by Michiana Covenant | Aug 31, 2017 | Pastoral Notes
Dear Congregation,
The Deacons have asked me to announce that this Sunday’s diaconal offering will be devoted to relief efforts in Houston after Hurricane Harvey.
Breckinridge Update
Tonight at Village I will be making my first presentation (out of four) on R. J. Breckinridge that are designed to help me get organized for writing next year.
The title of tonight’s talk is: “What Is Man Without His Friend?” The Making of a Kentucky Lawyer (1800-1829)
Caylor House Update
At the recommendation of the Caylor House Committee, the session is making an offer for a ‘starter house’ for the Caylor House project. It’s something of a long shot, since another offer was accepted the day before we voted to make a “backup offer.” (Our realtor, Lin Gray, encouraged us to make a backup offer because apparently the offer ahead of us has lots of contingencies. A backup offer only comes into play if the other party’s offer falls through). Please pray that God would work all things out for his glory and our good. If you have any questions, there will be lots of us at Village tonight who can talk more about this.
Sermon Series
In the morning service, I am preaching through the book of Exodus. After finishing Exodus, I will preach Philemon in October and then Book Four of the Psalms from November-January.
In the evening Joel and I are preaching a catechetical series through the topics of the Shorter Catechism. Then I will preach through Lamentations and Daniel (Joel will continue preaching once a month during the school year).
Prayer Requests
-
- For rulers and those in authority
- For the spread of the gospel
- Missionaries
- Will Traub (Dundee, Scotland)
- Jamie & Julia Thornton (Ukraine)
- Nell (France)
- C family (that place over there)
- Bruce (France)
- Markus & Sharon Jeromin (Uruguay)
- PCA Ministries
- Mission to the World, Mission to North America, Reformed University Ministries, Interchurch Relations, Christian Education & Publications, Covenant College and Seminary, etc.
- Great Lakes Presbytery
- Pastor Wallace serves on the Mission to North America Committee (church planting & Reformed University Fellowship)
- Mark Hanson serves on the Administrative Committee (reading session minutes, stewardship, and nominating members for committee service)
- Joel Irvin serves on the Candidates & Credentials Committee (examining and overseeing candidates for the ministry)
- Michiana Area Churches
- Grace Reformed OPC (Walkerton) — Pastor Matt Barker
- Elkhart RPCNA (Elkhart) — Pastor Wade Mann
- Grace Fellowship Church (Bremen) — Pastor Jon Hueni
- Grace Baptist Fellowship (Warsaw) — Pastor Aaron Hoak
- Fulkerson Park Baptist Church (Niles) — Pastor Brian Hedges
- Hillsdale OPC — Pastor Everett Henes
- New City EPC (South Bend) — Pastor Luke Potter
- Greater Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church (South Bend) — Pastor Earl Hairston
- All churches where Christ is preached.
- Pastor Peter and pastoral intern Joel
- Preaching Christ faithfully
- Discipleship and imitating Christ (as husband, father, and pastor)
- Writing and teaching projects
- MCPC Elders and Deacons
- for wisdom in leading the congregation
- praise for cash offer for the former LaPorte church building
- Elders: Jay, Mark, Rex, Joel, Stephen, and Jacob
- Deacons: Hugh, Mihkail, Jake, Dan, Matthew, and Bob
- That we would be salt and light in our community
- For those who are suffering, pray both for relief and for grace to endure in the midst of trials
- in our community
- Patty (Jamie Irvin’s mother) — needs a new kidney
- Laura Gekeler (Juday Creek neighbor) — ovarian cancer is in remission
- Myrle Rowley’s great-grandson, Isaac (leukemia)
- in our congregation
- Ian Heitzmann (diabetes)
- Bob Taylor (traumatic brain injury)
- Wade Hall (heart)
- Michael Kaufmann (rehab)
- loss of loved ones
- wisdom that we might always number our days
- For students, wisdom to prepare effectively for future service
- Students away from home:
- Immanuel Deliyannides (Calvin)
- Olivia Deliyannides (Calvin)
- Lena Wallace (Bethel)
- For those who are looking for employment, that God would provide them with gainful employment so that they might provide for their households and be useful in the kingdom of God:
- Deborah Forteza (praise for job at Grove City College)
- Christine Jordan (praise for job in South Bend)
- Christopher Kleven (praise for job in Iowa)
- For teachers, wisdom to train students for that service
- For the Michiana Covenant Academy as we seek to provide assistance to home schoolers
- For other area Christian (e.g., Covenant, Elkhart, and Granger Christian Schools) and public schools
- For home school teachers and students
- For husbands and wives; parents and children
- Lynns — with Audrey’s transition
- Longs — living in Germany, Maria’s schooling
- For those who desire children
- For pregnant mothers
- Margaret McMillan
- Margaret McCarthy
- For those seeking to adopt
- For singles, both wisdom to devote themselves fully to Christ’s service and also (for those who desire it) a godly spouse
- For those preparing for marriage
If you would like a particular prayer request to appear in the Pastoral Notes, please let me know.
