OUR WEEK — MARCH 22ND - MARCH 28TH

REMINDERS —
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18TH —
Dorcas/Ruth Circle is scheduled to meet at 1:30 P.M.
in Pat Hough's home in Adair.
There will be no Esther Circle.
Martha Circle is scheduled to attend a Lenten service
this evening.
Lenten Services begin at 7 P.M. in Immanuel Lutheran
Church in Adair.YOUTH GROUP WILL MEET in Casey UMC from
6 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. Rita Elgin and Jade Weber will
bring goodies.
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THURSDAY, MARCH 19TH —
DEBORAH/MARY CIRCLE meets at Casey UMC- 2 P.M.
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FRIDAY, MARCH 20TH —
Naomi will be out of the office today.
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SUNDAY, MARCH 22ND —
FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT - COLOR: PURPLE
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Our Memory Verse for today is:
“Witnessing” Romans 1:16
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the
power of God for the salvation of everyone who
believes; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
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TODAY — ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING -
When a catastrophe occurs, your offerings to
ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING enables the
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)
to reach out and ease the pain and suffering by
providing humanitarian aid of food, shelter,
health and peace.Necessities of life include food, shelter and clothing.
Many people around the world lack these basic
necessities. With your help, ONE GREAT HOUR OF
SHARING may make these necessities a reality.

By giving to One Great Hour of Sharing, you enable
UMCOR to keep the promise that 100 percent of
designated gifts go to the specific causes. UMCOR
receives no apportionment money. This is why your
faithful support of the One Great Hour of Sharing
offering is crucial.
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OUR SCRIPTURE READINGS TODAY ARE
NUMBERS 21:4-9 New Living Translation (NLT)
The people's complaining brought death in the form
of serpents. God offered healing from the serpents'
bite for all who would look upon a bronze serpent
Moses fashioned and lifted on a pole.

THE BRONZE SNAKE
4 Then the people of Israel set out from Mount Hor, taking
the road to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom.
But the people grew impatient with the long journey,

5 and they began to speak against God and Moses. “Why
have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the
wilderness?” they complained. “There is nothing to eat here
and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!”

6 So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and
many were bitten and died.

7 Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have
sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray
that the Lord will take away the snakes.” So Moses prayed
for the people.

8 Then the Lord told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous
snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if
they simply look at it!”9 So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it
to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could
look at the bronze snake and be healed!

PSALM 107:1-3, 17-22 (UMH 830)
New International Version (NIV)
A psalm of thanksgiving for deliverance from deadly
disease caused by or connected with human sin.

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say this—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,

3 those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.

Psalm 107:17-22
17 Some became fools through their rebellious ways
and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.

18 They loathed all food
and drew near the gates of death.

19 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.

20 He sent forth his word and healed them;
he rescued them from the grave.

21 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men.

22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of his works with songs of joy.

EPHESIANS 2:1-10 New Living Translation (NLT)
Paul proclaims the power of God's salvation, delivering
us from "the ruler of the power in the air" and
"the passions of our flesh," which were killing us. God
extends this salvation to humans through grace -- not
through our earning it in any way -- and this salvation
not only breaks the chains of the powers that bind us,
but empowers us to live lives full of good works, a
reflection of the "immeasurable riches of God's grace"
that God desires to lavish upon all who will receive them,
now and in the age to come.
MADE ALIVE WITH CHRIST
1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.

2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.

3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much,

5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

JOHN 3:14-21 (Amplified Bible)
Jesus offers narratives to help Nicodemus understand
the meaning of God's salvation through him - Moses
lifting up the serpent, and God's free gift of eternal life
to all who will "believe into" (live as disciples of) Jesus.

14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent on a pole in the desert , so must the Son of Man be lifted up on the cross,

15 In order that everyone who believes in Him, who cleaves to Him, trusts Him, and relies on Him may not perish, but have eternal life and live forever!

16 For God so loved and dearly prized the world that He gave up His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in, trusts in, clings to, relies on Him, shall not perish, come to destruction, and be lost, but have eternal everlasting life.17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge, to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.

18 He who believes in Him, who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him, is not judged he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation - he incurs no damnation; but he who does not believe, cleave to, rely on, trust in Him, is judged already. He has already been convicted and has already received his sentence because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ's name.

19 The basis of the judgment lies in this: the Light has come into the world, and people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light, for their works, deeds were evil.

20 For every wrongdoer hates, loathes, detests the Light, and will not come out into the Light but shrinks from it, lest his works, his deeds, his activities, his conduct, be exposed and reproved.

21 But he who practices truth, who does what is right, comes out into the Light; so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are - wrought with God - divinely prompted, done with God's help, in dependence upon Him.
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MONDAY, MARCH 23RD —
This is Pastor Lynn's and Naomi's day off.
Bible Study at Casey UMC - 6:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M.
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TUESDAY, MARCH 24TH —
Bible Study in Adair UMC from 9 A.M. to 11 A.M.
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25TH —CONFIRMATION in Casey UMC from 6 P.M. TO 7:30 P.M.
Mystery Dinner catered by Pastor Lynn. Hm-m-m-m!
What can that be??? (Thank you Pastor Lynn.)
Lenten Services at Good Shepherd Church in Adair —
to begin at 7 P.M.
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SATURDAY, MARCH 28TH —
ANGEL FOOD DISTRIBUTION -
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COMING EVENTS:
SUNDAY, MARCH 29TH —
We will have a combined service in the
Adair Community Centre at 9:00 A.M.
There will be a Chicken Dinner starting at 11 A.M.
following the service.
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IOWA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH CAMPS
We are edging into the 2009 Camping Season.

Iowa United Methodist Church Camps promise to deliver
new experiences, new skills, new knowledge, new friends
and great fun, just as they always have. Look at a camping
brochure and decide which one suits you this year.
We are all different, but we all love to camp.
This year we want you to help us bring your friends along
to camp. You may qualify for a $25 event discount.
Check with Naomi or Pastor Lynn in the office for more
information about this opportunity.

Are you ready for the summer season? Winter was great
but I think I'm ready for Spring! I am ready to put away the
heavy coats, scarves, and snow boots and turn off the
furnace. Oh yes, . . . . and see some flowers!Thank you for your contributions to our church life.
We appreciate all that you make time for - and we
know, sometimes it isn't easy. Do you know where
we would be without you? Nowhere!

God bless and keep you,
Pastor Lynn