« May 2015 | Main | July 2015 »
What should be our response to the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that gay marriage is now legal in all 50 states? What is our authority on this issue? In this audio sermon I consider the decision written by Justice Kennedy through a Biblical lens.
Follow along with the online sermon verses at YouVersion.com.
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.
| |
|
What should be our response to the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that gay marriage is now legal in all 50 states? What is our authority on this issue? In Sunday's sermon I consider the decision written by Justice Kennedy through a Biblical lens.
Our Response To The Gay Marriage Decision from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.
Follow along with the online sermon Scriptures at YouVersion.com.
| |
|
Good Friday morning everyone!
Mary Kay and I are back from our week's break in Southern Ohio. We enjoyed seeing our daughter, Jillian, along with her hubby, Tim, and our grandson, Titus. We also had the chance to spend a few days with my brother, Todd, and his wife, Amy. It was a lot of fun and gave us a chance to rest up a bit.
We are looking forward to seeing all of you this weekend at Church Requel! Actually we had the opportunity to see some of you this past Wednesday night at the Ashland Bible Museum. What a great time we enjoyed. And what a great presentation by Dr. John Byron. I am sure that each of us left there knowing more about the Bible than before, and even more importantly, appreciating what a great privilege we enjoy by being able to read our Bibles at any time! Many thanks to John for being such a gracious host!
Counterfeit Cravings. Speaking of the Bible, you will want to make sure you bring yours with you when you come to church on Sunday morning. So far in our study of 1st John we’ve talked a great deal about love being more a choice than a feeling. But did you also know that God’s Word tells us to choose what we love very carefully? What you love matters! Sunday we’ll talk about 3 reasons why this is true AND reveal the three counterfeit cravings that can derail your love for God and people. This is such an important talk that I have included more than I usually do in our online sermon notes. I hope you'll use them to prepare your hearts for Sunday morning.
No Kingwood Center Tour. Sadly we have been forced to cancel the Kingwood Center outing on Saturday, July 11th. The minimum number Kingwood will take on its tour is fifteen and we only had nine sign up. We will try again another time.
Neighborhood Meal on July 18th. We WILL BE serving up meals to our neighbors in three weeks. It's always such a great privilege to work together to be Jesus' hands and feet to our community. So get this date and time on your schedule now. Volunteers should show up by 4pm and plan to serve until 6:30pm. Also bringing a dessert with you is helpful too! I took this picture the last time. Don't you just LOVE the yellow hats?
Saying Goodbye To Mark Strong. Finally, I have a sad piece of news to share with you. I learned this morning that Mark Strong has purchased a new business for himself down in Gatlinburg, TN. Unfortunately, because of his schedule, he won't be back to Church Requel before he has to move.
Mark was one of our early supporters - back in the Conference Center days - always serving so faithfully in our tech booth. After moving to the Point of Grace, Mark started coming two hours early just so he could mop the floors and sweep the carpet. He truly possesses a servant's heart and we're going to miss him very, very much!
With his permission, here is his email, if you'd like to write him and say goodbye. Hopefully he will be back occasionally to visit his brother in town and us as well. We love you Mark Strong!
Each Sunday we have to gather together is precious! Let's not miss this weekend. I hope to see each of you! With great love, Pastor Mark
| |
|
Jeff Barnes looks at the process of spiritual maturity and challenges us to ask, "Am I growing up in Christ?" This sermon, given at Church Requel on June 21, 2015, is based upon 1 John 2:12-17.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.
| |
|
Jeff Barnes looks at the process of spiritual maturity and challenges us to ask, "Am I growing up in Christ?" This sermon, given at Church Requel on June 21, 2015, is based upon 1 John 2:12-17.
Am I Growing Up? from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
| |
|
Good Friday morning Church Requel!
Before I tell you about this coming week's activities, let's first stop and take a breath and celebrate the FANTASTIC weekend we enjoyed last week! What great fellowship we enjoyed at the CR picnic down at Pleasant Hill! Wow!!! No question about it - Brian Trubachik has a permanent job of being the grill master extraordinaire! Thanks Brian for bringing down your "Benford 5000 Grill!"
I wasn't able to get a count, but I think almost all of our church showed up. In case you didn't know it, there were actually 2 shifts to the picnic. There was the first shift, who was there from 5 to 7:30, when the rain started. Most of them left with the rain. But then another dozen or so folks showed up for the bonfire at 8:30, after the rain stopped! Everybody had such a great time!
Brandi took some awesome photos and posted them up on our Facebook page! Check them out!
Weird Animals Roaming KidsMin! The other really marvelous thing that happened last weekend was the beginning of our summer program for KidsMin, which we are calling "Weird Animals." What a hoot!
