Carrollwood SDA Church Updates & Evotional for September 19, 2012

Our Mission is to make fully devoted disciples of Jesus in the Carrollwood community.

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Scripture Reading: Acts 17:26-28, The Message.

“The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn’t live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn’t take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don’t make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote; he’s near. We live and move in him, can’t get away from him! One of your poets said it well: ‘We’re the God-created.’ Well, if we are the God-created, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to think we could hire a sculptor to chisel a god out of stone for us, does it?"

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"All human strivings and drives are finally directed towards God and can only find their complete satisfaction in him." (Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Meditating on the Word.)

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Tonight: "Prayer Connections" - This group helps us connect with Christ and each other more deeply in prayer from wherever we are. At 8:30 PM, call 404-920-6699 and enter the code 67382227 followed by the # key when prompted.

This Sabbath at Carrollwood

Sabbath Morning Connection Groups & Carrollwood Kids (Sabbath School): 10:00 AM

Worship Gathering: 11:00 AM

"Kingdom Righteousness"

Matthew 5:17-20

God’s Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after the stars burn out and earth wears out, God’s Law will be alive and working.”(from Matthew 5:17-18, The Message)

Prayer Thanksgivings & Prayer Requests

Our Church

May the Holy Spirit be poured out upon Carrollwood Seventh-day Adventsist Church.

May God raise up more laboring harvesters for the immense field in this community.

Other Praises & Requests

Jessica requests prayer for their daughter, Francisca.

The Breneisses praise God that their daughter, Lori, is out of Syria and working in Dubai! Please continue to pray that her husband and children will be able to be with her soon.

Naomi requests prayer for Ben, that Christ would be in their hearts, and for Rob that he would not have to work on Sabbaths.

If you would like to be included on the prayer list, please include your request on your Connection Card on Sabbath and indicate if you wish this request to be shared with the churcn. You may also submit them to the office before Tuesday evening.

Events at a Glance

Sabbath: Radical Prayer (12:45); Disciple’s Path (12:45); The Great Controversy (2:00); Bike & Bible (3:00)

Tuesday: The Great Controversy Prayer Meeting (6:00 – 7:00 PM)

Wednesday: Prayer Connections (8:30 PM)

Announcements

Connection Groups

Radical Prayer (RP) Join others in the Sanctuary Classroom North (next to the AV Room) for “Radical Prayer” after snacks on Sabbath! Lift up the church and each other. See Joe Lobello for more information.

Disciple’s Path (DP) continues after snack time as well. This study is focused on preparing for baptism and works through the Savior of the World Bible study guides. We will meet in the blue classroom. Contact Pastor James for more information.

The Great Controversy (GC) meets to learn about God’s guidance throughout history and His message to humanity as we approach Jesus’ soon return. GC also meets for a prayer meeting from 6:00 - 7:00 PM on Tuesdays.

Other Events & Ministries

Upcoming Services – On Sabbath, September 29, Pastor James will be out of town. Our speakers will be Elder Chris Henry and his wife, Janiel, who will speak to us on marriage and relationships from Matthew 5:27-32. We will have baptisms in October 6, at Carrollwood Sabbath morning and at the Northwest Tampa Family YMCA at 5:00 that evening. October 20 will be our communion service.

One Hope, a Florida NET Evangelistic Series, is coming October 20-27, 7:30 – 8:30 PM from the Tampa 1^st SDA Church. Also airing on the Hope Church Channel, “One Hope” features eight presenters asking, “If Jesus is the answer, what are the questions?” Go to www.floridaconference.com/onehope/ for more information.

Pathfinders - The next meeting is on October 6 following Fellowship Dinner in the Fellowship Hall.

Ice Cream Social - “Thank you” to all who helped our youth at the ice cream social last week! There is still a lot of help needed. If you are able and willing to contribute to our youth’s trip to High School Bible Retreat, mark your “Tithes & Offerings” envelope to that effect on Sabbath.

Featuring Offerings & Ministry Needs

This Sabbath: “Florida Advance.” It is the goal of the Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists to make fully devoted disciples throughout Florida. If you would like to also contribute to our ministry at Carrollwood, please mark your “Tithes and Offerings” envelope on Sabbath for “Local Church Budget.”

Our budget for this month:   $4890.00

Amount received last week: $----.--

Amount over (under):           $----.--

Every blessing this week in Christ!

Jesus. All!

