Weekly Bulletin June 1, 2008

Posted on May 29, 2008 
Filed Under Weekly Bulletin

THE LORD’S DAY
June 1, 2008
WELCOME!

With enthusiasm and goodwill, we WELCOME each person to this worship service. We encourage everyone present to reach out with greetings and good cheer to those around them.  Please fill out a visitor card before you leave today.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

PRAISING GOD WITH SONG

GIVING TO GOD  Offering  /  SPECIAL MUSIC    

Jr. Church children (ages 4 – 7) may be dismissed.

HEARING FROM GOD 

WORSHIPING GOD IN SONG

PLEASE JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL, NEXT!
There are classes for every age.
Adult classes in the main auditorium & in the Chapel.
Ushers can direct you & your children to a class.

TODAY: Olympian & Gopher Leaders Meeting after S.S. @ Geiger’s.

TONIGHT: Institute of Biblical Studies, 6:30 in the Chapel.
                              Finishing Deuteronomy

THIS WEEK

UPCOMING EVENTS

UPCOMING SERMON SERIES: Life’s Biggest Questions (God’s answers to life’s biggest questions)

FCC 2008 HIGH SCHOOL GRADS: Brionna Bronson ~ Jessica Roe ~ Brittany Wasson

MISSIONARY CHRISTMAS IN JULY: There will be a box in the foyer starting next week for your contributions for our Missionary Christmas Gifts. Of course our goal is to exceed last year’s total of $2559.00, so any & all donations are welcome. Pick up a “Mission Offering” envelope to use if you would like a receipt.

 

Protected: Prayer Requests May 28, 2008

Posted on May 28, 2008 
Filed Under Prayer Requests

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:


Survivorman (Part 2)

Posted on May 28, 2008 
Filed Under Photos & Videos

Survivorman (Part I)

Posted on May 27, 2008 
Filed Under Photos & Videos

Memorial Day Video

Posted on May 27, 2008 
Filed Under Photos & Videos

TALES FROM THE CRYPT (Luke 16:19-31)

Posted on May 23, 2008 
Filed Under Pastor's Blog, Sermons

One of Jesus’ starkest and disconcerting parables is the story of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar. It is a cryptic tale about a rich man who never gives pathetic Lazarus the time of day. The rich man’s life is completely spent on himself without a thought for the suffering of Lazarus. In the end (which is the beginning), the rich man goes to Hades and Lazarus is ushered into Paradise. The irony is that they can see each other. In life the rich man hardly noticed Lazarus, but now as he suffers in torment he does not fail to see Lazarus comforted in the arms of Abraham.

The trick here is that none of us is anywhere close to the filthy stinking rich status portrayed by the anonymous “rich man.” And thank God none of us are as bad off as Lazarus the beggar. Most of us are somewhere in between and we breathe a sigh of relief. Yet that is our undoing. The stark contrasts constructed by Jesus serve the purpose of casting ambiguity into our own lives. Who are we most like? The purpose of Jesus’ parable is to respond to the ethics and unbelief of the Pharisees. Jesus indicates that they are lovers of money. At the same time they are in the process of rejecting Jesus as the Messiah. Their ethics are betraying their deepest beliefs.

In the end the rich man reveals his ultimate failure. He never repented. In the context of the gospel of Luke, repenting is turning to Christ as Savior for the forgiveness of sins (something the Pharisees felt they could manage on their own). Thus the appeal to Abraham to send Lazarus back to warn the rich man’s brothers. God forbid they suffer eternal torment with him. Then the horrifying words, “even if someone returned from the grave it would not matter.” Jesus flatly says, “the word of God in enough.” Ironically Israel proper would reject Jesus and his resurrection from the dead. And tragically people are still rejecting him today. For some the resurrection has not been enough.

We are left with the haunting queestion, “Are you living on the right side of eternity?” While you are in this life there is still time. But once in eternity there is no crossing over to the other side. And be mindful of how you live. Because in the mind of Christ, ethics matter. How you live is revealing what you truly believe. WHB

Weekly Bulletin May 25, 2008

Posted on May 22, 2008 
Filed Under Weekly Bulletin

THE LORD’S DAY
May 25, 2008
WELCOME!

