Volume 9, Issue 12 www.moosemountainchurch.

com October 24, 2010

AND THE GREATEST OF THESE IS GRACE! By Stan Helton

ASSEMBLY TIMES Recently Fox News personality Brit
Hume suggested on national TV that
Sunday Morning:
fallen golf giant Tiger Woods abandon
10:03am Class
Buddhism and embrace Christianity.
11:03am
Hume reasoned that Christianity al-
Full Family Fellowship
lows for forgiveness and redemption,
Thursday Evening:
concepts not at home in Buddhism.
Alternating Thursdays
Hume added that as a Christian Tiger
7:00pm
could start over, find forgiveness, and
___
possibly reconcile with his wife and
CONTACT INFO children.
While such a move on Tiger’s part
1 Christina Street
would seem to be self-serving, the
Village of Kenosee
suggestion is not unlike what the Bible
Lake
actually says. The apostle Paul in the
Box 184
second chapter of his letter to the
S0C 2S0
(306)577-2477 Ephesians paints a picture not unlike
info@moosemountainchurch.com where Tiger finds himself. Lives with-
___ out Jesus are empty: we were dead in
LEADERSHIP our sins, following the ways of evil,
and chasing after our passions and
Elders: desires.
Cameron Husband BUT—so begins the scandal of bibli-
Harold Floyd cal Christianity in v. 4. In a decisive
Dale King
reversal of fate, so to speak, God
Jim Sedor
acted. After all, God had to act; we
This is a hard notion to embrace and
so I can understand why most non-
Christians misunderstand what is
meant by salvation—because most
Christians don’t really get it either.
Salvation is not based on human ac-
tion or worth.
It really is a free gift. Therefore, it is
not like a home which I “own” but
which I will spend the next 25 to 30
years paying off. And because it is a
free gift, it has some of the embarrass-
ments that are normally attached to
free gifts.
For example, if someone gave me a
free suit, I would be appreciative to be
sure, but I would be uncomfortable
wearing the suit to an event where I
knew the giver would be present. I
would be even more self-conscious if
everyone in the room knew about the
suit.
Also I would be bit suspicious. I
would wonder what did the suit-giver
want from me? Are there any strings
attached? I would want to somehow
be misused. The free suit, continuing
our analogy, should probably not be
worn to work on the car or to mow the
yard. Nor would it be fitting to speak
evil of the one who gave the suit espe-
cially while wearing it.
Anyway, analogies generally break
down so I will not push this one too
much more, but the point is clear: a
free gift can be misunderstood. Yet,
endure one more point: the acceptance
of the gift is never seen a meritorious
act on the part of the recipient.
Salvation, says Paul, depends on
God’s initiative. Using resurrection
language, Paul announces that God
has made us alive, raised us, and
seated us in a position of power—
notice the threefold “with Christ/him.”
Thus, what God did for his Son, he
does for those who believe in the
Son—for the sake of his Son (see Eph
1.20).
Paul beautifully simplifies the pro-
found nature of God’s saving work in
the formula: “For by grace you have

Minister: could not. We were dead. God inter- pay back in some way the one who been saved through faith.” Grace is
Rolland Bouchard venes because he is “rich in mercy” gave me the suit. what God has done; faith is our accep-
and loves us despite our deadness. Furthermore, like all free gifts, it can (Continued on page 2)

