Speaker

Dwight K. Nelson

Dwight Nelson served as lead pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University from 1983 to 2023. During his time at Pioneer he spoke on the “New Perceptions” telecast, taught at the theological seminary and has written 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 

A British Winter's Night: Wind Symphony Winter Concert

A British Winter’s Night concert will be an evening of lively traditional British tunes and ballads.  From the popular Vaughan Williams Sea Songs and English Folk Song Suite, to the rousing tunes of the Irish Washerwoman and Country Gardens, this evening is sure to delight! The Andrews University Wind Symphony, under the direction of Denisse Santos-Gooden, will once again collaborate with the Southwestern Michigan College Brass Band under the direction of Mark Hollandsworth. The two ensembles will take the stage at the Howard Performing Arts Center on January 31, 2026 at 8:00 PM. Start off your new year with toe-tapping tunes and swaying sweet melodies! Tickets are available at howard.andrews.edu.

Standout Event

Andrews University invites homeschool and public high school students to attend Standout, taking place February 20–22. This event is designed to serve as a spiritual refueling experience for students who may not have regular access to Adventist revival programs or daily religious instruction. We invite you to learn more and register for this impactful weekend at: https://www.andrews.edu/splash/standout

Offering for January 10, 2026

Pioneer Operating Budget

You may have heard it said, and it is true that patience is a virtue. What is also true and closely linked to patience is found in the opening verse of the parable of Luke 18:1-8 (NIV). Jesus told his disciples that they should “always pray and not give up” (verse 1). In today’s fast paced, instant, and have-to-get-it-now world, learning to be patient and not lose heart or become discouraged is surely a quality that is desirable. The widow in this parable showed the importance of being patient in one’s petitions and pursuits.

In her attempt to get the judge to defend her against her enemy, who seemed to have been making her life difficult, she kept on asking for his defense. Finally, the judge yielded to her persistence and vindicated her.

The same is true of God. When we are diligent in our prayer life, longsuffering when we are seeking to invoke Christ’s intervention, and faithful in honoring Him in our stewardship, He will move to positive action. Let us remember that unlike the judge we cannot wear out God. 

Today, as we worship Him through the return of our tithes and giving of our offerings, let us practice being persistent in honoring Him with our substance and the first fruit of our increase.

North American Division Stewardship Ministries