The Pastor’s Blog
Home Study for November 19 through 24, 2012
Monday – Read Galatians 2:20
Why does Paul say he was no longer living for himself?
What difference did this make in how he lived?
Should this verse also be true for us?
What difference should that truth make in our lives?
Tuesday – Read Romans 1:18-25
How can we thank God if we don’t recognize or know Him?
Where will a lack of recognizing God ultimately lead us?
What does this passage tell us about the importance of giving thanks?
How does this passage challenge you? How will you respond?
Wednesday – Read I Thessalonians 5:16-22
Which of these commands jump out at you?
Which seems easiest to you? Which seems hardest?
How does being joyful, praying and giving thanks fan the flames of the Spirit’s fire?
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to grow in all of these areas.
Thursday – Read Psalm 100:1-5
How should we respond to the Lord?
Take time to thank and praise Him.
Friday – Read Hebrews 12:28-29
Why can’t God’s kingdom ever be shaken?
What hope does this give you?
How is our thanks to God a form of worship?
What does this tell us about the importance of always giving thanks?
When and where can we worship God by giving thanks?
Take time to worship God through thanksgiving.
Saturday – Read Nehemiah 3:1-32
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Home Study for November 12 through 17, 2012
Monday – Read Acts 1:4-8
What does Jesus call his followers to be in verse 8?
What power has He given us to fulfill that call?
Where are we to take the Good News of Jesus?
How can you have a bigger part in this work?
Tuesday – Read Isaiah 52:7
How does God view those who take the Good News to others?
How should we view them?
What can you do to better take the Good News to others and to support those who take the Good News to other cultures and nations?
What will you do?
Wednesday – Read Colossians 4:2-6
What we do as individual believers and as a church family to better share the Good News of Jesus?
How can we be wiser toward outsiders and keep our conversations full of grace? Why is this important?
How does this passage challenge you? How will you respond?
Thursday – Read I Corinthians 13:1-13
What does this passage say about sharing the Good News of Jesus?
Why is this sometimes hard to do?
Why is it important? Ask God to help you grow in love.
Friday – Read Isaiah 35:1-2
We often think of deserts as having little life. How is our nation like a spiritual desert in these days?
What hope do we have here as God works among us?
Saturday – Read II Chronicles 7:11-14
Who must change for us to see God working in greater ways in our nation, those who don’t follow Jesus or those who do?
Why is it easier to blame those who don’t follow Jesus for the spiritual climate of our nation rather than taking responsibility for our own part in it?
How does this challenge you? What will you do?
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Please Remember – Operation Christmas Child 2012
The Power of a Simple Gift! Gift boxes need to be returned to the church by Wednesday November 14th. Be sure to include a donation of $7.00 per box to cover the shipping costs. Please pray that God will touch the heart of every child who receives a shoe box gift!
Thanksgiving Baskets This year we will be providing a holiday meal for people and families in need at Thanksgiving rather than Christmas. If you would like to help we could use non-perishable holiday meal food items and cash gifts to purchase meat. You may place your food donations in the blue barrel in the main hallway and you may designate your gifts “Thanksgiving meals.” Please have your donations to the church by November 11. For questions you may contact Beth Knorr at 541-261-0642 or at knorrmal@gmail.com.
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FWMF Annual Bazaar with Soup & Pie Luncheon Saturday, November 17th, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The FWMF sponsored baked goods/crafts and miscellaneous annual bazaar is the primary source of funds for supporting the Friends Women’s Yearly Meeting mission’s projects and selected local area outreach ministries.
You are invited to partner with the ladies by providing items: baked goods, pies & candies of all kinds & hand crafted items. Reminders: A receiving station will be set up in the library area at MFC Nov. 4th & 11th (following the worship service) for you to turn in non-perishable contributions. Please price your items. “New to You” items will be received later. If you are planning to provide pie for the luncheon please sign up at the receiving station Nov. 4th, to help us be certain we have an adequate amount. (Anticipated need is 12-15.) Items Needed: 3 or 4 card tables, 1 large ice-chest (labeled with your name) and youth group volunteers to help serve during the luncheon. New this year: To help support our youth, the specialty coffee counter will be open from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Thank you, Curtis Garrett. If you have questions or would like to assist with the bazaar contact Nadine Brood or Donnalee Archibald.
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MFC Ladies Meetings
Ladies Fellowship Meeting – Tuesday, November 13th All ladies are invited and welcome to join us at Dawn DuLong’s for sharing & caring fellowship at 7 p.m.
FWMF Meeting –Thursday, November 15th All ladies are welcome to join us at MFC, Thursday, November 15th, at 10 a.m. A luncheon follows our meeting.
All Church Thanksgiving Dinner Sunday, November 18, 2012
As a means of saying thank you for all of the ways that we have helped their ministry, the Polynation Fellowship is joining us for worship on November 18 and is preparing for us a traditional Polynesian meal so we may give thanks to God together. Please to be there to share in this special time of worship, fellowship and meal!
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The theme verse for November should be
I Thessalonians 5:18: “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
If we ever find ourselves in a place where we don’t know God’s will for us, a good way to find our way into His will is by giving Him thanks. But how does this work if we aren’t feeling particularly thankful? If we are living for Jesus and we don’t know why we should give Him thanks we must be looking in the wrong places and at the wrong things.
Recently I was getting out of a drawer the stuff I use to clean my glasses. When I looked on the counter I couldn’t find the cloth I knew I had grabbed. Thinking it must have fallen back into the drawer I searched the drawer, picking up everything, but I still couldn’t find it.
Not finding that cloth, I grabbed another and after I was done I put everything back in the drawer. When I closed the drawer I had to laugh because it was then that I spotted the missing cloth lying on the floor directly under the open drawer. I couldn’t see it because I was looking in the wrong place and by looking in the wrong place I had kept the right place hidden from view.
Often times, when we can’t think of any reason to give God thanks it’s because we are looking in the wrong places. We are looking for what we want God to do and when we aren’t seeing that we miss out on everything else that He is doing.
Take time this month to remember who God is and all that He has done in your life. And challenge yourself take time to think beyond the obvious so you may discover even more reasons to give God thanks.
With Thanksgiving,
Mark
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