Pine Hill Presbyterian Church

08/24/2025

Pinehill Presbyterian Church
Children’s Sermon
August 24, 2025

Good Morning!

Have you ever notice these beautiful stained glass windows we have here at Pine Hill? Don’t you just love it when the sun shines through them and spreads all the colors through out the church. Did you know that no two stained glass windows are the same? Just like you! There is not another person on earth that is exacting like you. God made each if you special and unique. He also made designed your perfectly for a special purpose. Let me tell you about the story of the stainglassed windows.

Once upon a time, in a small village tucked into a valley between snow capped mountains, there stood a tiny little church. It stood on a small hill just outside the center of the village. For centuries, the little church would ring its bell to call the villagers to worship each week.
It would open its hand carved wooden doors and welcome the worshipers as they came to listen to the beautiful music and hear the fiery message from the pastor. At the front of the church, where everyone sitting in a pew could see, the most beautiful, grand stained glass window shown down on the worshiping villagers. The morning sunlight would filter through each pane of glass and throw a kaleidoscope of colors across the room. No matter the weather outside, it seemed there was always enough sunlight to make the window come to life with brilliant colors.

In the back of the little church, there was another window. It wasn’t as large or grand as the one in the front that shown so brightly right behind the pastor. It was smaller and because the little church was built for the sun to reflect its morning light through the larger window, it seemed that the little window never had a chance to show off its own beautiful and carefully crafted colors.

Over the years, the little window began to wonder why he was ever made. He didn’t have the same brilliant colors as the big window. In fact, he didn’t think his colors were very beautiful at all. One day, a small sad woman climbed up the steps to the little church. She was dressed in black with a dark grey shawl wrapped tightly around her hunched shoulders. Her head was down and she seemed to be crying.

She came into the little church and sat in the very last pew. She looked up at the giant, beautiful window and only seemed to cry more. She bowed her head and prayed, “Lord, I feel so small and lost right now. My husband and only son have both been killed and I’m all alone. Please remind me that you are still here. Let me see your beauty in the darkness of my life right now. Amen.”

Just then, the sun shifted higher in the sky and was no longer shining through the big beautiful window. Its light just seemed to go out. The widow sighed and gathered her shawl around her shoulders again and turned to leave. As she headed towards the door at the back of the church, the setting sun started to shine through the little stained glass window. Because of the different light of the sun, the colors in the little window were even more deep and rich than the big window up front.

The woman stopped and just stared at the little window. All these years, no one had ever noticed the window. No one ever saw the beauty that the setting sun made as it danced through the colored panels of glass. As the woman stood there, the little window shone its colors down on her tear streaked face. The soft reds and blues made little circles around her and seemed to wrap its colors around her slumped little shoulders.

Suddenly, the picture in the window came into full view. It was a picture of Jesus blessing the little children. His arms were full as He carried one child and placed His hand lovingly on the head of another. He seemed to look down on the woman with such compassion. She could see the love in His eyes. She could almost hear him say,

I love you. I’m the Good Shepherd who loves and takes care of the lost. I give hope to the hopeless and care for the widows and orphans. Even in the dark, I’ve been here waiting for you. And just like I promised, I’ll be here for you always; even to the end of time.

The little window realized the creator had made him with a different purpose in mind. The little window thought he needed to be big and shiny for everyone to see and notice his beautiful workmanship. But it wasn’t about him showing off his brilliant colors. He was tasked with the most important job of all. He was created to remind those that are hurt and broken that there is a Savior who loves them. All these years He’s been watching over every single villager as they come in and as they leave the little church on the hill. And He can be seen best when the brightness of the day turns into the soft lights of sunset.

Never forget that you have been devinely and perfectly made by God!

You have been perfectly placed on earth with a purpose assigned by God!

And, never forget that our Lord and Savior is always with us in times of happiness and sadness. He walks with us everyday!

08/03/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1C3rN5zQrp/?mibextid=wwXIfr

07/21/2025

Come join us! It’s always a wonderful day of worship and fellowship. Hope to see you and your family.

