Month: January 2023

When you are tempted to give up, remember the words of the Psalmist: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;” (Ps 18:2). Everything is fragile in this world. Empires fall apart, borders move, constitutions are amended, but God remains our only constant. Illness takes away our joy, divorce turns our life upside down, betrayal by friends drags us into the abyss of dispare, but God is still with us as our only solid Rock. See Him today to not feel the emptiness tomorrow.

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Barbara Weimer sent me a brief update on the new class she started in January:

“The Group Strength Training Class is having fun and getting strong at the same time, building friendships and muscles. Already some members have reported greater mobility. Everyone’s at a different place in their exercise journey and yet somehow it all works as we “workout” together.  Join us, there is room for you!”

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Our Pathfinder Club started 2023 with a backpacking trip. Here are a few photos from that trip:

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Adventurer Club will be participating in our worship services this Sabbath. It is always great to see our children up front in church. I am looking forward to worship with the Adventurers tomorrow.

Emmanuel Quartet will be with us this Sabbath. They will sing during the worship services and will present a concert at 5 PM. Invite your friends. Their voices and their music is always inspiring and encouraging.

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Happy Sabbath, my friends.

Pastor Peter

A few years ago I re-read Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky. When I finished reading my mind couldn’t think about anything but the spiritual battles of the main character, Raskolnikov. I started calling and messaging all of my family members and friends encouraging them to read this book. I didn’t care that I sounded a bit annoying … I just wanted them to read it. That’s the kind of passion that takes over the head and the heart of a Christian. When we find Jesus in the true light of the Gospel we cannot keep it to ourselves. We want everyone around us to find the same meaning in life as we did. Like the woman at the well we run to our neighbors and say:  “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did.” The response in her community was fascinating. John says, “Then they went out of the city and came to Him.”

This Sabbath we will spend the whole day learning how to lead others to Jesus. Pastor Russ Jenson will preach two different sermons for our two worship services. Everyone is invited to stay for the potluck after the second service. After the potluck Chrystal and Russ Jenson will teach us the secrets of soul-winning for Jesus.

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See you tomorrow.

Pastor Peter

As we are starting a New Year let us remember the promise of the Lord: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” Psalm 32:8. There are many influential people in this world who claim they know where to lead us in 2023. They may be popular, experienced, convincing, but in the end they are still human. They make mistakes and change their agendas. There is only one sure guide that remains unchanged over the course of history, it is God’s Law given for our safe passage through the twisted labyrinth of this complex world.

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Congratulations to Andre Delgado, Elizabeth Zerne, & Emily Reynolds. They got baptized on December 31. I am sure there was a great celebration in heaven. There was definitely joy in our church.

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Seventeen volunteers came to the Community Kitchen downtown Chattanooga to feed the homeless on December 31. This is a powerful testimony to the priorities in the ministry of our church. We are here to serve! Thank you, everyone. I am sure it was a blessing to about 150 people who needed a hot breakfast on the last day of 2022. Thank you, Natalia Stillman, for the photos.

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We are just one week away from a major Evangelism training event. Next Sabbath, January 14, you are all invited to stay for the afternoon seminar which will be presented by Russ and Crystal Jenson. There will be a Fellowship meal after the second service before the seminar. Please plan to attend. It would be really helpful if you could bring your favorite dish.

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Our Cornerstone Building Fund is growing. We are very close to the 2 million mark. Wholehearted Thank You to all who contributed to this fund during our Christmas season. January gives us a fresh start in achieving the 2.2 mln goal.

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Please pray for the Reynolds family. Connie’s mother, Nellie, passed this morning in California. Connie and Edwin are driving to CA.

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pastor Peter