Here is the order of worship for Sunday.
Blessings,
Pastor Peter
http://www.peterwallace.org/
http://www.facebook.com/peter.wallace.3990
Morning Worship
“You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God…”
*Call to Worship Psalm 100
Pastor: Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God!
People: It is He who made us, and we are His; We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
Pastor: Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name!
People: For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, And His faithfulness to all generations.
*Hymn of Approach Psalm 111 “Praise to the Lord, I Will Extol Him”
Preparation for Confession
Prayer of Confession with Lord’s Prayer From Psalm 51/Micah 6
O most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; who pardons all those who truly repent and turn to you; we humbly confess our sins and ask for your mercy. We have not loved you with our whole heart; neither have we loved our neighbor as ourselves. We have not done justly, nor loved mercy, nor walked humbly with you, our God. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, according to your steadfast love; according to your tender mercies, blot out our iniquity. Create in us a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within us. Cast us not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from us. Restore unto us the joy of your salvation, for we ask these things in the name of Jesus, our Savior, who taught us to pray, Our Father…
Declaration of Pardon
*Hymn of Praise TH 342 “Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation”
*Offertory Prayer
Offering
*Doxology Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Praise him all creatures here below! Praise him above, ye heavenly hosts! Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost! Amen
“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…”
Old Testament Reading Exodus 34 (p. 60)
*Psalm of Response Psalm 86 “Hear Me, O LORD, and Answer Me”
New Testament Reading 1 Corinthians 3 (p. 1008)
Sermon “A New Covenant” Pastor Peter Wallace
Introduction:
- The Sin of Israel: When What We See Overrules the Word of the LORD (ch 32)
- The Intercession of Moses and the Face of the LORD (ch 33)
Who Is the God Who Makes This Covenant? (v1-9)
- Replacing the Broken Tablets (v1-4)
- God’s Name Is Revealed in His Character (v5-6)
- What Does “Visiting the Iniquity of the Fathers on the Children” Mean? (v7)
- “Take Us for Your Inheritance” – Moses’ Plea for Pardon (v8-9)
The Covenant of the LORD Declared (v10-28)
- God Will Do Awesome Things – and All the People Will See It (v10)
- Do Not Make Covenants with the Nations – Because of Idolatry (v11-16)
- The Centrality of Worship to the Covenant (v17-26)
- “Write These Words” – the Importance of the Written Word (v27-28)
The Glorious Result of the Covenant: the Shining Face of Moses (v29-35)
*Hymn of Praise Psalm 27 “The LORD’s My Savior and My Light”
“Now therefore, O LORD, let your word be confirmed…”
Congregational Prayer
*Nicene Creed (p.846)
Lord’s Supper
Exhortation & Blessing
Pastor The Lord be with you
People And also with you
Pastor Lift up your hearts
People We lift them up to the Lord
Pastor Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
People It is right to give him thanks and praise
Pastor prays: It is indeed right, and a good and joyful thing . . .
The Peace
Communion (We use wine as the element commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ. We provide grape juice in the outer ring for those who conscientiously abstain from wine.)
*Prayer of Thanksgiving PHSS 200 “Heavenly Father”
Diaconal Offering
*Closing Hymn TH 546 “The Sands of Time Are Sinking”
*Benediction
Evening Worship
*Call to Worship Psalm 149
*Prayer of Invocation
*Hymn of Praise Psalm 140 “Save Me, O LORD, from Evil Men”
Psalms and Hymns
Scripture Reading Genesis 3; Matthew 18:21-35 (pp. 531, 810)
Sermon “Delivered and Forgiven” Elder Joel Irvin
- 105 – What do we pray for in the fifth petition?
- In the fifth petition, which is,And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, we pray that God, for Christ’s sake, would freely pardon all our sins; which we are the rather encouraged to ask, because by His grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others.
- 106 – What do we pray for in the sixth petition?
- In the sixth petition, which is,And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,we pray that God would either keep us from being tempted to sin, or support and deliver us when we are tempted.
