There will be a fellowship dinner this Sabbath in the commons.
The Bondage Breaker
The Bondage Breaker: The Easter Rout!
Speaker
Dwight K. NelsonDwight 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
More In This Series
“The Bondage Breaker: The Easter Rout!”
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□ The Resurrection
• Matthew 28:1-6
• Frederick Buechner: “If we are to believe [Christ] is really alive with all that that implies, then we have to believe without proof. And of course that is the only way it could be. If it could be somehow proved, then we would have no choice but to believe. We would lose our freedom not to believe. And in the very moment that we lost that freedom, we would cease to be human beings. Our love of God would have been forced upon us, and love that is forced is of course not love at all. Love must be freely given. Love must live in the freedom not to love; it must take risks. Love must be prepared to suffer even as Jesus on the Cross suffered, and part of that suffering is doubt.” (The Magnificent Defeat) -
□ The Evidence
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#1—The of Jesus (Matthew 20:17-19; Mark 10:32-34; Luke 18:31-33; John 2:19-
22)
It was common knowledge in Jerusalem that this Man predicted He would rise from the dead(Matthew 27:63).
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#2—Many “” proofs (Acts 1:3; 1 Corinthians 15:5-9)
The NT records at least 10 such appearances
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#3—The conversion of witnesses—James and Paul
James, the step brother of Jesus, publicly declared that Jesus was “out of His mind” during Christ’s ministry (Mk 3:20-21—but see Acts 1:14).
Saul/Paul was the archenemy of the infant church (Acts 9:1; but see 9:22).
- #4—Fearful to
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#5—The tomb
Even the soldiers, assigned to guard that tomb, testified that it was empty—to which the chief priests concocted the lie while the soldiers slept Jesus’ disciples had stolen the body (but how would a sleeping soldier know who had stolen the body?).
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#6—The existence of the (Acts 2:23-24; 3:14-15; 4:10-12; 4:33; 5:30-31, et al) Tim Chaffey: “The reality of the Resurrection was central to the message the apostles
preached. The book of Acts, almost universally recognized as reliable history of the period,
claims that these men spoke about the Resurrection repeatedly.” (Answer April-June 2014)
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#7—Principle of
Why would writers of history invent details that do not seem to help their cause?
Tim Chaffey: “Either the writers were quite foolish or exceedingly clever or they wroteprecisely what happened.”
- #8— hearts in later generations
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#1—The of Jesus (Matthew 20:17-19; Mark 10:32-34; Luke 18:31-33; John 2:19-
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□ The Change
• Ephesians 1:18-20; 2:1, 4-5
• Paul’s inescapable point: The power that freed Christ from His is the identical powerthat can free us from our .
• The devil can no more hold you in your sepulcher of than he could hold Christ in thetomb of .
• “Christ’s death and resurrection have opened before every soul an unlimited source offrom which to draw.” (RH 11-5-1901)
Unlimited!
On Sabbath, December 13, we will be having our annual Children’s Celebration of Christmas. This is the worship service where we bring a new unwrapped toy for a child up to age 16. Each year we partner with "Christmas Care" in providing gifts to 300+ families in our community who are not able to purchase their own. This is yet another way that Pioneer can participate in the 2nd part of our PIONEER strategic plan of Interacting and partnering with those in our community.
The annual Christmas Banquet for Seniors (ages 55+) is taking place on December 14 in the Village SDA Church fellowship hall at 1:00 PM. Pioneer members wishing to attend please call the church office to sign up at 269.471.6565 by Monday, December 8.
Ruth Murdoch Elementary School is happy to announce that we have been officially granted accreditation by the Global Accreditor: The Middle States Association. This is in addition to accreditation by the National Council for Private School Accreditation and the Adventist Accrediting Association.
Andrews Academy will be presenting the 52nd annual Feast of Lights program on Friday, December 12, 2025 at 7:00 PM. The community is invited to attend this spectacular night of music, Scripture and drama honoring the King of Kings. It is an evening of lights, bells, instruments, choral singing, congregational singing, shepherds, a Nativity scene, and the retelling of a glorious Christmas story. Chorale and Orchestra will end the program with the Hallelujah chorus. The church sidewalks will be arrayed in Christmas lighting. The program will speak to your hearts of His wondrous love. All are invited to attend this free program held at Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University.

Walk into the advent story... Share in the expectation... Experience God's Glory... Journey to Bethlehem - Come join take this FREE 1 hour walking journey through the Advent Story on December 14 from 5-8 PM. Meet shepherds, the wisemen, Roman soldiers, a Biblical marketplace, Mary and Joseph and discover why Christ came to this earth. Groups Leave from the Student Activity Center located at 6295 W Main St, Eau Claire, MI 49111. Tours leave every 10 minutes between 5 & 8 PM, December 14. No Reservations required, ALS interpreter available, please contact us in advance. Wheelchair accessible journey on paved sidewalk. Questions? Call or text 269-405-5026 or email us at Eauclairecritters@gmail.com.

Camp Sagola Lodge
During their wanderings in the desert, the wilderness transformed into a unique classroom where God imparted life's essential principles to the children of Israel. Each day, He sent manna from heaven, teaching them invaluable lessons in reliance and gratitude. God could have effortlessly created a river to quench their thirst or provided an excess of "natural" food for months of sustenance. He chose instead to instruct the Israelites to trust Him for their daily needs. For forty years, they depended on God to provide food and water.
In contrast, we have the convenience of turning on a faucet to get a drink or go to our pantry where there is enough food to last for days. It becomes challenging to rely on God when our basic survival needs are easily met.
However, Jesus said, “…Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Mathew 4:4, NKJV). But Jesus is speaking beyond the needs of the human body. He is referring to the needs of a human being consisting of a body, soul, and spirit. The words of God are the source of nourishment and life for our soul and spirit which only God can provide.
So, how can we learn to trust and depend on Him today? The answer lies in our faithfulness to dedicate our time, talents, and treasures to God for the advancement of His kingdom.
—Melvin Santos, Kansas/Nebraska Conference in partnership with the North American Division Stewardship Ministries
Soup for Students is just around the corner! Sunday, December 7, at 6 PM in the PMC Commons. We’d love to know what you’re planning to bring—soup, bread, your smile, or all of the above! Simply text “NOURISH” to 269-281-2345 to sign up
This holiday season, help make Christmas special for a student/student family by selecting a card from one of the Christmas trees at church. Each card includes a family’s list of needs and wishes—simply choose a card, shop, and deliver your items by December 14th. No need to wrap—we’ll handle that for you! Let’s spread joy together with Belong Ministries this Christmas!
Spring semester GROW Groups will begin the 1st week of February. If you would like to lead a group please text LEAD to 269-281-2345 or click the link below to submit the attached form on or before December 15. https://pmchurch.org/ministries/growgroups/register