There's actually a method behind Tamara's madness. Every kid feels different sometimes... even weird. Our children will learn that “weird” means special, unique, and one-of-a-kind, the kind of love that Jesus gives. We'll be doing this each Sunday this summer. If you have a kiddo in your life, make sure they are here as often as possible!
Tamara took some great photos last Sunday. I thought you might enjoy seeing them! You can click on any of these thumbnails to make them larger.
This Sunday At Church Requel. We have another great weekend planned. In fact the entire summer is just one fantastic weekend after another! This Sunday we'll be celebrating Father's Day. We have a very special gift for every guy who comes into CR. (We're counting even potential dads this Sunday!!)
We also have a great talk planned for Sunday. We will continue our 1 John study with a study of spiritual maturity in chapter 2, verses 12-14. And what a coincidence that the verses talk about Fathers and young men! Hmmm! Want a head start? Check out the online sermon notes for Sunday.
Any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad! We welcome all the dads (and grandpas!) to Church Requel this Sunday and pray God’s richest blessings upon you as you celebrate your special day.
“As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.” Psalm 103:13
ATS Bible Museum on Wednesday! Have you ever wondered how we came into the possession of the Bibles we carry around today? Want to see some of the oldest copies in existence? Join many of your Church Requel friends for a tour of the Ashland Theological Seminary Bible and Manuscript museum on Wednesday, June 24th at 6:30 pm.
Our host will be Dr. John Byron, who preached at Church Requel two months ago. The “Bible in English” exhibit is in the Gerber Academic Building and features rare and unique items spanning more than 2,000 years of Bible translation. Among the many objects on display is a fragment from the Dead Sea Scrolls (200 BC), a copy of the book of Exodus in Greek (300 AD) and a Hebrew Torah scroll from 1492.
We will carpool from the CR parking lot at 6pm or you can meet us there at 6:30. There is no cost for this fun and informative evening! Sign up in the lobby of church Sunday, if you haven't already done so. We need to know how many to plan on for ATS. Thanks.
Kingwood Center Tour On July 11th. I know this event seems like a long ways away. But we have to give the good folks at Kingwood a count by this Monday!
This 90-minute guided walking tour will include Kingwood Mansion, greenhouse and grounds. The cost is $5 per person and includes parking. Children 6 and under are free. Lunch at Empress Express afterward is optional. Meet us at Kingwood. The tour begins promptly at noon.
If you want to join us please sign up in the lobby by this Sunday. This should be really special. Many of us have walked the gardens, but never have seen the mansion. Don't the that person who has lived here all your life and never got the nickel tour (well, it's 5 bucks now, but that's inflation for you!)
This is a special summer at Church Requel! Let's make the most of it!
Love you all much, Pastor Mark
P.S. Happy birthday today to my first daughter, Jennifer. She also happens to be one of our terrific nursery teachers and enjoys "getting into the role!" Love you Jennifer!
| |
|
The kind of love God gives to us, and the kind of love he wants us to give to others, is not a feeling. It is a choice. The choice to love is also the choice of remaining in God's light or moving away from God into darkness. In this sermon from 1 John 2:7-11, I teach that God's L.I.G.H.T. provides us the power to love God's way.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.
| |
|
The kind of love God gives to us, and the kind of love he wants us to give to others, is not a feeling. It is a choice. The choice to love is also the choice of remaining in God's light or moving away from God into darkness. In this sermon from 1 John 2:7-11, I explain that God's L.I.G.H.T. provides us the power to love God's way.
The Choice To Love from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
| |
|
Good Friday morning Church Requel!
We have such a fantastic weekend planned! I hope you already know all about the picnic tomorrow - I know many of you are coming. I have some last minute details to share with you later in this week’s “What’s Happening” letter to you. First let me tell you about our Sunday plans, then I'll circle back to Saturday's fun.
Sweet William Cigar Company Old Time Music Duo. We have some very special music planned for Sunday morning. Tom Pappas and Keith Markley will join our worship team, playing the 12-string guitar and hammered dulcimer! If you've never heard a hammered dulcimer before, you won't believe the beautiful sound it makes - especially in our 129-year-old sanctuary. It was used extensively in the middle ages. Think of it as the musical instrument that led ultimately to the piano. Tom is quite skilled at it. When Keith joins in with his 12-string guitar, it's acoustic music heaven!
