Sunday, April 8 • Sunday School 9:30 a.m. • Worship 10:45 a.m. • I Can Only Imagine Movie - Meet at church 4:00 p.m. Monday, April 9 • Celebrate Recovery Meeting 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 11 • God Squad 3:30 p.m. • Board of Trustees Meeting 7:00 p.m. Friday, April 13 • Men’s Group (Breakfast: Kevin Clark) 6:30 a.m. Saturday, April 14 • Couples Bible Study @ The Nickelsons 7:00 p.m. Sunday, April 15 • Sunday School 9:30 a.m. • Worship 10:45 a.m. • Emmaus 7:00 p.m. Monday, April 16 • Celebrate Recovery Meeting 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 18 • God Squad - Pinewood Derby Race! 3:30 p.m. • Outreach Meeting 6:00 p.m. Friday, April 20 • Men’s Group (Breakfast: Jim Roelfs) 6:30 a.m. • L.T.C. Bingo 3:00 p.m. Saturday, April 21 • Couples Bible Study @ The Nickelsons 7:00 p.m. Sunday, April 22 • Sunday School 9:30 a.m. • Worship 10:45 a.m. • L.T.C. Service 4:30 p.m. Monday, April 23 • Celebrate Recovery Meeting 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 25 • Thrift Shoppe Meeting 1:00 p.m. • God Squad BBQ at County Park 6:00 p.m. Friday, April 27 • Men’s Group (Breakfast: Brad Kirk) 6:30 a.m. Saturday, April 28 • Couples Bible Study @ The Nickelsons 7:00 p.m. Sunday, April 29 • Sunday School 9:30 a.m. • Worship 10:45 a.m.

Monday, April 30 • Celebrate Recovery Meeting 7:00 p.m. Thursday, May 3 - National Day of Prayer • Chapel open for prayer 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Friday, May 4 • Men’s Group (Breakfast: Randy Keeton) 6:30 a.m. Sunday, May 5 - Communion Sunday • Sunday School 9:30 a.m. • Worship 10:45 a.m. • Emmaus 7:00 p.m. Sunday, May 13 - Happy Mother’s Day • Graduation Sunday Wednesday, May 16 • Finance Meeting 7:00 p.m. Thursday, May 17 • Administrative Council Meeting 7:00 p.m. Sunday, May 20 • Kitchen Dedication Celebration 5:00 p.m. June 11-15 • VBS 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. June 13-16 • Annual Conference @ Wichita

Church Events

Join us every Sunday! Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.

Worship: 10:45 a.m.

THE PARISH POST APRIL 2018

LEOTI UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Our Mission: To bring the faith, hope, and love

of Christ to our church, family, community, and world.

Office (620)375-4554 leotiumc@fairpoint.net

www.facebook.com/leotiumc www.leotiumc.net C

HU

RC

H

INFO

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Thursday, May 3 Chapel open for prayer 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

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VBS is coming! June 11-15

9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. For kids entering Preschool-

6th Grade in August. If you would like to help in any way please contact the

office (375-4554) or Michelle (620-874-0281).

Joys and Concerns • Buddy Brandl • Dennis Fullman (cousin of Brad Kirk) • Gerri Taylor (aunt of Darren Crouch) • Carol Wadley

Continued Concerns • Tina Harkness (daughter of Jerry & Glenda Harkness) • Dennis Woods • Jim Hayes • Dale & Judy Chaffin (uncle & aunt of Kevin Clark) • Bryce Nickelson (Marines) • Military • Government Leaders

Prayer Requests

Ministry Team Meetings

Board of Trustees

Wednesday, April 11, 7:00 p.m.

Outreach Wednesday, April 18, 6:00 p.m.

Finance

Wednesday, May 16, 7:00 p.m.

Administrative Council Thursday, May 17, 7:00 p.m.

God Squad Pinewood Derby Race

Wednesday, April 18 3:30 p.m.

God Squad BBQ At the County Park

Wednesday, April 25 6:00 p.m.

