Author: mikemc

LIVE SERVICE – Per the Governor’s order, churches can reopen with 25% occupancy (85 total in Sanctuary and Balcony), with hand hygiene, social distancing and face coverings.To maintain proper distancing every other pew is closed off. Hand sanitizer is by the entrances, and we have masks if you need one. We will be singing inside, but our fellowshiping will need to be outside. No attendance pads will be passed, and offerings can be placed directly into boxes in the back of the sanctuary. To avoid the need to touch hymnals or pew Bibles, we’ll be projecting the songs and Scriptures on the screen. There will be no Children’s Church, Youth Sunday School or staffed Nursery for now. The Adult General Sunday School class will meet in person after the service (contact Pastor Don) as well as via Zoom for those not able/desiring to attend in person.The Ladies Sunday School class will continue to meet only via Zoom at 11:30AM (contact Judy Rachow). If you have health concerns, are over 65, or just have doubts about attending at this time, PLEASE KNOW that you are loved and we support your decision to be cautious and not attend in person. The order of service will be a bit different to accommodate live streaming on Facebook.

LIVE STREAM – The congregational prayer, sermon and benediction will be live streamed on Facebook but starting at a new time of approximately 10:00AM.  Music is currently restricted by copyright, but we’re working on a licensing solution.

Title: Jesus’ Power Gives Us Hope

Text: Acts 27:13-38

Theme: In Life’s storms, Jesus renews hope as we wait on Him & follow Him.

I. Renewed hope flows from our ____________________ with Him.

A. Always by His Spirit, sometimes by special messengers, the Lord reminds of His Presence with us in the storm.

B. He also revives hope, when by His Word He renews our sense of His calling

II. Renewed hope forms as we honor our _________________ to Him.

A. Paul’s responsibility was two-fold: take heart & give heart.

B. We’re responsible to maintain our Christian hope by the Lord’s means.

Questions for Study

Was there hope before man’s fall into sin?  Genesis 1:28-30

How is hope as necessary to daily life as breathing or eating?

How does Scripture describe hope?  See:  Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Psalm 37; Romans 8:18-25; Hebrews 12; James 5:7-8; I John 3:1-3.

How does the Bible phrase wait on the Lord… speak of Christian hope?

Read Deuteronomy 28:15-68.  How are the threats there basically forms of hopelessness?

What is the difference between Faith & Hope?  Does time orientation (past, present, future) have any bearing on their differences?  Can you have one without the other?  See Romans 5:1-5; Hebrews 11:1.

Christians are called to be peace-makers.  How are we also to be hope-givers?  See what Paul did during the storm at sea, Acts 27:21-36. Also see Exodus 15; Psalm 78:1-8; Malachi 3:16-18; I Thessalonians 4:13-5:11; Hebrews 10:24-25.

How do gratitude & thanksgiving help foster hope?

During the quarantine and gradual re-opening, those who seek to worship the Lord through giving offerings are invited to contribute in 1 of 4 ways:

1) ONLINE GIVING– A virus free way to contribute is through our “EasyTithe” online giving platform at: www.srcmarion.org/donate (Rick Kelley would gladly assist anyone who needs some coaching on how to get started.)

2) BANK BILL PAY– Arrangements can be made directly with your bank to automatically send checks to the church office. This service is usually free to use with no postage charges.

3) MAIL– Checks can be mailed to Second Reformed Church, P.O. Box 32, Marion, NY 14505.

4) DROP OFF– Our church office will be open from 8:30AM-12:30PM and 1:30-3:30PM Monday through Thursday.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call the church office at 315-926-4235.

LIVE SERVICE – Per the Governor’s order, churches can reopen with 25% occupancy (85 total in Sanctuary and Balcony), with hand hygiene, social distancing and face coverings.

To maintain proper distancing every other pew is closed off.

Hand sanitizer is by the entrances, and we have masks if you need one.

We will be singing inside, but our fellowshiping will need to be outside.