They will start playing about fifteen minutes before the worship service starts at 11, so I would recommend you all arrive early Sunday so you have the full listening benefit. Brandi, Brian and I will join you all in singing some great old-time gospel songs, including "I'll Fly Away," "When The Saints Come Marching In," "Leaning On The Everlasting Arms," and "Amazing Grace." Tom and Keith will also play during our communion and prayer time together. After rehearsing with them last night, I know you are in for a special treat Sunday morning. This is definitely a worship service that you will want to invite your friends to join you!
Weird Animals KidsMin.Our kiddos will definitely enjoy the acoustic music together with the adults. After our greeting time, we'll invite them to go downstairs to a very special KidsMin. Our entire children's area will be decorated for "Weird Animals!" I wanted to take a picture and send it to you, but I have been sworn to secrecy for the surprise element. Trust me when I say, your children are in for some exciting times. Tamira and her crew have done an amazing job!
Our summer theme for KidsMin will be, “Weird Animals: Where Jesus Love Is One-Of-A-Kind.” Every kid feels different sometimes… even weird. Your children will learn that “weird” means special, unique, and one-of-a-kind. We hope our kids will be reminded of Jesus’ special love for them - even when they feel different! Make sure your kids don’t miss a single Sunday this summer!
The Choice To Love. Our teaching time with our adults will continue our summer sermon series, Light Walking, from 1 John. Sunday we'll learn that when it comes to love and hate, there is no middle ground. Just like light and darkness, the Apostle John tells us, when it comes to the choice of love there are no shades of gray. The choice not to love leads to bitterness, which leads to a soul-shrunk life. Pastor Harry Fosdick (1878-1969) wrote, “Bitterness imprisons life, love releases it. Bitterness sours life, love sweetens it. Bitterness sickens life, love heals it.” Sunday we talk about our choice to love, which is also our choice to remain in the L.I.G.H.T. Want a head start? Here are the online notes.
Summer Sign-Ups. We have some amazing plans for this summer (PDF download). Something special is happening just about every week. Many of our events are free. But some of them involve some cost and a need to register early. So - another first time ever for Church Requel - we have created the Summer Sign Up Bulletin Board.
There are two events of importance for early signups. The first is the Saturday July 11th Tour of Kingwood Center. We need to give them a count by June 22nd, which means we only have two Sundays to sign up. The other big event is the Indians Friday August 7th baseball game. We need to let them know a month in advance and send in a $200 deposit to make it possible to sit together as a group. By the way, that night also include $1 hotdogs and a free fireworks display after the game!
Picnic Final Plans. Ok, I've put this off long enough. Your enthusiastic response to the church picnic we are planning for tomorrow is so affirming! We've had about 60 of you indicate that you will be there. On top of that, you've all volunteered to bring everything so that Church Requel itself won't need to go out and purchase anything for the picnic. Thank you so much!
The picnic will start at 5pm and take place at Pleasant Hill Lake Park, 3431 State Route 95, Perrysville. Here are directions. Drive East on either 97 or Possum Run Rd to 95. Turn left on 95 (North). The park will be on your right hand side, 3.3 miles from Possum Run or 6.6 miles from 97. Time to Pleasant Hill Lake Park from Mansfield is about 30 minutes. There is a $5 charge per carload to enter the park. Some of us will be meeting at the CR parking lot and carpooling to save some bucks. We will LEAVE at 4:30pm.
We are planning some fun group games together so come with your fun, happy clothes and some active wear shoes. For those who are coming late - or just in time for the bonfire at Steve and Cindy's place, just ask for directions at the gate. Bring some lawn chairs. They are located on Lot 230 in the Upper D area. Or just look for the 25-foot fire and listen for the loud, fun noises of a great party! LOL.
This "What's happening" newsletter is a little longer than normal, but then more is happening than normal too! What a weekend! What fun! What worship! Let's experience it all together. I can't wait to see you all.
Love you much, Pastor Mark
| |
|
How can I know if I am a real Christ-follower? How can I know if someone else is a Christ-follower? The first is the question of assurance. The second is the question of authenticity. In this past weekend's sermon I talk about what makes for a Real Deal Christian in our study of 1 John 2:3-6.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.
| |
|
How can I know if I am a real Christ-follower? How can I know if someone else is a Christ-follower? The first is the question of assurance. The second is the question of authenticity. Sunday I talked about what makes for a Real Deal Christian in our study of 1 John 2:3-6.
The Real Deal from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
| |
|
Good Friday morning Church Requel!
Let the summer fun begin! That's been our mantra here at Church Requel staff headquarters for the past few weeks. This weekend we unveil our "Upcoming CR Fun" plans as a program insert in Sunday's bulletin. But you, oh weekly newsletter reader, get first dibs! You can click on the image to the right to see a larger version. You can also download your own full-size page here.