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And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. John 17:3 I have always considered eternal life to be about a destination, a goal, a promise. It is a destination in heaven in the presence of God. It is a goal, a reward for a faithful life with God. It is a promise God makes to all who believe. Eternal life is all of those things, but it is so much more. Eternal life is the reason that Jesus came to earth. It is the reason that Jesus died on the cross. John 3:16 reminds us that Jesus came to give eternal life to all who believe in Him. Eternal life is a big deal. I have heard of people who think that salvation is more of a fire insurance policy. They fear hell and punishment and desire to be right with God. For them, salvation and eternal life is more about avoiding something than gaining something. It is more about missing punishment than receiving a gift. I believe this is missing the point of eternal life. It is more than avoiding hell. It is far more than that. Eternal life is about knowing God. It is that simple (or should I say it is that huge). It is about knowing God and God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Eternal life should not be just about the promise of heaven or a goal for a life of service. Eternal life is knowing God. It is learning, changing, growing with

God. To know God fully is impossible right now, yet God knows us fully. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13 about love. He also writes about growing in the knowledge of God in verse 12. “Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” Paul is speaking about when we become complete in Christ. He is stating that love never fails, even when everything else in life will end and fail. When the complete comes, we will finally fully know God. God created us and knows all there is about us. God wants us to know Him. The work of a Christian’s life is to grow in knowledge of God. This is working towards completion. This is working towards fully knowing God’s love. This is working towards being perfected in Christ. This is the work of eternal life. This is sanctification. The empty tomb of Easter shows us that Jesus came to give us eternal life and we must share that eternal life. It is a gift. All knowledge of God is a gift. Paul points out that we now know in part about God. We know a little. We have God’s love, and we have God’s Word to teach and God’s Spirit to guide us. Here is the important work of the Christian life: keep learning. I know of no one who knows God fully yet. We strive for it. We must keep studying, living, learning, and above all else sharing

the good news with others so that they might learn. This is the work of evangelism: to bring eternal life to the world. In this time following Easter, I pray that you take some time out of your day to study God. Grow in your knowledge of Him. Grasp on-to your eternal life today! Live into that resurrected life as you grow in knowledge of God. As you grow in knowledge, you will grow in love, peace, joy, and all the fruit of the Spirit. Then share that with another person. Go out and risk a little to share with someone else God’s love. There are many different ways for us to grow in our knowledge of God. One way is to find a study. Our adult Sunday school class (and all the younger classes too) always have room for you! We have mid-week Bible studies if you are interested. You also can always find a friend, a good Christian book, and work through it together at your own pace. If you need some help finding a book, just ask! Find some way to increase in your knowledge of God. Remember that God so loved the world so that you might have eternal life, so that you might know God. -Pastor Brad

Knowing Eternal Life

April Sermon Series

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April 2018 Worship Assignments

If you would like to volunteer for any position please let the office know.

Note: Please let the office know if we have missed your birthday or anniversary.

April 5 Traci Tankersley April 6 Kendrix Loy April 8 Gloria Long April 10 L.T. Casper April 11 Diana Kirk April 23 Shirley Rickford

Happy Birthday!!! April 18

Kelley & Aimee Burch Kevin & Teresa Clark

April 28

George & Debra Eckert

Anniversaries

Date Greeters Ushers Scripture Children’s Time

April 8 Mabel Crowley Greg Fletcher Marqueta Keeton Teresa Clark

Kathy Bangerter

April 15 Tabitha & Cheyenne Rutherford Jerry Harkness Jody Crouch Michelle Sheppard

Autumn Ames & Girls Bruce Loy

April 22 Mr. & Mrs. Russell Lewis Kevin Clark Greg Fletcher Craig Sheppard

Mr. & Mrs. Kelley Burch Zim Clark

April 29 Jody & Jadee Crouch Randy Keeton Kendrix Loy Shad Mehl

Noreen Walk & Rosetta Hayes Jim Hayes

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Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:

The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Cor 5:17 (NIV)

