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Without God’s power in our lives we’ll be running on our own energy, which runs out. God has an infinite energy supply that will empower us to reach our physical goals. We tap into God’s power by faith. In this video sermon I talk about choosing God’s dream, risking failure, expecting God to bless, and never giving up - all vital factors of faith.
Faith Factor from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download this PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
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Without God’s power in our lives we’ll be running on our own energy, which runs out. God has an infinite energy supply that will empower us to reach our physical goals. We tap into God’s power by faith. In this week's sermon I talk about choosing God’s dream, risking failure, expecting God to bless, and never giving up - all vital factors of faith.
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.
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Dear Church Requel family,
Good Friday morning to you! We have so much to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving weekend!
One thing I'm grateful for is the Men's Chorus we will enjoy this coming Sunday morning. Brian Betts, Ron Bolesky, Jeff Barnes, Dan Logan, David Hill, Chris Thoman and yours truly will attempt to make beautiful music together. Our worship arts director, Brandi Walker, really did a great job in selecting the music and recruiting the men to sing. Both the singers and the congregation are sure to enjoy themselves as we worship together. You won't want to miss it, I promise you!
Our sermon Sunday morning is entitled, "Faith: The God Factor." This will be the fifth talk in our series on improving our physical fitness. Would you like to have more of God’s power in your life? Without it you’ll be running on your own energy, which is sure to run out. We have a small battery compared to God’s never-ending power reserves. What’s the secret to tapping into God’s power? Faith! Sunday I'll talk about 4 ways we can grow in faith and tap into those eternal energy reserves! (Want a sneak peak? Here are the online sermon notes.)
Star Trip Kids. Our Star Trip kiddos will be back Sunday morning with special invitations for you to give out to all your friends and family. Remember to keep December 13th on your calendar. That's when our children will perform their special Christmas program about the trip to THE Star!
Potluck! We will also enjoy a potluck meal together on Sunday, December 13th. Bring plenty of food to share with everyone else. We will provide the main meat dish and all the plates, napkins, cups and silverware. You provide the side dishes, salads and desserts!
Next Neighborhood Meal - December 19th. Speaking of food our last opportunity to serve our neighborhood will be on Saturday, December 19th. What a great chance to give a gift of hospitality on the Saturday before Christmas!
Decorate The Church - December 6th. One week from this coming Sunday, we invite you to stick around after the morning worship service is finished to help decorate the church for Christmas. This is always such a fun time of year for us. We'll order in some pizza pies to eat too!
Women's Christmas Gathering. Fun! Food! Fellowship! All next Sunday evening, December 6th from 6pm until 8pm at Tamira Barnes' home.
Christmas Eve Worship at 5pm. Some folks have been asking about our plans for Christmas Eve. We will enjoy our candle lighting worship service in one service at 5pm on December 24th. This is always special!
I know there are so many great opportunities to enjoy your Church Requel family during the holidays. Why not take a moment to invite a friend to come with you to one of these great events. Let's not keep our fellowship a secret! Hope to see you Sunday morning at 11am! With much thanksgiving for all of you, Pastor Mark
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God never meant for us to walk through life as Lone Rangers. We need one another. This is especially true when it comes to improving our physical bodies. We need the encouragement of those around us. And we need to give the encouragement too! In this audio sermon I talk about 5 reasons why the group factor is so important in the life of a Christ follower.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download this PDF fill-in-the-blank sermon outline.
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.
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God never meant for us to walk through life as Lone Rangers. We need one another. This is especially true when it comes to improving our physical bodies. We need the encouragement of those around us. And we need to give the encouragement too! In this sermon I talk about 5 reasons why the group factor is so important in the life of a Christ follower.
The Group Factor from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download this PDF fill-in-the-blank sermon outline.
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Good Friday morning Church Requel!
This morning during my devotion time I studied a couple classic Thanksgiving verses in preparation for our upcoming Thanksgiving week, Ephesians 5:19-20 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. I don't know about you, but I am overwhelmed by the "always" side of Paul's instructions. "Always give thanks..." "Give thanks in all circumstances." This is not Thanksgiving in the holiday sense of the word. This is radical gratitude - and an area in which I find myself wanting.
