ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

HE’S HERE!  HE’S HERE!!!  The mall loud-speakers blare:  “Come and see Santa!  Sit on his lap and tell him what you want for Christmas!  Have your picture taken with Santa!”  The line grows long – each child eagerly waiting their turn.  But … like someone has said, “where’s the line to see Jesus?”  We should be on every “street corner of our lives” … proclaiming, “HE’S HERE!  HE’S HERE!!!  Come and see Jesus!  Sit on His lap and tell him what you need in your life.  He’s the Giver of all good gifts!  And you don’t need to have a picture taken with Jesus, because He is with you ALL the time.  You don’t have to wait for Christmas to see Him and sit on His lap.  He’s HERE – every day, every hour, every moment!”  The scenario is all too often reversed, and just like this week with the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut, people were asking, “Where was God?”  First of all, they weren’t looking for Him in that place, because He has been dis-invited and kicked out of our nation’s schools – for a very long time now.  But I believe had they really looked for Him there, they would have seen Him holding those children in His arms in the midst of that chaos, just as some of the teachers did on that fateful day.  He knew what would happen before it happened … for He has given us the gift of free will.  And so He was there, to personally carry those little ones from this earth to their heavenly home.  We could sit and theorize and evaluate and diagnose until we were blue in the face.  How could any of us ever understand the “why” of such a horrendous act against children?  Only God knows the truth behind it all.  Because we do not have the power to change what has already taken place, the best comfort we can find is the realization that God will turn the ashes into beauty.  And for now, the only beauty we can see is that of these precious little ones sitting on His lap in Heaven – each child getting their own one-on-one time with Jesus after getting their personal tour of their new Home.  And peeking in close to listen, it seems that the one and only wish they have for their first Christmas in Heaven is:  “Please take care of my mommy and daddy!  They will miss me so much … but tell them that I love it here, and I love being with You!  Tell them not to worry, because You are taking extra-good care of me!”  Fast forward now to these last few remaining days before we celebrate this Christmas on earth.  Realities set in for those parents whose small child’s presents are already under the tree – but will never be opened by them.  Crushing grief and stark emptiness!  Who can offer a remedy for such feelings that will even remotely help heal the unimaginable hurts being experienced?  HIM!!!  HE’S HERE!  HE’S WITH THEM!!!  That’s exactly why He came!  That’s why His Name is Emmanuel:  God with us!  WITH us!  That means He is PRESENT … HE’S HERE!  From Heaven to the manger, from the manger to the cross, from the cross to the tomb, from the tomb to resurrected life, and from resurrection to Heaven again.  He sits on the Throne … but He comes to us.  To each of us – in such personal, precious ways!  Because Jesus came, we will never be the same!  We celebrate Christmas with our family and friends, yes!  But my prayer is that each of us will realize afresh and anew that we can celebrate the birth of Christ every single day of the year and every day of our lives!  We can see Him in every arena of our lives, present with us, if we’ve invited Him to be our Savior!  He’s our first responder when tragedy strikes, and He will be the One holding us as we breathe our last breath on earth.  And when we walk into Heaven, it will be God who will be announcing our arrival:  “SHE’S HERE!  HE’S HERE!”  Until we hear those words, let’s seek Him, love Him, follow Him, reflect Him, share Him, and celebrate Him.  HE’S HERE!!! 

 

 

 

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

 

A SPECIAL WELCOME to Bernie, Shelly, and Marvin who joined us in worship this past Sunday; may God bless you!

 

SUN, DEC 23:  10:00 A.M. – CHRISTMAS CANDLELIGHT COMMUNION / “Our Amazing Emmanuel” – Part 5!  You won’t want to miss this meaningful celebration of Christ’s birth in song, the Word, praise and worship, and warm fellowship!  You will also be treated to a Christmas song from our KIDZONE kids during the service!

MON, DEC 24/TUE, DEC 25:  A BLESSED CHRISTMAS EVE & DAY to all our church family – from Pastor D and Debbie!  We love each of you and thank God for you!  And most of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Jesus, our Lord and Savior ~ thank You for coming to earth for us and giving us the greatest Gift of all!

SUN, DEC 30:  10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP w/the message, “Wrapping Up The Old Year/Assessing Our Walk with God!”