THE LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES

THRIFT STORE DAYS
We will be working the thrift store
November 2 & 4
November 30 & December 2
December 28 & 30
POTLUCK REQUEST
We want to thank you all for your generous
donations to our potluck lunches. Because
of known allergies within our congregation
we ask that you do not bring any items con- There will be a congregational meeting on
taining pork. Thanks!
HOMEMAKERS CIRCLE!
Nov13th - Trip to Yorkton or Nov 5th Ladies for your ministry. Please plan to be a part of
Seminar
Dec 7th - Ladies Christmas Dinner
Jan 14th - Spa Night
Feb 8th - Cake Decorating
Mar 19th - Ladies Day / Theme Supper
April 8/9th - Mini Retreat
May 24th - Kennedy Memorial Gardens
June 14th - Tea House, Fairlight John and
Carolyn’s in Kennedy. For more informa-
A huge thank you to Pam, Rhonda, Laurie, tion talk to Carolyn..
Shelby and Cheryl for taking the time to
plan this years events. I am excited that we BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
have some new activities and we are look- During our potluck lunch on November 7th
ing forward to some great times of fellow- we will be celebrating Nora Singleton’s 90th
ship. Birthday.
COMMITMENT SUNDAY
November 7th. All ministry groups need to
have a proposed budget for the 2011 year
as well as a developed mission statement
the meeting as it will be both directional and
encouraging. Mark Your calendars today. FOR INFOMRATION ON HOW YOU
CAN SPONSOR A CHILD THROUGH
BABY SHOWER
There will be a baby shower for Jaime, new COMPASSION VISIT
daughter of James and Shelly on Monday www.compassion.ca
(TOMORROW), October 25th at 7:30pm at
Volume 9, Issue 12 www.moosemountainchurch.com October 24, 2010

THE FAMILY THAT PRAYS TOGETHER... Activities for Assembly

 Bernard and Alicia Krogsgaard - Mission-
aries in Mexico
 Joe Fox—recovery from surgery.
 Verna’s Sister Linda was in a car accident
is recovering
 Chris Cornforth—continued health
concerns.
 All of those walking through grief.
 Arnold Lawrence
 Marie McMillan
 Verna Reed
 Joe Cornforth, continued emotional and
health issues.
 Catherine Taylor– seeing continued suc-
cess and healing after her surgery.
(Continued from page 1)
tance of what God has done; and works or deeds
grow out of the dynamic interaction of the first
two. Paul stresses salvation is not the result of
human work or people really could say they
saved themselves.
However, there is room for human effort—one
can reach out and receive the suit, so to speak—
if human effort is kept in its proper place.
Grace, Faith, Works. That must be the proper
order.
October 24, 2010
 Rolland’s Grandmother was recently di-
agnosed with breast cancer. Welcome and Theme
Phil. 2:1-5
 Nancy Martinson—(Heather Kings Sister-
Communion
in-law) Pray for success in cancer treat-
Sharing for Prayer and
ments. prayers of the People
 Candy Wise—undergoing another sur- A time for the Young
gery for an aneurism. Pray for success. Immortal, Invisible, God Only
Wise
 Tammy Palmer—still struggling with
Make Me a Servant
health. Pray that God will heal her. I will serve you
 James and Shelly, Congratulations on the Lord I want to be a Christian
birth of your new baby girl Jamie! Kneel at the Cross
He Gave Me a Song
 Lanny Lawrence—is recovering in Hospi- Lesson
tal in Regina after open heart surgery. Just a Closer Walk with Thee
Announcements and
 Neil Palmer—Verna’s Cousin recovering
from five bypass surgery offering
So what do you think? Should Tiger become a
However, the key note is grace. Grace is the
Christian to deal with his mistakes? Should you?
engine that drives both faith and works. To mis-
S.N. Helton
quote Paul just a bit: Now there remains three
great truths: grace, faith, and works. But the
greatest of these is grace.
When a person comes to God (or returns to him),
it is like starting over or, as Paul says, being
recreated. However, the end result of being rec-
reated is that we become people, who like God,
do good works which is precisely why God cre-
ated us in the first place: to live as God would
live for the sake of others.

Inhabitants of God’s Kingdom are marked by humility,

“considering others better than
themselves.” (Philippians 2) We empty ourselves, of
our own selves, and surrender all to Jesus.

Four Lessons on what it means to be

truly humbled before God’s mighty
Hand.
OCTOBER 2010

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