Whispering Pines Church

Romans: In View of God’s Mercy 1:1-17   Join us this Sunday as we begin a new series in the book of Romans. The letter to the Romans was written by Paul in AD 57. Here, Paul writes to churches that he has never met, never visited. Christians in Rome face many of the same challenges and opportunities that we presently face. They lived in a world that made many promises and gloried in itself. Paul writes to instruct them on a proper theology of Christ and of salvation, critical issues they will need to understand as they live in a world that is not their home.   In the introduction of Paul’s letter, Paul stresses that the good news of the gospel does not involve the righteousness or work of human beings for God. This is truly good news! This is boundary-breaking, unity-forming, burden-lifting good news! Join us this week to learn the circumstances behind the writing of this letter as we begin this journey together!   Pastor Nate Roschen

Words to Live by: Endurance   We all want to endure, to be truly resilient. Paul spoke of running the race so as to win, “to get the prize” (1 Cor. 9). But our hope is to not merely find a way to sneak across the finish line, to “survive” this life, but to live whole lives of meaning and purpose. To not lose sight of the mission over the course of our lives.   To learn about enduring, we turn to Jesus. He did not merely eke out an existence, but lived a life of intention. How did He do this? How did He keep from distraction? How did He endure temptations and suffering? Join us this week as we take a look at the sorts of enduring spiritual practices that Jesus put into place in His own life, during His ministry on earth. Let us follow in His way!   Pastor Nate Roschen

Hope - is that the light at the end of tunnel? Please join us next Sunday in welcoming Scott and Laura Brookins as they share with us and update us on their mission work in Uganda. God has blessed this ministry for many years and Whispering Pines has had the privilege of seeing God working in their Voices of Love School, the Farming Project, the Women’s Business Shop and the Bible Project. Jesus has clearly and repeatedly instructed us to spread the Good News not only in our own communities but throughout the world. “Go into the world and preach the Gospel to all creation.”” John 6:45. Most of us will never have the opportunity to disciple in foreign countries but we can none the less, through prayer and financial support impact the lives of others worldwide so that they too can know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Thank you, Sue Shelton/Missions

Words to Live by: Surrender   All that matters is…   How we finish that sentence will tell us much about who we are and what we value. What comes to mind for you? This week in our ongoing series of words to live by, we look at the word surrender. What role does surrender have in the life of a follower of Christ? What does it mean to surrender your life to God?   In the book of Genesis, God creates for Himself a people. He hand-picks a man named Abram from which to build a people. What does God ask of Abram? Surrender. What does that look like? Is it mental, emotional, spiritual, physical? Join us this Sunday as we look at what God desires from us concerning surrender.   Pastor Nate Roschen

Words to Live by: Forgiveness   “Forgiving” may be one of the sweetest ways to describe Jesus Christ. As Christians, we stand forgiven because of what Christ has done for us. To be forgiven is an incredible thing, a life-giving reality. We praise God because He is both holy and loving, a God who forgives and relents from sending calamity. He is known for His mercy.   We prefer for God to be in the role of “forgiver.” Yet we are called to forgive as He has forgiven us. We don’t like this. To forgive another person can feel like letting a guilty person off the hook. How do we navigate this? How can we be convinced that we too must be known as forgiving, merciful people? Join us as we explore some of Jesus’ most compelling teachings this week!   Pastor Nate Roschen

Words to Live by: Vulnerability This Sunday we’re going to begin a new series of study that I'm calling, “Words to Live By,” about the difficult practices that Christ calls us to. Each week we will explore transformative words like: Forgiveness, Reconciliation, Sacrifice, and Surrender. We don’t like these words because they push us, challenge us, demand more from us. This week, we will begin with an introduction to the series and take a look at our first word to live by, Vulnerability. In the natural world, vulnerability is almost always an accident, a flaw, a mistake. But Christ has modeled for us a purposeful vulnerability for the sake of others. Come and join us as we walk with Christ! Pastor Nate Roschen

