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

Part 5 of a 5 Part series
Saturday, October 12, 2013

More In This Series

08/31/2013
Part 1 of a 5 Part series
09/07/2013
Part 2 of a 5 Part series
09/28/2013
Part 3 of a 5 Part series
10/05/2013
Part 4 of a 5 Part series

“The Galilean: Grace Notes for Dis-grace”

www.pmchurch.tv

W. H. Auden:

“I know nothing, except what everyone knows— if there when dances,
I should dance.”

Philip Yancey:

“Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us . And grace means there is nothing
we can do to make God love us .”
(What’s So Amazing About Grace 70)

□ Matthew 26-27: A Tale of Two Young Men

  •   Desire of Ages: “Now [Judas] pretends to have no part with them. Coming close

    to Jesus, he takes His hand as a familiar friend. With the words, ‘Hail, Master,’ he kisses Him repeatedly, and appears to weep as if in sympathy with Him in His peril. Jesus said to him, “, wherefore art thou come?” His voice trembled with sorrow as He added, ‘Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?’ This appeal should have aroused the conscience of the betrayer, and touched his stubborn heart; but honor, fidelity, and human tenderness had forsaken him. He stood bold and defiant, showing no disposition to relent. He had given himself up to Satan, and he had no power to resist him. Jesus did not refuse the traitor’s kiss.” (696)

  •   Desire of Ages: “While the degrading oaths were fresh upon Peter’s lips, and the shrill crowing of the cock was still ringing in his ears, the Saviour turned from the frowning judges, and looked full upon His poor disciple. At the same time Peter’s eyes were drawn to his Master. In that gentle countenance he read deep pity and sorrow, but there was no anger there. The sight of that pale, suffering face, those quivering lips, that look of compassion and , pierced his heart like an arrow. Conscience was aroused. Memory was active. . . . Peter had just declared that he knew not Jesus, but he now realized with bitter grief how well his Lord knew him, and how accurately He had read his heart, the falseness of which was unknown even to himself. A tide of memories rushed over him. The Saviour’s tender mercy, His kindness and long-suffering, His gentleness and patience toward His erring disciples—all was remembered. . . . Once more he looked at his Master, and saw a sacrilegious hand raised to smite Him in the face. Unable longer to endure the scene, he rushed, heartbroken, from the hall. He pressed on

    in solitude and darkness, he knew not and cared not whither. At last he found himself in Gethsemane. . . . On the very spot where Jesus had poured out His soul in agony to His Father, Peter fell upon his face, and wished that he might die.” (712, 713

  •   Desire of Ages: “Judas now cast himself at the feet of Jesus, acknowledging Him to be the Son of God, and entreating Him to deliver Himself. The Saviour did not reproach His betrayer. He knew that Judas did not repent; his confession was forced from his guilty soul by an awful sense of condemnation and a looking for of judgment, but he felt no deep, heartbreaking grief that he had betrayed the spotless Son of God, and denied the Holy One of Israel. Yet Jesus spoke no word of condemnation. He looked pityingly upon Judas, and said, For this hour came I into the world.” (722)

□ What made the difference?

  •   David Seamands: “Many years ago I was driven to the conclusion that the two

    major causes of most emotional problems among evangelical Christians are these: the failure to understand, receive, and live out God’s grace and forgiveness; and the failure to give out that love, forgiveness, and grace to other people. . . . We read, we hear, we believe a good theology of grace. But that’s not the way we live. The good news of the Gospel of grace has not penetrated the level of our emotions.” (Yancey 15)

    •   Intellectually we Grace—but emotionally we do not Grace.
    •   Anne Lamott: “Not forgiving is like drinking and then waiting for the rat to die.” (Traveling Mercies 134)
    •   George Herbert: “He who cannot forgive another breaks the over which he must pass himself.” (Yancey 82)
    •   Shakespeare in Merchant of Venice: “How shalt thou hope for , rendering none?” (Yancey 88)
    •   Jesus: “Freely you have received; freely .” (Matthew 10:8)
  •  Desire of Ages: “It is the gospel of the of God alone that can uplift the soul [from its dis-grace].” (47)

    “Amazing grace
    that saved a wretch like me” 

Neighbor to Neighbor Volunteer Help Needed!

