There will be a fellowship dinner following the second worship service in the commons.
"You Turned My Mourning into Dancing"
Part 1
Speaker
Dwight K. NelsonDwight 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
Saturday, November 11, 2017
Program:
As We Begin
Holy, Holy, Holy • J. Curnow
Praise
Bless the Lord with Me • You Are God Alone • Holy Spirit Rain Down
Prayer
Sharon Terrell
Baptism
Agatha Kayaga with Rodlie Ortiz
Ordination of Elders
Sabine Vatel & Dwight Nelson
Melissa Gibson, Juliette Horton, Julie Logan, Michael Orvek, Jessica Yoong
Children’s Story
Let My People Go • T. Scott
Worship in Music
Total Praise • J. Thompson & R. Scruggs
Sermon
"'You Turned My Mourning into Dancing'" • Dwight K. Nelson
Connect Card, Tithes, & Offerings
Come, Thou Fount • 334
More In This Series
"'You Turned My Mourning into Dancing'"
- The Story—1 Chronicles 21
- The Song—Psalm 30
- Jean Twenge: iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood (and What That Means for the Rest of Us): "In 2016, for the first time, the majority of entering college students described their mental health as below average.... The sudden, sharp rise in depressive symptoms occurred at almost exactly the same time that smartphones became ubiquitous and in-person interaction plummeted." (104)
- Tommy Walker/Ron Kenoly: "You've turned my mourning Into dancing again/You've lifted my sorrows/I can't stay silent/I must sing for Your joy has come..."
- Ellen White, Ministry of Healing:
- "Nothing tends more to promote health of body and of soul than does a spirit of and . It is a positive duty to resist melancholy, discontented thoughts and feelings—as much a duty as it is to . If we are heaven-bound, how can we go as a band of mourners, groaning and complaining all along the way to our Father’s house?" (251)
- " is a weapon we can always use against discouragement. As we thus open the heart to the sunlight of the Saviour’s presence, we shall have health and His blessing." (254)
- "It is a law of nature that our thoughts and feelings are encouraged and strengthened as we give them utterance. While words express thoughts, it is also true that thoughts follow words [feelings follow (behavior)]. If we would give more expression to our faith, rejoice more in the blessings that we know we have—the great mercy and love of God—we should have more faith and greater joy [talk faith until you have faith]." (251-253)
- Miroslav Volf: "There can be no redemption unless the truth about the world is told and justice is done. To treat sin as if it were not there, when in fact it is there, amounts to living as if the world were redeemed when in fact it is not." (Alberto Garcia, John Nunes Wittenberg Meets the World: Reimagining the Reformation at the Margins 75)
"You turned my mourning into morning!"
Fellowship Dinner
Pioneer Commons
Offering for January 10, 2026
Pioneer Operating Budget
You may have heard it said, and it is true that patience is a virtue. What is also true and closely linked to patience is found in the opening verse of the parable of Luke 18:1-8 (NIV). Jesus told his disciples that they should “always pray and not give up” (verse 1). In today’s fast paced, instant, and have-to-get-it-now world, learning to be patient and not lose heart or become discouraged is surely a quality that is desirable. The widow in this parable showed the importance of being patient in one’s petitions and pursuits.
In her attempt to get the judge to defend her against her enemy, who seemed to have been making her life difficult, she kept on asking for his defense. Finally, the judge yielded to her persistence and vindicated her.
The same is true of God. When we are diligent in our prayer life, longsuffering when we are seeking to invoke Christ’s intervention, and faithful in honoring Him in our stewardship, He will move to positive action. Let us remember that unlike the judge we cannot wear out God.
Today, as we worship Him through the return of our tithes and giving of our offerings, let us practice being persistent in honoring Him with our substance and the first fruit of our increase.
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries