Our medical professionals are on the front line of this epidemic and we want to show them love and support. In the next week or two, we want to send a prayer caravan to drive around the hospital. We'll let them know ahead of time that we'll be praying—and perhaps honking our horns—at a designated time. To get more information and to register, please click below and select the prayer caravan option. We'll see you soon!
How To Quantify Your Happiness
How To Quantify Your Happiness: Alchemy of Virtue
Speaker
Dwight K. NelsonSince 1983, Dwight Nelson has served as lead pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University. He preaches on the “New Perceptions” telecast, teaches at the theological seminary and has written some books, including The Chosen. He and his wife, Karen, are blessed with two married children and 2 granddaughters.
Offering
Saturday, May 10, 2014
More In This Series
“How to Quantify Your Happiness: The Alchemy of Virtue”
-
□ NT—Acts 20:35
-
University of British Columbia and Harvard Business School study: “Regardless of how much income
each person made [in the national sample], those who spent money on reported greater happiness, while those who spent more on did not. . . . The employees [in the Boston firm] who devoted more of their bonus to gifts for or toward charity consistently reported greater benefits than employees who simply spent money on needs. . . . Participants [in the random $5 and $20 giveaway] who spent the windfall on reported feeling happier at the end of the day than those who spent the money on .” (www.publicaffairs.ub.ca/media/releases/2008/mr-08-032.html)
- Study conclusion: “You are happier when you give than when you receive”
- Jesus: “It is more blessed to than to .” (Acts 20:35)
-
Three benefits from the blessing of giving:
#1—Whenyougive,youaredrawnawayfromyourown.
o Ed Gungor: “ touches a nerve in us that nothing else does. We look a lot likeGod when we do it. When you give, you defy the fear that you won’t have enough. You insult greed, the impulse to acquire or possess more than one needs or deserves. If you really believe that God owns it all and that he is your source and provider, giving will be a simple matter. . . . According to Jesus, giving keeps your heart in motion toward God and away from material things. . . . Your heart will follow the direction of your giving.” (Quoted in The Chosen 354)
- #2—When you give, you give play to the part of your nature.
- #3—When you give, you receive the of God.
-
God is the unlimited of the universe.
- Genesis 22:14—“So Abraham called the place The LORD Will And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.’”
- Acts14:17—“‘Hehasshownkindnessbygivingyourainfromheavenandcropsintheirseasons; He you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.’”
- Philippians4:19—“AndmyGodwill[provide]allyourneedsaccordingtoHisriches in glory through Christ Jesus.”
- Since God is the unlimited Provider, is a God-like act.
-
University of British Columbia and Harvard Business School study: “Regardless of how much income
-
□ OT—Malachi 3:10
-
Arthur C. Brooks: “In 2003 while working on a book about charitable giving, I stumbled across a
strange pattern in my data. Paradoxically, I was finding that donors ended up with more income after making their . This was more than correlation; I found solid evidence that stimulated prosperity.” (http://nyti.ms/1iBHCYm)
- Malachi 3:10—“Test Me, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out that there will not be room enough to store it.”
-
“The 90-day Tithe Challenge.”
TitheyourwayintototheLordofCalvarywhohasbeensofaithfultoyou. Tithing is a statement of radical in your omnipotent Creator, your unlimitedProvider, and your never-failing Savior and Friend.
-
“Everything that God could do was done to save a perishing world. ‘God so loved the world, that He
gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ God has made it impossible for it to be said that He could have done more than He has done for the fallen race. When He gave His Son, He gave Himself. In one great gift He poured out the whole treasure of heaven. He has revealed a love that defies all , a love that should fill our hearts and lives with gratitude.” (Review and Herald January 14, 1902)
“Test Me!”
-
Arthur C. Brooks: “In 2003 while working on a book about charitable giving, I stumbled across a
Prayer Car Caravan for Our Medical Professionals
GC 100 Days of Prayer Commence
This week I learned of our world church headquarters appeal for prayer throughout the global Seventh-day Adventist family. Originally timed to end during the recently-postponed General Conference session in Indianapolis, our church leaders are calling us to now focus 100 days of praying (March 27-July 4) on behalf of the global coronavirus pandemic. There could hardly be a more urgent need for earnest praying!
A pastor friend of mine, Jim Moon, pointed out a two-verse juxtaposition I'd not noticed before: "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a pestilence among My people, if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:13-14). While everyone knows the beloved prayer call in v 14, few of us connect it with the preceding divine action in v 13. "A pestilence among My people" certainly could represent a global pandemic like the coronavirus COVID-19. While Satan is the originator of destructive calamities, what more faith-appropriate response is our collective prayers to the One who can deliver this nation, this world, these people, from the grips of pestilence.
So let's join together in humbling ourselves before God and praying and seeking His face—that our world might be saved and our faith community might yet be mobilized to share the glad tidings of Jesus' soon return.
- Pastor Dwight
2nd Quarter Adult Sabbath School Lessons
Due to the COVID-19 stay at home mandate, Pioneer is unable to provide physical copies of the Adult Sabbath School Lesson at this time. Both teacher's edition and standard edition are available online for free.
Livestreaming Schedule
Pioneer will be worshipping online online until further notice. We look forward to having you join us there.
9:00 AM ET - Pioneer at Worship
10:30 AM ET - Sabbath School
11:45 AM ET - Pioneer at Worship
Home Visits
The Board of Elders, under the leadership of Bryan and Becky von Dorpowski, has responded to the immediate spiritual and emotional needs of our oldest Pioneer members. Recognizing many of them will chose to protect themselves from the coronavirus by limiting their time in the wider community and thus missing the weekly fellowship that worship and Sabbath School provided, the elders will be focusing on those Pioneer members in their 70s, 80s, 90s and 100s—and will be reaching out by phone to visit with them. (In order to protect the health of our members our elders will not be making home visits at this time.)
If you know of an at-risk member who needs personal attention, please call Claudia Sowler 269.471.3134. The elders are praying these targeted phone calls will bring the ministry of our Good Shepherd Savior to these who have faithfully walked with Him throughout their lives.
Family, Faith, and Fun!
During this time of potential boredom and cabin fever, enjoy these fun ideas for spending quality time together as a family.
After the long winter of gray and brown, get outside and look for all the buds, sprouts, and new leaves you can find. Try to identify what each one is. You can use your phone to look on the Internet or use an app like Pl@ntNet to identify leaves. Currently, you can see things like crocuses, daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, lilies, snowdrops, moss, ferns, ramps, and wild chives. It is so nice to be reminded that even when things look bleak, God is still there and recreating!
You can also "adopt a friend" each day or week! Send several encouraging and kind notes to a friend via text, email, Messenger, etc. Let them know you are thinking about them and even praying for them.
Sponsored by the Family Life Committee
Volunteer for the Most Vulnerable
We are looking for teams of volunteers that can help people who are more vulnerable in our community to run errands such as picking up groceries and medicine. We're also asking for volunteers to make calls and pray for our members and community.
COVID-19 Grow Group Update
Community and gathering in some form remains vital. We have asked Grow Groups of more than ten people to start meeting online. For Grow Groups of less than ten people, we're asking them to practice safe social distancing of at least six feet—as per the CDC.
Love on the Move
Over the summer and fall of 2019 Pioneer underwent significant physical renovation—including a new roof and a major Sanctuary makeover. During the same time congregation leaders engaged in multiple conversations about our missional renovation—how does a faith community like Pioneer seriously engage and impact the people around us for Christ? From this dialogue emerged a fresh new expression of our Pioneer mission: "Love on the Move."
Campus News
For more events impacting our local university campus, please visit www.andrews.edu/agenda.