June 3, 2012-Bulletin.html

WELCOME! WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE

We are a group of believers who simply try to follow the Bible as a guide for all we do. Everything done in our worship service is something for which we have a Bible basis. You are welcome to participate as much or as little as you wish. We will sing hymns together and we will observe the Lord's Supper or Communion together. We will also have an opportunity to give to the work of God in this area. This collection is for the members here, and if you are visiting you should not feel any pressure to give. Our lesson time will be divided into two groups. The young children will go to our classroom area in the basement where they will be taught the Bible at a level they can understand. The adults will stay in the auditorium for a lesson at an adult level. We do try to serve the community, and if you have some needs that we can help you with, mention it to one of the members. Thank you for worshipping with us.

FAMILY NEWS

POTLUCK TODAY. We have a tradition of having a potluck on the first Sunday of each month, and today we are planning to enjoy good food and fellowship together. We have a surplus of food, so plan to stay and enjoy being with us.

THANKS. I hope you have noticed all that has been done on our facility by different workers. The parking lot has been resurfaced, the access ramp under the entry door has been replaced, and a new cabinet has been secured for the lobby area. Our thanks to Jim Harasewicz and Karl Marcussen for taking care of these projects. Dick Hoyt and Debbie Salmons have done some heavy work in taking care of the yard and pantry. Donna Pickens continues to help us get cards out to encourage people. Thanks to all of you who work so hard to keep our ministry here active. God bless you!

BRUNCH JUNE 9. All the men of the congregation are invited to a brunch by the women of the congregation June 9 at 11:00 AM. Put that date on your calendar!

TODAY'S LESSON

FAITH

INTRODUCTION

A. What do you really believe? Do you have doubts?
B. Do you wish you did not have doubts?
C. Mark 9:21-24

FAITH IS BASED ON TESTIMONY YOU TRUST

A. You cannot reason about anything without testimony.

1. All philosophy, law, procedures are faith based.
2. Catching blue gills on Pitcher Lake is faith based.

B. We store belief outside our skulls--belief makes it do something.

1. There is no conflict between faith and reason. We operate on faith.

C. Hebrews 11:3

1. You do not just use your senses.

TRUE FAITH IS NOT FREE OF DOUBT.

A. Romans 4:16-22--Note positive things
B. Genesis 17:17
1. Paul knows mental certainty is not here.
2. Still allows a consistent walk with God.

WE BUILD OUR FAITH BY ASKING QUESTIONS--SEEKING.

A. Bible is full of people challenging God--asking.

1. Psalm 10:1; 12:1; 13:1; All of Job

B. Job 42:5--What happens to Job?
C. Romans 8:28--What happens to us?
D. Faith does not mean believing without evidence.

1. John 20:24-25; then 27 - 29
2. Romans 1:19-22; Psalm 19:1; Proverbs 8

E. Walking by senses weakens every aspect of life

1. Marriage--kids--country

F. Meaning of 2 Corinthians 5:7
G. What would it take to know 100% your mate is faithful? What kind of a marriage would that be?
H. John 12:37-40
I. People want to rationalize evidence--Matthew 12:30.

WHAT ROLE DOES YOUR FAITH HAVE IN YOUR LIFE?

Growing? Acts 2:28
Dying 1 Thessalonians 5:19

LESSONS IN TRAVELS

Most of the time when Cynthia and I are gone from you it is to do work in conjunction with the Does God Exist? ministry. This past trip however, what a personal one. We had a "poor man's cruise" in a ship that had 29 people on it going up and down the St. Lawrence Seaway between Canada and the US. We visited some forts and learned a lot of history. We visited a mushroom factory and did a lot of walking. The first Sunday we were gone we met with a group of 10 Christians in a rented room in Kingston, Ontario, and the second Sunday we met with 1,000 active young Christians in Toronto. One of those was a young lady Cynthia worked with and cared for spiritually in Hong Kong. She is now married and has a baby and is an active Christian in the church there. It was obvious to me that Cynthia's role in this young lady's life was huge, and she had a really good visit.

Our next visit was to my closest friend in high school when I was an atheist. The last time I had seen him was at commencement in June of 1955, and what he knew of me was something that I wanted to change. I am reminded of Paul's problem in Acts 9:26-30 when even the local disciples were wary of Paul because they knew his history. I had an opportunity not only to go through the old high school yearbook and talk about the past, but to also tell him of the change in my life, and where the Lord has led me.

I do not know whether my old high school friend will ever change the direction of his life or not. What I do know is that I have been able to tell him that how I was living did not work, and that I have found something new that does work. Our job on earth is to sow seed and let the Lord work with what we sow. Paul said "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow"(1 Corinthians 3:6). I have learned to let God do the hard work. Planting the seed is easy.