A New Frame

Don Jacobsen's blog last weekend was titled A New Frame. This a thoughtful reflection on the purpose of prayer.

Truth be told, the only compelling reason we pray is for the glory of God. Interesting thought to ponder. He knows what we need before we ask so we don’t pray to inform Him. We ask to concede our need and He is glorified.

We pray to acknowledge our helplessness. Jesus said, Without Him we can do nothing, and when we pray we are indicating that we have learned that lesson, and He is thereby glorified.

When an insurmountable obstacle blocks our way we pray, remembering the rhetorical question, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?,” we recall that the answer to that question is an unqualified No, and God is glorified.

When our needs are greater than our supply we pray to the God who calls Himself Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord our Provider, and from His infinite abundance He pours resources on us, and He is glorified.

When we are made downcast by our persistent violation of His will, we recall that He is the one – the only one – who can deal with both our sins and our fallen natures. And when we ask for cleansing He rejoices and He is glorified.

When we struggle through the dark places we discover the promise that He is the Light of the world, and when the Son rises He is glorified.

Even His children are sometimes derailed by addictions – of all kinds – and we lay them eagerly before Him. To our amazement He shows Himself to be our Strong Deliverer. And He is glorified.

When relationships are strained, in the family and out, we pray for healing and He does His work of restoration. Love returns and He is glorified.

Fear arises at times in every heart. Sometimes petty, sometimes paralyzing. But in His Word is the exhortation, Don’t be afraid … 365 times, enough for every day. And when the peace He promises beyond understanding finally absorbs into our hearts our whole countenance changes and He is glorified.

I notice that when I put this new frame around my prayer time I begin to see an entirely new picture. We are not asking so that He will meet our needs, but rather, whatever the outcome, that He will be glorified. That’s why, as His child, I love to pray. (Click here to read it online.)

Click here to sign up to receive the HOPE Heals weekly messages. Click here to go to their website, Hope-Heals.org.

Church Positions

There are several positions we need to fill here at the church in the next couple of months. If you are interested in any of these, or have suggestions for someone to fill these, please contact Kalvin Tuel (e-mail or 402-201-6370) or Pastor T. (e-mail or 402-517-5333).

• Head Elder: The Head Elder works as the Pastor’s Associate here at church in providing for Spiritual leadership and direction. He/She also functions as the Chairman of the Church Board.
• Treasurer: The Treasurer manages the finances of our church. He/She maintains the financial records, pays our bills, and is instrumental in planning and maintaining our budget.
• Sabbath School Secretary: The Sabbath School Secretary orders and maintains the supply of Sabbath School lessons for all our Sabbath School Classes. They also collect the Sabbath School Offering each Sabbath morning from the classes.
• Junior Sabbath School Leader: The Junior Sabbath School Leader coordinates the teaching and activities of the Junior Sabbath School Class (Ages 10-12).
• Communications Director: The Communications Director coordinates and publishes the Golden News (email Newsletter), and develops other means of getting information to our members.

Calendar Events

Sunset this Friday – 7:12 pm

This Sabbath at Church

• Breakfast in the Fellowship Hall (9:20 – 9:50 am)
• Sabbath School (10:00 am)
• Traditional Sabbath School Class, Church Sanctuary: Studying the current Sabbath School Lesson (click here to read it on-line).
• Alternative Sabbath School Class, Hearth Room – Quest for Glory: So You Want To Be A Hero: We will look at the individual stories of the people mentioned in Hebrews 11 to see what made them a hero of faith and how we can apply those principles to our lives. Click here to see a basic outline of our study.
• Worship Service (11:15 am) – This Sabbath, we’re going to take a break from our Sermon Series to consider some important questions: Does God really love me? Does He even like me? Why do the voices in my head always tell me I am not enough? Pastor T’s sermon is titled God Loves You – Yes, You!
• To download or print a PDF copy of last week’s sermon titled You Have Heard … (Concluded), click here.

Pathfinders & Adventurers meet this Monday (Sept. 30) at 6:30 pm. For information about Pathfinders contact Holly Degerness (402-917-4718) or Marina Nolasco (402-594-0671); for information about Adventurers, contact Lori Knutson (402-980-5018).

• Click here to download a copy of the 2019-2020 Pathfinder Calendar.
• Click here to download a copy of the 2019-2020 Adventurer Calendar.

Prayer Meeting meets this Tuesday (Oct. 1) at 6:00 pm. For more info contact Pastor T (402-517-5333).

Life Line Screening, a leading provider of community-based preventive health screenings will be at Golden Hills Seventh-day Adventist Church next Thursday, (Oct. 3). To download a brochure you can print or share, click here. See below for more information.

Pathfinder & Adventurer Sabbath will be one week from Sabbath (Oct. 5) during our worship service. For information about Pathfinders contact Holly Degerness (402-917-4718) or Marina Nolasco (402-594-0671); for information about Adventurers, contact Lori Knutson (402-980-5018).

Potluck After Church one week from Sabbath (Oct. 5) in the Fellowship Hall. If you’re a member, please plan to bring your favorite dish to feed your family plus a few more. If you’re a guest, just show up and enjoy it!

