Pioneer Offices Closed  —  

for Christmas December 24-26.

 

"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat:"

Me and Mrs. Potiphar

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

Joseph's hard work and dedication to God is seemingly paid off as he is placed in charge of all the household of his master Potiphar. But his master's wife has a wandering eye...
Saturday, April 11, 2015

More In This Series

04/25/2015
As we enter the final chapter of Joseph's story, we ask "what does it all mean?" Perhaps most important, what does it all mean for us today?
04/18/2015
Now ruler of all Egypt, Joseph is suddenly brought face to face with the demons of his past. Can he forgive his brothers who sold him to a life of slavery? Or will they suffer his wrath?
04/04/2015
When Jacob learned that his son Joseph still lived, it was as if his boy had been resurrected from the dead. It is fitting then that we look to this story as we celebrate the resurrection of the One who died that we might live.
03/28/2015
It's one of the most beloved stories from the Bible: the story of Joseph. But what can this ancient story teach us about our own broken relationships?

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat:  Me and Mrs. Potiphar”

www.pmchurch.tv

 

  • Genesis 39:1-12
  • Anatomy of a Temptation:
    • #1—Temptation is always .
      • Oswald Chambers: “Temptation is a suggested short cut to the realization of the highest at which I aim—not towards what I understand as evil, but towards what I understand as good.” (My Utmost for His Highest 261)
    • #2—Temptation is always .
      • Genesis 39:8
    • #3—Temptation is always .
      • Genesis 39:10
    • #4—Temptation is always .
      • Genesis 39:11
      • Christianity Today: “A national survey among churches . . . conducted over the past five years revealed that 68 percent of Christian men and 50 percent of pastors regularly. But even more shocking is that reported being its greatest users.” (April, 2015)
      • “When a woman is nursing her child and she’s skin-to-skin with her baby, her brain releases a neurochemical called oxytocin, which emotionally bonds her to her child. The same thing happens during sex. God designed oxytocin as the glue for human bonding. During a sexual release, oxytocin, along with other neurochemicals, are released and cause us to emotionally bond with our partner. When you watch porn, powerful neurotransmitters such as dopamine are also released, which bond you to those images.” (Ibid)
    • #5—Temptation is always .
      • Genesis 39:11
    • #6—Temptation is always .
      • Genesis 39:12
      • 2 Timothy 2:22—“ also youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a heart.”
      • Joseph ; David .
      • 1 Corinthians 10:13—“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to mankind; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of , that you may be able to bear it.”
    • #7—Temptation is always .
      • Genesis 39:9—“How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against .”
      • Psalm 51:1-4—“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love. . . . Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. . . . Against have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.”
      • Whatever you do sexually, you do of God.
      • Timothy Keller: “Instead of telling [urban dwellers] they are sinning because they are sleeping with their girlfriends or boyfriends, I tell them that they are sinning because they are looking to their romances to give their lives meaning, to justify and save them, to give them what they should be looking for from God. This idolatry leads to anxiety, obsessiveness, envy, and resentment. I have found that when you describe their lives in terms of idolatry, postmodern people do not give much resistance. Then Christ and his salvation can be presented not (at this point) so much as their only hope for forgiveness, but as their only hope for freedom.” (Quoted in Philip Yancey’s Vanishing Grace 79-80).
    • Two Coats—One Robe
      • “Therefore I counsel you to buy from me white robes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen.” (Revelation 3:18)

 

The robe of His grace for the rags of my guilt

(Flyer, TV, Google search, name of person who invited you, etc.)
Offering for December 21, 2024

Pioneer Operating Budget

This time can be a busy time for many! If you have children in school as I do, it is a blur of Christmas programs, family traditions, and various gatherings of the people I love. It can be a time of great joy or a time of great sorrow, depending on many factors. Once all the busyness of the holiday is done, things actually slow down and reset.

One beautiful thing I have noticed is that where I live, there tends to be a stillness and a quietness in this season.