SUN, DEC 30:  KIDZONE Children’s Church with Verla, Kelly, and Liz … starring puppets, lessons, verses, activities, and more!

MON, DEC 31:  8:00 P.M. to Midnight – ALL CHURCH NEW YEAR’S EVE FELLOWSHIP w/snacks and games … bring your favorites for everyone to enjoy!  Plus, there will be a short service ushering in the New Year as we welcome it in with prayer!

TUE, JAN 01:  PRAYERS for a HAPPY NEW YEAR  ~ with God’s favor upon you and your family!

SUN, JAN 06:  PRAISE & WORSHIP/a new sermon series w/our theme for the new year:  “Finding Us on Our Knees ~ In 2013”!

 

REMEMBER . . . HE IS HERE!  “For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders.  And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  Isaiah 9:6

 

 

 

Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

 

 

Pastor Doug and Debbie

 

 

 

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

 

WINTER WONDERLAND!  Yes, Lord, I see Your artistic flourishes all over the landscape ~ like the icing on the cake is your snow on the earth.  You swirl it and twirl it … sometimes you let it free-fall and stay where it may.  Always, it is done in great taste, and when the rays of sunshine burst through cold skies, it’s like a switch that turns on a million dancing, sparkling diamond lights!  The once-dead earth seems resurrected to life, and there is no Christmas display anywhere in any mall or any park that can compare with the glistening array of beauty that You have created with just one word from Your lips:  BE!  You declare it – and it is done!  You say “be” – and it IS!  You are Master of this season that surrounded Your birth one cold winter’s night so long ago!  It’s so very astounding that You came from the splendor of Your Heavenly Wonderland to this earth dead in sin.  The very Gift of Your presence in the manger in that stable ignited the skies in a blaze of Glory that led the shepherds and the townsfolk right to You!  Hope for this world and all people was resurrected at this Baby’s arrival.  God had great plans for His only Son, including giving Him again in an entirely different way to this world when the time would come.  Whips would someday swirl and twirl ~ flailing and landing cutting blows to the body of His Son.  The Father could see that day long before it would arrive, and in this moment of seeing His Son as a Babe nestled in the hay, He chose not to gaze into the future for long.  For that day would come soon enough.  His heart was content in knowing that His plan was the only way; it would bring glorious life to all of us down through the ages at the very moment that each of us would choose to say “yes” to His Son.  The Father heaved a deep sigh, the Holy Spirit hovered ever near, and that precious little Son nestled in His mother’s arms as His earthly father stood protectively next to her.  It was all as it should be.  All was well!  The birth plan was fulfilled as God had spoken it to be.  Satan’s attempts to keep the Baby from coming were thwarted.  Oh sure, he would try again, and again.  But for these moments in time, the world seem to be dancing in worship as voices were raised in praise … angelic voices, human voices, and even contented sounds from the animals in the stall – what a chorus of welcome to Jesus at His birth!  Now it’s OUR turn.  What does our wonderland look like?  I know mine is ever-changing – through each spiritual season.  And I choose to trust at each turn.  If I didn’t, I’d get swallowed up in the blizzard of life as circumstances swirl and twirl around me.  I choose to praise Him in the wilderness as well as the wonderland.  That’s the only way I make it out of the wilderness!  No matter what season it is, I choose to look for those million dancing, sparkling diamond lights!  Often they come to me in gifts of family love and joy … of strength and health for the new day … of peace in every situation I find myself in … of provision for our needs and sometimes for a few wants … of connections with dear friends, old and new … of shelter and warmth and clothing … of opportunities to give of ourselves and share … of God-appointments to minister the love of Christ to strangers … of quiet times to learn, to worship, to praise … of those growing times that stretch us almost beyond our limits … and of every Christmas season to once more celebrate the Christ-Child and the reason that He came – to give us life here and now ~ and into eternity, forever with Him in that Heavenly Wonderland.  A million reasons and more … to CELEBRATE!  God, can we make snow-angels in Heaven?! 

 

 

IN A NUTSHELL . . .
 

A SPECIAL WELCOME to little Macy, who joined us for the first time this past Sunday!  May God be ever close to you, Macy!

SPECIAL BIRTHDAY WISHES to Laura on the 18^th; to Andrew on the 21^st; and to our son, Dustin, on the 21^st!  You are loved!