Yet I do not find solace in thinking that such radical gratitude is just an exaggeration of speech. After all, Paul wrote "always give thanks" from a prison cell. And even the Thanksgiving holiday we will celebrate next week started with the Pilgrims, who lost 45 men, women and children of the 101 that first wretched winter. Yet they determined to give radical gratitude back to their Lord.
What keeps me (and maybe you?) from experiencing radical gratitude in our daily lives? How much better could our experience of God's blessings be if we were to regularly express radical gratitude? As I think about it for myself, there are two things I need to work on eliminating from my life and two things I need to work on including in my life for radical gratitude to become a reality.
The two things I need to get rid of...
The two things I need to add...
That's radical gratitude. It's something that goes beyond human will and ability. To obey the Biblical thanksgiving instructions as given in the Ephesians and Thessalonians passages above, I need some supernatural help. I must pray for God's Spirit to help rid me of pride and persecution and to add perspective and purpose. That's my prayer this Thanksgiving. What about you?
Worshipful Praise. I was thankful last night about our worship service coming up this Sunday. I sat back in the tech booth and watched Jan, Brandi and Stephenie practice our worship music. We are fortunate to have so many willing to go beyond their comfort zone.
I was especially joyful for Stephenie with her special greeting time music. Normally I'm not much a rap fan, but watching Stephenie sing Toby Mac's "Feel It" made me want to celebrate! I promise you'll be "feeling it" too Sunday morning!
Nancy will lead our announcements. Jeff will lead our communion. Ron will lead our prayer time. How fortunate to have so many participants!
I'm looking forward to our 4th sermon in the Healthy Prescription series. This one is called "The Group Factor." God never meant for us to walk through life as Lone Rangers. We need one another. This is especially true when it comes to improving our physical bodies. We need the encouragement of those around us. And we need to give the encouragement too! Sunday we will talk about 5 reasons why the group factor is so important in the life of a Christ follower.
BONUS: during the sermon we will watch a funny Skit Guy video called "Mr. Accountability." Let's just say it will show us how NOT to pick out an accountability partner!
Our children will continue to practice for their Star Trip Christmas program on December 13th. I understand we will meet some of them in character and in costume during our announcements! Should be fun for the whole church family!
I hope you have fantastic plans for your weekend. I'm looking forward to some special sibling time with my brother and sister on Saturday. Whatever your plans are for the weekend, I hope they include Church Requel Sunday morning at 11am. See you then! Blessings with radical gratitude, Pastor Mark
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Accomplishing a healthy goal requires that we first have one! Why do we need goals? Even more importantly, what kind of goal will God bless? In this audio sermon I help us to set God-sized goals in this 3rd talk on physical fitness.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download this PDF fill-in-the-blank sermon outline.
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.
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Accomplishing a healthy goal requires that we first have one! Why do we need goals? Even more importantly, what kind of goal will God bless? I help us to set God-sized goals in this 3rd talk on physical fitness.
Goal Setting from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download this PDF fill-in-the-blank sermon outline.
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Good Friday morning Church Requel!
I hope this windy November Friday the 13th finds you doing well! Any paraskevidekatriaphobics among us today?
Every now and then I see something that reminds me not to take myself or our ministry TOO seriously. Thank you Brandi, Trish and Missie for some good humor in this "hairbrush microphone" photo. As always I love that they are so dedicated as to rehearse their worship set ahead of time. But who says they can't have some fun in the practice? It is a good reminder for me and, I hope, for you too.
We have some great things coming up. Here are the highlights:
Goal Setting. Do you ever get to the end of your day and wonder where it went? Are you a wandering generality or a meaningful specific? The difference between a life of accomplished purpose and trivial pursuit is found in setting Godly goals. Sunday morning we will talk about why goal setting is so important and the kind of goals that God blesses. Want a head start? Here are the sermon notes. (You can also open your Bible app and click on "Live".)
By the way, we have updated our YouTube Church Requel channel to include our current sermon series, Prescription for Better Health. So far it includes our first two sermons on motivation and change. We will update this playlist each week with the newest sermon so you can watch it again, catch up if you've missed one, or share it with a friend.
