Tuesday, November 8, 2011

OUR WEEK - NOVEMBER 13TH TO NOVEMBER 19TH

REMINDERS —
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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH —
Prayer Breakfast at Happy Chef - 7 A.M.
MARTHA CIRCLE AT 7 P.M. IN CASEY U.M.C.≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH —
Deborah Mary Circle in Casey U.M.C. @ 2 P.M.≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH —
VETERANS DAY≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH —
AN EVENING OF MUSIC “GAITHER STYLE”
AT 6:30 PM

• At Guthrie County Fair Grounds

This is a Fund Raiser for the
Guthrie County Fair's NEW
Community Building


Presented by
Guthrie County Southern Gospel Sing

GROUPS INCLUDE

Phil Hague,
Praises to Him,
New Shoes Quartet,
Loynachans,
Headin Home,
Craig Kruse,
Dead Men Singing,
Plus Local Talent

A GREAT EVENING OF MUSIC!
Free-Will Donation
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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2011—
TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY
AFTER PENTECOST
COLOR: GREEN
COMBINED SERVICE THIS MORNING
IN CASEY U.M.C. AT 9:30 A.M.
SCRIPTURE READINGS:
JUDGES 4:1–7 (The Message)
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Judges in the Bible

In the Book of Joshua: Joshua

In the Book of Judges: Othniel • Ehud
• Shamgar • Deborah • Barak† • Gideon
• Abimelech† • Tola • Jair • Jephthah • Ibzan
• Elon • Abdon • Samson

In First Samuel: Eli • Samuel —
† - Not explicitly described as a judge

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• In Judges 4, it is King Jabin of Canaan who
reaps the benefit of Israel's evil. For 20 years he
was able to hold sway over the people by the
strength of his military personnel and technology.

• It would appear that the "outcry" cycle did not
begin until 20 years into Jabin's reign. Once the
outcry did occur, their judge, Deborah,
summoned a military leader from Naphtali, Barak,
to lead a battle that she would arrange between
the Israelite and Canaanite armies.
1 The People of Israel kept right on doing evil in
God's sight. With Ehud dead,
2 God sold them off to Jabin king of Canaan who
ruled from Hazor. Sisera, who lived in Harosheth
Haggoyim, was the commander of his army.
3 The People of Israel cried out to God because he
had cruelly oppressed them with his nine hundred
iron chariots for twenty years.
4 Deborah was a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth.
She was judge over Israel at that time.
5 She held court under Deborah's Palm between
Ramah and Bethel in the hills of Ephraim. The
People of Israel went to her in matters of justice.
6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh
in Naphtali and said to him, "It has become clear
that God, the God of Israel, commands you: Go to
Mount Tabor and prepare for battle.
Take ten companies of soldiers from Naphtali and
Zebulun.
7 I'll take care of getting Sisera, the leader of Jabin's
army, to the Kishon River with all his chariots and
troops. And I'll make sure you win the battle."

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• PSALM 123 (The Message)
1 I look to you, heaven-dwelling God, look up to
you for help.
2 Like servants, alert to their master's commands,
like a maiden attending her lady, We're watching
and waiting, holding our breath, awaiting your word
of mercy.
3 Mercy, God, mercy! We've been kicked around
long enough,
4 Kicked in the teeth by complacent rich men, kicked
when we're down by arrogant brutes.
OR PSALM 76 (UMH 797)
1 God is well-known in Judah; in Israel, he's a
household name.
2 He keeps a house in Salem, his own suite of rooms
in Zion.
3 That's where, using arrows for kindling, he made a
bonfire of weapons of war.
4 Oh, how bright you shine! Outshining their huge
piles of loot!
5 The warriors were plundered and left there
impotent. And now there's nothing to them, nothing
to show for their swagger and threats.
6 Your sudden roar, God of Jacob, knocked the wind
out of horse and rider.
7 Fierce you are, and fearsome! Who can stand up
to your rising anger?
8 From heaven you thunder judgment; earth falls to
her knees and holds her breath.
9 God stands tall and makes things right, he saves
all the wretched on earth.
10 Instead of smoldering rage, God-praise! All that
sputtering rage - now a garland for God!
11 Do for God what you said you'd do - he is, after
all, your God. Let everyone in town bring offerings
to the One Who Watches our every move.
12 Nobody gets by with anything, no one plays fast
and loose with him.
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1 THESSALONIANS 5:1-11
(The Message)
The Day of the Lord will come at an unexpected
time. Therefore, Paul exhorts us to remain sober,
faithful, and hopeful, and to continue to build up
and encourage one another.
He begins here a
theme sounded throughout the New Testament.
No one knows the day or the hour of Christ's
return. It will be like "a thief in the night." But for
those who are in Christ now, this does not need
to be a bad surprise. We are those, Paul says,
who know how to be ready. We are "of the day,"
he says. We don't "live for the night" of partying,
dissipation, and drunkenness. We live for the day,
sober, alert, watchful, not in fear but in readied,
joyous hope. Our minds are to be dominated and
protected by hope -- not fear, not judgment --
hope in God's salvation.
1 I don't think, friends, that I need to deal with the
question of when all this is going to happen.

