April 14 - Preaching

I want to elaborate on a subject that I mentioned Easter Sunday. Preaching the Gospel. So many times believers think this is for the full-time or part-time Pastor. They sit and listen and he or she preaches. Yes, there are those who have answered a call to preach the Word. But this does not release the believer from doing their part.
We are all instructed to preach the gospel (good news of Jesus). Preaching is not just behind a pulpit. In preaching or declaring the good news the message can be conveyed in several ways. I will give you three.
Speaking the gospel.
Living the gospel.
Demonstrating the gospel.
This can take place one on one or in a crowd. We are boldly speaking, testifying, witnessing about Jesus Christ. We are living a life of love and showing that we are believers called to a higher way of living. While demonstrating the gospel doing good works because of our love for Him.
What are you preaching today? People are listening.

PG

April 13 - Resurrection

What a wonderful Easter? The choir and drama was beautiful and powerful. The message rang clear, Jesus is ALIVE! Thank you to everyone who had a part.
As the message Sunday declared, if there had been no resurrection than everything listed in I Corinthians 15:12-19 would be true.
Preaching would be useless.
Faith would be useless.
Believers would be liars.
We would still be in our sins.
Those dead in Christ are lost.
Our hope is pitied.
But the good news is there was a resurrection! Hallelujah! Jesus is alive. So the opposite is true.
Preaching is not in vain.
Faith is not futile.
We are not liars.
Our sins have been forgiven.
Death has been defeated.
We have a hope and a future.

Spread the true message, JESUS IS ALIVE!

PG

April 7 - Testify

We have already received two testimonies of healing from Sunday night's healing service. Jesus is the healer and He is able to heal all diseases. We give praise to God for the miracles. We prayed for several individuals and we are still believing for their healing as well. Do not doubt. God hears our prayers and He is willing to heal.

PG

April 6 - Rejoice

What a great day in the Lord's house yesterday. The dramas, worship, singing, preaching, communion, and video. The Lord moved in people's hearts! To God be the Glory! Remember His birth, death, resurrection, and soon coming! When it comes to the soon returning of our Lord we are to remember Lot's wife. Do not let the things of this world prevent you from experiencing the heavenly world. Do not look back to things that will never satisfy. Be ready! Keep your focus on Jesus and not on the destruction of this world.
If anyone had a reason to look back it would have been Lot's 2 daughters. They were leaving behind their husbands (they were pledged to be married). What was back in Sodom and Gomorrah for Lot's wife? What is taking your attention off of Jesus? What has your time? Do not let it ruin your life. Cast it off and devote yourself 100% to Jesus! HE IS COMING SOON!

PG

April 5, 2009 Bulletin

SUNDAY

Bible Study (Classes for all ages)………….…9:00 – 9:45 AM

Morning Worship – Nursery provided up to age 3....10:00 AM

Cherub Church (ages 3-5) Children's Church (K-5th)

Evening Worship – Nursery provided up to age 3...…6:00 PM

WEDNESDAY

The Fire House (ages 5 – 5^th grade)…………..6:30 – 7:30 PM

Youth (6^th - 12^th grade) …………………….…7:00 – 8:15 PM

Upcoming Events:

Sunday 4/5 – Friends Praying for Friends

Sunday 4/5 – Healing Service 6pm

Monday 4/6 – Ladies Bible Study 7pm at Aggie Seely's home

Wednesday 4/8 – Sanctuary open for prayer 8am-6pm

Friday 4/10 – Community Good Friday service 12:15pm

Sunday 4/12 – No Sunday School

Sunday 4/12 – Easter – no evening service

Monday 4/13 – Baby Shower for Amanda Brashear 6:30pm

Tuesday 4/14 – Board meeting 6pm

Saturday 4/18 – Prime Timers Garage Sale

Monday 4/20 – Ladies Bible Study 7pm

Tuesday 4/21 – Baby Shower for Julie Wease 6:30pm

First Assembly of God

2408 East Main Street, Olney IL 62450

Phone (618) 392-7821 Fax (618) 392-7002

E-Mail: office@olneyag.org

www.olneyag.org

Lead Pastor - Paul Goss

Children/Youth Pastor - Ian Shaffer

April 5, 2009

Friends Praying for Friends

Prayer Needs: Martha Baillis, Emory Bock, Sue Grove, Robert Haws, Audrey Jones, Mary Ann Knakmuhs, Jim Livingston, Tom Schultz, Rick Sendzimer, Jerry Stoops, Larry Wilkerson

We encourage you to come out tonight at 6pm for the healing service where we will be praying for peoples needs and believing God for miracles.

The Easter Lilies on the platform today are in memory of: Kevin Bare, Bob Beehn, Blake & Jake Harris, William Jennings, Lorene Lawley, Dalton Moudy, Mable Shann and Woody Stepp. For those who have purchased an Easter lily, you may take them home following the Easter morning service.

We are offering a new opportunity for prayer one Wednesday a month. On the Wednesday following the Friends Praying for Friends Sunday, we will have the church open from 8am-6pm. This month the prayer day will be Wednesday, April 8^th. This is open to all ages.

Senior Adults: We have tickets to the Cardinals vs. the Pirates baseball game on Thursday, April 9^th in St. Louis. We will leave at 8:00am. Tickets are free. Your only expense will be food. Sign up sheet is in the foyer.

The Good Friday Community Service will be at the Free Methodist Church at 12:15pm.

Attendance last Sunday: 154

Offering last Sunday: $3400.20

A.M. Sermon title: Remember

P.M. Sermon title: Healing

Birthdays this week:

April 10 – Don Polk

Check out the improvements to our web page at: olneyag.org. We have added a welcome video as well as a link to our new blog. Thank you to Zach Holder for these improvements and the many hours of work that went into this effort!