The days are shorter, the weather is colder, and all of that combined slows me and my family down, and we simply adjust our pace to enjoy the rhythm of winter. I recently ran across the term “wintering,” referring to easing into the softer pace of the winter season.

As we look back on this year, let’s take time to reflect on how God has shown up for us this year. Was there a difficult thing your family went through? Is there a way you can see how prayer helped you navigate that time? Our offering today is for the local church budget. Let us give today from hearts grateful for all that we recognize God has done for us.

North American Division Stewardship Ministries

Backpacks for Berrien Food Collection

Backpacks for Berrien will be collecting single-serve, non-parishable food items for Berrien Springs school children in need throughout the month of December. Please see the collection bins and needs lists in The Commons and inside the entrance to the office. Thank you for your help!

Pioneer 2024 Contribution Statements

Contribution Statements for 2024 will be emailed to you toward the end of January 2025. Please ensure that your email address is current. Should you have any questions regarding your email, please contact the church office. If you require a paper copy of your statement, please notify claudia.sowler@pmchurch.org.

Communion Service

 On Sabbath December 28, we will celebrate the Communion service together during the 11:45 AM service. Associate Pastor, John Glass, will present his message, "God Will Provide."

2024 Financial Gifts

Thank you for your charitable giving in 2024! December 28 will be the last worship service to return your tithes and offerings. If you wish to mail your donation, please ensure it is post-marked by December 31 to be included in your 2024 tax-deductible receipts. For an online contribution, go to www.pmchurch.org/giving.  You will have until 11:59 PM EST, December 31, 2024.

Note: The Pioneer Memorial Church offices will be closed from Tuesday, December 31, through Thursday, January 2, and will resume normal operating hours on Friday, January 3, 2025.

AdventistGiving Online (AGO) Contributions

 Your faithfulness is very much appreciated. To ensure that your donations are properly credited to your account, when contributing through Adventist Giving, please log in under your name, instead of contributing as a "Guest."

Spanish Sabbath School Class

 Sabbath School is the perfect setting to rediscover the power of Bible study and prayer. In one of the most diverse campuses in the nation, we aspire to allow all our church members, students, and guests to study and learn in their language. To further this, we are establishing the Spanish Sabbath School Class so all our Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters can join us in learning together in our weekly Sabbath School. With that, please grab your Spanish sabbath school lesson and join us starting Sabbath, January 4, 2025.

150th Anniversary Commemorative Blanket Available

Looking for a luxurious and thoughtful Christmas gift? These limited-edition, 100% wool blankets are crafted from the wool of the sheep raised at the AU Agriculture Education Center to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Andrews University. Made at
Mountain Meadow Wool Mill with natural, undyed wool, these high-quality blankets are perfect for family, friends, or anyone who values something special and meaningful. With only 45 still available, they’re truly one-of-a-kind! To learn more, go to the Made at Andrews store (www.madeatandrews.com) and search for "Logo blanket."

Prayer and Financial Support - Honduras Mission Trip

Your prayers and financial support are requested for the Pioneer Youth Mission Honduras team. The team will partner with the Hogar de Niños to provide a Friendship Camp. Scott Schalk and Glenn Russell will lead the Friendship Camp for about 75 children from the surrounding community. There will also be a special camping retreat for the Hogar de Niños, something these youth have never experienced before. The Hogar desperately needs a bus. Donations should be made to Pioneer Youth Missions Honduras.

2024 Advent Devotionals

Pioneer Women's Ministries invites you to share in the joy of the season by registering for this year's Advent devotionals, "Why Did Jesus Come? Going beyond John 3:16." Women and men are invited to join us as we dig deeper into God's amazing love, care, and deep desire to spend eternity with us. Devotionals will be sent daily December 1-25, 2024. You can receive a brief synopsis of each day's devotional by text and the full devotional by email by texting the word ADVENT to 269-281-2345. We look forward to sharing this blessed season with you.

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