Pioneer Offices Closed  —  

for the July 4th holiday. Starting Thursday, July 2 at 12:00 P.M. through Friday. We will reopen on Monday, July 6.

 

How To Quantify Your Happiness

How To Quantify Your Happiness: Mutiny on the Bountiful

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

In the year 1789, the crew of the HMS Bounty decided they'd rather go it alone and promptly placed their captain on a lifeboat in the south Pacific and waved goodbye. Could it be that some of us living here in the blessed and bountiful USA are perhaps not so different than that mutinous crew?
Saturday, June 21, 2014

More In This Series

06/28/2014
What do you get for the God who has everything? Especially if He already gave everything He had for you? Jesus gave us the answer in John 15:13 "Greater love has no man than this; to lay down one's life for one's friends."
05/10/2014
Contrary to what we've been taught, the latest research states that "Money Can Buy Happiness". Discover the surprising secret to a life of happiness and financial stability right now.
05/17/2014
In his famous poem Henry Wadsworth Longfellow embedded the key to happiness and a life of meaning. What secret lies within the Churchyard of Cambridge?

“How to Quantify Your Happiness: Mutiny on the Bountiful”

www.pmchurch.tv

  • □  “Mutiny on the Bounty”—The Tale
  • □  “Mutiny on the Bountiful—The Truth
    • Luke 12:16—“The of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.”

       Psalm 24:1—“The is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the , and all who live in it.”

      •   Psalm 50:12—“The is Mine, and that is in it.”
      •   “He’s Got the Whole in His Hands.”
      •   “ gave a certain rich man an abundant harvest.”
      •   David Redding: “You and I are rich beyond the wildest dreams of most [people] on

        earth—rich in groceries with freezers full of fresh vegetables right out of the garden in January, rich in health with magic immunity, miracle medicines and fabulous hospitals filled with Florence Nightingales for T.L.C. We are rich in hundreds of gasoline horses faster and far more comfortable than any camel—rich in houses with huge staffs of mechanical servants to do the laundry and the dishes and furnish whatever weather we wish inside. This parable begins with a little bit of our own autobiography. ‘The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully.’” (The Parables He Told 127)

    • Luke 12:16-19— times through the first person pronoun this rich man takes all the credit.

       It is no more a sin to be , than it is a virtue to be .

      •   Jesus neither condemned , nor did He commend .
      •   Deuteronomy 8:10-14—“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your

        God for the good land He has given you. Otherwise your heart will become

        and you will the LORD your God who redeemed you.”

    • Luke 12:20, 21

       David Redding: “This parable is very sad, but sad to shock us into happiness—to make us stop and take stock as the shadows lengthen over our lives. I think it is agreed that Americans are not so bad. But the question this story raises is not are we good or evil, but are we squandering eternity for a pocketful of pleasure.” (130-131).

      •   Christ’s Object Lessons: “To live for self is to perish. Covetousness, the desire of benefit for self’s sake, cuts the soul off from life. It is the spirit of Satan to get, to draw to self. It is the spirit of Christ to , to self for the good of others.” (259)
      •   isthemostpowerfulantidotethereisforselfishness/covetousness.
      •   Ellen White: “Continual starves covetousness to death.” (3T 548)
      •   So if you want to be “rich toward God,” if you want to be like God, .
    • The 90 Day Tithe Challenge/The 90 Day 2nd Tithe Challenge
    • 2 Corinthians 8:9—“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was

      , yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become .”
       “Be rich toward Me, even as I have been rich toward you.”
       “The Mutiny on the Bounty” and the Pitcairn

      Jesus: “Be rich toward God” 

Offering for July 4, 2026

Pioneer Operating Budget

Did you know that there are two countries in the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists that celebrate their nationhood in the first week of the month of July? You guessed it right. They are Canada, on July 1, and the United States of America, on July 4. So, happy Canada Day to Canada and happy Independence Day to the United States of America!

Nationhood in the history of a country is a milestone of separation from another country’s rulership. This means that the country is free to lead and rule itself by its own government and laws.

Although these holidays are not like Easter or Christmas, for many citizens, they are a time to reflect on God’s goodness to us as a people. As members of the Judeo Christian faith, we are called to "Proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants” (Leviticus 25:10, NIV) and to celebrate the gift of freedom from the bondage of sin. While we express gratitude to be able to live in a land of freedom, may we also look in faith to the future, and commit our lives to God and His will. May we bring our gifts in worship to the true God, who declares, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the
Lord” (Psalm 33:12, ESV). And may the coffers of our local church never be empty.

North American Division Stewardship Ministries

Sabbath School Lessons Overview of I & II Corinthians

Dr Erhard Gallos will present an overview of I & II Corinthians, third quarter Sabbath School lessons on July 11, 4:00-5:30 PM at the PMC Commons. All are welcome. Contact Melchizedek Ponniah at 269-876-7476 for information.

Register Now for Andrews Academy

Andrews Academy is now enrolling students in grades 9 - 12 for the 2026/2027 school year. We invite you to join the AA family! You will be blessed by what Andrews Academy has to offer. Students consistently score above state and national levels on standardized testing; they are involved in many spiritual and service activities throughout the school year. Our Seventh-day Adventist school’s mission is to inspire our students to think deeply, live fully, serve unselfishly and to honor God completely. School begins on August 19.Check-In day is August 13. Financial assistance may be available. Call 269-471-3138 for more information or visit https://www.andrews.edu/aa/ and click on “apply today”.

Something in Common Sabbath School

Relatable

In this six-session video Bible study (guide sold separately), Louie Giglio explores the fundamental question of what makes us relatable to others. He shows how God can change our perspective on relationships, give us greater purpose in dating and marriage, bring us peace in the midst of conflict, and help us restore relationships that seem broken beyond repair.

Begins June 20 at 10:30 AM in the Pioneer Commons. Everyone is welcome.

  • June 27 - “The Man/Woman in the Mirror”
  • July 4 - “A God to Call Father”
  • July 11 - “The Friend Everyone Longs for”
  • July 18 - “Becoming Someone vs. Finding Someone”
  • July 25 - “Handshake of Peace”
  • August 1 - “Bonus: Why Date?”
  • August 8 - “Bonus: Marriage with a Mission”