The Prime Timers will be having a garage sale on Saturday, April 18^th. This is the day of the city wide garage sale. If you have any items to donate please contact Marguerite McVaigh.

On Monday, April 13^th at 6:30pm in the fellowship hall the WM's will be hosting a baby shower for Amanda Brashear and her new son Dennis. Dennis was born on March 2, 2009.

CROCODILE DOCK VBS will be July 27-31. We'd love for you to be able to assist us on committees that we are setting up to make this VBS our best yet. These committees will include Fundraising, Setup/Break Down, Prop Donations, Decorating and Advertising. If you are interested in assisting with any of these committees, please contact Michael or Julie Hill. Thank you, in advance, for doing your part to bless a child. Remember, VBS isn't about a week, it's about an eternity!

April 3 - Building Update

This week has been busy with building activity. The HVAC has been changed over from the old units to 90% efficiency units. We have 4 AC units sitting on the East side. 1 is for the basement (yeah! AC in the basement), 1 is for the sanctuary, 1 is for the sanctuary overflow, and 1 is for the foyer, bathrooms, nursery, practice room (no more window units when they are finished). Pipe was buried to carry our new electrical service. We will have 600amp single phase brought to the building in the near future. Keep praying!

PG

March 31 - Bus and Prayer

I just want to thank God for answering prayer. So many times we ask for help, but fail to say thank you for all the answers. This morning we sold our bus for $3,200. Praise God! I want to encourage you to continue to pray and believe. And don't forget to say "THANK YOU!"

PG

April 5 - Healing

We are having a healing service tonight. We realize that God can heal at any time, but this is a time where we put our faith together as a church body and believe for the miracle to manifest itself upon the believer. We can not heal but Jesus can and He is our healer. And I know from personal testimony that Jesus still heals today. Some believe that healing stopped when the disciples died. Can you picture John (who was the last living disciple) at a ripe old age sitting down while people were hurrying to get to him before he died so that they might be healed? Imagine those that got there just after he died. They had traveled there in vain. No more healing. How ridiculous does that sound? We believe in healing and we will be praying for those tonight who want to receive that healing in faith.

PG

April 1 - Fool's Day

April 1 is considered the atheist's holiday. For a fool has said in his heart there is no God. They can not complain that we have all the holidays. Don't be caught off guard today by all the practical jokes. I already have fooled Kurt and Robin, so my day has started out well. May we have the same excitement in sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ as we do in April fooling someone. Have a blessed day. There is a God and He loves you very much!

PG

April 1 - Bible Salesmen

Subject: Bible Salesmen A preacher concluded that his church was getting into very serious financial troubles. While checking the church storeroom, he discovered several cartons of new Bibles that had never been opened and distributed. So at his Sunday sermon, he asked for three volunteers from the congregation who would be willing to sell the Bibles door-to-door for $10 each to raise the desperately-needed money for the church. Jack, Paul and Louie all raised their hands to vol unteer for the task. The minister knew that Jack and Paul earned their living as salesmen and were likely capable of selling some Bibles. But he had serious doubts about Louie who was a local farmer, who had always kept to himself because he was embarrassed by his spee ch impediment. Poor Louis stuttered badly. But, not wanting to discourage Louis, the minister decided to let him try anyway. He sent the three of them away with the back seat of their cars stacked with Bibles. He asked them to meet with him and report the results of their door-to-door selling efforts the following Sunday. Anxious to find out how successful they were, the minister immediately asked Jack, 'Well, Jack, how did you make out selling our Bibles last week?' Proudly handing the minister an envelope, Jack replied, 'Using my sales prowess, I was able to sell 20 Bibles, and here's the $200 I collected on behalf of the church.' 'Fine job, Jack!' The minister said, vigorously shaking his hand. 'You are indeed a fine salesman and the Church is indebted to you.' Turning to Paul, 'And Paul, how many Bibles did you sell for the church last week?' Paul, smiling and sticking out his chest, confidently replied, 'I am a professional salesman. I sold 28 bibles on behalf of the church, and here's $280 I collected.' The minister responded, 'That's absolutely splendid, Paul. You are truly a professional salesman and the church is indebted to you..' Apprehensively, the minister turned to Louie and said, 'And Louie, did you manage to sell any Bibles last week?' Louie silently offered the minister a large envelope. The minister opened it and counted the contents. 'What is this?' the minister exclaimed.. 'Louie, there's $3200 in here! Are you suggesting that you sold 320 Bibles for the church, door to door, in just one week?' Louie just nodded. That's impossible!' both Jack and Paul said in unison. 'We are professional salesmen, yet you claim to have sold 10 times as many Bibles as we could.' 'Yes, this does seem unlikely,' the minister agreed. 'I think you'd better explain how you managed to accomplish this, Louie.' Louie shrugged. 'I-I-I re-re-really do-do-don't kn-kn-know f-f-f-for sh-sh-sh-sure,' he stammered. Impatiently, Peter interrupted. 'For crying out loud, Louie, just tell us what you said to them when they answered the door!' 'A-a-a-all I-I-I s-s-said wa-wa-was,' Louis replied, 'W-w-w-w-would y-y-y-you l-l-l-l-l-like t-t-to b-b-b-buy th-th-th-this b-b-b-b-bible F-f-for t-t-ten b-b-b-bucks ---o-o-o-or--- wo-wo-would yo-you j-j-j-just l-like m-m-me t-t-to st-st-stand h-h-here and r-r-r-r-r-read it t-to y-y-you??'

submitted by Kat Leaf