« June 2015 | Main | August 2015 »
Jesus taught that we should always be ready for His return. We don't know the day or the hour but we should always be ready. How do we do that? In this Church Requel sermon, Pastor Mark considers 5 ways that we should be R.E.A.D.Y. if we are indeed God's C.H.I.L.D.
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.
| |
|
Jesus taught that we should always be ready for His return. We don't know the day or the hour but we should always be ready. How do we do that? In this video from yesterday's sermon I consider 5 ways that we should be R.E.A.D.Y. if we are indeed God's C.H.I.L.D.
Ready Child 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!
When you hear someone say, "Christ is coming soon," what comes to mind? Can we be completely honest with one another? What comes to my mind all too often is, 'I've heard that before.' It's been 2,000 years. Jesus' followers in the New Testament thought it could be any day, yet here we are 2 millennia later and it still hasn't happened. So what gives?
If you're like me, you give mental acknowledgement to Jesus' return because the Bible talks so much about it. But sadly, it doesn't change much about our daily lives. I write "sadly" because it is really too bad that we have lost something in our anticipation of Jesus coming back again. This Sunday I hope to help us regain that anticipation.
I've written a sermon based on 1 John 2:28-3:3 that is outlined as a double acrostic. We are a child of God. And we should be ready for Christ's return. So Sunday we will talk about how to be a R.E.A.D.Y. C.H.I.L.D. Want a head start? Here's the sermon notes in the Bible app.
In the meantime we continue to plan for our extended stay here on Planet Earth...
Sunday Morning Praise. Rehearsal went terrific last night with Brandi, Brian, Trish, Missie and myself. You are in for a treat Sunday morning. Don't be late or you'll miss a cool opener. The team is singing the Matthew West song, "Hello My Name Is." This song really kicks off our theme of being a child of God.
Also in our praise set for Sunday morning is "Your Grace Is Enough," "Cornerstone," and "Forever." I've given you links to YouTube so you can get your worship praise groove on early!
During our communion time, we have asked Brian to sing "Overwhelmed," by Big Daddy Weave. I must tell you that Brian continues to surprise me with the range of his voice. You will be ushered into Christ's Presence with thanksgiving (and maybe acknowledge your own feelings of being... overwhelmed!)
Finally, at the end of our service, our praise team will send us on our way home with one more special: "Children of God" by Third Day. Brandi is getting good at putting together themes for our worship experiences. Thanks Brandi for all you do for us!
We start the weekend off with some Splash Park fun...
Ashland Splash Park Saturday 11am-1pm. This is going to be a fantastic weekend weather-wise! Let's take the opportunity for some cool, wet fun tomorrow when many of us will go up to Kroc Center Splash Park, at 527 E Liberty St, Ashland, OH 44805. Those who would like to car pool up, we'll leave the Church Requel parking lot at 10:30am sharp. You can also meet us up in Ashland at 11am.
Wear your wet weather clothing. (After all, it is a splash park.) Bring a sack lunch. And bring your "fun" attitude. This should be another opportunity for CR summer fellowship.
We have another opportunity to be Jesus' hands & feet this summer...
Lincoln Highway Rummage Sale. This is one of those cool opportunities that have fallen into our lap because of our amazing location. Did you realize that we are right on the Lincoln Highway that extends all the way across the State of Ohio? Each year the Ohio Historic Lincoln Highway website promotes a sale that extends all the way across Ohio! People literally make a day of traveling from one yard sale to another garage sale to another rummage sale. And we are located right in the heart of it all.
Here's how you can help. First, start gathering up those items that could be valuable to someone else. Clean out those attics and basements! Bring your goodies to church with you. The second way you can help is to volunteer to serve by helping us set up the sale, serving during the sale, or to help us tear down the sale at the end. The sale will extend over two days, August 14th and 15th. There is a signup sheet in the church lobby. Many thanks to Sheri and Stephenie for organizing this for us. All proceeds will be used to help those with needs within our church and community.
So what is missing so far? ...
Let's review. We've talked about an wonderful worship experience on Sunday morning. That's Magnification. We've talked about a great growing experience in our sermon plans. That's Maturity. We've talked about a fun-filled fellowship opportunity with the Splash Park tomorrow morning. That's Membership. And we've talked about a special serving opportunity to be Jesus' hands and feet at the Lincoln Highway Rummage Sale. That's Ministry.