Clay

Find a handful of clay or Play-Doh. If you don't have any, you can find it at most craft sotres or at any children's toy store (even at Dollar-Store type places sometimes). Spend some time playing--squeezing, puling, twisting, kneading. When the clay is pliable, shape what you have into the likeness or image of one of your most treasured friends. After you've created your sculpture, set it in front of you, and read Isaiah 64:8:

Still, God, you are our Father. 
   We're the clay and you're our potter: 
   All of us are what you made us. (Isaiah 64:8, The Message)


Ask yourself:
"Why did I make what I did?"
"What value does this friendship have in my life?"
"What value does this sculpture have in my life?"


How would you feel if something happened to what you made?


You are God's creation, and He loves what He has made. When God looks at you, God sees an amazing work of art and says you are of infinite value and worth.


Look around your house for some finished pieces of pottery like a clay bowls, a vase, a plate, or a mug. Think about these things and how they must've brought joy and satisfaction to the artist.


Now imagine God looking at you--breathing a sigh of deep satisfaction with His finished work of art. Imagine God holding you. Think about how much love God has for you.


He is your potter.

Hair

Pluck a hair from your head (or retrieve it from a hairbrush). Look at it closely with a magnifying glass, or even a microscope if you have one. If you must, I'm sure you can google an image of a strand of hair. Consider the craftsmanship that God put into that hair--the delicate structure, the color, the curliness or straightness of it.

How important is hair? Why do we have it? Ever had a bad hair day? A good hair day? What difference does it make?

What messages does your hair (the look of it, the style) communicate to others about you?

"What's the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one. And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries." (Luke 12:6-7, The Message)

This passage contains another message about hair. Jesus uses hair o communicate His great love for you and His care for you. the Creator who cares about the life and events of the lowly sparrow cares much more about you! Every detail of your life is important. Every circumstance. Every fear. Every worry. God cares.

What are the concerns or situations most troubling to you right now? Share them with God.

What are the fears or worries that keep you from the fullness of joy you can have in Christ? Tell Him.

How have you questioned God's care for you? Tell Him about it now.

Close your eyes, and let God embrace you and wrap His loving arms around you. Stay still and quiet. Ask God to hold you. Ask Him to show you ways to rest in His hand, free worry and fear.

Father, thank You for knowing me so intimately, for knowing every hair on my head, and for how much You lovingly care for me. May I live as Your child today, cared for, loved, and free from worry and fear. You are on the throne. You hold everything in the palm of Your hand. You are good and wise. May You be glorified in My life today as I really live in You.

A Family Likeness

Christ... in me.

Find some photos of your ancestors--your mom or dad, your grandparents, your great-great aunt (if you can find them). How many generations can your go back?

Study the photos and look for family likeness. Where do you get your nose from, or your type of hair? Who does your family blame for your short temper (or whatever crazy issue you may have inherited--my wife tells me that I inherited the vice of whistling all the time from my dad)? From whom do you get your height (or lack thereof)?

Some of us don't know much about our families. For me, personally, one side only can think back a couple of generations. On the other, my grandfather has traced our lineage, through one line anyway, to the tribe of Benjamin. I didn't even know I had Jewish blood until I was in my mid-thirties. But I also know that I'm like many Americans--a mixture of many backgrounds and ethnicities.

What would you ask your ancestors if you could?

Perhaps you are adopted--what traits of personality, taste, or behavior might you have "inherited" from your adoptive parents? What have they passed on to you?

Do you have the same hobbies or habits as others in  your family? Who has passed on their likes and dislikes to you?

The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life he brings into Light. He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn't even notice. He came to his own people, but they didn't want him. But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves. These are the God-begotten, not blood-begotten, not flesh-begotten, not sex-begotten.(John 1:9-13, The Message, by Eugene Peterson)

You are God's child, part of His family. What family likenesses are there between you and God? Do you share His concerns, His passions, His likes and dislikes? How would you like your character to become more like God's?

Ask God to make you more like Him. What do you have to look forward to as His child? Who else is part of the family?

Revel in the sense of belonging, of significance, of security, and of hope.

(adapted from Christ In Me, 30 Next-Level Encounters, Group Publishing, 2002)

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Father, You are so good. Thank you for creating us, Your children. May we have an overwhelming sense of awe and love from being in Your family today.

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Every blessing in Christ to each of you this week!

Shopping

Go and buy something at a supermarket. It doesn't have to be big--maybe a candy bar or a piece of fruit. Then sit near the checkout counter and watch other people paying for hey items. Who has the fullest shopping cart? How do they pay--cash, check, or charge?

Now imagine what would have happened if you had walked out of the store without paying. Or what if someone pushed a full cart past the checkout and headed straight for the door? The cashier might shout, security guards might come running, an alarm might sound... Consider the drama of that scene in your mind. How would it end?

Consider the following thoughts from 1 Peter 1:18-21 (The Message):

Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ's sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It's because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.

