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This Week at First

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9 AM Contemporary

10:30 AM Traditional

August 25th: Celebrating Noah's Little Ark

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    This Sunday is the last day before public school resumes in the Palmyra Area and just 10 days before our own Noah’s Little Ark Christian Preschool (NLA) resumes classes. During our second service, we will be consecrating Noah’s staff and offering a blessing for the students. At 10:30, our message for the kids will be “Welcome” based on Mark 9:30-37. At 9am and 10:30am, we will focus on Ephesians 6:10-20 and its message of “Be Strong in the Lord.” Be sure to invite your neighbors and friends for this special service celebrating the ministry of NLA.


    See you Sunday.


    Grace and Peace,

    Pastor Jim


    Mark 9:30-37


    Jesus Again Foretells His Death and Resurrection

    30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it;  31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.”  32 But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.

     

    Who Is the Greatest?

    33 Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?”  34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest.  35 He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”  36 Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them,  37 “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”



    Ephesians 6:10-20


    The Whole Armor of God

    10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power.  11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  12 For our[a] struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.  14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.  15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.  16 With all of these,[b] take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

     

    18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.  19 Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,[c]  20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

       










    9am Service




    10:30am Service




    August 18th: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

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      Our District Superintendent, Rev. Jennifer Freymoyer will bring the morning message as we celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Groundbreaking at our current location. Following the second service, we will continue the celebration with a catered fellowship meal in Fellowship Hall.


      See you Sunday.


      Grace and Peace,

      Pastor Jim


         


      Luke 4:14-30


      The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry

      14 Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country.  15 He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

       

      The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth

      16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read,  17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

       

      18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,    because he has anointed me        to bring good news to the poor.He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives    and recovery of sight to the blind,        to let the oppressed go free,19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

       

      20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.  21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”  22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”  23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’”  24 And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown.  25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land;  26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.  27 There were also many lepers[a] in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”  28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage.  29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff.  30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.








      9am Service:



      10:30am Service:




      August 11th: All in the Family

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        How is your family life? Is there a great relationship between the generations or is there animosity? Dysfunctional families are nothing new. The Bible has many stories of families who hadtrouble getting along. What can we learn from the families of King David (in 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33) and King Herod (in Mark 6:14-29)? Our message, “All in the Family” will delve into both the problems our families face and some potential solutions.


        See you Sunday.


        Grace and Peace,

        Pastor Jim


        2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33


         5 The king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders concerning Absalom.

         

        6 So the army went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim.  7 The men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there was great on that day, twenty thousand men.  8 The battle spread over the face of all the country; and the forest claimed more victims that day than the sword.

         

        9 Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. His head caught fast in the oak, and he was left hanging[a] between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.  


        15 And ten young men, Joab’s armor-bearers, surrounded Absalom and struck him, and killed him.


        31 Then the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, “Good tidings for my lord the king! For the Lord has vindicated you this day, delivering you from the power of all who rose up against you.”  32 The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” The Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up to do you harm, be like that young man.”

         

        David Mourns for Absalom

        33 [a] The king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”



        Mark 6:14-29


        The Death of John the Baptist

        14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’[a] name had become known. Some were[b] saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.”  15 But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”  16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”

         

        17 For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod[c] had married her.  18 For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”  19 And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not,  20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed;[d] and yet he liked to listen to him.  21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee.  22 When his daughter Herodias[e] came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.”  23 And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.”  24 She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.”  25 Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”  26 The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her.  27 Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s[f] head. He went and beheaded him in the prison,  28 brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother.  29 When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

           









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