March 20, 2013
TURNING ADVERSITY INTO OPPORTUNITY
I recently watched an incredible documentary called, “UNDEFEATED.” It is about an inner city high school in Memphis, whose students faced crushing poverty and life situations. But one day a man comes in and volunteers to resurrect the football program. As you can imagine, it is through much adversity that the movie is framed. But of course, the end is pretty awesome! I will admit as I watched it on Netflix, I sat in my room in tears!
I knew what was going to eventually happen. I knew that lives would be changed, but it didn’t stop that from truly impacting me as I watched! There is simply something about a story of a person summing up courage and overcoming adversity that warms our souls. We cannot get enough of it. I believe it because God put that desire in each of us.
On Wednesday nights the teens and I have been studying how God shapes us through adversity in a study on courage. We’ve come to believe that God is in the remodeling business, and instead of being in such a hurry to immediately get out of adverse situations, sometimes we need to make sure we get something out of those adverse situations! There are lessons to be learned and character to be developed. And many times, it is adversity that will present you with the greatest opportunity to prove yourself.
I recently read a quote from a famous speech in the 1949 film, “The Third Man,” written by Orson Welles, that is awesome:
“In Italy for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed – but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, five hundred years of democracy and peace, and what did they produce? The cuckoo clock.”
God loves us, and cares more about our long-term potential than our short-term comfort. If we let Him, He’ll turn adversities into opportunities! May we all be strong and courageous!
– Pannell
BE EAGER TO DO ONE THING
In our sermon series in Galatians we have been hearing from the Apostle Paul on the centrality of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A gospel that Paul says was delivered at a particular time and place to the congregations in Galatia. Paul’s first missionary journey through the region of Galatia serves as a kind of border encompassing, and in a way limiting, the content of the gospel. In other words, Paul could only say so much about the gospel given the time and places in Galatia he traveled. Therefore, the basic gospel message is not an open ended affair in which more and more is added.
Paul is emphatic about the borders of time and space that have encompassed the message of salvation when he boldly declares, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached [note the past tense of time and place] to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received [note past tense], let him be accursed” (Gal 1:8-9). Paul assumes this gospel of Jesus Christ can be clearly identified and therefore any additions, subtractions, or alterations offered by any person (including Paul himself), or even an angel from heaven, ought to be rejected as cursed.
Now this fundamental gospel message is what Paul, after over ten years of missionary work separate and apart from the so-called authorities in Jerusalem, presented in private to those regarded as “pillars” in Jerusalem—Peter, James, and John (Gal 2:1-9). As Paul says, they “Added nothing to me (Gal 2:6). So Paul had been faithfully preaching the one gospel of Jesus Christ. The only thing Peter, James, and John reiterated to Paul, as far as the gospel was concerned, was “to remember the poor, the very thing,” Paul said, he “was eager to do” (Gal 2:10).
One of the extraordinary things about Peter, James, and John’s encouragement to Paul to continue to remember the poor is how closely it is to the core of the gospel. Helping the poor is not the heart of the gospel that saves us sinners. In fact all our good deeds, as noble as they may be, cannot contribute one atom to our salvation. If we are not putting our faith in the work the God the Father has exercised by God the Holy Spirit in the God the Son, then we have nothing. We are saved by faith, and not by works, whether works declared by the Law of Moses, or works declared by human goodwill and morals.
Yet it is clear in Scripture that one of the first fruits of our salvation is a desire to help the poor. We see this in the book of Acts when the first converts to the gospel, “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 2:44-45). Or consider how Zacchaeus, a tax colletor who listened to Jesus proclaim the good news, and then declared, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold” (Luke 19:8). These examples can be multiplied a hundred times over. One thing is certain: the desire to help the poor is intimately connected to whether or not we genuinely know the gospel of Christ. The question for you, dear saint, is helping the poor “the very thing you are eager to do?”
– Terry
New Directories -- Our new directories are ready and are on the information center in the courtyard. Please take only one copy per family - the directories in the binders are for our new members. We want to extend a special thank you to Sandra Cummings for taking our directory update photos.
Daddy / Daughter Dance -- Save the dates of April 19 and 20 for our Annual Daddy/Daughter Dinner Dance. We will be having a Dessert/Dance for our young ladies ages 4th grade through high school on April 19th beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Fireside Room. We will have pictures, partner games and prizes. On Saturday night, April 20, we will have a Dinner/Dance in the Fireside Room beginning at 5:00 p.m. for our girls ages five years old through 3rd grade. Please see Marcie Dixon to purchase tickets. This Sunday will be the last Sunday to purchase tickets. The cost is $7.00 each.
**Daddy Daughter Dinner Dance needs some donations to help cover the cost of fabric to make curtains to cover the kitchen counter cut-out areas. Also, donations are needed to help cover the costs of purchasing single strands of white lights at the Christmas sales for next year’s program. Please see Marcie Dixon if you can help with any donations.
Vacation Bible School Sign Ups -- Our Son Surf Beach Bash is now ONLY THREE MONTHS away! VBS will be June 18-21 from 9:00-11:45 a.m. each morning. After morning classes on Friday we will have a program, serve lunch, and have lots of carnival games to play. We will: Meet up with Jesus, Look up to Jesus, Join up with Jesus, and Fire up for Jesus.
We still need lots of help! Some areas you can help with are: running the sno-cone machine; lead outside games during snack time; help with carnival games on Friday; clean-up help on Friday; help with food on Friday; and lots and lots of help with prizes that each child will receive on Friday.
If you can help in anyway, please Surf on over to the sign up table this Sunday in the courtyard. If you need more information, please contact Denise Beeks.
Meet and Rekindle Open House -- Tony and Kim Testerman and Great-Grandma Glenda (Gigi) Rennels invite you to join them this Sunday afternoon, March 24, from 3:00-5:00 p.m. at their home to welcome back to Oregon their daughter, Ally, and her family. Please come meet Ally, Matt and their daughter Penelope and give them a real “Oregon” welcome.
Nursery Help Needed -- Diane Liles still has a need to fill our attended nursery on Sunday Mornings. Please contact her this week to see how you can help.
Children’s Worship Schedule – We will not have Children’s Worship on March 31 and April 7 due to Spring Break. We will resume our regular schedule on April 14.
Elders’ Open House – On Sunday, April 7, there will be Elders’ Open Houses at the homes Dan & Denise Beeks and Lance & Betty Lake. Lunch will be served from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at the Beeks and desserts from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at the Lakes. Maps will be available on that Sunday.
Prayer Requests . . . Please continue to pray for Bob and Dorothy Trimmer - both are having health concerns. Dorothy is doing better, but Bob is having very serious foot problems...Wayne Barnes had shoulder replacement surgery on Wednesday. Please pray for a speedy recovery...For the daughter-in-law of Sandra Cummings, Melanie, whose water broke at 28 weeks and she is in the hospital. She is hoping that she will not deliver the baby for a few more weeks...David Mayes requests prayers for his friends, Cora, Barbara and Ronda and for himself to be a better example for others...Many in our church family have been ill with colds - please pray for their speedy recovery...Jenny Way asks prayers for guidance, understanding and mercy...For our President and all of our military men, women and families.
Lillian Casebier
Calendar of Events
March 21: West Main Primetimers Lunch at Wild River Pizza; 11:30 a.m.
March 24: Meet and Rekindle Open House at the Testerman’s;
3:00-5:00 p.m.
March 30-April 7: Mexico Mission Trip
April 7: Elders’ Open House