 

MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDIES/SATURDAY BIBLE STUDIES will resume after the first of the year; stay in the Word this Christmas Season!!!  Choose to share the gift of your time and love with someone less fortunate and lonely!

 SUN, DEC 16:  10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP with Part 4 of “Our Amazing Emmanuel!”  Invite a friend to come with you!

SUN, DEC 16:  10:30 A.M. – KIDZONE Children’s Church with Verla and Kelly … the Christmas Story is alive and exciting!

SUN, DEC 23:  10:00 A.M. – CHRISTMAS CANDLELIGHT COMMUNION / “Our Amazing Emmanuel” – Part 5!  Come and celebrate our Lord’s birth in this joyous time of praise and worship filled with singing and scriptures.

SUN, DEC 23:  10:30 A.M. – KIDZONE Children’s Church will be sharing a special song with the congregation for Christmas!

 

PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . . Shirley, Julia, Max, Tina, Johnny & Cherry, Hazel, several unspoken needs, our nation and our world, Lundstroms and Seykoras, our church ministries and outreach, our youth and our children! 

 REMEMBER , , , “God must have said, ‘I know what I’ll do, I’ll send my love right down there where they are.  And I’ll send it as a tiny baby, so they’ll have to touch it, and they’ll have to hold it close.’”  ~ Gloria Gaither
 

 

Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

 

 

Pastor Doug and Debbie                                                  

 

 

 

 

 

 

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

 

YOU’RE ON THE STAGE!!!  Remember those short and oh-so-sweet Christmas plays that were a part of our early years at school?  Whether we had a starring part that went as smooth as silk – or just a few lines that we stuttered through … or a rousing solo – or a few off-key notes sung along with the whole group of equally tone-deaf kids, we were on the stage!  We were kind of there, whether we really wanted to be – or not!  Some loved showing off their talents, while others were hoping their stage-fright would drop them right through a trap-door secretly concealed on the stage.  AND NOW WE’RE ON THE STAGE AGAIN !!!  What stage, you ask?  Why, the world stage of prophecy, dear ones!  We are right in the middle of the stage.  We are living on the stage!  If you don’t think so, just turn on the news.  You will soon realize that we are front and center stage!  The thing is … it will not do us any good to panic.  The good news is that we can help write the script for how things play out by the faithfulness and frequency of our time spent in prayer before the Throne of God!  The prayers of God’s people can turn the tide of a nation – even our world, if enough of us will get over our stage-fright and embrace this present stage we are on. We can re-write the script to bring it into alignment with the Director’s story-line, if we will participate at the height of our commitment, giftedness, and devotion to the Savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ!  The roles have been posted … no auditions are needed for this play.  We will all be involved in some way – because we are all a part of this world.  The exciting opportunity for embracing our role on this world stage is that our performance will have a lasting effect for eternity … one way or the other.  We have a greater weight of responsibility for an award-winning performance than any actor or actress that has ever graced any stage to date.  Lost souls hang in the balance as they sit gripped in fear at what is blaring from every microphone on this stage.  New followers of Christ are needing a strong, steady, confident child of God to help lead them through their part of the script.  It’s going to take some pulling-up of the boot-strings, some pulling-out of all stops, and casting out all fear.  Then we can step up boldly, and confidently proclaim the message that is already written out for us in God’s Script!  We better be ready for the reviews, which will range all the way from resounding accolades and acceptance from those watching us on stage … to us becoming adept at ducking the trash and rejection that will be hurled our way!  What matters to us is that we can be a part of drawing people to Christ and helping them find the hope and peace that will chase away their escalating fears!  After all, we know how the last line on the stage ends.  A hint?  WE win … GOD wins!!!  What more satisfying closing act could there be when the curtain comes down?!  A long time ago, there were SOME OTHER PEOPLE ON ANOTHER STAGE.  What did you think of being on THAT STAGE, Mary and Joseph?  Things were happening fast, and suddenly you found your common-place roles transformed center-stage and the world sat transfixed at the scene that night in the stable under that incredible star!  What was it like for the two of you?  Did it feel like the paparazzi coming to stalk you and your new Baby … or were the visits by all these people accompanied by order and reverence and love, as they one by one fell to their knees in worship of this Christ-Child divinely born to you, Mary?  What a scene it must have been – with the entire world watching, even before the days of global media networks!  What a scene it is now – with God having placed us here at this time when the whole word can literally watch live what is taking place at any given time - over unlimited networks.  Hopefully we are doing what the Bible says Mary did:  “ … treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”  (Luke 2:19)  What a treasure, indeed, for God to have chosen US to be center stage at this point and time!  May God’s plan be carried out in us and through us, as He has said!

