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February 24, 2013

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 and 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 NEXT SUNDAY — February only has 28 days, so the end of the month comes up quickly. Next Sunday is our potluck for March. Bring something to share and plan to stay and enjoy good food and a great time together.

TUESDAY NIGHT CLASS THIS WEEK —For almost 40 years now, the Claytons have been having a Bible study once a month which is open to everyone. Christians from many congregations in the area come and enjoy a devotional, bible study, and snacks and fellowship together. This coming Tuesday will be our February session and you are invited. Just bring your Bible and come. It is at Clayton's house in Niles — 1555 Echo Valley Drive (off Philip Road just west of Niles on Niles-Buchanan Highway). The class starts at 7:00.

PLANS GOING AHEAD — We have reserved our booth at the Cass County Fair for 2013. Our theme will be changed, but we will have the same space. Glynn Langston, the blind missionary who has been here before, will be with us again this next month. Other plans are being made. Be a part of the work.


TODAY'S LESSON

YOUR TWO BODIES

1 Corinthians 15:42 – 53

INTRODUCTION
A. There are many reasons why you should be a Christian.
1. Be with the greatest people on earth.
2. Give you a moral standard that works.
3. Give you the blessing of family, marriage, love.
B. A major reason is to care for both your bodies.
1. Your human body
2. Your spiritual body

ITEM HUMAN SPIRITUAL
Existence Temporary Eternal — 
2 Corinthians 5:1 – 15
Condition Wears Out — 
2 Corinthians 5:1		 Perfect
Process Pain, Death Life, Joy
Goal To be saved Relationship with God

HUMAN BODY— PHYSICAL
A. We are dust and return to dust — Genesis 2:7 & 3:19; Job 34:15; Ecclesiastes 3:20.
B. The cosmos is temporary, and us with it— Peter 3:10 – 11.
C. Our bodies wear out — second law of thermodynamics.
1. Isaiah 51:6
2. We are pushed to something better — 2 Corinthians 5:2 – 4.
THE SPIRITUAL (HEAVENLY) BODY
A. It is eternal — 2 Corinthians 5:1; 1 Corinthians 15:50 – 54
B. Revelation 21:4 — It is perfect.
C. Revelation 22:1 – 5 — It is joyful.
D. It gives us a personal relationship with God.
1. Revelation 21:3
2. Philippians 1:23
THE GOAL OF OUR HUMAN LIVES IS TO BE SAVED
A. 2 Corinthians 5:10
B. We have all things new when we are saved — verses 17 – 18.
C. We have a guarantee of God — 1 John 1:4 – 10.
D. We take care of our physical human bodies.
1. Food, exercise, don't smoke, etc.
E. What are you doing about your spiritual body?

THE BACK PAGE

GOOD TO BE HOME

Most of you know that our latest trip was to Quito, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands. It is always a joy to work with missionaries and to see the best of God's workers doing incredible things in foreign fields. “Operation Ecuador” is a great work to help people in South America. The church in Quito is doing some great things. They have a medical missions team made up of doctors and nurses who come and spend two weeks in the jungles deep in the interior of Ecuador. They treat the sick, teach good health practices, and share the gospel of Jesus with people who desperately need their help.

The church also operates an orphanage, a private Christian school, and a biblical studies program that trains local preachers from all over South America. We taught in the orphanage and private school, conducted classes for the biblical studies program, and preached for the congregation which had about 400 people present on Sunday. It was a challenge working with an interpreter, but Joshua Marcum is the missionary doing all of this, and he is a very good translator. We had a great time with the preachers and kids.

After four days of teaching and preaching we went to the Galapagos Islands with the medical missionaries who had just returned from the bush. We conducted discussions at the Charles Darwin Research Facility on Isia Santa Cruz and visited four other islands working with the park naturalist assigned to us. We had great discussions and private studies and got to do a lot of fun things including studying iguanas and giant turtles first hand, and snorkeling in unspoiled reefs.

There was lots of hard work and a fatiguing schedule, and conditions were not always ideal; but it was great to work with great Christian people and to see the gospel changing so many lives in such powerful ways. You can go to www.operationecuador.org and see more if you would like. I will be sharing more from time to time in classes and sermons, but it is wonderful to be home.

— John Clayton