INVITATION We invite you to join us each Sunday at 9:30 AM . Each Sunday you will be invited to search the scripture by two of our talented teachers, Rick Bulgrien and Greg Dorman who teach every other month. Study books are free and the class publishes a newsletter each week. You will notice the class logo has a date o 1918. The class has been in existence since that date. Please join us. This page updated each Saturday.
Prayer concerns: Elda Berden, Iris Bulgrien,Jeremy DeGrande, Marie Brown,Paul Obertein, Tom Morgan, Nina Watson, Jim Vernon, Verna Mae Allen, Jim Brown Jr., Les Dickinson, Wayne Ziegelmann, Yvonne Smith
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON MAY 4, 2008 Time: September-520 B. C. Place: Jerusalem Lesson Background: Haggai 1,Ezra 5 Key verse: Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord. (Haggai 1:8) Today’s lesson among other things has to do with what God desires and our response. Indeed the future looked bleak for the children of Israel. Not much money, the wall in ruins, and no leadership. The rebuilding of the temple started fourteen years previously was at a standstill with just the foundation completed. In the meantime the people were building their own homes, working hard but not prospering, enduring drought and not seeming to understand why. Verse 6 not printed says, “Ye have sown much and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is non warm; and he that earnethwages earneth wages to put in into a bag with holes.” Then came Haggai, prophesying to Zerubabel the governor and Joshua the high priest and to the people, pointing out these facts to them that God was not pleased with this. With Zerubabel’s and Joshua’s leadership the people responded to the Prophet’s message and work was again started on the temple. It was completed in 516 BC followed by a grand dedication and a celebration of the Passover a little later. The purpose of today’s lesson purpose as stated is to affirm the importance of setting appropriate priorities. God had slipped from being number one in theirhearts. God insists on being first. Read Revelation 2,verses 1-7 in the letter to the leader of the Church of Ephesus, to see His warning to the Ephesian church for this same condition. Although the people were a little disappointed that the new temple was not as grand as Solomon’s which had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, in chapter two Haggai prophesied of a new future temple not yet realized which will be more grand than any ever built which will be the one where Jesus will reign.
OUR MEMBERS AND OTHERS Alger Krueger had hiseye surgery on Thursday and all went well. His son Charles was with him for a few days. He plans on having the other eye done on May 9. Remember Mary Mitchell in prayer. She is not feeling well. Yvonne Smith’s test report revealed that she has aHiatal herniaand a couple of spots on her liver. She will be on aspecial diet, and will remain at the AFC home for the present. Address for Verna Mae Allen: 127 West Green Street Montpelier, IN 47359 Rick andDebby Bulgrien are helpingtheir daughter Jessica celebrate her graduation from OaklandUniversity to day. Wayne Ziegelmann is now at home and says he is coming along but slow but feeling a little weak yet. Grace Cameron presented the programat Mary MarthaCircleThursday evening. telling about the work of the UMC in uniting both spiritual and physical needs as they work with the needy in various countries and how this is drawing people to the church. Letters were read from Joyce Chellis in Kazakhstanand Kara Cusic in Russia. The first telling of new government restrictionsagainst the churches other than Russian Orthodox that may go into effect, and Kara relating that in working with the youth, there is a varied response. In some areas areas there is an eagerness to hear the Gospel, in others the youth have no religious background and have little interest. The Russian Orthodox church is inclined to regard protestants, evangelicals and other like denominations as sects.