March Madness is ushering in April Fool’s Day…. how appropriate! I read yesterday that 550 ESPN brackets, out of 17.5 million, correctly picked the final four teams heading to the NCAA basketball finals in San Antonio. That’s 0.003 percent who navigated those four teams through the first two weeks of March Madness. The other 99.7%, FOOLS! We can typically pick a game or two that BUSTED our brackets, and usually in that game some player, the GAME CHANGER, stepped up and re-routed the outcome of the contest. The result would have been different, if only that GAME CHANGER hadn’t re-written the script. THAT’S EASTER, which happens to fall on April Fool’s Day in 2018! A moment in time when the outcome was changed, the script was flipped, and a GAME CHANGER stole the show. THAT IS, if our faith is maturing as God intended. Let me explain. Believers follow in the footsteps of Christ, that’s what Christian means, little Christ. When we said YES, with all our heart, soul and mind, to Christ (that spiritual re-birth), the GAME CHANGER entered and re-directed the outcome, changed the story-line. Now, instead of what we use to do against God (sin), we now choose to do less and less, in exchange for those ideas and situations that are more like God (God’s will). 1 Thess 4:3 explains God’s will for each of us: It is God’s will that you should be sanctified….. Sanctified is the process of becoming little Christs, living more like Christ, and less like our previous, selfish selves. In James Macdonald’s book, The Will of God IS the Word of God, he suggests 9 “filters” to apply to ANY decision to ensure the Will of God in our life. If we want to test our decisions, “is this what God wants me to do with my life?” kind of questions….. try these filters. The first three filters apply specifically to God, the God Check. If the decision in question survives these filters, you

generally have a clearance to proceed with caution. Filter one; Will this choice bring Glory to God? Spouse, college, friendships… you name the decision being made, will God be glorified in your decision? God is glorified in any decision that keeps his commands. John 14:15 clarifies, “If you love me, keep my commands.” So, if the decision we are considering puts us in an immoral position, the answer is NO! That would not bring Glory to God! Should I watch a TV show that is vulgar and offensive? NO! Should I make a comment that cuts another person down, gossips, slanders or even is an outright lie? NO! Should I covet my neighbors possessions? Again, NO! Should I skip church this week? NO, NO, NO!! (see Exodus 20:3-17 for 10 such commands.) I think you get the picture. This filter eliminates anything that Jesus would have avoided.

That’s the second filter. If we’re not sure if it would bring glory and honor to God, ask the question, What Would Jesus Do? WWJD? Is this a decision Jesus would make? Can we find accounts of Jesus doing what we’re considering? If so… then by all means, go ahead with the decision. Decisions that include; compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Col 3:12). If no… then it doesn’t meet the filter, do not proceed! Every decision, every thought, must line up with Christ-like actions. 1 Peter 2:21 explains that, “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” Remember, that’s what God’s will is for us (1 Thess 4:3), to become little Christs, sanctified. Third filter; Will I be proud of this decision at the judgement seat of Christ? I’ve heard it asked another way….. before God’s judgement seat,

will there be evidence of me being a little Christ in the replay of my life. Romans 4:12, “So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.” Did the GAME CHANGER change our game, leading us to become more like Him? Decisions that indicate God’s wisdom are; pure; then peace, loving, considerate submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere (James 3:17). If the decision bears evidence of a changed life, living as a little Christ, then we have chosen wisely. That’s the first layer of filters to determine God’s Will in the decisions we make. So, questions regarding our free time, vacation plans, social media usage, spending habits, addictions (substance, food, time, sports, profanity, pornography, work..), ANY decision…. can be passed through the three God Check filters to see if our choices align with what God would have us to do. I’m going to flip the Simply Difficult concept here. Take the Difficult decisions and Simply apply the filters. As we surrender our lives to becoming more Christ-like, sanctified, then, the more the new creation becomes apparent. Romans 12:2 explains, “… be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Renewing our mind means studying the Bible that we might know and obey the commands of God, living as little Christs. That is KNOWING God, and in wisdom, applying that knowledge to our life. If our GAME ISN’T CHANGING, then, read the Bible, study God’s word, and pray that God would grant us the wisdom (James 1:5) to live a life that glorifies Him, that replicates the life of Christ, bearing witness through the spiritual fruit of our words and actions. Next month we’ll tackle the Boat Check and Gut Check filters for following God’s Will. To God be ALL Praise, Honor and Glory Shad

Game Changer: the God Check

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Leoti�United�Methodist�Church 111�S.�Wyoming Leoti,�KS��67861 620-375-4554

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Have an idea for a Mission?

Outreach is always looking for Mission opportunities.

Please contact Marqueta or Diana.

Cookbooks for Sale

Available on back table in sanctuary by

freewill donation.