard to? Of course, but we must rely on God to help get us through those times. No matter the struggle, God will get you through it. Paul said to the church at Philippi, in Philippians 4:13, that he "could do all things through Christ who strengthened him." Isn't that true for us today? No matter what we face, no matter what fears come along, we can do anything through God who strengthens us!!

In Him,

Carver Moore

We were blessed at the Chestnut Mound church of Christ, that none of our members nor our broader community were affected by the storm Tuesday morning. We ask that you keep the Double Springs, Echo Valley, and surrounding Putnam County communities in your prayers as they recover and put their lives back together. We also ask that you pray for the families of the eighteen individuals that lost their lives in the storm. 

We would be honored for you to join us for worship at the Chestnut Mound church of Christ.

Our service times are as follows:

Sunday Morning Bible study: 10 am

Sunday morning worship: 11 am

Sunday evening worship: 5 pm