HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
May 12, 2024
Livestream begins at 9:25 am
The Lion And The Lamb
Revelation Song
Agnus Dei
“Broken Hearts”
Luke 4:18
“Healthy Families Are No Accident”
Matthew 7:1-16
How Great Is Our God
God's Parting Blessing:
God go before you to lead you, God go behind you to protect you,
God go beneath you to support you, God go beside you to befriend you.
Do not be afraid.
May the blessing of God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit be upon you
Do not be afraid. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Amen
Happy Mother's Day
Matthew 7:1-16
7"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. 6 "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. 7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. 13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?
Introduction – Robert Keeshan
I. Deliberate Choices (vv. 13-14)
13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
· Not easy to go against the flow
I. Thoughtful Behavior (v. 12)
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
· The Golden Rule
II. Honest with Each Other (vv. 1-2)
7"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you
A. V. 6
6 "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
B. Do not say what is untrue. (Ex 23:1)
23 "Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness.
Do not say what is unnecessary. (Prov. 11:13)
13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.
Do not say what is unkind. (Prov. 18:8)
8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.
C. VV.3-5
3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
III. Enriched by Prayer (vv. 7-8)
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
IV. By Their Fruit You Will Know Them (vv. 15, 19-20)
15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Application
The Nursery is staffed today. Thank you, Gail Seebeck & Harley Trenten. Please sign your child in.
Want to make our guests feel welcome? Please put on a name tag. They are available at both entrances. Thanks!
Bless Garden will be back this year. We will be accepting donations of plants and seeds. Please drop them off in the office or give them to Pastor Phil.
The Baby Bottles Campaign from the Caring & Pregnancy Center is here. They can be picked up by the kitchen. This campaign runs from Mother’s Day through May 31st. Baby bottles will need to be returned by then. Thanks, Outreach
"Community Build-a-thon,” please join our Build-a-thon and create a mini "house" out of recycling, food, office supplies, leftover construction materials, or anything else that you desire. 1. Team {grab your tribe} and register at Habitatnci.org 2. Share your online fundraising page 3. Build your “home” and send us pics and a one-minute video tour by June 7th. Additional information is at the Connection Center.
Habitat for Humanity NCI will be holding 2 application information meetings for anyone interested in homeownership who may need a little “hand up” to achieve it! The meetings will be held on Tuesday, April 10th, and Thursday, May 16th from 5:30-7 pm at the Habitat office, 517 1st Street NW. There are some wonderful upcoming homeownership opportunities available for houses that will be built on the old Madison School property (just south of the church) starting this summer, as well as renovated houses in the up-and-coming “Downtown West” area. To register, they should call 641.424.8978 or go online at www.habitatnci.org to reserve their spot. Free pizza will be served! Habitat provides 0% interest mortgages towards beautiful energy-efficient homes for approved applicants who have demonstrated the ability to make consistent housing payments but are unable to purchase a suitable home for their family through the open market. Questions about the Habitat process can also be directed to congregation member, Melissa Schoneberg
Truth Project: Lesson 11 Labor: Created to Create
11:00 am in the Sanctuary. Intergenerational - Parents and all church adults are invited to attend along with the Senior High Sunday School Class. To watch the lessons or finish a lesson later please go to our website: RollingAcresCRC.org, click on the Media tab and you will find each lesson.
Please pick up your copy of the directory from the table next to the nursery. Also, George Johnson has a new phone number: 641-530-7047. Please cross out the old number and add the new one to your directory.
Will YOU prayerfully consider co-leading our very special GEMS group? After this program season is over in May, Co-leaders Jeanie Jurgens and Amber Kmoch are turning over the reins for a season. We thank them for their faithful service to GEMS!! This group, Girls Everywhere Meeting Their Savior, has spiritually impacted many girls through the decades here at Rolling Acres! Will you be a part of that continuing? Talk to Carol Willier, Terri Pals, or any member of the Outreach/Missions Team if you are interested….
May’s Ruby’s Pantry signup sheet is out at the connection center for Tuesday, May 14th. The food line Coordinator would only like a few people there at 2:00 p.m. to unload the truck. Unless you have signed up to unload the truck, please do not come until 2:30 p.m. for pre-bagging. There is also an early need for traffic control, we can use a few people early on and throughout the distribution, please see the sign-up sheet as well. There will be a need for extra cookies and bars, if you can help out in this area we’d sure love it! Noon Rotary Club will be helping with the distribution this month. Thank you for volunteering! There will still be serving snacks/treats and bottled water available. Please remember to wear closed-toes shoes. Thanks!
B.A.S.I.C. Bible Summer Camp 2024, August 3rd - 7th. Plan now. Information Fliers are at the Connection Center. The theme for this year is HISTORY.
Get ready to explore the greatest HISTORY of all!