Church Hayrack Ride on Saturday Night, October 12 at Santa’s Woods (3764 State Hwy. 133, Blair, NE 68008). See below for more information.

Healthy for a Lifetime, October 19, 2019 at the CHI Health Center in Omaha (455 N. 10^th St., Omaha, NE). Click here for a  printable information sheet. Click here to go to their website. See below for more information

Called – Conference-Wide Women’s Retreat, October 25-27, 2019: Bonita Shields, the keynote speaker, will present Courage, Character, Commitment and Confidence for the Call. There will multiple seminars to choose from and a Saturday night full of fun! Registration forms and brochures are available in the church lobby or by clicking here. For more information, call 785-478-4726.

Response Worship Summit, October 31-November 2, 2019 at College View Church in Lincoln NE. Three days of rich worship experiences, captivating speakers, biblical preaching, and expert equipping. Pastors, worship leaders, and worshippers who long to get beyond the show and back to the substance, join us as this year we worship through the riches of inspiration, instruction, and experience within the Psalms. For more information and to register, visit www.responsesummit.org.

From Bible Gateway’s Weekly Brief

How Your Work Affects Your Relationship with God: How do we invite God into our practical living? How should we incorporate spiritual disciplines into the ordinary rhythms of everyday experience? How can we be transformed into Christ’s likeness through our jobs and daily work? Bible Gateway interviewed Denise Daniels and Shannon Vandewarker about their book, Working in the Presence of God: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Work. (Click here to read more.)

NIV Quest Study Bible – Why Does God Allow Bad Things to Happen? This is the fourth post in the NIV Quest Study Bible series on the Bible Gateway Blog in which a popular question about the Bible is asked and answered. (Click here to read more.)

Why We Kissed Date Night Goodbye: Cherie and Brian Lowe, authors of Your Money, Your Marriage: The Secrets to Smart Finance, Spicy Romance, and Their Intimate Connection, say, "Managing time and money well requires thinking differently. Sometimes the cherished ideals of others seep into what we think our finances and romance should look like. We need a new lens on old expectations and conventional wisdom.” (Click here to read more.)

Learn about and download the free award-winning Bible Gateway App by clicking here.

Check Out the entire Weekly Brief by clicking here. To subscribe to any one of their many email newsletters and Bible Studies, click here.

On-Line Church Directory Information

Now you can sync our church directory directly to your Apple, Android, or Kindle Fire device with a Free App! You can search for other members – and then email, call, or text right from the directory app. It’s easy!

• Go to your device’s App Store.(Click here for Apple products, click here for Android devices, or click here for Kindle Fire.
• Search for Instant Church Directory.
• Enter your email as it’s listed in our church directory.
• Follow the directions on the screen to complete the login process.

Scam Information

There is a scam going around that looks like this: You receive an email or text message from the pastor or from the church asking you to make a contribution through a gift card.

This is against IRS guidelines for churches or non-profit organizations. We will never ask for donations or funds in this way. If you receive a request from the pastor or the church like this, do NOT respond or act.

Life Line Screening

Life Line Screening, a leading provider of community-based preventive health screenings will be at Golden Hills Seventh-day Adventist Church next Thursday, (Oct. 3). Ultrasound screenings to Identify risk factors for Cardiovascular disease include; Carotid Artery (plaque buildup-a leading cause of stroke), Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (an enlargement or weak area in the main blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body), Peripheral Arterial Disease (hardening of the arteries in the legs), a Heart Rhythm Screening (an EKG to detect Atrial Fibrillation-irregular heartbeat) and an Osteoporosis Risk Assessment for men and women. Being proactive about your health by knowing your risks helps you and your doctor address problems early. Register online TODAY by clicking here, calling toll-free 866-229-0469, or texting the word circle to 797979 to receive your Community Circle discount and your Preferred Appointment! For more information about the services provided, click here. To download a brochure you can print or share, click here.

Hayrack Ride

Come to Santa’s Woods (3764 State Hwy. 133, Blair, NE 68008) on October 12^th at 7:00 pm! The church will be having a bonfire and hay-rack ride. The hay-rack ride will be at 9 pm. S'mores, hot drinks, and condiments will be provided. Please bring your own hot dogs, buns, and skewers. Adults cost $9, kids ages 5-12 cost $6, and kids 5 and under are free. Please pay in cash to Hannah Eitel that night. If you want to come and just enjoy the fire and the fellowship without the ride, there is no charge. We hope to see you there!

Healthy for a Lifetime

Healthy for a Lifetime offers a powerful and positive message of hope to everyone who has seen family and friends affected by heart disease, diabetes, obesity and other conditions. There are few things more important than our health and while much time, effort, and money has been spend on ways to improve health over the past 50 years, obesity has nearly tripled, diabetes is up about 600%, and heart disease remains the leading killer.

Only whole food plant-based nutrition has been scientifically proven to actually reverse all these conditions without negative side effects, but this information has not been widely shared with the public. This is an opportunity to hear the evidence firsthand from the leading experts in a relaxed, fun, and non-medical atmosphere where all are welcome.