David: A Life with God 2 Samuel 23-24 This week we come to the end of the story of David and his life with God. David has been found to be complex and relatable, a man after God’s own heart, and a man who still made terrible and selfish decisions. But this story has been about so much more than a man. God is on every page. It was God who raised him up. God who gave him victory over Goliath. God who made him king. God who forgave his monumental sins. David is on every page, but this story is about God. Join us as we come to the surprising conclusion to this journey with David! Pastor Nate Roschen

David: A Life with God 2 Samuel 13-18 Sin has its effect. Last week we looked at the horrible sins that David commits in 2 Samuel 11 – adultery and murder. God is a forgiving God. God keeps His commitments to David, and spares his life and his lineage. But that is not to say that his sin goes without effect. At a critical moment in David’s life, when David’s own son commits a similar, terrible sin, David’s sin rears its ugly head and drives David to… passivity. David is silent in the face of his son’s sin. Why does this happen? What has happened to this man after God’s own heart? Join us this Sunday as we reflect on the effects of sin, and the full and sufficient forgiveness of Christ that we are invited into. Pastor Nate Roschen

David: A Life With God 2 Samuel 11-12 Sin is death. It is not like death. It does not merely have the potential for death. It’s not like a weather forecast for death. Sin is death. It would be easy to think that sin only comes creeping out of the shadows, from obviously evil persons. But as we turn the page into 2 Samuel 11, we find grievous sin coming from the one we never wanted to see defiled – David, the man after God’s own heart. It ought not be. But it is. Join us this Sunday as we take a hard look at sin, why we choose it, and the effects it inevitably has on our lives. But also, critically, the God who does not abandon David, even at his worst. Pastor Nate Roschen

David: A Life with God 1 Samuel 6-9 After spending approximately 20 years from his anointing to his coronation as king of a united Israel, David takes his first actions as king. We’ve already seen in the life of Saul the sort of power that authority has to corrupt a person – how will David respond to being given the reigns? David’s first moves as king are noteworthy because they model for the Jewish community what it looks like to put God first. David directs the Ark of the covenant to be brought into the heart of the Jewish state, Jerusalem. Join us as we explore David’s early moves as the king of Israel! Pastor Nate Roschen

At the end of 1 Samuel, King Saul and his three sons die in a battle with the Philistines. Their death is a tragic end to the reign of the first king of Israel. But the story here is what David does, how David responds to the death of the man who has been after him for years. We might expect rejoicing. David is free, David is safe! But we didn’t find rejoicing. This week, as we take a look at Saul’s death, and David’s transition to king, we will see more of why David is called “a man after God’s own heart.” Join us as we continue the story of David’s life with God! Pastor Nate Roschen

David: A Life With God 1 Samuel 30 Matthew 25:37-40 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ There are many places that are sacred and special among the people of God. We remember Bethany and Galilee, Shiloh and Bethel, and of course Calvary. But the name Brook Besor may not ring the same bell. So, this week we’re going to bring the story of David down to a low gear and take our time with this story of remarkable kindness. Join us at the Brook Besor, as we witness the giving and receiving of mercy – and learn to embody it ourselves. Pastor Nate Roschen

David: A Life With God 1 Samuel 19-24 On the run from a jealous and murderous King Saul, David flees to the wilderness. Times are bleak for the nation of Israel. Their King is attempting to hunt down a man who has not once wronged him, not once raised a hand against him. Sin is messy. Good people are forced into positions of lying and disobeying in order to protect David’s life. How do we respond as followers of Christ when we’re opposed for doing good? What comes out of us when we spend time in the wilderness? Do we bend the rules and take shortcuts that benefit us or are we willing to wait and trust in the Lord? Join us this Sunday as we follow David out into the wilderness. Pastor Nate Roschen

