Speaker

Dwight K. Nelson

Since 1983, Dwight Nelson has served as lead pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University. He preaches on the “New Perceptions” telecast, teaches at the theological seminary and has written some books, including The Chosen. He and his wife, Karen, are blessed with two married children and 2 granddaughters.

Offering

Part 3 of a 3 Part Series
Saturday, March 09, 2013

More In This Series

“Tattoos on the Heart:
A Case for Apocalyptic Compassion”—3

www.pmchurch.tv

□ Luke 15:1 ,2

  • “‘This man welcomes immoral people and enjoys their company over a meal!’” (v 2 The Voice)

□ Luke 19:1-10

  • “‘For the Son of Man came to seek and to liberate the lost.” (v 10 The Voice)

□  Luke 5:17-26

  • Desire of Ages: “ . . . this paralytic had lost all hope of recovery. His disease was the result of a life of sin, and his sufferings were embittered by remorse. . . . The Pharisees regarded [his] affliction as an evidence of divine displeasure, and they held themselves aloof from the sick and the needy. Yet often these very ones who exalted themselves as holy were more guilty than the sufferers they condemned.” (267)
  • Gregory Boyle: “Compassion isn’t just about feeling the pain of others; it’s about bringing them in toward yourself. If we love what God loves, then, in compassion, margins get . ‘Be compassionate as God is compassionate,’ means the dismantling of barriers that exclude. . . . The focus of the story [Luke 5:17-26] is, understandably, the healing of the paralytic. But there is something more significant than that happening here. They’re ripping the roof off the place, and those are being let in.” (Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion 75)
  • That was the mission of Jesus—and that is the mission of those who : margins get erased, and those outside get let in.

□  Three prayers you can pray to love the lost back to Jesus (Luke 15:20)

  • Prayer #1—Ask God to open your to see the one in need.
    •   Luke 15:20—“The father looked off in the distance and the young man returning.”

  Matthew 9:36 The Message: “When [Jesus] out over the crowds his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd.” ​

  • Prayer #2—Ask God to open your to love the one in need.

  Luke 15:20—“He felt for his son.”

  Luke 6:36 The Voice: “‘So imitate God and be truly , the way your Father is.’”

  Gregory Boyle: “God is compassionate, loving kindness. All we’re asked to do is to be in the world who God is. Certainly compassion was the wallpaper of Jesus’ soul, the contour of his heart, it was who he was. I heard someone say once, ‘Just assume the answer to every question is .’” (Tattoos on the Heart 62)

  •   Prayer #3—Ask God to open your to hold the one in need.
    •   Luke 15:20—“He enfolded him in an , and kissed him.”
    •   When Jesus lepers, the news sent shock waves through the community of the untouchables as well as the circles of the respectables—because conveys a solidarity that words can never prove.

  Ellen White: “The strongest argument in favor of Christianity is a loving and lovable Christian.” (Last Day Events 191)
 

Just like Jesus 

(Flyer, TV, Google search, name of person who invited you, etc.)
Free Bibles

The lost and found ministry at PMC has placed a table in the Main Lobby (Narthex) containing Bibles which have been in lost and found for more than a year and not been claimed. Some have names on them and some do not. You are welcome to take a Bible for yourself or a friend.  Please read and enjoy, For other lost and found item, there is a cupboard in the lower lobby welcome center where these items are kept. You can ask during the week for a secretary to help you check if your lost item is there.  After items have been in lost and found for more than three months they are sent to Neighbor to Neighbor so be sure and check on your items soon after you lose them.

Fellowship Dinner

There will not be a fellowship dinner this Sabbath.

Offering for March 30, 2024

Pioneer Operating Budget

I remember it like it was yesterday. I got a call from a close friend saying that they had gotten an incredible job in an incredible city that would be their dream come true. I celebrated with my friend, while also feeling the sting of pain from my own disappointment from recently being rejected from yet another job for which I was qualified, but not hired.

