Our Speaker during Family Bible Hour was Bill Carrera, Jr.  He and his wife, Joy, are missionaries to Brazil through Wycliffe Bible Translators.  Bill is a Teacher, while Joy is a Pilot/Mechanic. The Lord has been faithful in providing for their needs since going to Brazil in 1998.  They have 3 children:  William, Cullen, and Camilla. 

His message was on the names of God.  In particular:  Elohim,  YHWA or Jehovah,  and El Elyon.

He challenges us with the question --- are we fulfilling the goal/purpose that God has willed for us?  A DVD is available of the full message, along with pictures of the Carrera's work in Brazil.  Please see Romy.

One of our special guests today was Ryan Alderson's fiancee, Amy.  They will be married in August, 2010.

Our Speaker during Family Bible Hour was Dr. Dale Schreiber.   He continued his series on the Blessings of Salvation.  One of the blessings received by a person who is saved through the finished work on the cross by the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth  is the sealing of the Holy Spirit.  The use of a seal during N.T. times  indicate ownership, underlies the importance of what was sealed, identifies the owner, and guarantees the security of the item sealed.  The same blessings are bestowed by the Holy Spirit on all believers as a testimony to the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ.  For more on this excellent message, see the DVD. Check with Romy if you're interested.
Dr Schreiber's whole series on the Blessings of Salvation is also available for your reading enjoyment --  Please see Bill C.

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.  ~ Ephesians 4:30

Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God: Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.  ~ 2 Corinthian 1:21-22

Dale Moorhouse and Dale Schreiber, right

Awana: Crazy Hair Contest

This was from last night's AWANA Crazy-Hair Contest.  Guess the two "winners".

Click on pictures to enlarge.

Happy Veterans Day

It's Veterans Day!
A sincere Thank You to all who have served, or are currently serving our country through its Armed Forces.

Below are the Veterans in our congregation --
Left to Right: Dale, U.S. Navy; Reno, U.S. Army; Freadom, U.S. Army; Frank, U.S. Coast Guard

Eternal Father, Strong to Save

Eternal Father, Strong to save, Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,

Who bids the mighty ocean deep. Its own appointed limits keep:

O hear us when we cry to Thee For those in peril on the sea.

O Christ, the Lord of hill and plain. O’er which our traffic runs a main

By mountain pass or valley low: Wherever, Lord, our brethren go,

Protect them by Thy guarding hand From every peril on the land.

O Spirit, whom the Father sent. To spread abroad the firmament:

O Wind of heaven, by Thy might. Save all who dare the eagle’s flight,

And keep them by Thy watchful care. From every peril in the air.

O Trinity of love and power, Our brethren shield in danger’s hour;

From rock and tempest, fire and foe, Protect them wheresoe’er they go;

Thus evermore shall rise to Thee. Glad praise from air and land and sea.

Text:  William Whiting, stazas 1, 4

            Robert Nelson Spencer, stanzas 2,3

Music:  John Bacchus Dykes

Our Speaker during Family Bible Hour was Dr Dale Schreiber, missionary to Muslims.  He and his wife, Mary, are pictured below.

His message was the 2nd part of his series: The Blessings of Salvation. A quick summary of the 1st part of his series can be found  here.  One of the blessings of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord, is regeneration. Dale referred to the two times the word "regeneration" is used in the Bible:  Matthew 19: 27-28; and Titus 3: 3-8

For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 
But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration , and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works,.  These things are good and profitable unto men. 

For a complete explanation of the word "Regeneration" (which from the passage above refers to a washing or cleansing from sin, available only through hearing and believing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ), please see and hear the full message, available through DVD.  See Romy.

Our Speaker during Family Bible Hour was Ryan Alderson, student at Trinity International University, Deerfield, Illinois.

Dale Moorhouse, Music Director; and Ryan Alderson, right

His message was based on Mark 1: 1-8

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets , Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.  The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.  John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins...

The "prophets" verses referred to above, are found in Malachi 3:1 and  Isaiah 40:3

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me:  and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in:  behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Short summary:  John the Baptist's ministry-- his mission -- was as a messenger who is preparing the way for the Lord.  There was one who was to come after him, who was mightier than he.  Jehovah God Himself was coming to His people.  People needed to confess and repent of their sin, be baptized by water, and be ready for the baptism of the Holy Spirt. 
Today, we still need to repent and get right with God.  Are we ready for the second coming of Christ?

The full message is available through DVD.  Please see Romy.

We welcome our guests, Bill and Margaret Hinton from Michigan.   They are personal friends of Mary Ann Germaine.

We also welcome Robert and Teri Slager: