Contact us at: 402-391-0820

www.sunsethillschurch.org sunset@sunsethillschurch.org

Moses Merrill Camp & Conference Center

Family Day

Saturday, September 7 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Enjoy a day at camp with family and friends! Admission is free (some activities have a fee.)

Swimming Basketball Archery Food

Gaga Ball Horseshoes Games

Campfires Camp History Wagon Rides

Gift Basket Auction Hiking

5K Run/Walk 9:00 a.m. Register online at www.campmerrill.com

Sunset Hills Church 9416 Pacific Street Omaha, NE 68114

Sunset Hills Baptist Church September 2019

Newsletter

Pastor Paul Ponders

Everybody wants to be happy. Whatever different means they use, everybody has a goal of happiness before them. Even those who use drugs or alcohol, even those who stage mass shootings, even those who commit suicide have the goal of happiness in their actions.

The Bible is not the book for learning how to be stoic. It blatantly entices us to seek happiness, joy, pleasure - whatever you want to call it - in Him! Some verses from Psalms that weren’t touched on in our series prove this for us. Psalm 37:4 - “delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart,” or Psalm 16:11 - “in your presence is fullness of joy, and at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

The pursuit of pleasure can also expose the nature of our hearts. If something sinful gives you pleasure, it’s not a pleasure problem, it’s a treasure problem. When we pursue something sinful for the pleasure it gives, it reveals to us the nature of our hearts - despite what your mouth says and the image you try to project to others, something evil has become precious to you.

That’s what sin is at the root, treasuring evil. It’s the root of battles that wage inside us. It’s a fight whether to believe that God’s promises of happiness are stronger than the false promises of happiness we hear from the world. To stop this behavior requires denying ourselves a lesser pleasure in order to have a much higher pleasure (Luke 9:23-25).

Finding pleasure in God is not only more satisfying for the believers, but also glorifies God. God is most glorified in YOU! We are his pleasure!

In the early days of Jesus’ ministry, he sat down on a hillside filled with people and taught them about God in a way they had never heard before. He began with promises from God that their strife and struggle in a world that had nothing to do with happiness or personal pleasure was not

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Prayers for Family and Loved Ones Wes Gilmer& all who are serving in the military Safety

Prayers for Health, Healing, and Strength Barbara Ganey Ken Vetter Amber Dale Joanne Kelley Nancy Quinette Traci Gilmer Doris Otte Lynette Battreall Justin Presler

On-going Prayers of Well-being Pat Martin Carol Welch Cindy Combs Mary Engleman Deanne Caughey Mark Caughey Megan Weaver Gina Hendrix Charlotte Lowrance

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what God wanted for them. He tells them 9 times that your happiness, your joy, your blessings come from God. Not as the world would tell us.

In the next few weeks, we will be exploring the Beatitudes and dig for meaning in what God is trying to teach us: to seek pleasure in him. Don’t miss the series!

Pastor Paul

Upcoming Sermons

September 8 The Pursuit of Happiness Matthew 5:1-2

September 15 Poor as a Church Mouse Matthew 5:3

September 22 Mourning Into Morning Matthew 5:4

September 29 The Meek and the Mighty Matthew 5:5

October 6 I Can’t Get No Satisfaction Matthew 5:6

October 13 Have Mercy! Matthew 5:7

We so appreciate your help with our Back to School backpack program. By the end of August, The Salvation Army 7 Can Help Kids Back to School Backpack Drive will have distributed more than 11,000 backpacks in total. This year marked the 21st anniversary of the program, which, over its two-decade history, has distributed 200,000 backpacks to families in need. Without you, this would not

have been possible. Thank you for your continued support! Kay Weinstein Salvation Army

Looking for Youth leaders!

Once a month come spend time helping our youth grow their

relationship with Christ.

Background check required.

If you have any questions

please see Shawnda.

Preparing for World Mission Offering “Let Living WATER Flow”

John 4:14

PRAY

* Pick up your “60 Days of Prayer” Pamphlet outside the sanctuary on the pulpit stand.

* Pray on how much you want to give to this year’s

World Mission Offering in October.

The Young in Spirit Fellowship Group has decided to meet only once a month instead of twice. This month, we will meet on Thursday, September 12 at 1:30 p.m. at the church.

SHBC Financial Scoreboard

1 Jaron Raj Nallathambi 2 Ruth Steele 3 Lea Heller 3 Tessa Howe 9 Maya Diew 10 Jesse Oloyede 14 Ava Dale 14 Pat Smith 17 S. J. Workman 18 Collin Pike 18 Rev. Rick Wheatley 21 Steve Mikkelsen 24 Deanne Caughey

2 Rev. Rick & Linda Wheatley 41 Years 5 Jason & Terri Rich 10 Years 11 David & Abitha Nallathambi 19 Years

Happy Anniversary

August Attendance Giving

4 93 $3,557.00

11 85 $3,506.00

18 101 $2,758.05

25 101 $3,512.41

Men’s Breakfast

8:30 a.m., Saturday, September 21 Fellowship Hall

Women’s Breakfast

8:30 a.m., Saturday, September 21 Narthex

It was a great surprise to me to receive so many beautiful birthday cards, notes and good wishes on Facebook, from my friends at Sunset Hills Baptist Church, for my 90th birthday. You know how the saying goes, “Make new friends but keep the old.” I still cherish the many friendships I made at Sunset Hills, cherish the memories of each of you and I thank you all for remembering me. With my love, Mary Hand

July Income $ 14,570 July Expenses $ 18,024 YTD Income $116,027 YTD Expenses $125,353 July Pledges 82% YTD Pledges 96%

Wednesday Night Bible Study

Starting again on Wednesday,

September 4

6:30 p.m.

