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Announcements Plus Devotional Aids

Let's Learn a Bible Verse!

"You are my portion, O LORD; I have promised to obey your words. I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise."
--Psalm 119:57-58 (NIV)

We lift up prayers for Charlie Kirk's Family and Turning Point USA.

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Click on calendar icon to link to Ebenezer's Google calendar.

 

 

Contents

Announcements

Revival Coming, September 28-30

Ebenezer will have revival services every night starting at 7:00 p.m. September 28-30, Sunday through Tuesday. Pastor Simons' wife and fellow minister, Rev. Eunice Chigumira will be bringing the messages each evening. There will also be special singing. Come and be blessed. Invite everyone you know to join us and learn about how good God is, and how much we all need Jesus in our lives today.

Women's Group Honor Sunday

On Sunday, September 21st we will honor and promote our Methodist Women's Group that does so much to help people in our community and helps our church to continue to spread the Gospel message. We invite all the women of Ebenezer to become a part of this active and vital ministry group in our church.

Supper Fundraiser, Sept. 6

Report: we took in over $2,800 for our retire debt fund with this event. We thank everyone who came to eat and donated money to our church. Thank you for all the comments on how good the meal was. May God bless you for your generosity.

Menu is now set: Barbecue chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes with choice of homemade dessert and coffee, tea or water. Take out or eat in.

Join us for a delicious Surprise! meal on Saturday, September 6, 4-7:00 p.m. The menu is not set yet, but whatever the main course, you know it will be good! Homemade desserts will be served, too. Donations will go towards paying down our Disaffiliation Loan. Our goal is to have this loan paid off by the end of this year.

We thank you for your support.

Pastor Simon Gives Us a New Mission Statement

Pastor Simon proposed that Ebenezer Methodist Church Dudley Shoals Mission Statement be that our core mission is about "Inviting all to become committed disciples of Jesus Christ." We will discuss this at our next Church Council meeting and vote on it.

Ebenezer is affiliated with The GLOBAL METHODIST CHURCH whose mission statement is: The Global Methodist Church exists to make disciples of Jesus Christ and spread scriptural holiness across the globe.

Keep these core mission statements in mind as you pray for our church, and as we decide what ministries to support and do.

 

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Quote to Ponder

"Criticizing the church is like criticizing someone's bride...It's so detrimental to yourself when you begin to criticize the church because that's the bride of Christ. When you tell Jesus that His bride's ugly you're booing the bride..." --Pastor Perry Noble of New Spring Church in South Carolina on Christianpost.com

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For Meditation

"If you believe free speech is for you but not your political opponents, you’re illiberal.
If no contrary evidence could change your beliefs, you’re a fundamentalist.
If you believe the state should punish those with contrary views, you’re totalitarian.
If you believe political opponents should be punished with violence or death, you’re a terrorist."  –J. K. Rowling on X, September 11, 2025.

 

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Mini-Bible Lesson #99: Fire and Wind

References: Acts 2:1-13; Interpreter’s Bible: Acts Romans, pp.36-39.

Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”  --Acts 2:12-13 NIV

The first Pentecost aka Feasts of Weeks after the crucifixion of Jesus and what happened to the disciples at that gathering is considered to be the birth of the Christian Church. In John 20:19-23, Jesus meets with the disciples and tells them he is sending them out to tell the world about him. In vs. 22 we read: “And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.”  Though Jesus spent 50 days after his resurrection appearing to and teaching his disciples, we have no record of them increasing their numbers or going on mission trips.

Jesus told his followers that he had to leave them before the Counselor could come (John 16:7, 13). Did Jesus breathe on them to show them that he and the promised Holy Spirit were One? Were the fifty days preparation time for when the power of His Spirit would be poured out on them? And it was a POWERFUL pouring—like  a violent WIND and like FIRE (Acts:2-4). The aftermath of this power was the ability to speak in other languages they had not been taught; a powerful sermon by the once scared Peter; and the increase of the number of believers by 3,000 souls in one day.

Pentecost is the revelation of the supernatural, the unseen, non-material taking charge of a person who then does extraordinary things. An athlete catches the wind and runs farther and faster than he ever has before, a dancer gives the performance of a lifetime, a musician plays a piece with passionate perfection, a man lifts a car with his bare hands to save a trapped person, a warrior defeats a hundred men with the jawbone of an ass. There are times for all of us when we can be “in the zone,” when nothing goes wrong, everything falls into place, where we pull from inside ourselves power and strength and courage that we never thought we had. These people at Pentecost felt that kind of power when God’s supernatural Spirit took hold of them and they let that Spirit control them completely and freely.

They prepared for this by praying to God and worshiping together for days. They emptied their hearts and minds of themselves and invited God to come pouring in to give them power to do extraordinary things. Is this the problem of the church today—we are not willing to let God come in and take over everything? To let God be the owner of all we are and all we have?

Fire and wind are both uncontrollable and dangerous elements. Perfect representations of God, who is Spirit. Are we afraid to burn with the passion of the Spirit? To let the wind of the Spirit blow us where He wills? People may think we are crazy or drunk. God may burn up our belongings or us in service to Him and His kingdom’s work. God can use us when we hold back from giving him our all, but what wonderous things could He do with us and through us if we gave His Fire and Wind full control?

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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 - 8/5/2025

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

August is our month to help resupply the SCCM Food Pantry. Canned meats and vegetables, rice and cereral, canned beans, soups, canned fruits, Instant Variety Packs of oatmeal or grits, peanut butter, crackers, and other non-perishable items.

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