FriedensNotes
Week of September 1, 2003
Forced to Take Inventory
Inventories are usually taken for a reason. Ask just about anyone who has had to do inventory and it will be generally regarded as a less-than-pleasant chore. Sue and I have to take inventory of all the stuff we've accumulated over the past 16 years of living in the parsonage next door to church. We're doing this, not because we love taking inventory and going through stuff, but because we anticipate moving into our own home the end of November. We have an accepted offer to purchase a home at 400 W. Whitefish Rd here in Port. Our new youth and children's ministry associate, Mark Kato, will then move into the parsonage next to church with his wife, Cathy and their daughter, Hannah. Sue and I have discovered, as we have just started our inventory, that we a. have lots of stuff, b. we have too much stuff, c. we don't need or appreciate all the stuff we have, d. we should be thankful and take inventory more often of the blessings we have from God in order that we might be more thankful. Can you relate?
— Mark Voll, Senior Pastor
Get the Fire Started
School is back in session and a new fall season for Blaze, Friedens' teen ministry, gets off to a hot start this Sunday night with a cookout and get together from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Jesse and Nancy Mueller's house, 2310 N. Green Bay Road, Grafton. It's also a great opportunity go get to know Friedens new youth/children's ministry director, Mark Kato. For more information, call 376-9588.
Speaking Of Youth
The AWANA season kicks off Sept. 11. This is a great outreach program to the children and families in the community. If you have children in your neighborhood, mention AWANA to their parents. It's free and kids learn Bible verses, spiritual prinicples and have a great time doing it. AWANA meets from 6:30 to 8 p.m. each Wednesday at Friedens Church. For more information, call Geralyn Esselman at 284-9598.
On the Road to Recovery
Aren't we all. If you or someone you know needs help recovering from addictive behaviors, check out the Christian Recovery Group, which meets at 8 p.m. each Tuesday at the church. The small group is led by Friedens members Lee and Dyane Sloan and is Christ-centered and Bible-based, but it is open to members of all churches and religious backgrounds. For more information, call Lee or Dyane at (262) 387-1526.
Usefulness vs. Relatiionships
In his "My Utmost for His Highest," Oswald Chambers writes that those active in reaching the world for Christ often fall into the trap of rejoicing in successful service and how God is using them. What counts, however, is not our service but our relationship with Christ, he writes. Citing Luke 10:20 -- "Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven" — Chambers notes that Christ says we are not to 'rejoice in your successful service for Me, but rejoice because of your right relationship with Me.' Once you have the right relationship with God through salvation and sanctification, remember that whatever your circumstances may be, you have been placed in them by God. And God uses the reaction of your life to your circumstances to fulfill His purpose. It is the work that God does through us that counts, not what we do for Him. Chambers' classic daily devotional, "My Utmost for His Highest," written in the early years of the 20th century, can be accessed through Friedens website, www.friedenschurch.org. From the home page, click on "Resources" and then on "Devotionals."
Shibboleths and Other Bible Mistakes People Make
Have you ever heard a Biblical phrase quoted incorrectly or hopelessly out of context in everyday conversation? Do you shake your head in frustration every time you hear someone refer to the book of "Revelations"? An interesting and amusing article chronicles the common mistakes, known as "shibboleths," that people make when referring to Biblical names, books, and quotes--often in professional journals, articles, and speeches. Beyond the humor of the misquotes, getting to the original meaning behind many popularly misquoted Bible phrases is an interesting exercise in itself! Log onto: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/abs_news_body.asp?section=Opinion&oid=31483.
Learning To Forgive
Nobody's perfect, but it can still catch us off guard when we realize that the people we love aren't any more perfect than we are. How ought we to respond to sin and imperfection in the lives of our loved ones? You'll find some ideas in a two-part article at the Smalley Relationship Center. Learning to Forgive:
- Part I: http://smalley.gospelcom.net/artman/publish/article_247.shtml
- Part II: http://smalley.gospelcom.net/artman/publish/article_248.shtml
FriedensNote is a production of Friedens Evangelical Church, 454 N. Milwaukee St., Port Washington, WI 53074. For more information on the church, call (262) 284-2471 or visit our website, www.friedenschurch.org. If this has been forwarded to you and you'd like your own copy, or if you have questions, comments or want to unsubscribe, please e-mail the church at frchurch@execpc.com.
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