06/08/2025

Such a wonderful day at Pine Hill today celebrating our Seniors and our Lord and Savior. Congratulations, Harleigh Stanford, Baylee Selby and Faith Wortham! We love you and are so very proud of you.

Thank you, Brother Scarborough, for always loving our Pine Hill family.

06/01/2025

Its saddens me to report our beloved Dolores Scarborough has ended her time with us here on earth. We are joyful that she is now singing amd dancing with the angels. Please continue to pray for Brother Scarborough and his precious family.

DELORES' OBITUARY
Mrs. Lois Delores Barber Scarborough, 84, of Grenada, passed away peacefully at her residence on Thursday, May 29, 2025.
Delores was born on September 16, 1940, in Stantonville, TN, to Murray Frank Barber, Sr. and Bonnie Mae Plunk Barber. A dedicated lifelong learner, she graduated from Adamsville High School and Northeast Mississippi Community College. She earned her undergraduate degree from Bethel College in McKenzie, TN, and later received Master's Degrees from both Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Delta State University.
With a passion for education, Delores devoted 34½ years to teaching mathematics in various school systems across Tennessee and Mississippi, including Huntingdon, Tupelo, Marks, Crowder, Philadelphia, Coffeeville, and Grenada. She also served on the faculties of Holmes Community College and Mississippi Delta Community College, where she continued to inspire students with her commitment and wisdom. She continued to teach beyond the school day at the family's dining room table where she tutored numerous individuals. She has enjoyed the continued fellowship with educators as a member of the Alpha Phi Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma.
Delores was deeply devoted to Christian ministry, working faithfully alongside her husband, Rev. Truman D. Scarborough, in every church he pastored: Zion Baptist Church (Pontotoc), Crowder Baptist Church, East Philadelphia Baptist Church, First Baptist Church – Coffeeville, Pine Grove Baptist Church, and Pine Hill Presbyterian Church. She taught Sunday School, led GA and Bible Drill groups for over 20 years, participated actively in WMU and Baptist Women, and lent her voice as an alto in multiple church choirs.
A dual member of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Grenada and Pine Grove Baptist Church near Coffeeville, Delores found joy in fellowship through the Rachel DuBard/Nadean Waddle Baptist Women’s Group, where she served as President and taught Sunday School. She also spent over 31 years as a dedicated member and leader in the Coffeeville Women’s Progressive Study Club.
Above all, Delores was the embodiment of grace, compassion, and service—a model pastor’s wife, and a loving and devoted mother and grandmother. She will long be remembered by her friends, family, and former co-workers for her delicious coconut cakes and chicken and dressing.
She is survived by her beloved husband of 56 years, Rev. Truman D. Scarborough; two daughters, Aletha S. Simpson (Gilbert) of Scobey and Hannah S. Ferguson of Coffeeville; four cherished granddaughters, Lauren Simpson, Haley Ferguson, Anna Ferguson, and Emma Grace Simpson; a sister, Maylene Barber of Jackson, TN; a brother, Neal Ray Barber of Jackson, TN; sister-in-law, Dean Barber of Powder Springs, GA. and a host of cousins, nieces, and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Geraldine Barber; and a brother, Murray Frank Barber, Jr.
Funeral services will be held at 2:30 PM on Sunday, June 1, 2025, at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Grenada, with Dr. Brent Barker and Rev. J. Barry Worrell officiating. Interment will follow at Coffeeville Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1:00 PM until the time of service at Emmanuel Baptist Church.
Pallbearers honoring Delores will be Bryant Douglas, Gaylon Gray, Jake Harrison, Josh Harrison, Phil Harrison, David Simpson, Jeff Simpson, and Mike Swanson. The men of Pine Grove Baptist Church and Pine Hill Presbyterian Church will serve as honorary pallbearers.
Memorials may be directed to any of the churches where Delores and Bro. Truman faithfully served.

McKibben & Guinn Funeral Service | provides complete funeral services to the local community.

