Church Offices Closed  —  

for the Columbus Day holiday on Monday October 13.

 

Speaker

Dwight K. Nelson

Dwight Nelson served as lead pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University from 1983 to 2023. During his time at Pioneer he spoke on the “New Perceptions” telecast, taught at the theological seminary and has written books, including The Chosen. He and his wife, Karen, are blessed with two married children and 2 granddaughters.

Offering

Nearly 500 years ago, a young monk stood all alone before the the greatest assembly of powers, princes, and pontificates the world had ever seen. His courage would spark one of the greatest social revolutions in history. How can we tap into that same source of strength to start our own social revolution today?
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Program: 
As We Begin
Let All Things Now Living • Traditional Welsh / Michael Hopkins
Introit
Come Into His Presence
Praise
I Want Jesus To Walk With Me • Medley • In Christ Alone
Prayer
José Bourget
"By the Word of Their Testimony"
Joanna Nicolle Jones with Rodlie Ortiz
Children's Story
Alleluia • Wolfgang Mozart / Merle Isaac
Worship in Music
Praise to the Lord • Paul Manz
Sermon
“Mission Possible: Standing Alone—Living up to the Luther in You” • Dwight K. Nelson
Connect Card, Tithes & Offerings
Hymn
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God • 506
As We Depart
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God • Martin Luther / Max Reger

More In This Series

11/14/2015
The heartbreaking terrorist attacks in the streets of Paris only serve as a painful reminder that we live in a broken world. Our planet is filled with cities, and those cities are filled with hurting people who are in desperate need of a few inner city angels.
11/07/2015
Considering the Adventist Church's historical stance on the separation of Church and State, how do we respond to the increased attention and scrutiny brought on by the presidential candidacy of one of our prominent members? Where do we stand when it comes to the causes of our Evangelical nation? How can we best serve this nation that we love?
10/24/2015
In a world where we are called to follow what is popular, Christ calls us to be "uncool." If we desire to follow Christ, we are called to deny self, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24).

“Mission Possible: Stand Alone—Living Up to the Luther in You”

www.pmchurch.tv

 

  • Psalm 119
  • October 31, 1517
    • Sola Scriptura—“by Scripture alone”
    • Sola Fide—“by faith alone”
    • Sola Gratia—“by grace alone”
  • Martin Luther
    • Luther: “I was a good monk, and I kept the rule of my order so strictly that I may say that if ever a monk got to heaven by his monkery it was I. All my brothers in the monastery who knew me will bear me out. If I had kept on any longer, I should have killed myself with vigils, prayers, reading, and other work.” (Roland Bainton Here I Stand 34)
    • Luther: “I was myself more than once driven to the very abyss of despair so that I wished I had never been created. Love God? I hated him!” (Bainton 44)
    • Johan Staupitz: “When it appeared to Luther that all was lost, God raised up a friend and helper for him. The pious Staupitz opened the word of God to Luther’s mind and bade him look away from himself, cease the contemplation of infinite punishment for the violation of God’s law, and look to Jesus, his sin-pardoning Saviour. ‘Instead of torturing yourself on account of your sins, throw yourself into the Redeemer’s arms. Trust in Him, in the righteousness of His life, in the atonement of His death.... Listen to the Son of God. He became man to give you the assurance of divine favor.’ ‘Love Him who first loved you.’” (Great Controversy 123-124)
    • “Above everything else he delighted in the study of God’s word. . . . and to this he often repaired.” (Great Controversy 123)
    • Luther: “There is on earth no clearer book written than the holy Scripture, which compared with all other books is like the sun compared with all lights.” (Luther’s commentary on Psalm 37:40, SDABC 9:131)
    • “Luther translated the entire New Testament into German within 11 weeks. Like a man possessed, he worked at the rate of more than 1500 words per day. What he produced was so masterful that in time it did much to create the modern German language. He was determined to do as good a job as possible and to prove to the world that ‘German nightingales can sing as beautifully as Roman goldfinches.” (James Kittelson Luther the Reformer 175)
    • Luther: “Night and day I pondered until I saw the connection between the justice of God and the statement that ‘the just shall live by his faith.’ Then I grasped that the justice of God is that righteousness by which through grace [sola gratia] and sheer mercy God justifies us through faith [sola fide]. Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise. The whole of Scripture [sola Scriptura] took on a new meaning, and whereas before the ‘justice of God’ had filled me with hate, now it became to me inexpressibly sweet in greater love. This passage of Paul became to me a gate to heaven.” (Bainton 49-50)
    • The Diet of Worms: “The scene lends itself to dramatic portrayal. Here was Charles, heir of a long line of Catholic sovereigns—of Maximilian the romantic, of Ferdinand the Catholic, of Isabella the orthodox—scion of the house of Hapsburg, lord of Austria, Burgundy, the Low Countries, Spain, and Naples, save Charlemagne, symbol of medieval unities, incarnation of a glorious if vanishing heritage; and here before him a simple monk, a miner’s son, with nothing to sustain him save his own faith in the Word of God.” (Bainton 141)
    • Luther: “‘Unless I can be instructed and convinced with evidence from the Holy Scriptures or with open, clear, and distinct grounds and reasoning—and my conscience is captive to the Word of God—then I cannot and will not recant, because it is neither safe nor wise to act against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.’” (Kittelson 161/Bainton 144/Great Controversy 160)
    • “Had the eyes of the assembly been opened, they would have beheld angels of God in the midst of them, shedding beams of light athwart the darkness of error and opening minds and hearts to the reception of truth. [One lone man standing on the Word of God—and yet all of Heaven joined in his defense!] It was the power of the God of truth and wisdom that controlled even the adversaries of the reformation, and thus prepared the way for the great work about to be accomplished.” (Great Controversy 150 emphasis supplied)
    • “The Bible should never be studied without prayer. The Holy Spirit alone can cause us to feel the importance of those things easy to be understood, or prevent us from wresting truths difficult of comprehension. It is the office of heavenly angels to prepare the heart so to comprehend God’s word that we shall be charmed with its beauty, admonished by its warnings, or animated and strengthened by its promises.” (Great Controversy 600 emphasis supplied)

