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.
How To Quantify Your Happiness
How To Quantify Your Happiness: A Trickle of Contentment
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, June 28, 2014
More In This Series
“How to Quantify Your Happiness: A Trickle of Contentment”
John 15:13—“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
- G. Campbell Morgan: “God is not bound to do anything for man. Man has forfeited his whole claim upon God by sin. There is absolutely no reason why the distorted and ruined image should be redeemed or reconstructed. . . . But the very ruin of man included within it man’s spoiling, and man’s sorrow, creating a great cry which appealed to the Infinite Love of the Infinite Heart. The call of man in his ruin Love heard, and Love answered, in the gift of Christ, Who is Himself, to traverse the path of pain and suffering, to the final and absolute limit, that out of all this, man might be lifted into the realm where it will be possible to fulfill the initial purpose of his creation, and thus satisfy the purpose of God, which is the purpose of Love.” (The Crises of the Christ 61)
- Ellen White: “It is through the gift of Christ that we receive every blessing. Through that gift there comes to us day by day the unfailing flow of Jehovah’s goodness. Every flower, with its delicate tints and sweet fragrance, is given for our enjoyment through that one Gift. The sun and moon were made by Him; there is not a star that beautifies the heavens which He did not make. There is not an article of food upon our tables that He has not provided for our sustenance. The superscription of Christ is upon it all. Everything is supplied to man through the one unspeakable Gift, the only-begotten Son of God. He was nailed to the cross that all these bounties might flow to God’s workmanship.” (Amazing Grace 178)
-
James Denny: “I do not hesitate to say that the sense of debt to Christ is the most profound and pervasive of all emotions in the New Testament.” (The Death of Christ 158)
-
So give with joy and with joyful abandon!
-
Cpl. William Kyle Carpenter and the President of the United States of America
“What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul?”
VBS at Niles Westside Church
Offering for June 28, 2025
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