Rags to Riches
I read this week an interesting report of an incident which happened recently:
“Flat broke and homeless, brothers Geza and Zslot Peladi literally lived in a cave near Budapest for years. They left their dank home only to scrape together whatever money they could through selling scrap metal and candy. Theirs was a hopeless situation.
But then everything changed.
One day, out of the blue, charity workers informed the brothers that they had inherited a substantial portion of their late maternal grandmother’s $6.6 billion fortune. And just like that, two destitute brothers, should they want to, could call a castle their home when all they had ever known was a cave.” Mike Krumboltz, “From Cave to Castle,” www.buzz.yahoo.com.
Do you see yourself in that story? We were all at one time spiritually poor – separated from God by our sins. It would have been a hopeless situation… except for one thing. God loved us, enough to send His Son to die on a cross so that we have the opportunity to be adopted into His family through faith in Christ (Ephesians 1:4-6) and through Him to enjoy a rich inheritance of faith. As Paul wrote: “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance…” (Ephesians 1:18)
We were poor, and hopeless. Then someone introduced us to Jesus, and everything changed. We continue our “WHY>” series this week with the message “Why Should I Trust the Bible?” Do you know someone who could benefit from this message? Do you know someone who needs to know about the hope that Jesus offers? Invite them this Sunday. It could change everything.
Decisions for Christ – Last week we were happy to welcome David and Sonya Lewis and Sharon Sturgis as official members of the Twin Oaks family. Go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/24147812@N05/sets/72157603995712040/ to put some faces with the names and welcome them to the family the next time you see them.
WOMEN”S MID-WINTER BLAST UPDATE- THIS FRIDAY - Ladies, the hotel has extended reservations ’til Wednesday, January20th! The cost for the room is $18/pp IF there are 4 to a room, and that includes breakfast Saturday morning! The room cost is $72, but you divide the cost with how many are in your room. So ladies, do yourself a favor..Start the new year out having a blast! This is for you! Any questions, contact Carol Larson at epoxyn@aol.com and/or 734-675-5650. Remember, when calling the Best Western, call 1-866-671-3199. Reserve your room under TWIN OAKS CHRISTIAN CHURCH WOMEN’S MINISTRY, USING CODE CGTWIN.
Dolls for Cambodia – Would you like to help us bring comfort and healing to young victims of sex-trafficking? The director of Rapha House told us that just having a doll to hold would be a healing tool in the lives of the girls at Rapha House. Beginning THIS SUNDAY we will give you the opportunity to purchase a doll for a Rapha House girl for only $5 at our Connections Café. We plan to take almost 150 dolls with your help when we go next month (any excess money raised will be used to buy medicine and other ministry items for Rapha House and Kids’ Club in Cambodia).
Infant medicine for Cambodia – While the Twin Oaks team is in Cambodia we will be working with a ministry that does a lot of work with mothers and infants from their community. They are asking us to bring infant Tylenol, infant vitamins, cold and flu medicine,etc. If you work for a doctor’s office or somewhere else that might have infant medicine samples to donate please let us know.
3on3 Basketball - Thursday nights at Southgate Anderson High School. Teams of 3-6 players can sign up at the ministry desk. Cost is $5 per person for the season and starts Feb. 11th. You can sign up with a team of people or solo and you’ll be put on a team. Contact Jim Watkins with questions at jimmer_w@hotmail.com.
New website – This week we are launching our new website at www.twinoakschristian.com. (You will soon be able to access it at either .org or .com) The advantage of the new site, besides looking more modern, is that you can watch videos of the past week’s message and you can also tithe online through PayPal if you missed church the past week. The new site also will feature videos that we use in our Sunday morning messages (so you don’t have to email me for the link when you like one) More advantages to the new site will be evident in the coming months. Huge thanks to Bill Rice for developing this new site for us.
Online giving – As you just read you are now able to give to Twin Oaks online at www.twinoakschristian.com. We’ve had several requests for this from people who do all of their finances online. One person told us the only time they use a checkbook is for their tithe. This also allows you to give if you are snowed in or out of town or working or for some other reason can’t be in church. If you want to tithe online but still want to put something in the offering plate it allows you to print out a receipt and put that in your tithing envelope. This has the same privacy and record keeping as using a check as PayPal will email a notice of your gift to our financial secretary. If you don’t have a PayPal account and need help setting it up just call us.
LADIES’ ANNUAL CHOCOLATE EXTRAVAGANZA – February 19th, 6:30 PM.- We are having a patriotic theme this year are wanting to have a room filled with beautiful ladies all decked out in their red/white and blue….This coming Sunday there will be a sign-up sheet at the Ministry Center for attending (just so we can plan) and some soups and of course, CHOCOLATE! Robin Beck will be performing a musical program with the love songs of our First Ladies. If you have a family member deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan, or elsewhere in the world, would you please e-mail roxanne_thompson01@yahoo.com with their names and addresses? We are wanting to send some boxes from you to our special men and women, let them know we care and are praying for them….Also, bring your used books! We will once again have our book sale.
MI Statewide Teen Convention – March 12-14 - A weekend event for all high school students at Causeway Bay Hotel in Lansing. Speakers, bands, inflatables, and 63 metric tons of fun (they measure). Cost is $85, and anyone who is in high school is welcome to come. You can pick up registration packets at the Ministry Center. Get them in to Nathan ASAP. For more info contact nathanzimm@hotmail.com or check out www.mistatewide.org.
Super Bowl event? – Due to financial constraints we are not having a big blowout Super Bowl party this year. But if any group in the church wants to plan a smaller party that would be open to anyone who wanted to come, just let us know and we will promote it. We can have the big game on February 7th on the Fireplace area TV and give you that and the café area for fun and fellowship.
Free ladies business suits - Diane Petri has several (size 6) ladies’ business suits (skirts/jackets) and pantsuits from her Executive Assistant days at Ford Motor Company that she would love to give to someone who could use them. You can contact Diane at (734) 552-5951 or (734) 675-1681 or at
jpdpp@peoplepc.com.
Joke of the week - This guy was watching TV as his wife was out cutting the grass during the hot summer. He finally worked up the energy to go out and ask his wife what was for supper.
Well, his missus was quite irritated about him sitting in the air-conditioned house all day while she did all the work, so she scolded him. “I can’t believe you’re asking me about supper right now! Imagine I’m out of town. Go inside and figure dinner out yourself.”
So he went back into the house and fixed himself a big steak with potatoes, garlic bread, and a tall glass of iced tea.
The wife finally walked in about the time he was finishing up and asked him, “You fixed something to eat? So where’s mine”
He said, “ I thought you were out of town.”
Have a great week and I’ll see you (and your guests) Sunday,
Randy