 

 

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

 

SPECIAL BIRTHDAY & ANNIVERSARY BLESSINGS to those Jones’ we love so much:  Luke on his 2^nd birthday on the 11^th, DJ and Melissa on their 13^th Anniversary on the 11^th, Verla on her birthday on the 14^th, and Dylan on his 17^th birthday on the 15^th!!!

 

SUN, DEC 09:  10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP/CHRISTMAS CAROLING to follow w/Chili and Cinnamon Rolls back at church!

SUN, DEC 09: 10:30 A.M. – KIDZONE CHILDREN’S CHURCH with Verla & Kelly … the Christmas stories are coming to life!

WED, DEC 12:  7:00 P.M. – MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY in the book of James at 905 El Dorado Street SE in Owatonna/join us!

THU, DEC 13:   7:00 P.M. – MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY in the book of James at 165 24^th Place NW in Owatonna; come & learn!

FRI, DEC 15:    7:00 P.M. – LADIES NITE OUT w/cookie exchange (bring 2½ doz.) and card & small gift for your Secret Angel!

SUN, DEC 16:  10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP … ”The Amazing Emmanuel – Part 4 / KIDZONE CHILDREN’S CHURCH

 

PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . . Shirley, Max, Julia, Hazel, Deb, Graff family & baby, Kay, Norman, Lafawn & Cherry in loss of loved one, Johnny, our nation and its leaders, our military, those hungry and in need, Seykoras, Lundstroms, and unspoken needs.

REMEMBER . . . The script on the stage:  “For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders.  And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 

 

 

 

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .

 

 

Pastor Doug and Debbie

 

 

 

 

 

 

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

 

ARE YOU A STORY-TELLER?  I am SO glad that God breathed into the hearts and minds of the men who authored the books of the Bible – the stories and accounts He wanted us to know about, so we could recall having read them, and then be able to tell them again in turn to someone else!  This Christmas season, my husband is preaching a series called, “The Amazing Emmanuel”, and one of the messages is about learning how to share the stories of our True Hero:  Emmanuel.  Well, people have all kinds of heroes, right?  Or … at least we used to – when there were lots of heroes to look up to and admire.  In today’s world, it seems we have to look a little harder and longer to find the true heroes.  But when it comes to the True Hero … we have to look no further than … Emmanuel!  So why shouldn’t it just be a natural thing to tell His stories?  Some of those stories are found in book after book -chapter after chapter of God’s Word, and others are actually located in our memory bank!  You see, we’ve lived them and they’re worth telling … and re-telling!  And we get pretty good at telling our stories – because we’ve told them so many times, over and over.  They are easy to tell, because they are true.  We don’t have to wonder what to say, because we know how the story goes – we don’t have to make it up!  Talking about stories, that reminds me of our wonderful Thanksgiving visit from our second son, his wife, their children, and their baby grand-daughter!  Yes … that makes her our great-granddaughter!  What a great time we had experiencing the joy of making new memories together, but one of my favorite things was when we would chime in with “remember this?” – or “remember that?”  And then, the story-teller would take front and center stage and recreate the “once-upon-a-time” scenario and bring it to life all over again!  We’d laugh together as we remembered.  Time has changed the season of life we are in.  We used to be the grandparents, now our son and his wife have taken on that special title and role (of course, we’ll still be grandparents, too … we wouldn’t miss out on our own grandchildren’s lives for anything!).  But we’ve entered a new season – and we’re embracing this one every bit as much as the seasons previous!  It’s a time to pass our special family stories on to the next generations – so they might enjoy them as much as we have!  A devotional I read today talked about how good we get at giving short little one-minute testimonials about something we believe in … whether it be a business opportunity, a nutritional product, a new book or movie that’s out, or even a travel destination we’ve been to.  We speak with conviction and excitement, and others catch our excitement as they listen to our stories.  Like the devotional writer said, it’s a good story when one person shares their experience about something, but when a few others, or even several begin jumping in with their personal reviews … it lends such power to the subject at hand that listeners are gripped with the message, especially when the speakers are prepared to summarize.  He stated, “By preparing their remarks carefully, they had captured the essence of their experience and retained the sense of how wonderful their product was.”  Then this writer made a great point.  He said he was thinking, “Wow!  If Christians could learn to talk like this in church, it would add a huge sense of excitement and credibility to our services.”  Perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to begin working on our own one-minute testimonial/story right now.  I echo the closing thought in the devotional by David Mains when he says, “Just think what would happen if, starting with pastors, everyone in the church got good at telling their one-minute story in church, and then outside it as well!”  We had such a precious time with our family that we cannot help but thank them for sharing their lives and their stories – it’s what makes us the family we are.  And likewise, there are lots of people just waiting to hear “our stories” about our personal excitement at having God in our lives.  When they hear our brief, but amazing news, they will want what we have … and we could turn our churches, our neighborhoods, and our communities upside down and right-side up for the glory of God!  What better Christmas project could you take on … then to practice the one-minute story you’d like to share about your True Hero and you?  Emmanuel!  God with us!  Let’s DO it! 

