Turnpike Wesleyan Church
Activate
A mid-week Life Group led by Pastor Norm Mesel that meets in the educational wing on Tuesday nights at 6:00 pm. Activate will resume on August 6th at 6:00 pm in the church Board Room. We will begin a 13 week study from the Book of Ephesians entitled, “Journey to a Better Life.”
Journey to a Better Life
It is not enough to know that we are Christians – we must also know the spiritual resources available to us in Christ. We must also know how to draw upon these resources. This “Journey” is designed to help us discover our resources in Christ and thus discover how we can have richer, fuller relationship to God, our church and our family. The Book of Ephesians makes it clear that the way to a better life can only be found in Christ.
Study of Romans
Tonight we will take an introductory look at Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. When Activate resumes in August, we will continue down the Roman Road studying the book of Romans and noting what it has to say about standing firm in the faith in a “faithless” age.
God’s Design for Marriage
Turnpike Wesleyan as joined forces with thousands of churches across America to affirm a Biblical Worldview. This coming Sunday is “Pulpit Freedom” Sunday with the emphasis being on the definition of marriage (the Supreme Court will hand down their decision on marriage sometime in July). Sunday’s message is taken from Genesis 2 looking at “God’s Design for Marriage.” On Tuesday, our Activate Life Group will look deeper into this Scripture passage and also look at how God can use each of us as His instruments to speak the truth about marriage and relationships yet in the spirit of love. |
To Love Like Jesus Loves
George Matheson was only fifteen when he was told that he was losing what little eyesight he had. However, instead of giving up, Matheson immediately continued with his plans to enroll in the University of Glasgow and his determination lead to his graduation at age nineteen. But as he pursued graduate studies in theology for Christian ministry he finally lost his sight. His sisters joined ranks beside him, learning Greek and Hebrew to assist him in his studies. He pressed faithfully on. But his spirit collapsed when his fiancée, unwilling to be married to a blind man, broke their engagement and returned his ring. He never married, and the pain of that rejection never totally left him. Years later, as a well-loved preacher in Scotland, his sister came to him announcing her engagement. He rejoiced with her, but his mind went back to his own heartache. He consoled himself in thinking of God’s love which is never limited, never conditional, never withdrawn, and never uncertain. Out of this experience he wrote the hymn, “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go.” O love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee; I give thee back the life I owe, That in thine ocean depths it flow May richer, fuller be. Human love is very uncertain and I am sure all of us here today have experienced rejection at some point in our lives. Like George Matheson we need to learn to lean on and trust God’s perfect love. His love is our hope and our goal. And being a Christian means that we learn to love like Jesus. So how do you learn to love like Jesus? Our sermon on Sunday will be answering that question as we take a look at 1 John 4:7-12. Then, on Tuesday, we will delve deeper into this text and into loving like Jesus loves. |
Do You Believe?