Samaritan Purse Christmas Shoebox. This Sunday remember to bring your Christmas child shoeboxes with you. I was pleased to learn that we gave away every single shoebox last Sunday. If you didn't receive one, you can still participate. Just bring in any box and pack it for a child across the ocean.
What should you pack? Decide whether you will pack a box for a girl or a boy, and the age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. For gifts, select a quality “wow” toy such as a doll, soccer ball with pump, or stuffed animal. Then add other fun toys, hygiene items, and school supplies. Here's more suggestions on gifts to pack. Finally bring $7 for shipping.
Please remember to pray for the recipient. Make it personal. You can even include a note or letter in your box. In our case our grandson, Cohen, wrote a Christmas note, which we included in our shoebox.
You can also donate your $7 for shipping online and affix it to your shoebox before you bring it Sunday. One advantage of this is that you can then know where your box is going and actually track it. Samaritan House will even send you an email when your shoebox is delivered!
Thank you, Aimee Medina, for leading our Operation Christmas Child project. Aimee will make sure your shoebox is delivered to our local drop-off location.
Star Trip Rehearsals. Our children have begun their Christmas program practices. Along with rehearsals and tryouts, last Sunday morning was filled with delicious "Wookie cookies."
Tamira tells me that this Sunday our kiddos will be making tie fighter snacks, go on an asteroid hunt, and practice their songs and skits for their Christmas program. Oh to be a kid in KidsMin, right?
Parents and grandparents, especially, remember to put December 13th on your calendar. That Sunday morning we will dedicate the entire worship service to our children telling us the Christmas story in "Star Trip" fashion! After the program we will enjoy a Christmas potluck meal together.
One last ask: Any sewing machine experts out there? Tamira is needing someone who can sew to help make a couple of costumes. She is also looking for any Star Wars memorabilia to use in their production. If you can help, please see Tamira or you may email her at tamira.barnes@churchrequel.org.
Laughing In The Dark. Who's up for a fun movie outing? Join your CR friends on Tuesday, November 17th. At 7 that evening some of us will be going to see “Laughing in the Dark” with Chonda Pierce.
For those of you who don't know Chonda, she has been entertaining audiences from coast to coast for more than 20 years. Armed with an abundance of unpretentious Southern charm and laser sharp wit, she has authored six books, released 11 DVDs and performed over 1400 live concerts. You can find out more about Chonda here.
This docu-comedy is an intimate look into Chonda's life as she struggles with loss, separation, tragedy and depression and finds hope and life through her relationship with God and her fans.
Brandi got some more info for us. This movie is being shown as a "special event." The ticket cost would typically be $11.50, but because we have a group of more than 10 (yay!), we get the tickets for $9.50. If you have signed up to go, please be sure to bring your money to church this Sunday! This is going to be a great time!!
Attention All Men! There are 5 Sundays in November so we have a special opportunity for worship! Once again Brandi is introducing something brand new - a Men's Chorus!! This will provide great fellowship for our men and a unique worship experience for our church.
Several of you have already signed up. Look for Brandi for your packets this Sunday. If you wanted to be included, it's not too late! Please talk to Brandi if you are interested in singing with this men's chorus on Sunday, Nov. 29th.
That's going to wrap up this week's Church Requel newsletter. I hope you all have a great weekend. And, of course, I hope to see you Sunday morning at 11am! Blessings, Pastor Mark
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Have you ever tried to make a good change in your life, only to find yourself back into your old bad habits? How do you make changes that stick? I talk about 6 Biblical principles for making lasting changes.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download this PDF fill-in-the-blank sermon outline.
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.
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What is the correct Christian motivation for taking care of our physical bodies? I propose six Biblical reasons why we should be as healthy as is possible.
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.
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Good Friday morning Church Requel,
I'm looking forward to our time together this Sunday morning. Brandi has done an excellent job of involving lots of different people into the worship at Church Requel. We'll have a full live band! Joining Brandi on vocals will be Jeff, Tamira and Blake (always great when Blake can join in!) David Hill, Dan Logan and Ian Jensen will be playing their various instruments. (It's also great to see Ian back! It's been far too long!) Nancy will bring us all up to date on the announcement. Jan Calendine will lead us into communion (another first!) And Loni Nauman will be back to read our Scripture for the morning.