 

 

 

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

 

MAY GOD BLESS all of those who support our church – we could not do it without you!  Thank you for teaming up with us in this Kingdom work as we serve our God together - to build up His people and to reach those who are lost and need Him!

 

SUN, DEC 02:  10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP/COMMUNION/MESSAGE:  “The Amazing Emmanuel – Part 2”

SUN, DEC 02:  10:30 A.M. – KIDZONE CHILDREN’S CHURCH with Verla & Kelly … your kids will not want to miss this!

WED, DEC 05:  7:00 P.M.  – MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY in the book of James at 905 El Dorado Street SE in Owatonna/join in!

THU, DEC 06:   7;00 P.M.  – MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY in the book of James at 165 24^th Place NW in Owatonna/bring a friend!

SAT, DEC 08:    8:00 A.M. – MEN’S BIBLE STUDY/FELLOWSHIP at church – let’s invite some new guys to join us for this time!

SUN, DEC 09:  10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP/CHRISTMAS CAROLING to follow w/Chili and bread back at the church!

 

PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . . Shirley, Julia, Max, Hazel, Tina, Johnny & Cherry, unspoken needs, Lundstroms, Seykoras

REMEMBER . . . “The fact of Jesus’ coming is the final and unanswerable proof that God cares.” ~ William Barclay

 

 

 

Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

 

 

 

 Pastor Doug and Debbie

 

 

 

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

 