Congregational Prayer
*Apostles’ Creed (p.845)
Prayer of Thanksgiving
*Hymn of Praise TH 691 “It Is Well with My Soul”
*Benediction
by Michiana Covenant | Aug 26, 2017 | Order of Worship
Morning Worship
“You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God…”
*Call to Worship (from Psalm 115)
Pastor: Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and faithfulness.
People: Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.
Pastor: The idols of the nations are the work of human hands. They have mouths but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them. Therefore, you who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD!
People: He is our help and our shield!
Pastor: He will bless those who fear the LORD, both the small and the great. May you be blessed by the LORD who made heaven and earth!
People: We will bless the LORD from this time forth and forevermore.
All: Praise the LORD!
*Hymn of Approach TH 53 “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”
Preparation for Confession
Prayer of Confession with Lord’s Prayer (from Psalm 86)
Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer us, for we are poor and needy.
Preserve us, O God, and deliver us, for we trust in you.
Be gracious to us, O Lord, for to you we cry all the day.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
Give ear, O LORD, to our prayer; listen to our plea for grace.
For you are great and you have done wondrous things in our Lord Jesus Christ, overthrowing the powers of sin, death and the Devil through the death and resurrection of your Son.
Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father, and be gracious to us, forgiving all our sins for Christ’s sake.
Teach us your way, O LORD, that we may walk in your truth.
Unite our hearts, by the grace of your Holy Spirit, to fear your name, for we pray in the name of him who taught us to pray, Our Father . .
Declaration of Pardon (Psalm 86:12-13)
Pastor: . . . Believer in Jesus Christ, you are free from the power of sin and death!
People: We give thanks to you, O Lord our God, with our whole heart, and we will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward us; you have delivered our souls from the depths of the grave!
*Hymn of Praise PHSS 179 “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us”
*Offertory Prayer
Offering
*Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Praise him all creatures here below!
Praise him above, ye heavenly hosts!
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost! Amen
“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…”
Old Testament Reading Exodus 33 (p. 60)
*Psalm of Response Psalm 91 “The One Whose Dwelling Is with God Most High”
New Testament Reading 1 John 4 (p. 1008)
Sermon “I Need Thy Presence” Pastor Peter Wallace
- The “Evil Word”: Go to the Land Without Me (33:1-6)
- The Tent of Meeting Outside the Camp (33:7-11)
- The Intercession of Moses (33:12-23)
- Moses Appeals to God’s Own Words: I Need Your Presence (v12-13)
- The LORD Agrees (v14)
- Moses Applies the Principle Further: Your Presence Is What Makes Us Distinct (v15-16)
- The LORD Agrees (v17)
- Okay, Then, “Let Me See Your Glory” (v18)
- The LORD Agrees (v19-23)
- The Gracious Name of the LORD (v19)
- The Perilous Face of the LORD (v20)
- The Hand, the Back, and the Face of the LORD (v21-23)
- The Gracious Name of the LORD (34:1-9)
- The Two Tablets of Stone (v1-4)
- The Name of the LORD (v5-7)
- The Formal Petition for Forgiveness (v8-9)
*Hymn of Praise PHSS 205 “Sound a Trumpet in Zion!”
“Now therefore, O LORD, let your word be confirmed…”
Congregational Prayer
*Nicene Creed (p.846)
Lord’s Supper
Exhortation & Blessing
Pastor The Lord be with you
People And also with you
Pastor Lift up your hearts
People We lift them up to the Lord
Pastor Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
People It is right to give him thanks and praise
Pastor prays: It is indeed right, and a good and joyful thing . . .
The Peace
Communion (We use wine as the element commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ. We provide grape juice in the outer ring for those who conscientiously abstain from wine.)
Prayer of Thanksgiving (from the Canadian Reformed)
Merciful God and Father, we thank you that in your boundless mercy you have given us your only-begotten Son as our Mediator. We praise you that he is the sacrifice for our sins and that through him you have drawn us into fellowship with you and with one another. And now we ask that we, being strengthened in faith through this sacrament, might bring forth the fruit of thankfulness in our whole life, until that glorious day, promised by our Lord Jesus Christ, when we will drink of the fruit of the vine in the kingdom of his Father, to whom be all glory, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
*Closing Hymn TH 469 “How Sweet and Awesome Is the Place”
*Benediction
Evening Worship
*Call to Worship Isaiah 25
*Prayer of Invocation
*Hymn of Praise Psalm 145 “I Will Extol You, O My God and King”
Psalms and Hymns
Scripture Reading Numbers 11; Luke 10:38-11:13 (pp. 531, 810)
Sermon “That Which Is Truly Needful” Elder Joel Irvin
- 104 – What do we pray for in the fourth petition?