All-age Adult Sunday School September Update On Sunday, September 15, the 9-message DVD series of All Things New: THE REVELATION Part 1 will begin. Prophecy and the end times are subjects that are both mysterious and intriguing to most Christians. And while these subjects may seem far-off or detached from everyday life, what will happen in the future actually does affect your life today! This class meets on Sunday mornings from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. in the upstairs classroom. Please, pray about attending this Scripture-supported study by PowerPoint Ministries. We are growing in faith and relationships together.

Men’s Group Study September Update Pastor Bob Molby and Steve Bottum are co-facilitating Scot McKnight’s Reading Romans Backwards. The Men’s Group Study is held on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Men are invited to attend and learn from this in-depth work. Please enter the building at the main west entrance.

2019 Stewardship Ministry Team September Update Among other needs, the Stewardship Ministry is continuing work to have the storm-damaged roof shingles and trims replaced. Bob has worked with Verizon to update and improve their communication tower, and an agreement is now in place. Wade has been involved with ground work maintenance. We will seek to have parking lot cracks filled before winter. He is also lining up for the grounds, a late September or early October clean-up event. We so appreciate the 18 volunteers on the 2019 Stewardship Ministry Team for serving God in this and other ways. Thanks! Wade Gilmer, Bob Slechta, Cindy Anson and Ron Reed

Church family, if you’re interested in serving in some way, please contact a member of your Ministry Council.

Ministry Council Minutes August 19, 2019

Attendees: Pastor Paul; Gina Slechta, Moderator; Scott Darden, Treasurer/Vice Moderator; LaShawnda Woods, Discipleship; Pastor Jason Workman, Safety/Security; Don Zak, Worship Ministry; Telly Woods, Clerk Devotion (Pastor Paul): Psalm 138:8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands. Hesed. Treasurer Report: Scott Darden presented the treasurer’s report for July 2019. A motion was made and seconded to accept the report as given; motion passed. If you shop on Amazon, please remember to sign into Amazon Smile. Amazon will make a charitable contribution to Sunset Hills Baptist Church when individuals make purchases through Amazon Smile. Stewardship: The stewardship team is in the process of reviewing estimates for roof repairs as a result of hail damage. Journey Groups (Pastor Jason Workman): Journey groups are scheduled to resume the first

week in September 2019. Pastor Jason will provide additional information regarding the groups and meeting times—more to come.

Discipleship: If you are interested in working with our SSHBC youth, please see LaShawnda Woods.

Ministry Council: The SSHBC Ministry Council leadership retreat is scheduled for October 2019. In preparation for the retreat, the ministry council leadership team will begin reading

Spiritual Gifts, by Oswald Sanders. If you are interested in working on or with a ministry team, please feel free to contact one of our

Sunset Hills Baptist Church ministry team leaders or members for more information. Gina Slechta, Moderator Scott Darden, Vice Moderator/Treasurer Ron Reed, Stewardship Traci Gilmer, Mission/Outreach Pastor Jason, Safety/Security Pam Hamlin, Shepherding Don Zak, Worship Ministry LaShawnda Woods, Discipleship Telly Woods, Pastoral/Staff Relations The next meeting will be September 16, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. Complete copies of all Ministry Council meeting minutes are available in the church office.

New Journey Group Starting!

A Brush with Jesus

You’re invited to an evening of creative Bible journaling.

Bible journaling is a way to interact with scripture.

Starting Thursday, September 5 6:30 p.m. every Thursday for 6 weeks at

Sunset Hills Baptist Church

All you need is you. No experience needed. If you have a journaling bible and/or art supplies, I would love for you to bring them with you. I will have some extra art supplies available. I will provide bible journaling ideas each week regarding the topic preached that Sunday, but your own creativity is also encouraged. Light snack and drinks will be provided. Contact Diane Workman for more information.

“The Bible is not meant to be read quickly and set aside, It's a book that pierces our hearts and

causes us to reflect on our own lives in light of who God is and what he has done.”

Don Jones

Join us for Dinner and a Movie on Wednesday evening, September 11. We’ll start dinner at 6:00 p.m. with baked macaroni and cheese

with toppings on the side. The movie is yet to be decided.

Join us for either or both. All are welcome!

Pastor Paul will be hosting Coffee with the Pastor on Monday morning, September 23 at 10:00 a.m. We’ll meet at the Hy-Vee on 90th and Center.

Please plan to join him!