This year's topic is "Blessed are the Peacemakers". The MWC is a forum for scholarly and professional dialogue, the advancement of knowledge, and the promotion of best practices in Christian worship and music. February 16-18 in the Seminary chapel. Register at andrews.edu/icwm/conference.
How to be More Like Jesus
The Implausible Prayer
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
“How To Be More Like Jesus: The Implausible Prayer”
-
□ The Prayer
- Ephesians 3:14-19
-
The Creator and King, who rules over a galaxies and a stars
across billion light years (and has all the stars—Psalm 147:4), wants
to in .
- The implausible prayer: “That Christ may in your by faith.”
-
“May your become His .”
John 14:23
Jesus: “We [the Father and I] will come to you and make Our with you.”
-
Desire of Ages: “The contemplation of the of God will stir the heart and arouse the
powers of the soul as nothing else can.” (478)
-
□ The Product
-
Frederick Buechner: “In my books, and sometimes even in real life, I have it in me at my best to
be a saint to other people, and by saint I mean life-giver, someone who is able to bear to others something of the Holy Spirit. . . . Sometimes, by the grace of God, I have it in me to be to other people. And so, of course, have we all—the life-giving, life-saving, and healing power to be saints, to be , maybe at rare moments even to ourselves.” (The Longing for Home 28)
- When Christ dwells within us, He spreads Himself us.
-
Stuart Devenish: “Every Christian generation has produced two kinds of Christians: the
common, ordinary garden variety, and those who have discovered the deeper life. . . . [a life that] reflects a deep experience of Christ-likeness” (quoted in Beyond Well-Being: Spirituality and Human Flourishing 58).
- The grand goal of the everlasting gospel!
- “Be like Jesus, this my song, in the home and in the throng . . .”
-
NB: This is a collective invitation.
- “That Christ may dwell in your hearts [plural] by faith.”
- The GROW Group experience: “. . . together with all the Lord’s holy people” (v 18)
-
F. F. Bruce: “. . . it is Paul who gives distinctive expression to the idea of all believers,
whatever their race or social status, united in a life as fellow-members of the body. . . . [T]he prime function of the indwelling Spirit in the believing community, as in the individual believer, is for Paul the reproduction of the Christ-likeness in his people, until the whole body corporate attains ‘the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ’ (Ephesians 4:13).” (Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free 210, 211)
- Join a GROW Group now @ http://www.pmchurch.org/article/563/grow-groups/signup
-
John Gilbert—“If Jesus Came to Your House”
I want to be more like Jesus
I’m following in His waysI’m trying to love as He did
In all that I do and sayAt times I am tempted to make a wrong choice
But I try to listen as the still small voice whispers:REFRAIN
“Love one another as Jesus loves youTry to show kindness in all that you do Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought
For these are the things Jesus taught.”
-
Frederick Buechner: “In my books, and sometimes even in real life, I have it in me at my best to
I’m trying to love my neighbor
I’m learning to serve my friends
I watch for the day of gladness When Jesus will come again
I try to remember the lessons He taught
Then the Holy Spirit enters into my thoughts saying:
—adapted from Janice Kapp Perry
There will be a fellowship dinner this Sabbath, February 4, following the second worship service in the Commons on the lower level. Visitors are always welcome.
Ladies, make time to unwind and get lost in the RIGHT direction...Camp Au Sable in Grayling, Michigan! Let us find the joy in the journey as we make our way toward our happy place, Heaven!! Glamping (glamour camping) in style! Together we will be blessed by Tami Milligan and the great seminar line-up. Dates are April 14-16 and April 21-23 (same programs/presenters/seminars each weekend). Visit michiganwm.com to learn more. Jesus says…"I will guide you along the best path for your life." Psalm 32:7,8
Pioneer Women’s Ministries invites the PMC ladies to attend with us in a “LOVE ON THE MOVE” project as we show appreciation and support for our beloved church family members who are homebound and grieving by creating encouraging gifts and cards for them. NO MEAL WILL BE SERVED.
Location: Teen Loft
Date: Sunday, February 12
Time: 9:45 AM to 11:30 AM (Check-in at 9:15 am)
Registration: Text “CHERISH” to 269-281-2345
Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:20 that where 2 or 3 of us are gathered in His name, He is there with us! I’d like you to enter into the presence of Jesus this Spring by joining a Grow Group, one of Pioneer’s small groups that are designed to help you share a passion, make new friends, and grow in your faith.
Grow Groups are for everyone! We have groups for all ages, and a wide variety of interests. Many of our groups meet online, so even if you’re not part of our local community, you can still join a group here.
Registration is now open for the spring session (February 5-April 29). You can find all the available groups by texting the word JOIN to 269-281-2345 or head to pmchurch.org/grow and find the button that says “Join a Group.”
Andrews University Student Missions Department encourages students to expand their worldviews and deepen their faith by engaging in service and volunteering opportunities domestically and around the world. For more information or to support our program please see https://www.andrews.edu/faith/missions/index.html or contact sm@andrews.edu
Andrews University is hosting the spring Red Cross Blood Drive on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at the Johnson Gym. We welcome you to sign up at https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/donation-time
Pioneer Operating Budget
We Seventh-day Adventists have a reputation of being faithful in returning our tithes to God, at least compared to most other Christian denominations. However, our tithing might contradict what’s in our hymnal, and I’m talking about a well-known hymn. Either we need to change our giving or we need to change the lyrics in the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal, specifically song #309.
Here’s how the revised version of this song should go: “10% to Jesus I surrender, 10% to Him I freely give.” Join me on the chorus, “I surrender 10%, I surrender 10%, 10% to thee my blessed Savior, I surrender 10%.” Something about that just doesn’t sound right, does it? Jesus never asked us for 10%; He’s always asked for everything. That’s why the hymn goes, “All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give.”
Yes, the Bible talks about a tithe being 10% as a practice of worship and reminds us that everything comes from God, but let’s remember that everything belongs to God, including the local church offering. With what’s left, I buy food to take care of my body or to pay my bills; even this belongs to Jesus. When we bring our offerings to God, we acknowledge that EVERYTHING comes from Him and we can trust Him to supply everything we need. Today I invite you to give everything to Jesus and allocate a portion of that to the offerings at this church as you actively worship God.
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries
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.
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.