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Announcements Plus Devotional Aids

Let's Learn a Bible Verse!

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
--John 10:10 NIV

 

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Contents

Announcements

Homecoming/$10K Sunday

Come home to Ebenezer this Sunday, October 13th at 10:30 a.m. as we worship our Lord and celebrate another year of multiple blessings from God and service to our members and our community. Invite your friends and family and co-workers to join us, and any previous members you know, and we will feed them a delicious and varied covered-dish lunch after the service.

We also hope and pray that you will give generously this day, so that we can reach our goal of $10,000 over our normal giving. This extra money will go towards paying off our disaffliation loan. May God bless you for your generosity.

Sunday school classes will not meet, but resume next Sunday.

Hurricane Relief Efforts

On Saturday, October 5th, members of the Global Methodist Churches in Caldwell County met at Grace Chapel Global Methodist Church and put together over 400 plates of food and transported them to three places for distribution to flood victims in the mountains. We cut and bagged 687 desserts, and prepared beans to go with slaw and barbecue purchased locally. We thank everyone who participated in the work and made or bought the desserts for this effort.

This Saturday we are meeting at Ebenezer to put small health kits together and prepare more desserts and grilled chicken, etc. for another 250 plates for flood victims. We thank you for all the support you are giving these efforts, and pray that you will continue to help. We are in it for the long haul, because it will take months for things to get back to a semblance of normal in the Western NC/Tennessee areas hit by the flooding and wind damage.

We will be requesting more help, including monetary donations in the future. You may also consider giving to Samaritan's Purse which is very active in the areas damaged by the storms in all the states affected.

Laity Sunday, September 29

Members of the Laity will be speaking this Sunday during the worship service at 9:00 a.m. as we celebrate Laity Sunday. Our guest speakers are Kirk and Irene Austin. Please come and support them as they bring their personal witness to us.

Healing Service, September 22

On Sunday, September 22nd at 9:00 a.m. we will have a special worship service of prayer for healing and wholeness. This service is for healing of every kind, whether physical, spiritual, or emotional. As Christians, we believe God is the source of wholeness in our lives. Therefore, it is appropriate for us to conduct prayers for wholeness and healing. Some of us need healing from broken relationships; some of us need healing from psychological distress; some of us need the gift of physical healing. None of us is exempt from needing God's healing presence in our lives.

Anointing and/or prayer will be offered to all at the end of the service.

Global Methodist Church Combined Worship Service

The Caldwell County Global Methodist Churches invite you to their cooperative worship service to be held at Grace Chapel Global Methodist Church, 4336 Grace Chapel Rd., Granite Falls, NC on Sunday, September 15th at 6:00 p.m. Pastors from the five GMC churches in the county will be participating in the service, and there will be a combination choir, too. Let's show our support for oneanother and give glory to God for helping us to remain to his Word.

New Sermon Series by Pastor Simon

Pastor Simon begins a new series of sermons on August 25 called SUMMER STORIES: Testimonies of Radical Change.

"This four-week sermon series explores the lives of four people who had profound, life-changing encounters with Jesus. We will connect their stories to people we know in our own congregation here at Ebenezer Methodist Church and other modern-day individuals who have had similar experiences."

 

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Quote to Ponder

"Life is what you do while you are waiting to die, so you might as well do a good job."  --Donald J. Trump

 

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For Meditation

"When somebody plays Beethoven poorly, who do you blame?

When somebody plays Jesus poorly, who do you blame?"

--Frank Turek

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Mini-Bible Lesson #89: Do You Love Me More Than These?

References: John 21:15-19; Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 8, pp. 806-811.

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" –John 21:15 NIV

What did Jesus mean by "these?" He probably was referring to Simon Peter’s old occupation, his old life that he had just tried to return to doing—instead of taking care of God’s "lambs" and "sheep." Jesus wanted Peter to devote himself to the kingdom’s work of bringing more people into the fold. (I.B. p. 806)

With all our failures to live as Christ would have us to live, to witness as he would have us to witness, to work for him as he would have us to work—we can still plead that we love Christ—and he, who knows all, knows it despite our failings and shortcomings. Each person must search their own heart to know whether "I love you" is a lie or the truth. Jesus always knows which it is.