No attendance pads will be passed, and offerings can be placed directly into boxes in the back of the sanctuary.

To avoid the need to touch hymnals or pew Bibles, we’ll be projecting the songs and Scriptures on the screen.

There will be no Children’s Church, Youth Sunday School or staffed Nursery for now.

The Adult General Sunday School class will meet in person after the service (contact Pastor Don) as well as via Zoom for those not able/desiring to attend in person.

The Ladies Sunday School class will continue to meet only via Zoom at 11:30AM (contact Judy Rachow).

If you have health concerns, are over 65, or just have doubts about attending at this time, PLEASE KNOW that you are loved and we support your decision to be cautious and not attend in person.

The order of service will be a bit different to accommodate live streaming on Facebook.

LIVE STREAM – The congregational prayer, sermon and benediction will be live streamed on Facebook but starting at a new time of approximately 10:00AM.  Music is currently restricted by copyright, but we’re working on a licensing solution.

Title: The Body of Christ

Text: I Corinthians 12:12-26

Theme: God designed the fellowship of believers for mutual nurture & care.

I. God designed Christ’s Body (the Church) as He ___________.

A. The fellowship of believers is fearfully & wonderfully arranged.

B. Application of truth that God set believers in the body as it pleased Him

II. God designed Christ’s Body to be _____________________.

A. This is how our relationship to each other comes to be what it is.

B. Application of how members care for one another.

Questions for Study

Context of I Corinthians 12:  today’s “ministry consumer Christians” resemble Corinth’s Christians.  They prefer “brands” of ministry from their favorite preacher; selfish in disputes; selfish in use of Christian liberty & exercise of their spiritual gifts; mixing pop philosophy with spiritual truth of the resurrection, etc.  Paul teaches on Spiritual Gifts in chapters 12-14, around the key theme found in 12:7, To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.  It sums up what our Lord meant fellowship to be.

If Christ is the Great Physician to His Body, the Church, who are His nurses?

Hint:  Hebrews 1:14; Acts 2:42-47; I Corinthians 12:24b-26.  Also, if you have access to a Bible concordance, look up the number of times the word “fellowship” and the phrase “one another” appears.

Someone wrote that the Church is to be a hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints (other versions of this saying exist).  What are some ways our church lives out the first phrase?  Are there ways we fulfill the second phrase?

How does living out of I Corinthians 12:25-26 testify Christ to the world around us?  What exactly does healthy Body Life show unbelievers?

Are we to extend such ministry to unbelievers?  Why or why not?  Hint:  Luke 10:29-37.  Give other examples of how Jesus answered this question.

Title: The Breath of Life

Text: Habakkuk 3:1-19

Theme: Worship the Lord

I. He ___________ to delight in the Lord’s friendship.

A. He chooses to take pleasure in the Lord, v. 18.

B. How do we delight in the Lord’s friendship to His pleasing & our good?

II. He ___________to declare the Lord’s grace to others.

A. Habakkuk worships the Lord by confessing Him, v. 19.

B. Some forms of confession that are soul-heartening worship.

Questions for Study

The Prophecy of Habakkuk is a prayer conversation between the Lord & the Prophet about the Lord’s plans for His people.  The Lord informed Habakkuk He was about to chasten His sinful people, using the cruel Babylonian army as His scourge. Habakkuk questioned why He would use an unrighteous people more wicked than His own to punish them.  The Lord assures Habakkuk that justice will be done on the Babylonians and His people avenged.  In the final chapter Habakkuk reviews some history of God’s dealings with His people and with their enemies, trembles at what’s going to befall the Babylonians and resolves that, come what hard providences may, he will delight himself in the Lord.

How is Habakkuk 3:17-19 related to Philippians 4:4?

In what way do vv. 18 & 19 describe things that cannot be shaken and are always a fruitful field in which to walk & meditate?