2 You know as well as I that the day of the Master's
coming can't be posted on our calendars. He won't
call ahead and make an appointment any more
than a burglar would.
3 About the time everybody's walking around
complacently, congratulating each other - "We've
sure got it made! Now we can take it easy!" -
suddenly everything will fall apart. It's going to come
as suddenly and inescapably as birth pangs to a
pregnant woman.
4 But friends, you're not in the dark, so how could
you be taken off guard by any of this?
5 You're sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live
under wide open skies and know where we stand.
6 So let's not sleepwalk through life like those
others. Let's keep our eyes open and be smart.
7 People sleep at night and get drunk at night.

8 But not us! Since we're creatures of Day, let's
act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed
up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation.
9 God didn't set us up for an angry rejection but for
salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ.

10 He died for us, a death that triggered life.
Whether we're awake with the living or asleep with
the dead, we're alive with him!

11 So speak encouraging words to one another.
Build up hope so you'll all be together in this, no
one left out, no one left behind. I know you're
already doing this; just keep on doing it.

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MATTHEW 25:14-30
(The Message)
Jesus uses a provocative, even offensive story
in his description of the kingdom of heaven while
teaching in the temple.
• The issue in this story is not how much people
were willing to risk. The two issues in this story
are about what God is ready to entrust to us and

what kind of master we think God is.
The
opening line of the story is a shocker.
No
significant property holder would entrust the
entirety of one's property to slaves in Roman
culture, not even for a short period of time. This
man was giving these three slaves the equivalent
of 120 years of daily wages to manage. This man

is either crazy or incredibly trusting of his slaves

to do the right thing.
14 "It's also like a man going off on an extended trip.
He called his servants together and delegated
responsibilities.
15 To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another
two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending
on their abilities. Then he left.
16 Right off, the first servant went to work and
doubled his master's investment.
17 The second did the same.
18 But the man with the single thousand dug a hole
and carefully buried his master's money.
19 "After a long absence, the master of those three
servants came back and settled up with them.
20 The one given five thousand dollars showed
him how he had doubled his investment.
21 His master commended him: 'Good work! You
did your job well. From now on be my partner.'
22 "The servant with the two thousand showed how
he also had doubled his master's investment.
23 His master commended him: 'Good work! You did
your job well. From now on be my partner.'
24 "The servant given one thousand said, 'Master,
I know you have high standards and hate careless
ways, that you demand the best and make no
allowances for error.
25 I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found
a good hiding place and secured your money. Here
it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.'
26 "The master was furious. 'That's a terrible way to
live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you
knew I was after the best, why did you do less than
the least?
27 The least you could have done would have been
to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I
would have gotten a little interest.
28 "'Take the thousand and give it to the one who
risked the most. And get rid of this "play-it-safe"
who won't go out on a limb.
29 30 Throw him out into utter darkness.'
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH —
This is Pastor Bob's and Naomi's day off.
The office is closed today.
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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH —
Dorcus/Ruth Circle will meet in Adair U.M.C.
at 1:30 P.M.
Esther Circle will meet at Adair U.M.C. at 7 p.m.≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
FUTURE FOCUS —
Adair UMC will decorate for Christmas after church
on Sunday, Nov. 20. Soup, sandwiches, and dessert
will be provided for noon lunch. All are welcome to
stay for decorating and fellowship.Thanksgiving Day is coming up on the 24th.
I hope you get to spend time with those you love.
The Adair UMC is decorating an angel tree for the
Festival of Trees on Dec. 3 and 4 this year. If
anyone has angel ornaments they are willing to let
us borrow, please label them and bring them
to the church.

God Bless and Keep You,
Pastor Bob