02/02/2025

Pine Hill Presbyterian Church
Children’s sermon
February 2, 2025
What are you remembering?
Joshua 4

The people of God are called to remember. To remember how good God is, how he maintains his purposes and how he keeps his promises. The people of God have already been told to tie the word on their wrists and put it on their doorposts, that they might remember the Lord their God at every moment. Here in Joshua 4:7 we have stones, which are to be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.

It is one of the climactic events in all of biblical history. The Israelites had waited forty years, but now the time had come. It is a poignant moment as they stride across the riverbed of the Jordan, opened for them by the miraculous power of God. Behind them, they leave the wearying decades of meandering around in a barren wilderness and the tragic memories of countless funerals for an entire generation of people who would not trust God's promises. Slavery in Egypt and the bare survival of nomadic life are bygone experiences now.

A new and welcome chapter opens before them! Before them lay a land richer than their dreams, more fruitful than their hopes, and more beautiful than their imagination. Now it is theirs by God's steadfast promise.
It must have felt surreal to finally stand in Canaan, kind of like when you unlock the door to your first home. You've envisioned it, planned for it, imagined what you will do with it…but when you step in that front door, your emotions soar! To be the fulfillment of an ancient promise to Father Abraham must have been overwhelming.

Their joy had been magnified by recent events. When they arrived at the Jordan, they found it is flood stage, menacing in its speed and dangerous fro what it concealed. The jungle-like grow covered by the rapid current left Israel flatfooted. The river was impassible, its crossing impossible.

But God intervened, performing a miracle that paralleled the miracle of the Exodus from Egypt. God rolled back the waters of the Jordan River, just as He had done with the Red Sea. God meant what He had said through Moses years before. Here was His signature again, in the same way, to assure His people that He was good to His word.
I imagine there were songs and shouts as God's people worshiped and exulted in Him. But there was also one important act that calls for our attention this morning. After Israel crossed, God gave Joshua some very specific instructions, recorded in Joshua 4:1-3: After the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua, "Choose 12 men from the people, one man for each tribe, and command them, 'Take 12 stones from this place in the middle of the Jordan where the priests' feet are standing, carry them with you, and set them down at the place where you spend the night.' "

Joshua did exactly what he was told, sending these select 12 men back to the riverbed of the Jordan where they were to bring back 12 stones—stones that at one point were buried, unreachable, covered by a challenge to the faith of God's people, but were now divinely accessible.

Twelve men hoisted heavy stones to their shoulders from Jordan's floor and then piled them together in the Promised Land, by God's command. They were stacked there as a sign, an unmistakable marker at the very place where God had demonstrated His power to overcome any obstacle to His will.

Because stones don't naturally stack, there would come a day when Israel's children would ask for an explanation for this phenomenon. Here's the answer God wants the next generation to know: "Tell them the story," says God in v. 7, "of how the waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the Lord's covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan's waters were cut off."
Verses 23-24 add, For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over. This is so that all the people of the earth may know that the Lord's hand is mighty, and so that you may always fear the Lord your God."

This is what happens when the impossible meets the promises of God. This is the outcome when the implausible comes up against the glorious riches of God in Christ Jesus.

Seeing that rock pile and hearing the story, the people of Israel would know clearly that they had not crossed Jordan on their own. Those stones cried out, "God did this! By His hand we have forded this river. By His power and faithfulness we have accomplished this!"

God in His purposes brings His people to places and points in their lives where the only possibility for salvation and victory and triumph is if He provides it. We see this in His stated purposes in Joshua 4. His purpose is that all peoples of the earth would know that the hand of the Lord is powerful, and so that the people of God would fear the Lord their God.

01/19/2025

Pine Hill Presbyterian Church
January 19, 2024
Children’s Sermon
Galatians 15:13-25
the Fruit of the Spirit

Hello, children of God! Have you ever planted something? What does it take for things to grow? You need good soil, and sunshine, and water, and time…but with that, anything will grow and produce fruit, right? I was just getting ready to do some planting myself, actually.

I’ve got some great seeds here, see: I think I’ll plant some chocolate bars, and I’ll plant a jelly bean tree, and a licorice bush, and ooh! Yes…I have some donut seeds, too! Now, what do you think…if I plant these items in the ground, will they grow into those kinds of plants? Why don’t you think so? Well, these items are not living things with actual fruit seeds, that’s true… things like candy and junk food are made by human hands. If I put them in the ground, nothing will really happen.

