March 2015
640 Grosvenor St. London Ont N5Y 3T4
519-858-4123
churchalcc1@gmail.com
Twitter:Abundant Life Church @LifeALCC
Week at a Glance 10am CafĂŠ 10:30 Service The PlayRoom KidMin 10:30 Girls Bible Study noon Home Groups 6:30 pm Tues: Ladies Coffee Hour 10:30 Wed: Ignite Youth Group Thurs: Celebrate Recovery 7pm
The Promise Of Easter discovery| connection| responsibility | simplicity
The Promises of Easter…. I love March. It is the beginning of new things, a new season and it leads to my favorite holiday, Easter. Friends, this is where the rubber meets the road. If Jesus didn’t die, he would not have been raised from the dead. Jesus would rather die than live without you. Each year as I enter the Easter season, I am reminded of the joy of knowing my Savior, Jesus Christ, didn’t stay in the grave but actually did rise from the dead. It is like the disciples discovered on that very first Easter morning… 6
He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:6
Over the month of March leading into Easter, we are going to do a series as a teaching team called, “The Promise of Easter.” I am very excited that the bible is full of promises and especially around the joy of this great event. The promise of Easter is real and it’s for you. We are going on a journey to discover the hope that can be found amongst the hurts and disappointments of life. Through the month of March, it is our hope that all of us would trust God more as we come to understand about His promises and His love for all of us. Join us for all these special services including the big weekend of Good Communion Friday breakfast and Easter Sunday ! He is not here, he is risen! PB and Kathy
Oh, the wonderful cross! In Luke 23, there are 2 other men hanging on their own crosses. I’ll never forget reading this for the first time. There they are, hanging on the cross that they were hammered to. Using their last breathe in a dialogue that would forever change our lives. “Some messiah you are! Save us and save yourself” (v39) one mocked Jesus. Jesus didn’t have to endure this horrible and humiliating death. Jesus could have had “12 legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53) come and take Him off the cross but He didn’t. The other criminal shuts up the mocking one and says, “Don’t you understand?! Don’t you see? We are the ones who deserve this and He doesn't!” (v40-41) Before, I just thought of the cross as Jesus’ but realized it was mine, it was the criminals’, it’s your punishment for our wrongdoings. Sometimes, we are the mocking criminal on the cross, not understanding or embracing the full extent of this moment in history. This changes everything for us . . . Friends, coming up to Easter, be in awe, be reminded, understand and see that Jesus, the son of God, the one who could have called on legions of angels, the Jesus that walked on water, the Jesus that healed and set people free, died for you! Took your place, so He could say to you, on your deathbed, “Today, you will be with me in paradise” (v43). He did it so we could live with Him forever. God is good, Tony Mejia
Welcome! We are glad you are here, and we trust that are feeling at HOME. It is our hope and prayer that you will join in as we share our lives and celebration of faith together. We believe our life is about discovering who God is, using this faith to live out His purpose and His plan and to live it with passion. We call ALCC our HOME. We are intentional about relationships with God and each other to bring the message of HOPE to our community.
&TEA 10 –10:30 am
Having one of those days? Our staff/board/elders are available to pray with you
discovery| connection| responsibility | simplicity
Sundays 10:30-noon
Saturday March 14
day discovery| connection| responsibility | simplicity
Saturday March 7 @ 7:30am
Breakfast @ 9 am TBD
H20 JOURNEY OF FAITH Sunday Nights 6:30 pm discovery| connection| responsibility | simplicity
Sunday March 22 @ 6:30 pm
WHO: kids/teens workers
A protection plan for CHILDREN and YOUTH A protection plan for Church
Saturday March 28 $10 Cafe8 am Seminar 8:30—12
discovery| connection| responsibility | simplicity
Since 2003
The spiritual principle of Step six is Willingness. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:10) Step (6) is all about discovering hope. When we are upset, we often depend upon our addiction to make us feel better. As we get rid of our addiction, we face the deeper character defects that God wants to heal. Our addiction functions as a place of “shelter” from our pain. But when that “shelter” is removed, deep anger may surface, exposing even deeper character flaws that need healing. Jonah had a glaring defect of character: he couldn’t forgive and have compassion on the people of Nineveh, whom he hated. When God decided not to destroy them, Jonah threw a temper tantrum. “The Lord replied, Is it right for you to be angry about this? Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city… And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. The next morning ..the plant soon died and withered away. And as the sun grew hot, God sent a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die.” God did this to show Jonah that the real problem wasn’t the loss of his shelter. Hatred was the real problem. The removal of our sheltering addiction may expose deep problems. This may spark defensive anger as God touches our deepest hurts. It is all right to let the anger out. But it is also important to let God take care of the real problem. Jonah 4: 4-8. NLT How can we honestly say that we are entirely ready for God to remove our defects of character? If we think in terms of all or nothing, we may get stuck here because we will never feel entirely ready. It is important to keep in mind that the twelve steps are guiding ideals. No one can work them perfectly. Our part is to keep moving, to get as close as we can to being ready. Most of us have made numerous attempts at selfimprovement. Perhaps we have consciously tried to improve our attitude, our education, our appearance, or our habits. We may have had success in self-improvement on some level. However, when it comes to our struggles with defects of character, chances are we have experienced only deep frustration. There is a reason for our frustration. These character defects can only be removed, never improved. The illustration given us in the bible is that our sins and defect of character must be put to death, as Jesus was, with the hope of new life to follow.
Thursday’s @ 7 pm
Potluck March 26 @ 6pm
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Student ministry 11– 18 years
FindingConnectingBelonging
Jeff & Tamara Neely Samuel and Jaela Consultant and Facilitator of Unreachednations.org
Phil & Donna Williams Servant’s Heart Ministries Dominican Republic
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