Pioneer Offices Closed  —  

for Christmas December 24-26.

 

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

Saturday, October 01, 2016
Program: 
As We Begin
Gloria in Excelsis Deo (Glory to God in the Highest] • Allan Greenway
Praise
God of our Fathers • Majestic • Majesty • Speak, O Lord
Prayer
José Bourget ('03)
Baptism
Letitia B. Bullard with Sabine Vatel
Tithes & Offerings
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring • Johann Sebastian Bach
Children's Story
Ben Martin ('15)
Hope Trending
Sabine Vatel ('02) & Rodlie Ortiz ('06)
Worship in Music
Fantasia on an Early Advent Hymn • Charles Hall
Sermon
#RxF4Now—The Regrets of Oscar Wilde • Dwight K. Nelson ('76, '86)
Connect Card
I Will Sing of My Redeemer • 343
As We Depart
Symphony No. 3: Maestoso—Allegro • Camille Saint-Saëns

#RxF4Now—The Regrets of Oscar Wilde

www.newperceptions.tv

 

  • The Paralytic
    • Desire of Ages: “The burden of despair rolls from the sick man’s soul; the peace of forgiveness rests upon his spirit, and shines out upon his countenance. . . . In simple faith he accepted the words of Jesus as the boon of new life. He urged no further request, but lay in blissful silence, too happy for words. The light of heaven irradiated his countenance, and the people looked with awe upon the scene.” (268)
  • The Promise
    • Romans 8:1
    • Romans 7:24, 25
  • The Proffer
    • Romans 5:6-8, 12-20
      • v 17: Adam—death reigns/Christ—life reigns
      • v 18: Adam—condemnation for all/Christ—pardon and life for all
      • v 19: Adam—many made sinners/Christ—many made righteous
    • Isaiah 53:5-6, 11-12
    • Romans 5:18—in Christ the entire human race was pardoned (emphasis supplied):
  • “That prayer of Christ for His enemies embraced the world. It took in every sinner that had lived or should live, from the beginning of the world to the end of time. Upon all rests the guilt of crucifying the Son of God. To all, forgiveness is freely offered. ‘Whosoever will’ may have peace with God, and inherit eternal life.” (Desire of Ages 745)
  • “[Christ] took in His grasp the world over which Satan claimed to preside as his lawful territory, and by His wonderful work in giving His life, He restored the whole race of men to favor with God.” (Selected Messages 1:343)
  • “[Jesus’] heart of divine love and sympathy is drawn out most of all for the one who is the most hopelessly entangled in the snares of the enemy. With His own blood He has signed the emancipation papers of the race.” (Ministry of Healing 90)
  • Romans 6:3-5
  • Ephesians 2:4-7
  • “The message from God to me for you is ‘Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out’ (John 6:37). If you have nothing else to plead before God but this one promise from your Lord and Saviour, you have the assurance that you will never, never be turned away. It may seem to you that you are hanging upon a single promise, but appropriate that one promise, and it will open to you the whole treasure house of the riches of the grace of Christ. Cling to that promise and you are safe. ‘Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.’ Present this assurance to Jesus, and you are as safe as though inside the city of God.” (Manuscript Releases 10:175)
  • “All of us need to humble our own individual hearts, and be converted daily.” (6BC 1055)
  • Oscar Wilde in De Profundis: “The gods had given me almost everything. But I let myself be lured into long spells of senseless and sensual ease. . . . Tired of being on the heights I deliberately went to the depths in search for new sensation. What the paradox was to me in the sphere of thought, perversity became to me in the sphere of passion. . . . I grew careless of the lives of others. I took pleasure where it pleased me, and passed on. I forgot that every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character, and that therefore what one has done in the secret chamber, one has some day to cry aloud from the house-top. I ceased to be lord over myself. I was no longer captain of my soul, and did not know it. I allowed pleasure to dominate me. I ended in horrible disgrace.” (http://upword.com/wilde/de_profundis.html)
  • John 8:11—“Neither do I condemn you—go now and leave your life of sin.”

