There will be a fellowship dinner this Sabbath, January 28, following second worship service in the Commons on the lower level. Visitors are always welcome.
Tattoos on the Heart
Tattoos on the Heart: A Case for Apocalyptic Compassion - 3
Speaker
Dwight K. NelsonSince 1983, Dwight Nelson has served as lead pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University. He preaches on the “New Perceptions” telecast, teaches at the theological seminary and has written some books, including The Chosen. He and his wife, Karen, are blessed with two married children and 2 granddaughters.
Offering
Saturday, March 09, 2013
More In This Series
“Tattoos on the Heart:
A Case for Apocalyptic Compassion”—3
□ Luke 15:1 ,2
- “‘This man welcomes immoral people and enjoys their company over a meal!’” (v 2 The Voice)
□ Luke 19:1-10
- “‘For the Son of Man came to seek and to liberate the lost.” (v 10 The Voice)
□ Luke 5:17-26
- Desire of Ages: “ . . . this paralytic had lost all hope of recovery. His disease was the result of a life of sin, and his sufferings were embittered by remorse. . . . The Pharisees regarded [his] affliction as an evidence of divine displeasure, and they held themselves aloof from the sick and the needy. Yet often these very ones who exalted themselves as holy were more guilty than the sufferers they condemned.” (267)
- Gregory Boyle: “Compassion isn’t just about feeling the pain of others; it’s about bringing them in toward yourself. If we love what God loves, then, in compassion, margins get . ‘Be compassionate as God is compassionate,’ means the dismantling of barriers that exclude. . . . The focus of the story [Luke 5:17-26] is, understandably, the healing of the paralytic. But there is something more significant than that happening here. They’re ripping the roof off the place, and those are being let in.” (Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion 75)
- That was the mission of Jesus—and that is the mission of those who : margins get erased, and those outside get let in.
□ Three prayers you can pray to love the lost back to Jesus (Luke 15:20)
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Prayer #1—Ask God to open your to see the one in need.
- Luke 15:20—“The father looked off in the distance and the young man returning.”
Matthew 9:36 The Message: “When [Jesus] out over the crowds his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd.”
- Prayer #2—Ask God to open your to love the one in need.
Luke 15:20—“He felt for his son.”
Luke 6:36 The Voice: “‘So imitate God and be truly , the way your Father is.’”
Gregory Boyle: “God is compassionate, loving kindness. All we’re asked to do is to be in the world who God is. Certainly compassion was the wallpaper of Jesus’ soul, the contour of his heart, it was who he was. I heard someone say once, ‘Just assume the answer to every question is .’” (Tattoos on the Heart 62)
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Prayer #3—Ask God to open your to hold the one in need.
- Luke 15:20—“He enfolded him in an , and kissed him.”
- When Jesus lepers, the news sent shock waves through the community of the untouchables as well as the circles of the respectables—because conveys a solidarity that words can never prove.
Ellen White: “The strongest argument in favor of Christianity is a loving and lovable Christian.” (Last Day Events 191)
Just like Jesus
Fellowship Dinner
Offering for January 28, 2023
Michigan Advance Partners
The early Christian church was marked by its deep love for the Lord and sacrificial giving to His cause. In Acts 2:44, 45 we read how “all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.” Two chapters later we are told that “all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.” (Acts 4:34, 35)
Amid this incredible tide of giving, the hearts of two believers, Ananias and Sapphira, were stirred as well. When selling a valuable possession, they enthusiastically pledged the proceeds to the Lord. But as the time to surrender their pledge drew near, their enthusiasm cooled, and they decided to only give part of what they had originally promised. You can read the tragic results in Acts 5:1-11.
The great sin of this couple wasn’t that they refused to give all. The Lord doesn’t ask us to give everything, but merely to give as our hearts are moved—and to give without wavering. The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was making a covenant with God and then going back on their commitment. As we give for the work of evangelism today, let us do so without wavering. May the Lord remove any equivocation in our hearts and bless our humble offerings to His glory.
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries
AU Wind Symphony Winter Concert
Come join us for the AU Wind Symphony Winter Concert tonight at 8:00pm at the HPAC, featuring our annual partnership with the Southwestern Michigan College Brass Band under the direction of conductor Mark Hollandsworth. We will feature a wide variety of music, including Gershwin’s Strike up the Band, a collection of French folksongs, and the Mexican masterpiece Huapango by José Moncayo.
The Wooden Structure(s) on Ararat
ASM members and guests are invited to hear Dr. Randall Younker discuss his team's recent visit to Mt. Ararat and what they found, on February 12, at 1 PM. It's sure to be an exciting program. Bring some food and enjoy a potluck with your friends. Bring a new friend and invite them to join ASM for the remainder of the present term for only 1/2 of the annual dues.
Andrews Academy Luncheon for Senior Citizens
All ASM members and friends of Andrews Academy are invited to their annual Senior Citizens Dinner in the Academy Commons at 1:00 PM on Sunday, January 29. The meal and the program are a gift from the academy. At the event, your donations to Christian Education will be greatly appreciated.
Howard Center Presents: Charles Reid & Friends
Isn't It Romantic? In anticipation of Valentine's Day, join internationally renowned tenor, Charles Reid, and friends from the Andrews University Department of Music in an eclectic and fun evening on the theme of love.
Pioneer Reception Has Moved!
Thanks to our exciting elevator project, Pioneer has temporarily relocated our Reception to the Lower Level Welcome Center.
You may visit the Lower Level Welcome Center by using the internal stairs via the main Awning Entrance or by using the external stairs adjacent to the Awning Entrance. Heidi Ha will continue to provide you with excellent service with key & card access, Sabbath School resources, volunteer engagement, facilities use, and much more. Contact phone numbers will remain the same—269-471-3133 and 269-471-6565.
We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience as we collaborate on the exciting and much-anticipated elevator project.
Pioneer Piloting Alive in Jesus Children's Sabbath School
We are excited to be one of 80 churches around the globe piloting the new Alive in Jesus Sabbath School curriculum for the first quarter of 2023. Our Kindergarten 5-6 Year, Primary Grade 3, and Junior Grade 5 Sabbath Schools are leading our pilot, fulling implementing, with parents and our volunteer teams providing research feedback. The Gracelink curriculum, developed 25+ years ago, will be replaced with new lessons for 0 to 18 years olds by 2025. The Alive in Jesus Curriculum is being developed to better assist families in discipling kids in this 21st century to deeply love and fully live for Jesus.
We invite members to pray for our parents and volunteers as they reflect on this pilot experience to provide rich data to improve the lessons for global use. Feel free to watch an introductory video and explore the online materials at https://pilot.aliveinjesus.info/, or come visit or volunteer in a Sabbath School this quarter.
Something In Common: Sacred Marriage Series
Something In Common Sabbath School presents "Sacred Marriage": What If God Designed Marriage To Make Us Holy More Than To Make Us Happy?
- January 7 - God’s Purpose for Marriage: More Than We Imagine
- January 14 - The Refining Power of Marriage
- January 21 - The God-Centered Spouse
- January 28 - Sacred History
- February 4 - Sexual Saints
- February 11 - Marriage: The Love Laboratory
Everyone is welcome to join us in Room 141 every Sabbath from 10:30 - 11:30.
Update for Renovate 2.0
Our building committee and church board have voted to install the much-needed elevator and redesign the stairs to reduce their steep climb which in turn can provide more comfortable access to our church for all God's people.