 

If you stand alone on the Word of God, you will never stand alone.

 

Church Offices Closed

Church offices will be closed for the Columbus Day Holiday on Monday October 13.

Graduate and Young Professionals Sabbath School

 We are launching our Graduate/Young Professional Sabbath School on October 18th. The class will be held in the Student Center's leadership lab. If you have any questions contact Chaplain Jacob Gibbs.

Andrews Academy Alumni Weekend October 17 & 18

Andrews Academy invites you to ALUMNI WEEKEND, October 17-19, 2025. Come and reunite with your AA family. Remember the defining moments of your past and reconnect with old friends. We look forward to seeing all of you once again at our Alumni Reunion! (All are invited, this year’s honored classes end in 5 and 0). 

 

AA Freshman Class Fundraiser

Please, support the AA Freshman class by ordering pupusas and more by October 17th. Pupusas freeze well! Order for future dinners!!!

Annual Hayride

 The Family Life Committee invites our church family to the Annual Hayride at Five Pines Ministries. Come enjoy hayrides through the woods, a bonfire with s'mores, warm food, and even warmer fellowship. Sunday, October 12, 5-7 PM, 6597 Smith Rd in Berrien Center. Join us for this fun, autumn tradition!

Announcing Honduras mission trip

Do you love serving children? If so please prayerfully consider joining the  Pioneer Youth Mission team of college students and church members. We will be serving at the Hogar de Niños in Honduras from January 2-12, 2026. Question, contact Scott Schalk or Glenn Russell at glenn@andrews.edu

Help Pack 7,000 Bags for Christmas Behind Bars

On Sunday, October 26, beginning at 9 am in Johnson Gym, 400 people will have the opportunity to help pack 7,000 bags for our Christmas Behind Bars event. Join us for this fast-paced, fun, and family-friendly event sponsored by Pioneer Memorial Church and Andrews University. Use this link to sign up: https://forms.gle/H9pHrvudPiex8yns5 (Your presence and invitation to others helps to support our strategic initiatives for PIONEER.) 

Fellowship Dinner
Pioneer Commons

 There will be a fellowship dinner this Sabbath in the commons.

Offering for October 11, 2025

Michigan Radio Ministries

In the parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus talks about a person who was poor spiritually because he invested in the wrong things in life. Despite his worldly affluence, he is deemed spiritually impoverished because he hoards wealth for self-gratification, while neglecting to invest in God’s kingdom.

Jesus concludes the parable with a warning, “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:13-21, NKJV). So, the key is to be rich toward God? How do we do that? It means treasuring what He treasures: our relationship with Him and others, love and compassion for hurting human beings, and a heart that seeks to do good and be generous.

Paul echoes this sentiment in 1 Timothy 6:18, urging believers "to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share." This is not just about charitable acts or monetary donations, but rather about an attitude of generosity that permeates all aspects of our lives, reflecting God's own generosity towards us.

Remember, we are most like God when we are generous with our money and our actions. What has God given you to invest in others? 

North American Division Stewardship Ministries

IMPACT with Alejandro Bullón

One of the most significant problems people face today is loneliness. Even though they live in nice houses and drive new cars, people are alone inside their homes and cry inside their cars. There are many problems with alcoholism in American families, and the pressures of social media on young people are getting stronger. No one shows who they really are; everyone is taught to create a facade that makes them appear happier and more complete, but the reality is that people are becoming increasingly depressed and anxious. The two nights of preaching with Pastor Alejandro Bullón will bring messages to the heart about how Jesus is the only solution to American society's problems and today's world. There is no other way out but the word of God. There is no one else but Christ to bring true peace and security to our lives. He is the only one who can take us out of a life of loneliness and connect us with him and other people who live for him.

Please join us at Pioneer on October 17 at 7:00 PM and on October 18 at 5:30 PM. (Programs will be in Spanish with translation via App, please bring your smart phone and headphones if you will need translation).

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