 

“No condemnation . . . in Christ Jesus”

(Flyer, TV, Google search, name of person who invited you, etc.)
Offering for December 21, 2024

Pioneer Operating Budget

This time can be a busy time for many! If you have children in school as I do, it is a blur of Christmas programs, family traditions, and various gatherings of the people I love. It can be a time of great joy or a time of great sorrow, depending on many factors. Once all the busyness of the holiday is done, things actually slow down and reset.

One beautiful thing I have noticed is that where I live, there tends to be a stillness and a quietness in this season.

The days are shorter, the weather is colder, and all of that combined slows me and my family down, and we simply adjust our pace to enjoy the rhythm of winter. I recently ran across the term “wintering,” referring to easing into the softer pace of the winter season.

As we look back on this year, let’s take time to reflect on how God has shown up for us this year. Was there a difficult thing your family went through? Is there a way you can see how prayer helped you navigate that time? Our offering today is for the local church budget. Let us give today from hearts grateful for all that we recognize God has done for us.

North American Division Stewardship Ministries

Backpacks for Berrien Food Collection

Backpacks for Berrien will be collecting single-serve, non-parishable food items for Berrien Springs school children in need throughout the month of December. Please see the collection bins and needs lists in The Commons and inside the entrance to the office. Thank you for your help!

Pioneer 2024 Contribution Statements

Contribution Statements for 2024 will be emailed to you toward the end of January 2025. Please ensure that your email address is current. Should you have any questions regarding your email, please contact the church office. If you require a paper copy of your statement, please notify claudia.sowler@pmchurch.org.

Communion Service

 On Sabbath December 28, we will celebrate the Communion service together during the 11:45 AM service. Associate Pastor, John Glass, will present his message, "God Will Provide."

2024 Financial Gifts

Thank you for your charitable giving in 2024! December 28 will be the last worship service to return your tithes and offerings. If you wish to mail your donation, please ensure it is post-marked by December 31 to be included in your 2024 tax-deductible receipts. For an online contribution, go to www.pmchurch.org/giving.  You will have until 11:59 PM EST, December 31, 2024.

Note: The Pioneer Memorial Church offices will be closed from Tuesday, December 31, through Thursday, January 2, and will resume normal operating hours on Friday, January 3, 2025.

AdventistGiving Online (AGO) Contributions

 Your faithfulness is very much appreciated. To ensure that your donations are properly credited to your account, when contributing through Adventist Giving, please log in under your name, instead of contributing as a "Guest."

Spanish Sabbath School Class

 Sabbath School is the perfect setting to rediscover the power of Bible study and prayer. In one of the most diverse campuses in the nation, we aspire to allow all our church members, students, and guests to study and learn in their language. To further this, we are establishing the Spanish Sabbath School Class so all our Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters can join us in learning together in our weekly Sabbath School. With that, please grab your Spanish sabbath school lesson and join us starting Sabbath, January 4, 2025.

150th Anniversary Commemorative Blanket Available

Looking for a luxurious and thoughtful Christmas gift? These limited-edition, 100% wool blankets are crafted from the wool of the sheep raised at the AU Agriculture Education Center to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Andrews University. Made at
Mountain Meadow Wool Mill with natural, undyed wool, these high-quality blankets are perfect for family, friends, or anyone who values something special and meaningful. With only 45 still available, they’re truly one-of-a-kind! To learn more, go to the Made at Andrews store (www.madeatandrews.com) and search for "Logo blanket."

Prayer and Financial Support - Honduras Mission Trip

Your prayers and financial support are requested for the Pioneer Youth Mission Honduras team. The team will partner with the Hogar de Niños to provide a Friendship Camp. Scott Schalk and Glenn Russell will lead the Friendship Camp for about 75 children from the surrounding community. There will also be a special camping retreat for the Hogar de Niños, something these youth have never experienced before. The Hogar desperately needs a bus. Donations should be made to Pioneer Youth Missions Honduras.

2024 Advent Devotionals

Pioneer Women's Ministries invites you to share in the joy of the season by registering for this year's Advent devotionals, "Why Did Jesus Come? Going beyond John 3:16." Women and men are invited to join us as we dig deeper into God's amazing love, care, and deep desire to spend eternity with us. Devotionals will be sent daily December 1-25, 2024. You can receive a brief synopsis of each day's devotional by text and the full devotional by email by texting the word ADVENT to 269-281-2345. We look forward to sharing this blessed season with you.

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