Disappointment and rejection can be hard things to deal with. One thing that God taught me and my family during that season of our lives was that though it may not be “my turn” for the blessing of my dream job, it is always “my turn” to serve God and those around me by doing my best, no matter what position I’m in.

One thing that has blessed me and many others during tough times is the support local churches offer to those who are struggling just to make it. I’ve been in small group Bible study where other members prayed for me and supported me in many ways, both with physical and spiritual needs. Today’s offering will go to support our local church budget, which supports ministries that are the heartbeat of our church all week long, not just on Sabbath. “The Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35, NIV).

By Heather Thompson Day

North American Division Stewardship Ministries

Strength to Keep Going: A Multilingual Worship Celebration

The Andrews University Haitian Association and the Groupe Francophone D'Andrews invite all to participate in a special, multicultural worship experience on April 13 in the Seminary Chapel. Sabbath School at 10:30 AM, divine service at 11:45 AM. Join us in praising God in English, French, and Creole! Children and families welcome, as well as language learners.

BSHS Non-Perishable Food Drive

Our Pioneer students from Berrien Springs High school are holding a non-perishable food drive, the proceeds of which will go directly to the Feeding America Charity to help people with food insecurity. Please visit PM church’s welcome desk on the second floor by the front entrance to the sanctuary from March 25-30 to donate your non-perishable goods to people in need.

RMES Kindergarten Parent Night and Kindergarten Visitor Day

Parents with students who will be 5 years old by Sept. 1, 2024, are invited to come meet our Kindergarten teacher on April 2, tour the classroom and school, enjoy refreshments, meet other Kindergarten parents, etc. Kindergarten age children are invited to visit our Kindergarten classroom on April 3. They will enjoy singing and worship, physical education, Spanish and music class, along with outdoor play time. Please call us at 269-471-3225 to let us know you are coming!

The Center for Adventist Research Book Sale

The Center for Adventist Research Book Sale is back! The 2024 Spring book sale begins April 2 with hundreds of used Seventh-day Adventist books, pamphlets, periodicals, audio-visuals, and Ellen White books for sale. There are also many phonograph records for sale.

The books are competitively priced and will be less costly than at the various online sources for Adventist used books. We accept cash, checks, and credit/debit cards. The sale begins April 2 and will conclude on April 16. The sale hours will match the Center’s public hours: Monday to Thursday 9 AM to 7 PM, and Friday 9 AM to 1 PM.  For more information, you may call the Center at (269) 471-3209 or email car@andrews.edu.

Lebanon Mission

This week the PMC Youth Missions team has been conducting the week of prayer on two campuses in Beirut, Lebanon. They are sharing the theme "Faces Around the Cross" with students at Middle East University and Adventist secondary school in nearby
Bouchrieh. The team has presented 4 chapel services a day, starting at 7:30 AM. The 11-member team of Andrews students and PMC members has been learning a lot as they serve in this challenging mission field. Your prayers and support of PMC Youth Missions are indispensable.

Quiet Activity Bags for Kids in Church

Pioneer warmly welcomes young families! Quiet activity bags for children are available to borrow, enjoy, and return each Sabbath morning. Select a larger bag for 1 to 3 year-olds or a smaller one for 3 to 9 year-olds. Pick up a bag in the Narthex or the organ side front entrance lobby. Return as soon as finished so others can enjoy.

2nd Annual Community Messiah Sing

Community Messiah Sing - The Eau Claire SDA Church is celebrating the sacred glory of the Easter season by hosting a inter-faith Community Messiah Sing-Along. You are invited to this Christian sing-along in celebration of the death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. We will sing the Easter portion of Handel's Messiah to the recorded “accompaniment” of a Baroque Chamber Orchestra featuring the type of instrumentation the original performance of Handel’s Messiah oratorio had. We will of course conclude the rejoicing with the "Hallelujah" Chorus. Come join us on Saturday, March 30 from 4-6 pm at 6562 Naomi Road in Eau Claire. Bring a Messiah score if you have one or one will be provided. Light refreshments will be served afterwards in the Fellowship Hall.

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