With enthusiasm and goodwill, we WELCOME each person to this worship service. We encourage everyone present to reach out with greetings and good cheer to those around them. Please fill out a visitor card before you leave today.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Preparation for Worship
Dear God, help us all be thoroughly bonded with You as we worship together.

PRAISING GOD WITH SONG
God of Wonders
In the Garden
I’ll Fly Away
Grace Flows Down

GIVING TO GOD Offering / SPECIAL MUSIC

Jr. Church children (ages 4 – 7) may be dismissed.

HEARING FROM GOD
Today’s Sermon: “TALES FROM THE CRYPT”
Luke 16:19-31

WORSHIPING GOD IN SONG
Make Me a Blessing

PLEASE JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL, NEXT!
There are classes for every age.
Adult classes in the main auditorium & in the Chapel.
Ushers can direct you & your children to a class.

TODAY: Calling all Soccer Camp helpers…Join us for a brief meeting after Sunday School in the chapel. Also, please look at the sheet on the back table in the foyer, and sign-up where you would like to volunteer!

TONIGHT: No Evening Service

THIS WEEK

UPCOMING EVENTS

UPCOMING SERMON SERIES: Life’s Biggest Questions (God’s answers to life’s biggest questions)

Thanks for attending First Christian, please come again!

Protected: Prayer Requests May 21, 2008

Posted on May 22, 2008 
Filed Under Prayer Requests

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:


SERIOUS TIMES by James Emery White

Posted on May 20, 2008 
Filed Under Book Review

“You and I have lived in serious times” (John Adams to Thomas Jefferson). This is the line from which the title to this book was taken. This is a book about making your life matter in what White calls an “urgent day.” It is hard for me to categorize this text for it has so many threads. It is deeply historical and will provide you with some great lessons. It is certainly philosophical in that it is working through and to some extent prescribing an approach to life and thought. It is certainly biblical in that it promotes a life lived Godward. In that sense it is a mishmash of history, theology and philosophy. Exactly the kind of book I like to read and frankly the only proper way in which to look at life (currently or historically). That is you can not properly assess one’s history without having some understanding of their theology (what they believed) and their philosophy (how they thought). The same is true for any of the categories. They are simply too intertwined to be honestly examined in and of themselves.

All that being said, don’t let it intimidate you from reading this book. It is serous stuff written in a palatable style. It is engaging (not boring) and thoughtful (but not overly deep). By “deep” I mean it is not written from an academic perspective but from a practical one. Emery will help you think through who you are and how you live your life. To use White’s words, “he wants us to live a life that matters.” Who doesn’t want that? So why are you still reading this blog? Why aren’t you reading “Serious Times?” Or at least ordered it already? What are you waiting for? I’ve already given you permission to redirect to Amazon.com. This book just might help make your life matter.                  WHB

Weekly Bulletin May 18, 2008

Posted on May 15, 2008 
Filed Under Weekly Bulletin

THE LORD’S DAY
May 18, 2008
WELCOME!

If you have come as a visitor, we hope that you’ll leave as a friend who’s been blessed by worshiping in this house of God. We encourage you to join us again.  Please fill out a visitor card before you leave today.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

PRAISING GOD WITH SONG

GIVING TO GOD  Offering  /  SPECIAL MUSIC    

Jr. Church children (ages 4 – 7) may be dismissed.

HEARING FROM GOD 

WORSHIPING GOD IN SONG

PLEASE JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL, NEXT!
There are classes for every age.

TONIGHT: DATE CHANGE – No Institute tonight.  We will meet again
 on June 1st for our last session in Deuteronomy.

THIS WEEK

UPCOMING EVENTS
 Aug. 7 – Kirkwood Fair
 Aug. 16 – Corn Roast/Chicken Bar-B-Q
 Aug. 18 – Soccer Camp

Calling all Soccer Camp helpers…Join us for a brief meeting after Sunday School in the chapel, May 25th. Also, please look at the sheet on the back table in the foyer, and sign-up where you would like to volunteer!

Misunderstood, but still true
  Mary Ann O’Roark, executive editor of Guideposts, tells how as a child she kept hearing in church the words “God loveth a cheerful giver.”  She thought, however, those who uttered the text were saying “God loveth a cheerful liver.”
   As an adult she realized, “God does love a cheerful live-r”

Thanks for attending First Christian, please come again!

 

Next Page →