What are we missing? Mission! Sharing the good news of what God has accomplished in our midst with our friends and families around us. That's where you come in! Why not pass this newsletter around? Forward it to someone in your life who would benefit from the connection we enjoy every week. Or share this on Facebook or Twitter. Your friends will thank you. And so will I!
Have a great weekend. See you Sunday morning!
Pastor Mark
| |
|
Is your Christianity 3,000 miles wide but only 3 inches deep? Don’t wallow in the shallows. God is deep and His name will keep. In this sermon, written in collaboration with my brother Todd, I consider 4 ways to live D.E.E.P. in God.
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.
| |
|
Is your Christianity 3,000 miles wide but only 3 inches deep? Don’t wallow in the shallows. God is deep and His name will keep. In my talk at Church Requel Sunday, I considered 4 ways to live D.E.E.P. in God in our study of 1 John 2:20-27. Many thanks go out to my brother, Todd Pierce, who collaborated with me in the writing of this particular talk.
Live D.E.E.P. 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!
When it comes to your Christian faith, are you wallowing in the shallows? It's been said that in America our Christianity is 3,000 miles wide, but only 3 inches deep. I pray that would not be true for us at Church Requel. This Sunday we're going to talk about how to live D.E.E.P. with God. I want you to experience the same things John wanted his congregation to experience: joy, assurance, and a holy life worthy of the name "Christian."
This particular sermon was a real pleasure to write, because I collaborated with my brother Todd for several weeks earlier this summer. Not only are Todd and I close as brothers, but we also share a passion for teaching God's Word. Todd has over 28 years of experience pastoring and leading churches. We often share our writing back and forth. That's exactly what happened with this particular talk.
For those keen observers, you'll notice that the text for this week's talk is exactly the same as last weeks - yet you'll also discover that the sermons are not the same. I would describe the two talks as complementary. For this week's sermon, we'll use The Message version of the Bible. Todd was preparing to deliver a sermon at a local church in Southern Ohio and was also planning on using the 1 John 2:20-27 text. Over the course of about two weeks and dozens of emails, we came up with the sermon outline you will hear Sunday. Would you like a preview? Check out these Bible app sermon notes.
Sunday's worship service will be awesome for lots of reasons beyond my talk. Last evening I had the privilege of hanging out with Sunday's praise team of Brandi, Brian, Missie, Trish and Cindy. I love hanging with these guys. Did you know they begin their Thursday night rehearsals with a small group experience, reading Scripture and praying? I love their dedication to leading our worship experiences.
They make sure they have their worship hearts in the right place before getting down to the music rehearsal itself. But then they really work! Last night's practice went for about 2 1/2 hours. Think of that! One hundred fifty minutes of rehearsal for the 20 minutes we all take for granted on Sunday morning. Wow! And that doesn't include the time they each spend on their own! Maybe you can say a "thank you" to them sometime for their sacrifice.
I also love the excitement that is going on in our KidsMin this summer. The picture on the left is of an engaged Nate Betts, while he is creating a well out of popsicle sticks. The kiddos were continuing to learn about the Samaritan woman at the well. They were reminded that Jesus loves them even when they are different than other people.
Last week's teaching really brought the lesson down to where our kiddos live. They were reminded to love other children, even when they are different than them. Our children also had a great discussion about the different kinds of kids they interact with at school - mean girls, techies, athletes (to name just a few categories they came up with.)
Tamara Barnes, our children's director, asks us to keep praying for our kids. She reminds us that these kids face a lot at school that many of us never had to face - and probably couldn't even imagine. Thank you Tamara and all the volunteers in KidsMin.
If you have a child in your home I encourage you to make sure they get to Church Requel each and every Sunday morning. You are planting seeds in your children's lives that will reap a lifetime of harvest!
Let's Feed The Hungry! Let's all be reminded that this Saturday evening we will be feeding the hungry in our neighborhood at Church Requel. This is a great opportunity to come and serve side by side with your fellow parishioners. This is also a great opportunity to serve side by side with your older child. Volunteers should show up at the church by 4pm. We begin serving food at 5pm. We usually begin cleaning up at 6pm and are walking out around 6:30pm. We always enjoy ourselves as we become Jesus' hands and feet to our neighbors.
Large Group Going To Indians Game! Who would have guessed that we'd have 35 people sign up to go to watch the Indians play major league baseball on August 7th? Wow! Pretty exciting stuff. I really appreciate Brandi, who has made the reservations for us. Because of our group status, she was able to get seats for the group at about half price. Thanks Brandi! Those of you planning to go, please make sure you have your payments in to Brandi by this Sunday. We have purchased your tickets through the church and want to get those funds paid back ASAP.