GOD, YOU MUST HAVE HAD A DREAM ONE TIME … what was it?  Was it to have a Son that would be the apple of Your eye … the delight of Your heart?  Was it to wrap Divinity in humanity and then plan such a simply stellar entrance to earth that while simple in some ways, it could not be denied in other ways?  Was it to strategize such a priceless ransom for the sins of mankind, that it demanded payment – not the kind that costs a little, but the very lifeblood of Your one and only precious Son in exchange for our freedom?  Was it to effect such a distinct change in this fallen world You had created perfect, that You would pull out all stops because You were not giving up on Your dream for us?  Were WE part of Your dream one time long ago?  And were our dreams that You would place in our hearts - a part of Your much bigger dream?  God-given dreams are powerful, after all!  Much more powerful than we even realize.  Borrowing a line from a gal named Lisa Diane, I want you to know that “dreams have NO expiration date”!  Your dreams should not diminish or die.  If God indeed birthed the dreams you have inside you – and you have spent time fleshing them out and growing them, they should not just disappear or evaporate into thin air – or just end.  Lisa Diane has an incredible story to tell: once the little girl of a daddy who was a teacher and a preacher, who along with her mom worked harder than hard and sacrificed more than she would ever know, just so the children could have what they had.  And that wasn’t much.  So she dreamed.  She dreamed she had more.  She imagined herself living in an out-of-this-world house on a peninsula overlooking the water in a gated area with a guard.  She would go there after school every day as a teenager, and sit … and look … and dream.  Fast forward twenty years.  By this time she had already started her little home business and ended up making enough money to live in some pretty fantastic homes – some were even on the water – like she had imagined.  But in time she was looking for a new place to live, and her own house had already been sold.  She had searched and searched until she almost wore out her realtor looking for just the right place to call home!  Someone gave her a tip about a home he thought would be just perfect for her, but she laughed, thinking she had already seen them all, but said she’d go check it out.  He gave her the address, which was the name of that development she had dreamed about years ago – but things had changed and now there were many houses in a nearby community.  Finally, asking a mailman about the address she was looking for, he explained that it was not here – but in a big-gated community out on the peninsula.  She said she could feel the hair standing up on the back of her neck.  Approaching the gate, she gave the guard her info – and he directed her down the street to an amazing home right there on the water.  She said she walked in the doors and she KNEW she was home.  It was HER HOUSE … the one she had been waiting for since she was sixteen years old – just as she had imagined, views and all!  She moved into that house 10 days later.  So the point of this story is – dreams don’t have expiration dates!  Like Lisa said, some dreams take a matter of minutes … some take months … some take twenty years (like her house), but they are all possible.  We’ve been dreaming and searching and waiting for what seems like a long time now for God’s home for Elevation North.  We have gone there and dreamed ... sat there and looked.  It has seemed beyond us, yet we have felt led to check it out and pursue it.  From the moment of being birthed, Elevation North has always been a part of powerful dreams that God has given us.  In some of our toughest struggles to survive, without being prompted or asked, people from the outside have searched us out, called us, wrote or e-mailed us, and sent us sizable love gifts that have always come at just the right time and kept our dreams alive to cultivate God’s Kingdom work on this earth – in this place.  People, we are now 10 days out from our first rent check being due in this place we’ve dreamed of.  We need a miracle for this dream to become a reality, but we dare not give up on our dreams, Elevation North family.  We feel this dream deep inside our spirit ... it’s a story just waiting to be told!  Our dream is to lead as many people to the Pearly Gates as possible, with God’s help.  God’s Word is filled with stories of dreams He gave to His people down through the ages, and now the Dream-giver that He is … He is writing out OUR story.  Let’s keep the faith!


IN A NUTSHELL . . .

 

BIRTHDAY WISHES go out to Christian on November 25^th and to Deondre on the 28^th!  May God bless and guide you both!

A SPECIAL WELCOME to Dana & Stacey, Whitney, Matt, Emma, and Dylan who are worshipping with us today!!!


SUN, NOV 25:  10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP/Kick-off Message for the Christmas series, “THE AMAZING EMMANUEL!”

SUN, NOV 25:  10:30 A.M. – KIDZONE CHILDREN’S CHURCH with Verla & Kelly, who will bless your children as they learn!

WED, NOV 28:   7:00 P.M. – MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY in the book of James at 905 El Dorado Street SE in Owatonna!

THU, NOV 29:    7:00 P.M. – MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY in the book of James at 165 24^th Place NW in Owatonna!

SUN, DEC 02:   10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP/Message – Part 2 in the Christmas series, “THE AMAZING EMMANUEL!”

 

PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . . Tina, Isaac, several unspoken needs, reaching the lost, our nation & leaders, our missionaries

 

REMEMBER . . . “Father God, pour out Your Spirit, that we might see visions and dream dreams, that many might be saved!"

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .


Pastor Doug and Debbie
 

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

 