- In the fourth petition, which is,Give us this day our daily bread, we pray that of God’s free gift we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life, and enjoy His blessing with them.
Congregational Prayer
*Apostles’ Creed (p.845)
*Hymn of Praise TH 146 “Break Thou the Bread of Life”
*Benediction
by Michiana Covenant | Aug 26, 2017 | Pastoral Notes
Dear Congregation,
We heard back from Lilly and we did not receive a grant from the Clergy Renewal Program. But as the session talked about it, we agreed that we didn’t care for the part of the sabbatical that would send the Wallace family away for four months. If the purpose of a sabbatical would be to write the Breckinridge biography, then why not simply make that my full-time employment for four months?
So at our session meeting this week, the session approved a four-month sabbatical (mid-April through mid-August), where the session will relieve me of my regular pastoral duties so that I can focus on writing. There will likely be a couple of research trips to Kentucky and Princeton, but the Wallaces will remain in South Bend for the bulk of the sabbatical. The only additional costs would be some pulpit supply — since Joel will not be ready to cover everything in my absence — and the research trips (though I may be able to find a research grant for at least one trip).
And in order to be well-prepared for writing, I will give a series of four presentations on the four main parts of the biography. The first presentation will be this coming Thursday at Village on “The Early Life of Robert J. Breckinridge, 1800-1829.”
Also, I should mention that we have upgraded (?) our phones, so I now have unlimited talk and text on my cell phone. I am starting to give out that number as my “work” phone number: (574) 485-7023. (Though I still normally work at home, so you can easily reach me there as well.)
Sermon Series
In the morning service, I am preaching through the book of Exodus. After finishing Exodus, I will preach Philemon in October and then Book Four of the Psalms from November-January.
In the evening Joel and I are preaching a catechetical series through the topics of the Shorter Catechism. Then I will preach through Lamentations and Daniel (Joel will continue preaching once a month during the school year).
Prayer Requests
-
- For rulers and those in authority
- For the spread of the gospel
- Missionaries
- Will Traub (Dundee, Scotland)
- Jamie & Julia Thornton (Ukraine)
- Nell (France)
- C family (that place over there)
- Bruce (France)
- Markus & Sharon Jeromin (Uruguay)
- PCA Ministries
- Mission to the World, Mission to North America, Reformed University Ministries, Interchurch Relations, Christian Education & Publications, Covenant College and Seminary, etc.
-
- Great Lakes Presbytery
- Pastor Wallace serves on the Mission to North America Committee (church planting & Reformed University Fellowship)
- Mark Hanson serves on the Administrative Committee (reading session minutes, stewardship, and nominating members for committee service)
- Joel Irvin serves on the Candidates & Credentials Committee (examining and overseeing candidates for the ministry)
- Michiana Area Churches
- Grace Reformed OPC (Walkerton) — Pastor Matt Barker
- Elkhart RPCNA (Elkhart) — Pastor Wade Mann
- Grace Fellowship Church (Bremen) — Pastor Jon Hueni
- Grace Baptist Fellowship (Warsaw) — Pastor Aaron Hoak
- Fulkerson Park Baptist Church (Niles) — Pastor Brian Hedges
- Hillsdale OPC — Pastor Everett Henes
- New City EPC (South Bend) — Pastor Luke Potter
- Greater Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church (South Bend) — Pastor Earl Hairston
- All churches where Christ is preached.
-
- Pastor Peter and pastoral intern Joel
- Preaching Christ faithfully
- Discipleship and imitating Christ (as husband, father, and pastor)
- Writing and teaching projects
- MCPC Elders and Deacons
- for wisdom in leading the congregation
- praise for cash offer for the former LaPorte church building
- Elders: Jay, Mark, Rex, Joel, Stephen, and Jacob
- Deacons: Hugh, Mihkail, Jake, Dan, Matthew, and Bob
- That we would be salt and light in our community
- For those who are suffering, pray both for relief and for grace to endure in the midst of trials
- in our community
- Patty (Jamie Irvin’s mother) — needs a new kidney
- Laura Gekeler (Juday Creek neighbor) — ovarian cancer is in remission
- Myrle Rowley’s great-grandson, Isaac (leukemia)
- in our congregation
- Ian Heitzmann (diabetes)
- Bob Taylor (traumatic brain injury)
- Wade Hall (heart)
- Michael Kaufmann (rehab)
- loss of loved ones
- wisdom that we might always number our days
- For students, wisdom to prepare effectively for future service
- Students away from home:
- Immanuel Deliyannides (Calvin)
- Olivia Deliyannides (Calvin)
- Lena Wallace (Bethel)
- For those who are looking for employment, that God would provide them with gainful employment so that they might provide for their households and be useful in the kingdom of God:
- Deborah Forteza (praise for job at Grove City College)
- Christine Jordan (praise for job in South Bend)
- Christopher Kleven (praise for job in Iowa)
- For teachers, wisdom to train students for that service
- For the Michiana Covenant Academy as we seek to provide assistance to home schoolers
- For other area Christian (e.g., Covenant, Elkhart, and Granger Christian Schools) and public schools
- For home school teachers and students
- For husbands and wives; parents and children
- Lynns — with Audrey’s transition
- Longs — living in Germany, Maria’s schooling
- For those who desire children
- For pregnant mothers
- Margaret McMillan
- Margaret McCarthy
- For those seeking to adopt
- For singles, both wisdom to devote themselves fully to Christ’s service and also (for those who desire it) a godly spouse
- For those preparing for marriage
If you would like a particular prayer request to appear in the Pastoral Notes, please let me know.
