There will be a fellowship dinner, following the second worship service in the commons on the lower level.
Don't Cry
Don't Cry For Me
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
More In This Series
“Don’t Cry for Me”
□ Hebrews 5:7
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Anne Lamott: “There are three things I cannot change: the , the
, and .” (Help Thanks Wow: The Three Essential
Prayers 31)
- But can prayers and tears change ?
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Hebrew 5:7—Jesus “offered up prayers and petitions with fervent
to the one who could save him from death, and he was .”
“Abba, Father—everything is possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yetnot what I will, but what You will.” (Mark 14:36)
C. S. Lewis: “It is clear from many of His sayings that Our Lord had long
foreseen His death. He knew what conduct such as His, in a world such as we have made of this, must inevitably lead to. But it is clear that this knowledge must somehow have been withdrawn from Him before He prayed in Gethsemane. He could not, with whatever reservation about the Father’s will, have prayed that the cup might pass and simultaneously known that it would not. That is both a logical and a psychological impossibility.” (Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer 42)
- But the prayer of Christ did not the mind of God.
□ Hebrews 5:8
- “He learned from what He suffered.”
- Philippians 2:8—“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming to death—even death on a cross!”
- “Submission to the will of God is the great secret of prayer.”
- “The Majesty of heaven, while engaged in His earthly ministry, prayed much to His Father. He was frequently bowed all night in prayer. . . .The dew and frost of night fell upon His head bowed in prayer. His example is left for His followers. . . . Jesus could heal the sick and raise the dead. He was Himself a source of blessing and strength. He commanded even the tempests, and they obeyed Him. He was unsullied with corruption, a stranger to sin; yet He prayed, and that with strong crying and tears.” (2T 508)
- Rabbi Yehudah: “All human things depend on repentance and the prayers which men make to the holy blessed God; especially if tears be poured out with the prayers. There is no gate which will not pass through.”
- Tears don’t change God’s mind—they change my .
- Desire of Ages: “Three times has He uttered that prayer. Three times has humanity shrunk from the last, crowning sacrifice. But now the history of the human race comes up before the world’s Redeemer. . . .The woes and lamentations of a doomed world rise before Him. He beholds its impending fate, and His decision is made. He will save man at any cost to Himself. He accepts His baptism of blood, that through Him perishing millions may gain everlasting life.” (690,693)
- Philip Yancey: “A person prays, said Augustine, ‘that he himself may be , not that God may be instructed.’ I examine my own erratic prayer life and see it as a time when God has indeed worked to lop off the protuberances and smooth the rough edges. I see defeats and victories both. Like a child who quits badgering a parent, I have sometimes found that I get an answer to my persistent request after I have learned to do without it. The answer then comes as a surprise, an unexpected gift of grace. I seek the gift, find instead the , and eventually come away with the gift I no longer seek.” (Prayer: Does It Really Matter? 154)
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Ira Stanphill:
He washed my eyes with tears that I might see, The broken heart I had was good for me;
He tore it all apart and looked inside,
He found it full of fear and foolish pride.
He swept away the things that made me blind And then I saw the clouds were silver lined; And now I understand 'twas best for me
He washed my eyes with tears that I might see.
“I will do a new thing. . . . I will pour water on those who are thirsty and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.” (Isaiah 43:19/44:3)
Prayer doesn’t change God’s mind— it changes mine.
Pioneer Operating Budget
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:42-45, ESV).
In one of my first years as a professor, I had a student who clearly did not like me. Every day she came to class with a negative attitude. One day, as I was leaving, I felt the Holy Spirit impress me to give her money. It seemed like an odd thought, so I brushed it away. Later that week, I felt God saying once again to give her money, but now He had doubled the amount.
As we left the classroom, I asked her to stay, and I mumbled through an explanation about why I was giving her money. I watched as she burst into tearsand explained that she had had no idea how she was going to get diapers for her baby.
That experience is a reminder of our call as Christians, to give. We never know the far-reaching impact of our financial gifts. Today’s offering is for our local church budget. Let’s partner with our church to expand our ability to help those around us in need.
By Heather Thompson Day
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries
The activity bags have been a big hit with Pioneer kids. Please help us replenish missing items and make more bags by buying items of our Amazon Wish list or by labeling an offering for "Kids Church Bags". Thank you for your support in bringing kids to church!
We would like our community to know that effective Sunday, September 1, 2024, Neighbor To Neighbor will only take donations Monday through Thursday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Being found on the premises after hours will not be allowed and will be considered trespassing. Thank you for your understanding.
Something In Common SS presents Don’t Give Up by Kyle Idleman
When you are hanging by a thread, losing faith and short on strength, what you need is real encouragement—a battle cry, a call to action, marching orders to push back the darkness. Stand up straight. Face your fears and enemies. And remember that you are not alone.
Join us weekly from August 24-September 21, Sabbath Mornings at 10:30-11:30, in PMC room 141.
Pioneer Memorial Church is delighted to announce the selection of Jacob Gibbs as a new Associate Pastor. Pastor Jacob was introduced to Pioneer on July 27, 2024, although his official start date was July 18, 2024. Pastor Jacob will serve as Associate Pastor at Pioneer Memorial Church and an Associate Chaplain with the Center for Faith Engagement at Andrews University.
Pastor Jacob Gibbs felt a call to ministry when he accepted Jesus as his Savior in 2002. Over the next nine years, he pursued his purpose and training at Mission College of Evangelism and Andrews University—gaining experience as a Bible Worker and Literature Evangelist. Pastor Jacob graduated from Andrews University in 2011 with a Bachelor's in Art and Theology. He later returned for his Master's Degree in Pastoral Ministry.
During his undergraduate years, he met his wife, Emily Knott, and they were married in 2012. Pastor Jacob has served in the Michigan Conference for 13 years, starting with a three-church district in the central part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and most recently as the Senior Pastor of the Cedar Lake Seventh-day Adventist Church at Great Lakes Adventist Academy. Pastor Jacob's passions in ministry include hobby-based outreach, small groups, applied arts, and personal Bible studies. Pastor Jacob and Emily have two daughters, Eva and Avianne. They look forward to starting this new chapter of their lives by serving the communities of Andrews University and the Pioneer Memorial Church.