“WHEN GOD PUSHES YOU TO THE EDGE of difficulty, trust Him fully, because two things can happen.  Either He’ll catch you when you fall, or He will teach you how to fly.”  (Unknown quote)  I know that if I offered to sit down and listen to whoever crossed my path in one 24-hour period of time, I would most likely hear the words, “Yeah, there’s times I feel like I’m just about to go over the edge – and today is one of those times!”  You know what? I think because we are human, it’s easy for us to see only the difficulty.  Often our trials and tests can nearly engulf us, sweep us away, or pull us down.  They are the only thing on our mind.  Our vision cannot see beyond what’s coming at us full steam ahead.  And so often then, we feel defeated, or even worse, we are. But I have great news!  These difficulties will still come, whether God is pushing us – either to rescue us or stretch us, or whether they are the result of our own making.  Oops … that isn’t the great news – THIS is!  Thanksgiving Day is just around the corner, and while we celebrate it officially but one day a year, we CAN live in that attitude every day if we choose to.  And choosing to live a life of gratitude will allow our vision to zoom right past the edge of difficulty to seeing ourselves being caught on the way down – or seeing ourselves free-falling and then feeling the wind beneath our wings and soaring upward once again, flying above the difficulties!  We will concentrate on the inevitable positive outcome!   What was that?  Yes, I said exactly what I meant!  Inevitable positive outcome!  There’s a new twist for you.  Usually we think we can just about be guaranteed that nothing good is ever going to happen to us, and that if something bad is going to happen, it’s going to come our way.  So how can we rise above that way of thinking?  Well, I have more than just one solution for you … and actually they all end up being intertwined … and they come straight from God’s Word.  I’ve mentioned this before, but perhaps not recent enough that you’ve heard me talk about it.  But I so want to gift you with the once-and-for-all answer to KNOWING without a shadow of a doubt that when the tough times come, you can be fully assured that if you fall, you will be caught by the One that loves you more than you love yourself.  I so want you to never doubt when you feel yourself spiraling downward in an out-of-control fall, that God Himself will be there to swoop you up and teach you how to fly!  If you give yourself only those two options, how can you lose?  What’s the worst that could happen?  I’ll take those options any day – every day!  But … you say, “I’ve heard stuff like this before, and I just can’t do it.  I can’t think that way all the time.  I’m too much of a realist.  I see things as they are.”  Well then, still be a realist – but change what you’re looking at!  Look at the proof-positive options you’ve never looked at before.  They will be there whether you want to see them or not.  They will be available to you whether you want to take them or not.  Need more proof of how to be able to choose the best option when stuck between a rock and a hard place?  Listen up!  “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  (II Corinthians 10:4-5)  Did you catch that?  WE demolish arguments (between defeat and victory) and WE take captive every one of our thoughts (our negative thoughts, casting them down so they have to come into obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ!)  WE make the choice.  How’s that for a powerful option?!   God’s Word even tells us what to think about:  “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”  (Philippians 4:8)  If we do this, THEN what happens?  Well, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  (Romans 12:2a)  And of course, we know that a renewed mind creates a changed life!  You see our words in Christ create our lives!  It’s true … mull that over and see how that fits in with all of the scripture I’ve just shared with you!  I am so very thankful that as God’s children, we can “see” as He sees, and live above the struggles, with choices and options that allow us to live wholly transformed lives – rewarding beyond our wildest dreams … all for God’s glory! 

 

 

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

 

BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS are sent to Mary on the 21^st of this month, to Tina on the 23^rd, and to Connie on the 24^th!

 

SUN, NOV 18:  10:00 A.M. – SPECIAL THANKSGIVING PRAISE & WORSHIP w/potluck luncheon to follow!

SUN, NOV 18:  10:30 A.M. – KIDZONE CHILDREN’S CHURCH with Verla & Kelly/a time our kids don’t want to miss!

THU, NOV 22:  A BLESSED THANKSGIVING DAY to each of you and your families, from Pastor Doug and Debbie!  We are so grateful to God for YOU!

 

PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . . Marty & Kelly, Julie, Tina, Julia, Isaac, several unspoken needs, our nation, president and leaders, Lundstroms & Seykoras, and praises to God for new jobs for Randy and Jimmy! 

REMEMBER . . . “If we learn how to give of ourselves, to forgive others, and to live with thanksgiving, we need not seek happiness.  It will seek us.”  (Unknown)

 

 

Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

 

 

Pastor Doug and Debbie

 

 

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

 