Healthy for a Lifetime will take place Saturday, October 19, 2019 starting at 9:00 am and concluding around 5:00 pm at the CHI Health Center in Omaha (455 N. 10^th St., Omaha, NE). The cost for the seminar is $49.50 per person ($39.50 for full-time students) and includes a buffet lunch, free parking, and a gift bag. Click here for a  printable information sheet. Click here to go to their website. Click here to register.  

Outreach/Community Service Opportunities

Help for Survivors of Current Natural Disasters: ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency) works with other disaster relief agencies to assist survivors of the many current natural disasters. To find out how you can help, click here.

Used Stamps Needed! Your used stamps can help Christian Record Services for the Blind raise money. Just tear them off the envelope, being careful to include the entire stamp and bring them to church. Put them into the container provided out on the table and we will take care of getting them where they need to go.

Miscellaneous Information

Lippincott Family Updates: Check out the latest update from Lorilee and Bryon Lippincott about their family’s experiences serving God in Asia. To access a PDF copy of the most recent update, click here. To access a PDF copy that includes all we have received from 2019, click here; 2018, click here; 2017, click here; 2016, click here;  2013-2015, click here. To check out their website, click here. Don’t forget to check out Sharing Dots for Kids. To sign up for their e-mail newsletter, click here.

Free Estate Planning & Wills: Norm Zimmerman, Trust Director for the Kansas Nebraska Conference, is available by appointment to assist anyone who needs Estate Planning, Wills, etc. For more information contact Norm (402-617-2001).

On-Line Giving Available! Our church offers on-line giving through our website. If you would prefer to give electronically or if you are going to be away and want to stay up-to-date with your giving, click here. Adventist Giving now has an App you can download directly to your smart phone to make the process even easier. For an iPhone, click here. For Android phones, click here.

Our Church E-Mail Newsletter, Directly to Your Computer! If you would like to receive our weekly, e-mail newsletter, directly to your computer, click here and enter your information in the space provided in the lower right-hand portion of our church home page.

Adventist Screening Verification

Verified Volunteers has changed their name to Sterling Volunteers. The NAD has decided to select a parent name that can remain in their publications and website landing pages on a permanent basis. The name chosen for all our background screening and training needs is Adventist Screening Verification.

In cooperation with the Kansas Nebraska Conference, we are working with Adventist Screening Verification to provide background checks and on-line education for our church officers and everyone who works with our children. This helps ensure that we have some training to help us recognize and avoid situations that would put our children at risk. In addition to our elected Church Officers, everyone who works with Pathfinders and Adventurers, Children’s or Youth Sabbath School Classes, Children’s Church, and VBS must go through this training and submit to a background check (there is no cost to you or to our church). It will take about an hour of your time.

To go to the website where you begin this process, click here and then select First-Time Registrant and follow the instructions. For more information, contact Pastor T (402-517-5333).

Last Week’s Sermon

To download or print a PDF copy of last week’s sermon titled You Have Heard … (Concluded), click here.

Prayer Watch

There are several people and concerns that we are praying about, for more information about any of these or to request something to be added to our list, feel free to contact Pastor T. (402-517-5333)

• The Holy Spirit – to fill and guide our church
• Our Church Leaders (Pastor, Elders, Deacons, Board Members, Sabbath School Class Leaders, Pathfinder/Adventurer Leaders, Etc.)
• Donna & Gary Parker continue to have health issues and are both at Hillcrest Heath and Rehab in Bellevue (click here for a map).
• Raul Calderon, Larry Carter, Ron Egger, Gary Jeffers, Michael McKinnie, Dusty Mayhew, Floyd Morrison, Darin Stotler, Irvin Surber, Christian Willey, Gary Wilson, & Thaddeus Woolsey (inmates Pastor T. is studying with)
• The Lippincott Family
• Kevin Klesh (Safety in his work as a Police Officer)
• Those dealing with Health Issues: Mary Jane Agan’s father, Al Bakerlis (Diane Harrington’s brother-in-law), Heather Boulais (UC Student), Tammy Burville (Amy Newman-Holub’s cousin), Tanya Callahan (Elizabeth Knutson’s sister), Brenda Carroll (Judy Carroll’s sister-in-law), Dennis Cushman, Emma (Mary Jane Agan’s granddaughter), Tammy Gagne, John Hiers, Irene (Mike Guy’s mother), Jane (Mary Jane Agan’s daughter-in-law), Janice (Elma’s friend), Dick & June Klein, Brett Knutson, Reagan Knutson, Ginger Kroeker, Paul Lostaglia, Dagny Martinsen, Steve Newton (and family), Melody Parker, Donna & Gary Parker, Sheila and her brother Paul, Dane Swensen, Donald & JoAnn Swensen (Les Swensen’s father and step mom), Charise Talley, Cindy & Bob Tice (Elizabeth Knutson’s parents)

Pastor’s Contact Information

To contact Pastor T, leave him a message by clicking here.  

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