Month: October 2021

“For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” (Romans 5:10)

Our reconciliation with the Heavenly Father became possible only because of the death of Christ. By His death He met the requirements of the holy law. Peace with God was pronounced on the cross for every human being who accepted this gift by faith. No more wrath, not more enmity between the Creator and His creation. No need to run from the glory of the Holy God. If this was accomplished by the death of Jesus something even greater is offered to us by His life. It is because He is a living Saviour we can receive the gift of salvation. We are saved by the life of Jesus. This salvation is the present reality. This is a great reason to “boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:11). “God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Gal. 6:14)

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Last Sabbath we celebrated the Lord’s Supper. It was good to see many of you who came to remember Christ’s death and His resurrection. I am especially grateful to the Head Deaconess, Bonnie Hicks, and to the Head Deacon, Rick Banks and his team for making the necessary arrangements for the Communion and for their assistance during both services.

While we had the Communion service at church a good number of church families with younger kids participated in an outdoor church service at Red Clay State park. Cory Goss led the program at the park and shared the following photos with me:

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Here is what Cory messaged along with the photos: “Today was a wonderful time. About 16 families came out to worship together. We had a scavenger hunt, leaf rubs, singing,  we made a skit of our lesson and our worship was about letting our lights shine like the five wise virgins. Squirrels, birds, even the trees are getting ready for winter.  Likewise we need to be ready for Jesus to come.”

Thank you, Cory!

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On October 9, the Voices in Worship group presented a wonderful afternoon concert. Thank you, Larry Otto, for planning this event. Here is a photo from that afternoon and under the photo you will find a YouTube link to the the recording of the concert.

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Have you already sent a text message to this number (423-779-4774) to confirm your participation in the Cornerstone Banquet on November 7? Please do not wait till the last day. This is your event. Please, send your RSVP today.

Click on the picture below to learn more about the banquet:

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This Sabbath morning, during the first service, we will celebrate Roy and Yasmin Teal’s baptism. There will be joy in heaven and celebration in our church family. Praise God for their decision.

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Happy Sabbath to y’all!

hugs,

pastor Peter

“Against all odds, when it looked hopeless, Abraham believed the promise and expected God to fulfill it. He took God at his word, and as a result he became the father of many nations. God’s declaration over him came to pass: “Your descendants will be so many that they will be impossible to count!” ” (Romans 4:18)

Abraham’s faith was so strong that nothing could shake it. He never stopped believing and because of His faith, He glorified God. Not only was perfect righteousness credited to His account, but Abraham received His promise (Rom 4:19-22). I love Romans 4 because this declaration was not just spoken over Abraham, but it was spoken over you and me too! When we believe, we too receive righteousness and the promises we have been waiting for (Rom 4:23-25).

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This Sabbath morning many families with children will worship at Red Clay State Park. The program will start at 10:30 am. Cory Goss will lead the service. Unfortunately, pastor Matthew and Emmalee will not be able to attend the event because their son, Malachi, is struggling with the COVID19 virus. We all hope that Malachi will feel better soon. If you need additional info about the Red Clay Park program please contact Cory or any of your Sabbath school teachers.

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Tomorrow is the Communion Sabbath. I believe in the great spiritual significance of the Communion Worship service. Christ told us to “do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19). There is a special blessing for each one of us in attending the service. We are enriched spiritually by the Holy Spirit when we gather at the Lord’s table. We are united with Christ and with each other. We find assurance of our salvation in the death and the resurrection of Jesus. I invite you in the humility of our spirit to forgive those who offended you. Christ forgave us on the cross. How much more should we forgive each other. Set aside your differences; there is so much more that we have in common when we are with Christ. I expect tomorrow to be a high Sabbath. Don’t leave your seat empty at the Lord’s table.

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November 7 Church Banquet plans are finalized! Every church member is invited to participate. As a matter of fact I’d like to encourage you to invite one another. Call your family and friends from church; talk to you Sabbath school class members; message your ministry team. Let us all set this as our priority. This is YOUR banquet. Dinner starts at 5 P.M. at Howe Farms located at 7600 Runyan Rd, Georgetown. This is a beautiful facility where you’ll be offered uplifting music, dinner and fellowship.

If you do not drive after dark that will not be a problem. A van shuttle service is arranged specifically for you. The van will pick you up at either the ABC store or the church parking lot and will bring you back.

You’ll find more information and directions on the church website http://www.ooltewahchurch.org Please send a text message to RSVP to the following number 423-779-4774.

https://www.ooltewahchurch.org/copy-of-new-page

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Happy Sabbath.

