SERMON SERIES FROM 2 PETER!
The book of 2 Peter is written with an emphasis on holy living, sanctification, and how to address false teaching. The recurring theme is standing firm in the midst of deception, persecution, and false teaching. Peter encourages believers not to allow any of these trials to bring them sadness, because we have God’s promises that He will make things right, and we have the assurance that His timing is perfect.
IMPORTANT DATES
- Saturday, September 18 – Fellowship Hall Carpet Cleaning Extravaganza!
- Sunday, September 19 – Wedding Reception after service!
- Sunday, September 26 – Youth Sunday!
- Saturday, October 2 – Community Resource Fair in parking lot!
- Sunday, October 3 – Baby Bottle Campaign Begins!
MASK-WEARING REMINDER
Don’t forget your masks on Sunday! For the health and safety of all, particularly those in our church family with fragile or compromised immune systems, we at Midway are following the mask-wearing mandate from the governor. Thank you all for your patience and consideration for one another!
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE…
A mother in Milwaukee was complaining to a friend about all 3 of her children being sick at the same time. When she got off the phone, her 10-year-old daughter commented, “Mom, if you think you have troubles, just think about God. He has to watch His children all over the world! Now, that’s what I call troubles!”
HIGHLIGHTS OF LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETING SEPT. 12
- Monthly giving exceeded expenses once again.
- Congregational Meeting Sunday, October 3, immediately after the service, to welcome three new members.
- Approved Leadership Team Policies to guide how we fulfill our constitutional responsibilities.
- Partnering with Congolese International Network (CIN) to host a Community Health Clinic in our parking lot, tentative date October 2.
- Work on improving the front yard landscaping will begin the end of September.
- Protective gates will be installed on our four public access points; work to begin this month.
- Plans for Midway mid-week potlucks and prayer/Bible study options are underway, tentatively beginning week of September 26.
Ruth Hill, Chair
DIGGING DEEPER
Fill in the blanks using the words in the box below.
Last Sunday, Pastor Shaun preached on Jonah chapter 4. He reminded us that the previous chapter had ended with God relenting from ________ out the destruction on Ninevah that Jonah had prophesied would happen. Chapter 4 opens with Jonah expressing anger at God for relenting and showing mercy on Ninevah when they repented, rather than doing what Jonah wanted and completely destroying the _____ and its people. Rather than being grateful for God’s relenting when the people repented, Jonah accused God of going back on His word and being a ____ who changes his mind. Jonah was limiting God to doing and being only what was acceptable/comprehensible to Jonah. By putting God in a ____, Jonah had a hard time processing God’s out-of-the-box response of love and mercy to the repenting people of Ninevah. Like Jonah, any one of us can put God in a box. Because God is perfect, all-knowing, and unchanging, it is not in his nature to repent, because repenting means to acknowledge the sinful folly of one’s way and turn _____ from it. Relenting, however, is in keeping with God’s character. Relenting means to ease up, or slow mercy on, someone who is facing severe judgment. Remember this: God is unchanging, all knowing, and faithful to His promises. He has promised judgment on all who reject Him. He has also _________ mercy and salvation for all who surrender their lives to Him. By turning to Him in repentance, it’s a surrender of our entirety—our mentalities, our perspectives, our understanding—our everything. Rather than demanding, in difficult circumstances, that God align himself to what we want, it becomes WE who surrender, and ___ who change, to align ourselves to God and His purposes so that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds!
| away city promised carrying WE box God |
BABY BOTTLE CAMPAIGN!
It’s almost time for the Baby Bottle Campaign to begin! This campaign will help raise funds for the local Care Net Center as they continue to meet the needs of young, pregnant mothers-to-be. Baby bottles will be distributed at church starting Sunday, October 3, and the goal is for you to distribute them to your families, friends, and loved ones to see how many we can fill by the end of October!
ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL!
Fall is here and we are excited about bringing back our Sunday morning adult Bible Study! Start date is scheduled for October 10, just 3 weeks away. Classes will be held in the Narthex at 8:45 a.m.
PRAISES/PRAYER REQUESTS
1. Continue to pray for loved ones and community members who are sick with COVID.
2. Continue to pray for strength, health, and reprieve for our healthcare workers as they care for all the wounded and sick patients who enter their clinics and hospitals.
3. Continue to pray for our nations and leaders.
SERMON SCHEDULE
September 19: Rev. Shaun Higgins, 2 Peter 1:1-21
September 26: Rev. Shaun Higgins, 2 Peter 2:1-22
October 3: Rev. Shaun Higgins, 2 Peter 3:1-18
CHURCH & OFFICE INFORMATION
- The Church Office is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Office phone number: 206-878-4861 // Office email: office@midwaycovenant.org
- Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary (or online at live.midcov.org)
- Children’s Sunday School upstairs at 10:30 a.m.
- Discipleship Lunch Group: Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall
- Men’s Bible Study Breakfast Group: Thursdays at 8:00 a.m. at Tuscany’s in Des Moines