News & Notes

Hello Holland First Family, Here are some reminders for this HOLIDAY week and next week….  *NO Wednesday classes tonight in light of Thanksgiving. Classes will resume Wednesday, November 28th at 7pm *Offices will be CLOSED Thursday and there will be NO men’s fellowship at Rich Hardenburgh’s house. Happy Gobble, Gobble Day! *On Sunday, Pastor Mike will finish out his series “The Mount” with a message entitled, “Build On The Rock” *Sunday is also Life Group Sunday. Note: Kris and Lisa Horton’s Life Group will not be meeting. Continue the journey through Soul Detox on Sunday, December 9th at their home from 1-3pm. *Help NEEDED with “Hanging of the Greens.” Come out and help decorate the church for CHRISTmas Mon-Wed, Nov. 26th-28th from 8am-3pm or 6-9pm. *WeR3 couples movie night Friday, November 30th at 7pm. Bring a snack and beverage to share. Childcare is provided! *Don’t forget to grab a tag from the Salvation Army Angel Tree in the narthex. Purchase a gift and return it unwrapped by Sunday, December 16th!!! Have a BLESSED Thanksgiving!

Great devotional by Dr. Michael Youssef

Reflecting vs. Correcting the Culture By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

When we look at the life of Samson, we find him to be the reflection of his culture and society of the day. If there’s one verse that summarizes the entire book of Judges, it is Judges 21:25 “. . . everyone did as he saw fit.” Samson represented that attitude. When I think of Samson and how he became a reflection rather than a correction of his culture, I think of how many Christian leaders today are reflecting the culture instead of correcting it. We have become a reflection of the culture instead of standing up against the culture. Israel continued in a downward direction, so much so that even God’s men became part of the sin. Let me summarize Judges 13: Israel’s heart had become so hardened, to the point where they were occupied by and harassed by the Philistines, but they did not cry to God for deliverance. Beloved, that is what you call the bottom of the barrel—when you are seeing all of the pain and suffering of sin and oppression, but you cease to cry to God. Prayer: God, I pray that I would not be a reflection of the culture, but rather, would correct the culture by standing up for Your Truth. Help me to always be humble before You and to be aware of my desperate need for You. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. “For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them” (Matthew 13:15).

Power devotional from David Wilkerson

David Wilkerson Today THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2012 THE IMPOSSIBLE MISSION by David Wilkerson [May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011] "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). Christ said, "I came into this world for one reason — to reach and save lost souls." Yet this was not only the mission of Jesus, He made it our mission also: "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). Jesus was speaking here to a small band of believers, about 120 people who had gathered in the upper room. And what an impossible task He laid before them! "Go to foreign nations, live with the people and study their languages. Lay hands on the sick, cast out devils, proclaim the good news. Go to the very seat of Satan and preach the power and victory of the risen Savior." We must realize that Jesus was talking to ordinary, insignificant, uneducated men and women. He was placing the very future of His Church on their shoulders. They must have been overwhelmed. Can you imagine the conversation that must have taken place once their Master ascended to heaven? "Did I hear Him right? How could we start a worldwide revolution? We're penniless and the Romans are beating and killing us. If we are treated this way here in Jerusalem, how will we be treated when we witness and preach in Rome?” Another might have said, "How does our Lord expect us to go into all the world with the gospel when we don't even have enough money to go to Jericho? How are we to learn languages when we haven't been educated? This is all impossible." It was indeed an impossible mission. Yet our challenge today is just as daunting! If all who read this message would allow the Holy Spirit to make this word real to them — to seek Him for His burden and guidance — there is no telling what kind of harvest the Spirit might reap. The truth is, the greatest works for eternity are done not in mass crusades, but with one saint reaching one lost soul.

Holland First News!!!!

Hello Holland First Family, Here are some reminders as we head into the weekend… *Men’s Lunch tomorrow (Saturday, Oct. 20th) at Buffalo Wild Wings – Noon *Corporate Prayer in the sanctuary Saturday at 7pm *This Sunday is Missions Convention! At 10am we have Tim and Joyce Jarvis missionaries to Tanzania and at 6pm Bob and Bette Sue MacIsaac, missionaries to Lithuania. Plus in the evening we have Food from Around the World. Take a tour of different countries sponsored by our Life Groups and get a taste of some of their food. Hope to see you soon!

October 14th at 10a.m. "Come on In...it's open!" Message from Pastor Mike Houser in his current series, "The Mount"

Becoming a Giant with God

by David Wilkerson [May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011] “Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us” (Psalm 62:8). You must consider your daily appointments with God more sacred and important than appointments with any other people — no matter who they are. How embarrassing it must be for heaven to see the way we Christians fail to highly regard the majesty of our God, the King of Glory. We are often flippant in the way we keep Him waiting. And at the drop of a hat, we will suddenly cancel plans to meet with Him in His courts, all for the most trifling thing! Can you imagine someone keeping the Creator of the universe waiting while he lingers to view his favorite TV program? Yet that is what many of us do! Even worse, we often do not bother to show up in God's presence at all. It is not that we forget our appointment with Him but we willfully refuse to appear before Him! Isaiah lamented, "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not" (Isaiah 53:3). When I allow interruptions to come between me and my appointments with the Lord, I am hiding my face from Him and not appreciating Him as I should. The truth is, it is impossible to waste time when you are seeking God in prayer. Furthermore, outside the secret closet, the praying man or woman accomplishes more in less time, with less hurry and less effort and sweat. The most effective work for God we will ever do is on our knees. While the prayerless run helter skelter, to and fro, attempting great things, the praying Christian is hard at work moving kingdoms, shattering strongholds, doing great things and, in the process, becoming a giant with God.

Welcome our new Youth Pastors- Pastor Chad and Kate Zudweg Their first Sunday will be Sunday, September 16th, but he will begin at Holland First on Monday, Sept. 10th. Welcome Pastor Chad and Kate. Glad to have you at Holland First. Also, they have an adorable little girl named Sophia!