Glorify God Through Family...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15

Transcription

1 Glorify God Through Family...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15 February 2016 A WORD FROM PASTOR STEVE The following is part of an article written by Greg Smalley entitled, Honoring Marriage. "My Favorite Things" is a popular song, originally from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. In the movie version, Maria and the von Trapp children sing the cheerful lyrics during a scary thunderstorm "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens" to fill their minds with things they love. Likewise, when you face busy times or difficult seasons with your spouse, it's important to remember your favorite things about your marriage. The apostle Paul gave a similar directive when he wrote, "Let marriage be held in honor among all" (Hebrews 13:4). But what does it mean to honor marriage? The word honor means to highly value something to appreciate, cherish and recognize it as a priceless treasure. Matthew 6:21 says, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." This verse suggests that honor is primarily a matter of the heart. So in marriage, it involves recognizing the beauty and worth of your relationship with your spouse and then doing something to put that recognition and appreciation into action. It's about dedication, heart and soul, to building strong foundational qualities into your marriage relationship. Cherishing your spouse. Successful marriages are made of two people who intentionally keep an account of the things they value about each other. When you cherish one another, you recognize that each spouse is created in God's image and is, therefore, of infinite worth and value. You remember what you value about your marriage, keep reminders of good memories and celebrate milestones together. Nourishing your marriage is about discovering your mate's "love language" and learning to speak it. These actions will involve shoring up your spouse's strengths, supplementing his or her weaknesses and "encouraging one another daily" (Hebrews 3:13, NIV). Maintaining a lifelong commitment a full and earnest investment of your whole heart flows out of what you treasure. You invest in whatever it is that you esteem. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word wholehearted as "marked by complete earnest commitment." Complete. Earnest. Wholehearted commitment begins when you recognize the incredible value of your relationship. Spending enjoyable time together. Thriving couples are intentional about making time for each other. It's crucial that you schedule regular date nights and outings, develop meaningful traditions and family rituals, and know how to maintain a healthy balance between togetherness and independence. Being community minded. It takes a village to sustain a marriage. It s vital to regularly connect with like-minded couples who are committed to your relationship. To have a thriving marriage, you need to realize your need for other people as well as their need for you. Stay engaged with nurturing communities of all kinds and make a special point of maintaining an active involvement in the local church. Lay the foundation Focus on the Family has developed a list of 12 traits that are considered fundamental to every thriving marriage. Five of those traits bear a special relevance to the subject of honoring your relationship with your mate. Consider the following: Recognize your favorite things Once you've built these foundational characteristics into the groundwork of your marriage, you can get down to the practical task of honoring your marriage on an everyday basis. Get together with your spouse and make a list of what you

2 value about your relationship your "favorite things." See how many you can come up with. Here are a few ideas to get you started: Having fun and laughing together Loving someone with all my heart Being liked and loved Enjoying the combined effect of the synergy between us we are able to do so much more together than we could do alone Sharing affection for each other Pursuing God together Being real and authentic Raising our children together Being challenged to become a better person Making memories together Sharing inside jokes Pursuing dreams Having someone to celebrate with Sharing the deepest levels of intimacy and connection sex Knowing someone deeply and being deeply known by another Serving together Being with my best friend Having a helpmate to share life's responsibilities Feeling safe and secure REMEMBER OUR SHUT-INS Pray for our shut-ins, send a card, make a phone call, pay a visit (call first), make a meal and deliver it or stay and eat with them, pick up groceries / medicines. Addresses and phone numbers are in the directory or put cards of encouragement in the box above the mailboxes in the library and they will be delivered on a regular basis. Wilma Davidson Julie Lindsey Gerry Kline Russ and Julie Hearton Charlie and Rita Brewer Carol Sarver John Gay Nina Johnson Gerry Gladfelter God's Valentine Gift God's Valentine gift of love to us Was not a bunch of flowers; It wasn't candy, or a book To while away the hours. His gift was to become a man, So He could freely give His sacrificial love for us, So you and I could live. He gave us sweet salvation, and Instruction, good and true-- To love our friends and enemies And love our Savior, too. So as we give our Valentines, Let's thank our Lord and King; The reason we have love to give Is that He gave everything. By Joanna Fuchs Grace Baptist Church 3920 East Prospect Road York, PA (717) gracebaptistyork@comcast.net Sunday: 8:15 Contemporary Worship 9:30 Sunday School 10:45 Traditional Worship 6:00 Against the Flow Youth 6:30 Evening Worship Service Wednesday: 7:00 Bible Study & Prayer for Adults / Pioneer Clubs / Against the Flow Youth