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES MAY
2 Elizabeth Philpot, Samuel Sangster 2Gary And Cynthia Best-A
3 Mary Grace Moyer,Grady W. Cheek 3 Kelly Wysopal 3 Mike And Kelly Wysopal -A
4 Sarah Cheek 5 Barbara Jansen,Nancy Vernon, Joyce Craig, Sally Mckenney 8 Kathy Berden, Ryan Brown, Alice Fick 9 David Nepper,Alma Fleming 10 Dick Blank,Adrienne Moore 10 Gary And Betty Marston-A
11 Leatha Dorland, Mckenzie Birkinbine 12 Brett Blank, Ross Bitterling, Cory Michael Mohr 13 Dawn Titus, Heather Nesbit, Tina Fick 14 Danny Krueger 14 Brad And Tina Allen Neff-A
16 Donald Wiswell, Aaron Nepper, Doug Neumayer, Sr, JeanneKreger Lohela 17 Heath Hughes,Max Fick 19 Rustin Murdock 20 James T. And Marie Brown-A-48 20 Dean And Kathy Berden-A
21 Sloan Seiler 22 Ryan Mohr 23 Yvonne Smith, Billy Conner 23 Al And Pat Tomichek-A
25 Kristy Watson 26 Bryan Nesbit 31 Lucas James Mason,
Kay Patterson
PRAYER MEETING 10 AM WEDNESDAY <><><> Class Announcements *Please check the Calendar Page for list of Church Activities *April 5-May 10-For six weeks Weight loss Support Group Meet 11:30 AM in Sr. High Room *May 11 Graduation Sunday *Detoit Annual Conference May 16-18 Adrian College Grace Cameron, Lay Delegate The Conference is sponsorng a project to supply underwear for needy children from infants up. Giving Box is on the altar. Need by above date Camp Plant Fundraiser coming up May 22-23 Needed garden ornaments, baskets, pots perennials, seedlings, annuals, plants or small trees Also baked goods * June 8 Memorial Sunday Click on FreeRice.com to give free rice to the hungry.
SUBJECT: MALACHI 3:3 Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study. They wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it." If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you. Whatever you are going through, you’ll be more like Christ if you allow the refiner to do His work! Proverbs 3:5
THE TELEPHONE Author Unknown When I was quite young, my father had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood. I listened with fascination when my mother talked to it. Then I discovered that inside that box lived an amazing person. Her name was "Information Please." (I found out later that her real name was Sally) There was nothing she did not know. One day while my mother was away I whacked my finger with a hammer. It hurt terrible, but there was no use crying because there was no one home to give me sympathy. Then I saw the telephone! I climbed up, unhooked the receiver and held it to my ear. "Information, please" I said into the mouthpiece. A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear. "Information." “I hurt my finger," I wailed into the phone. "Isn't your mother home?" "Nobody's home but me," I blubbered. "Are you bleeding?" the voice asked. "No, I hit it with a hammer.” I said. "Then go to the icebox , chip off a little bit of ice and hold it to your finger," said the voice. After that, I called "Information Please" for everything. I asked her for help with my geography and my math, and I told her about Petey, our pet canary, dying and she listened when I asked why beautiful birds had to die. She sensed how I felt and said,"Wayne always remember that there are other worlds to sing in." Somehow I felt better. Another day I was on the telephone to, "Information Please." "How do I spell fix?" I asked. I was nine years old and far away from my previous home. We had moved and I missed my friends. "Information Please" still belonged in that old wooden box back home. Memories of those childhood conversations never left me and the sense of security I felt then. I appreciated the kindness and patience spent on a little boy. Years later, on my way back west to college in between planes, without thinking, I dialed my home town Operator and said, "Information Please." Miraculously, I heard the voice I knew so well, “Information.” I heard myself saying, "Could you please tell me how to spell fix?" Then I heard the soft, clear answer, "I guess your finger must have healed by now." "So it's really you," I said. "I wonder if you have any idea how much you meant to me, I have thought of you often over the years.?” “Your calls meant so much to me also,” she said, “I never had any children and I always looked forward to your calls." I called again three months later. A new voice answered, "Information." I asked for Sally. "Are you a friend?" she said. "Yes, a very old friend," I answered. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this," she said. "Sally died five weeks ago." Before I could hang up she said, "Wait a minute, did you say your name was Wayne ?" "Yes." I answered. "Well, Sally left a message for you. She wrote it down in case you called. Let me read it to you." The note said, "Tell him there are other worlds to sing in.” He will know what I mean.” I knew what she meant.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 1. You shall have no other gods before me 2. You shall not make for yourselves any graven image. 3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. 4. Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. 5. Honor your father and mother. 6.You shall not murder. 7. You shall not commit adultery. 8. You shall not steal. 9. You shall not bear false witness. 10. You shall not covet.