So what do I need to make something grow? I need a living plant! I have to start with seeds that will put down roots and grow into something that can have fruit. You know, this reminds me of our lives as Christians, in a way.

The Bible talks about how God wants us to grow and “bear fruit” in Him. But the fruit that God’s Spirit produces is not apples or oranges or bananas. This fruit has to do with who we are, parts of our character. The Bible talks about having the Fruit of the Spirit. When we rely and focus only on our own selfish desires, we don’t grow much. Nothing really comes of that, just like nothing much will happen if you plant chocolate chips in the ground. But when we live with God in mind first and foremost, He can produce fruit in us.

The book of Galatians describes several things that make up that Spiritual fruit. It says that God grows in us love, which is the most important thing we can have! We also have joy, which is kind of like happiness but even deeper and greater. There’s also peace, which helps us feel content and quiet within ourselves. Patience is another element of this fruit. It can be hard to be patient sometimes, but it’s good to be able to wait for things! Kindness is another part of this spiritual fruit, reminding us that we need to be nice to others. Goodness is another, as well as faithfulness, which talks about staying true to others and having faith. Gentleness describes how we act with care, not being angry or cruel. And self-control, last but certainly not least in the line-up, tells us that we need to think about what we are saying and doing in life. God wants us to control our tempers and actions, and He will help us do that!

It’s key to remember that these things don’t just come from our own power or desire. We can’t force ourselves to act kind or gentle or any of these things. This “fruit” comes when we are “planted” in the Lord. When we grow closer to Him in prayer, and read our Bibles, and come to church, we can learn more about God and how we love and serve Him. When our lives are rooted in Him first and foremost, God can work to allow us to bear that Fruit of the Spirit. Then we can serve other people and remain closely connected to the Holy Spirit. God loves us and wants the best for us. When we walk in His Spirit, amazing things can happen!

Dear God, Thank you for the gifts of your Spirit. Please help us to trust in You And not our own understanding. Help us to bear your fruit.

01/12/2025

Pine Hill Presbyterian Church
January 12, 2025
Children’s sermon

GOD RESPONDS TO DISOBEDIENCE (JOSHUA 7:1, 10-12, 22-26)

We learn in Joshua 7:1, that an Israelite named Achan had taken some of the “devoted things”(described in Joshua 7:21 as a robe and money). In Joshua 6:18, God had warned Israel to “keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them.” Achan deliberately disobey God by doing exactly the opposite of what had been commanded.

We find ourselves under God’s blessing when we are in his will and walking in his ways (1 John 2:17). This doesn’t mean that by walking in his will we become healthy, wealthy, and prosperous. The Bible shows us examples to the contrary. Some of God’s greatest servants suffered terribly as they walked in his will (for example, Joseph, Moses, Isaiah, Paul, etc.).

They didn’t view a blessing as something to be gained in this world. Rather, they looked to the next world and were compelled by their love for God to obey him. We should have that same motivation.

Our Disobedience Effects Others
One of the things Achan didn’t foresee was how his actions would hurt Israel as a whole. In Joshua 7:3-5, Joshua decided to take the city of Ai. This city was smaller than Jericho, and shouldn”t have required as many men to take as had Jericho. Unfortunately, the warriors of Israel were defeated by a much smaller city. In Joshua 7:6-10, Joshua goes to the Lord in confusion and fear of what other nations will do when they hear of Israel’s defeat.

It’s amazing how our sin can impact others. Actually, there isn’t one sin that doesn’t hurt another person.
Lust hurts marriages.
Gossip hurts reputations.
Depression and low self-esteem rob others of a relationship with us.
Pride compromises our spiritual gifts
Since we depend on self more than God. Before we choose to disobey God, we need to think how our sin will affect people around us.