I can't believe our summer is already half over! Let's appreciate each day we have - even the cool, rainy ones. As Brandi reminded me this week - it sure beats winter time around here. Right on!
Love you all. Hope to see you Sunday morning at 11 at Church Requel! Pastor Mark
| |
|
Not everything that looks like Christianity actually is. Never has our orthodox Christian faith been more under attack. Never have we been more susceptible to deception! Deception is NOT obvious. It looks like Christianity. It sounds like it. It almost is. Often it has the appearance of success. How can we know? How do we protect ourselves from being taken in by people who themselves are deceived? In this sermon, I describe the 4 ways Christians can be protected from deception that are described in 1 John 2:18-27.
You can 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.
| |
|
Not everything that looks like Christianity actually is. Never has our orthodox Christian faith been more under attack. Never have we been more susceptible to deception! Deception is NOT obvious. It looks like Christianity. It sounds like it. It almost is. Often it has the appearance of success. How can we know? How do we protect ourselves from being taken in by people who themselves are deceived? In my sermon yesterday, I describe the 4 ways Christians can be protected from deception that are described in 1 John 2:18-27.
Deception Protection from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.
You can follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
| |
|
Good Friday morning Church Requel!
I look forward to my Friday mornings, when I have the opportunity to write to you, our church congregants, about what is going on at Church Requel. Our summer is filled with opportunities for fun and fellowship. I've written about that a lot recently, and I have more reminders about what's happening down below.
Summertime is also an opportunity for good, solid teaching and I'd like to take advantage of today's letter to let you know about some of the helpful lesson plans I have in mind for you over the next few weeks. We are entering a period of "How To" sermons from 1st John. These talks, I believe, are vital to our congregation, just as they were to John's congregations scattered around Ephesus at the end of the first century.
How To Be Protected From Deception. Both the Apostle John and Jesus Himself talked about the deception that Christians would be facing in the last days. What did they mean by "last days?" What kind of deception were they talking about? Is this something with which we need to be concerned?
In my opinion, our orthodox Christian faith has never been more under attack. Never have we been more susceptible to deception! Deception is NOT obvious. It looks like Christianity. It sounds like it. It almost is. Often it has the appearance of success. How can we know? How do we protect ourselves from being taken in by people who themselves are deceived? This Sunday we open our Bibles to 1 John 2:18-27 and learn 4 ways to be protected from deception.
How To Live D.E.E.P. Next Sunday, July 19th, we'll talk about shallow Christianity. One of the biggest reasons why deception about Christianity is so rampant is that many Christians have never been more shallow in their faith. I don't want this to be true about you! We will learn that God is deep and His Name will keep! There is great joy and assurance in living deep in God's Name. We'll talk about how to live deep using the D.E.E.P. acronym. I'm particularly excited about this talk. You'll discover that it covers exactly the same Bible passage of 1 John 2:18-27. There's just so much good stuff here! This particular talk I wrote in collaboration with my brother, Todd, who will be speaking to us at the end of August.
How To Be Ready For Christ's Return. Our last July teaching on the 26th will focus on the second coming of Jesus, so clearly talked about throughout the New Testament. The apostle gives us some specific "how-to's" in his 1 John 2:28-3:3 letter. He tells us to be R.E.A.D.Y. as a C.H.I.L.D. of God. Yes, we will work our way through a double acronym and, I hope, be greatly encouraged along the way.
How To Battle Temptation. On Sunday, August 2nd, we'll talk about the very real issue of sin in the Christian's life - living in a way that does not please our Lord by either our actions against His will or our failure to act as He would desire. We'll take a page out of St. Augustine's book, written 1600 years ago, and learn that - for the Christ-follower - to sin or not to sin is a choice. How do we make the right choices? We'll study 1 John 3:4-10 along with 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 to discover 4 questions to ask ourselves when we are tempted. This talk was developed over many walks with Mary Kay this summer. She helped me immensely to be able to clearly explain St. Augustine's valuable lessons.
How To Know A Real Christian. What are the marks of a true Christian? How can you tell? In addition to studying 1 John 3:11-18 on August 9th, we'll also look closely at the marks of Cain in Genesis 4 as a comparison. One of the things we'll dig deeply into is the issue of persecution. I know that many would prefer to hear the more popular health and wealth teachings, and clearly I believe our lives are infinitely and eternally better as a result of our commitment to Christ. However, Jesus himself attests to the difficulties Christians will face, because of their commitment to Christ.
