The Church Courier, March 2009

March 2009

The Church Courier

V OL U M E 1 0 I SSU E 3

Inside this issue:

Proverb... Never say everything you know… Neither do more than you can... Nor believe everything that you hear... Nor spend everything that you have,

Parson to Person

2

FLA Cantabile

3

Nutty way...

9

Church @ Work

10

Amazing Adventure Bible Studies

Because…

What an amazing experience this has been. During 10 weeks we The one that does more than they can… enjoyed these Bible The one that believes everything they hear… studies for kids and And the one that spends more than they have, what a blessing! The one that says everything they know…

Quite often... Say more than they should, Do what they should not... Judges what they do not see... And spends what they cannot.

Bowling Season Broncos, Jaguars, Rams, Lions are some of the team names this Bowling Season. We play every Sunday @ 6:00 PM @ the LaneGlo Bowling on Ridge Rd. Go there and

More than 10 kids so far have manifested interest on baptism. Thanks to Juanita Grimes, Juan Rivera, and all the parents that helped in this Amazing Adventure.

support your brothers We will keep you posted! and sisters. Some pictures are already posted on our website.

www.nprsda.org/ PhotoGallery

The apostle Peter experienced some great things in His walk with Jesus. But he also failed at times. Remember when he denied the Lord three times just before the crucifixion? (Matt. 26:69-75) But his failures didn’t ruin him or disqualify him from future ministry! Jesus confronted Peter about his unfaithfulness and lack of love. But Peter affirmed his love for Jesus three times. And Jesus didn’t give up on Peter. In fact, He reassured him that he was still an apostle and commanded him to exercise faith and obedience and to follow Him. What about us? Have we fallen down in our walk with the Lord? Is our witness for Him weak? Do we overlook opportunities to share Him and His love with others? Whatever the situation, we have a perfect opportunity to share the truth of His word—during Evangelistic meetings going on Now with Elder Lester Pratt as our guest speaker. Let your light shine! Invite your relatives and friends to ―come and taste‖ for themselves! Remember, like Peter, we have made our share of mistakes, but the Lord doesn’t give up on us! We have another chance to prove our love for Him by sharing Him through the spoken Word. Yours for bringing others to Jesus, Pastor and Sharon Webb. Page 2

The Church Courier

On Sabbath, February 21st., what a treat was brought to us by the Forest Lake Academy with their Cantabile Chorale. The Cantabile is a select choir of beautiful voices from the Forest Lake Academy under the able direction of Mark Becker. They are one of the best academy choirs anywhere! As members, students have the opportunity to perform music for area churches, Festival of Lights, tours, spring sacred and secular concerts, and any additional concert opportunities that arise during the year.

under: (Sermon Library)

If you didn’t have the chance to be here that day, you always can hear them on our website www.nprsda.org, Resources and Music

Thanks to Mark Offenback for the pictures. Vol. 10 Issue 3

Page 3

Summary of the “Next Big Thing” Talent Show! On February 14th, the student council presented “The Next Big Thing” Talent show. It was fun for every-one. Elvis was there, the 5th-8th graders put on a funny skit that made everyone laugh, plus Mr. Cruz dressed up in a Mariachi suit and sang. If you weren’t there you missed a lot of fun.

March 4-6 The 8th Grade Class Trip! The 8th grade class of the New Port Richey Adventist Christian School thanks all of you for all the support. They raised over $900 for their trip to St. Augustine, Florida. Some of the things we are going to see are The Fountain of Youth, Wax Museum, Ripley’s Believe it or NOT, etc. There will be a video of the Class Trip when we get back.

We want to welcome our new members, Sarah Godzicki from East Pasco SDA Church and ―Kitty‖ Santiago from Tampa Spanish SDA Church. Page 4

The Church Courier

PIXIE PIN-UPS DO YOU KNOW ME? If you think you know this church member, submit your guess to us, either by phone or email. You can submit your baby pix by email or directly to us. Photos can be black and white or color and will be promptly returned. For more information please contact us. February baby was: Omayra Rivera Clue: “I don’t like beans but for some reason people think I should.” What is the big thing about beans, doesn’t everyone hate them?  Half a point for the ones that guessed it was my brother Alex, he doesn’t like them either.

Clue: ―He used to be a tour-guide and worked in a drive-in theater.‖

Our winners were: Many participated but nobody guessed. Thanks for participating!

