A surprise birthday celebration was held Sunday, April 1, 2007, to honor Mattie Pearl Sport on her 80th birthday at the Furman Mitchell Multi-Purpose Center.

Her nephew, Doug Cornett, with the help of Lurene Edwards, Mary West and Sandra Berry, hosted a great party for Mattie Pearl.

As she stepped into the building, everyone started singing &#8220Happy Birthday” led by her pastor, Donnie Burns.

And surprised she was when she saw the 50 in attendance sitting at the party tables and standing around the room.

Mattie Pearl was led to believe by friends that she was coming to the center to a singing.

Rev. Donnie Burns sang a solo.

Becky Welch and Gayle Sport rendered special music throughout the party hours from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Mattie Pearl also surprised many of her friends by singing solo several of her favorite songs.

Also, she let everyone in for a big surprise when she danced with some of the fellows to some of the toe-tapping and two-step tunes.

There were several bouquets of fresh flowers placed in the party area.

The food table held a beautifully decorated birthday cake and punch all done in a pretty color of pink.

One table held a crystal bowl that held the birthday cards she received.

Mattie Pearl thanked everyone for coming, and her answer to all the ones who were surprised at her singing and dancing was, &#8220I am 80 now and can do what I want to.”

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Gary Hundley, Director of Ministry Relations of Faith Radio, WLBF, 89.1 in Montgomery, was guest speaker at the morning worship service at South Luverne Baptist Church last Sunday, April 1.

Faith Radio is committed to reach and teach the Word of God to their listeners.

Reaching people with the Good News of God's love is exactly what Faith Radio is all about, doing our Father's business.

Happy birthday wishes go out to Faith Radio on April 4, 2007, as they celebrate their 23rd birthday.

People are encouraged to call Faith Radio at (800) 239-8900 and express what Faith Radio has meant to them.

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Dianne Richardson, pastor of Faith Deliverance Church, arranged a trip of 14 people to attend the 2007 Passion Play in Atlanta on Saturday, March 31.

This Easter celebration was held at the First Baptist Church in Atlanta.

Dr. Charles Stanley, pastor, says this is an outreach ministry for their church.

This Thirty-First Annual Celebration of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, gives the church an opportunity to share the truth of faith with other Christians, and with those who do not yet know Jesus as Lord and Savior.

The 2007 Passion Play follows the journey of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, through the last year of His life and shows the amazing love of our Heavenly Father, who was willing to sacrifice His only Son to pay for the sin of mankind, and redeem all who accept the gift of His atoning death.

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Passover was on Monday night, April 2, and a group of 33 adults at South Luverne Baptist Church participated in a Messianic Passover Seder conducted by a Messianic Jew, Janice Bell from Elba, and Nancy Petrey.

Those assisting in the service were Jack Bell, Jeanine Coles from Elba, and Pastor Mike Green.

Jews have been celebrating the Passover every year since the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt 3,500 years ago (Ex. 12).

The early Christians celebrated Passover into the 4th century, and in recent years the church has begun to reclaim the biblical feasts (Lev. 23).

Jesus the Messiah can be seen in the Seder as the crucified Passover Lamb, the wine (grape juice) representing His blood.

He is also shown in the striped, pierced, and unleavened (&#8220sinless”) matzah bread.

A piece of matzah, representing the Messiah, is broken, wrapped in a white cloth, and hidden in the room, representing the death and burial.

This piece of matzah, called the &#8220afikomen” (a Greek word meaning &#8220I came”), is found and brought back at the end of the meal, representing the resurrection.

Pastor Green at this point in the Seder served the afikomen, just as Jesus did with His disciples on the night He was betrayed.

This, along with the Cup of Redemption, inaugurated the New Covenant.

The church now celebrates this latter part of the Passover, calling it The Lord's Supper.

During the telling of the Exodus story, Mrs. Bell delighted the guests with a demonstration of the ten plagues, throwing out toy snakes, frogs, and grasshoppers, golf balls for hail, and putting stickers of flies and boils on the guests!

To represent the Nile River being turned to blood, she turned water red!

Toward the end of the Seder, a meal is served.

Mrs. Bell's homemade Matzah Ball Soup was the first course.

Then the guests served themselves from a delicious potluck buffet, including Jewish dishes.

The evening began and ended with singing, and Mrs. Bell and several guests danced the Hora!

It was a happy Jewish experience for Christians who have been adopted into the Jewish family (Gal. 3:29) and &#8220grafted” into the Jewish olive tree (Rom. 11:24).

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This Week . . . &#8220Only one life, it will soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last.”