How To Be Assured That I Am A Christ-follower. Just one more "coming soon" talk in this email newsletter... how can I know for sure I really am a Christian? So many in our church today struggle with this question. I know it because I hear your struggles. Up on the mountain one day, down in the valley the next. We're going to focus on 1 John 3:19-24. We're also going to learn some real life lessons from this 50-year follower of Christ as we talk about 6 ways to be sure. I don't want you to live with doubt about this important issue, so I hope you'll make sure to come to CR on August 16th.
Do you see why I am so passionate about you all coming each and every week to Church Requel this summer? We are teaching some important, life-critical lessons about your Christian faith. We are getting practical and personal. I hope you won't miss a single one. I don't think I've ever worked so much in preparing for you. I believe it's going to be worth it. I believe you will come out the other side of summer with a hope and with a confidence in your Christian faith like you've never had before!
Other Plans For This Sunday. Of course our worship each week is much more than just the preacher preaching! I had the great privilege last night to be the "sound guy" for our praise team rehearsal for this coming Sunday morning. We are so blessed to have Jeff and Tamira Barnes back again this Sunday in worship leadership roles. Joining them on the drums will be Dan Logan, just back at 2am yesterday from Jamaica, and Dave Hill on the guitar. This is really a dedicated group! You will be so blessed by their worship leadership on Sunday.
Brandi Walker should be back Sunday morning as well from her family's trip down to Walt Disney World. We are looking forward to that 25% jump in attendance as the Walker clan and friends return along with Dan and DeeDee Logan. Brandi will be leading our prayer and communion time together. Finally, we just never know about that Nancy Roop and her announcements. By the way, did you know that TODAY is Nancy's birthday? (Did I ask permission to share that little factoid with you? No. I'd rather share first and ask forgiveness later! Ha ha!)
KidsMin will continue their Weird Animals summer learning fun this Sunday. I was talking to Tamira this past Wednesday about this special, VBS-style lesson planning for our children. She told me two things that really excite me and I think will pump you up too. #1 - the kiddos are really engaged. There are so many creative opportunities to learn! #2 - the kiddos are getting it! More than any other time in our history, our children are able to tell what they've learned even several days afterwards.
Just like the weird animals, some of our kids feel like they are different and sometimes feel left out. They are learning that Jesus loves them just like they are and so they can actually celebrate their uniquenesses. If you have a child in your life, make sure to get them here this Sunday morning as "Weird Animals" continues.
Neighborhood Meal on July 18th. We'll be serving up meals to our neighbors one week from this Saturday. 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?
Indians Baseball Game on August 7th. It's not too late to sign up to join the crew driving up to Cleveland to watch the Tribe take on the Twins. The game starts at 7:10pm and includes $1 hotdogs and fireworks at the end of the night game. Signup in the lobby. Talk to Brandi for more details.
Rummage Sale August 14th and 15th. Church Requel will be participating in the Lincoln Highway Sale this year on August 14th and 15th here at the church. Now is a great time to clean out your attics and basements and donate to our sale. If you could work the sale, there is a signup in the lobby. All proceeds of the rummage sale will go to a special fund to help families in the community and here at Church Requel. If you have questions, please contact Sheri Nichols or Stephenie Angel.
Ok, this may be the single longest letter I have ever written on a Friday morning. If you made it through this far, you definitely deserve a gold star! Seriously, I am passionate about our church and love each and every one of you. Let's make the rest of our summer together something truly special! With greatest affections, Pastor Mark.
| |
|
In the audio version of “Counterfeit Cravings” I warn us to be careful about what we love. I explain 3 reasons why loving the wrong things takes us away from the good things God has in store for us. I also describe 3 counterfeit loves that can leave us wanting, wanting, wanting. Along the way I share humorous insights into Oreo cookies and the Pierce family story time, as well as quotes from the singing group, Plumb, the Narnia author, C.S. Lewis, and my brother, Todd.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download this PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.
| |
|
In “Counterfeit Cravings” I warn us to be careful about what we love. I explain 3 reasons why loving the wrong things takes us away from the good things God has in store for us. I also describes 3 counterfeits loves that can easily deceive us. Along the way I share funny insights into Oreo cookies and the Pierce family story time, as well as quotes from the singing group, Plumb, the Narnia author, C.S. Lewis, and my brother, Todd.