3 Cause I Said So!! Did your dad ever say that to you Cause I said so? Maybe you were doing something you should not have been doing and you didn t want to quit (playing instead of doing homework). Of course, your response was Why? Dad had to repeat Cause I said so. Or you were asked to do something you didn t really want to do. Like, it s time for bed when you were in the middle of your favorite game or you would rather play than put out the garbage. Why? Cause I said so. Perhaps you are the dad (or mom) now and you have said that to your own children when they don t want to pay attention to your requests. But as the parent, you know what s best for your child. You know what will harm them. What will keep them safe. What they need to learn. Has God needed to say those words to you lately? Cause I said so! Maybe there s that little nudge to visit the person next door who is going through some trial. Are you, like when you were a child, saying Why? Somebody else will do it. Sometimes it s easier to stay in bed and not go to church since you were out so late the night before. Come on God, I need just a little more sleep. You know I was at a Christian concert last night. Isn t that enough? Maybe He s tugging at you to teach a Sunday School class or Children s Church or help with VBS. Why Lord? There are so many others in the church better qualified. Hey, you know what it is that God is trying to tell you to do or not do. Don t wait until he has to say again Cause I said so! Sunday, February 7 Luncheon following the 10:45 Service Bring your favorite soup and dessert to share Sign-up sheets are at both entrances to church Short devotional will follow lunch No Evening Services / Activities All singles beginning with high school graduates are invited! You will be served dinner by our Pastors, their wives and Deacons. There is no cost for your special evening. Sign up by February 7. Sign-up sheets are at both entrances to church. Let s show our love to our singles by honoring them with door prizes! Please consider donating a gift card ($10-$25) to be used as a door prize. Gift cards may be to restaurants, coffee shops, oil change services, spas/salons, etc. Please place the gift card in an envelope and put it in Pastor Steve and Jayne's mailbox for distribution that evening. Thank you in advance for blessing our singles of GBC! Married Couples Dessert Night Saturday at 6:00 p.m. Enjoy an evening with your spouse as Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley (via video) share in a fun and humorous way the value of marriage and how to regularly invest in your marriage. Cost is $10 per couple. Place check payable to GBC or cash with your RSVP in the Marchant mailbox no later than February 7. Free Babysitting available at church during this time. Note on your RSVP form if you desire babysitting. Include the number of children and ages. Free Babysitting Available for a Date Night with Your Spouse Sunday from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Free babysitting will be provided by our pastors and their wives at the church so parents can enjoy a dinner out together. Sign-up sheets are at both entrances to church. Deadline to sign up is February 7. What a great evening not only for parents, but also for your kids!! There will be no Evening Service GBC is Honoring Marriage during the Weekend of February Single s Appreciation Dinner Friday at 6:00 p.m.

4 If you would like to help with this project, please put in Jeanie McCleary s church mailbox old bulletins, calendars, cards, anything with appropriate pictures. You can also print pictures you took of scenery, flowers, birds, animals (4 x 6 ). We can all be a blessing to those in need! Against the Flow Youth Winter Retreat at High Point Camp February Contact Pastor Jon for details and registration Two Events for Men Coming Soon: 4th ANNUAL MEN S RESURRECTION BREAKFAST Photo Albums with Scriptures for Special Family Members It all started when Jeanie McCleary s daughter sent her a very special book. A book filled with beautiful pictures and scripture verses to encourage. The idea grew when the Marchant Connect Group was looking for a project to help others. The decision was made to make these albums to give to our shut-ins. Suddenly the project became an ongoing one! The group will continue putting together these photo/scripture albums to give to those at GBC who are going through continuing ordeals, illnesses, or hospitalizations. All Men are Encouraged to Attend and Invite your Unsaved Family, Friends and Co-workers to this Special Meeting where the Gospel will be Presented Saturday, March 5 9:00 a.m. Buffet Breakfast Todd Brill, Worship Leader Richard (Rick) Bernstein, Guest Speaker The Lord Made Him a Food Farmer Richard (Rick) Bernstein is a partner in Brown Advisory, an independently owned investment firm headquartered in Baltimore, with offices in Washington, D.C., Wilmington, DE, Chapel Hill, NC, Boston, MA, and London. He attended The Johns Hopkins University, receiving a BA in 1979 and his Masters in He earned his Chartered Financial Analyst certification in 1987, and is a former president of the Baltimore Security Analysts Society. Bernstein and wife Carol co-founded First Fruits Farm, Inc., a non-profit ministry at Freeland, MD. He serves as president of the Westminster, MD, Rescue Mission, and is a board member of Christian Farmers Outreach, headquartered at Hampstead, MD.