Paying for something means you own it--it's yours. Taking without paying is theft and brings consequences.

Jesus hs paid a price for you--to set you free from an empty way of life. You belong to Him--and no one can change that. But He didn't pay with money--He paid with His own life, His own precious blood because you were worth it.

How does that make you feel? Take a moment to pray and tell Jesus about it.

Jesus. ALL.

(adapted from Christ In Me: 30 Next-level Encounters, Group Publishing, 2002)

What's Happening?

Our Mission...

... is to make fully devoted disciples of Jesus in the Carrollwood Community.

Our Values

Discipleship... Creativity... Excellence... Compassion... Mission

This Weekend

"Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: 'I'm after mercy, not religion.' I'm here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders." (Matthew 9:12-13, The Message).

Knowing naturally follows meeting. Among the best ways to know a person is to dine with that person. We continue our series this weekend, “Knowing Jesus,” looking at a few of the instances when people dined with Jesus and knew Him better for the experience. This Saturday: "Dinner with Matthew."


Saturday, 10:00 AM -- Sabbath Morning Connection Groups

• Kids' Connections - Sabbath morning  activities and learning experiences for children, age birth-4 (1st classroom on the left, Classroom Wing), and 5-12 (Fellowship Hall).
• Evangelism & Witnessing – Adult Sabbath School Quarterly, Dan McNab, Sanctuary Classroom South.
• Youth Sabbath School – Saturday mornings at 10:00 am in the Fellowship Hall classroom (with Merrilyn Johnson).
• Your Story/Prayer Story, a time for testimony and prayer, meets Saturday mornings at 10:00 AM in the Sanctuary Classroom North next to the sound room.

Saturday, 11:00 AM -- Sabbath Worship

• Carrollwood Kids - Tons of fun, and all about Jesus! (Fellowship Hall).
• "Knowing Jesus: Dinner With Matthew" (Matthew 9:9-13) - Sanctuary

Announcements

• Nominating Committee – Members are asked to meet Sabbath after worship services. Members include Chuck Reeves, Chris Henry, Dan McNab, Laura Reeves, Edith Bowman, and James Johnson. Please contact any of these members with your desire to serve Jesus at Carrollwood.
• “Following Jesus” – Dan McNab is leading a Connection Group Sabbath at 2:00 PM focusing on being a disciple of Jesus.
• "Faith & Fit," an exercise boot camp with Patrick Thomas, will meet tomorrow at 4:00 PM.
• “Bike and Bible,” a new Connection Group, is meeting today at the Wilsky Blvd. trailhead of the Upper Tampa Bay Trail at 3:30 PM. Contact Chuck Reeves with any questions.
• Help is needed with our birth-5 year-old group. If you would like an incredibly rewarding experience in ministering to God’s kids, please contact Mollie Schmoling or James Johnson, or indicate your interest on your connection card.

Offering This Week

• Local Church Budget – Today’s offerings go to our local church budget. This fund supports ministries that help us make disciples, including youth ministries, VBS, and community wellness initiatives, as well as operating costs. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Every blessing to each of you this week in Christ!

No Answer?

Wait until after 5 p.m.--when the business day is done. Grab a phone book and flip through the yellow pages. Select some phone numbers of places you've been or business you've visited such as your dentist's office or the bank--places that are closed in the evening. Give one of these numbers a call (if you know no one will pick up).

What happened? Did the phone ring and ring? Did you reach a voice mail message or answering service?

"We're closed... nobody is in the office... please call back during normal business hours..." Do you ever feel like a machine is telling you, "Hey, dummy, did you really think anyone would answer?"

What if you really needed to talk to a friend and tried to call, but your friend didn't answer? What if there was an emergency and you dialed 911... and no one answered? What if you got a message saying, "We're closed"?

Have you ever felt that way about God? Like you're trying to connect but you just can't get through? Like you're talking to thin air? Does God ever seem far away, remote and silent? Closed?

Think of one specific time you tried to pray but it felt like a one-sided conversation.

No look through the phone book again--find a 24-hour grocery store, pharmacy, or hospital. Would they be open if you called? What if you called at 3 a.m. Or 7:30?

"For the eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer..." (1 Peter 3:12a)

Read this again, aloud. GOd is always attentive to your prayer. He is available any hour, any minute, any second. He is never closed. He is never too busy. No matter how you may feel sometimes, He's never unavailable.

Give Him a call. Talk to Him right now. Tell Him about your day. He's listening. Really listening.

Father, I know You hear, that Your eyes are toward me and Your ears hear me even when I don't speak aloud. Remind me today of Your closeness, love, and grace.