Let me share some thoughts with you about these CR summer activity plans. First, in our planning we tried to select a variety of events that would attract different kinds of people within our church. Families with young children might be more attracted to some events more than others. Empty nesters might prefer some of the other options.
Second, as you can see, we have a lot of events planned. Mary Kay's first response was, "My, that's an ambitious set of plans you have there Mark." Ok, I'll admit that we have more events planned than last year - but again, we wanted to offer something for everyone. I think they will ALL be fun for our entire congregation. But don't feel like you have to go to everything. Pick the events that work for you and your friends at CR.
Third, this is an awesome opportunity to invite other family and friends, who don't attend Church Requel. Last summer was one of our fastest periods of growth in our young church's history. I think it was because of all the outside summer events we planned last year. As a staff, we are praying for even better growth this summer! So make sure you invite others to join you!
Plans For This Sunday! Brandi, Cindy, Missie and I met together last night and rehearsed the songs we'll be singing together Sunday morning. I'm pretty excited about the worship set, which includes "Today Is The Day," "Came To My Rescue," and "From The Inside Out." We've changed things up a bit in our worship planning and are looking forward to taking communion together as a church family (instead of individually.)
I'm also excited about Brandi's new Praise Team Rehearsal plans for this summer. Each Thursday night the Praise Team will meet together first for a time of Bible study, reflection and prayer together. Last night we even had an ice-breaker designed for people who already had broken the ice. [Icebreaker Question: "If your house was burning down, what 3 OBJECTS would you try to save?" Want to know my 3 answers? Write me back and I'll tell you!]
The results of this weekly time together, we hope, will be a Praise Team that grows closer to one another as we also grow closer to God. Praise Team members have all received letters from Brandi, but let me reiterate. You don't have to be "on" for Sunday morning to come to the Thursday night devotionals at 6:30pm. Remember also that you can sign up for as many Sundays as you want this summer. (Sign up and pick up practice packets downstairs outside the church office.)
We will continue our summer study from 1 John on Sunday. Our sermon title is "The Real Deal." How can I know if my relationship with Christ is authentic? And what about other people in my life? Are they the real deal? Should I even be asking this question? Sunday we’ll discover why asking this question is so important as well the three authenticating evidences of “real deal” Christianity. Want a head start on Sunday's talk? Click here for the online sermon notes (or just open your Bible app and click on LIVE.)
Weird Animals KidsMin Summer! We are also excited to announce some brand new plans for KidsMin this summer. If you have children attending Church Requel, make sure you read this! First off, we are tremendously enthused about our new summer curriculum for our kiddos. It's called: "Weird Animals: Where Jesus' Love Is One-Of-A-Kind." I think you're going to be excited about the level of creativity you will discover starting next Sunday in KidsMin. Want a preview of this fun, summer learning experience for our children? Watch this preview video! (Maybe we should include an "Imagination Station" for us big kids upstairs too!)
Secondly, I'm excited to announce that because our KidsMin program is growing so fast, we will be adding another class for our older children in 5th grade and up. Cindy Thoman has agreed to be the regular teacher for this group, who will now receive more one-on-one attention for their more mature age. This will also allow Tamira and her team to focus more age-appropriate teaching to our younger children. Isn't this great news?! Thanks Cindy for being so responsive to God's call upon your life!
Speaking of growth in our children's area, our nursery is bursting at the seams on some Sunday mornings too. Mary Kay found a second changing table for our nursery, because as she explained it to me: "Some Sundays one changing table is just not enough!" Love it!
Great things are happening all over at Church Requel. I didn't even mention the tremendous growth we are seeing with our Women's Bible Study on Wednesday nights. Or the work plans some of our men have taken upon themselves. Or the personal notes I've received from new people finding a church home for the first time.
Let's not slow down this summer. I say we don't take our foot off the accelerator, but instead pray to our Lord, "Even more - if it be Thy will! Expand our territory. Let us be a bigger part of Your plans for Mansfield!" Will you join me in that prayer?
I love you all much! Blessings! Pastor Mark
| |
|
Jesus is the greatest advocate we could ever have. In this audio version of Sunday's Church Requel sermon I highlight 6 ways Jesus is such a great advocate. We also consider why He is so successful. Jesus is not only our advocate, but also our propitiation.
Follow along with these online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.
| |
|
Jesus is the greatest advocate we could ever have. In my sermon this past Sunday we consider 6 ways Jesus is such a great advocate and we consider why He is so successful. He is not only our advocate, but Jesus is also our propitiation.
The Greatest Advocate from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.
Follow along with these online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
| |
|
Recent Comments