Do we practice this when we struggle under hard providences?  If so, what does it look like in your own life?  What are some tools the Lord has given to help us practice v. 18?  Hint:  Ephesians 5:19-21; Colossians 3:16-17; Psalm 8; 77; 104; 107; 108:1-8.

Ideally, where does sincere worship take us (or transport our hearts & minds, if you will)?   See Colossians 3:1-3; Hebrews 12:22-24.  What effect could that have on us in our struggles?  See the song, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions and other logistical concerns, the SRC Consistory has reluctantly decided to cancel our VBS program this year. However, there is a small group exploring the possibility of an Online VBS option. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Directors Mike McOrmond, Deborah Hill or Cara VanderBrook.

The May 10th Mother’s Day sermon entitled “Gold Star Mothers” will be “live streamed” at our normal worship service time of 9:30AM Sunday. However, we encourage you to login at 9:25AM to get settled in and enjoy the piano prelude music. Once again, you are invited to view or listen to our Sunday morning sermon in one of 4 ways.

1) Watch live on the church Facebook page at 9:30AM, SUNDAY by going to: facebook.com/srcmarion Please “like” our Facebook page for future notifications.

2) Watch the same recording later on Facebook at a time more convenient for you: facebook.com/srcmarion

3) Watch the same recording later on our newly created YouTube channel. Just type in “Second Reformed Church of Marion” when you go to: youtube.com Or you can click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3ZNP8OgRarSQXfqzGcn-Q

4) Listen to the audio recording and see sermon outline on our church website: sermons.srcmarion.org

GOLD STAR MOTHERS

I. Introduction

A. American Gold Star Mothers, Inc.

B. Shaking the Earth (Hebrews 12:26-29)

C. Panning for Gold (Job 23:10)

II. Purpose- We can endure hard providences and come forth as gold by emulating 3 Gold Star Mothers in the Bible.

A. Gold Star Mom 1- Hagar

• First Runaway Crisis (Genesis 16:1-16)
• Near Death Experience (Genesis 21:10, 14-21)
• Gold Nugget- Hagar was shaken and swirled in the pan of desperation and discovered God as “The God Who sees me.”

B. Gold Star Mom 2- Naomi

• Famine, Husband & Sons Death (Ruth 1:1-5)
• Naomi = Pleasantness / Mara = Bitterness (Ruth 1:13, 19-21)
• Pleasantness and Nourishment Restored (Ruth 4:14-17)
• Gold Nugget- Naomi was shaken and swirled in the pan of hardship and God turned her bitterness into joy.

C. Gold Star Mom 3- Mary

• Shame, Pending Divorce & Possible Stoning (Matthew 1:19)
• 5 Moves in 12 Years (Nazareth > Town in Judah > Nazareth > Bethlehem > Egypt > Nazareth)
• Losing Boy Jesus for 3 Days (Luke 2:41-51)
• “A sword will pierce through your own soul also” (Luke 2:34-35)
• Watching Her Son Be Crucified (John 19:25)
• Servant and Magnifier of the Lord (Luke 1:38; 46-55)
• Gold Nugget- Mary was shaken and swirled in the pan of hard providence which revealed a worshipping servant heart of gold.

III. Conclusion

A. Summary

B. Application

• Which Gold Star Mom inspires you the most to endure hardships so you can come forth as gold?
• These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. (I Peter 1:7)
• Closing Prayer

SERMON BASED QUESTIONS

• Describe the greatest hardship you have ever experienced?
• Can you recall a time when God revealed Himself in a deeper way and helped you through a crisis?
• What can we learn from the example of Hagar?
• If you are currently in a desperate situation, do you believe that God sees you?
• What does the life of Naomi teach us?
• Are you experiencing a bitterness right now where you will trust God to restore and nourish you?
• What encouragements flow from the way in which Mary endured hardship?
• In the midst of your hard providence, will you keep serving and worshipping God through it?
• Which Scripture spoke to you the most and why?
• What is your biggest “take away” from this sermon?