Disobedience Results in God’s Discipline
God says our sin will find us out (Numbers 32:23). Joshua asks Achan to “give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel and honor him. Tell me what you have done” (Joshua 7:19). Finally in verses 20 and 21, Achan confesses the sin he committed. He ultimately pays a hefty price, for he is stoned for his sin, as God had promised in Deuteronomy 17:5.

God is bound by his character to discipline us when we disobey. He disciplines us in many ways. He may allow us to suffer full consequences for our actions or he might bring special discipline on us. However, there is good news concerning God”s discipline: He corrects us because he sees us as his children (Hebrews 12:7-11). Discipline may hurt in the moment, but it is your favorite he greater good.

When Will was in kindergarten, this teacher her called me and said that he had been disrespectful. She said, she did not think that he intended to be disrespectful, he was trying to be funny. When we got home, he was disciplined. He never fussed. He just took his punishment and cried himself to sleep. But, want he did not know is that I cried much longer than he did. I did not want to punish him, but it is God’s command that parents must correct and discipline our children to make sure that they follow God’s commands.

Through discipline, God is shaping us into the image of his Son. It should comfort us to have know God loves us so much that he”s not content to leave us as we are. That is true love!

Here”s the best kind of love, though: Ezekiel 18:4 says, “The one who sins is the one who will die.” We all sin, we all disobey, and God in his loving sovereignty sent his Son to die on the cross for us. When we sin, we will be disciplined, but Jesus keeps us in God”s love.

01/05/2025

Pine Hill Presbyterian Church
January 5, 2025
Children’s sermon
"Rahab's Conversion and What Came of It"
Joshua 2:1, 8-11; 6:22-23, 25

Today, we’re going to pretend to be the Israelites. After God used Moses to free the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt, the Israelites had to live in the desert for 40 years. Now, that time is over. They’re getting ready to march into the new country that God is giving them. Let’s march to our new country!

But there’s a problem. The city of Jericho was in the Israelites’ way. The people of Jericho wanted to fight the Israelites to keep them out of the country God had promised to give them.
What do you think the Israelites should do?
Joshua was the leader of the Israelites when this happened because Moses had already died. When the Israelites came to Jericho, God gave Joshua some very strange instructions.
This is what He told the Israelites to do.
First, God said, take your whole army and march around the walls of the city.
Then, God said, march around the city one time like that for 5 more days.
Then, God said, on the last day, give the priests trumpets and walk around the city 7 times.
On the seventh time around, God said to have priests blow their trumpets. Everyone, make a noise like you’re blowing a trumpet!

After the priests blew the trumpet, God said for the whole army to shout. Everyone, give a yell at the wall! And with that, the walls of Jericho fell down!

Those were some strange instructions God gave the Israelites for conquering Jericho, weren’t they? I don’t think any other army in the whole world would try to conquer a city like that. But it worked because it’s what God said to do, and God is always right.

And God gives us some strange instructions too. He tells us to follow rules that no one else in the world follows. He tells us to be different than everyone else because we believe in Jesus. Other people think we’re strange for the things we believe and the ppppp things we do or don’t do. But the rules God gives us work because they’re from God, and God is always right.

So, even if something seems strange to you or to other people, remember to be like Joshua and the Israelites. Trust in God and do what He says, and it will work.

Closing Prayer
Father, You are the God who can do anything. You can even make shouting at a wall work to bring it down. Help us believe in You and follow Your instructions even when it seems weird to other people. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

12/08/2024

Pine Hill Presbyterian Church
Children’s sermon
December 8, 2023
Follow God’s Guidance
Matthew 2:1-12

Hello, children of God… Have you ever taken a trip? What kinds of things help you prepare to travel? Do your parents use something to help find their way? Maybe you use a map…there are many different kinds of maps. You might have a big road map like this, that shows you which highways to take if you’re driving somewhere.
Maybe you go to an amusement park or a small place, and you get a map like this that shows you how to get around. Or you might go hiking and get a little guide like this, that helps you follow trails and not get lost. You might also use a compass like this, that points to the North to show you where things are. Well, these days a lot of people have electronic versions on your phones or cars so all you have to do is tell it where you want to go, and you can get turn by turn directions and even voice commands that guide you along your way!

