The Pastor’s Blog
Home Study – July 2 through 7, 2012
Adapted from the Northwest Yearly Meeting 50-day Prayer Journal
Monday – Read I John 5:13-15
Why don’t we have what we ask God for?
What does this passage tell us about the importance of seeking God’s will in all that we pray for?
What does it mean to ask God “according to His will?”
How does this passage challenge you?
What will you do?
Tuesday – Read James 1:2-8
What reason do we have for hope in the middle of our trials?
When you are in a tough spot, are you more likely to pray for relief or for wisdom?
Which is the prayer that God will answer?
As you take time to pray for your needs and the needs of others ask for God’s wisdom and guidance in each situation.
Wednesday – Read John 16:19-24
What jumps out to you in this passage?
In the context of Jesus’ farewell instructions here he instructs His disciples to ask “in my name.” What does that mean?
Spend some time in quiet before God and invite Him to speak to you.
Thursday – Read Acts 2:42-47
List five things the early church did.
How did these activities shape their relationship with God and with each other?
Why was it so important for them to do these things together, including praying together?
How does this passage challenge you?
How will you respond?
Friday – Read John 17:6-18
This is a portion of Jesus’ last prayer with His disciples before His crucifixion. Why is our “oneness” so important to Him?
What are some things that threaten the “oneness” in our church? In our Yearly Meeting? In the church worldwide?
Take time to pray that God would protect us from those threats.
Saturday – Read Genesis 21:8-21
Read more...
Jr. High and High School Events
If you have questions contact Dave Gomez.
Tween Camp – July 8th – 14
Friday, July 27, 2012 – 7 p.m. Night Of Impact Nick Vujicic at Cascade Christian High School Admission is free.
Saturday, July 28th – 6:30 p.m. Nick Vujicic will be sharing at the Expo with musical guest Elliot Admission is free.
Jr. High & High School Youth
Emigrant Lake Water Slide – Meet at MFC at 11 a.m. Thursday, July 19th
Cost: 1.5 hr. wristband $6 & $$ for lunch.
Coffee & Connection – A time of getting into the word & fellowship!
11 a.m. Tuesday, July 24th & 31st Meet at the food court in the Rogue Valley Mall.
Surfside Camp – August 5th – 11th Cost $279 if preregistered by July 20
If you participated in the camp auction, contact the church office to get your scholarship refund. Each camper is asked to contribute $20, to help cover the transportation costs. Contact the church office to confirm that your camper will be traveling via MFC’s transportation. Registering for camp is made easy by going to www.twinrocks.org.
Read more...
I Heart Rogue Valley is a non-profit event involving many churches and hundreds of believers in service to the community on July 28, 2012. That evening there will be a time of worship, inspiration and outreach with Nick Vujicic and the band Elliot. Our project will be at Howard School, landscaping, weeding, and general clean up on school grounds. Bring work gloves, gardening tools, shovels, and rakes with your name clearly marked on them.
You may register to work on our project by circling H on the information sheet in the Sunday bulletin, by calling Carla Tappero or online at iheartroguevalley.org (look for Howard Elementary School).
Scheduled Events: Saturday, July 28th
9:30 a.m. Everyone is to meet at Cascade Christian High School, 855 Chevy Way, Medford for a time of devotion and prayer.
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. MFC’s scheduled work time at Howard Elementary.
6:30 p.m. Worship, Inspiration & Outreach at the Expo Amphitheater with Nick Vujicic and the band Elliot.
If you would be willing to serve as a prayer counselor for the outreach service please contact Carla Tappero or Mark Burton.
FWMF (Friends Women Missionary Fellowship)
Our time together is spent in fellowship and learning about the work of our missionaries, their needs and the people to whom they minister. All ladies are welcome to join us at the home of Phebe McManama, Thursday, July 19th, at 10 a.m. A picnic lunch will follow the meeting.
Yearly Meeting Sessions 2012 – July 22-26
At George Fox University “Let Us Come Boldly!”
Becky Ankeny, Northwest Yearly Meeting superintendent will be this year’s speaker. Mark your calendar for the above dates, registration is available @ www.nwfriends.org. Please be praying for Jesus to work among us and lead us as we gather in His name and seek His will.
Jr. High and High School Events
If you have questions contact Dave Gomez.
Tween Camp – July 8th – 14
Friday, July 27, 2012
7 p.m. Night Of Impact Nick Vujicic at Cascade Christian High School – Admission is free.
Saturday, July 28th
6:30 p.m. Nick Vujicic will be sharing at the Expo with musical guest Elliot – Admission is free.
Jr. High & High School Youth – Trip to the Emigrant Lake Water Slide. Meet at MFC 11 a.m. Thursday, July 19th
Cost: 1.5 hr. wristband $6 & $$ for lunch.
Coffee & Connection – A time of getting into the word & fellowship! 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 24th & 31st
Meet at the food court in the Rogue Valley Mall.
Surfside Camp – August 5th – 11th Cost $279 if preregistered by July 20.
Twin. Rocks Friends Camp to save $30; please pre-register!
If you participated in the camp auction, contact the church office to get your scholarship refund. Each camper is asked to contribute $20, to help cover the transportation costs. Contact the church office to confirm that your camper will be traveling via MFC’s transportation. Registering for camp is made easy by going to www.twinrocks.org.
Read more...
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the word surrender and what it means in our relationship with Jesus. To surrender is defined as declaring yourself defeated; giving up possession of something; or voluntarily giving something to another. As we think about surrendering our lives to Jesus we see that all three of these definitions come into play. We recognize that we are defeated by sin and cannot overcome it on our own. We give possession of our lives, hopes, dreams and ambitions to Jesus. And in response to His love, we voluntarily give all that we know about ourselves to all of Jesus that we understand.
As good and rational as all of that sounds the problem is that to surrender to anyone or anything, even to Jesus, isn’t an easy thing to do; it goes totally against our human nature. It goes against our exaggerated sense of individuality and the mistaken belief that we can manage and control our own lives.
However, once we come to recognize how much Jesus loves us, once we recognize how just and fair He is, and once we recognize that Jesus has a plan and purpose for our lives, all of our objections to surrendering our lives to Him are broken. Instead of viewing the surrender of our lives to Jesus as something that is onerous and should be avoided at all cost, as we view most other times of surrender, we see that surrendering to Jesus is the best choice we could ever make.
Surrendering to Jesus is where our relationship with Him truly begins and living in an attitude of surrender to Him helps us to get out of the way so that Jesus is free to work in our lives. With surrender we can receive all that Jesus has planned for us, but without surrender we can never abide in Him.
Total surrender to Jesus is giving to Him all that we know about ourselves to all of Him that we know. Take some time this week to:
1. Invite Jesus to reveal to you any area of your life that you need to surrender to Him.
2. Invite Jesus to reveal more of Himself to you as you spend time with Him in Bible study and prayer.
Then watch and listen with expectation to see what Jesus wants to do in you.
In Him,
Mark
Read more...