What’s Happening at Good Shepherd
Scheduling Reminder If you need to make an appointment with Pastor Matt, please be sure to contact Stephanie directly at 607-723-8032 or at gs.binghamton@gmail.com.
Often when people come to speak with Matt after the service on Sunday, he’s already been working for over ten hours, and doesn’t always remember to put it into the calendar. This can cause double bookings, or forgotten appointments. Please keep in mind that the office is closed on Mondays. Thank you so much for your understanding.
Update and Announcements If you have an item you’d like to have announced on Sunday morning, or included in the update, please be sure to forward the item to Stephanie by Wednesday afternoon, and specify if you’d like it announced or just listed in the updates. It will then be edited and forwarded to Anne to announce on Sunday and/or added to the paper and digital update.
Community Event Our own Sarah Dreher will be performing in a production called Seeking Treasure, based on the lives of treasure seekers during the years of the California Gold Rush. Sarah and her classmates studied this time period in the fall, and are now in the process of polishing the play. She loves her parts and is having a wonderful time working with this group of students under the direction of Miss Kelsey Tombs. There is no admission cost, but donations will gratefully be accepted. If you have the ability to come out and support her, please consider doing so.
Showtime:
Saturday, May 7, 7 PM at State Theatre in Deposit
Ongoing Ministries
“And as for your little ones…”
Vacation Bible School is coming August 1-4 from 6-8 PM. It is an opportunity not only for children of Good Shepherd, but especially for children in our community to hear the gospel clearly presented. It is also an opportunity for you to lend your talents to those children. The range of skills that can be used in Vacation Bible School are broader than you may initially think. Vacation Bible School can be a beautiful quick snapshot of the body working together, all parts having the same goal but accomplishing that through a great variety of tasks and time commitments. Please talk with Anna Dreher and tell her what you enjoy doing and when (during the months of June-August) you are available. Your skills and interests are perfect.
Children’s bulletins are available to help your children follow all parts of the service today. Please pick one up from an usher.
Health Fair and Ice Cream Social 2016. The Ice Cream Social will be held on June 11 from 12-3pm. This year all participants in the event are required to agree with our statement of faith; a change which we pray will both protect us from the inclusion of groups which would oppose our beliefs, and also provide a venue for us and for other bible- believing Christians to proclaim our faith in words and deeds while promoting health of body, mind, and soul. This change also demands that we ALL take part in this effort. Please ask yourself what you can do to help and who you know who might be willing to participate. This event will include health screenings and information, holistic health professionals, Christian groups such as the Salvation Army, haircuts, skincare, facepainting, dance and athletic demonstrations, children’s crafts, music, food, and much more! Please let me know how YOU would like to help!
Bread and Wine If you are interested in joining a group of moms for a monthly supper and discussion of women in the bible, please contact Liz Hull.
Health and Wellness Our bodies are “the tents” that the Lord has given us to house our souls. Begin to take care of the body which God Has given you. Check your blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight every Sunday in the Parish Hall 9-10AM. Please see Dolly Shaller or Carmen Swoffer-Penna for more details.
Good Shepherd Food Pantry With summer rapidly approaching there is an even greater need to keep or “Member Food Pantry” well stocked and that concerns our children. When your kids are in school they are served healthy meals and snacks throughout each day, but what happens when they are out of school for the summer? The fact is that sometimes those healthy meals are discontinued.
Most poverty stricken families have to hunker down and make adjustments when expenses exceed income. They may have to pay other bills like heat, lights, rent and phone, before they buy food. That’s were Food pantries like ours, and the Food Distribution Trucks come into play. They supplement the need for people on a “fixed” income.
In the Bible Jesus and his disciples fed 5000 men, plus their wives and children with just two small flat breads and three small fishes by the miracle of multiplying them more than 1000 times over, and even though our pantry hasn’t fed that many, those who use it during the hard times depend it and us more and more.
Food Needs: Smooth or Crunchy peanut Butter, Canned meats such as chicken, turkey, beef, or spam, canned tuna or salmon, canned fruit with the exception of apple or cranberry sauce, one box meals like Tuna or Hamburger Helper-or Mac and Cheese, Cereals like Rice Krispies, Raisin Bran or oatmeal, Puddings, and Jello’s, Cake Mixes and Frostings, Brownie and Cookie Mixes, Salad dressings, and condiments like Ketchup, Mustard or Steak Sauce, Spices, Cooking oils and Sprays, Small bags of sugar and flour, Biscuit mixes, Canned veggies other than peas, green beans and corn, coffee or tea, cocoa Canned Spaghetti sauce and pasta, Canned stews, 1 or 2 lbs bags of white or brown rice, and anything else you care to bring.
Last Week
Last week’s sermon ‘The Power of the Tongue’ was based on James 3:1-5. It can be listened to or downloaded here.
Mission Group Discussion Questions
James 3:1-5
Main Idea(s):
- Teachers of scripture have an important responsibility to preach correctly and are more accountable for what they say and to whom they say it.
- We all stumble in many ways, one of which is inappropriate use of our words.
- Our tongue (or things we say) has substantial control over who we are and what we do.
- Words have significant effects; they have strength to build up or to tear down the church body.
1) Is James referring to a specific kind of teacher in this section or teachers in general? How do you know?
- Why should “not many” become teachers?
- Why are teachers of scripture judged with greater strictness?
2) What does it mean in verse 2 that “we all stumble”?
- What significance does this sentence have at this point in the passage?
- How can this understanding be applied to James’ call to believers to do good works?
3) Is it possible that anyone can “not stumble” in what he or she says? Why or why not?
- What does this imply about a man or woman being perfect and being able to control his or her whole body?
- Is anyone perfect? [no] Should this discourage us from growing in holiness? Why or why not?
- Should we seek perfection? What should we seek and how does that reveal itself in our words and actions?
4) What does the tongue (or words spoken) reveal about the character or a person?
- What effect do the words we speak have on who we are?
- What do the analogies in verses 3 and 4 imply about the tongue and the consequences it has?
- Can you think of other analogies like those in verses 3 and 4 that show how small things control large things?
- Why do mere words have such significant consequences?
5) What does it mean in verse 5 that “[the tongue] boasts of great things”?
- How can this have negative consequences?
- How can this have positive consequences?
- What applications can we make to our lives knowing that what we speak has so much power?
- Specifically, what significance should this knowledge have over how we interact as the church?
Tuesday Morning This Tuesday’s Bible Study was called ‘Predestined to be Conformed to Christ’. It was based on Romans 8. You can view it here, or watch it below. Missed a study? You can catch up on the last month of the Tuesday morning Bible studies you might have missed here.
This Week
This week’s sermon is based on James 3:6-12.
And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. (James 3:6-12 ESV)
Team Philippians is working on the altar this Sunday with Michael Beauharnois.
The readings for this Sunday are: Acts 14:8-18 and James 3:6-12.
The PDF Bulletin for this Sunday’s 10:30 service can be downloaded here.
Have an item for the Update or an Announcement?
Email the secretary at:
gs.binghamton@gmail.com
by Monday night.