Next week, we will celebrate communion together. It is good to prepare ourselves for the Lord’s Supper. Think about your walk with God. Is there a sin to be confessed? Is the cleansing joy of God's forgiveness in Christ a reality in your life? Are you by the power of the Holy Spirit, living your life in Christ and to the glory of God? None of us is perfect but Christ's sacrifice on the cross for us and the acceptance of His salvation allows us to respond to His invitation to come to His table. Welcome (Gluten Free available)
Reminder: If you are the last person leaving the church after any event or activity, Please remember to clean up; i.e. tables, chairs, and kitchen, turn off the lights, shut the windows, and lock the doors. Thank you Management
If you unhook the chairs in the sanctuary, you must hook them up again! this is a safety issue. Thank you.
Would you like access to the devotional offered by the church, please call 641-424-1369 or email the church secretary at racrcsec@msn.com.
Have you checked out Missionary Corner? There are updates from our missionaries, the Klompiens, and the Heflers. Copies are available for reading. Please take one and see how they have been sharing Christ’s love and mission
Reminder if you borrow tables and chairs from the church, please remember to follow equipment borrowing procedures. Upon return, please make sure all items are clean and in good order.
New Coloring books have been added to the bags. There are activity bags available for the children, during worship service. They are located next to the coat rack in a bin.
Please pray for Charlie Brown; he fell on Sunday and sustained a head injury. He was admitted to the ICU and will be there for at least one more day. He plans to be moved to a regular room where he will stay for the rest of the week. Prayers for Charlie and Ilene.
Sue Johnson had intestinal surgery this past week and has been in the hospital. She will be released to go home on Tuesday. Prayers for Sue and George. Keep Marv Alphs in your prayers. Please pray for Elder Brian Dirksen, he had surgery on his foot. Pray for healing as he recovers. Please pray for Rhonda Dirksen as she will be his caregiver as he recovers. Please pray for those who cannot attend on Sunday, like Joan Schulke. Remember our college students, pray for success in their education. Pray for our Youth Bible Camp, that it will minister to the youth in our Classis. Pray for Calvin University, that they cultivate the next generation of servant leaders. Pray for our missionary family the Helfers as they minister to the people of South Africa. Pray for our Elders and Deacons that they have the discernment to know how to govern our church. Pray that God’s purpose will be done. Remember Israel and Ukraine, and pray for peace.
Matthew 7:1-16
· Review outline
· Do you follow the golden rule?
· Are you honest with others?
· Are you enriched by prayer?
· Do you bear fruit or are you dead on the vine?
God Is Good…
God Bless – Pastor Phil
*Let me encourage you in RA’s Monthly Memory 😊*
Make it a matter of prayer
“Healthy Families Are No Accident”
Luke 13:34
This morning I want to sing a song for you. Some of you may know the song. It is called "Five Little Ducks." I need your help in singing this song. There is a part of the song where the mother duck says, "Quack, quack, quack, quack," and I need you to help me on that part. Maybe we should practice once before we start.
(Sing) Mother Duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack." Oh, that was great. Now I'll sing the whole song and every time I get to the mother duck part, you join in with me.
Five Little Ducks
Five little ducks went out one day,
Over the hill and far away;
Mother Duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But only four little ducks came back.
Four little ducks went out one day,
Over the hill and far away;
Mother Duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But only three little ducks came back.
Three little ducks went out one day,
Over the hill and far away;
Mother Duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But only two little ducks came back.
Two little ducks went out one day,
Over the hill and far away;
Mother Duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But only one little duck came back.
One little duck went out one day,
Over the hill and far away;
Mother Duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But none of the five little ducks came back.
Sad mother duck went out one day,
Over the hill and far away;
The sad mother duck said "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
And all of the five little ducks came back.
I love that song. Do you know why I like it so much? I like it because it shows just how much the mother duck loved her little ones. Each time the little ducks went out, one of them got loss.
Finally, the Mother Duck had lost all of her little ones -- but she never gave up -- she kept calling them! Do you think Mother Duck would have been satisfied if one, two, three, or four of the little ducks had come back? I don't think so. I thinkMother Duckk would have kept calling, "Quack, quack, quack, quack," until "ALL of the five little ducks came back!"
I think that is a good picture of the love that Jesus has for his children. The Bible tells us that one day Jesus looked over the city of Jerusalem and wept. He said, "Jerusalem, Jlosterusalem, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." What a beautiful picture of Jesus. Like a mother hen, Jesus calls his children to come to him so that he can shelter and protect them.
Did Jesus stop calling his children because Jerusalem rejected him? No, he is still calling his children today. Do you think Jesus will stop calling if SOME of his children come back? I don't think so. Will Jesus stop calling if MOST of his children come back? I don't think so. I think the Bible teaches us that Jesus loves his children so much that he won't stop calling until ALL of his children come back. He may be calling some of you today.
Dear Jesus, thank you for loving us so much that you keep calling us to come to you. Dear Jesus, thank you for loving us so much that you keep calling us to come to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.