There will be a fellowship dinner, following the second worship service in the commons on the lower level.
Charmed into Righteousness
The Purest Life
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
“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
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.