Peter is directed by Jesus to "feed my sheep." Christ’s criterion for gauging our claims of loving him is by our service. It is not so much what we say as what we do. One’s service to his work on earth is unique to each person, but the goal is the same for everyone: in everything we do we must honor the Lord and help to increase his kingdom’s reach and increase the size of the fold. What we do for a living, the shape of our human relationships, the general course of our lives are ways to honor our Lord and to witness for the Good News to be found in Jesus Christ alone.

Karl Heim: In the Heidelberg Catechism under Part Three: Concerning Thankfulness.

"Since we are delivered from our suffering through grace alone, by Christ, and without service of our own, why is it necessary to engage in good works? For this reason, that we must employ our whole life in expressing our gratitude to God for His goodness and in praising Him."

John records Jesus using different words for the sheep or lambs, and to tell Peter how to take care of his followers. In verse 15c, Jesus tells Peter to "Feed my lambs." He may be referring to young believers, meaning the recently saved both young and old. So, new converts must be well-cared for by feeding them the Word of God and teaching them what the Christian life entails. In verse 16c, Jesus tells Peter to "Take care of my sheep." How do we take care of the sheep? We use visitation, intercessory prayer, connecting with all the members of the church, maintaining relationships with one another, and helping each other out when things go awry. And finally in verse 17c, he says "Feed my sheep." Just because a person has accepted Jesus Christ as Savior does not mean that they no longer need to hear the Word of God preached and taught to them. Those redeemed believers who are in the sanctification phase need nourishment and encouragement just as much as the newly reborn believer.

Do you love Jesus more than the things of this world? Are you showing your gratitude for what Jesus has done on the cross for us? Jesus knows and is continuously calling for us to work for his kingdom no matter what our circumstances are, or what talents we have or don’t have. Do your job, build your relationships, have fun, and do the religious stuff, too as if for the Lord Jesus Christ and with gratitude in your heart and mind—and everything will become easier and better while helping to make the world a less fearsome place to be.

Accent verse in NL:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." --Matthew 16:24-25 NIV

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Special Resources

The picture below is our new Resource Room with books, dvds, videos, and a TV screen (not shown in photo). Individuals are encouraged to take resources home for Bible study or reading; and classes can use the room to show videos related to their studies. We would appreciate donations of books or dvds, especially for young children for this collection.

 

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Ongoing Collections - Updated - 10/09/2023

CCC & TI Food Pantry Collection - Yearly in April

Throughout the month of April, we will be collecting single serve, microwaveable or ready-to-eat items for students at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute. Suggested items: single serve Ramen Noodles, macaroni and cheese, crackers with cheese or peanut butter, cookies, single serve canned meats, etc.

Oakhill Backpack Ministry

We are beginning to collect single serve, easy to microwave or use food items to send home with needy children, such as, fruit cups, mac and cheese, snacks, noodles, etc. The children will receive a backpack of these items to take home on the weekends, and use for themselves and their families. Put the items in the old fellowship hall. We thank you for helping.

Local Schools Supply Closet

We continue to collect items for our local teachers.This ministry provides items for teachers and their students that they cannot obtain through the regular budget.

They include the following: Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer, hand soap, paper towels, facial tissues, sharpies, dry board markers highlighters, black/blue/red ink pens, colored pencils, glue sticks, composition books and notebook paper (wide and college ruled), crayons, scissors (children's type), index cards, construction paper, pencil sharpeners, sheet protectors, file folders, large and small legal pads, white out, paper clips, staples, pencil pouches, markers, rulers, ring binders, card stock white/assorted, 3 ring note books, large and small pencil top erasers, and post it notes.

South Caldwell Christian Ministries

We are collecting non-perishable food and clean used clothing in good condition that will be taken to South Caldwell Christian Ministries. You may leave the items at the church on Sundays or during normal office hours (8:30 to 1:00 p.m., Monday-Friday).

We thank you for helping us to minister to the needs of our community.

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Contact Information: 828-396-2214 or emcdudleyshoals@yahoo.com;
4948 Burns Rd., Granite Falls NC 28630