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, January 28, 2017
Program: 
As We Begin
Praise to the Lord • Johann Walther | We Are Singing, for the Lord Is Our Light • Traditional South African Melody
Praise
Praise to the Lord (1) • Blessed Be Your Name • Made For Worship • I Will Exalt You
Prayer
Choral Call to Prayer—A Future With Hope • Mark Miller Choral | Response to Prayer—God Calls To Us • Mark Miller
Ben Martin
Tithes & Offerings
I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light • Wayne Wold
Children's Story
Bible Reading
John 15:1, 4-5 NIV
Worship in Music
I've Been in the Storm So Long • Traditional Spiritual / Jeffrey Ames
Sermon
“STORM: Finding Jesus in the Gathering Dark”—3 • Dwight K. Nelson
Connect Card
The Savior Is Waiting • 289
As We Depart
Praise to the Lord • Martin Shaw

“STORM: Finding Jesus in the Gathering Dark”—3

www.newperceptions.tv

 

  • Two sides to the coin
    • Jesus: “If you remain in Me [ are in Christ] and I remain in you [Christ is in ], then you will bear much fruit.”
    • Two sides to the Salvation Coin:
      • → Christ = forgiveness/justification
      • Christ →   = fruit/sanctification
      • Galatians 2:20—“I am crucified with Christ [ are in Christ]: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me [Christ is in ]: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
    • The “Christ is in us” side of the coin:
      • John 15:5—“‘Abide in Me and I .’”
      • Galatians 2:20—“Christ lives .”
      • Galatians 4:19—“My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed .”
      • Ephesians 3:17—“ . . . so that Christ may dwell in through faith . . .”
      • Colossians 1:27—“ . . . God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this [Gospel] mystery, which is Christ , the hope of glory.”
      • Revelation 3:20—“‘Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will and eat with that person, and they with me.’”
    • Jesus—“‘I am the Vine and you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much .”
      • For God—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit—bearing fruit is a huge deal—because it is the only way to that the branch is truly connected to the Vine.
      • Luke 13:6-9—“‘If it bears   next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”
      • Galatians 5:22-23 NRSV—“The   of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
      • Job was bearing fruit that showed he had the faith of Jesus: “Though He slay me, yet will I   Him” (Job 13:15).
      • And what is “the faith of Jesus”? “I will put My   in Him” (Hebrews 2:13).
      • There will be a generation at the end of time that will demonstrate the faith of , because they have the faith of .
      • And the faith of Jesus is revealed in the fruit of the .
    • Desire of Ages 677: “‘Herein is My Father glorified,’ said Jesus, ‘that ye bear much fruit.’ God desires to manifest through you the holiness, the benevolence, the compassion, of His own . Yet the Saviour does not bid the disciples to bear fruit. He tells them to   in Him.”
    • Mike Mason—“Marriage, even under the very best of circumstances, is a crisis—one of the major crises of life—and it is a dangerous thing not to be aware of this. Whether it turns out to be a healthy, challenging, and constructive crisis or a disastrous nightmare depends largely upon how willing the partners are to be changed, how malleable they are. Yet ironically, it is some of the most hardened and crusty and unlikely people in the world who plunge themselves into the arms of marriage and thereby submit in almost total naiveté to the two most transforming powers know to the human heart: the love of another person and the gracious love of God. So be prepared for ! Be prepared for the most sweeping and revolutionary of a lifetime.’’ (The Mystery of Marriage: As Iron Sharpens Iron 60-61)
  • One example to follow
    • Matthew 4:4—“‘It is written: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every   that comes from the mouth of God.”’”
    • Psalm 40:8/Hebrews 10:7—“‘I desire to do Your will, my God; Your   is within My heart.’”
    • Psalm 119:11—“I have hidden Your   in my heart that I might not sin against You.”
    • Psalm 16:8-10—“I will keep my eyes always on the LORD. With Him at My right hand, I will not be shaken. . . . because You will   abandon Me to the realm of the dead, will You let Your faithful one see decay.”
    • Cameron Schofield: “If you don’t get anything else out of this study, I want you to listen carefully and get this. Take it home with you and do not forget it. How was it that Christ was able to give himself up into the hands of the Father? How was it that no matter how dark the malignity of sin was, how terrible the weight of guilt, how impossible it seemed that there was any way out, how did He conquer? He believed that God would keep His . By faith Christ was victorious! ‘And this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.’ 1 John 5:4. Is your faith the faith of Jesus?” (Heralding the Loud Cry 94)
    • Desire of Ages 677: “It is through the   that Christ abides in His followers. . . . The words of Christ [in the Gospels] are spirit and life. Receiving them, you receive the life of the Vine. You live ‘by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ Matthew 4:4. The life of Christ in you produces the same   as in Him. Living in Christ, adhering to Christ, supported by Christ, drawing nourishment from Christ, you bear fruit after the similitude of Christ.”
    • If you want to abide in Christ and want Him to abide in you, everyday ask for the   of Jesus as you read the   of God.

 

“Abide in Me and I in you”

 

Belong: Finals Survival Kit

 Finals are just around the corner, and we’re excited to provide Finals Survival Kits—filled with goodies to help students stay focused during finals week. We invite you to volunteer or donate items for the survival kit! To sign up, please text the word "FINALS" to 269-281-2345.

Easter Lilies for Home Visitation Members

Help us show our home bound and assisted living members that we haven't forgotten them. This afternoon we have an Easter Lily to deliver to them. It just takes a few minutes, but a flower and prayer, puts a smile on their face every time they look at it. We will give you a card with their name and address on it.

Telling the Andrews University Story

On Saturday, April 19, 3:30 PM, at Mars Community Center, Michiana Adventist Forum will host an interview with Dr. Meredith Jones Gray, author of “As We Set Forth” (2002) and “Forward in Faith” (2024). This two-volume set recounts the history of Andrews University from its early days as Battle Creek College and Emmanuel Missionary College. In this interview, Dr. Jones Gray will reflect on her research and writing process as it intersects with her own long history at Andrews. Mars Community Center is located at 26-50 Sylvester Ave., Berrien Springs. Everyone is welcome.

Andrews University Symphony Orchestra

Saturday April 19 at 8:30 PM, the Andrews University Symphony Orchestra is presenting the WAUS "Thank You Concert" in the Howard Performing Arts Center. This performance is sponsored by the radio station and the admission is free. Dr. Chi Yong Yun will be featured as guest soloist on Schumann's piano concerto in A minor, and the University Singers and Chorale will be performing Franck's Psalm 150 and The Heavens Are Telling from Haydn's oratorio The Creation.

In Memory With Hope

 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.

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.

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