Do you enjoy sales and pricing? Are you organized and detail-oriented? Would you like to make some new friends? If so, Neighbor to Neighbor needs your help!
Housewares Volunteer:

  • Sort, price, and organize dishes, kitchenware, toys, and other household items
  • Arrange items within the store Crafts Volunteer:
  • Organize and price fiber arts, homeschooling, gift bags, and general craft items
  • Arrange items within the store Train with other volunteers and then make your own schedule within operating hours.

Come join the Neighbor to Neighbor volunteer family! Contact Stefanie Marschner at stefaniem@n2nhelps.com or 269-471-7411 

Offering for February 15, 2025

Pioneer Operating Budget

When Joseph Leek died, he left nearly $1.8 million to an organization that provided guide dogs for the blind. Nothing unusual there. Except that nobody, not even his own family, had any idea that he had that kind of money. The 90-year-old lived like a pauper, according to his daughters. He watched television at a neighbor's house to save on electricity, put off home repairs, and bought secondhand clothes. Joseph’s problem was not the lack of money; he was driven to save money to help others.

Likewise, the lack of funds isn't the real issue in the church, but a lack of understanding in the purpose of giving and why God installed this as part of the redemptive restoration process. When we don’t participate in giving, it weakens our spirituality and the spirit of generosity. By giving regularly, we nurture a generous spirit which aligns more with Christ's character.

Giving offerings shouldn’t be motivated by earthly rewards, but by sharing in Christ's eternal glory. Now this is priceless! The right understanding of giving should propel us to give more for His glory. That’s why our donations to the church should not be driven by emotional appeals and feelings, but by our love and deep commitment to Christ and the people He gave His life for.

Today, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us give so we can reflect Christ’s unselfishness. North American Division Stewardship Ministries 

North American Division Stewardship Ministries

Sing Praise! Wind Symphony Vespers

An evening of praise and worship, “Sing Praise!” will be presented at the Howard Performing Arts Center by the Andrews University Wind Symphony and invited guest ensembles on Friday, February 28, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. The evening will feature performances by the Wind Symphony under the direction of Denisse Santos, University Singers under the direction of Stephen Zork, Deliverance Mass Choir under the direction of Michael Owusu, and The Watchmen led by Abel Siamubi. Favorite hymns and contemporary praise songs will be part of the evening, complete with opportunities for audience participation! Songs will include renditions of How Deep the Father’s Love, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, Be Thou My Vision, Amazing Grace, In Christ Alone and more! Join us for an evening of music and praise like no other! The event is free and no tickets are required. 

Belong is on Social Media!

 Like and Follow us on Social Media! Belong Ministries is now on Instagram and Facebook. You can find us at AU.Belong

House of Prayer Mini-series

We are pleased to announce a new House of Prayer Winter Mini-series led by pastor Dwight Nelson entitled "They, Too, Walked with Him". This series begins February 5th and cover the following: 

  • February 5    The Antediluvians (in Terrible Times): Enoch and Noah
  • February 12    The Patriarchs (in Stumbling Times): Abraham and Jacob (and Moses) 
  • February 19    The Prophets and Kings (in Meltdown Times): David and Hezekiah, Micah and Isaiah 
  • February 26    The Disciples (in Crossroad Times): Peter, James, John, and Paul

We meet together for House of Prayer every Wednesday evening from 7 PM - 8 PM in the earliteen loft. Please join us as we enjoy a spiritual shot in the arm in the middle of each week as we worship together through signing, study of God's word, testimonies, and prayer. Hope to see you there!

Master Guide Club

Do you want to complete your Master Guide Program? If so, please consider joining the Master Guide Club that meets weekly on campus to help you complete the requirements.

For more information or to join, please visit cye.org/toolbox

Care for Cuba

A group of students from Andrews University are preparing to embark on a life-changing mission in March of 2025. They will engage in evangelism, health care, and community outreach in Cuba. This mission trip has been going on for 11 years, and the impact has been tremendous, thanks to your help. Would you support this mission once again by donating right here in your church or give at www.careforcuba.org/donate? Thank you for your prayers as they prepare to send off students to serve and share Jesus!