WHAT’S YOUR TAKE?  Today is “the day after” the presidential election in the United States of America, and the news media and social media have been frenzied with people’s takes on the results … all the way from being overjoyed to expressing despair.  So no matter what your opinion is about the outcome, my question is, “what are you going to do now?”  And before you stop reading, thinking this is political – please keep on reading, because it is not!  I just want to encourage all of us as God’s people to respond to each other in Christ-like love and may we be spurred on to deeper, more fervent prayer than ever before – because we love our nation and we cherish its freedoms and principles, and we invite God’s leading and blessing upon us, no matter if the one sitting at the Oval desk in the White House is the one we voted for – or not.  As believers we should be excited to live in such a time as this … a time that God planned for us to be here to make a difference … the kind of difference that will ultimately glorify the King of kings.  While not watering down our beliefs, may we watch our words.  People read us with magnifying glasses, and we want them to read a message that will point to our God and not detract from His love or His plans.  He, after all, has all of this in His control, you know.  He always has, from the beginning of time, and He always will, down to the end of time!  In that, we can rejoice and move forward, becoming a mighty force that will exude the righteousness of God … our actions speaking louder than any words we could ever speak!  I am reminded of the message that several of us ladies heard at the Women of Faith conference a few weeks ago.  Max Lucado, one of my very favorite authors, was speaking from the gospel of John, chapter 8.  Powerfully, he sketched out a dramatic view of the first eleven verses … and shared that grace is “God’s radical commitment to the people who will reign with Him forever.”  He then went on to say … “Grace – if it is a gymnasium, work out in it!”  These days that we’re living in definitely are a reminder to us of just how much we need God’s grace, both as a gift to us - and as a gift that we are to offer to others.  People wonder why Jesus “stooped” when He talked with the woman caught in the act of adultery.  Max’s take on this biblical account is that Jesus stooped – perhaps so she wouldn’t be the lowest person in that place that day.  Then Jesus stood – and He gave the accusers permission to stone her, only if they hadn’t ever sinned.  Jesus stooped once more – this time to write in the sand, and what did He write?  Again, Jesus stood, this time to ask, “Where are your accusers?”  Max made a profound statement for all of us to ponder, “Guilt is the preferred commodity of Satan.  Satan cannot take your salvation, but he can take your joy.”  Powerful!  How many times do we let him do that?  With Satan’s accusations, comes the robbing of our sleep, our peace, even our effectiveness, and definitely, our joy.  He is our accuser.  But then there’s Jesus, and what is He doing for us in the midst of these awful accusations Satan throws our way?  Well, He is stooping - for us.  He stooped to be nailed to a cross – for us.  He stooped to be placed in a tomb – for us.  Then He stood to walk out of that tomb – for us … and He’s been standing for us ever since!  He speaks on our behalf.  You see, grace does not just describe what Jesus did, Max said, but what He does.  Grace comes in waves.  Jesus gave the woman help that day – He gave her His heart.  Then came a question for each of us to answer:  “When God hears your heart, whose heart does He hear?  Whose heart is it?  Yours – or Jesus’ heart IN you?  Scripture tells us, “It is not I who live, but Christ IN me!”  Christ in us!  Grace upon grace upon grace … because we are not perfect, but we are a work in progress.  “Heart transplants” take time, you know!  We’ve got some good days ahead!  We need to maintain the heart of a sponge – not the heart of a rock!  We need to remember – He placed Himself between us and certain destruction!  Oh yes, what did Jesus write in the sand?  Who knows?  Max thinks it could have been, “Grace happened here today!”  And so God is saying not just to her, but to each of us, “Neither do I accuse you.  Now go live out this life of grace!”  That includes us stooping to pray for our nation, then standing again to show grace to each other as we live out our lives the way Christ meant for us to! 

 

 

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

 

 

BIRTHDAY WISHES go out to Spencer and to Laura who will celebrate on November 17^th; and a belated HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to Joel and Laura who celebrated on November 7^th!  May God bless all of you with His very best, is our prayer!

SUN, NOV 11:  10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP, with a service honoring our veterans and a challenging message!

SUN, NOV 11:  10:30 A.M. – KIDZONE CHILDREN’S CHURCH with Verla & Kelly … teaching our young ones about Jesus!!!

WED, NOV 14:  7:00 P.M. – BIBLE STUDY in the book of James / at 905 El Dorado Street SE in Owatonna – invite a friend!

THU, NOV 15:   7:00 P.M. – BIBLE STUDY in the book of James / at 165 24^th Place NW in Owatonna – join us & bring someone!

FRI, NOV 16:    7:00 P.M. – LADIES NITE OUT; plan to bring non-perishable food items to deliver to a needy family!

SUN, NOV 18:  THANKSGIVING POTLUCK LUNCHEON following Praise & Worship focused on gratitude to our God!

 
PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . . Tina, our youth, our college students, our church, our nation’s leaders, Seykoras, & Lundstroms

REMEMBER . . . “Faith makes the uplook good, the outlook bright, the inlook favorable, and the future glorious.”  ~ V. R. Edman



Serving Christ Joyfully . . .


Pastor Doug and Debbie