Think about it…  Practical prayer is harder on the soles of your shoes than on the knees of your trousers.” The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”  Some minds are like concrete, thoroughly mixed up and p e r ma n e nt l y s et . -Denny Brake

Vol. 10 Issue 3

Page 5

A FEW MORE FINANCIAL TIPS FROM THE BIBLE By Gary D. Grimes

MISNOMER! What in the world is a misnomer? It is a name or term used wrongly. It is a misnomer when I say, ―I pay tithe to God.‖ We do not ―pay‖ tithe to God. We ―return‖ tithe to God because God owns everything including us. We ―return‖ it because He has asked us to ―return‖ it. How could we ―pay‖ God? Is God our employee? Do we ―pay‖ Him for working for us? NO! God owns us! First, He owns us because He created us. Second, He owns us because He redeemed us. Creation and redemption show God’s great love for us. Returning tithe is our love response to God. Mal. 3:8-11; Psalms 50:10-12. Giving offerings work the same way. We give them back to God who owns everything including us. All offerings should be given out of love for God. He created us out of love. He redeemed us out of love. Ps. 96:8. We are managers rather than owners since God owns everything including us. It is a serious responsibility to be God’s manager. He requires us to use it and invest it wisely and profitably. Two places we can invest our managed funds are returning our tithe and giving our offerings. Some have called giving to the Bank of Heaven. All deposits are 100 insured. No one has ever lost a penny in the Bank of Heaven. A high rate of soul winning is guaranteed. Matthew 25. Watch the small things. Gather up the leftovers. Be frugal! John 6:12. Turn off electrical appliances when not use. That would be lights, TVs and computers. Drive the speed limit in town. Drive 5 mph under speed limit on highways, toll roads and interstates. It safer too! During the winter set your thermostat. More tips: Cut all credit cards! Use cash or debit cards for purchases. On major purchases get at least three bids. Comparison shopping to a point can produce rich dividends. Buy the best quality you can afford. Pay bills immediately! Can’t pay call your creditor and make arrangements. Make your goal to live debt free!

Page 6

The Church Courier

Jesus Loves You… Always! By: Randi Odierno

Fundamentally we all know that we are born and once that happens, we are on the pathway to death. Some sooner and some later but, ever onward toward our passing. Harsh words but it’s a harsh reality. Believer or non-believer, we all have that one thing in common. I begin this way because it occurred to me as I was drifting off to sleep last night, that we take our lives pretty much for granted. We expect to wake up, meander through our days however we each spend them, work, TV, a good book, and retire to bed. But is that all there is? Believers, of course, know that after this life we have been granted the greatest gift of all – our salvation. All we need do is ask the Lord into our lives and live as He would have us live. Praise God! We also know that the gift of the Almighty’s salvation, granted by His huge sacrifice, can be lost or, like any gift, misplaced. But that is not what this is about. I just put that in to remind you and me that we need to be diligent and faithful to God each and every day of our lives.

The reason I’m writing this is because I failed in my Christian duty and, saddest of all I only realized this by God’s grace last night. My son, Joey, as some of you know, was murdered in July of this year. Now you also know, most of you anyway, that I became a Christian pretty recently. In fact my path toward God was a special, blessed road that He led me on. But that is also not what this is about. About my son… I’d handed in many prayer requests and pleaded for Joey and his family daily. My prayers went unheeded, or did they? The prayers to have him realize the errors of his life perhaps, but I find solace in thinking he is now at rest, at peace, out of his misery. My ever-nagging plea ―help him‖ to the Lord was actually answered albeit not in the way I planned, hoped, expected. I was blessed last year with God’s revelation to me as I slept. He let me examine my motherhood and I awoke realizing that until the time my son began his drug usage, he thought I was the most incredibly wonderful mom in the world. Continue on next page...

Vol. 10 Issue 3

Page 7

..continue from previous page On a night in July 2007, God granted me peace. After more than twenty years of feeling guilty and sad over my deficiencies in the mothering category, I got over it – just like that! My battles weren’t over on all fronts but that one was finally at rest for me. Just weeks before he was murdered I mentioned that it would be good for him to read some specific passages in the Bible. He said he didn’t have a Bible. I offered to send him up his own personal Bible. Assuming I had plenty of time to wiggle Christianity into his life, I sent up the DVD and the Bible with a short and loving dedication on the inside cover, much like the dedication in my first Bible from Gary and Juanita Grimes.