I appreciate everyone who will be participating - including those many volunteers behind the scenes, who are rarely noticed. I promise you that our heavenly Father knows of your dedication and your heart of worship. I pray for all of you that you will be blessed in His service.
Principles For Lasting Change. Have you ever tried to make a good change in your life, only to find yourself back into your old bad habits? How do you make changes that stick?
We will continue our current sermon series, My Rx For Better Health. This week we'll talk about a topic that could apply to any kind of change we want to make, but is especially appropriate for making changes in our physical lives. We will consider Romans 12:1-2 and in the process will learn about 6 Biblical principles for lasting change.
As I prepared for this talk this week, I was once again surprised about how much Romans 12 connects our physical bodies with our spiritual acts of worship. I pray this sermon will be something that will be helpful to all of you as it has been for me. For those who would like a head start, here are the online sermon notes. (Or just open your Bible app and click on "Live!")
Christmas Shoebox Gifts. We are asking the women of the church to fill shoe boxes for Samaritan Purse for their Operation Christmas Child. The boxes will go to children in third world countries who may have never received a Christmas present.
This project at our church is the brain child of Aimee Medina, who would like our ladies to fill multiple shoe boxes. Aimee suggests that some of our ladies could partner together and along the way get to know someone they don't know well. Aimee adds another benefit: "Have fun!"
Here's how it works. You may choose a boy or girl and an age group. We need to fill the boxes by next Sunday, November 15th. Instructions and a list of suggested items are with the shoe boxes that will be available in the foyer of the church Sunday morning. Please bring your filled box back to church the following Sunday. Aimee will take them to a drop-off location for mailing.
Every gift-filled shoe box transforms the lives of children and their families around the world through the Good News of Jesus Christ. Great idea Aimee! I love how she has taken on the leadership of this project. Let's do this together!
Laughing In The Dark. Who's up for a fun movie outing? Join your CR friends on Tuesday, November 17th. At 7 that evening some of us will be going to see “Laughing in the Dark” with Chonda Pierce.
For those of you who don't know Chonda, she has been entertaining audiences from coast to coast for more than 20 years. Armed with an abundance of unpretentious Southern charm and laser sharp wit, she has authored six books, released 11 DVDs and performed over 1400 live concerts. You can find out more about Chonda here.
This docu-comedy is an intimate look into Chonda's life as she struggles with loss, separation, tragedy and depression and finds hope and life through her relationship with God and her fans. If we have more than 10 of us attend, we can obtain a reduced group ticket price. It looks like many of you have already signed up, but if you haven't yet there is still time. Look for the sign up sheet in the foyer.
Attention All Men! There are 5 Sundays in November so we have a special opportunity for worship! Once again Brandi is introducing something brand new - a Men's Chorus!! This will provide great fellowship for our men and a unique worship experience for our church. Please talk to Brandi if you are interested in singing with this men's chorus on Sunday, Nov. 29th.
Children's Christmas Program. Tamira is planning an awesome and fun Christmas program for our children to be presented on Sunday morning, December 13th. The official title to the program is "STAR TRIP: Our Faith Awakens."
Tamira is calling for all young Jedi's to practice with her each Sunday morning between now and the performance. She tells me they will begin rehearsals during church this coming Sunday morning. There will be lots of fun activities planned: games, music, dramas, food, banners - something for everyone!
The fun part is this is all with a Star Wars theme. Take part in the Jedi training obstacle course. Eat some Wookie cookies! Have a light saber balloon battle. (Makes me want to be a kid again!)
The bottom line of all this month will be to convince our kiddos not to go to the dark side. Jesus is the greatest Force and so Tamira can truly say to all: "May the Force be with you!!!"
I love how everyone is using their unique gifts for the Kingdom. I love being part of this Church Requel adventure with you. Can't wait to worship with you on Sunday! Pastor Mark
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