Counterfeit Cravings from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download this PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
| |
|
Good Friday morning Church Requel!
This is not just ANY Friday. This is the Friday of the July 4th weekend! Woo hoo! It's a beautiful morning here at the Point of Grace. I couldn't help but snap this photo of our church this morning. We are so very blessed!!!
Our Celebration will include the Barnes Family leading our singing of several rousing choruses of Americana favorites, like "You're A Grand Old Flag," "This Land Is Your Land," "God Bless the USA," and "America The Beautiful." We've even invited Blake Barnes to kick us off with the singing of our national anthem! You really don't want to miss that! No one rocks "The Star Spangled Banner" like Blake Barnes!
I don't apologize for celebrating our national heritage at Church Requel. I am a Christian first and an American second. My citizenship is forever in Heaven. But I also live now in this great country and believe we should celebrate it's rich heritage and unique freedoms. So plan on coming and enjoying some patriotic flavor.
I'm also aware of how much our congregation loves being together. I've never served at a church where people love spending so much time together. In fact, 14 of you are vacationing together down in Walt Disney World this week!!! Yay! How many churches have you ever heard of where 20% of the weekly congregants head off together to enjoy fellowship time? Wow! Of course that means the rest of us had better show up or it will be mighty lonely for your pastor!
KidsMin Gets Creative! I'm totally loving what is happening down in KidsMin on Sunday mornings. Our weekly attendance there has broken several summer records! How cool is it that this old, 129-year-old building is enjoying young life again?
Our children are enjoying a special and creative teaching time titled, "Weird Animals." Last week they learned that even though the children may feel differently than other kids, Jesus loves them! Their Bible verse taught them that they are God's masterpiece (from Ephesians 2:10.) The kiddos decorated sugar cookies as their own masterpieces.
They also enjoyed a visit from the woman at the well (played by Cindy Thoman), who told them her story. I'm told that you could hear a pin drop downstairs. Bottom line - if you have kiddos in your life, help them get to KidsMin every Sunday morning. Each week is special and new! Thank you Tamara and KidsMin volunteers for your dedicated and creative work!
Last Week's Sermon. I'd like to thank all of you who were here at CR last Sunday for your supportive comments to me this week. "Our Response To The Gay Marriage Decision" has been the most viewed and most shared talk I've ever given. Far more people have seen it since it was delivered than the number of those present in last Sunday's worship service itself. You can watch it or share it from YouTube or from Vimeo.
Congrats To Dan and DeeDee. Last Sunday afternoon I had the great privilege to officiate over Dan and Leeanna Logan's 25th anniversary vow renewal. How awesome is that? 25 years together! We love their family's commitment to Church Requel as well as their commitment in marriage to one another. Thanks Dan and DeeDee for setting a great example for all of us!
Neighborhood Meal on July 18th. We'll be serving up meals to our neighbors in two 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?
Indians Baseball Game on August 7th. It's not too late to sign up to join the crew driving up to Cleveland to watch the Tribe take on the Twins. The game starts at 7:10pm and includes $1 hotdogs and fireworks at the end of the night game. Signup in the lobby. Talk to Brandi for more details.
Rummage Sale August 14th and 15th. Church Requel will be participating in the Lincoln Highway Sale this year on August 14th and 15th here at the church. Now is a great time to clean out your attics and basements and donate to our sale. If you could work the sale, there is a signup in the lobby. All proceeds of the rummage sale will go to a special fund to help families in the community and here at Church Requel. If you have questions, please contact Sheri Nichols or Stephenie Angel.
I love that so much is going on here at Church Requel this summer. Don't you? Can't wait to see you on Sunday. Let's make it something special. I'm looking forward to getting back to our 1st John study. I think you'll enjoy and benefit from our focus on 1 John 2:15-17. The sermon in a sentence? Choose what I love carefully! (Here are the sermon notes for those who want to get an early start.)
I'll leave you with a sample from Sunday's talk. This particular piece was sent to me by my eloquent brother, Todd, who will be preaching at CR at the end of August:
God's love satisfies, loving the world leaves wanting.
God's love gratifies, loving the world deprives.
God's love satiates, loving the world depletes.
God's love saturates, loving the world empties.
God's love fulfills, loving the world drains.
Love you all much! Pastor Mark
| |
|
Recent Comments