Shirley
Riekemann:
Prayers for healing and strength. (825 N. Cotner Blvd – Lincoln, 68505)
Larry Bonnema:
Prayers for healing and strength. (1201 Main Street – Plattsmouth, 68048)
Mary Jo Cobb:
Prayers for healing and strength. (2350 East Lake Drive – Union, 68455)
Craig Mallett:
Prayers for healing and strength. (8803 2nd Ave. – Murray, 68409)
Gladys Hauschild:
Prayers for healing and strength. (7606 McKelvie Rd. – Nehawka, 68413)
Betty Tepner:
Prayers for healing and strength for Betty and strength for Dixie Craft. (5309 Crogans Way Rd. Council Bluffs,
IA 51501)
Don Loftin: Prayers for healing & strength. (9500
Milford Rd.-Beaver Lake, NE 68048)
Dave, Jenny, Samantha & Ella Cook: Prayers of strength for the family &
healing for Ella.
(9923 12th Street – Murray
NE 68409)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Additional
Prayer Concerns:
Rich Wordekemper:
Prayers for Rich and his family as they mourn his mom’s passing. (3700 S.
Westport Ave. #2659 – Sioux Falls, SD
57106-6360)
Cathy Balfour
as she battles cancer. (11509 A Street-Avoca, NE 68307)
Nickey Johnson: Prayers for Nickey and her family as they
mourn the passing of her mother and father.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Thoughts
& Prayers for our shut-ins:
Lottie Johnson:
Continual prayers. (Ambassador, 1800 14th Ave. #208, Nebraska
City, NE 68410)
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Remember the members of our Armed Forces,
who are serving overseas and stateside:
Dave Cook
Troy Froistad
Kris Kidd
Philmore Williams
*************************
Continued Prayers of comfort for:
The Family of Rich Wordekemper
The Family of Nickey Johnson
What: Spring Women’s Retreat for women of all ages!
When: March 5th and 6th (7:30PM – Noon)
Where: Lied Lodge, Nebraska City, check in begins at 6:30PM
Contact: Krista @ KristaKay@alumni.wfu.edu
or 719-688-8936
What
we’ll do…
·
Hear from a passionate and gifted
speaker:
Dr. Nancy Grisham
·
Reflect on God’s love expressed fully
through Jesus
·
Relax and enjoy some “girl time”
·
Rejuvenate our faith and our friendships
*Registration due by February 22nd
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
February 10th at 7 PM
***************************************************************
Please join us following the service on February 14th
for a “winter picnic.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What:
Pancake Supper… free-will donation
When:
Tuesday, February 16, Time: 5-8PM
Why:
To raise funds for scouting and a
Scout
laptop
***************************************************************
Early Singing in Presbyterian Churches
Submitted by: Virginia Spangler
In the early Reformed Churches, many Psalms
were set to music so the congregation could use them in worship. Calvin himself made French translations for
church usage. Martin Luther, using
Psalm 46, set “A Mighty Fortress is our God” to music. The first
book printed in North America was the Bay Psalm Book.
When I first joined Murray Presbyterian Church, some of the older
members told me that Presbyterians were called "Psalm Singers"
because they strongly preferred to sing the Psalms. We still use some of these
quite often: "Come, Sing to God" (Psalm 20); Many versions of
the 23rd Psalm; "God Is Our Refuge and Our
Strength" (Psalm 46); "God of Mercy, God of Grace” (Psalm
67); “Our God, Our Help in Ages Past" (Psalm 90:1-5); "All
People That on Earth Do Dwell" (Psalm 100); "I to the Hills
Will Lift My Eyes” (Psalm 121) and "Now Praise the Lord” (Psalm 147).
Please call 235-3323 or
e-mail (Harold-laverne@inebraska.com)
LaVerne Ebner if you have anything to put out on the prayer chain – no matter
how small you may think it is!
*****************************************************
Murray
Presbyterian Church
T-Shirts
We have a few shirts left in stock (Youth
Small and Large; Adult Small and X-Large).
