April 28, 2024
Livestream begins at 9:25 am
Your Grace Is Enough
This I Believe (The Creed)
The Stand
”Here I am, Send Me!
Isaiah 6:8
God's Parting Blessing:
God go before you to lead you, God go behind you to protect you,
God go beneath you to support you, God go beside you to befriend you.
Do not be afraid.
May the blessing of God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit be upon you
Do not be afraid. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Amen
Sunday School today.
Deuteronomy 6:3-8; Isaiah 6:8
3 Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, promised you.
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.
7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up.
8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. (Deut. 6:4-8)
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8)
Introduction- Echo J
I. That will leave a mark!
A. Branded (H.C. Q & A 1)
1. Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death?
A. That I am not my own, 1 but belong— body and soul, in life and in death—2 to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.3
B. Baptism
C. “Impress” (Deut. 6:6-7)
6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up.
D. “I am not my own… (H.C. Q & A 1)
1. Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death?
A. That I am not my own,1but belong— body and soul, in life and in death—2 to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.3 He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,4 and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.5He also watches over me in such a way6 that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven;7 in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.8 Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life9 and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.10
1 1 Cor. 6:19-20 2 Rom. 14:7-9 3 1 Cor. 3:23; Titus 2:14 4 1 Pet. 1:18-19; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:2 5 John 8:34-36; Heb. 2:14-15; 1 John 3:1-11 6 John 6:39-40; 10:27-30; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 Pet. 1:5 7 Matt. 10:29-31; Luke 21:16-18 8 Rom. 8:28 9 Rom. 8:15-16; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13-14 10 Rom. 8:1-17
E. “I Belong to Christ”
⁻ Χριστός
⁻ Illustration (Deut. 6:4-7) to impress
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up.
II. Send me! To love …
A. Love through prayer
B. Love through words – Impress, Talk, Tie, Write …
C. Love by Listening (Acts 1:8)
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
D. Love by doing (Matthew 5:14, 16)
14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Application
The Nursery is staffed today. Thank you, Melissa Schoneberg & Wyatt Bonnema. Please sign your child in.
Want to make our guests feel welcome? Please put on a name tag. They are available at both entrances. Thanks!
The Worship Team is looking for a volunteer to be in charge of Mother’s Day. Whether it would be food or flowers, or whatever you come up with. Please contact Zelda, if you want to accept the job.
Will YOU prayerfully consider co-leading our very special GEMS group? After this program season is over in May, Co-leaders Jeanie Jurgens and Amber Kmoch are turning over the reins for a season. We thank them for their faithful service to GEMS!! This group, Girls Everywhere Meeting Their Savior, has spiritually impacted many girls through the decades here at Rolling Acres! Will you be a part of that continuing? Talk to Carol Willier, Terri Pals, or any member of the Outreach/Missions Team if you are interested….
Truth Project: Lesson 6 History: Whose Story?
11:00 am in the Sanctuary. Intergenerational - Parents and all church adults are invited to attend along with the Senior High Sunday School Class. To watch the lessons or finish a lesson later please go to our website: RollingAcresCRC.org, click on the Media tab and you will find each lesson.
Habitat for Humanity NCI will be holding 2 application information meetings for anyone interested in homeownership who may need a little “hand up” to achieve it! The meetings will be held on Tuesday, April 10th, and Thursday, May 16th from 5:30-7 pm at the Habitat office, 517 1st Street NW. There are some wonderful upcoming homeownership opportunities available for houses that will be built on the old Madison School property (just south of the church) starting this summer, as well as renovated houses in the up-and-coming “Downtown West” area. To register, they should call 641.424.8978 or go online at www.habitatnci.org to reserve their spot. Free pizza will be served! Habitat provides 0% interest mortgages towards beautiful energy-efficient homes for approved applicants who have demonstrated the ability to make consistent housing payments but are unable to purchase a suitable home for their family through the open market. Questions about the Habitat process can also be directed to congregation member, Melissa Schoneberg
Lift Up the Word. Light Up the World. 73rd Annual National Day of Prayer. North Iowa Christian School, 680 6th St. SE, Mason City, IA from Noon - 1:00 pm. All are welcome.
The Directory is ready! Please pick up your copy from the table next to the nursery. Your names will be on the front cover, this way I know who has picked them up. Also, if you changed your mind and would like to purchase a binder. Please let me know and I will get it punched for you and put it in a binder. Thanks, Jamie
WE HAVE DATES! VBS will be June 24 through 28! The theme will be “SCUBA”. Volunteers Needed! We need teachers, support staff, and group leaders! Please sign up by May 5th to get a T-shirt, please put the size by your name. Sign-up sheet at Connection Center.