5 What are the odds that a Jewish city kid and descendent of Polish onion farmers in New England would be called to be a farmer? At age 38, life was great for him. He was very successful in the investment world. I had a wonderful wife, three great kids, lots of money and lots of friends. But something was missing. One day, he picked up the Bible and read Ecclesiastes. This guy Solomon had it all wealth, wisdom, power all that we believe important in this world. Yet it was all meaningless without God s plan and purpose. That started Bernstein on a pilgrimage that led him to Jesus Christ, and to what s now First Fruits Farm. As his relationship with the Lord grew, the couple s vision for the farm grew. As farmers, Carol and I knew absolutely nothing zero, he admits. Did we have a master plan for how First Fruits Farm would become what it is today? No. Did we have lots of farm equipment? No. What we did have was the most important thing a calling from the Lord. Bernstein noted John 15:5, where Jesus said: I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing. To that Rick resoundingly said: Amen! Amen! Amen! His trust in God started with one-third of an acre and no equipment to grow food to feed the hungry. He realized that God doesn t call the equipped; God equips those He calls. And God did provide all that First Fruits Farm needed land, resources, provisions, equipment and volunteer labor for the harvests. By 2013, First Fruits raised 160 acres of snap beans, tomatoes, and other food crops all to be given away in Jesus name. Bernstein has been totally amazed that God even provided a man who knew how to drive, maintain and repair the harvesting machine. You can t make this stuff up! he added. In 2013, First Fruits Farm was able to grow, harvest and give away nearly 1.4 million pounds of fresh nutritious food to rescue missions and food banks. We believe deeply that the Lord brought all of these factors together, concluded this faith-filled farmer. We re grateful for His abundant grace. Please Register You and Your Guests by February 28 Sign-up Sheets are at both Entrances to Church Free Will Offering Will Be Taken How You Can Help? Men 1. Take some flyers from the table in back of the sanctuary and post at work, a convenience store near you, your barber shop or grocery store and hand to neighbors, friends and relatives 2. Attend the breakfast 3. Bring along those you invited who need to hear the Word Ladies 1. Make egg casseroles, potato casseroles or fruit salad and bring to church by 8:45 the morning of the breakfast 2. Help prepare, serve, clean-up 3. Sign-up sheets are at upstairs and downstairs entrances to church Everyone 1. Pray for a good attendance 2. Pray for salvation and spiritual growth for those who attend See Lloyd Marchant with questions Men s Retreat at New Life Bible Camp March 18-19, 2016 The Questions Jesus Asked Men Our speaker for the weekend is Aaron Ziebarth, the Executive Director of Joy El Ministries in Chambersburg, PA. Aaron will be challenging us with questions that Jesus asked. He will also be sharing about his trips to Russia and his work in training Christian camping leaders in that country. Get away for the weekend and be refreshed in God's Word and fellowship with other men. We will have great food and activities available for all. We look forward to seeing you at this year's Men's Retreat. WHAT TO BRING: You will need your toiletries, Bible, notebook, pen, pillow, towel, and sleeping bag or blanket/sheets. Also bring clothes and shoes for your choice of free-time activities. FREE TIME OPTIONS: Classic camp activities (zipwire, horses, climbing wall, hiking), or just simply rest and relax. RETREAT COSTS: Register for the retreat on or before March 11 and the price is $ The price for the retreat increases to $64.00 on registrations that come in after March 11. So, register soon! Scholarships are also available for this retreat upon request Contact Chip Isiminger for further details and to register.

6 HOW CAN YOU SERVE THE LORD AT GBC? There is a need for individuals/families who will serve the Lord by visiting first time attenders to GBC. This is usually done on Sunday afternoons. Paul Buser will provide you with the address and a gift to deliver. Teach or help all ages for Sunday School or Children's Church, contact Jayne Warner or Pastor Jon. Teach or help Wednesday nights with Pioneer Clubs, contact Kathy Wagaman. Enjoy caring for babies through 2 years old? See Deb Goeke to serve in the nursery. Applications to work with children and youth in Sunday School, Children's Church, Pioneer Clubs, and Nursery are available on the wall at the top of the steps in the library. Interested in joining Grace Baptist Church? Paul Buser will be more than happy to talk with you. To receive urgent prayer requests and praises, urgent church weather announcements/cancellations, the Sunday and Wednesday Praise/Prayer Sheets and the monthly Church Newsletter, sign up for Hotline s by providing your address to Michelle Noll. Don't have an address? Give Marlene Marchant your name and phone number to receive by phone the urgent prayer requests and church announcements. MAIL OR A BIRTHDAY OR ANNIVERSARY CARD TO OUR MISSIONARIES Ben Buckner (2/2) 625 Holly Street Elizabethtown, PA ben-nikki_buckner@ntm.org Jeff Garlick (2/11) PO Box 3037 York, PA cefyork@juno.com Katelyn Goosen (2/23) PO Box 2137 King Williams Town 5600 Republic of South Africa lsgoosen@gmail.com Judi Kurtz (2/28) %David Levy PO Box 116 Lightfoot, VA jkurtz@foi.org The Blizzard of 2016 POSTED: No More Snow! Hank Wagaman and Helen Etner will train you to work in the sound booth--sound, Power Point, and/or camera to record services. How about driving the van to bring others to church for Sunday School and second service? Josh Lindsey will give you the route so nobody is missed! Leasha Folk and Wendy Amspacher are looking for more singers to join the choir. Practice is Thursday at 6:45. Contact Brenda Apple to sing in the Christmas and Easter Cantatas. Let Sherry Stayer know you would like to sing or play an instrument as special music Sunday morning or evening. No room to pass if I tried! Pammie Landis schedules meals to be delivered to those who have been hospitalized, just had a baby, etc. If you don't have the opportunity to talk with these folks at church, put a note in their mailbox with your name and phone number or the church. No way I m going out there!

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