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The Heart Series

Church of Hearts: Can You Feel the Love?

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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, March 03, 2018
Program: 
As We Begin
Voluntary on the Doxology • attr. Henry Purcell
Praise
Majesty • To God Be the Glory • Worthy Is the Lamb • Open the Eyes of My Heart/Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Prayer
Rodlie Ortiz
Children's Story
The River of the Water of Life • Malcolm Archer
Worship in Music
Amazing Love • David Rasbach
Andrews University Music Festival Choir; Stephen Zork, director
Sermon
"Church of Hearts: Can You Feel the Love?"
Dwight K. Nelson
Connect Card
Tithes & Offerings
Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service • 363 (tune of 12)

More In This Series

03/10/2018
Teach Your Heart to Sing Again
02/24/2018
King of Hearts: Can You Feel the Love?
02/10/2018
Game of Hearts: Can You Feel the Love?
02/03/2018
Tell Your Heart to Beat Again
01/06/2018
Bring Your Heart to Life
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"Church of Hearts: Can You Feel the Love?"
www.newperceptions.tv

  • Two Theories
    • The Church as a Field
    • The Church as a Force
  • One Teaching
    • Matthew 13:1-3
    • Matthew 13:24-30
    • Matthew 13:36-43
      • It is not the mission of the Church to weed the field—it is the mission of the Church to love the field.
      • Matthew 13:47-50
  • Ellen White: "[Christ] has not committed to us the work of judging character and motive. He knows our nature too well to entrust this work to us. Should we try to uproot from the church those whom we suppose to be spurious [fake] Christians, we should be sure to make mistakes. Often we regard as hopeless subjects the very ones whom Christ is drawing to Himself." (Christ's Object Lessons 71-72)
  • "Were we to deal with these souls according to our imperfect judgment, it would perhaps extinguish their last hope. Many who think themselves Christians will at last be found wanting. Many will be in heaven who their neighbors supposed would never enter there. Man judges from appearance, but God judges the heart." (72)
  • Jerry Cook: "The minimal guarantee we must make to people is that they will be loved—always, under every circumstance, with no exception. The second guarantee is that they will be totally accepted, without reservation. The third thing we must guarantee is that no matter how miserably they fail or how blatantly they sin, unreserved forgiveness is theirs for the asking with no bitter taste left in anybody's mouth. . . . A church that can make that commitment to every person is a church that's learning to love and a church that will be a force for God." (Love, Acceptance, and Forgiveness 11, 13)
  • Clare De Graaf's The 10-Second Rule— "Just do the next thing you're reasonably certain Jesus wants you to do—and do it within the next ten seconds."
  • A Pledge

I make this commitment to you, . I will love you—always, under every circumstance, with no exception. I will accept you—totally and without reservation. And no matter how miserably you fail or how blatantly you sin, I offer unreserved forgiveness to you for the asking. I choose to love you as Jesus loves me.

Offering for May 30, 2026

Pioneer Operating Budget

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill

When the author of our reading became a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church decades ago, a song, “Love is Something,” written by Malvina Reynolds, was sung during their Adventist Youth (AY) programs. This song was sung during the evening offering collection. The first verse went something like this: “Love is something if you give it away, give it away, give it away. Love is something if you give it away, you end up having more.”

The idea that love begets more love could not be truer. When we love like Jesus loves, the benefits are abundant. When we give like Jesus gives—without limitation—the blessings return in abundance, running over.

And we “won’t have enough room to take it in!” (Malachi 3:10, NLT). The Bible says in Acts 20:35, “Remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

May the copious blessings of heaven be ours, as we give in love, gratitude, and without reservation to the cause of Christ in our local church today.

—North American Division Stewardship Ministries

Widows and Widowers Picnic

WIDOWS and WIDOWERS are invited to potluck at Rangeline Park, 10138 Rangeline Rd, pavilion 2, in Berrien Springs at 1 PM on Sunday, June 7. Come with your favorite dish and suitable clothing for a boat ride afterwards! See you then! Caring Hearts Ministry

Wilson Retirement

Please join us in celebrating the retirement of Barry Wilson after 35 remarkable years of service with the fire department, including his dedicated tenure as liaison to Andrews University. A retirement party will be held in his honor on Sunday, May 31, 1:00 PM at the Berrien Springs Oranoko Fire Dept.