David: A Life With God 1 Samuel 18-23 From humble shepherd boy to giant-slayer, we see David grow in stature and confidence. This would only continue. This next passage of scripture on the life of David shows him rising to meet challenges and opportunities. His fame grows and the women of Israel sing in the streets: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” Nothing is ever recorded depicting David show any disloyalty to King Saul, in fact, quite the opposite is true. David fully respects Saul’s authority as the anointed king over Israel. But we see jealousy creep into Saul’s life. He becomes paranoid and eventually, homicidal. How does David respond? What does faithfulness to God look like then? And how do we respond in unfair and difficult circumstances? Join us as we continue on in our study of David: A life with God! Pastor Nate Roschen

“The theme of David’s Psalm 8 is humanity as rulers over God’s wonderful Creation. Sunday, we’ll take a look at what that means for our identity and purpose, as we look to more fully live into our Creation mandate to fill the earth and subdue it” Daniel Martinez

David: A Life With God 1 Samuel 16-17, Psalm 9 I'm sure that we’ve all heard the most famous underdog story ever told. The story of David and Goliath is an easy and encouraging story to tell children. We usually tell this story and explain that with God’s help, we all can “fight our own goliaths.” But this explanation misses out on so much of the richness and wonder of this story. In each step of this story, we’ll see how David acknowledges God and embodies his faith in the God who “saved him from the paw of the bear and the lion.” We’ll ask questions about what our speech and indeed- our lives embody. Join us as we continue to walk with David through his life with God. Pastor Nate Roschen

David: A Life With God Join us this coming Sunday at Whispering Pines Church as we begin a new series on the stories and psalms of David! In the life of David, we have the unique opportunity to not only read what is a truly fascinating narrative, but also to get behind the curtains to see how David thought about what he was experiencing. In the biblical accounts for most of the well-known men and women in scripture, we only ever read about the narrative itself, the events of their lives, what they do or say. With David, we are given a rich narrative account of his life, supplemented by a number of psalms that were written by him as these events took place. What we find is a complex character. He is a man after God’s own heart. He is a murderer. He is passionate about his relationship with the Lord. He is an adulterer. He mourns. He sings. He writes psalms. He dances. He is human and relatable. Join us as we journey through David’s life with God and come to see that this story is much less about a faithful

David: A Life With God Join us this coming Sunday at Whispering Pines Church as we begin a new series on the stories and psalms of David! In the life of David, we have the unique opportunity to not only read what is a truly fascinating narrative, but also to get behind the curtains to see how David thought about what he was experiencing. In the biblical accounts for most of the well-known men and women in scripture, we only ever read about the narrative itself, the events of their lives, what they do or say. With David, we are given a rich narrative account of his life, supplemented by a number of psalms that were written by him as these events took place. What we find is a complex character. He is a man after God’s own heart. He is a murderer. He is passionate about his relationship with the Lord. He is an adulterer. He mourns. He sings. He writes psalms. He dances. He is human and relatable. Join us as we journey through David’s life with God and come to see that this story is much less about a faithful

2nd and 3rd John …Walk in Love John wrote two more letters. The first is addressed to “the lady chosen by God and to her children.” The second was written to a dear friend named Gaius. The troubles of and challenges to John’s beloved church did not end, they have never ended. What has remained a constant is the way in which John instructs followers of Jesus to live. In 2nd John, he instructs us to continue in obedience and to “walk in love.” In his third letter, we’re told, “do not imitate what is evil but what is good.” John certainly demands a seriousness concerning sin and a firmness concerning those claiming to be brothers and sisters in the Lord, yet deny Jesus’ deity. But John never wanders from His call to love. It defines him as a man of God. It must now define us as followers of the Way. Join us as we wrap up our study of the letters of John. Pastor Nate Roschen

Passion Week Reconciled to God Join us this Passion Week as we gather to remember the incredible price Christ paid that we could be reconciled with God. This week we will acknowledge with reverence the greatness of God, displayed in His willingness to die for us, an act necessitated by our own sin and rebellion. On Good Friday, we remember the bleakness of that day, the pain of His sacrifice, and the passion that led Him there with joy. And on Easter Sunday, we remember the power of the resurrection and the love of God that reaches to the least and the lost. Join us this year as we reflect on the love of God given at the cross! Pastor Nate Roschen