Blessings,
Pastor Peter
http://www.peterwallace.org/
http://www.facebook.com/peter.wallace.3990
by Michiana Covenant | Jul 20, 2017 | Catechism Quiz
A. These words “before me” in the first commandment teach us that God, who sees all things, takes notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other god.
(Psalm 44:20, 21; Romans 1:24, 25)
by Michiana Covenant | Apr 28, 2017 | Women's Ministry
By Lena Wallace
Some people think Beauty is
Youth
Perfection
Flawless skin
Shining locks of hair, no gray to be seen
Perfect health
Perfect makeup
Perfect smile
Perfect body, smooth, shining…
Do you know what Beauty is?
I know elderly women
Who wear their gray hair like silver crowns
Their days of youth are over,
Their days of life waning
But they never let that stop them from loving.
They teach students in classrooms,
Gifting their years of wisdom to young minds.
They are no longer young and pretty and full of energy,
But they are venerable queens,
Beautiful, radiant, with smiles that light up a room
And they are loved by all who know them.
Do you know what Beauty is?
I know a woman
A mother of eight
She struggles with teaching her children
Maintaining a healthy weight
Loving her husband
To those who don’t know her, she doesn’t seem much,
But to those who know her and love her
She is flawless, radiant, kind, always willing to love
And help those in need.
Do you know what Beauty is?
I know two little girls
Adopted from China by a loving family
They each have different forms of cerebral palsy
They struggle to adjust, to be brave,
But they are brilliant and loving, incredibly sweet,
And they have radiant smiles for all they meet.
Do you know what Beauty is?
I know a girl
Young and radiant, but insecure about her appearance,
Her hair
Her face
Her weight
But her smile is brilliant, her heart is true, and she is fiercely loyal to her friends.
Her eyes light up when she laughs, and it is dazzling.
Do you know what Beauty is?
I know a girl
Struggling with fear, anxiety, depression
She fears so much, she tries to cover it
She doesn’t sleep much, she hides the dark circles
She loves so much, but she fears to be hurt again.
But when she laughs, her face is radiant, even through the fear and pain.
Do you know what Beauty is?
I know a young woman
Quiet and thoughtful
She doesn’t like attention,
She doesn’t want to make a big deal out of things
But she will talk with you for hours
About life, struggles
Loves and fears
Joys and tears
A mentor to the downcast, with a beautiful heart.
Do you know what Beauty is?
I know a young woman
Small in stature
Plain in looks
But strong in heart
Though she is small, she is mighty
Her smile is dazzling, her voice divine
She is a hard worker and a solid friend
If you fall she will pick you right back up again.
Do you know what Beauty is?
I know a woman
Mother of seven
She often gets exasperated with her children, husband, friends, and for good reasons, usually
But she is always willing to serve
To find someone a place to stay
To cook them a meal
To comfort the grieving, laugh with the joyful.
She gives love to all, and sometimes feels
Overwhelmed
Underaccepted
But she is loved by all, and she keeps her household running and her children safe.
She is my mother, and she is a queen among women.
Do you know what Beauty is?
Beauty is not a perfect face
Beauty is not a flawless body
A person’s worth is not counted by appearance
Value is not measured by
Your hair
Your body
Your mental state
Your physical health
Your skills
Your flaws
Beauty is what one does
Beautiful is what one’s heart is
Beauty is measured by those who love you
Not by strangers
Not by the media
Not by standards too high to reach
Beauty is measured by
Love.
