A hearty welcome to all
9:30 AM Service
Scripture: John 10:1-30 Text vv. 26-30
A Christian’s Spiritual Security
5:00 PM Service
Scripture: Romans 13:1-7
Church and State or, The Church of Christ and the Civil Government
Offering: Church Fund
Prayer
*Art VanderWaal, Becki Kaat both with ongoing treatments
*Those with various forms of affliction
*Pastor’s sister, Cindy, underwent emergency surgery for a twisted bowel and is recovering. Also, Pastor’s mother, Marion, is scheduled to undergo hip replacement surgery this week.
*Families, marriages, children, singles, the elderly
*Gratitude for: church, family, health, education, and work
*Mission work and outreach as the Lord builds His Church
*That more hungry souls would be drawn by the Lord to worship
*Candidate Luis Loaiza received a call from Martin Bucer Seminary in Chile to serve as their Academic Coordinator and Professor
*Spirit-worked revival and reformation
Calendar for August
Sun. 2 Potluck luncheon follows am service. Communion administered in PM service
Mon. 10 Consistory meeting, 6:00 pm
Sat. 29 Annual Church Picnic (supper), also as we commemorate Pastor’s 25 years in ministry. Details to follow.
Verse for the Day~
While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease —Gen. 8:22
~Reflections~
“I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her”
– Hosea 2:14
The goodness of God sees us allured by sin, and it resolves to try upon us the more powerful allurements of love. Do we not remember when the Lover of our souls first cast a spell upon us and charmed us away from the fascinations of the world! He will do this again and again whenever He sees us likely to be ensnared by evil. He promises to draw us apart, for there He can best deal with us, and this separated place is not to be a paradise, but a wilderness, since in such a place there will be nothing to take of our attention from our God. In the deserts of affliction the presence of the LORD becomes everything to us, and we prize His company beyond any value which we set upon it when we sat under our own vine and fig tree in the society of our fellows. Solitude and affliction bring more to themselves and to their heavenly Father than any other means. When thus allured and secluded the LORD has choice things to say to us for our comfort. He “speaks to our heart,” as the original has it. Oh, that at this we may have this promise explained in our experience! Allured by love, separated by trial, and comforted by the Spirit of truth, may we know the LORD and sing for joy!