The flowers for the Sanctuary are in celebration of Greg and Nadine Offenback's 50th anniversary and to thank God for His love and care.
The Galilean
The Galilean: Part 3
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
More In This Series
“The Galilean”—3
- □ Isaiah 43:19/44:3—“I will do a new thing. . . . I will pour water on those who are thirsty and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants and My blessing on your offspring.”
- □ Matthew 4:16—“The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has dawned.”
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□ Matthew 15:25—“The woman came and knelt before him. ‘Lord, help me!’ she said.”
- Clark Pinnock: “The triune God is a missionary God. . . . Missions are part of God’s strategy for transforming the world and changing history. One goal of missions is quantitative, to baptize and form congregations. The other goal is qualitative, to change life’s atmosphere, to infect people with hope, love, and responsibility for the world.” (A Wideness in God’s Mercy: The Finality of Jesus Christ in a World of Religions 78, 178)
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David Platt: “Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell. We owe Christ to the world—to the least person and to the greatest person, to the richest person and to the poorest person, to the best person and to the worst person. We are in debt to the nations. Encompassed with this debt, though, in our contemporary approach to missions, we have subtly taken ourselves out from under the weight of a lost and dying world, wrung our hands in pious concern, and said, ‘I’m sorry. I’m just not called to that.’
“The result is tragic. A majority of individuals supposedly saved from eternal damnation by the gospel are now sitting back and making excuses for not sharing that gospel with the rest of the world.
“But what if we don’t need to sit back and wait for a call to foreign missions? What if the very reason we have breath is because we have been saved for global mission? And what if anything less than passionate involvement in global mission is actually selling God short by frustrating the very purpose for which he created us?” (Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream 74, 75 emphasis supplied) - Ellen White: “Jesus is calling for many missionaries, for men and women who will consecrate themselves to God, willing to spend and be spent in his service. O, can we not remember that there is a world to labor for? Shall we not move forward step by step, letting God use us as his helping hand? Shall we not place ourselves on the altar of service? Then the love of Christ will touch and transform us, making us willing for his sake to do and dare.” (CEv 42)
- Robert Moffat to young David Livingstone: “Many a morning have I stood on the porch of my house, and looking northward, have seen the smoke arise from villages that have never heard of Jesus Christ. I have seen, at different times, the smoke of a thousand villages— villages whose people are without Christ, without God, and without hope in the world . . . the smoke of a thousand villages . . . the smoke of a thousand villages.”
Will you go for Jesus? Will you give for Jesus?
Keepers of the Kingdom - Standing Strong in Today's Battle for Truth. July 14-18, from 9 - 11:45 AM at Niles Westside Adventist Church (1105 Grant St, Niles) for kids in Pre-K (age 4) - 6th grade. Please register early online at www.nileswestside.org. Email nileswestsidevbs@gmail.com or call 269-683-5998 with questions.
Michigan Advance Partners
Author Melvin Santos Speaking: For the longest time, in my early years, I quietly disagreed with this Bible passage in Acts 20, “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35, NKJV).
I wondered how people can say, “I receive a blessing when I give.” On the contrary, in my younger years, I always enjoyed receiving gifts. To pay for the gift and give it to someone wouldn’t bring me joy. That would cost me time and money.
When I fell in love, got married, and had children, I finally learned that when you’re in love, there is a greater joy in giving gifts to your wife and children. I would do anything for them because I love them.
Then I understood that this is the Spirit of Christ, who sacrificed all to share His love with us. When I participate in giving, or helping someone in need who cannot reciprocate the deed or pay me back, I’m sharing the love of Jesus. Now, that’s the heart of Jesus.
Just seeing the smiles on my family’s faces was enough for me to experience this passage, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Today, let’s share our gifts with a generous heart.
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries
The Family Life Committee invites our church family to get to know each other better! We will begin with "speed friending," where we will rotate to different tables around the room to ask each other questions (sample questions will be provided). Then we'll eat a light meal together and end with a captivating hammered dulcimer concert. Ted Yoder will be sharing an eclectic set of impressive originals, fun pop songs, and moving hymns. Sunday, June 29, 4:00-6:30 PM, Pioneer Commons. Registration information will be coming soon.
You are invited to a hymn sing on June 28, 4:00-5:00 PM at The Old Rugged Cross Church, 61041 Vermont St., Pokagon, MI 49047. Please bring your Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal. A freewill offering will help to maintain the church. Please contact Melchizedek Ponniah, 269-876-7476 or melponniah@gmail.com for any additional information.