There will be a fellowship dinner this Sabbath following the second worship service, in the commons on the lower level. Visitors are welcome!
Charmed into Righteousness
The Purest Life
Speaker
Dwight K. NelsonDwight 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
More In This Series
“Charmed into Righteousness: The Purest Life”
Reinhold Niebuhr: "On the whole, people do not achieve great moral heights out of a sense of duty. You may be able to compel them to maintain certain minimum standards by stressing duty, but the highest moral and spiritual achievements depend not upon a push but upon a pull. People must be charmed into righteousness.” (Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic 75)
Ellen White: "You cannot but be charmed with the matchless attractions of the Son of God." (Christian Education 76)
- The Uninvited Dinner Guest
- Luke 7:36-50
- The Unvarnished Gospel Truth
- The Bible’s testimony:
- 1 Peter 2:22—“He committed no , and no was found in His mouth.”
- 1 John 3:5—“In Him there is no .”
- Hebrews 7:26—He was “holy, blameless, , separated from sinners.”
- Jesus’ own testimony:
- John 8:46—“Which of you convicts Me of ?”
- John 14:30—“The prince of this world is coming. He has no on me.”
- Desire of Ages’ testimony:
- “He was the embodiment of . . . . an example of integrity.” (243)
- “[People] could not appreciate the of that spirit upon which was no stain of .” (196)
- “As one with us, He must bear the burden of our guilt and woe. The Sinless One must feel the shame of sin. The peace lover must dwell with strife, the truth must abide with falsehood, purity with vileness. Every sin, every discord, every defiling lust that transgression had brought, was to His spirit.” (111)
- “His spirit of stainless purity from the spectacle.” (461)
- “Christ suffered keenly under abuse and insult. . . . And He suffered in proportion to the perfection of His holiness and His hatred of sin. . . . To be surrounded by human beings under the control of Satan was to Him.” (700)
- 1 John 3:1-3
- Steps to Christ’s Steps to Purity:
- #1—If you long to be set free from impurity, “recognize this longing as the of God to your soul.” (28)
- #2—“Ask [God] to give you repentance, to reveal to you in His infinite love, in His perfect purity.” (28)
- #3—“Seek for the purity of heart that is in harmony with the of God and the of Christ.” (29)
- #4—“Do not the work of forsaking your sins, and seeking purity of heart through Jesus.” (32)
- Margaret Thatcher: “Sir, I have done battle every single day of my life.”
- Peter Hubbard: “We are not fighting a physical war, but a spiritual one. Sinclair Ferguson explains, ‘What then is this killing of sin? It is the constant battle against sin which we fight daily—the refusal to allow the eye to wander, the mind to contemplate, the affections to run after anything which will draw us from Christ.” (Love into Light: The Gospel, the Homosexual, and the Church Loc 724)
- #5—“He desires to restore you to Himself, to see His own purity and holiness in you.” (64)
- #6—“The less we see to esteem in ourselves, the more we shall see to esteem in the infinite purity and loveliness of our Saviour.” (65)
- #7—“. . . Christ in His purity and holiness, Christ in His matchless love—this is the for the soul’s contemplation. It is by loving Him, copying Him, depending wholly upon Him, that you are to be transformed into His likeness.” (70-71)
- 1 John 1:7—“The blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”
- The Bible’s testimony:
Pure Michigan . . . Pure Jesus . . . Pure Me
You are invited to join in the Celebration of Life for Emilie Oosterwal-Tilstra. The gathering will be Sun, June 1, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Stark Heritage Chapel in Berrien Springs
Pioneer Operating Budget
When God liberated the Israelites from Egypt, He instructed them to dedicate a tithe of their belongings to the sanctuary's service. This was a distinct contribution designated for a specific purpose. The tithe was reserved for supporting those who served in the sanctuary. It was to be collected from the increase of all growth, and together with gifts and offerings, it furnished resources to sustain the gospel's ministry at that time. Today, God expects from us no less. His blessings to us are not diminished, but rather greater, than they were for the Israelites. His kingdom continues to need funds and resources. The tithe is set aside to those who are directly involved in gospel ministries such as ministers, teachers, missionaries, and Bible workers.
Offerings, on the other hand, are used for the operational cost of the church and various ministries. The great commission to “Go and make disciples” and tell people about the love of God must be carried forward. God has made substantial provision for this task through tithes and offerings. He intends that the gospel ministry IS fully funded. He considers the tithe as His own, and it should always be viewed as a sacred reserve. Today, let’s fulfill the gospel commission to “Go and make disciples” by funding it with the Lord’s money.
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries
The iris bloom time has started, the sign is out at 8875 Kephart Lane, Berrien Springs, come see and smell the many iris that will be blooming in the next few weeks. Share with your friends.
Something In Common Sabbath School presents The Five Love Languages DVD series.
- May 31- Love Language Three: Receiving Gifts
- June 7- Love Language Four: Acts of Service
- June 14- Love Language Five: Physical Touch
- June 21- Growing in Love
Everyone is welcome to join us in PMC Room 141 each Sabbath morning from 10:30 - 11:30 AM.
We are inviting all widows and widowers to join us for a nature walk at 9:00 AM, June 1, at the home of Dave and Terri Village. We will also be having a vegetarian potluck and a birdwatching presentation with boat rides to follow. We hope to see you there!
The Institute of Young Musicians for Christ is excited to be having a music camp at Pioneer Memorial Church! At our music camps young people ages 6-17 are offered an immersive, week-long musical experience. Our quality musical training—combined with fun, friends, and faith-building encounters— provides a truly incredible opportunity. The camp offers tracks for children 6-12 with or without musical experience and a track for teenagers with significant musical experience. To learn more and register, visit iymcsda.org/michigan. We hope to see you there!
From May 11–June 8, 2025, Maranatha Volunteers International will be working at Andrews University to update the Lamson Hall residential rooms and suite bathrooms. Please consider volunteering and letting your family and friends know of this opportunity. All individuals (including local) should sign up at the Maranatha website: https://maranatha.org/volunteer-opportunities/.