Consider this, though: have you ever followed a STAR for guidance? Has the night sky told you where and how to go? That probably sounds a little strange, doesn’t it? Well, a long time ago, a little bit after Jesus was born, God sent some special visitors to Him. There were men who lived far away, and they had studied Scripture and watched stars. They knew that God had promised to send a Messiah to rescue people. We sometimes call them “wise men” or “Magi.” These men saw a brilliant star shining in the sky, brighter than any other star.
They knew this was something important, and they believed God sent the star to show them where to find the Messiah. They traveled a long way to find the place the star led, and they finally found Him. Well, they first came to Jerusalem and saw King Herod (there’s another story there), and then made their way to where Jesus was. When they found Him with Mary and Joseph, they gave Him special gifts: valuable gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They knew Jesus was important and wanted to honor Him. They were willing to take risks, sacrifice their time and money, and go to a lot of hard work to find the Messiah, and trusted God to lead them.
Well, we may not have brightly shining stars to guide us, but we do have a special instruction manual to show us where to go. Do you know what map God has given us for direction? This! God has given His word, the Bible, for us to follow. It is our compass, map, and recipe for life! When we read the Bible and seek to understand what it says, we can better understand what God tells us and what ways we should live our lives. Just like a compass always points North, the Bible points to Christ.
All of its stories are true, and they guide us to Jesus just like the star guided the Magi. So whatever else we look to for direction, let’s look to the Bible for spiritual guidance. Ask God to help you understand the Bible. Study it, put it in your heart, and remember its significance. It will never steer you wrong!
Children’s Prayer Moment
(Have kids repeat each line)�Dear God,�You are the light that guides our way�Help us to read your word�To understand what it means, and obey your directions�Thank you for your instruction�Thank you for your love�We love you, God!�In Jesus name, Amen!

11/24/2024

Pine Hill Presbyterian Church
November 24, 2024
Children’s sermon

Hello, children of God! Do you know what month we are in now? That’s right; it’s November! What are some fun things that happen in the month of November?

It gets a little colder, and we see leaves fall…and at the end of the month we have a special holiday! What do you like to do for Thanksgiving?

Ooh, yes! I like to make yummy treats and put up fun decorations, and I eat lots of food, and sometimes play a game with my family…but you know, what do you think is the most important part of Thanksgiving?

Well, it’s sort of in the name…it’s about being thankful! Not just thankful for turkeys and parties, but for lots of things.

You know, the Bible talks a lot about why it is important to be thankful. God wants us to live with joy, and to be contented for the things that we have in our lives. This also keeps us from wanting things that we don’t have or that we don’t need. And we want to appreciate the blessings He has given us. What are some things you are thankful for?

I’m thankful for lots of fun things, too. And sometimes I like to remember those things when I’m feeling down, or when I am having a hard time with something. In fact, I want to give you a special challenge. I want you to try keeping track of all of these things you are thankful for!

On a calendar or journal, write down things that are special. write one thing for every day. So I might write a person who was helpful on that particular day, or something fun I got to do, or anything I appreciated. After a couple of weeks, look back and remember all of those happy things that you were able to feel thankful for.

It helps us look back and appreciate what God has done. In fact, you can keep this up and write down a note of thankfulness every day!

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,� and give thanks to his holy name.�5 For his anger is but for a moment,� and his favor is for a lifetime.�Weeping may tarry for the night,� but joy comes with the morning.
11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;� you have loosed my sackcloth� and clothed me with gladness,�12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.� O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever! –Psalm 30:4-5, 11-12

Praise the Lord!�Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,� for his steadfast love endures forever!�2 Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord,� or declare all his praise?�3 Blessed are they who observe justice,� who do righteousness at all times! –Psalm 106:1-3

Don’t forget to give thanks to God while you’re writing, too! Why don’t we thank Him with a word of prayer right now?

Dear God,
Thank you for all of your amazing blessings
And the work you do in our lives
Thank you for the Bible
Thank you for your love
We love you, God!
Thank you for Jesus
In His name, Amen!