In John 6:27, Jesus says to the restless and impatient crowds: “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” And again in verse 47 he makes this very simple yet very wonderful promise: “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life.” All the way through the passage Jesus makes it clear that to come to Him means to believe in Him. Not simply to know about Him or even to acknowledge Him as some great teacher or miracle worker, but to put your faith and trust in Him. Now I guess there are many people here who would quite rightly say that they already believe in Jesus and that they have claimed His promise of eternal life. But let’s examine what this word, “Believe” actually means. Because I put it to you that to believe in Jesus isn’t just about making a decision to follow Jesus at one particular point in our life, but rather to have an ongoing, living, and deepening relationship with Him. After all, it seems to me that there are plenty of Christians who have a wonderful story of what Jesus used to do in their lives, or who can give a testimony of how many years ago they made some kind of commitment. But you ask them what Jesus is doing in their life now and there is this kind of embarrassed silence. I wonder if you’ve ever come across a person who won’t discuss what they believe but simply says, “I have my faith”. As far they are concerned, faith is something you either have or don’t have, something kept in a drawer for special occasions or Sunday best. That’s not what Jesus is talking about here. He is talking about a living, growing relationship where month by month, year by year we know Him rather better. So may I ask: is that what your faith is like? |
Why Baptize? (Romans 6:1-11)
A little girl asked her mother, “Mommy, why do you cut the ends off the meat before you cook it?” The girl’s mother told her that she thought it added to the flavor by allowing the meat to better absorb the spices, but perhaps she should ask her grandmother since she always did it that way. So the little girl found her grandmother and asked, “Grandma, why do you and Mommy cut the ends of the meat off before you cook it?” Her grandmother thought a moment and answered, “I think it allows the meat to stay tender because it soaks up the juices better, but why don’t you ask your Nana? After all, I learned from her, and she always did it that way.” The little girl was getting a little frustrated, but climbed up in her great-grandmother’s lap and asked, “Nana, why do you cut the ends off the meat before you cook it?” Nana answered, “I had to; my cooking pot wasn’t big enough.” We do a lot of things in life, and seldom stop to ask why. We develop habits and traditions and if we’re not careful, we can forget why we do certain things. This coming Sunday (April 28th) I want to discuss the importance of baptism and why it is a beautiful part of our worship experience. |
The Invitation
This Sunday’s message will focus on Matthew 22:1-14 and is entitled, “The Invitation.” On Tuesday, we will dig deeper into the message and discuss the excuses people use to ignore God’s invitation to salvation. We will even discuss why many become hostile to the idea. |
Like a Bridge Over Troubled Waters
“God’s word is a treasure worth laying up, and there is no laying it up safely but in our HEARTS; if we have it only in our houses and hands, enemies may take it from us; if only in our heads, our memories may fail us: but if our HEARTS be delivered into the mold of it, and the impressions of it remain on our souls, it is safe.” Matthew Henry On Tuesday night, December 4th, we will be concluding our study on the Psalms and the “Greatest Hits of All Time.” We will be looking at how God’s Word and His timeless truths can bring peace and joy in the midst of troubling circumstances. I have attached the lesson guide below and next Friday I will include the answer guide. |
I Feel Good
A Study of Psalm 100 … We worship the Lord when we serve him. How do we serve him? We serve the Lord by offering him our very best. If you are a student, you serve the Lord through learning as unto the Lord. If you work at Starbucks, you serve the Lord through making the best coffees you can. If you are an engineer or an artist you serve the Lord by offering your very best for his glory. If you are a laborer, you worship God with your hard work – you serve and labor and work as unto the Lord. “Whatever you are, be a good one.” – Abraham Lincoln The Psalmist wants to pull 100% out of us in our worship and in our service. He wants us to give our everything as unto the Lord. Are you giving him 100%? Not muttering and complaining but with gratitude? |
Staying Alive
We will continue our lesson this coming Tuesday in “Activate” which is entitled, “Staying Alive” – a hit song by the Bee Gees in the 70’s. We will be looking at Psalm 46 and how God gives us grace and strength during those most difficult times in life. Given natural, social and political upheavals, how could David write I will not FEAR, I will not FALL, and I will not FLEE? Was he just toughing it out? A Cowboy walked into a blacksmith shop and picked up a horseshoe, not realizing that it had just come from the forge. He immediately dropped it and jammed his hand into his pocket, trying to act as if nothing had happened. The blacksmith noticed and asked with a grin, “Kind of hot wasn’t it?”… “Nope,” answered the cowboy through clenched teeth, “it just don’t take me long to look at a horseshoe.” Is David just trying to stay alive as though through clenched teeth? No, there’s reality to his attitude because he has God as his Fortress! Make sure today that God is your foundation, your rock, your fortress. The troubles and the toughness of life are going to blow and beat on you and Jesus reminds us that the only way your house will stand now and through death and through eternity is if you are built on Him; only if He is your fortress and your foundation! Check out our church page for study guide. |
Turnpike Wesleyan exists to honor God by making more disciples for Jesus Christ. We endeavor to do this by connecting through worship, growing through Life groups and serving in community & ministry projects.