What’s Happening at Good Shepherd
Dear Good Shepherd,
There are few things in life that bring me contentment in the way that cooking can. There is such joy in being able to feed someone a special meal that I’ve poured myself into. In our house, birthdays and anniversaries are reasons to stay in and have a special meal , rather than heading out for a fine dining experience.
This week, Shepherd’s Bowl landed on St. Patrick’s Day. We, fittingly made a traditional corned beef and cabbage meal. It was so rewarding to see the looks of surprise on the faces of the patrons that came in to share that meal with us.
After all of the patrons were served, I sat down with my own family to have a quick dinner. Children from the neighborhood that we’re creating a lasting bond with stop and say hello, asking about when our next ‘face-painting day’ will be, and neighbors stop to update us on their day to day lives. These are people who’ve probably never been to a service here at Good Shepherd. One of the beautiful things about working on a Shepherd’s Bowl team is that God renews my love for serving, but also shows me that ‘church’ can happen wherever God is present and is shining through us as we reach out to the world around us.
I pray that you’ve all had a blessed week, and I’m looking forward to celebrating Holy Week with you.
In Christ,
Steph
Mission Groups All mission groups are taking a break for Holy Week, but will resume the following week.
Easter Outreach to Saratoga Children Please consider giving a small money donation/individually wrapped candy or other small treats by Sunday March 20th to provide Saratoga Youth Center children with an Easter goodie bag from Good Shepherd. These will be given out at the Saratoga Center Easter Party on March 22nd when Jeremy the Christian Illusionist will share the gospel with the children in an amazing and powerful way. Please be in prayer over this event and contribute if you are able. Thanks!
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.
Life Choices Baby Bottle Collection Drive Please make every effort to return your empty, partially full, or filled baby bottles back to Christine Osgood.
Thank you for your participation in Change for Life 2016!
Ongoing Ministries
ACW There will be no March ACW meeting. The April meeting will be held in the parish hall at 11:15, Saturday, April 16th. The ACW meets the 3rd Saturday of most months. It will be followed by a potluck lunch.
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 This week’s sermon was the parable of the good Samaritan, telling us to love our neighbors as ourselves. We can do this by keeping our food pantry full so our members who use it (our neighbors) will never go hungry.
Pantry Needs: Canned meat except tuna, oatmeal, regular or instant, crackers and cookies, peanut butter, canned soups and stews, canned fruit, powdered milk packets, coffee singles, and anything else you’d like to bring.
Last Week
Last week’s sermon ‘The Royal Law and the Gospel’ was based on James 2:8-13. It can be listened to or downloaded here.
Mission Group Discussion Questions
James 2:8-13
Main Idea(s):
- Showing partiality violates the law as written: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”
- Whoever fails to follow the law in any way is held accountable for all of it
- We are no longer held accountable to the law if we are in Christ.
- God has shown mercy to us through the work of Christ. Be likewise and show mercy.
1) In verse 8, is James presuming that there might be anyone reading who has fulfilled the law?
- Why does James include this sentence about the law?
- What does the word “love” in this context mean?
- How is the law to “love your neighbor as yourself” related to the idea of partiality introduced in the previous paragraph?
2) What is the purpose of the law?
- How does the law apply to non-believers?
- Does the law apply the same way to believers in Christ? Why or why not?
- Who is held accountable to the law in the case of the non-believer? Who is held accountable to the law in the case of the believer?
- For the one who is accountable to the law, what is the consequence of partiality?
3) Why is one who fails at keeping any one aspect of the law held accountable to the entire law?
- Is this fair? Why or why not?
- Why is it foolish to debate the “fairness” of the law?
- Who of us has kept the law perfectly or completely?
4) What is the gospel?
- Why are believers counted righteous in the eyes of God our Father?
- How does the gospel save us from the condemnation we deserve for failing to keep the law?
- Does anyone deserve or is anyone able to earn righteousness?
- In light of the gospel then, how are believers commanded to treat each other?
Tuesday Morning This Tuesday’s Bible Study was called ‘Through One Man’. It was based on Romans 5. You can view it here, or watch it below. You can catch up on all of the older Tuesday morning Bible studies you might have missed here. You’ll need to have a LiveStream account, but it’s free and easy to sign up for.
This Week
This week’s sermon is based on Mark 15:1-39.
And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” And the chief priests accused him of many things. And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” And Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:1-39 ESV)
Team Ephesians is working on the altar this Sunday with Ife Ojetayo.
The readings for this Sunday are: Isaiah 52:13-53:12 and Philippians 2:5-11.
The PDF Bulletin for this Sunday’s 10:30 service can be downloaded here.
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gs.binghamton@gmail.com
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