B.A.S.I.C. Bible Summer Camp 2024, August 3rd - 7th. Plan now. Information Fliers are at the Connection Center. The theme for this year is HISTORY.
Get ready to explore the greatest HISTORY of all!
Reminder: If you are the last person leaving the church after any event or activity, Please remember to clean up; i.e. tables, chairs, and kitchen, turn off the lights, shut the windows, and lock the doors. Thank you Management
If you unhook the chairs in the sanctuary, you must hook them up again! this is a safety issue. Thank you.
Would you like access to the devotional offered by the church, please call 641-424-1369 or email the church secretary at racrcsec@msn.com.
Have you checked out Missionary Corner? There are updates from our missionaries, the Klompiens, and the Heflers. Copies are available for reading. Please take one and see how they have been sharing Christ’s love and mission
Reminder if you borrow tables and chairs from the church, please remember to follow equipment borrowing procedures. Upon return, please make sure all items are clean and in good order.
New Coloring books have been added to the bags. There are activity bags available for the children, during worship service. They are located next to the coat rack in a bin.
Keep Marv Alphs in your prayers. Mayo doctors have told Marv that his cancer is no longer in remission. Marv has said he will stop all Chemo at the end of May - hospice will begin with at-home care. From then 4 -8 -weeks are estimated. Marv's testimony in His Lord and Savior is firm and a source of great confidence and comfort. Joan Schulke has moved to long-term care in Nora Springs this week. If you would like to visit her, call first. Keep Joan and Dana in your prayers. Please pray for Elder Brian Dirksen, he had surgery foot surgery on his foot to repair two broken bones and a ruptured tendon. He will be non-weight-bearing for six weeks. Please pray for Rhonda Dirksen as she will be his caregiver as he recovers. Please pray for those who cannot attend on Sunday, like Phyllis Lau. Pray for our Ames Korean CRC Campus Ministry, that it will minister to young adults and keep them on the right path. Pray for World Renew, that they continue to support community development and disaster relief. Remember our college students, pray for success in their education. Pray for our missionary family the Helfers as they minister to the people of South Africa. Pray for our Elders and Deacons that they have the discernment to know how to govern our church. Pray that God’s purpose will be done.
Deuteronomy 6:3-8; Isaiah 6:8
· Review outline
· Why does God mark us as His own?
· Is it because we’re so amazing and loving?
· What is the mark placed on you saying “this one is mine.”
· How does being branded with Christ change the way we live?
· Why is loving God the most important thing?
God Is Good…
God Bless – Pastor Phil
*Let me encourage you in RA’s Monthly Memory 😊*
Make it a matter of prayer
John 15:1-8
I’m sure you all know the song, "This Little Light of Mine." I’m going to sing it, and I want you to sing along. While we do, I’ll hold up this light and shine it all around. (Start to sing the song, but stop when you notice that the light isn't shining.) What’s wrong? My light isn't shining. (Wait until someone notices that it isn't plugged in.) Oh, the problem is, my light isn't plugged in. (Plug the lamp in).
Now that we’re plugged in, let’s try it again. (Lead kids in singing.)
That was much better with the lamp shining brightly. It's pretty hard for a light to shine when it isn't connected to the power source. It’s not just hard; it’s impossible!
It reminds me of something Jesus said in the Bible. He told His disciples a story to help them understand why it’s important to stay connected to Him. But He didn’t use a lamp. In His example, there was a grapevine. A vine is a plant with a lot of branches growing out from it. The branches have fruit on them. So grapevines have grapes on them.
Think about a branch that’s been broken off of a tree or a vine. (Hold up tree branch). What happens to it? It withers up and dies. It can’t ever have fruit on it again; it’s not good for anything except firewood. (Discard broken tree branch).
Jesus said, "I am the vine and you are the branches. If you remain in me, you will have much fruit, but apart from me, you can do nothing." (John 15:1-8) Jesus wants us to produce fruit. Good fruit, like kindness, generosity, and faithfulness. Most of all, He wants us to love others as He has loved us.
But we can’t do it on our own. Just as the lamp must be plugged in before its light can shine, and just as the branches must be connected to the vine before they can produce fruit, you and I must stay connected to Jesus to produce the good fruit that God expects of us.
Dear God, help us remember that we need to stay plugged into Jesus if we’re going to produce the kind of fruit You expect.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.