See you tomorrow morning.

pastor Peter

“We have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the claims of the law of God. But Christ has made a way of escape for us. . . . He died for us, and now He offers to take our sins and give us His righteousness. . . . More than this, Christ changes the heart. . . . You are to maintain this connection with Christ by faith and the continual surrender of your will to Him; and so long as you do this, He will work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. . . . So we have nothing in ourselves of which to boast. . . . Our only ground of hope is in the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and in that wrought by His Spirit working in and through us” (Steps to Christ, pp. 62-63).

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Healing in Jesus Bible studies continue every Tuesday and Thursday. It is never too late to join the class. These studies help us dig deeper into the teachings of the Bible about our salvation and the end-times events. Last night our study focused on the antichrist. It is so easy to be spiritually confused. I am glad that we have God’s Word as our sure guide.

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Last Wednesday I was invited to eat lunch with the Young at Heart group of our church members. This time they met at City Cafe in Cleveland. The food was good, but the best part was to see how our dear church members fellowship with one another. This is truly a wonderful way to make friends. If you are not yet a part of this group talk to me and I’ll connect you with them. I wanted to take a picture but got carried away with good conversation. I’ll definitely try to join the group in November and will take a nice photo. Thank you, Willis Adams, for overseeing this ministry.

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Here is a link to a great testimony shared by Dr. Klinner:

There are many important announcements in the church bulletin this week. Here is the link to the church website where you can download the bulletin, donate your tithe and offerings and find lots of helpful information.

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Here are some highlights of our church plans for the next two weeks:

• Prayer Warrior potluck at our home at 1 PM on October 9
• Voices in Worship concert at 4 PM at our church on October 9
• Youth Vespers at 6 PM in the Youth room on October 9
• Communion Service during both services on October 16
• Young Families outdoor church on October 16
• Cornerstone Project all-church banquet on November 7

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Happy Sabbath. See you tomorrow.

pastor Peter

This week I am starting a short sermon series based on the Book of Romans. In the heart of the first chapter we find an important issue of worship. God gave us the full revelation of His nature from the very beginning of this world, but we chose to ignore Him and worship something or someone else. Turning away from God we lose the battle with our sinful nature. We “exchange the truth about God for a lie” (1:25). The righteousness of God stands in stark contrast with the sinfulness of man and describes God’s holy and just character.

God could never forgive sinful men the trespasses and sins in a way that would compromise His own perfect character, and the wages of sin is eternal death to all who fall short of His unsurpassed righteousness. But God in His love and grace gave His only begotten Son, to be born into the human race, so that His sinless life would become the one and only payment to fully and finally satisfy the righteous requirements of God’s perfect Law. God’s righteous judgement on sin was secured at the Cross of Christ, purchasing forgiveness of sin to all who believe.

I invite you to study this chapter in more details this Sabbath morning.

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I believe that cell groups are critically important for the church to be spiritually healthy. Currently there are several groups meeting weekly for fellowship and Bible studies. One of the groups meets on the veranda of the Gerber house. Mike Haughee, who attends these meetings shared a few photos with me from the early September meeting. Have you considered joining one of the existing cell groups? Would you be interested in starting a new group closer to your home? If yes, please contact me right away. We need this ministry to expand and to grow.

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The first phase of the Healing in Jesus Bible seminar is over. We had a wonderful time together studying God’s Word and finding answers to the pressing needs of the present reality. I am very grateful to all our volunteers who have been doing their best in their various areas of responsibilities. Larry lined up great music for every night. Ann Weeden and her team were providing delicious food. Table leaders were building friendship ties with their guests. I felt blessed to share God’s Word and to lead the seminar participants to a decision to give their lives to Christ. Now we are in the second phase of the seminar with meetings continuing on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 PM in the Fellowship Hall. Its never late to join this class. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Below are a few photos from the Seminar and a short paragraph from Laura Standish who was leading the children’s program.

Kids Evangelistic Meetings – “A special thanks to Pastor Matt, Ron Malloch, Matt Geraghty and Laura Standish for their help with the kids series.  Each night, different bible character or topics were examined to correspond to the topics Pastor Peter shared with the adults.  From Creation to Jesus’ Life and Joseph to Daniel, the kids learned how healing can come through the hardest of times.  Here are a few pictures of the fun and faith-building that was had.” – Laura.

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Last week Galena and I visited our daughter’s family in Flagstaff, AZ. Our daughter, Anastasia, is not in the photo as she was the photographer. We had a great time running and biking with the grandkids 🙂 They are adorable.

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See you this Sabbath morning for the worship service.

pastor Peter