If you would like to honor the memory of someone who has passed away since last Easter, you are invited to bring a spring flower to place at the foot of the cross during the Processional of Hope at either service this coming Sabbath, April 19, 2025.
The Widow Factor:
Living on the Edge with God - 2
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 11, 2016
Program:
As We Begin
O God, Our Help in Ages Past • William Croft
Praise
O Worship the King • Our God • Our God Reigns • Enough
Prayer
Russell Burrill
"I Thank My God"
Evelyn Savory / Jeannie Liederman Ruth Murdoch Elementary School / Andrews Academy
Children's Story
Poor Wayfaring Stranger / You Are Blessed, Who Live in Unswerving Faith D. Hustad / J. Brahms
Worship in Music
Love's Greeting • Edward Elgar
Sermon
“The Widow Factor: Living on the Edge with God”—2 • Dwight K. Nelson
Connect Card, Tithes & Offerings
Hymn
Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus • 524
As We Depart
O God, Faithful God • Johannes Brahms
More In This Series
“The Widow Factor: Living on the Edge with God”—2
- The Widow’s Narrative
- 2 Kings 4:1-7
- Desire of Ages 371: “The means in our possession may not seem to be sufficient . . . but if we will move forward in faith, believing in the all-sufficient power of God, abundant resources will open before us.”
- “If the work [prayer] be of God, He Himself will provide the means for its accomplishment. He will reward honest, simple reliance upon Him. The little that is wisely and economically used in the service of the Lord of heaven will increase in the very act of imparting.” (Ibid)
- “If we go to the Source of all strength, with our hands of faith outstretched to receive, we shall be sustained in our work, even under the most forbidding circumstances, and shall be enabled to give to others the bread of life.” (Ibid)
- God’s Arithmetic
- When we ADD, God MULTIPLIES.
- Luke 6:38—“‘Give [When we ADD], and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over [God MULTIPLIES], will be poured into your lap.’”
- Malachi 3:10—“‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse [When we ADD], that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing [God MULTIPLIES] that you will not have room enough for it.’”
- The four spiritual benefits of endtime giving:
- #1—Giving shapes me into the likeness of God, who is a Giver by nature—and a cheerful and sacrificial one at that.
- John 3:16
- 2 Corinthians 8:9
- Galatians 2:20
- #2—Giving deepens my walk with and trust in God, creating opportunities to cast my cares in trusting confidence on Him.
- 1 Peter 5:7
- Philippians 4:19
- #3—Giving declares I believe that it all belongs to God “from whom all blessings flow.”
- Deuteronomy 8:17, 18
- #4—Giving in all its forms is the most frontal assault I can launch on my inbred and natural selfishness and greed.
- Mark 8:34, 35
- Christ’s Object Lessons 351: “Our money has not been given us that we might honor and glorify ourselves. As faithful stewards we are to use it for the honor and glory of God. Some think that only a portion of their means is the Lord’s. When they have set apart a portion for religious and charitable purposes, they regard the remainder as their own, to be used as they see fit. But in this they mistake. All we possess is the Lord’s, and we are accountable to Him for the use we make of it. In the use of every penny, it will be seen whether we love God supremely and our neighbor as ourselves.”
- #1—Giving shapes me into the likeness of God, who is a Giver by nature—and a cheerful and sacrificial one at that.
“You would have gotten more out of it, if you had put more into it, wouldn’t you have?”
In Memory With Hope
Offering for April 19, 2025
Pioneer Operating Budget
Charles Schwab, Bank of America, and Fidelity are among many financial institutions that provide financial advisers to help people invest their money to prepare for retirement. Christ gave solid investment advice, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV).
In other words, invest your treasures in the kingdom of heaven. God has a simple plan in place to finance His kingdom work here on earth. It’s so simple. First, He blesses His children, and then they return faithfully the tithe and freewill offerings. That’s it. As there are greater needs in growing God’s kingdom, He increases the blessings He gives to His children. So, the more faithfully we return, the more He gives. This is the divine partnership God wants His people to understand. There is no other plan, no substitute, no alternate. An all-wise God knew the right plan from the beginning. His investment system is fail-proof. Do you want to see God do a miracle? Let’s invest in Kingdom work and watch Him work His wonders.
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries
K-ANTHONY and Friends
Join us for a free vespers concert at the Howard Performing Arts Center lobby on April 25, 2025. K-Anthony and Friends will engage us in an awesome evening of worship and vibing.
Howard Series Presents: Carla Trynchuk & Elena Braslavsky in Concert
Violinist Carla Trynchuk and pianist Elena Braslavsky will be performing a recital including works by Bach, Brahms, and the Ukrainian composer Silvestrov. Trynchuk, faculty at Andrews University, has performed internationally as soloist and recitalist in more than 15 countries. Braslavsky, formerly a faculty member at The Juilliard School and the Mannes School of Music, currently serves on the piano faculty of the Mozarteum University of Salzburg. Trynchuk and Braslavsky were classmates together at The Juilliard School. Please visit us at our website howard.andrews.edu to purchase your concert tickets.
Best Buddies Friendship Walk
Best buddies is a worldwide organization that fosters relationships between individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities with others in the community. This April there will be a friendship walk on the Andrews campus. This will help us raise money for the organization, which then helps other chapters to be opened in new schools as well as programs in schools, workplaces, and communities. If you are interested in joining us for the walk you can sign up, and if you can not join us on April 27 you can still donate. All donations are welcome and appreciated.
Memorial Service for Bruce Wrenn
The Memorial Service for Bruce Wrenn will be on Sabbath, April 26 at 5 PM at Pioneer Memorial Church. Visitation with the family will be in the Narthex from 4-5 PM.
Music Camp at Pioneer!
The Institute of Young Musicians for Christ is excited to be having a music camp at Pioneer Memorial Church! At our music camps young people ages 6-17 are offered an immersive, week-long musical experience. Our quality musical training—combined with fun, friends, and faith-building encounters— provides a truly incredible opportunity. The camp offers tracks for children 6-12 with or without musical experience and a track for teenagers with significant musical experience. To learn more and register, visit iymcsda.org/michigan. We hope to see you there!
Request to Sabbath School Class Teacher/Coordinator
If you are a teacher/coordinator of a Sabbath School class that meets outside the PMC sanctuary, you are requested to inform your name, location and meeting time. This information will help to create a master list to assist visitors and members. Please mail your response to Melchizedek Ponniah, melponniah@gmail.com.
Easter Devotionals
Pioneer Women's Ministries invites you to join us for 10 days of devotionals leading up to Easter (April 11-20). Together, we will consider what various individuals present at Christ's arrest, trial, and crucifixion might have thought and experienced. If you would like to receive daily text teasers and emails with the full devotional insights, please text the word "CROSS" to 269.281.2345.
Lamson Hall Upgrades with Maranatha
From May 11–June 8, 2025, Maranatha Volunteers International will be working at Andrews University to update the Lamson Hall residential rooms and suite bathrooms. Please consider volunteering and letting your family and friends know of this opportunity. All individuals (including local) should sign up at the Maranatha website: https://maranatha.org/volunteer-opportunities/.