But I didn’t tell him Jesus loves you! I cry now as I write this. At the time I thought I’d push him away, that I had plenty of time to help him see. How wrong I was! ―Jesus loves you, Joey‖! Such a short sentence with abundant truth and love in it and I didn’t say it. I just didn’t think he’d be gone in that heartbeat between receiving the Bible and his murder two weeks later. Am I crying for him? I am! I am crying for my failure too. Don’t feel badly and end up crying over failing yourselves. Life is too short. Be a bit more assertive. Say the words! ―Jesus loves you‖! Say them to whoever needs to hear them! ―Jesus love you!‖ It’s those three words that miracles are made of. With love, Randi Odierno September 29, 2008

Four beauty tips Before she became an actress, Audrey Hepburn was a successful fashion model. After her acting career, she spent much of her time working for humanitarian causes around the world. These four “beauty tips” written by this former model are a snapshot of how she lived her life. They were read at her funeral. 1. For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. Luke 6: 27-31 2. For lovely eyes, look for the good in people. Galatians 5:19-26 3. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. Luke 3:11 4. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. Isaiah 41:10

Page 8

The Church Courier

Nutty Way to Fight Disease Eating 1 1/2 ounces (a couple of handfuls) of tree nuts as a daily snack can reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes, say USDA researchers-but just 34% of people eat any nuts at all, reports government survey. Here are four types worth trying for good health and great taste. -Prevention Magazine, March 2009

NUT

ALMONDS

HAZELNUTS

BENEFITS IN EVERY BITE One ounce has as many heart healthy polyphenols as a cup of green tea and 1/2 cup of steamed broccoli combined; shown to help lower LDL cholesterol. Rich in arginime, an amino acid that can relax blood vessels and may lower blood pressure; also has high levels of vitamin E, folate, and B vitamins.

PECANS

Highest overall concentration of disease-fighting antioxidants amount all nuts; 1 ounce contains 10% of your daily value for fiber.

PISTACHIOS

A daily serving or two may decrease LDL levels by 9 to 12%, according to a recent Pennsylvania State University study.

Vol. 10 Issue 3

Page 9

P A R E N T S Please help us have a more orderly Fellowship Meal experience by keeping your smaller children with you. We are having a problem with children in the kitchen area and running in the hallways and in the sanctuary. Enjoy a Relaxing Sabbath out of accidents!

WE ARE LOOKING FOR YOU! We need a photo of you as a baby for the section Pixie Pin-Ups (page 5). Remember also, if you like to write an article, we have a special page reserved for you! BOOKS AND BUBBLES The ABC Bookmobile will be coming to our Church on Sunday, March 8th from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM. Please note the Pathfinder Car Wash will be the same day and time…please stop in and let them wash your car while you go shopping at the Bookmobile!

Page 10

WE ARE LOOKING FOR PICTURES OF CHURCH ACTIVITIES FOR OUR CHURCH WEBSITE. GOT SOME? PLEASE SHARE! Omayra & Juan Rivera

JOB OPENING Our Adventist School is looking for an Adventist-certified teacher on a part-time basis to teach 9th and 10th grade English and Social Studies/ World History. If you are interested, please call Mark Schiefer at (727) 376-4316.

The Church Courier

From the Editors wheel, are we

Are you in a fight with God? Do you try not to hear His voice? Are you avoiding His presence? We may not notice but sometimes we are fighting Gods’ will. We have an idea of what we want and how to get it, an idea of where to go and how to get there, but God knows what, when, where, and how, better than us. He has His hands on our

letting Him drive? His arms are around us, are we letting Him comfort us? Lets stop fighting! He wants us to know that He loves us and He knows what is better for our souls. Alex Ortiz

This newsletter is published monthly by the NPR SDA Church. If you have any comments to make about the newsletter, wish to make a donation, or wish to submit an article, please send it to the church or to us.

Contact Us Alexander Ortiz 727-365-2892

Omayra Rivera 727-372-0052

[email protected] NPR Seventh-day Adventist Church 6424 Trouble Creek Road New Port Richey, FL 34653 727-848-4567 www.nprsda.org/newsletter

Vol. 10 Issue 3

Page 11

NPR Seventh–day Adventist Church 6424 Trouble Creek Road New Port Richey, FL 34653