Discipleship Series Recap
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Jeremiah 31
31 “At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”
2 This is what the Lord says:
“The people who survive the sword
will find favor in the wilderness;
I will come to give rest to Israel.”
3 The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
4 I will build you up again,
and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt.
Again you will take up your timbrels
and go out to dance with the joyful.
5 Again you will plant vineyards
on the hills of Samaria;
the farmers will plant them
and enjoy their fruit.
6 There will be a day when watchmen cry out
on the hills of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Zion,
to the Lord our God.’”
7 This is what the Lord says:
“Sing with joy for Jacob;
shout for the foremost of the nations.
Make your praises heard, and say,
‘Lord, save your people,
the remnant of Israel.’
8 See, I will bring them from the land of the north
and gather them from the ends of the earth.
Among them will be the blind and the lame,
expectant mothers and women in labor;
a great throng will return.
9 They will come with weeping;
they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead them beside streams of water
on a level path where they will not stumble,
because I am Israel’s father,
and Ephraim is my firstborn son.
10 “Hear the word of the Lord, you nations;
proclaim it in distant coastlands:
‘He who scattered Israel will gather them
and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’
11 For the Lord will deliver Jacob
and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they.
12 They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;
they will rejoice in the bounty of the Lord—
the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,
the young of the flocks and herds.
They will be like a well-watered garden,
and they will sorrow no more.
13 Then young women will dance and be glad,
young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into gladness;
I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.
14 I will satisfy the priests with abundance,
and my people will be filled with my bounty,”
declares the Lord.
15 This is what the Lord says:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
mourning and great weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”
16 This is what the Lord says:
“Restrain your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears,
for your work will be rewarded,”
declares the Lord.
“They will return from the land of the enemy.
17 So there is hope for your descendants,”
declares the Lord.
“Your children will return to their own land.
18 “I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:
‘You disciplined me like an unruly calf,
and I have been disciplined.
Restore me, and I will return,
because you are the Lord my God.
19 After I strayed,
I repented;
after I came to understand,
I beat my breast.
I was ashamed and humiliated
because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’
20 Is not Ephraim my dear son,
the child in whom I delight?
Though I often speak against him,
I still remember him.
Therefore my heart yearns for him;
I have great compassion for him,”
declares the Lord.
21 “Set up road signs;
put up guideposts.
Take note of the highway,
the road that you take.
Return, Virgin Israel,
return to your towns.
22 How long will you wander,
unfaithful Daughter Israel?
The Lord will create a new thing on earth—
the woman will return to the man.”
23 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity, the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: ‘The Lord bless you, you prosperous city, you sacred mountain.’ 24 People will live together in Judah and all its towns—farmers and those who move about with their flocks. 25 I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”
26 At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.
27 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will plant the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals. 28 Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the Lord. 29 “In those days people will no longer say,
‘The parents have eaten sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’
30 Instead, everyone will die for their own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.
31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them,”
declares the Lord.
33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
34 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”
35 This is what the Lord says,
he who appoints the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,
who stirs up the sea
so that its waves roar—
the Lord Almighty is his name:
36 “Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,”
declares the Lord,
“will Israel ever cease
being a nation before me.”
37 This is what the Lord says:
“Only if the heavens above can be measured
and the foundations of the earth below be searched out
will I reject all the descendants of Israel
because of all they have done,”
declares the Lord.
38 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this city will be rebuilt for me from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 The measuring line will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. 40 The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate, will be holy to the Lord. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.”
This Sunday’s service can be viewed on our Facebook page @ Sunday, September 22, 2024
Happy Friday to you today!
This Sunday, we will review and recollect on the series we've been going through for the past spring and summer, learning on practices of Discipleship, as we seek to Be Like Jesu, Do What Jesus did, and Become more like Him.
The late Dallas Willard said of Discipleship, "Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if he were you."
We want to become more and more like Jesus!
Discipleship truly begins in our hearts, and as our hearts are changed by the love of Jesus, our outward expressions of His love reflect Him.
Derek and I will recap where we have been in this series, and will invite you all to remember and consider, and listen to Jesus about what we have learned together about Discipleship, and how we are going to live into practicing the Way of Jesus together.
Next week, we are beginning a new series, studying and learning from the book of 2 Peter. I am very excited to start this with you all!
See you Sunday!
In Christ,
Pastor Kari
GATHERING FOR SUNDAY
CAN BE FOUND AT:
https://www.facebook.com/NewDayCovenantChurch/
Following the worship gathering, worship services will be uploaded to our website and will be available at www.newdaycov.org/listen.
NewDay Online Giving: https://newday.churchcenter.com/giving
Get to know Laura Biesterfeld, NewDay’s new Children’s Ministry Coordinator!
Laura grew up in Lake Mills, IA. After a year with Youth With A Mission, she attended Waldorf College for two years before finishing her degree at Winona State University.
Laura’s favorite part of working with children is watching their eyes widen with wonder when they grasp the power of God during a Bible story.
Laura enjoys traveling, and spent time in Thailand for her outreach when she was in YWAM. She hopes to bring her family there someday as well!
Laura’s hobbies are enjoying biking, reading, poetry, having coffee with friends, eating ice cream with her family (and whenever else!), walking, and long drives.
Laura and her husband Troy have been married for 19 years and have an 11 year old daughter, Lucy. They have lived in Rochester for 17 years.
Laura’s favorite Bible story is Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, and her favorite verse is Lamentations 3:25, “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.”
Welcome Laura!
You can email Laura at childrensministry@newdaycov.org
Pastor Search Committee Update:
What has happened:
1. Of the 5 candidates we offered interviews to, 3 were interested in connecting via an initial virtual interview. The purpose of these interviews was to get to know each other off paper and mutually determine whether the PSC and each candidate want to move forward with a more formal interview.
2. We have now completed all 3 of these interviews! We are encouraged by and excited about the 3 candidates.
What's next:
1. We will discuss and determine with each candidate those we would like to schedule and complete follow-up interviews with. We are in communication with Kara Stromberg, the superintendent of the NW Conference, about the logistics and planning for these interviews. The purpose of these interviews will be to narrow down to a single candidate to bring forward to the leadership team, staff, and congregation for approval to call to the lead pastor position at NewDay.
What you can do:
1. Please continue to pray. We are grateful for all of your prayers and especially the dedication of the Search Process Prayer Committee.
Specific prayer needs:
1. For guidance for the search committee as we move through this process of discernment as we interact in person with applicants.
2. For our future pastor who is listening to God's calling.
3. For the search process to continue smoothly and for patience for our community as we move through it together.
2. Please reach out to any of us at any time with questions and thoughts.
PSC members, roles, and contact information:
Roger Hofer: Chair. hofer.roger@gmail.com 507-254-3935
Natalie Woodberry: Vice-chair, communication coordinator. natalie.woodberry@gmail.com 612-747-3627
Kristi Florek: Secretary. mattandkristiflorek@gmail.com 507-202-0324
Charlotte Florek: Secretary. cnflorek@gmail.com 507-226-2569
Cindi Halleen: Church Chair, leadership team liaison. cp2halleen@gmail.com 507-358-5447