It may be a well-worn cliché, but that does not make it any less true.  Time really does have a way of flying by.  In only a few short months, DeSoto Hills will celebrate her 2^nd birthday.   From the outset, we designed our Wednesday night activities a little differently in order to do a better job of discipleship.  We want to take the Lord at His word when He challenges us through the Great Commission to not only reach the world for Him, but also teach the world to follow Him.   Wednesdays have become a prime time for us to do just that.  Although our commitment remains the same, in September we are making some changes.  Our mid-week activities are taking on a new name with a new logo.  We call it 365 because He calls us to follow Him daily.  We hope to give you a wee kly experience that will help you in this daily endeavor.   We are also adding new classes that are designed to help you walk with and for the Lord in a more productive way.  Perhaps  the biggest and probably the most popular change we are making to Wednesday night is the new addition of FOOD!  Starting in September we will be serving a meal from 5:15 until 6:00 in the MPC, followed by our Praise, Prayer, and Proclamation service at 6:00 and our classes at 6:30.  I hope you will make a new commitment to make DeSoto Hills your Wednesday night place to be.

A Fellow Pilgrim,

Bro. James

The moving target that we have been calling the Christmas Party is now settled on a firm date [so for all of you that could not make it on the 16th, hopefully this date will work better for you]. Mark your calendars and make plans now to be there for the fun & fellowship!

Here are the details: (more…)

Happy Thanksgiving Week everybody!

Our God is so very good and we realize we owe Him all our praise and thanksgiving when we look past all the minor pain and inconveniences we all experience. I do not know about you guys, but I am most thankful that through the gift of Jesus, I am already living in eternity and all the bad stuff here on earth are just temporary speed bumps on my trip to Heaven. Look past your salvation this week and you will see that God has given you much more than you deserve! (more…)

Was Sunday a great day or what? A full classroom, a full worship service, and a full belly among friends. Does it get much better than that? We had a great picnic at the Adkins house…it has been much too long since we had a social and I forgot how much fun they are. Bill and Debra, thanks so much for opening your home to our class family! The kids seemed to have had a blast, and it was a reminder of how many good cooks we have in this group. I hope we all start getting together more often like that because it is a great atmosphere for us to get to know our new friends that are coming into our family and a chance to catch up on our long time friends. If you were not there, please know that we missed your company and look forward to spending time with you at the next gathering. And speaking of the next gathering, has anyone started making plans for a Christmas Party….anyone want to step up and accept the role as our social coordinator? Let Gary and the class know if you have a heart for this ministry. (more…)

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone”
I Timothy 2:1

Greetings to the Blaylock Bunch from Bob “Chili Dog” Benson. Those of you that were at the Fall Festival will understand that nickname…for those of you that missed it, you really missed a special treat seeing me in plastic restaurant gloves dipping out the chili dogs and pretending I was at a ball game calling “get your hot dogs”. I had a lot of fun and I hope everyone there enjoyed the Festival [and hopefully, I did not give too many people heartburn with those delicious chili dogs

This was another great day for our church…another packed Sunday School class, another capacity worship crowd, and a great turnout for the fellowship and fun at the fall festival. There is a certain electricity in the air being part of something new and exciting like the birth of Desoto Hills and I feel truly blessed that week after week I am seeing the Lord’s hand on this church. He has already done some wonderful things in the short life of this church and I truly believe the best is yet to come. If you have not caught the fever yet, then I encourage you to get involved, find something to do, find somewhere you can serve and get swept away in the holy flood the Lord is creating through this body of believers. (more…)

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone”
I Timothy 2:1

Were you there? Were you able to be there at the first service for Desoto Hills Baptist Church? If not, you missed one of the most powerful worship services I have ever experienced!!

The house was packed. As an usher and greeter at the south door, I can tell you we ran out of bulletins quickly and the people kept coming. We moved chairs out of storage and out of class rooms just to make sure everyone had a seat and the people kept coming. The music was uplifting and Maurie Wright and her dad, Randy Jones, brought the house to their feet in celebration with a song about the new Jerusalem. And it was obvious that Brother James was excited about the “Fresh Start” available to us all through our new church home. The collection plates were full of visitor cards and I saw many friendly faces that I have not seen since we left Trinity. The grand hall was swarming with people after the service and smiles were everywhere. What a day…what a glorious day….and what an extraordinary worship service to lead us all on the journey of touching our community for Christ through the family of Desoto Hills. It has been a long time — maybe too long — since I left morning worship feeling as high as I do right now and I hope I can adequately put into words just how jazzed I am about my personal experience as the Lord descended on our church this morning. May we all seek to fulfill the mission God has given this fellowship of believers through this new location.
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“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone”
I Timothy 2:1

We are only 5 days away from our first worship service at Desoto Hills Church and I am looking forward to this family of believers gathering on Getwell to experience the Holy Spirit descend on our new church in the same way He descended on Jesus when He was baptized by John the Baptist. For many of you long time Carriage Hills members, you have been waiting for this day long before Kelley and I ever joined your family. For some of you newer members, the wait has been very short. But I hope that whether your waiting period was long or short, that we all share one enthusiasm for our new church home and the ministry opportunities it will bring as we seek to reach the lost and unchurched in new neighborhoods.
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“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone”
I Timothy 2:1

How’s your week going? In spite of any problems, difficulties, disappointments, or aggravations you may have already had in the early part of this week, it is my hope that the Spirit is working in you to enjoy the abundant life Jesus said He came to give you {John 10:10}. No matter our present circumstances, remember that this life is just a pathway to our real home in Heaven…you already have eternal life and victory over Satan’s lies so keep your eye on the prize and you will be free to experience the joy God wants for you! (more…)

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone” - I Timothy 2:1

HAPPY TUESDAY TO THE BUNCH! Jesus said He came so that we would have life and have it more abundantly {John 10:10}. I hope this letter finds that everyone is having a week where the Holy Spirit is flowing through you in such a way that you are truly able to enjoy the abundant life and joy that He promised us as His children!! (more…)

If you were not in class today, you missed a great turn out for our first ever Sunrise Service. I was amazed to see that we had a full house and was even more impressed by the amount of food that brought by the class. We should have charged admission fees for the “Blaylock Breakfast Buffet” because we had more food than mouths to possibly eat it all. If you were able to witness our Thanksgiving size smorgasbord, you would be able to understand how the Israelites must have felt each morning when manna covered the ground or when the disciples had leftovers after feeding the five thousand which a few fish and loaves of bread. I know that Gary is grateful for the heart of this class that we are flexible to better meet the needs of this church so thanks to everyone for getting out of bed early and kicking off our new class time schedule with a bang. (more…)