MESSAGE.
Galatians 6:15 “ Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.” “The patchwork religion is not of the least value with God. He requires the whole heart.” (EGW, Letter 31a, 1894). Can I experience the new creation today or is it the reality of the future? (Rev. 21:5) If you struggle with this question we can study it together this Sabbath morning as I continue the “Spirit-Filled Life” sermon series.
MINISTRY.
This has been a busy week for our church, full of wonderful events and programs. On Sabbath afternoon Pastor Matthew officiated Caleb Robertson’s baptism; that same night the church and school came together for Connie Reynold’s retirement party, and Erick Hicks and Joelle Pester celebrated their graduation.
On Sunday several of our church members came together to help the Haughee’s with their outdoor building project. Love in action is clearly seen in the photos below:
Monday night I attended the sweetest graduation ever. Twelve precious children graduated from OAKS Kindergarten! Teacher Kathy planned a wonderful program with Pastor Matthew presenting the message.
The Tuesday night Finance committee met to review a new Fiscal year budget for our church. The committee proposed to increase our OAKS subsidy by $1,000/month bringing it to $9,000. This recommendation was accepted with no hesitation. Once again I witnessed a great spirit of common mission and purpose between the school and the church. To balance the budget the committee considered lowering some other expenses like utilities (pray for a warm winter 🙂 ) and repair/maintenance (we’ll need more volunteer work). The proposed budget was unanimously approved by the church Board which met that same night.
On Wednesday night there was standing room only in the Fellowship Hall where OAKS celebrated its 8th grade graduation. Unfortunately a number of families had to participate in the graduation program via live stream on the Sanctuary screens. An excellent graduation address was delivered by teacher Janel. I felt proud of our school. Thank you, principal Shelly, for your leadership, creativity, and boldness. Thank you, OAKS staff and teachers for your commitment, love to the students, and quality education program.
That same night our new intern pastor, Jaude, led the Prayer Meeting in my office. Thank you, Jaude Barbosa, for your hard work. I know that this week has been overwhelming for you; it gave you a good taste of what being a pastor is all about. 🙂
I usually do not use my blog for announcements, but here is something I do not want you to miss:
“Let’s get out of debt! Becoming totally debt free.” Living debt free is to teach people we come in contact with the secrets of true financial freedom and how to avoid the credit traps that cause people to fail financially. This debt free strategy is a two prong approach; 1. Get completely out of debt, including your mortgage. 2. Never use credit again! Our member Richard Gerber was in the banking industry and taught this two part strategy in a 16 week course for over 50 years. He has condensed the program to four once a week classes. Class will start on Monday, June 17th at 6:30 PM in the Juniors Sabbath school classroom. The sign up sheet is available in the foyer. If you have any questions please contact Richard @ 501-253-0686.
STEWARDSHIP – “We are God’s stewards, entrusted by Him with time and opportunities, abilities and possessions, and the blessings of the earth and its resources. We are responsible to Him for their proper use. We acknowledge God’s ownership by faithful service to Him and our fellow human beings, and by returning tithe and giving offerings for the proclamation of His gospel and the support and growth of His church. Stewardship is a privilege given to us by God for nurture in love and the victory over selfishness and covetousness. Stewards rejoice in the blessings that come to others as a result of their faithfulness. (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15; 1 Chron. 29:14; Haggai 1:3-11; Mal. 3:8-12; Matt. 23:23; Rom. 15:26, 27; 1 Cor. 9:9-14; 2 Cor. 8:1-15; 9:7.)”
This is the last Sabbath of the month. We need a serious boost in our local church budget giving. Would you consider testing the Lord and giving double of what you usually give for the local church ministries?
MEMORIAL DAY – (or less commonly called Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering and honoring people who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. … Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on Memorial Day, particularly to honor those who died in military service (Wikipedia).
Memorial Day is Monday, May 27. Please take the time to pause and pray for the families who have lost loved ones while serving our country.
Ooltewah Seventh-day Adventist Church 