If you would like one, please see one of the Deacons. More shirts in various sizes have been
ordered. The cost to you is $3.00.
***********************************************************************
Please remember the food pantry and those in need as you shop at
the grocery store. If you have any
donations and you cannot get to the food pantry to drop them off, please bring
them to church and we will be happy to deliver them for you!
**************************************************
If you are interested in attending a Membership Class - Pastor
Jeff McDonald will be glad to talk to you!
Please call (402) 682-1439
*****************************************************************************
Liturgists
If you are interested, please sign-up on the
sheet on the back table. Please
participate and know that your service to the church is appreciated. A special Thank You to all who have done so
in the past.
**********************************************************
Please visit our website at www.murraypresbyterian.com to see
the weekly bulletin, congregational life, and the monthly newsletter!
Tell a
friend!!!!!
*************************************************************************
Happy
Anniversary to:
Rich
& Marci Wordekemper 2/17
Dean
& Julie Nickels 2/28
Happy Birthday
to:
Where we’ve been in the Bible:
Study Guide
2 Corinthians (written about AD.
56)
-Corinth, Greece—major ancient commercial center. Corinth has been referred to as the Las
Vegas of the ancient world.
-Paul defends his ministry against false
teachers—Judaizers.
-In 2 Corinthians Paul focuses on the centrality of the
cross.
-Paul encourages the Corinthian Christians to be generous.
-Paul trusts in God for strength when he is weak and
things are difficult.
Philippians (written about A.D.
61)
-Philippi, Macedonia (Northern, Greece). Military retirement community.
-Very generous in their giving.
-Paul calls the Philippians to imitate Christ’s humility.
-He also instructs them to not put confidence in ritual,
but rather in Jesus Christ.
-The quarrel between Eudia and Syntyche. Paul pleads with them to agree with each
other in the Lord.
-Paul tells the church at Philippi to put into practice
whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and
praiseworthy.
Colossians (written about A.D. 61)
-Colosse—located in what is today southwestern Turkey.
-Small town.
Various cults have an extremely strong presence in the community.
-Paul stresses that Christ is the Supreme creator and
ruler of the universe.
-He teaches that Jesus is not just a way to God—Jesus is
God.
-True fullness is to be found in Jesus Christ and not human
traditions—festivals, religious diets, etc.
-Paul urges the Christians in Colosse to pray constantly
and share their faith.
Philemon (written about A.D. 61)
-Paul wrote this letter to a wealthy man in Colosse named
Philemon.
-Paul writes a very warm and appreciative letter to
Philemon asking him to welcome back a slave named Onesimus.
-Onesimus had apparently stole money from Philemon and
then ran away.
-Onesimus had a life changing
conversion to God and somehow became friends with Paul in Rome. Now Paul wants Philemon to welcome back
Onesimus as a brother in Christ.
1 Thessalonians (written about A.D. 50)
-Thessalonica, Macedonia (Northern Greece).
-Thessalonica was a large commercial center and a major
seaport.
-Earlier Paul had started a riot there when he visited the
town and preached the “Good News.”
(Acts 17)
-Paul gives thanks for the Thessalonian
Christian’s faith, defends his own ministry there, and rejoices that the
Thessalonian Christians have accepted the word of God as it truly is the word
of God (ch. 1 & 2). These believers
are doing a great job of sharing the faith.
-Thessalonian Christians are being
persecuted by unbelievers and tempted by Satan, but their faith is remaining
strong (ch. 3).
-Paul gives instructions in Christian living—live a quite
life, work, earn respect from outsiders by how you live (ch. 4). Avoid immorality and love each other.
-Paul explains what will happen to believers—both the
living and the dead—at the time of the second coming of Jesus (ch. 5). Encourage one another and build each other
up.
Galatians
-Galatia (Central Modern Turkey)
-Paul writes this letter to the church in the region known
as Galatia. Written circa 47-48 A.D.
-The letter to the Galatians was written to emphasize the
complete sufficiency of justification by faith alone in one’s relationship with
God.
