Pastor’s Update

Dear friend of Pine Mountain Christian Community Church,

There is always something helpful, something encouraging, and something inspiring about gathering with other believers in Jesus for Sunday morning worship. As we focus on Almighty God, we are reminded of His love and care for us. We are reminded of His great power to help us and His wisdom to guide us. We are also reminded that He understands our difficulties and sufferings. This Sunday we will see that Jesus suffered physically, emotionally and spiritually as He went to the cross for us. Are you suffering? Do you have a heavy cross to bear as you seek to follow Christ? This Sunday, June 24th, as we watch Jesus carry the cross, we will also see that taking up our cross and following Him always results in great joy and eternal rewards.

COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

* A big thanks to all of you who supported our youth and prayed for our youth as they went to camp. The students were exposed to great Biblical teaching, God-centered fellowship, wisdom for life, and some great fun. I know that as a result of the week at camp, the youth will be better prepared to continue in their relationship with Christ. A big thanks to Tyler and Kristi Turnbull for working out all the details and traveling with the students as mentors and councilors.

* A big thanks to everyone who has donated items for our Vacation Bible School! Everything is coming together and now all we need is students! Please pray that the Lord will bring students from our community and that many will be influenced to follow Jesus for the rest of their lives! VBS starts this Monday, June 25th! Ask God who He would have you invite: kids in your neighborhood, grandkids, kids you meet at the pool or club.

* The Wednesday Morning Women’s Bible Study will not be meeting this week due to Vacation Bible School

THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR

Sunday, June 24th at 9:30 a.m.: All Church Prayer Time in the Sanctuary

Sunday, June 24th at 10 a.m: Worship Service – Sermon: “The Crucifixion” John 19:16 – 22

Monday, June 25th at 9 a.m.: Vacation Bible School Begins!

Thursday, June 28that 11 a.m.: Women’s Bible Study at the home of Linda East (2414 Freeman Dr.)

Friday, June 29th at 7 p.m.: Closing Program for VBS

Key verse for this week: “Carrying His own cross, He went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified Him, and with Him two others – one on each side and Jesus in the middle” (John 19:17 &18)

May you carry your cross supported by the grace of God,

Pastor Rick

Memorial Day Event

May 26, 2018

The word “Memorial” literally means “to remember.” Today we remember those who died to protect this great country.

We live in a unique country that enjoys prosperity and freedoms unparalleled in history. Specifically, we enjoy:

Freedom of religion

Freedom to change religions

Freedom of speech

Freedom of travel

Freedom to criticize the government

Freedom to criticize one another! (as long as it is done in a respectful manner)

Freedom to vote and choose those in positions of authority

Freedom to pursue our goals and dreams.

But as we all know, freedom is not free. We live in an evil world. There are forces, movements, and individuals who desire to take away our freedoms. There are, even at this moment, forces of evil who would, if they had the opportunity, destroy us.

Today we honor those who gave themselves to confront those forces of evil and who have protected our freedoms by giving their lives. Today we honor those who left the beauty and comfort of home, left the love of family and friends, and laid down their lives so that we might remain free.

It was Jesus who said, “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

In a real sense, what these men and women have done is a picture of what God has done for us. In the same way that parents in this country have allowed their sons and daughters to go to war, God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, to earth to die for us. Jesus left the beauty and comfort of heaven, left the adoration and worship of angels, and died on a cross to pay the penalty for our sin, so that we could be free from sin and death. All who accept God’s gift will be truly free throughout eternity!

And because God is the author of freedom and liberty, it is only right that we give thanks to God for the freedoms we enjoy today. Will you join me in prayer?

“Dear heavenly Father, today we come to you and humbly thank you for the freedoms that we enjoy. We thank you for the precious lives of those who gave themselves to protect us. We ask that you would comfort those who have lost loved ones. We ask that you provide the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the families and friends of those who have died in service to this country. And we pray that we would go throughout each day with grateful hearts because of sacrifice of those who died for us. I ask this in the Name of the Lord Jesus who demonstrated His great love for us by laying down His life for us. Amen.”

CLOSING PRAYER:

“Dear holy, just, heavenly Father. As we look at what is going on in our country, we see that we need you more than ever. I would ask that you do a new work in each of our hearts. I pray that you would open our eyes to see that we need You. I pray that You would draw us to Yourself so that we would depend on You and obey you, so that we may truly be one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who loved us and delivered Himself up for us. Amen”

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