-This letter stresses that God has freed us from the
project of self-salvation.
-The Galatian churches—where many new believers were
Gentiles—were being strongly influenced to add traditional Jewish beliefs and
practices to their newfound faith.
-While it was quite natural for Jewish Christians to
continue to worship as they always had in the past, to require the same for
Gentiles was, to Paul, tantamount to promoting a different gospel.
James
-James was written as a
practical letter to Jewish Christians scattered throughout the Mediterranean
world.
-James was the half brother of
Jesus.
-Ch. 1:Don’t just be a hearer of
God’s Word (scripture), but be a doer.
Be quick to listen and slow to speak.
-Ch. 2: Favoritism is forbidden
in the church. We are not saved by
deeds, but deeds give evidence that you have faith. Intellectual assent to God is not enough we must follow Him in
our daily lives.
-Ch. 3: James focuses on the
need to control your tongue.
-Ch. 4: Friendship with the ways
of the world is hatred towards God.
Christians are to submit themselves to God and follow Him.
-Ch. 5: As we face suffering we
are to be patient and stand firm.
1 Peter
-1 Peter was written by Peter to
suffering Christians who were experiencing persecution.
-Written to various churches in
northern Asia Minor (present day Turkey).
Written in the 60s.
-Peter reminded them of their
heavenly hope and eternal inheritance so that they would be strengthened to
persevere in the midst of suffering.
-He emphasized that believers
are called to live lives of holiness and love in the midst of trials.
-Live like living stones who are
built into a spiritual house with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone.
-Respond in a godly way to
suffering and persecution. Suffering
can produce maturity in the Christian.
-Resist Satan and realize that
there are other Christians suffering throughout the world.
1 John
-The purpose of this letter was
to expose false teaching about Christ and to give believers assurance of their
salvation.
2 John
-This short letter was written
to warn against entertaining visitors who do not teach the truth about
Jesus. This is the only New Testament
letter addressed to a lady.
Acts
-Ch. 1= Jesus promises his
apostles that they will receive the Holy Spirit. He also tells his apostles that they “will be my witnesses,
telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”
-Ch. 2:1-21=On the day of
Pentecost the Holy Spirit Comes to the early Christian believers. A crowd from Jerusalem is attracted to where
the Christians are.
-Ch. 2:22-41=Peter preaches to
the crowd that Jesus has been raised from the dead and is the Messiah. He tells the crowd they repent of their sins
and turn to God.
-Ch. 2:42-47=Luke chronicles how
the early Christian believers devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching, and
to fellowship, and to the sharing of meals, and to prayer. Believers in the early church shared their
possessions and money with those in need.
Each day the Lord added to the church those who were being saved.
-Ch. 3:1-11=Peter heals the lame
man at the gate.
-Ch. 4:1-16=Peter and John are
arrested for healing the lame man.
They’re brought before the Sanhedrian Court. Peter give an inspiring speech before the court and he and John
are released.
-Ch. 5:1-11=Luke records how
Ananias and Saphira tried to deceive the church financially. They are both
struck down by God for their deception.
-Ch. 6:1-7=The church dispute
between the Hebrew speaking widows and the Greek speaking widows concerning the
distribution of food. Seven men
appointed to oversee fair distribution.
Church continues to grow.
-Ch. 7=Stephen becomes a leader
in church and is subsequently arrested.
He is brought before the Sanherdian Court and defends himself. He is stoned to death. Saul is present at Stephen’s killing and
approved of it.
-Ch. 9:1-19=Paul’s Damascus Road
encounter with Jesus. Through this
encounter Paul goes from being one of the greatest enemies of the church to
being the church’s greatest missionary.
-Ch. 9:19b-30=Paul’s early
preaching and threats to his life.
-Ch. 10=The conversion of
Cornelius.
Submitting
Information ForThe Bulletin Or Newsletter
If you
have information that needs to be put in the Congregational Life or Newsletter,
please send an email to the church address, which is murraypresbyterian@windstream.net
